February 2018

INSIDE THE ISSUE

opinion 4

sports 16

feature 6

opinion 5

a&e 10

the bull’s eye NEWS

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Shaky support after Trump's first year

OPINION

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FEATURE

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FEBRUARY 21, 2018 VOLUME XXXVI, ISSUE VI ONLINE AT DBBULLSEYE.COM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

A new frontier for Gax After 11 years of teaching at DBHS, economics teacher Mary Gaxiola will be departing for Texas. brian Chang News EDITOR

The Bull's Eye takes a look at the new president's term, with perspectives from students and staff.

“He’s changed his position on a few of his campaign promises, but I think he did good work with the tax reform,” senior Logan Knight said via Facebook. “His rhetoric, though not exactly presidential, brought discourse to important issues.”

In the first quarter of his term, we saw the president dominate the headlines with his bold statements, carrying over the trend from the unprecedentedly bold campaign

Longtime Diamond Bar High School economics teacher Mary Gaxiola will be seeking greener pastures at the end of this month.

Gaxiola will be moving to Texas with her family. Her husband, who works for the foodservice company Canteen, landed a position there in January.

A week after returning from winter break, Gaxiola spoke with school and district administrators, and she said within a week they had posted a job opening for her position on Edjoin, a job board site for educators.

Even though she will be moving to a new state, Gaxiola said she hopes to continue working in the education industry.

“It’s what I’m most passionate about,” Gaxiola said. “I don’t know exactly my timeline as to when I will be looking for a job, but I know I will stay in the field of education because I love what I do.”

Gaxiola has been teaching economics at DBHS for 11 years and AP Economics for eight. She will be succeeded by Melissa Wilson, a

Trump ON P.3

GAXIOLA ON P.3

angela yang asst. News EDITOR ANGELA YANG

Amidst the clouds of hazy speculation that has shrouded the most recent man to take the Oval Office, President Donald Trump emerges from his first year in office still standing. Notorious for his bold statements and arbitrary daily tweets, his lack of professionalism factors into the perspectives held by many Brahmas, supporters and dissenters alike.

As his stance on immigration continued to waver between prodeportation and aiding the Dreamers—illegal immigrants brought during childhood—the president’s only decisive action in 2017 was the repeal of Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, which set the deadline for the end of Dreamer protections at March 5.

“I think he is doing pretty good immigration-wise,” Diamond Bar High School junior Gisel Munoz

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CINDY LIU

said. “The whole thing about [not] letting them in, yeah it’s sad but [prioritizing] the rights of people who aren’t citizens over the people who are American citizens [isn’t

FOR AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT TRUMP'S POLICIES, SEE OPINION, PAGE 13 right].”

In December, Trump fulfilled one of his major campaign promises after signing into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, cutting corpo-

rate as well as individual taxes.

“Lowering taxes on corporations don’t really help in producing jobs for the middle class... it'll be directed to investors and used for greater dividends on stock prices,” junior Hamzah Daud said. “I think he doesn’t really care about what legislation is passed. He just signs whatever he wants, whatever is put in front of him.”

While these tax reductions would be in permanent effect for businesses, they are set to expire in 2025 for everyday citizens.

Foreign students experience DBHS campus life Juniors and seniors from Taiwan and China take photos, play rock music. emily jacobsson editor-in-chief For the average Diamond Bar High School student, the school’s magic may be long gone, replaced by mundane routines and repetitive sights. However, what has become an unappreciated part of their daily lives offers an exciting new experience and a lesson in cultural differences for the three groups of Chinese students visiting the campus.

The first group of students arrived on Jan. 29, from schools in Shanghai and Guizhou. The second group, composed of students from a private all-girls school and its brother school from Taiwan, visited the week of Feb. 5. The final group, also from China, arrived yesterday.

The foreign students enjoy a less

academically focused version of daily life at DBHS. While they have the option to sit in on a math or English class, most chose to attend the set of more engaging classes organized by Instructional Dean Gabriel Aguilar.

In those classes, many of the teachers provided activities for the students.

Photography teacher William Foley took photos of them to print out, woodshop teacher Sam Jacoby built photo frames with them and Commercial Music advisor Daryl Hernandez worked with students throughout the week so that by the final day, they could perform American Rock n' Roll.

Ruo Hua Xu, a senior from the Shanghai school, said that he noticed the differences in artistic style between the two cultures through Vianney Hwang’s art class.

“The drawing style is a lot different from China. In China, drawing feels a lot more emotional and we focus a lot on drawing facial features. Here, they aren’t really in-

FOREIGN STUDENTS ON P.2

Students from Shanghai and Guizhou visited DBHS classrooms for a look at education in American schools.

HANNAH LEE

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NEWS

THE BULL'S EYE

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

In a league of their own

National test makes return to campus

Student gamers won $500 scholarships in a national video game competition.

Fifty randomly selected seniors took the NAEP standardized test Feb. 14.

samyuktha vellaiyan staff writer League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team members never knew they could transform their hobby into a scholarship-winning experience.

Both teams, consisting of DBHS and Walnut High School students, took first place in the first-ever Semester Series national video game competition.

Each participant won $500 in scholarship money. The inaugural season featured 64 different teams, all competing in either the League of Legends or Counter-Strike division, with an entrance fee of $5 per individual.

“We were able to create this experience through our nationwide competition followed by thousands of dollars in scholarship prizing,” event organizer Justin Jia said via Facebook.

Six students make up the League of Legends team, while five are part of Counter-Strike. According to senior Shaun Chen, a CounterStrike player, there are some differences between the two divisions.

“I would say that League of Legends is more team-oriented while Counter-Strike requires more individual skills,” Chen said.

Before the competition, neither

HANNAH LEE

Seniors Collin Satawidinata, left, and Shaun Chen are among the six students on the League of Legends team who won scholarships in a competition. team had been actively competing, as video games were something they played during their free time.

“We used to play just for fun as friends. Joining in this competition is definitely a change that I will never forget,” League of Legends competitor senior Collin Satawidinata said.

Though winning the championship required hours of effort and practice from each person, the teams did not practice together at all, instead of relying on prior ex-

A peek into American classrooms

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

Emily Jacobsson, Catherine Zhang Brian Chang, Hannah Lee Angela Yang, Cindy Liu

Opinion Editor Asst. Opinion Editor

Noor Naji Ted Yarmoski

Feature Editors Asst. Feature Editor

Emily Kim, Catherine Zhang Amelie Lee Emily Jacobsson, Pauline Woodley Amy Miyahara

A&E Editors Asst. A&E Editor Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor

Ryan Chae Justin Prakaiphetkul

Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editors

Hannah Lee Ingrid Chan, Amelie Lee

Business Manager

Tess Guan Tess Guan Sophia Kim

Web Editor Asst. Web Editor Staff Writers

perience in these video games.

“We all had a lot of experience playing video games and felt no need to practice. That’s how confident we were,” Chen said.

This confidence later helped the teams to take the championship.

“Even though we just formed this group for fun, we never thought that we would be able to use our hobby to win scholarship money,” Satawidinata said. “We were all very happy and excited that this happened.”

it,” DBHS Instructional Dean Matthew Brummett said.

Fifty seniors were selected at random by the NAEP administrators to be tested for competence in reading, mathematics and science.

ANGELA YANG Each student was assessed for only asst. News EDITOR one section.

Administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, the Several senior Brahmas were test was held in the LINC in twopulled from two of their periods on hour sessions. Students were fed Valentine’s Day last week to take complimentary breakfast or lunch an unfamiliar standardized assessdepending on which session they ment. attended.

While the National Assessment These statistics will be used to of Educational Progress has not reflect the performance levels of been adminisdifferent demotered on Diagraphics of stumond Bar High dents through"It's relatively painless School campus out the nation for the students bein recent years, as a whole, and cause there's not that this is not a new will not count typical pressure." exam. for individual It is given or school-wide MATTHEW arbitrarily to evaluations, BRUMMETT public schools though schools across the nado receive a copy tion each year to of their scores. students in grades four, eight and The non-systemic irregularity of 12. its administration each year conResults on the NAEP are then tributes to a more accurate analycollectivized into anonymous data sis of student progress over time. for the U.S. Department of Educa“It’s completely anonymous as tion. far as no names published any“I’ve heard in the past that we've where,” Brummett said. “It’s gone three years in a row and given relatively painless for the student it and I’ve heard in the past that because there's not that typical we've gone a number of years withpressure for individual perforout giving it, but this year we hapmance because their name isn't pened to be chosen to administer used.”

FOREIGN students ON P.1 terested in faces,” Xu said.

Juniors Jia Qiu Chen and Yue Xing, from the same school as Ruo, enjoyed sitting in on the Chinese classes to see how the American students were learning their native language.

“We thought of different questions to ask the students to help them learn more. I especially enjoyed the class because the Asian American students were kind and good-looking,” Chen said.

According to the foreign students, the most striking difference between DBHS and their schools in China was the fact that students move around to each classroom in the U.S., since in China the teach-

ers are the ones who must rotate between classes. Many of the Chinese students also agree that the general atmosphere at DBHS is a lot different from what they are used to.

“The students here are a lot more relaxed and lively. I’m not sure why. Maybe it is because our teachers are scarier, but I think it is just the culture,” junior Si Yu Huang said.

On each day of the trip, the students spent the final period of the day with the Robotics team, who prepared a series of hands-on workshops to teach them about competitive robotics.

The traveling program, led by Dedicated to Learning, an organization that also hosts summer

school on campus, has allowed foreign students to visit high school, middle and elementary schools in the Walnut Valley Unified School District for over four years.

As the summer school principal, Aguilar managed the students’ experience at DBHS. The exchange program acts as a fundraising opportunity for all the groups involved in hosting the students.

However, the greatest benefit, according to Aguilar, is that a new perspective is added for both parties.

“It’s a lot of fun. They’re good kids and the best thing...is that they all say the same thing, which is that we’re all so friendly here,” Aguilar said.

protest for progress

Catherine Liu, Christina Liu, Samyuktha Vellaiyan

Advisor

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

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

Students launched Culture Week by walking across campus in the Save Temporary Protection Status March.

AMELIE LEE

THE BULL'S EYE

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

NEWS

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UNICEF and Interact unite to raise funds for Mali water

Two DB clubs team up to host the annual Intercef charity event on Feb. 23.

ALBUM REVIEW: JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE Justin Timberlake returns from a five year hiatus with his new album "Man of the Woods." A Bull's Eye contributing writer gives his take on Timberlake's newly released music.

Amelie lee asst. feature EDITOR

DISTRICT PUTS ON STEAM EXHIBIT

WVUSD is showcasing science and arts programs at Walnut High School. Among the participating groups are the DBHS Coding Club, who will host coding workshops, and the 3D Printing club, who will offer live demonstrations.

BRAHMAS TAKE ON INTERNATIONAL TEAM Diamond Bar High School's baseball team won 5-3 against South Korea's Sunrin Internet High School.

The Koreans, who traveled to America to gain experience playing foreign teams, will continue to play against other high schools across California.

DESIGN STUDENTS COMPETE NATIONALLY Four students from teacher Alina Gallardo's beginning computer graphics class have qualified as finalists in the National Greeting Card competition. The winner of the competition will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship.

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DBBULLSEYE.COM

While rivalries between clubs on campus are common, Interact and UNICEF are actually working together for their annual Intercef Gala to raise funds for the underprivileged.

Money raised from the semiformal gala at the Diamond Bar Center on Friday will be donated to Water for Mali, an organization dedicated to providing clean and safe water for children in Mali.

Tickets for the 6 p.m. event on Feb. 23 are $20 presale and $25 at the door.

UNICEF senior co-presidents

Josephine Kim and Kevin Lew are collaborating with Interact senior co-presidents Nikita Deng and Larry Chen in organizing the event.

“We’re two clubs on campus that have the same goal and purpose, so we combined our forces to set up this gala to include all students,” Lew said.

Inspired by “The Great Gatsby,” the gala will include musicians and other performers, as well as several activity booths and photo opportunities.

Among the activities provided is a calligraphy booth, where students can make their own bookmarks or calligraphy art.

Italian food will be served at the event, with vegetarian options available as well.

“I can’t give away too much, but we’re planning to have themerelated photobooths and multiple performances for entertainment,” Kim said via Facebook.

Trump stirs controversy in year one Trump ON P.1 strategy that garnered him so much attention in 2016.

“I was expecting his rhetoric to change when he entered office but it hasn’t really,” Knight said. “I think he would be a much more effective president if he worded his speeches and tweets better.”

From the table-tennis of undisguised threats launched between him and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un throughout 2017 to his latest derogatory remark this January in reference to Haitian and African nations, Trump remains notorious for formulating his responses in a way no predecessor has been known to do.

life under the sea

“If you kind of remove the debate of conservative versus liberal or Republican versus Democrat, just does this person have a good

"He just signs whatever he wants, whatever is put in front of him."

HAMZAH DAUD temperament to do the job? In my feeling I decided early on that he did not because he’s just too divisive,” DBHS biology teacher Eric Sorensen said. “A lot of people switch modes when they go from

NEWSBITS

AMELIE LEE

Freshman Allison Santigrossi, left, and senior Amelia Anijielo performed "Under the Sea" as mermaid Ariel and crustacean Sebastian from the musical "The Little Mermaid" at the Performing Arts rally in the gym on Feb. 9.

Leaving Brahmas for Texas pastures DBHS class of 2010 alumna.

Over the course of her time on campus, Gaxiola said she has grown close to the staff members she works with.

“I love my co-workers,” Gaxiola said. “They’re not just people I smile and wave at in the hallways. I have lunch with them, I know them and their families, we hang out outside.”

Gaxiola said she will also miss the bonds she has formed with her students.

“I have such a commitment to my students and such a good con-

nection,” Gaxiola said. “I feel that I’m letting people down, and that part is hard.”

Gaxiola said the worst part of the past two months has been keeping her students in the dark about her departure, which she revealed in class on Feb. 13.

“This whole thing has been just a roller coaster of emotions, from happy to sad to excited to anxious,” Gaxiola said. “The night before I had to tell my students, I didn’t sleep because it has been so hard keeping a secret. As much as it was difficult having that conversation, it also at the end of the day felt like a huge load had been lifted.”

campaigner to actually being the president, and for the most part he has not.”

Throughout the course of this past year, Trump’s administration passed a total of 117 pieces of legislation, the majority of which served as extensions of existing bills.

In regards to the remaining three years of his term to come, just how much of his own influence will reign over any new changes in the country is not necessarily clear.

“I think most of his actual policies are probably going to come from more mainstream Republicans, but that he will probably continue to hog the headlines with his behavior,” Sorensen said.

Forget cowboy rodeos; police rodeos are the real deal. A bull came from an unknown slaughterhouse and galloped into Prospect Park, toppling KANSAS SCOTLAND over a one-year-old girl's stroller and injuring her in the process. It then ran into a car before running into the Parade Grounds. There, the chase There’s a new candidate are bull nothing endedTigers when the was hittobyplay a tranquilizing dart and trapped between running governor truck in Kantoyintoones twoaround vehicles.with, It wasand loaded a New York Policefor Department and butinhis an exception.

In Peter- and sas, sentaren’t to Skylands Animal Sanctuary Rescue Newaccomplishments Jersey. include fetching, long walks head, farmer Bruce Grubb and being a good boy. A man called the North East Police affiled paperwork for his dog to ter seeing a tiger crouched on a run for office, but although rafter in his barn. However, they there are no laws against a soon realized after a 45-mindog running for governor, the ute standoff that the tiger was Kansas Secretary of State’s a giant stuffed toy. Inspector Office refuses to acknowlGeorge Cordinor revealed that edge the canine’s candidacy. although it was a false call, Grubb made it with good intent.

NEW JERSEY

GAXIOLA ON P.1

Both clubs have been working on preparing the gala since last summer and meet every week to discuss logistics and plan for the event.

Club members, led by the UNICEF and Interact executive board, are split into groups to handle sponsorships, entertainment, food and finance for the gala.

“Every year, we focus on improvement. We want each year to be bigger than the last,” Deng said via Facebook.

The clubs hoped to gain students’ interest by revealing different parts of the gala week by week through social media.

“People can come with their friends and also support a great cause at the same time,” Lew said.

“It’s great to have a good time, but it makes you feel good when you know the money has the potential to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”

Usually, dogs and cats are people’s go-to emotional support pets, but one woman decided peacocks fit in that category. A woman tried to bring her emotional-support peacock on a United Airlines flight at the Newark Liberty International Airport. She even offered to buy a separate ticket for the bird, but the airline employees refused to budge. The woman’s identity has not been released.

SOUTH CAROLINA A Spartanburg resident purchased a hair dryer that was actually a blowtorch in disguise.

After turning on her newly purchased hair dryer for the first time, flames erupted from the machine and left a small burn on her hand. The hair dryer was purchased from an Amazon seller called OraCorp, who is no longer responding and has pulled the item offline.

SPAIN

Instead the usual valuables that get stolen, five robbers decided to pilfer oranges instead.

Southern Spain police officers arrested the suspects after finding vehicles loaded with over 8,000 pounds of stolen oranges. The suspects were stopped after police spotted a convoy of vehicles at night. It was later discovered that the fruits were stolen from an incoming shipment.

AUSTRALIA Residents in Queensland heard their toilet randomly flushing multiple times before finally opening it up and meeting an unexpecting surprise—a massive brown snake. Professional snake catchers were called to deal with this “mildly venomous” pest that had been bothering them for days. The serpent had hidden itself on the toilet’s flush mechanism inside a wall before it made itself comfortable in the toilet.

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OPINION

THE BULL'S EYE

EYE EDITORS

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

OF THE

OPINION: Instead of annoucements and ad-filled kiosks, TVs with valuable information in high-traffic areas should be used.

Out of the three thousand students in Diamond Bar High School, very few pay attention to the noisy, ill-articulated announcements and the kiosks put in place for advertising on campus. These two misused means point out the ordeal of failed communication to students when it comes to school announcements.

First proposed to the school by district maintenance, the kiosks have proven themselves ineffective, but most of all, unnoticeable.

This is mostly due to their locations, but also their lack of advertising aimed toward DBHS students. One kiosk is placed near the entrance of the school—behind a

pillar—and the other is placed near the Career Center in a corner of the 400 building. These are places in which most students don’t walk by, or can’t see due to its position.

Areas near the lunch tables where a number of students eat during brunch and lunch, or in the LINC where students gather in the morning, during lunch and after school are places where the kiosks are much more likely to get noticed and gather the attention needed from the student population.

Moreover, most of its ads promote places such as Domino’s rather than school events, which is why we still see a sea of club flyers on the ground in the upper quad

and elsewhere. The digital screens were supposedly going to reduce the amount of paper used for flyers, however, this clearly isn’t the case, and isn’t even close to happening.

Leo Club is currently the only club that uses the kiosks for advertising, and very few have used it in the past, according to DBHS Teach Coordinator Randy Thomas.

The kiosks are less about keeping students aware of the events happening on campus, and more of a way for businesses to advertise to students.

These problems stem mostly from the company, SkoolLive, which installed the kiosks for free,

in turn for advertising in the top and bottom sections of the screen.

According to Thomas, when the company changed its software, many conditions not agreed on, such as ads unapproved by the administration and less space and time for school flyers, occurred.

With the school making only a few hundred dollars over a span of several months, the kiosks have no value to DBHS. On the other hand, loudspeaker announcements are another missed opportunity. While in theory all that is being done sounds perfect, in practicality, these announcements are inefficient, with many students along with their

teachers paying no attention to them and many continuing on with the lesson, ignoring the interruption.

Instead, to captivate students’ attention, there should be a better form of something similar to the kiosks. As recommended by Thomas, encased, outdoor TV’s, like the ones used in Chaparral Middle School, are almost sure to catch Brahmas’ attention if placed around campus in the right spots.

With such alternatives, the student population is more likely to notice school announcements and become more aware of events occurring across campus, while simultaneously reducing paper for flyers.

From the Brahma Perspective

My class completely ignores the loudspeaker. In orchestra, we just keep playing.

JAMES WU (9)

I never look at [the kiosks]. There’s no one who’s going to go over there and read them.

GISEL MUNOZ (11)

Eight years, two diplomas, no knowledge Noor in a Nutshell

P

noor naji opinion editor

lato believed that without equal educational opportunity allowing various people to compete, an unjust society controlled by unqualified rulers was bound to emerge. The popular opinion of education nowadays is not even close to this philosophical and idealistic view. Rather, it is a study-to-work type of system, with little skills or knowledge attained in the process.

Students are constantly reminded by parents, teachers, politicians and the like that one cannot possibly go anywhere important in life without focusing in school, and that is only half true.

While diplomas are becoming ever more important to attaining even an entry level job, a degree has less to do with actual learning and education.

Bryan Caplan, a professor of economics at George Mason University said that experts tend to spin the story of education to one in which schools are somehow able to convert uneducated high school students to highly skilled graduates. However, students, he claims, “are much closer to the action and see what’s going on: As long as they have good grades and finish their degrees, employers care little about what they’ve learned.”

Students graduate high school expecting to finally learn. However, with some students unwilling to put the effort needed, many professors donning a hands-off attitude, and in some cases, a treach-

I can never hear the fourth period announcements but I sometimes think the [kiosks] are useful.

erous quarter system in which a whole year’s worth of materials is crammed into few weeks making students prone to forgetfulness, “the future” is in the hands of college graduates who aren’t experts in their own fields.

It is common for students to take classes they know they will do well in, or with a teacher who gives “easy As,” instead of choosing a harder, more relevant class in hopes of maintaining their GPA. Passing an easy class is more favorable to employers than failing a much harder one, as the “A” implies some effort or work, when in reality, those who pass an easy class are very likely to forget the information they “learned.”

These factors set up these graduates to enter the workforce with little information on how to do the job, creating incompetent workers.

But of course, as with everything, there are exceptions. To succeed as a doctor or engineer, time, thought and care is needed on the part of the student. However, the mainstream of employees, working for companies and businesses, do not have the proper qualifications for their jobs.

And while many want to believe that high school and college learning will produce a generation of educated and thoughtful citizens, the reality is that students cruise through these eight years with good grades, but with little or forgotten knowledge.

According to the US Census Bureau, the percentage of the adult population with a bachelor’s degree in 1940 was 5 percent, and by 2015, that percentage has increased more than fivefold to 33 percent.

And while it is more likely to find more people with degrees currently, only a third of American adults can name all three branches of government, the poorest result in six years, according to the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

VARUN GOMATAM (10)

[The kiosks] are overlooked by people because no one cares about most of the stuff on them.

JEREMY GAN (11)

Raising the barrier to entry

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ingrid chan asst. photo editor

his year’s proposed tuition hike for the University of California system has become a big enough deal that the UC regents pushed back the controversial vote until May. The UCs are some of California’s best-run and top-ranked public institutions for a reason: Money. The state has increased UC funding by $1.2 billion since 2012. However, the overall funds per student from state contributions, tuition and fees have declined by around 31.2 percent since 2000, according to the Los Angeles Times. Due to financial aid, pension payments and the record addition of 90,000 more students, it’s not surprising that UCs

have seen the cost for sustaining this number of students grow.

Since this is a discussion about tuition hikes for in-state students, we cannot ignore the fact that they are already getting access to prestigious UC schools for a fraction of the out-of-state price. Out-of-state students are receiving an even higher tuition hike at $978 on top of their already expensive base tuition fee, so in-state students have no room to complain. Students who really don’t want to pay the additional $342 should make use of scholarship opportunities or consider work-study in college.

Lower income families who are truly in a financial pickle will likely receive enough financial aid to alleviate their worries. According to the Los Angeles Times, financial aid covers the tuition of 60 percent of UC students.

Families who are actually threatened by this tuition increase are the middle class who don’t qualify for financial aid. Even though colleges do need more funds to sustain their quality of education, the middle class is really taking the brunt of

the damage as colleges attempt to rob from the rich to help the poor.

What’s even more significant is that the quality of education in the UCs has been declining due to the shortage in funds. They’ve generously accepted a larger amount of applicants and have crowded more students into classes, yet are unable to hire new staff and teachers due to the financial shortage.

Not only is this hindering the education of current UC students, but it is also taking a toll on prospective students. Pushing back the vote has caused the UCs to be unable to hire new faculty, set up courses needed for students registering in March and notify families of the cost of school next year for enrollment decisions.

Because there was an increase in tuition fees last year as well, it would be wiser not to make this an annual thing, or else public outrage would be incited even further.

While the price hikes are justified, the middle class financial situation should be given more serious consideration when they are being reviewed for financial aid.

Compulsory secondary education

Cartoon Courtesy of MEGAN LEE

THE BULL'S EYE

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

OPINION

5

The necessity of Black History Month in America

pauline woodley A&E Editor

E

very year, as February rolls around, there is one question that continues to linger, unanswered: Is there still a need for Black History Month? Essentially, it is a month dedicated to noteworthy black Americans who deserve to be recognized as such all year long.

However, American history has long excluded the achievements of African-Americans from all walks of life, and because of this, Black History Month continues to be a necessity.

As an example, I still remember the night Barack Obama was elected as the first black president of the United States. He truly inspired hope within our community, yet even with such an amazing accomplishment, it was sad to look back and see that it took this country

over 230 years to finally see a black man as presidential.

Black Americans were slaves in this country longer than they have been citizens. A celebration of all we have done in such a short amount of time serves only positive purposes, both within and outside of our community.

These twenty eight days (twenty nine on a good year) seem to be the only opportunity black people have to learn about heroes who look like them.

In “normal” history classes, black history is confined to two chapters: one about the horrors of slavery and another about the triumph of the Civil Rights movement (this one only touching on Martin Luther King Jr. as if he was the only activist of the time period). Finding other black historical figures in between the pages is highly unlikely.

In reality, Black History Month is something that goes unnoticed to most non-black people in the United States every year; this holiday should be celebrated so that they can be reminded that AfricanAmericans are more than the stereotypes that negatively bind them.

It should be everyone’s responsibility to acknowledge the month for what it is: a celebration of a historic culture that is overlooked in our

day to day lives.

It is a reminder to black people all around the nation that they are more than slavery and civil rights, that they helped get men on the moon and are the reason trivial inventions such as the stoplight exist.

In almost every country, black people have suffered and had to fight for basic human rights. It’s time to show the world who we really are, and Black History Month is the perfect time to do so.

While some say that Black History Month falls under the term “self segregation,” there is a reason African-American communities have felt the need to form their own “safe spaces” where they can be recognized respectfully. It is for the same reason the BET and the NAACP Image Awards were created; Black Americans have been forced into self segregation because of America’s reluctance to truly include black people in the social and historical narrative of everything from the entertainment industry to the medical field.

So, yes, in a perfect world we wouldn’t need such a trivial label and time frame for history that should be taught everyday. Sadly, the world we live in is riddled with reasons why Black History Month remains a necessity.

First African American to enroll at University of Mississippi - James Meredith (top left), to implant a heart defibrillator - Levi Watkins Jr. (top right), Female Secretary of State - Condoleezza Rice (bottom left), to play on a Major League Baseball team - Jackie Robinson (bottom right).

gps tracking:

ARE PARENTS BEING TOO INTRUSIVE WHEN TRACKING THEIR CHILDREN’S LOCATIONS? any temptation for deceit.

GPS tracking greatly simplifies the process of picking up one’s child from an unfamiliar location. Providing confusing directions and many texts describing the area can become a nightmare, whereas a simple check of the GPS location can accomplish most of the task in one fell swoop.

In the extremely rare case of a kidnapping, tracking has the potential to save a life. This has happened numerous times, ted yarmoski such as in 2016 when the Pennsylvania State asst. opinion editor Police was able to locate an 18-year-old kidnapping victim using her mother’s tracking In the age of smartphones app. Even if the phone does not stay with and the internet, the word the child, the unmoving location can clue in tracking is often thrown parents that something is wrong. Additionaround, most notably by parents. Constantally, the site where the phone is lost can be a ly knowing the location of loved ones is no valuable clue. longer science fiction, but a However, the child still reassuring reality. deserves a reasonable There are now countamount of privacy. Track“Tracking can be a less ways for parents to ing should be consensual very beneficial tool... know their children’s’ and respectful, not behind Great peace of mind whereabouts, whether it the child’s back. Tracking is afforded to parents be consensual or not. This without consent should when they can see is because minors of all only be done in dire cirthat their child is at ages use and carry smartcumstances; when parents the right location.” phones with GPS capabilihave serious concerns ties. In fact, one in every about their child’s behavsix parents track their ior. children, according to a study by the Pew Some argue that any tracking at all strips Research Center. away independence and does not prepare a The obvious reason parents track their teen for adulthood. However, these teens are children is to make sure they stick to their exactly that: teens. They are not adults and plans. This could mean verifying the child’s may need guidance and supervision to preactivities or preventing them from doing vent them from making poor decisions that anything irresponsible and going places may carry on into their adulthood. they shouldn’t.

They also need an additional layer of Tracking can be a very beneficial tool for safety and security because of their age both parties. Great peace of mind is afforded and inexperience. No teen ever knows when to parents when they can see that their child they’re going to find themselves in a dangeris at the right location. Whenever any worous situation. When it happens, they’ll defiry or doubt comes to their mind, they can nitely regret not taking the time to simply simply open up the tracker app and see the share their location. little dot representing their child. This is a Quality of life–safety, responsibility, great alternative to the hassle of exchangpeace of mind–is dramatically improved ing texts or calls back and forth confirming with tracking. As long as it is respectful and safety, details and location--and eliminates consensual, tracking is a beneficial practice.

PRO

repair. A healthy parent-child dynamic sets the tone for the teen’s relationships in the future. If a child sees that their own parents don’t trust them, how will they ever learn to trust others?

In reality, there is no way to completely shield children from the dangers of the outside world. Tracking may ease the mind for a second, but the long term effects can be damaging to the relationship as a whole.

Even Ameeta Jain, co-founder of popular pauline woodley tracking app Teensafe, admits that, “It rea&e editor ally gives the message: ‘I don’t trust you at all.’”

Living in an age of staThe idea that parents are constantly tus updates and trending watching your every move can be haunting, tweets, it is almost imposand according to the American Academy of sible to keep anything in our lives truly priChild and Adolescent Psychiatry, can lead vate. to anxiety and a lack of As technology advances confidence. The teen may and this world becomes a never have the freedom to more “dangerous” place, make mistakes and learn “Tracking may parents all around the from them. ease the mind for world are turning to celThere are many generaa second, but the lular tracking in order to tions of people that have long term effects ensure their child’s safety. safely survived their youth can be damaging to This dramatic violation of without their parents the relationship as a privacy is now a norm for tracking their every move. whole.” helicopter parents who feel Will the idea of learning the need to be in control of from your mistakes withevery detail in their child’s out the overbearing guidlives. ance of your parents soon Technology has allowed advances in become a part of the past? virtually every field imaginable, but there It remains true that if a teen is rebellious needs to be a point where we draw the line. and looking for trouble, they will find a way No person should be able to track another to deceive their parents and bypass trackindividual’s location, period. This especially ing apps. And while some students feel safer holds true with parent-child relationships. being tracked by their parents, eventually As society discovers new ways to incorthey will have to break free from this proporate technology into our day to day lives, tective bubble in order to succeed in the real some parents are choosing to have it conworld. trol the way they raise their kids. Parents Choosing not to track a teenager’s every are looking for a feeling of relief when they move allows a healthy relationship to flourcheck their tracking app and find that their ish where kids can openly communicate child is exactly where they said they would with their parents about where they are and be, but does this not also come with a pang what they are doing. The control over their of guilt? own lives and privacy given to these teenagThe trust between parent and teen is ers will ensure a smooth transition into the something that once broken, is difficult to early years of adulthood.

CON

6

FEATURE

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

Junior weighs in on loss Catherine Zhang Editor-In-chief While some high school students struggle to lead healthy lives, often playing video games for hours on end and snacking on junk food, Diamond Bar High School junior Aadi Rajani has managed to live a healthy lifestyle while keeping up with his academics, shedding roughly 70 pounds since his freshman year.

“I was tired of people picking on me, and I wanted to improve my health. Before, the doctor told me I had high cholesterol and diabetes.

I just wanted to do it for myself,” Rajani said.

A contrast to his current adventurous and active personality, Rajani said he felt insecure about himself and put himself down before his weight loss.

“I would always wear a sweatshirt to conceal myself. I didn’t really like going into the water because that meant I had to take my shirt off. I felt like I was fat and that I should be accepted, but I was just doing it to myself. If anyone is going to think poorly of me, it should be me,” Rajani said.

With newfound motivation and dedication, Rajani started going to the gym five times a week and began eating healthier meals with more fruit, vegetables and chicken.

For a snack, Rajani opts for protein bars and yogurt to satisfy his appetite.

At first, Rajani was disappointed in the lack of change on the numbers on his scale, initially weighing about 220 pounds. However, as time passed, he began to notice gradual reductions to his weight, losing two pounds every month.

The most obvious progress wasn’t until the summer of his

junior year in which he had lost about 20 pounds, receiving numerous compliments and shocked reactions from classmates.

“I used what people said to put me down to fuel my motivation to keep going. You have to keep at it,” Rajani said. “The only thing that kept me going was their future reactions if I would have gotten into shape, especially during those times. When I saw the reactions from then, it encouraged me even more to continue on and staying healthy.”

Despite his success on losing weight and gaining more muscle mass, Rajani initially struggled with balancing working out and academics.

During his freshman year, Rajani often felt too tired after returning from the gym and couldn’t adequately focus on school work.

“I had to choose between gym and the test,” Rajani said. “Sometimes, I felt like going to the gym and then studying for the test lat-

er. I would get back home pretty late, and I couldn’t retain the information. Over time, I learned to be more consistent and to manage my time better.”

Recently, Rajani took a temporary break from his healthier lifestyle two months ago.

“I didn’t want to do it anymore.

I had a lot of work piling up, and I wanted to put education first. But, I could see the effects of it right away. I’m not gifted with fast metabolism, so it was kind of a dry spell for my healthy lifestyle,” Rajani said.

Although Rajani found his healthier lifestyle a bit strenuous at times, he feels that his life has drastically changed, from his negative mindset to his increased confidence.

“My life has definitely changed a lot since then,” Rajani said. “It’s improved my self confidence a lot, and I’ve found myself being more adventurous and doing things I haven’t really done before.”

Photo Courtesy of AADI RAJANI

HANNAH LEE

Junior Aadi Rajani has lost 70 pounds since his freshman year of high school.

Data on dating Amy miyahara asst. a&E editor For those who celebrated Singles Awareness Day instead of Valentine’s Day last Wednesday, it can be easy to feel like everyone else is in a relationship. But how many students actually spent their holiday with a significant other?

To find out, the Bull’s Eye surveyed 225 Diamond Bar High School students regarding their current and previous relationship status. A relationship was defined as exclusive romantic involvement with another individual in which both parties consent.

Out of those surveyed, only 16.4 percent are currently in a relationship. Furthermore, 52.4 percent have never been in a romantic relationship.

This percentage was significantly higher for freshmen; 62.9 percent of freshmen have never been in a relationship, compared with 52.3 percent of sophomores, 46.0 percent of juniors and 48.2 percent of seniors. Percentages between genders were relatively similar, with 52.9 percent of guys lacking past relationship experience, compared to 52.1 percent of girls. “[Being single], you’re able to be more comfortable around your surroundings, and you’re able to express your feelings more and act like yourself more,” freshman Cathleen Chen said.

Six and a half percent of freshmen, 18.2 percent of sophomores, 17.5 percent of juniors and 25 percent of seniors are currently dating someone. Additionally, girls were 18.9 percent more likely than guys to be currently involved in a relationship.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 18 percent of teens nationally are currently in a relationship, slightly higher than the DBHS average. However, the 47.6 percent of DBHS students with past relationship experience is significantly higher than the 35 percent nationwide.

The average number of total relationships experienced per DBHS student is slightly more than one for all classes. When asked about what they considered to be an appropriate age to start dating, answers ranged from as young as 10 to as old as 25. The average age that students deemed to be an appropriate age was 16.6; on average, freshmen answered 15.8, sophomores answered 16.9, juniors answered 17.3 and seniors answered 16.6.

Once again, results between genders were similar.

Guys gave the average age of 16.7 and girls 16.6.

“I think the appropriate age to date is when most people consider you as an adult… teen dating [is] sort of an unrealistic perspective on actual dating,” junior Pearl Choi said. “As teenagers, we have crazy hormones going on, and we have this mentality to try to find the next best thing to make us seem more popular. Typically, high school relationships are short-lived.”

In addition, multiple people declined to put a specific age, writing answers such as “it depends” or “whenever they feel they’re ready.”

“I feel like there’s no appropriate age to start dating. You have to be...really sure in yourself, and I feel like you have to be mentally mature for you to start dating. If you’re immature and irresponsible, and you don’t take care of [the] person you’re dating, then it doesn’t really work out at any age,” junior Karen Zheng said.

The survey included 225 students, with 121 females and 104 males.

Hopefully this data goes to demonstrate that if you did spend your Valentine’s Day alone, you can rest assured knowing that you are not the only one.

Whether you are living a fairytale with someone you love, completely complacent being independent or just waiting for the right person to come along, what is most important is that you do what is best for yourself and are able to make the most of your time in high school.

AMELIE LEE

Pastor Kim Taek Young speaks to Joy Club members at their weekly meeting.

club corner

Spreading Joy through religion

SOPHIA KIM ASST. WEB EDITOR With the goal of providing a platform for students to hear the word of God on campus, Joy Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club both hold weekly meetings to help empower the various Christian students at Diamond Bar High School.

Mimicking a Korean-style church and worship service, Joy Club meets in Korean teacher Robert Hwang’s classroom for worship.

Every Wednesday, Pastor Kim Taek Young from Inland Church visits the class during lunch to spread the word of God and interact with students.

The topics he covers range from mental health to individuals connection with God. Before each service, officers of Joy Club and the pastor lead praise songs in Korean for students to follow along.

“It’s just good to have a Christian club to go to during lunch because at school it’s really easy for some students to forget that they are Christian,” president David Lee said. “ I think it’s amazing how you can have fellowship with your school peers.”

A majority of the members in

Joy Club are also a part of DBHS Korean class, as the sermon and worship are in Korean. After the service, members bond together as they eat the provided lunch.

FCA, on the other hand, focuses on helping Christian athletes bond while learning about religion.

During their weekly meetings, the members begin with an icebreaker for members to feel comfortable with one another then move on to small Bible study groups led by officers. After each meeting, students also bond by eating the lunch provided by the club.

In addition to the meetings, once a month, FCA holds a game day in which members of the club meet at lunch to play an outdoor game such as dodgeball or capture the flag as a group activity.

FCA is in the process of planning a worship concert for next year, to help spread fellowship and Christianity amongst the student body on campus.

“The goal of our club is to provide a sanctuary for athletes and Christians and anyone else with a place to have people to fellowship with and be comfortable around,” vice president Rachel Tashima said. “It’s a great place to hear the word of God and what he’s doing in other people’s lives.”

freshmen

out of 62 freshmen polled

6.5% are in a relationship sophomores

out of 44 sophomores polled

18.2% are in a relationship

out of 63 juniors polled

17.5% are in a relationship seniors

juniors

out of 56 seniors polled

25% are in a relationship

FEATURE

THE BULL'S EYE

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

7

DBHS student cleared for takeoff Samyuktha vellaiyan Staff writer With months of flight training under his belt and recently receiving his pilot’s license, Diamond Bar High School junior Toby Kim grabs his handheld transceiver, dons his headset and fastens his seatbelt, as he steps away from the passenger seat and into the pilot’s seat, preparing for take off.

As his father is a pilot, Kim had no hesitation in following his foot-

Photo Courtesy of TOBY KIM

Taking after his pilot father (left) Toby Kim takes to the sky often.

DBHS ALUMNI EST. 1982

steps. Kim started ground school training, knowledge-based training for pilots, at age 15 in the Korean American Airmen Association, a field airport owned by his father in La Verne. He learned about aerospace, how to react during emergency situations and how to fly in different weather conditions.

He said that the best preparation was training on the simulator, a machine on the ground that contains all the components of an airplane.

“Learning to fly a plane is definitely an experience I will never forget because it is one of my favorite things to do in my pastime and is something I really love doing,” Kim said.

After four months of ground training, Kim was confident enough to take his skills to the sky. In Sept. 2017, Kim began flight training with his instructor, piecing all his ground training skills together. It was not long until he became comfortable flying the aircraft himself.

“I had a lot of practice with my instructor before I did my first solo flight, but it was more fun than scary because I didn’t have an instructor to look over my shoulder every second of my flight, who would comment on every minor er-

Junior Toby Kim has been flying for two years, receiving his pilots license in December of 2017. ror,” Kim said.

After a long process of training, Kim finally received his license near the end of last December.

“I was excited that I got my license, but there is not much I can do because it’s not something I need daily like a drivers license, which I don’t have yet,” Kim said.

“I can still fly to other airports, but I don’t need it as often. It will

probably be useful when I go to archery competitions, which are out of state. I don’t need to buy my own airline ticket when I can just fly there.”

Kim finds landing the plane to be the most enthralling part of his piloting experience. Though landing is one of the most dangerous and difficult parts of piloting, Kim finds the difficulty to be “the most excit-

Photo Courtesy of TOBY KIM

ing part about it.”

With time-consuming activities, such as piloting and archery, Kim finds it difficult to manage his time. He spends two to three hours everyday training during the summer and three to four hours in the weekends during the school year.

“I wish the days were longer because I don’t have time to fit all my activities into one day,” Kim said.

A novel experience

Tess guan web editor An early fascination with books and writing never ended for 1992 Diamond Bar High School alumna Alvina Ling. Once a writer for the The Bull’s Eye, she now works in publishing as editor-in-chief for Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

She has been working with Little, Brown since 1999, and currently oversees the picture book, middle grade and young adult lists.

She also edits various books for all ages, such as children’s books and young adult novels.

Ling attended UC Berkeley, initially undecided on her major.

However, after taking a multitude of introductory classes, a colleague suggested she major in mass communications, as she had taken the prerequisites classes while exploring potential majors.

“That major was considered an interdisciplinary study, and students could basically build their own schedule based on a huge list of classes, so I liked that idea and that freedom,” Ling said.

Ling didn’t know anyone living in New York City, the capital of book publishing, but was familiar with a childhood friend living in Boston, a city that also has a few publishing houses.

Before moving in with her friend,

published writer Grace Lin, she decided to first move to Oakland, where she continued classes at UC Berkeley, focusing more on publishing.

While taking publishing courses, Introduction to Book Publishing and a copyediting course with UC Berkeley’s Extension program, she also spent time working at Barnes and Nobles.

“I learned so much—the most important thing being that I was always gravitating toward the children’s section. It didn’t take long for me to realize that was where my passion was,” Ling said in an interview with Publishers Weekly.

After moving to Boston, she continued working with Barnes and Nobles as a children’s specialist.

After unpaid internships with Charlesbridge and The Horn Book and then working at Horn Book, Ling applied for an open editorial assistant position at Little, Brown, at her supervisor’s recommendation.

Of the multitude of books she has helped edit and publish, some, such as “Thunder Boy Jr.” by Sherman Alexie and “Mr. Tiger Goes Wild” by Peter Brown, have become New York Times best selling picture books. Other publications have won awards including Caldecott and Newbery Honors.

She has helped publish award winning books, including Lin’s novel “The Year of the Dog” and “Where

the Mountain Meets the Moon”, which won a 2012 Newbery Honor.

“I feel really blessed to have found a career that aligns with my passions that keeps me fulfilled, one where I can continue to learn and grow,” Ling said in an interview with the official Taiwanese American website.

Ling also participated as a founding member of Diversity in Books, which includes a group of editors who advocate for more diversity in the current children’s publishing industry.

“The demographics of our country are rapidly changing—we are becoming a more multicultural population, and therefore I believe that books featuring multicultural and LGBT characters will continue to grow. We still have a long way to go before the media reflects our reality, but we’re making progress,” she said in an interview with the Diversity in YA website.

Ling graduated DBHS in 1992, where was an active member of the school’s band and journalism program. She worked as the news editor for the Bull’s Eye and also played the clarinet in marching band.

“I actually really loved marching band—[like] going to competitions, being competitive. Probably my geekiest moment for me was the fact that we had a ‘secret handshake’ in the clarinet section. I still remember it today,” she said.

Photo Courtesy of TAIWANESEAMERICAN.COM

DBHS 1992 Alumna Alvina Ling is currently Editor-in-Chief for Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in Boston.

Photo Courtesy of TY WATKINS

Ty Watkins has a collection of horses, chickens, dogs, cats, birds and fish.

Teacher takes animals under wing

Staff Spotlight

Catherine liu staff writer While dogs and cats are typical family pets, Diamond Bar High School history teacher Ty Watkins strays from the traditional, raising two horses right in his backyard.

Watkins also owns nine chickens, three dogs, two cats, three birds and ten fish.

Watkins said that the adoption of his two horses, Maverick and Mavis, was something that he and his wife, Michelle, were planning to do after moving into their new house in Mira Loma last year. Michelle, who raised a horse when she was younger, brought up the idea of raising a horse, and has always been involved with rescue organizations that hold auctions, fundraisers and announce the availability of horses.

“We got them a lot sooner than anticipated because they were rescue horses,” Watkins said. “They were going to be destroyed or sent to Japan as food.”

Watkins adopted two six-monthold rescue horses from HiCaliber Horse Rescue last October. The teacher keeps the horses in stables located in the backyard, big enough for a pool, a grassy area and a section to house the stables and chicken coop.

“Many homes around us do have horses. Some have goats and chickens so we do have area, but we don’t have farms. It’s a little bit more of homes that just have larger lots,”

Watkins said.

With his nine chickens, Watkins shares the collected eggs amongst his neighbors, colleagues and friends. He and Michelle split chores required for taking care of the animals, and he spends about an hour feeding all the animals and cleaning up after them, ranging from changing the litter boxes to cleaning the pens. He dedicates more time on the weekend with his family to groom the horses, either washing them or rubbing them down depending on the temperature.

“It’s a lot more work than I expected but it’s very therapeutic,” Watkins said.

Currently, Watkins and his family take the horses on walks on the neighborhood’s dirt horse paths as the horses are still too young to be ridden.

He and his wife have also been training the horses to be more controlled and calm during the walks and are currently planning to install a circle pen in their yard to train the horses.

In addition to taking care of the horses, Watkins has built the various structures outside his house, such as stables, chicken coop, shed and a barbeque grill area. He became interested in self-building through his DBHS colleague, PE equipment manager David Hernandez.

“Because it’s not my craft and it’s not my skill, it’s always been a bit of a challenge, but its awesome,” Watkins said.

8 FEATURE

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

Restaurants on the Move Amelie lee asst. Feature Editor

Traveling from city to city, food trucks are constantly on the move, bringing the convenience and flavor of sit-down restaurants to different places on the street.

Whether you are looking for a quick bite in the area, or professional catering to an event, those in the Diamond Bar area have a slew of trucks to access.

Dos Chinos

doschinos.com/schedule

Yellow Taco Truck 1520 Jellick Ave, Rowland Heights

For those who crave authentic Mexican tacos and burritos, the Yellow Taco Truck is available in Rowland Heights every day of the week except for Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Affordable and tasty, the truck serves tacos, tortas, quesadillas, burritos and mulitas.

The truck has anything you could find in a sit down Mexican restaurant, including a variety of Mexican sodas like Sangria and Jarritos, and a wide selection of meat-- from the classic carne asada to beef tongue.

While the wait can take a while, the authentic flavor of the food is worth a try if you’re in the area. The truck also caters for special events, providing cuisine for those craving tacos made like those in the streets of Mexico.

Slummin’ Gourmet theslummingourmet.com/catering

Design by Amelie Lee

While those with more refined tastes may shy away from the quick and casual style of gourmet that food trucks offer, the Slummin’ Gourmet provides high-class food on the go.

Soon to make a permanent home in Pomona, the truck currently caters to events and drives around the Diamond Bar area.

Offering sliders, sandwiches and fries, Slummin’ Gourmet is advertised as “fancy without the schmancy.” Upscale foods, such as kobe and buttered brioche buns, are on the menu for an affordable price. The buttery and juicy American Kobe sliders, which cost $9.95, are a personal favorite as well as the crispy and flavorful garlic parmesan fries for $5.95.

With high quality food on the go, hiring the Slummin’ Gourmet truck is an opportunity to have delicious food at any event.

With its home base in Santa Ana, the Dos Chinos truck caters its Latin Asian fusion food around the Southern California area. The truck offers a different variety of meats with Asian-style jasmine rice and lettuce served in an unconventional way.

Vietnamese chicken and shrimp are placed in rice bowls and tacos, along with a side of fries covered in pork and carne asada. When visiting the truck while it was catering at Walnut City Hall, I tried the Santana Chicken tacos, and enjoyed the Vietnamese style meat paired with corn flour tortillas.

While a bit far to visit, the Dos Chinos truck is great for catering Latin Asian food to events, perfectly incorporating Vietnamese style with tacos and fries.

Kogi Taco Truck 1317 S Diamond Bar Blvd

Bringing the flavors of Korean cuisine in Mexican style tacos, quesadillas and burritos, the Kogi BBQ Taco Truck is known for its portable delicious food. While the truck mainly resides in the downtown Los Angeles area, it makes its home in Diamond Bar from 6-9 pm on Wednesday evenings.

Covered with stickers, the truck is easy to spot next to the 7-11 on Diamond Bar Boulevard. With a short wait and friendly service, the fusion truck serves tacos and burritos for $2 and $7 respectively, as well as fan favorites such as the Kogi Dog for $7. Among all the unique flavors offered, the Blackjack Quesadilla keeps me returning time after time.

For $8, the quesadilla comes stuffed with caramelized onions, spicy pork and cheese, and drenched with flavorful citrusgarlic sauce.

Easy to access, especially after a long day, every Wednesday night, the Kogi Truck cannot be missed for anyone looking for a quick tasty meal to grab on the way home.

THE BULL'S EYE

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SINGER TODAY, LEGEND TOMORROW BLAST FROM THE PAST

Artists such as Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson have maintained cultural relevance decades after their golden days. DBHS students speculate on which artists of today will become icons of the future. emily kim feature editor

Frank Sinatra

1940s

M Elvis Presley

1950s The Beatles

1960s Stevie Wonder

1970s Michael Jackson

1980s Mariah Carey

usic. It has brought people together for centuries. While many artists have disappeared as quickly as they appeared, some musicians have been able to withstand the test of time and continue to influence listeners far beyond their glory days or even their natural life.

It is hard to imagine what the modern day music industry would be like without influences like David Bowie, Madonna and the Rolling Stones. What artists of today will also have their names written in the history books as some of the most well-remembered artists?

Senior Myra Mayr predicts that contemporary R&B singer Beyonce as well as ballad singers Ed Sheeran and Adele will stick around for the coming decades.

Since her debut as a part of Destiny’s Child in 1997, Beyonce has remained an influential performer in the music industry.

Since her debut as a soloist in 2003 with the album “Dangerously in Love,” she has become one of the best selling artists of all time.

English ballad singer Adele has been in the music industry for 11 years while singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran released his debut album eight years ago.

Both have shown popularity from a wide range of listeners, garnering attention from audiences worldwide as well.

Mayr also stated that she believes that rappers Drake and Kanye West will also be remembered for their impact.

Drake released his first mixtape in 2006 and his first studio album in “Thank Me Later” four years later. He has continued to release both studio albums and mixtapes since he first stepped out into the musical limelight.

Fashion icon and rapper

Kanye West will be remembered for more than just his albums.

Originally setting out as a producer in 2000, he first debuted as a rapper in 2004 and has continued to release albums consistently, with his most recent “The Life of Pablo” in 2016. West is also popular for the clothing collaborations he has had with brands such as Louis Vuitton, Nike and, most well-known, his YEEZY collection with Adidas.

“I think Drake will be one just because he has kind of been a constant ever since the 2000s especially. I think also Kanye just because of the influence not just because of his music but also his fashion,” Mayr said.

Senior Eugene Jeon believes that popular country turned pop singer Taylor Swift and rapper Jay-Z will remain on playlists for years to come.

Debuting as a country singer at the age of 14, her self-titled debut album in 2006 hit the top of the charts. Since then, her discography has shifted from her start as a country artist to a more conventional pop sound.

Her most recent release “Reputation” last year topped both the UK and US charts.

“Definitely Taylor Swift. She’s just like very mainstream, but she’ll be remembered,” Jeon said.

Junior Kelly Chan mentioned Chance the Rapper as another artist that will be recognized for years to come.

“He was very small [on SoundCloud]. He wasn’t making money off of his music, everyone could listen for free so that everyone could enjoy it. So I think that his audience is really big and diverse,” Chan said.

As a relatively younger artist, Chance the Rapper originally got his start on SoundCloud with the release of his debut mixtape “10 Day” in 2012. It was his third album that shot him to fame,“Coloring Book,” was the

LEGENDS ON P. 12

1990s

Eminem

2000s Photo Courtesy of GOTCELEB.COM Beyonce Knowles-Carter is one of the artists who many believe will endure as a music icon.

She has won 22 Grammy awards, the second most of any female artist.

9

10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL'S EYE amelie lee asst. feature editor

Now Showing:

TAKE TWO

Music’s forgotten form

Emily Jacobsson & Pauline Woodley A&E Editors It’s always exciting when our favorite artist releases a new music video. That is, it’s always exciting for a few minutes before we ultimately decide to click onto another tab and allow the audio to continue, while the video itself is left unappreciated. Here are the videos that we think are worth keeping up on the screen for the entire song.

“New Rules” – Dua Lipa Music videos that predominantly feature the artist lip syncing to their track can easily fade into the background, but “New Rules” is an exception. The most attractive aspect of this music video is easily the color schemes. Lipa first begins the song singing about the initial, most painful part of a breakup and the dark, earthy tones of the interior of an apartment frame this perfectly. When she transitions to a lavish outdoor pool scene, flooded with bright pops of color, there is a mirroring change in her attitude and she is suddenly vibrantly confident. The choreography in this video is unusual, but the flamingo-like movements of the girls add a uniquely powerful quality to an untraditional breakup song.

“Spring Day” – BTS No genre takes music videos as seriously as K-Pop. Creative vision and high production value is intertwined expertly to create something that can be likened to a short film. And in an era when visuals are everything, BTS’ “Spring Day” music video sets the bar high. A story is delicately and precisely strung together with each cinematically beautiful shot, heavily saturated with symbolism. Small details, like the use of yellow ribbons, and a scene where a member of the group retrieves a pair of shoes from the ocean shore, point to the music video acting as memorial for victims of the Sewol Ferry Tragedy.

“Scream” – Michael Jackson featuring Janet Jackson The genius of Michael Jackson’s vision was a turning point in the music video industry. Named the most expensive music video of all time by Forbes, “Scream” took Jackson’s talents to the next level.

Set in a futuristic space capsule, the video is filmed completely in black and white and features Janet Jackson. The setting is the video’s highlight, with an intricately built set and an iconic costume design, the video is a work of art in itself. The sibling duo dances, floats about in space and most importantly, they scream. The video went on to win a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video.

“Runaway” – Kanye West Though originally released as a 35-minute movie, the short-length self-directed music video for Kanye West’s “Runaway” is one of the most self-exposing videos for the ever-controversial artist.

The video features a dinner, where West and all his family members, dressed in all white have a toast.

This falls perfectly in line with West’s lyrics, “Let’s have a toast.”

After, West slowly walks to a piano and the song begins. The video has ballerinas, a fallen angel and most importantly, West in his natural element: center stage.

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ brings representation to the screen through breathtaking visual effects and an engaging storyline.

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES

With a memorable cast of black actors and actresses from around the globe, “Black Panther” brings much needed representation to the movie screen, along with visual effects and Marvel’s most compelling villain yet.

A refreshing contrast from the blindingly white superhero industry, “Black Panther” is directed by Ryan Coogler, and is rife with African culture. The majority of the movie takes place in the fictional country of Wakanda, a powerful and technologically developed.

The movie stars Chadwick Boseman as King T’Challa, who inherits the throne—as well as the position of the powerful Black Panther— after the death of his father.

“Black Panther” strays from the constant action of other Marvel movies, focusing instead on developing the intricate world of Wakanda. While the country wishes to keep its advanced weaponry and technology from the wrong hands, there is unrest among those who believe that Wakanda should be doing more to help their oppressed brothers and sisters in need around the world.

While the beginning of the movie is a bit slow, the rest of the movie delivers a superhero unlike any other. Incorporating political commentary and questioning the responsibilities of developed countries, “Black Panther” introduces a hero with the strength and instinct of a panther, who is willing to help those in need, even if they aren’t people of Wakanda.

Along with the head of the guard Okoye (Danai Gurira) and his ex-girlfriend Nakia (Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o), T’Challa and his

panther suit create an impenetrable team that must decide the extent to which they should interfere in less developed areas. Throughout the movie, the acting of Boseman, Gurira and Nyong’o is unmistakably strong, and the three of them bring a powerful presence to the Marvel universe.

As compelling as the heroes are, the villain of the movie steals the show. Charming and witty, cousin of T’Challa, Erik Killmonger, (Michael B. Jordan, who starred in the director’s “Fruitvale Station” and “Creed”) grew up orphaned in Oakland and wants to arm oppressed and mistreated Africans across the world with Wakandan technology. With a vision of violent revenge, Killmonger forces his radical viewpoint on Wakanda, threatening T’Challa’s position as king and wanting his country to rule over the rest of the world.

Although past Marvel villains have been flat and almost comically menacing, “Black Panther” creates a character who is desperate for change and looking for any means to achieve it. While Killmonger clearly plays the bad guy in the film, his point of view shows the genuine frustration and repressed anger of many who have been treated poorly because of their skin color, creating a three dimensional character whose ideas take form in the wrong way.

The talented cast is paired with the stunning country of Wakanda.

With bright sunsets and waterfalls practically bursting from the movie screen, the setting played perfectly with the catchy soundtrack of the film. With artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Sza, 2 Chainz and Khalid, the soundtrack utilizes African styles of music combined with modern rap and pop.

While not a stereotypical superhero movie, “Black Panther” establishes a new protagonist that adds depth to what it means to be a hero. As the Marvel universe expands, “Black Panther” is a strong first step to incorporating a variety of cultures and revolutionary ideas into the franchise.

Christine chan Dancer shows a different side of herself on the ballroom floor angela yang asst. news editor Spinning across the dance floor in heels, senior Christine Chan exposes an entirely different side of her, engulfed in the atmosphere of the ballroom.

Chan first learned to appreciate Latin dance in her early childhood from observing her mother practice and perform. Chan began her own pursuit of the art in fourth grade. Since then, she has discovered an enduring passion for ballroom dance despite having taken hiatus periods due to the workload of school.

“At school I’m more like a shy, quiet, more studious type of person and no one would expect me to do something as open as dancing,” Chan said.

Chan has at t e n d e d three largescale competitions, her most recent being the NV

Ball Dancesport Championships.

Competitions usually last two to three days, and athletes tend to stay overnight in Las Vegas the day before their event, as hair and makeup requires a hefty chunk of time in the morning. Costumes are often flamboyant, serving as a confidence booster for Chan.

“The most recent NV Ball competition I wore a yellow dress,” Chan said. “What you wear really gives you confidence. That dress was really nice, and once I put it on I just felt a surge of positive energy and I put that onto the dance floor.”

Whether practicing or competing, Chan is most accustomed to dancing with her instructor Dmitry Kurakin at Best Dance Studio. However, she performed with senior Willington Liu at Diamond Bar High School’s 2017 Spring Dance Concert, who describes Chan as “one of the easiest and one of the most committed people to

work with.” “[Dancing with a partner] just gives you a sense of security because a lot of other dances like jazz, hip hop and contemporary ballet, it’s just one person on the stage but this one is different because you have a person to lean on.

They’ll help you keep your balance a little bit, and as the Photo Courtesy of CHRISTINE CHAN female role, I can Senior Christine Chan competes in ballroom dancing, here use the guy’s power performing at the NV Ball Dancesport competition in 2017. to help me turn faster,” Chan said.

“All five types are very active in Recalling last year’s dance conthe whole body but those two you cert, Chan stated it was one of her get to have a little bit more fun in more memorable experiences. expression and movement,” Chan “I didn’t tell anybody that I said. “[They’re] not as restrictive dance so my friends don’t really as the other ones.” know, except for a couple of realAside from dance, Chan is also ly close friends, and when people dedicated to her role as an editor saw me on stage, they didn’t exin yearbook. This is her second pect that was me because that’s so year on staff, and she often spends different from what I usually am,” her time taking photos at volunChan said. teer events.

Chan practices five types of LatThough the future is not always in dance: rumba, cha cha, samba, clear, Chan said she plans to conpaso doble and jive, although she tinue her aspirations in dance names cha cha and jive as her facompetitions after graduation vorite styles of dance. from DBHS.

THE BULL'S EYE

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

11

PLAYLIST

EXPOSING UNDERGROUND ARTISTS These creators may have a smaller following than mainstream musicians, but there’s nothing small about the amount of talent they have.

Created by: Hannah Lee, News Editor

SHALLOU

B

edroom pop, a music genre in which beginning artists produce at home, rather than at professional studio space, has been taking over Soundcloud.

These artists produce music without a record label or a team of professionals, creating personalized, underground music.

For many, it starts as a hobby and quickly becomes a full blown profession, as artists are able to expand their audiences without quite reaching mainstream media.

Among these artists is Adib Sin, whose tracks sound like a dream.

Though his work technically falls under the electronic category, it branches out far from the genre.

He uploads singles consistently, and though he has only released eight songs, every one of them delivers a sincere, meaningful message and a special, unique sound able to deeply impact the listener.

The beauty of small artists is that they have full control of their art. From listening to his songs, it’s clear that Adib Sin projects his genuine self through his music. He posts a small explanation or message with each song he releases to give listeners more context and transparency to the song’s meaning. His calming, serene and overall beautiful tracks are far from any sound heard on the radio, but deserves attention and praise.

Joe Boston, who creates mu-

sic under the name Shallou, also brings a new sound to pop music.

He is categorized as Electro house or a blend between electronic and indie, but like Adib Sin, it is difficult to confine his sound to a definite label.

He describes his debut album, “It All Becomes Okay” as ”an electronic album with an indie heart,” a description that can only be understood by experiencing it first hand. His music brings the perfect balance of melancholy and tranquility through his talented production and vocals. Currently on tour and with a substantial Spotify audience, Shallou is slowly emerging from his days of producing in the bedroom.

Though he has thousands of followers on Twitter, the bulk of Louie Zong’s following comes from his ties to “We Bare Bears,” the popular Cartoon Network show. As a storyboarder for the cartoon show, Zong has established himself online as an visual artist. However, he has just over one thousand followers on Spotify, and many fans remain unaware of his musical talent.

Zong is a self-described “illustrator who also happens to make music every once in a while.” He strays the furthest from mainstream music, with most of his music being personal creative pieces, with titles such as “Burbank Rainbow” and “Dogsitting.”

He also combines his musical and artistic talents, creating music for his animations on his self-titled Youtube channel.

The bulk of his music is a hybrid between indie and electronic, creating pieces that resemble video game tracks. For an artist that creates music “every once in a while,” Zong has over ten albums, countless singles and continuously uploads on his Spotify, Bandcamp and Youtube channel.

Other artists fitting into this offbeat category include Japanese Wallpaper, Kidswaste, Lauv, and Joey Pecoraro. Though mainstream music receives everyone’s full attention, bedroom musicians deserve a share of the spotlight.

Building a program with a lasting legacy DBHS music director Steve Acciani has mentored thousands of young musicians to success

cindy liu asst. news editor It’s 6:30 a.m. and while many students are still asleep, it’s the start of a 15-hour workday for band director Steve Acciani, whose involvement on campus ranges from orchestra to color guard.

Acciani’s career at Diamond Bar High School began in 1988 as a football, basketball and baseball coach. Alongside working in DBHS’s sports programs, Acciani also taught as the band director for South Pointe Middle School.

After 18 years of coaching, Acciani spent time as a student teacher on campus and eventually went on to become the DBHS band director.

With 11 years of experience as the DBHS band director, Acciani’s impact can be seen not only in the school’s award-winning music programs but also in the students he helps mentor to success.

“I want them to be great, well rounded, empathetic people… and learn how to be part of something

bigger than what they are,” Acciani said. “I think it’s our obligation to teach this next generation how important art is—not just for performances or competitions but for the actual enrichment of the human spirit.”

Acciani decided to switch paths and become a music teacher after being inspired by his parents.

“Both my parents were teachers.

My mom was an English teacher and my dad was a high school band director. I saw how much influence they had on kids’ lives,” Acciani said. “[Their students] used to come back and thank my parents for giving them the tools they needed to succeed in life.”

Under his direction, DBHS’s music program was named the 2014 National Grammy Signature School, a title awarded to schools with exemplary music education.

He has also guided the school’s various music programs into achievements like playing at Carnegie Hall and placing first at the National Orchestra Cup and the Arcadia Band Review.

Photo Courtesy of ZIMBIO

“Having such incredibly talented students has allowed me to get to do some things that no high school band director would get to do,” Acciani said. “With the Tchaikovskys we’ve gotten to play, or the Maslankas— all these great pieces of music I’ve been able to be part of because of the great students that we have.”

Although Acciani initially studied physics at UCLA after graduating from Antelope Valley High School in 1982, he ultimately decided to pursue his passion for music and transferred to study music at Cal State Fullerton. He then went on to earn his master’s degree in school administration at Azusa Pacific University.

As an avid musician, Acciani started playing the clarinet in sixth grade and eventually went on to study with Los Angeles Philharmonic’s principal clarinet player. Additionally, he has played tuba in UCLA’s marching band and also

ACCIANI ON P. 12

Photo Courtesy of DBHS.ORG

Steve Acciani led the DBHS Symphony Orchestra in 2014 during the Ford Drive 4UR School event, when the music program was named the National Grammy Signature School. In 2016, right, the wind ensemble was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.

Photo Courtesy of ARIEL CARDONA Sophomore Ariel Cardona sang ‘Hallelujah’ in the Miss Junior Pageant, where she placed first in the talent category and finished in the top 15 overall.

From television ads to pageant stage christina liu Staff writer

Since she started dancing ballet at three years old, Diamond Bar High School sophomore Ariel Cardona has found herself in the spotlight.

By the age of 6, Cardona was acting and singing in commercials, and by 8 years old, she began to competing in pageants.

“I stumbled into a lot of the things I do, none of these were planned, it was just coincidences and I’m grateful for them,” Cardona said.

Although Cardona did not originally view acting as a potential path, she was spotted by a talent scout on the streets of Los Angeles, and from there began acting in various national commercials for companies such as Verizon.

On stage, Cardona played Bashful in “A Snow White Christmas,” working with Neil Patrick Harris, who played the Mirror. Cardona also worked alongside the members of Big Time Rush, for the episode “Big Time Jobs.” “[During filming] I got to trash the set and that was pretty much my role, so the fact that I got to tepee everything; that was definitely a highlight of my life,” Cardona said.

Cardona has also competed in beauty pageants, such as the preteen Miss America pageant and International Junior Miss. In this,

Cardona participated in formal wear, modeling, talent and interview. She placed first in the talent category by singing the “Hallelujah” and finished in the top 15 overall.

“That was a really cool experience because I was able to meet a lot of people from all over.” Cardona said. Making friends has been one of the most rewarding parts of her journey.

“I think there’s always a little bit of pressure, but as long as it’s healthy I don’t believe in getting over competitive...I believe in maintaining kindness and humility in anything I do.”

Despite being involved in all these different roles, Cardona is most passionate about her musical career.

Cardona has co-written two songs, “Better Days” and “I Won’t Look Back” with her cousin, John Avila, bassist for the 1980s band Oingo Boingo.

“My heart goes to music definitely, because I’ve been playing around with the idea of writing music ever since I was little and it has developed into a full blown passion for me,” Cardona said.

Cardona is still uncertain if she plans to continue the arts professionally, but has plans of entering college to become a pediatrician.

“I really want to continue with acting and singing to see where they take me and I definitely have plans for college, but school and academics come first.”

12 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL'S EYE

Becoming a legend LEGENDS FROM P. 9 the first ever streaming only album to be nominated for a Grammy; it went on to win three awards that night.

Senior Jacob Corletto sees English virtual band Gorillaz as another constant in the music industry.

The 2D virtual band was created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett in 1998.

The “band” consists of four digital band members, with Albarn playing all the parts, which are featured in their music videos and other shorts on their YouTube channel.

It has had numerous collaborations with other artists such as Andre 3000.

“I grew up listening to them. My older siblings grew up listening to

them. And now my younger cousins are growing up listening to them. Their way of just reinventing themselves and trying new things, I think that they will probably stick around,” Corletto said.

With music, old or new, there is always a new song to discover that may open your eyes and heart to a new world.

“Music is a different way to bond and socialize with people.

With music, even when times get tough or when you’re super happy, music will always be there.” Jeon said.

With the coming and going of numerous music acts, it is nearly impossible to predict what musicians will still be relevant when our generation has matured. However, there are some who will certainly make their mark on the music industry like the artists of old.

Photo Courtesy of GENIUS

Since Adele’s album ‘19’ in 2008, she has been one of music’s biggest stars.

Acciani’s impact ACCIANI FROM P. 11 participated in recordings and played at the Montreux Jazz Festival as a saxophone player.

While Acciani is passionate about his work at DBHS and building connections with his students, the paperwork and workload he manages can sometimes be overwhelming.

“Not only are we trying to teach, we’re trying to manage a [performing arts] program with a budget of close to a million dollars with 800 students and at any one time, 25 different performing groups going on,” Acciani said.

During his time at DBHS, his biggest impact can be seen in the lives of students he helped on their path to success. From musicians accepted to Julliard and featured on national news outlets to orchestra students accepted to Ivy League schools, Acciani has seen

it all.

“It’s probably the most important part of my job,” Acciani said.

“When I see a student like Jeremy Davis [featured on national public radio] to Matthew Ho getting an early admission to Harvard, and knowing that I might’ve been a small part in that, it totally keeps me working hard because they are incredible kids and I don’t want to let them down.”

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

A YEAR OF

After one year and 32 days: 15 administrative casualties, thousands of tweets and an endless string on controversies. As Donald J. Trump begins his second year as the President of the United States, here is a look back on his first.

2,461 TWEETS

Economy

Foreign Policy

As a disclaimer, it is difficult to attribute economic changes to a single president, especially one in his first year, since the market reflects changes that build up over time.

The businessman-turned-politician takes credit for nearly 1.7 million jobs created since last February, much more than his predecessor Barack Obama managed in his first year.

This has also led to the greatest drop in unemployment for any president not named Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the U3 unemployment rate, or the standard rate, has been falling since 2011.

The U6 unemployment rate, which takes into account those who are working part-time because they cannot find jobs in their desired field and those who have given up the employment search due to bad economic conditions, has also been falling steadily since 2011, according to data from the Bureau.

In conjunction these indicate that while employment has risen under Trump, the job boom may not be a direct result of his policies and instead reflect a longer-term trend.

Finally, Trump claimed in his State of the Union address that his “massive tax cuts provide tremendous relief for the middle class and small businesses.” Many Republicans have professed support

for the bill, even though it may not help them, in part due to its promise of generating federal revenue. Yet, the main beneficiaries of Trump’s new plan are the top one percent.

According to data from the Tax Policy Center’s analysis of the bill, by 2027 the benefits for the bottom 80 percent of Americans essentially disappear, with the bottom 20 percent actually experiencing a tax hike. The top one percent will experience an average tax cut just north of $30,000, while the top 0.1 percent will experience a cut of over $200,000.

In addition, the TPC model predicts that about 80 percent of the benefits companies receive from tax cuts go directly to stakeholders and capital, with only around 20 percent actually benefiting workers. While even passing the bill is a legislative victory for Trump in and of itself, others like it have been few and far between.

Thus, while the economy has undergone growth under Trump, most of it cannot be attributed to policies he enacted.

Judicial System

When stepping into office, Trump had an unusually large number of vacant seats on the federal bench to fill—double the number Obama faced.

According to the Associated Press, the overwhelming majority of the judges he has nominated so far have been white. As of Jan. 13, 19 of his nominations have been confirmed, with another 47 pend-

by BRIAN CHANG; NEWS EDITOR Design by Emily Jacobsson

829.63 HOURS ON GOLF COURSE

ing Senate approval and another 102 empty spots waiting to be filled.

If Trump’s current pattern continues, he will be reversing a trend toward greater judicial diversity began by Bill Clinton over two decades ago. The aftershocks of these nominations will be felt long after Trump leaves office and will have a lasting impact on everyone in the U.S. While we can never be certain exactly how each judge will vote on every case, the presence of so many Republicans on the bench will certainly extend Trump’s influence.

mained loyal to his supporters, his historically low approval ratings indicate that not all of them have r e -

Summary

Has Trump really made America great again? The verdict: While the economy improved over the course of his first year in office, not all of its growth can be attributed to Trump. Trump’s ideas on foreign policy and his judge nominations, while conforming to his campaign promises, might not be in the country’s best interests.

All in all, while Trump has re-

turned the favor. While Trump’s first year as president has left much to be desired, he still has three more years to impress.

JAN 2017 - MARCH

april - june

july - sept

oct - jan 2018

Jan. 27 - Executive Order for Muslim ban introduced Feb. 14 - Michael Flynn resigns, national security advisor March 24 - Republicans try to repeal Obama care

April 7 - Neil Gorsich confirmed for Supreme Court May 10 - James Comey fired June 1 - Trump formally announces that US will leave the Paris climate accord

July 7 - G20 Meeting Aug. 11 - Trump tweets insults about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Sep. 5 - Trump ends DACA Sep. 24 - NFL players criticized

Dec. 1 - Michael Flynn pleads guilty to FBI about Russia Dec. 6- US recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s official capital Jan. 20 - Congress shutdown under Trump administration

Photos from REUTERS

13

TRUMP

BY THE NUMBERS

57 EXECUTIVE ORDERS Trump has made good on his promise to put “America First,” abandoning the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal last year, lessening U.S. influence in the Asia-Pacific area.

A few months later, the U.S. pulled out of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Trump has also publicly criticized the leaders of Britain and Germany, two of America’s important allies, while praising those of Russia and China.

His silence on Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which guarantees all member countries will rush to the defense of those under attack, speaks volumes about his lack of commitment towards even America’s longest-standing alliances.

Trump’s policies, while nominally meant to protect U.S. jobs and interests, are in reality extremely concerning. If Trump continues to shun the country’s traditional allies, he might find himself with none.

In addition, every action he takes in office is overshadowed by the ongoing investigation into ties he has with the Russian government.

A number of his advisors have already been removed from office after failing to reveal their communication with Russian officials, and the newly-released memo penned by House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes has stirred up the controversy further.

NEWS

THE BULL'S EYE

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

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SPORTS

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

Shooting for improvement GIRLS SOCCER The Lady Brahmas end league competition with one win, going 6-12-5 overall.

Samyuktha Vellaiyan Staff WRiter Though the players lost some confidence on the field after only winning one league game, with an overall record of 1-7-2, the Dia-

mond Bar High School girls soccer team are looking ahead to improving next season, both individually and as a team.

“I would say that we need to work on our confidence because we lost a little bit of that. You go through that slump, you lose your groove, you lose yourself, and you have to fight to get that back,” said senior Samantha Blazek, who served as captain and goalkeeper.

The Lady Brahmas ended this season with losses against South Hills, 3-1, and Claremont, 1-0. The

Photos by AMELIE LEE

Junior midfielder Brianna Valdez surveys the field for an open teammate.

girls tied with the Ayala Bulldogs, 3-3. Although the Lady Brahmas tied for last in the Palomares League, they saw improvement, as they had closer matches towards the end of season than what they had in the beginning.

“We had finally won one of our first league games, and it was against a top two team,” Blazek said. “Since then, we have been doing really well and finding our groove, which is really good because we know that we have improved and how to improve for next year.”

According to junior Samantha Hong, the team’s lack of confidence prevented many players from playing good offense and scoring goals.

“We need to work on offense because it will help with our drive to want to score not only for our team but for ourselves too,” Hong said.

The team will feel the absence of seven seniors, including top players Blazek and Marissa Vasquez, when they compete again next school year.

“My favorite experience is just having fun with everyone and enjoying the game. The games that we did win and competed in, we always had fun,” Blazek said.

One of the major hurdles the girls had to overcome was the introduction of new players to the

Senior midfielder Meg Epino dribbles the ball in a 3-1 loss against South Hills. varsity team. Based on the varsity roster, half of the team consisted of freshmen and sophomores, and adjusting to playing with the new teammates has been a challenge.

“I see them being a lot more confident in themselves [next season] because this year was about introducing a lot of new players to varsity level, which made it difficult for team bonding, but I feel like this year’s just the beginning and that next year they are going to find their groove and do their best,” Hong said.

The coaching staff, led by head coach Matt Franco, was extremely helpful when it came to giving mor-

al support and narrowing down mistakes, according to the captain.

“Our coach is very good at supporting us. He has never let our heads down. He always told us what we needed to work on and he improves and works on those specific things,” Blazek said.

With all of this in mind, Blazek believes the girls will perform miracles next season.

“I really do think that they have a good chance in getting into playoffs next year because this year was an introductory season for them with a lot of new rookies, but next year they are all going to be experienced varsity players,” Blazek said.

Six Brahmas reach CIF

WRESTLING The boys competed on Feb. 16-17 at CIF Individuals, where only two wrestlers placed.

Justin Prakaiphetkul Asst. Sports Editor

Despite an all-around rough year in league, the Diamond Bar High School wrestling team sent six wrestlers to CIF Individuals. At the event, senior Daniel Perez finished sixth in the 285-pound weight class and will advance to CIF Masters as an alternate, while junior Conner Diamond placed eighth in the 126-pound weight class.

If one of the wrestlers in Perez’s weight class does not meet the weight requirement or does not compete at CIF Masters, Perez will have the opportunity to compete as an alternate, should his name be pulled. CIF Masters will be held in Temecula Valley this week.

In order to have advanced to CIF Masters, the wrestlers had to place in the top six of a 32-man bracket for each of the fourteen weight classes.

On Feb. 16-17, the boys wrestled at CIF Individuals, which were held at Beaumont High School. The six Brahmas who qualified for CIF Individuals were Perez, Diamond, juniors Chris Perez, Moises Gamez, Eric Quach and Sean Rivera.

Diamond placed second in his weight class at league finals on Feb. 10 to qualify for CIF Individuals. Diamond said he moved up a weight class for league finals because his coach felt that he had a better opportunity to succeed against the heavier opponents.

CORRECTIONS In the January issue of The Bull's Eye, because of an editing error, a part of the caption of the boys basketball story was cut off.

“My first match was a really tough match, and I got hurt, but I made it to the finals. But, the coach wanted to pull me because he said that ‘CIF is more important’ so I was pretty disappointed about that, but I’m ready to make up for it,” Diamond said.

Quach placed fourth at league finals. Prior to competing, Quach dropped from the 170 pound to the 160 pound weight class. Quach said that he was a little nervous heading into his matches.

“I got kind of far, but then I was just trying to tell myself to just go for it and look for all the open opportunities,” Quach said.

Matchups were not disclosed until the morning of league finals.

However, based on other schools’ records, the team had a good idea of who they would be matched up with, according to head coach Les Schaefer.

In the weeks leading into league finals, Schaefer said that the coaching staff worked with the wrestlers individually to fine tune specific techniques.

The wrestlers prepared for league finals by working on weight management, normal conditioning and one-on-one practices with alumni. The coaching staff emphasized the need for the wrestlers to look at their talents, confidence, work ethic and support systems.

“At this point, we’re not trying to recreate anything. We’re keeping them focused on their best moves that have taken them this far, so that they are focused on certain things to do and they don’t have twenty different moves floating around their heads,” Schaefer said.

The team finished league with a 1-4 record. Schaefer stated that many things were out of the control of the wrestlers and the coaching staff. During the season, multiple Brahmas suffered injuries and a number of wrestlers left the program.

To prepare for next season, Diamond and Quach said that they plan to continue gaining strength.

Senior guard Kaitlyn Lee dribbles her way out of a double team in a 43-34 loss against the Bonita Bearcats.

INGRID CHAN

Team ends year strong GIRLS BASKETBALL The Lady Brahmas finish last in the Palomares League, but win their final game.

Justin Prakaiphetkul Asst. Sports Editor After two consecutive 20-win seasons, the Diamond Bar High School girls basketball team will not make the CIF playoffs this year.

According to head coach Tony McCabe, this is the first time the team has missed the CIF playoffs in eight years.

Yet, the Lady Brahmas ended the season on a positive note by winning their final game against Claremont, 33-32. The girls finished with a league record of 1-9, placing last in the Palomares League, and 6-20 overall. In the three tournaments that the girls took part in, the team finished 5-7.

In their second to last game, the girls lost to South Hills, 59-36. Junior Angela Hung scored a career high of 17 points during the game, which is also the team’s season high for an individual scorer.

McCabe attributes the team’s

struggles this season to the other teams in the Palomares League improving, as well as key injuries to multiple players and the loss of three collegiate level players from last season.

“This team just fell behind [due to the injuries]. We’re getting better and better fast. We’re just behind, and you can’t catch up in a race where everybody is running just as fast,” McCabe said.

Although the team has struggled on offense for the majority of the season, the team began to score more toward the latter half of the year, according to McCabe. The girls also held their opponents to under their season averages.

Throughout the season, the Lady Brahmas have constantly changed their starting five, trying to find the best combination of players and the right consistency in lineups, according to senior guard Kaitlyn Lee. Without any main go-to option, the Lady Brahmas adopted a score-by-committee approach.

Despite the Lady Brahmas’ lackluster record, McCabe stated that the girls have had one of the best attitudes toward the sport that he has ever seen out of all the teams that he has coached.

During her two years on varsity,

Lee said she felt that one of McCabe’s biggest contributions to the team was that he always looks out for the best interests of the team, communicating with the players and helping them overcome any issues. Additionally, McCabe often watched film of their games with the other assistant coaches to analyze how the team could improve for upcoming games.

“In the moment in the game, it is different than watching and reviewing yourself, so definitely seeing yourself on the court and seeing ‘Oh, I should have made this pass’ or ‘ Oh, I could have seen this play or pass it to this person,’ it definitely helps you look for it during practices and in the future games,” Lee said.

According to Lee, the underclassmen had a beneficial impact on the team this season with their energy and speed. Although the team will be losing five seniors next season, Lee is confident in the underclassmen’s ability to take over the reins.

“Our starting lineup is heavy on the underclassmen. They have definitely had a lot of experience playing from this year, and I know they’re going to grow even more throughout the summer and into next year,” Lee said.

THE BULL'S EYE

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

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15

Brahmas fall short

Time to Reform the NFL Hall of Fame

hat makes an NFL Hall of Famer? Is it the Super Bowl rings? The record breaking stats? The longevity of a career? In the NFL, the process to Canton is more unclear than ever, even after this past month’s obvious enshrinement of legends like Ray Lewis and Randy Moss.

One of the names honored in early February is infamous and eccentric wide receiver Terrell Owens. Owens’ numbers said that he was a first ballot Hall of Famer, being No. 2 on the all-time receiving yards list, only behind the GOAT Jerry Rice. Yet, the former 49er was not awarded the gold jacket in his first year of eligibility.

In his second year, Owens finally got the call into the Hall, but the damage was already done. Sports writers and players alike immediately sparked outrage. How could a player as dominant as T.O. been snubbed on his first entry?

Some have argued that he wasn’t voted in the first time for being a “diva” and others say he was a “bad teammate.” Last I checked, players get in for their accolades, not on their kindness or celebrations.

If voters thought that selecting Owens for this year’s class would simmer down the criticisms against the Hall of Fame, then they’re sorely mistaken because now is a bigger moment to question and reform the election process of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Made up of media members, the selection committee is not the right panel of judges for a hall of fame filled with players and coaches.

SPORTS

The key word here is “players.”

Though there should be a portion of voters made up of media representatives and sports writers, it should be the players that dictate the selection process.

In the cases of players like Moss, Owens and others who have had their fair share of battles with the media, there could be a bias against during the polling process.

Ex-players and coaches are the ones who spend years with the candidates and fight the same battles, week in and week out. They’re the ones who truly understand the experiences of the players and should determine the legacy of potential hall of famers. A writer is not a better judge of a player than the men who actually tackled him. Pencil and paper is not a proper substitute for blood, sweat or tears.

Another criticism has been the number of inductees entered per year. Currently, it stands at seven players, allowing a maximum number of two “senior” candidates and five “non-senior” candidates. With just seven players each year, worthy ex-players like Rams receiving legend Isaac Bruce and hard-hitting safety John Lynch are still unable to enter the HOF, and the limit even leads to debate over the representation of positions.

Opened 55 years, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been a hallmark in the sporting world and the final stop in a player’s career. However, if change does not come to the election system, then Canton will be nothing more than just a glorified retirement home.

BOYS SOCCER The Brahmas finished 4-4-2 in league, finishing with two consecutive wins.

Emily Kim Feature Editor

With a fourth place finish, Diamond Bar High School boys soccer team will not be heading to CIF playoffs for the first time since it joined the Palomares League.

Although the boys competed well in their tournaments, winning the Monrovia Tournament, they were unable to recreate the winning touch in league matches. The team went 4-4-2 in league, losing twice to league champion Glendora. Their last match against the Tartans was a close loss, going into overtime twice until Glendora scored the first and final goal.

“This is our first time in I don’t know how many years that we haven’t made CIF,” senior captain Nicholas Wong said. “I think pretty much every game that we played in league was a one goal deficit, whether a win or a loss, four games went into overtime. It’s just really frustrating.”

The Brahmas lost many of the matches in the second half. Head coach Kemp Wells believes that the losses were mainly due to mental errors rather than the players being physically unprepared for their matches.

“There’s a chance they have had problems in the second half because they weren’t in good enough shape,” Wells said. “But I don’t think our players really looked tired in the second half. Almost every goal in the second half, I can point and say that it was a mental mistake instead of a physical mistake.”

Although a loss of thirteen seniors sounds concerning, Wells said he is not overly worried about the lack of seniors next season. He foresees several JV players coming up to varsity, ready for games after some work on their reaction time.

Wells also expects the starting underclassmen and those that come off of the bench to fill in the gaps they may be left after the graduation of seniors.

Defensive players such as juniors Nathan Lee and Dwight Ritchie as well as sophomore Irwin Chen are players that Wells sees stepping up and filling in the loss made by senior defenseman Peter Larcheveque’s graduation.

Sophomore goalie Ethan Lu will be another key player next year.

Lu had started at the beginning of

the year until senior Rajvir Dua surpassed the number of saves Lu made.

“If we have [Lee and Ritchie] that have started plus [Chen], we have three-fourths of our backline ready to go intact. And a goalie that I don’t think is that far off that started this year. So four fifths of our core defense,” Wells said.

The team had an injury free year compared to other years. Yet Wells was happy some of the younger players were able to get some playing time this year.

“I didn’t think that they would get a lot of time at the beginning of the year. They actually showed that they’re close, and they should be ready next year. It’s always nice to see some of those young players play,” Wells said.

AMELIE LEE

Junior defender Nathan Lee looks to pass in a 2-1 win against Claremont.

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH PETER LARCHEVEQUE

Following in the footsteps of his father and siblings, the DB senior found his calling on the soccer field.

Ingrid Chan Asst. Photo Editor When almost everyone in your family has been a soccer player, it is almost inevitable that you will one day follow in their footsteps and kick the ball down that same

beaten path. This no doubt applies to Diamond Bar High School senior Peter Larcheveque.

Because his father was a soccer coach, Larcheveque stepped into the world of soccer at the young age of six. His future as a soccer player was only reinforced by the fact that his older brother and

AMELIE LEE

Senior Peter Larcheveque was named First Team All-League two years in a row.

sister, both of whom he admired, played for DBHS soccer teams until they graduated. With the guidance of his father, his early participation in youth soccer programs and the inspiration from his siblings, Larcheveque matured into one of the school’s top players.

“He’s a three year varsity starter, intelligent, and he knows the game,” head coach Kemp Wells said. “Even when we don’t have the opportunity to tell him what we need on defense, he’s smart and experienced enough to know what we expect of him.”

Larcheveque began playing for clubs in his freshman year. His goal was to work his way to varsity. Whenever high school soccer wasn’t in season, he played for Legends FC as well as AYSO in order to keep his skills sharp.

His efforts weren’t in vain as Larcheveque made varsity in his sophomore year. This year, Wells selected Larcheveque as captain.

“There are times he has to make up for other people’s mistakes and cut his own to almost zero,” Wells said. “So he definitely has a lot of responsibility.”

But being captain isn’t all that Larcheveque has achieved—the midfielder has racked up an impressive list of accolades over these past three years. In his freshman year, he won Best Offensive Player in Frosh, as a sophomore, he won

Rookie of the Year and was named to First Team All-League, and as a junior, he was named Best Defensive Player and First Team AllLeague yet again.

Although the varsity team’s season has just recently ended, Larcheveque is planning to resume club activities soon.

While he wasn’t fully satisfied with the team’s performance this year, Larcheveque knows what he has to improve on and pay more attention to.

“Looking back on it, I think the intensity level this year was not as high as it should be,” Larcheveque said. “In my sophomore year, the intensity was sky high. But this year, it felt like the entire league in general had its skill level diminish, therefore the pace slowed down, which was a really big hit for us.”

Larcheveque doesn’t plan on pursuing soccer in

college, but he does have interest in intramural.

Since he only applied to colleges for academics, he will most likely try to play soccer as a walk-on to see how far he can go.

“The meeting for [First Team] this year isn’t for another week and a half, so when we get to that, I’m almost positive he’ll be First Team again,” Wells said.

“If he’s not, I’m going to probably destroy the world.”

16

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

SEASON SCORES GIRLS WATER POLO

WRESTLING

BOYS SOCCER

GIRLS SOCCER

13-3 L Vs Claremont 13-5 W Vs Chino Hills 10-4 W @ Kennedy 7-6 W Vs Fullerton 5-4 W vs El Segundo

54-15 L Vs South Hills 49-37 L @ Claremont 2/3 Girls CIF Qualifiers 2/10 Boys CIF Qualifiers 2/16 cif iNDIVIDUALS 2/17 cIF INDIVIDUALS

0-0 T @ Bonita 1-0 L 2OT Vs Glendora 1-0 L @ Ayala 2-0 W @ South Hills 2-1 W Vs Claremont

2-2 T 2OT Vs Bonita 1-0 W @ Glendora 3-3 T 2OT Vs Ayala 3-1 L Vs South Hills 1-0 L @ Claremont

BOYS BASKETBALL

GIRLS BASKETBALL

60-58 W Vs Ayala 56-52 W Vs South Hills 78-60 L @ Claremont 62-54 W Vs Newbury Park 59-53 W Vs La Habra

43-34 L Vs Bonita 62-28 L @ Glendora 58-35 L Vs Ayala 59-36 L Vs South Hills 33-32 W @ Claremont

Peaking at the right time BOYS BASKETBALL The Brahmas advance in CIF after winning league title.

Ryan Chae sports Editor For Diamond Bar High School’s boys basketball team, this season has proven to be one of the most successful in nearly two decades, winning league for the first time since 2001 and now reaching the CIF quarterfinals.

The Brahmas finished first in the Palomares League with a record of 7-3 after starting the season 0-2. A seven-game win streak in league changed their fortunes.

After defeating Newbury Park and La Habra in the first two rounds of the CIF, the boys played yesterday in a quarterfinal match.

“They showed a lot of resiliency,

and we ended up picking up seven in a row in league, fighting back.

We went through a lot of growing pains, but the maturation over the season is what I attribute our success to,” head coach Henry Frierson said at the end of the regular season.

Last year, the boys’ record was the opposite, winning their first three league games in league and then losing their next seven. This year, Frierson made sure that the boys would not peak after their first few games.

“This year is much different. Every practice and every game, we’ve gotten better as the season rolls on, and here we are in the CIF. We haven’t even played our best basketball yet,” Frierson said.

The win streak started after a thrilling 72-66 overtime victory over Ayala, followed by a dominating performance against South Hills, 67-38.

By winning league, the boys au-

tomatically reached CIF and seeded high enough to host a game at Diamond Bar. In the first round, the team took on the Newbury Park Panthers. Through junior Mike Gao’s defensive work, where he blocked five shots, and the scoring duo of juniors CJ Fisher and Myles Corey, who combined for 39 points, the Brahmas won their first CIF game in seven years, 62-54.

The second round proved to be more of a challenge as the team visited the La Habra Highlanders.

At the end of the first half, the Brahmas were down 32-27 while their defensive anchor, Gao, had to sit out the first half due to an ankle injury from the first round.

Once Gao started in the second half, however, the game immediately swung in DB’s favor as the team went on an 11-2 in the first three minutes of the second half.

Gao finished with four blocks, the duo of Corey and Fisher scored 43 points and the Brahmas won 59-53,

New DBHS head coach Jeff Reitz was defensive coordinator at Santiago.

Reitz brings decades of experience to DB FOOTBALL New head coach has worked from Alabama to Texas.

Ryan Chae sports Editor After a rough 0-10 season and the resignation of head coach Kevin Argumosa, Diamond Bar High School has hired Santiago defensive coordinator Jeff Reitz as its new football head coach.

Reitz comes into the program with over 40 years of experience, winning a CIF championship as an all league linebacker for Sonora High School in 1975.

From Fullerton College as a walk-on coach, Reitz began a coaching odyssey that took him to the University of Alabama, where he was an assistant strengths coach for coaching legend Gene Stallings, to Texas, where Reitz coached Life High School into the top offensive team in the area. At each of his coaching stops, he wanted his players to understand the importance of hard work and have a genuine passion for the game.

“The number one thing is I want these kids to enjoy their experience of playing high school football, and

I think winning has a lot to do with that. Understanding how to be a winner in our society, you have to work for it,” Reitz said.

Coming into DB, Reitz is developing a coaching staff mixed with coaches he has worked with and new coaches selected from interviews. However, they must all share one common trait.

“The number one thing about my assistant coaches is that they’re going to be guys that love kids,” Reitz said.

Currently, Reitz is focused on conditioning and getting the boys in shape as many of the players are participating in spring sports. Solidifying positions will most likely stretch into the end of spring or the beginning of summer.

“We’re going to be unbelievably and unrelentlessly aggressive with great character. That is my personality and that’s the kind of kids we’re going to have,” Reitz said.

As DBHS is scheduled to move down from the Palomares League to the Mt. Baldy League, Reitz believes the boys will come out and shock the league.

“We’re going to surprise people this [upcoming season]. Every game will be good because we’re going to be competitive and give everybody everything we got every single game,” Reitz said.

reaching the quarterfinals.

“I feel like all our hard work has paid off and that Coach Frierson is stepping up into his role...We’ve all had to step up,” senior Kingston Ko

said.

In the quarterfinals, the Brahmas played the 20-3 Notre Dame Titans, who were 14-0 in league competition.

not win the tournament, the girls found value in their five games.

“It was a really great time for team bonding, so I think that really helped us,” senior Ashley Yoo said.

To prepare for CIF, practices were more focused on individual defense so that as a whole, the team would be ready to go against others one on one.

Also, head coach Alexander Matal has been implementing drills focusing on defense, offense and individual play to improve the girls’ fundamentals.

He also led live-time scrimmages and played out different possible scenarios players can face, such as being down a player or being down a few goals in the last few minutes of a match.

“He has done a lot; he has done everything. From the different drills we do, he notices what we need work on, then he will make our practice dedicated to that one thing, making us repeat it over and over,” senior Monique Yim said.

As a team, the girls are more insync in the postseason with stronger communication and better passing.

“We made it to the championships last year, and I think everyone expects us to get back there this year,” Yoo said. “Between the players and the coaches, I know that the team we lost first place to, Santa Ynez, is also in Division 5, so we want to go against them during CIF this year. For sure, we have a better chance this year.”

Still in the CIF pool GIRLS WATERPOLO The Lady Brahmas will face the Notre Dame Regents in the semifinals today.

EMILY KIM

AMELIE LEE

Junior CJ Fisher spins his way to the basket in a 49-46 win against Claremont.

christina liu staff writer Currently playing their way back into the CIF finals, the Diamond Bar High School girls water polo team have won three straight matches to earn a spot in today’s semifinals.

Entering the playoffs, the team made a risky move by entering CIF with a new offensive lineup in an attempt to avoid getting double teamed by opposing defenders.

So far, the move has paid off. The Brahmas will face the Notre Dame Regents in the Chino Hills pool at 5 p.m.

In the opening round of the postseason, the girls traveled to La Palma on Valentine’s Day, where they knocked off the Kennedy Fighting Irish, 10-4. The next day, the Lady Brahmas defended their home pool and beat Fullerton in a close match, 7-6. In the quarterfinals, the team defeated El Segundo in another close match, 5-4.

Finishing third in league, the Lady Brahmas lost their final league match to Claremont, 13-3, but finished the season with a dominant victory over Chino Hills, 15-3.

Beating out Glendora and Ayala for third place with a 3-5 league record, the girls automatically clinched a CIF berth.

Before their match against Claremont, the team also traveled to San Diego and gathered more experience prior to the playoffs. Winning three out of their five games, the girls were put into multiple scenarios, from dominating Otay Ranch, 12-5, to beating Eastlake in a tight game, 9-6. Though they did

Senior Phoebe Tsui looks to score in a 13-3 loss against Claremont.

HANNAH LEE