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opinion 4

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feature 7

STIGMA OF

a&e 10

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

HAMLET x TWO

the bull’s eye NEWS

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OPINION

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FEATURE

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sports 14

OCTOBER 11, 2017 VOLUME XXXVI, ISSUE II ONLINE AT DBBULLSEYE.COM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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SPORTS

Brahmas compete for Merit Award Ten senior semifinalists are undergoing consideration for the $2,500 scholarship.

Catherine Liu staff writer Out of the 16,000 students who qualified nationwide for the National Merit Scholarship, ten were Diamond Bar High School seniors.

They qualified by scoring in the top one percent nationally on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, administered during their junior year.

Ruiyan Cao, Brian Chang, Alex Cheng, Matthew I. Ho, Sungjoo Jeon, Alvin Lee, Eric Peng, William Shao, Crystal Song and Amy Xia will all have the chance to compete for a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship as well as the corporate and college-sponsored merit scholarships.

In order to be eligible as a finalist, participants must submit their SAT score, a teacher recommendation, their first choice college, their GPA and an essay about an experience they had, a person that influenced them or an obstacle they had to overcome.

The necessary score needed on the PSAT to become a semifinalist varies by state. According to Com-

“When I first got my score I was really happy that I did so well."

CRYSTAL SONG pass Prep, the cutoff for California is one of the highest, as it is set at 222 out of 228. This is calculated by NMSC, converting the scores from a 600-1520 scale.

“When I first got my score I was really happy that I did so well,” Song said.

Song said she had expected to do well since she received a high score on her SAT. Meanwhile, Xia who had never taken the SAT said that she was not expecting a high score.

“I had tennis going on, I had a lot of AP classes and that was the time when I was also preparing for the ACT, so I never really had time to study for the PSAT,” said Xia. Xia said she plans to take the actual SAT in November in order to apply as a finalist. Applications must be sent in by November and finalists will be named in March.

“Just being a semi-finalist already is a pretty big achievement considering that [acceptance] is only one percent,” Cheng said.

CINDY LIU

An international look at education Brahmas compare and contrast their experiences at foreign schools to life in America at DBHS. cindy liu asst. News Editor With millions of immigrants moving to America each year, foreign students are rapidly becoming an integral part of the Diamond Bar High School campus. Coming from countries all over the world, these students bring not only their cultural background to DBHS but also a unique perspective on education due to their experiences in different school systems.

Although DBHS is generally known for having a highly competitive and stressful environment, many foreign students agree that the American educational system is easier than the ones they grew up under. Among these foreign students are juniors Mike Gao, Sarah Kim and Davis Li, who have spent several years studying both in America and abroad.

Gao, who came to America from China in eighth grade, spent roughly 13 years studying in China. There, he attended Beijing No.2 Experimental Elementary School and Beijing No.8 Middle school before attending Chaparral Middle School, where he had his first taste of the American educational system.

“There’s a lot [more] work [in my Chinese school] compared to here and teachers don’t care about students [as much],” Gao said. “I think the [DBHS] teachers are more friendly. They treat their students more like peers.”

One of the major differences Gao found between the school system in China and America was the importance of final exams. At his Chinese school, a student’s grade was based heavily on a few exams every year. In contrast, a student’s grade at DBHS is based more on the average of the student’s performance throughout the year.

At Diamond Bar, Gao’s lighter workload allows him the time to pursue extracurricular activities and sports such as basketball. Like many of the foreign students, Gao experienced difficulties with the new language. However, he was

able to quickly learn by talking to his English-speaking peers.

Additionally, students in his Chinese school stayed in one classroom while their teachers moved around campus.

“I prefer students [being able to move] around [since] you can sit in new classrooms [and] you don’t have to sit in the same classroom every day,” Gao said.

Kim, who had arrived in America in August 2015 for the start of her freshman year at DBHS, spent roughly 10 years in Korea’s educational system at Un Hyun Elementary School and Joong Ang

Middle School. She is the second in her family to come to the U.S. Her sister, who had arrived first at 12 years old, is a DBHS alumni and graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Like Gao’s experience in China, a major difference between Kim’s experience in Korea’s educational system and DBHS is the role of exams in academics.

“I feel better with the school system in the U.S. than that in Korea because I’m more of a homework type of person than [a] big exams

STUDENTS ON P.2

BRAHMAS SING goodbye

HANNAH LEE

Choir teacher Patty Breitag was celebrated at her final concert last Thursday before she entered retirement on Friday.

2

NEWS

Holmes leaves DBHS for assistant principal position The longtime biology teacher took on his new job at Temple City High School.

Fifteen years of being a Brahma has come to an end for Diamond Bar High School biology teacher Christopher Holmes, who left the school on Friday to join Temple City High School as assistant principal.

According to Holmes, the position of assistant principal has been an aspiration of his for about seven years. When the position opened up at TCHS at the beginning of the school year due to the departure of its previous assistant principal, Holmes applied for the spot. He was offered the position after completing a process consisting of two sets of interviews, according to Holmes.

The school board officially approved the decision on Sept. 27.

During his time at DBHS, Holmes has taught all levels of biology, including regular, honors, AP and IB. He has also instructed integrated science on campus for a shorter duration of time and coached basketball for several years.

As class advisor for the class of 2018, Holmes remembers last

INGRID CHAN

Science teacher Christopher Holmes left his position at the school last Friday. year’s prom as one of his favorite memories at DBHS. Another one of his most cherished memories was when he coached the DBHS basket-

“The year that we made it to the CIF semifinals [...] was a great year."

CHRIS HOLMES ball team to CIF. “The year that we made it to the CIF semifinals in basketball, which was 2005, was a great year,”

Holmes said.

Besides “working with the students and teaching the students year after year,” Holmes will also miss having his children attend the same school he works at, as, currently, his son is a senior and his daughter is a freshman at DBHS. Holmes’s departure creates a new opening this year for his position at DBHS, and the school has begun to advertise for new applicants to fill the spot. At this point, a replacement has not yet been determined.

Additionally, choir teacher Patty Breitag retired this year and left DBHS on Friday as well.

Apparently, Coca-Cola bottles are not only good for drinking.

An armed man dressed as a large soft drink was caught on security camera in the middle of robbing a Rally’s restaurant. The manager was working overtime when the life-size soda barged in with a gun. The thief left with $500 in his pocket and is still on the loose.

NEW YORK Robbers don’t always lack good manners, as one Hicksville thief seems intent on proving.

The man was caught on tape hammering open the cash register of a restaurant and removing its contents. However, while in

the restaurant, he also cooked himself a meal of chicken, beans and shrimp. After chowing down, he refrigerated his leftovers, cleaned surfaces and placed a dollar bill in the tip jar.

MARYLAND It seems that you can, in fact, have too much of sugar and spice and everything nice, at least if your spice is of a pumpkin variety. Five people were hospitalized and a Baltimore high school was evacuated last Thursday because of a plug-in air freshener bearing the sweet scent. The city hazmat department investigated Cristo Rey Jesuit High School before declaring the school safe.

CALIFORNIA A grandpa well into his 80s played the role of hero when he climbed onto his roof and threw an intruder into the hands of waiting police. The trespasser, who had been jumping over other houses’ roofs, caused police to gather in front of a house in La Puente. Wilford Burgess, 83, tired of waiting, retrieved a neighbor’s ladder and took matters into his own hands by pushing the suspect off by himself.

Lighter workload in U.S. than Asia 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

AUSTRALIA

KENTUCKY

the staff News Editors Asst. News Editors

NEWSBITS Train fares are expensive, and people will do anything to avoid paying them. On Saturday, September 23, a 23-yearold man was seen clinging to a train’s rear windshield for about four minutes. But his joyride came to an end when a railroad employee phoned the Public Transit Authority.

However, the stunt earned him worldwide fame, as the video of his actions went viral.

ANGELA YANG asst. NEWS editor

Editors-in-Chief

OCTOBER 11, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

STUDENTS FROM P. 1 [type of person] because I get too nervous for the big exams,” Kim said. “[In Korea,] students only focus on exam scores; [Here,] we are actually focused on how our academic skills are developed day by day.”

Her sister, who was fluent in both English and Korean, helped her quickly improve her English.

“I couldn’t even answer [basic] questions like ‘how are you,’” Kim said. “It was the biggest problem.”

Li, who attended Herbert Spencer Elementary School in British Columbia, Canada, studied at Falcon Cove Middle School in Weston, Florida, for a few years before mov-

ing to California for his freshman year at DBHS. The similarity between the American and Canadian school systems meant that Li didn’t encounter large obstacles when moving to America.

Despite the similarities, Li noticed differences in how Canadian education is more comprehensive than in the U.S. “In Canada, it’s a little more well rounded,” Li said. “They teach not just curriculum stuff; they teach you about the environment [and different cultures].”

Li also participated in a French Immersion program in Canada, which introduced students to the French language and culture.

According to U.S News’s educational rankings, America outperforms China’s and Korea’s education system, but not Canada’s.

American was ranked seventh, while Korea was 22nd and China 25th. Canada was considered No. 1 in the world by the U.S. News rankings.

With their experience in others educational systems, these DBHS students are better prepared to face different points of view beyond high school.

“Having more experience, knowing perspectives and knowing how people think, it’s good to know that people think differently; that not everything’s the same,” Li said.

“There’s no right or wrong way.”

a royal path to homecoming

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.

HANNAH LEE

Homecoming Court seniors Jeremy Kim and Cicily Deng participate in the Happily Ever After Intro Assembly on Oct 2.

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 11, 2017

NEWS

3

District holds first annual parent conference at DBHS WVUSD set up a parent symposium event to hold discussions on parenting tactics and solutions.

SOPHIA KIM ASST. WEB EDITOR With a goal of helping parents better understand their children, the administrators of Walnut Valley Unified School District recently held the first Parent Symposium at Diamond Bar High School.

Over 800 parents of students ranging from pre-K to 12th grade attended the event held on Sept. 23.

“We noticed that we needed to bring parents on board,” Castle Rock Elementary School principal Dr. Resma Byrne said. “We can do so much at school, but parents were also looking for ways to connect with their kids so we just decided to try this and see how the outcome is.”

The symposium featured Dr. Michelle Borba, an internationally

recognized educational psychologist, as the main speaker along with a number of parenting workshops.

During the main event, Borba discussed how to raise empathetic kids.

She stated that parents need to set a good example for their children and that the overuse of technology is a major factor in creating less compassionate people.

“I think it’s a lot of the stuff we already know, but it was so good to hear someone talk about it [since] it reminds us to talk about kindness to our children and the importance of empathy,” a mother said.

“We always focus on the academics, but it’s really the soft skills and life skills that the kids learn about.”

The symposium offered 21 parenting workshops presented by WVUSD teachers and staff members. Parents were able to attend up to two classes depending on what they wanted to learn.

Popular workshops included topics on academic success, internet safety, technology, welcoming newcomers to school, building a

positive home environment and understanding emotional health in children.

“I learned some really good strategies especially for parenting,” another mother said. “There was some good information on helping our children to be successful, how to be a more kind parent and there are some mistakes I noticed that I have made that I can now pay attention to and be better.”

One workshop called “Preparing for college while maintaining your sanity” discussed how parents should choose the right classes and school for their child.

Another workshop,“Controlling Technology, Before Technology Controls us,” taught parents to utilize technology and social media in a safe and useful way rather than being controlled by it.

On the way out of the symposium, parents were greeted with city organization booths including the Diamond Bar Library, city of Diamond Bar and city of Walnut to help further their knowledge and be more involved with the community.

Photo courtesy of NICHOLAS LUCERO

The DBHS Thundering Herd marched in the Los Angeles County Fair competition and took home a first place prize.

Thundering Herd takes home $10,000 from LACF Brahmas stole the thunder at the annual L.A. County Fair competition and won first place sweepstakes. catherine liu staff writer After three years of making finals, the Diamond Bar High School Thundering Herd’s training paid off when they took home a first place trophy and $10,000 from the annual Los Angeles County Fair competition.

“It feels great,” band president Nicholas Lucero said. “It gives us a good feel early on that you know, if we’re able to win this early, it’s a premonition of what’s to come.”

The students began preparing for the competition over the summer by meeting at least once a week at school for hour-long practices. Once the school year began, the band assembled three times

a week to train, two of those days dedicated to marching and one day to the music.

“We rehearse the music and set the block so that we can practice our step size and move together as a band in parade formation,” junior tuba Caryn Iwanaga said.

Lucero states that the approach that the band took was also important to making improvement along with practice.

“Focus. Usually every year right in the beginning it’s a big jumble of everyone’s doing this, everyone’s doing that and our thoughts are all over the place,” Lucero said. “One thing me and the others leaders try to really do is bring focus.”

Meanwhile, head military drum major junior Aaron Tamura focused on leading the band through sequences.

“The main problem I face is loosening up and getting ready to spin because there is a lot of pressure on me, since I'm following a long line of state champion drum majors,” Tamura said.

Tamura stated that he was able to overcome his fear by focusing on the efforts he has made and ignoring the judges and the band.

In the front of the drum majors, color guard lead in front, holding the banner and flags. They practice all week in class along with dedicating two days after school with band and one day after school for self practice.

“We are cleaner and more united, we really wanted to win,” senior Emily Ong said.

As the winner of the competition, DBHS Marching Band will not be allowed to return for four years as a part of competition policy, providing other bands a chance for first place.

The $10,000 prize money will be added to their budget, which covers transportation, food and other expenses.

“We wanted to really establish ourselves in the parade world as not just being lucky but being actually a dedicated and talented group,” Tamura said.

INGRID CHAN

Brahma Foundation president Yara Sands was a speaker at Casino Night.

Gambling for a new scoreboard The Brahma Foundation hosted a Casino Night fundraiser on Sept. 29 at Embassy Suites in Brea.

Sands began working in the organization in 2012 and has helped raise money to donate track equipment, wrestling mats and soccer nets for the school.

Foundation members decided to raise funds for a new scoreboard last year, after several parents TESS GUAN voiced complaints about the state WEB EDITOR of the current one.

The organization plans to purWith recent upgrades to Diachase an LED scoreboard with vidmond Bar High School’s sports faeo features that can be used at sevcilities, the athletics department eral events during the school year. has set a new goal: an LED scoreSpectators at football and soccer board for the football field. games can experience the match Fundraising for the scoreboard from a new perspective, while parbegan at Casino Night, held by ents will be able to see a close-up DBHS’ Brahma Foundation, a nonview of their students receiving profit organization formed to raise diplomas. funds for the school. Arranged by Along with Foundation Vice foundation members, the event was President Joanna Flores, Treaheld at Embassy Suites in Brea. It surer Lisa Kwan, DBHS Principal included dinner, gaming chips for Reuben Jones, Athletics Director roulette, gift basAlbert Lim, mukets, craps and sic teacher Steve twenty one tables.

Acciani and USB “[The community is] Entertainment Director Janna always willing to dowas provided by Van Horn, Sands nate and help us raise DBHS’ rock band helped sell tickets funds for the school." and jazz group. for the event.

YARA SANDS This Casino “We couldn’t Night was the have made this first since 2010. At night a success that time, it was a larger event and without their help,” Sands said. raised around $30,000, according to As the Foundation’s largest funYara Sands, Brahma Foundation draising event, Casino Night sold president. Casino Night was once over 100 tickets, most priced for an annual event, but the size of $75. Superintendent Dr. Robert the Brahma Foundation group has Taylor and Diamond Bar Mayor since decreased, causing the event Jimmy Lin, along with several to be put on hiatus until now. school board members, were some Previous Casino Nights have of the many guests at the event. been held at the Diamond Bar CenCasino Night was the first step ter, Royal Vista Golf Course and in fundraising for the board. It will Embassy Suites. take a few years to raise the ap"My favorite thing about planproximate $200,000 needed for the ning Casino Night was interacting scoreboard, but the organization with the community and businessplans to hold other fundraisers. es,” Sands said via email. “I like “When we are able to purchase the way they are always willing to those items and make it a better donate and help us raise funds for environment for the students, that the school. It’s all about helping gives us a sense of accomplisheach other.” ment,” Sands said.

MORE ON

THE WEB: BTS COMEBACK

A staff member reviews the popular K-Pop group's latest album, "Love Yourself: Her."

LAS VEGAS SURVIVOR

DBHS class of 2004 almunus Rocky Palermo was shot in the back in the recent Las Vegas shooting.

HOMECOMING GAME

Diamond Bar loses to Bonita at the school's Homecoming game last Friday.

VISIT DBBULLSEYE.COM

4

OPINION

OCTOBER 11, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

EYE EDITORS OF THE

OPINION: Participation should not be solely speech-based, and should not heavily factor in grades.

A

t one point or another, every student at Diamond Bar High School has struggled with participation points. In an environment where students learn and comprehend topics, the number of times a student raises their hand in class should not make or break their grade.

The goal for keeping track of participation should be to measure the amount of effort made. As of now, these points track who can come up with something to say the fastest. Most students feel forced to come up with nonsense answers to get the points rather than truly contribute to the discussion.

Many of the standards set by teachers are unreasonable and require an obscene amount of participation that is hard to achieve.

The effects of this are impossible to ignore, as participation points are a huge determining factor of our grades, and in certain classes, can be the difference between an A and a B. DBHS should step back and take a look at how much participation should factor into your comprehensive grade.

In a classroom, participation should be defined by a number of things. Speaking out loud in front

of the entire class isn’t the only way to show that a student understands the material. Participating can come in the form of doing class work, talking in small groups and being active in class activities. Everyday, by simply showing up, students are getting work done.

Overall, participation should not be used as a final determining factor in your grade. Many classes at DBHS put such a large focus on participation that it clouds the rest of the class.

Teachers should either make these points a smaller percentage of each student’s overall grade or create a reasonable amount of points for students to attain.

It is understandable that participating in class is important for many reasons, however it should not be able to make or break a person’s GPA. At the end of the day, students should be graded on their understanding of concepts, not how fast they can raise their hand or shout out an answer in class.

It is understandable that participating in class is important for many reasons, however it should not be able to make or break a person’s GPA.

From the Brahma Perspective Participation points are good for the classroom because they get you more involved in the lesson.

AIDAN YIM (9)

Hannah lee NEWS editor

M

t. SAC has become a favorite topic for Diamond Bar students’ jokes, being beat down and nicknamed “UC Walnut.” We’ve all heard the all-too familiar joke about being a subpar college applicant and ending up with no other option besides community college when someone receives a grade any less than an A. The reality is that attending a community college for a year or two and going into a four-year university as a transfer student has an endless amount of benefits. However, this option is often overlooked by students because it holds such a

NFL protest: Revealing racial undertones

If you have anxiety then you might not want to answer ... If you’re wrong, your classmates judge you.

noor naji opinion editor

VICTORIA RUIZ (10)

A

Most of the kids who aren’t really sharing still want the grade, so points might motivate them to actually participate.

IRIS LEE (9)

Flawed prejudice against community college strong stigma that needs to be broken.

While it may be slightly less likely to transfer to a private university after community college, we live in a state with the best public college system in the nation. The difference in the quality of education received at a public school as opposed to a private school is minimal, especially when it comes to the UCs. Transfer admit rates for UCs are generally 10 percent higher than that of freshmen, and nearly 93 to 96 percent of all transfers to UCs are from California community colleges. The chances of a student being accepted into a desired college is significantly higher when applying as a transfer, as standardized tests are no longer a requirement, and extracurriculars tend to hold little to no weight on a transfer application.

Programs like TAG, Transfer Admission Guarantee, provides students guaranteed admission, giving more of an opportunity than a high school senior would re-

Noor in a Nutshell

ceive as an applicant. Students can choose to “tag” any UC except for UCSD, UCLA and UC Berkeley, and if they maintain a certain minimum GPA for the program, they will have a guaranteed admission to their tagged campus.

We all want the college experience and missing out on dorm life as a freshman or sophomore seems less than ideal. However, gritting your teeth through two years of community college can be well worth the opportunities and financial benefits. In California, a student can save approximately $18,400 by transferring rather than spending four full years at a state school, according to Two Cents.

In the end, spending one or two years working toward a desired university outweighs being at a four year college and hating the school. With the amount of AP courses offered at Diamond Bar High School, it is very possible for a student to transfer after just one year at a community college.

Community college gives stu-

dents a second shot at a dream school, while being able to go through their general education and having the freedom to explore all the major choices. Many students end up changing their majors throughout their undergraduate years and even switch more than once. Being able to freely explore options at a junior college can save the time and hassle of switching majors after solidifying interests by the time of transfer. Major preparation courses also give students the opportunity to adequately prepare for their intended major.

We all love poking fun at Mt. SAC, but in reality, it is ranked as the third best California community college by Niche. Choosing to take a year or two to take all the advantages that a junior college offers should not be something that should be shameful. Community college is a perfectly fine option for many seniors to take, but one that many shy away from solely because of the ignorant mindset that people have toward it.

Homecoming Inflation

Cartoon courtesy of MEGAN LEE

few weeks ago, many NFL players across the nation began to take a knee during the National Anthem as a form of protest. This, naturally, sparked controversy.

Instead of focusing on important issues such as the disaster in Puerto Rico, the senate healthcare bill or North Korea, President Trump decided to call out team owners to fire players who are “disrespecting the flag” and being unpatriotic.

It seems that most of the nation, along with the President, is missing the point. Players used their platform to kneel down and protest issues they feel have been overlooked; they didn’t disrespect America, the troops or the freedoms we stand for.

As James Baldwin said, “I love America more than any country in this world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”

And by Trump aiming to silence them, it is in fact, he who is being unpatriotic. What does it say about our nation when the president is reluctant to condemn those waving confederate and Nazi flags because of their right to speak freely, but does not think twice when criticizing those who aim to peacefully protest?

And, yes, there is the argument that kneeling before the flag disrespects our troops and the freedoms they fought for. But the irony is that those same commentators were silent when the Nazi flag waved across Charlottesville last month. The troops, quite literally, fought the Nazi flag. So, isn’t the waving of a Nazi flag more offensive to the American flag than kneeling before it?

Kneeling is just a form of protest, however, opponents insist that it is the wrong way of protesting.

Then what is the right way for an African-American man to protest?

If they’re out on the streets, it’s a riot. If they kneel, Trump refers to them by a profanity.

By kneeling silently, they are neither being disruptive or disrespectful. By kneeling, they are saying so much without saying anything at all.

When opponents claim that the players are at fault, while simultaneously fighting for the right of altright conservatives to carry confederate and Nazi flags, it becomes clear that the issue isn’t about disrespecting the flag, the troops or the nation at all; it’s racial.

Instead of focusing on the kneeling itself, which the players have every right to do, we should notice why they are doing it in the first place, and what injustices they are trying to direct our attention toward.

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 11, 2017

OPINION

Lack of sleep from lack of time

brian chang news editor

O

h my gosh, I have so much homework. I barely get to sleep three hours a night, and it’s all because of my evil teachers piling assignments and tests on me every single day. It’s almost as if my teachers have forgotten that school isn’t the only thing I need to spend time on.

Immediately after school, I have to go to Starbucks, because without my daily caramel frappuccino I absolutely cannot be expected to have any energy. I only spend about an hour there complaining with my friends about the mountains of homework we have piled up, a necessary part of any high schooler’s

day. It would be impossible to slog through each and every day without our rant sessions.

I rush home, just in time for my 3:30 p.m. nap. Sleeping at 4 a.m. means that I am always sleepy, and since teachers unfairly won’t let me sleep in class, it’s necessary for me to take an afternoon snooze to recharge.

A quick four hours later, I’m up and ready to eat dinner. My absolute favorite show is on right about now, so I am obligated to spend my next two hours riveted in my seat, cheering for my favorite home chef.

I missed last week’s show, so I go and look up what happened. That reminds me! That guy’s from Italy, and one of my friends went there last summer. I wonder how she’s doing. As I scroll through my Facebook feed trying to locate her current whereabouts, I spy a cute face staring out at me. A cat video! And another one! I’ll just watch a few.

Oh would you look at the time.

It’s midnight already, and I haven’t even begun on homework. Fine, I’ll start now.

Wait, my absolute best friend in

the world just tagged me in a Facebook comment. It must be a meme.

I can’t get started on my homework without knowing what it is. The stress would kill me. And just for good measure, I’ll make sure to tag him in another one, so we’re even.

Now I’ll begin homework — besides, it’s only 1 a.m.

Whew, I finally got through one problem. I only have another 20 to do for Statistics, so it’s no big deal.

I feel like I deserve a rest break, so I’ll just look up what’s trending on Youtube. Coyote has a new video, and I just have to watch it. Twelve minutes won’t make that much of a difference.

Somehow it’s already 3 a.m. I knew I shouldn’t have taken Civics. This workload is insane — it’s been two hours since I started homework, and I’ve barely gotten through half a page of questions.

I guess I’m not sleeping again tonight. This enormous burden of work is the reason I have to take naps and why I’m always tired in class. Maybe if teachers gave us less homework I would actually get some sleep.

5

SLEEPILY SATIRICAL

Cartoon Courtesy of MEGAN LEE

Sanctuary States:

Should these safe havens be preserved?

Obama also made a statement this year that national crime rates have actually gone down while his federal policy to protect illegal immigrants was in place.

In fact, not only do most illegal immigrants not fit into the malicious mold carved out for them by some politicians, they are often our neighbors, our classmates, our teachers or local businesspeople. They are individuals who may have lived in this country since early childhood, and trying to build angela yang their own lives just like any other American. asst. news editor If we found out today that a friend we grew up with was undocumented, would Illegal immigrants in the we be just as eager to remove him or her United States deserve evfrom this country? Sanctuary communities ery ounce of protection protect people just like any of us--the sole offered by sanctuary states to remain in the difference being in citizenship status--from country they have dedicated themselves to. deportation.

While they may not be American on paper, Sanctuary cities also make illegal immithese people are American gration safer for the counin their values. try because they encour“...The protection Commonly regarded as age amiable relationships offered by sanctuary illegal “aliens,” undocubetween undocumented mented immigrants flowimmigrants and law enstates helps these ing into the U.S. have conforcement, resulting in illegal immigrants tinuously been ostracized less conflict. While most attain citizenship, from society. Some argue citizens have no reason to which is their goal.” that the implementation fear doing tasks that reof sanctuary states proquire their identity to be mote illegal immigration into the country. revealed to the government, undocumented Though this may be true, the protection immigrants without protection are relucoffered by sanctuary states helps these iltant to interact with the government in daily legal immigrants attain citizenship, which life for risk of possible deportation. is their goal, quicker and easier by ensuring The U.S. was a nation built on immigratheir residence in America will be protected tion. Without the inundations of immigrants during the process. People don’t come to the from all over the globe since before America U.S. for the purpose of remaining undocuwas even an independent country, we would mented, in contrast with popular propanot have achieved a thriving economy. ganda.

Abolishing sanctuary states would mean Commentators on the right often ask: losing people who have the potential to “But won’t these illegal immigrants only make great contributions to this country commit more illegal acts once they’re inside and shipping them “back” to a country they the U.S.?” may never have even known.

Research comparing crime rates among For those who oppose the protection of citizens and undocumented immigrants, immigrants who only seek the natural right such as a 2007 study by the National Bureau to pursue their own happiness in the counof Economic Research, has confirmed that try they believe is best for them, it’s time to illegal immigrants are not, contrary to the question whether that mentality is one that current U.S. president’s claims, more likely accurately embodies the values and goals of to be criminals. Former President Barack a true American.

PRO

of the bill because of the dangers it poses on public safety as the bill limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal agencies, namely U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Not every illegal immigrant is a criminal, in fact most aren’t, but that doesn’t change the risks. SB 54 inhibits federal authorities from doing their jobs and removing the dangerous felons from our communities as the local police departments will no longer be Emily jacobsson working in compliance with “hold requests” editor-in-chief to detain immigrants or using their resources for immigration enforcement.

California seems to have Sheriffs say that the bill would force imit all: beaches, celebrities migration officers to go into communities, and now, after Gov. Jerry instead of searching jails, in search of ilBrown signed Senate Bill 54 last week, the legal immigrants that they believe to be a status of a sanctuary state. Especially in danger to the public. a time when domestic safety is a growing The sanctuary state bill, which will take concern, California’s laweffect in January, would makers should not be putting give protection to imthe safety of the citizens at migrants who came “It’s a question of risk solely to make a politithrough illegal means. whether we should cal statement in defiance of State Sen. Kevin De be giving protection Trump and his strict immiLeon (D-Los Angeles) to those who came gration policies. proposed the bill because illegally, especially at Sanctuary cities, such as he believes California’s a cost to citizens.”

Los Angeles and San Franmission is to “strongly cisco, have always been defend family values becriticized over the dangers that they prescause we don’t believe a government should ent for citizens. In 2015, Kathryn Steinle separate a mother from her child or any was allegedly murdered by Juan Francisco child should be separated from her father.”

Lopez-Sanchez, an illegal immigrant who Yes, hunting down and removing imwas recently released from jail by San Franmigrants who have peacefully settled and cisco authorities, despite the Department of made a life for themselves in the United Homeland Security urging against it. In the States, and separating families is an unsymaftermath of this event, many people began pathetic act, and arguably unnecessary act, to question the idea of sanctuary cities. but why encourage any further illegal imAmerica is a nation built by immigrants, migration? and it’s undeniable that they positively conProviding this safe haven for illegal immitribute to the cultural melting pot that the grants only increases the tension between U.S. is so well-known for, but the issue isn’t state and federal law, and at some point, one of what immigrants can contribute. It’s things will boil over. Instead of fighting pola question of whether we should be giving icy with policy, our legislative bodies should protection to those who came illegally, esbe working together to create a policy that pecially at a cost to citizens. When the risks would allow immigrants to enter the U.S. leof sanctuary cities are so clear, why spread gally. As long as they are vetted, documentthis threat throughout an entire state? ed but still welcomed with golden California It should be an immediate red flag that ideals of “family values” after the process, sheriffs all over California are in opposition both sides will be pleased.

CON

6

FEATURE

Homecoming Review: An event that caters to dancers

Fusing culture in each bite

amelie lee asst. feature editor

With a promising menu serving a melting pot of different cuisines, Cafe Ganul 2 offers a bizarre array of fusion foods including Kimchi CUISINE: Bacon Fries and Corn and Hot Cheetos Mac & Korean and Italian Cheese.

ADDRESS: Cafe Gunul 2’s interior design is alarming, 1616 Nogales St, Rowland with paintings of cartoon characters dressed provocatively. The actual meal, however, left Heights, 91748 less of an impression than the art did. Although the menu’s barrage of strange foods made me want to order every food listed, my actual meal left me hoping for something more fulfilling at a more reasonable price range. In the end, I ordered “Da best Kimchi Pasta” for $16.99 and pork belly slices in three different sauces for $25.

The kimchi pasta was tasty, and the tender noodles were served in a flavorful creamy sauce. While the plate was delicious, the meal didn’t live up to my expectations, as there was a minuscule amount of actual kimchi in the pasta. For the most part, it tasted like a traditional cream-based pasta, without a significant trace of the strong sour flavor of kimchi.

Unfortunately, the pork belly slices left me disappointed as well. The meat was not particularly tender or flavorful, and the sauce tasted like regular hot sauce.

For a shocking $25, neither the size of the meal or the lackluster quality made up for its price.

Due to the mediocre food of the recently opened store, Cafe Gunul’s exciting menu was not enough to guarantee future visits to check out the other fusion foods they offer.

DETAILS

HANNAH LEE

This year’s homecoming offered carriage rides as its main attraction. told to pick them up at the end of the night, but when we returned we were told that they would be distributed at school.

The lighting in the venue was pretty, emulating the atmosphere of Disneyland, and the lit-up carriages added a nice touch to the ambiance by making everything seem more whimsical and fairytale-like. Overall, the venue was a good size considering the number of students in attendance, as it felt neither crowded nor empty.

My date and I spent very little time actually dancing, except during the only two slow songs that were played during the dance.

I was drawn away from the dance floor by the overpowering music and unnecessarily bright lasers that gave me a headache after a while. The DJ did not play any songs that I particularly liked, but

this was expected as my music taste does not typically include rap or electronic music. Another factor that kept me from the dance floor was the number of students dancing provocatively, something I had heard about, but was not prepared to see for myself.

Therefore, much of my night was spent sitting, walking around and talking to my date. I was perfectly happy with this arrangement, but I feel like we could have been able to communicate more efficiently in a different, non-Homecoming setting; it’s not easy to hold a conversation when music is pounding nonstop in the background.

While I am glad that I got to experience going to Homecoming at least once in high school, I will likely consider anti-Homecoming options as a preferable alternative in the future.

Club Corner

Striving for a greener planet Kate zheng contributing writer From annual beach clean ups to gardening activities, Diamond Bar High School’s Planet Arboretum is saving the environment one tree at a time.

Led by senior co-presidents Ashley To and Claudia Chen, the club strives to both improve and protect the planet. The club works toward this goal by participating in activities like promoting recycling and on-campus DIY events.

The DIY activities involve recycling old material into something new and usable, which emphasizes the importance of conservation.

One activity the club hosted last year was the “T-Shirt Bag Renovation,” in which members brought old, unwanted t-shirts and created their own recyclable bags out of the garment.

“Our ultimate goal is to help protect the environment around us and teach other people about it,” To said.

Advised by Eric Sorenson, the club hosts their volunteer activities in locations such as the beach, garden and nature reserves near Diamond Bar. “I’m always supportive of something that is conservation minded and especially something where people are taking care of the environment,” Sorensen said.

One way Planet Arboretum educates its members is through the gardening activities held at the Diamond Bar community garden, located on the corner of Diamond

restaurant review

Bringing new, original combinations of two distinct cultures to the table, fusion food has made a name for itself and established a hold in popular cuisine. From Chinese burgers to cheesy kimchi, fusion food has been growing in popularity, opening more and more restaurants serving unique mixtures of cultures.

Amy miyahara asst. A&E Editor As an introvert who shies away from most social interaction, my opinions on Homecoming likely differ from those of many other students. People who enjoy dancing and socializing will have the time of their lives at Homecoming, but while I definitely had a wonderful night, mainly due to getting to spend time with my date and my friends, the actual event was not an ideal setting for someone like me.

When my group first arrived at the Santa Anita Racetrack, I was hit by the blaring music coming from the dance floor and the smell of horse manure. Although we didn’t arrive until after 8 p.m., there was still a long line to get in, and we didn’t actually get into the venue until a little after 8:30 p.m.

The venue consisted of two levels: a covered upper floor with the dance floor, bar and food tables and an outdoor lower level with activities such as karaoke, temporary tattoos, flipbooks and horse-drawn carriages.

The food tables offered a variety of snacks and small pastries, and the dance also offered Italian ice, catered by Frostbites. .

The carriage ride was one of the highlights of the venue, perfectly matching the “Once Upon a Time” theme, although it only lasted about two minutes. Also, I was disappointed that we did not actually receive our flipbooks. We were

OCTOBER 11, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

Offering traditional cheesy pizza with Korean toppings, Love Letter in Rowland Heights combines the familiar savoriness of Western food with a unique Korean twist, elevating the dishes to a new creative level.

Love Letter serves a $12.99 medium-sized pizza and a $15.99 large pizza topped with choices such as sweet potato, bacon, bulgogi, chicken and potato.

Although the 20-minute wait time can be excessive, customers are rewarded with a comforting, greasy cheese pizza covered with a unique mix of Western and Korean toppings. The chain also serves fried chicken and chicken wings, varying from $7.99 to $12.99, with various sauces such as sweet chili, lemon pepper and buffalo.

As a huge fan of both pizza and bulgogi beef, I thought the pizza combination was a innovative work of art and was completely satisfied with my meal. The pairing of the salty yet sweet Korean bulgogi and the savory cheese pizza was delicious, although I would have preferred more bulgogi on my slice.

The sweet chili fried chicken was tasty as well, with tangy and spicy flavoring accompanying the satisfying crunch of the perfectly CUISINE: crispy chicken.

Although its dishes lean toward the pric- Korean and Italian ey side, Love Letter offers a perfect fusion of ADDRESS: Italian pizza and Korean flavors, providing cus- 18333 Colima Rd, Rowland tomers an opportunity to taste two of their faHeights, 91748 vorite cuisines in one bite.

DETAILS

AMELIE LEE

Planet Arboretum officers focus on environmental protection and saving the planet by informing its members on topics like air pollution and littering.

Bar Blvd. and Morning Canyon.

The owner of the public garden discusses the various wildlife in the garden and ways to help sustain their environments.

The club hopes that the experience can also incorporate environmental friendly habits into the members’ daily lives, so that they can carry them out into their adulthood and truly make a difference in the world with their knowledge and skills.

“By helping out at the garden, you can actually gain a lot of knowledge from the educator, and it’s also really fun to just hang out with your friends and do something nice for the environment,” To said.

The club also has many goals for the new school year, including an annual trail walk. Members can enjoy a stroll on the hiking trails at nature reserves such as the one in

Mt. SAC. While hiking, the club leaders hope to spread more awareness about both the positive and negative issues that are occurring in the environment, such as the damage done by global warming, but also the technology that is advancing to fight it.

By talking about these issues with the members during the hike, the event provides an opportunity for members to gain a deeper understanding of the nature and wildlife seen during the hikes.

“This environmental club is essential due to the dire situation our planet is in,” junior Yuwen Wang said. “Since environmental science is not a required course at our school, Planet Arboretum’s job of educating students about the habitat in which we live is even more important.”

Tucked in Diamond Plaza, Midoh Japanese Kitchen’s name is a misnomer, as the restaurant serves a blend of Japanese and Western food. The store’s menu offers an original mix of different cuisines, such as udon served with various pasta sauces, katsu and cheese steaks.

I ordered the Basil Sauce Udon for $10.80, and my mom ordered the Premium Beef Tongue Steak for a whopping $21. All the meals came with a miso sauce covered salad and a choice of miso or creamy corn soup.

My udon pasta was covered in a pesto-like basil sauce and was surrounded by a moat of tomato sauce, bacon and eggplant. While the grainy and flavorful basil sauce matched the udon noodles, eggplant and bacon perfectly, the strong sour flavors from the tomato sauce seemed out of place, and I avoided mixing it into the rest of the meal.

Although expensive, my mom’s beef tongue steak tasted professionally made, with melt-in-your-mouth tender meat soaked in rich creamy sauce. Paired with potato slices and carrots, the steak was incredibly tasty and one of the best cooked pieces of meat I’ve ever tried.

We ended the meal with a light and sweet matcha tiramisu for $5.50. With fluffy cream layered on dense bittersweet matcha cake, the dessert ended the meal on a perfect note. While CUISINE: not a huge portion, the quality of the cake was Japanese and Western well worth the price and encouraged future visADDRESS: its.

1380 Fullerton Rd 106, Satisfied and impressed with the meal, I will definitely pay a return to Midoh for the restauRowland Heights, 91748 rant’s tasty food and eclectic menu.

DETAILS

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 11, 2017

FEATURE

7

Lettering a business on campus Emily kim feature editor Combining their love of calligraphy and writing into one, Diamond Bar High School seniors Ashley To and Christina Pan have molded their intangible idea into a fledgling business.

To started a separate calligraphy account on Instagram, @ashlligraphy, and has been posting regularly since October of last year.

When she met Pan in Computer Science last year, they discovered that both wanted to start a longterm project in calligraphy and came up with the idea of forming a business based on their two interests: calligraphy and creative writing.

The two came up with the company’s name--Meraki Appeals--in class last year. The word “Meraki” means to leave a piece of oneself, whether it be soul or love, in a piece of work, and the pair immediately felt as if the term reflected their ideal for the company. They each contributed $50 to jumpstart their company at the beginning of the school year.

“We figured we could mesh that [calligraphy and writing] together.

She had the same goals as me, so it seemed perfect.,” To said.

While To is in charge of the actual calligraphy, Pan deals with coming up with quotes to advertise for their “Quote of the Week” as well

Photo courtesy of ASHLEY TO

Newly established Meraki Appeals, created by Ashley To and Christina Pan, donates care packages to child cancer patients at St. Jude’s Hospital. as handling the logistics of the operation.

Currently, the duo offer both pre-designed notebooks and customizable notebooks in their shop.

The pre-designed notebooks come in a random color and have set sayings, such as “Notes and Things” and “Adventure Book” handwritten on the cover. The customized notebooks allow the purchaser to request a specific word to be printed on the cover of the notebook.

The 30-sheet notebooks come in two different sizes, A5 and B5,

A spooky night in ELIZAbeth peng and grace lee contributing writers Rather than spending Halloween out trick-or-treating, these are some alternatives for some holiday fun.

A crackling bonfire glistening with warm fall tones is sure to provide comfort and warmth during the chilly month of October. Grab some blankets, apple cider and s’mores ingredients, then head outside to the backyard for a Halloween-themed fall bonfire. Get cozy with soft blankets bundled around you, eating the delicious s’mores and watching the crackling fire illuminate the night. As a simple yet spooky activity, kindling a bonfire will provide a fulfilling Halloween experience, depicting that spending time with family and friends next to a bonfire can be just as exhilarating as going out.

If you’re looking for a truly frightening haunted house, pay a visit to The 17th Door haunted house in Fullerton. Set in the fictitious prison eerily named the Perpetuum Penitentiary, visitors have to avoid the erratic residents of the prison. Creatures in the prison challenge participants to puzzling tasks that must be completed to advance to the next room. However, the venue established a safety word, “mercy,” in case participants want to skip the room out of fear. Deemed as a terrifying activity not recommended for people ages 16 and below, the haunted house provides a wonderful opportunity to experience a fictional horror movie.

One way to spend your Halloween is by creating your own scavenger hunt. For this activity, you can opt to search for clues individually or with a group of friends. The scavenger hunt can be hosted at a variety of venues, ranging from a friend’s house to parks around your community. In your map, you can plant puzzling clues in interesting and unexpected places, such as in a hidden corner or a dark crevice.

This activity provides an opportunity to embark on an unique adventure when traveling from one frightening location to the next.

both 30 sheets each. Pan hopes to expand their inventory by offering baseball caps with different designs and their logo. The two maintain a business page and an inspiration board, along with a blog discussing the girls’ latest projects. All links can be found at merakiappeals.weebly.com.

The girls have sold around 70 notebooks since starting their business in August. The site ran a “buy one, get one free” promotion when they first opened, helping to jumpstart the number of note-

Staff

books they sold.

The projects, or social causes, the girls work on involve supporting a specific organization or raising awareness for certain causes.

The first project involved raising awareness for childhood cancer, in which girls partnered with St. Jude’s Hospital to donate care packages to children fighting cancer in hospitals.

For every notebook sold, To and Pan donated a calligraphy care package to the children. The donated care packages included a notebook, a personalized message of motivation as well as a guide for beginners how to start practicing calligraphy.

“Instead of just doing money, because we don’t know where the money goes, we said why don’t we help the kids out by making these encouragement packages.

Our next goal is to help homeless people and shelters and to help donate blankets and whatever we can think of for them,” Pan said.

To and Pan hope to branch out of selling notebooks in the Diamond Bar area in the future, depending on their success.

Both plan on continuing the practice beyond high school and maintaining the status of their shop and blog.

“I have been wanting to this for a really long time-- doing something that I love, giving something to people that they can buy and like, and also helping someone,” To said.

info Instagram Handles: @ashlligraphy @merakiappeals

Website: merakiappeals.weebly.com

Photo courtesy of ASHLEY TO

To and Pan design original and custom notebooks for $6 to $7 each.

Mixing a new style

Samyuktha Vellaiyan Staff writer

Muller and Morning Glory, Shubin shell and talk with others as I colknew this was a “seamless transilaborated with them,” Shubin said. tion into DJ-ing” as he was already While still playing in a band, an expert with the technology inShubin would DJ his original and Having played in multiple involved. mixed music during intermissions die bands, Diamond Bar High Not sticking to the norm, Shubin or while other bands were setting School teacher Luke Shubin was prefers the idea up. Soon, more accustomed to performing as a of “mixing muand more people background bass player. However, sic in creative were admiring his “Being a DJ helped realizing his desire for a more inways,” leading skills as a DJ, and me break out of ventive style of entertainment, he him into prohe earned multiturned to creating his own music ducing his own ple opportunities my shell and talk to and working as a performing disc music, unlike at established others.” jockey. the majority of shows.

LUKE SHUBIN As a college student in Cal Poly DJs who rely In 2006, he perPomona, Shubin admired watching on other artists formed at the bands perform, convincing him to for their tunes.

House of Blues in join a band.

As a student in Walnut High Downtown Disney as the opening Having played School, he gained valuable expeDJ for the R&B group, Boyz II Men. bass in multiple rience from remixing music from He played his original recordings bands, such as other artists, thus gathering the with a synthesizer as well as mixed Color Blind knowledge to start creating his own hits from other artists.

S o c i e t y, music. Using drums, keyboard, This performance led him to beThe Silbass and Garageband, Shubin ining invited to play electronic music v e r corporates various rhythms and on the patio of the House of Blues beats to create alternative rock or this summer. electronic styles in his music. His “Usually I would perform with hard work and innovation has paid my friends at local places in town, off, resulting in more than 50 of his but performing at House of Blues original tracks uploaded on SoundDowntown Disney was an incredCloud since 2010. ible opportunity for me,” Shubin “Being a DJ has been a big part said. of my life. I was very shy as a teenHe has also collaborated with ager, and DJsuch artists as Kevin Durkin, Nick ing helped me Buck, Justin Vargas and Bon Jovi. break out As the new Computer Science of my teacher on campus, balancing his career as a DJ and his teaching life has been difficult for him.

“I love teaching Computer Science, but it has taken my time away from DJ-ing. Because of this, I can only create music in my spare time and during the summer,” Shubin said. However, Shubin has been trying to find a way to bring his hobby to school. Shubin wants to start a music production class.

“I know many students who want to produce their own music So if we have this program, I can Photo courtesy of LUKE SHUBIN teach kids how to make music with Computer Science teacher Luke Shubin has been a DJ at multiple events, computers and teach them all I including the House of Blues at Downtown Disney this past summer. know,” Shubin said.

8

NEWS

THE ACADEMIC BRANDING IRON

BY BRIAN CHANG, CINDY LIU AND ANGELA YANG

A

s the Walnut High School

football team ran down the clock, Diamond Bar High School’s six year hold on the Branding Iron title ended.

However, while the football rivalry has been settled for this year, the question of academics remains an ongoing debate.

Although both schools are regularly featured among the top high schools in the state, differences in the two school’s systems lead to several contrasting statistics in various areas of academic achievement.

A prominent difference between the Walnut Valley Unified schools can be seen in the arrangement of their schedules. While DBHS runs on a daily 0-6 period schedule, WHS opts for block scheduling.

WHS students follow a partial block scheduling system in which they attend longer classes for three days a week, and then more typical six-pe-

OCTOBER 11, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

riod days twice a week. Also unlike DBHS students, WHS students have a 40-minute tutorial period on block schedule days during which they can make up tests, ask teachers for help, do homework or study for their classes.

“I like our normal schedule more,” DBHS senior Kenneth Kwon said.

“We had block schedule in middle school [and] honestly even though you have an extra day to do your homework no one takes advantage of it and [students] procrastinate even longer. And I can barely focus one hour let alone an hour thirty.”

However, students at WHS disagree.

“I appreciate the schedule a lot,” Jake Burrola said. “Without it I’d be so screwed, especially since I’m in band and other out-of-school activ-

ities. I get so much done and when I don’t have any homework, I get to just take a brain break.”

In addition, WHS schedules laboratory portions of its AP science classes separately.

There are four types of labs: morning, afternoon, evening and extended.

All first period science classes have morning lab, from 7:15 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. Second period biology and chemistry and third period chemistry

DESIGN BY HANNAH LEE

classes have afternoon lab, from 4 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

One teacher’s second period chemistry classes and third period biology have evening lab from 6 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

All sixth period classes have

Though DBHS may have lost its throne to WHS at this year’s Branding Iron, a winner is still yet to be decided on something both schools hold high pride in-- academics.

extended lab from 2:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. At DBHS lab experiments are performed during class.

WHS’s slightly smaller ratio of students to teachers may allow each student more personalized instruction time in the classroom. For every 24 students at WHS approximately one teacher is available to instruct them, compared to a 27 to 1 ratio at DBHS. However, many students feel that the class sizes produced by the student to teacher ratio at DBHS does not inhibit their learning as much as other aspects of the classroom experience.

3,050 students attend DBHS, while 2,754 students attend WHS. “I feel like the teacher just lectures for [more than] 45 minutes and then usually answers questions at the very end so I feel like there isn’t even a connection between students and teachers so class size wouldn’t really matter,” DBHS junior Kelly Chan said.

Both schools are ranked among the nation’s top high schools with regards to their College Readiness Index, which is based on each school’s ability to prepare students for higher education. DBHS displays a CRI of

AP TESTS PASSED

BY PERCENT 89% PASSED DIAMOND BAR

71% TESTED

89% PASSED WALNUT

59% TESTED

65.0, which is 10.8 higher than that of WHS. Last year, DBHS was awarded a gold medal as one of the 500 high schools with the top CRI scores.

Meanwhile, the Mustangs were awarded a silver medal, which was given to 2,109 high schools that ranked between No. 501 to No. 2,609.

The rankings are largely based on each school’s pass rate on AP exams. Although the same percentage of students at Diamond Bar and Walnut pass their AP tests, a larger portion of DBHS students choose to take them, ultimately resulting in a larger percentage of Brahmas as a whole passing these exams.

A large divide can be seen between the state rankings of DBHS by the U.S. News Report, listed as No. 43 in California, and WHS, placed at No. 95.

However, while the state rankings are based on a variety of factors such as state assessments, performance of disadvantaged students, graduation rate and AP test participation and RIVALRY ON P.12

14 26

WALNUT Valedictorians

DIAMOND BAR Valedictorians

ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THIS STORY WERE PRODUCTION LEADS JESSICA HUANG AND PHILLIP LEUNG OF WALNUT HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT PUBLICATION THE HOOFPRINT

9

10

THE BULL'S EYE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 11, 2017

Brahma Drama takes on shakespeare In their upcoming production, the DBHS theater department tackles ‘Hamlet.’

Ted yarmoski Asst. Opinion editor Diamond Bar High School Theater is transitioning from the bright hip-hop vibes of the spring musical’s “In the Heights” to the dark Shakespearean tragedy of “Hamlet” for this year’s fall production.

“Hamlet,” one of William Shakespeare’s bestknown tragedies, takes place in the royal palace in Elsinore, Denmark. The play is named after the main protagonist, who struggles to decide how to act in the face of a family tragedy.

“I chose Hamlet precisely because it is Shakespeare’s greatest masterpiece,” DBHS theater teacher Beatrice Casagran said via email. “Hamlet speaks to the complications of our modern world.”

The play begins with Hamlet, after returning to Denmark because of his father’s death, finding his mother Gertrude, the queen, already remarried to King Hamlet’s brother, Claudius, who is now king. Outside the palace, Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father, after the guards exclaim that they have seen his spirit, who tells him that he was murdered.

Hamlet does not blindly believe the words of the ghost and struggles to discover the truth of the downfall of King Hamlet and seek closure to his turmoil.

The starring role, Hamlet, will be shared by Pilar Alcazar and Arvind Singh, leading two different casts for the performances that begin Thursday.

The original play, as with all Shakespearean tragedies, contains bloody conflict and mature ideas. While some of these will not be included in the production, many will remain.

“Violence and adult themes are part of what makes tragedies compelling and tragic, so the themes are still in there as they are inherent in the plot,” Casagran said.

The biggest challenge with rehearsal and preparation, according to various members of the DBHS theater department, is tackling the Early Modern English, which will remain completely unchanged in the dialogue according to stagecraft teacher Dexter Rogers.

“The original ‘Hamlet’ was three or four hours long, so we trimmed some of the less relevant scenes down, but the text itself is unaltered,” Rogers said.

Otherwise, the cast members are confident in their ability to be fully prepared for any problems that may arise and are rehearsing about five hours a day to ready themselves.

“If there’s a challenge, we’re going to find a way to overcome that challenge and do anything we can to make the production better,” said DBHS senior Amelia Anijielo who plays Gertrude in cast one.

While the play is dark and tragic, it does contain humor and irony to break up the more serious parts. This was taken into consideration during the planning for the stage and set took, as they tried to create a “somewhat whimsical yet disturbing” atmosphere, according to Casagran. The set features architecture influenced

by Spanish designer Antoni Gaudí aimed at emulating Hamlet’s emotions throughout the play.

“Though Gaudi buildings are very beautiful, they have this surreal, melted, absurd look that I think works well as a scenic representation of Hamlet’s angst,” Casagran said.

After preparing since the second week of school, the theater department is excited to be performing this famous Shakespeare piece for this year’s fall play.

“Hamlet and other Shakespearean plays are harder because of the difficult language but it’s always interesting to look back at the classics and see how much they shaped modern theatre,” DBHS junior Jeremiah Reyes, who plays Polonius in cast two, said.

The musical will open tomorrow, and run through Sunday Shows will start at 7 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, and 4 p.m. on Sunday; tickets are $12 for students and $17 for adults at the door or $10 for students and $15 for adults when bought from a DBHS drama student.

Photos by AMELIE LEE

“Hamlet” features a set that is influenced by Spanish designer Antoni Gaudí. It is meant to emulate Hamlet’s emotions and thoughts throughout the play.

The cast of Hamlet has been preparing for the play since the second week of school.

Want to see ‘Hamlet’?

WHERE: Dbhs Theater Price: Presale: $10 Students, $15 adults At the door: $12 Students, $17 adults

Date: October 12-15 Time: 7:00 pm Thurs-sat, 4:00 pm Sun

Josh Kummerman plays the role of Reynoldo in DBHS’s “Hamlet.”

Get tickets at Seatyourself.biz/dbhsdrama

Double TAKE: the stars behind ‘Hamlet’

‘Hamlet’ has two casts, one starring Pilar Alcazar, the other starring Arvind Singh Christina Liu Staff writer “To be, or not be,” Hamlet contemplates in his famous soliloquy in Shakespeare’s tragedy. That is the question for senior Pilar Alcazar and junior Arvind Singh, both of whom will take on the challenging role of Hamlet in the dual cast of the upcoming fall play.

Singh didn’t start performing until freshman year, when he joined drama.

Alcazar, on the other hand, had experience with acting and singing before she joined drama at DBHS her junior year, having performed at church, Christmas pageants and

musicals at Chaparral Middle School.

Singh, who was involved in the DBHS school productions of “Skin of Our Teeth,” “Les Miserables,” “Journey to the West” and “In the Heights,” said that “Hamlet” differs from these plays because it is much darker.

“His views on the world change so he sees the world as depressing and he hates it, but he is afraid of what is after death.” Singh said when describing the character.

Alcazar and Singh auditioned along with about five other people for the role last spring.

For auditions, students were given specif-

ic monologues to perform.

“I was sick at home, and I saw that I got cast as ‘Hamlet’ and I was screaming super loud because I didn’t actually think I would get the part,” Singh said.

The students were given their parts early so that they could start memorizing their lines. Singh said that he isn’t much of a “Shakespearean scholar,” so to prepare for the role, Singh went on Sparknotes to review the play. Also to get a better feel for the character, he watched people on Youtube reenact “Hamlet.”

Alcazar on the other hand practiced by having her mom quiz her on her lines.

“Getting into Hamlet’s character was difficult because he’s so conflicted and feeling

so many different emotions that it can be tough at times to decide what he’s feeling,” Alcazar said.

“It’s always interesting to play someone of the opposite gender.”

Since the production has a dual cast, Alcazar and Singh practice by running through their lines together. Drama holds rehearsals Monday to Thursday from 4 to 7:30, and Alcazar and Singh practice as much as they can on their own time.

“We have been splitting rehearsals and it has been a really cool experience having someone else who you can run your lines with,” Alcazar said.

Drama advisor Beatrice Casagran also helps the students by explaining each

scene to give a better understanding of what is happening.

“Casagran has been really awesome about letting us ask questions about any lines or any part of the show we are confused about,” Alcazar said.

“Hamlet” is a new experience for both Alcazar and Singh since they have never been involved in Shakespearean plays.

“It has been a challenge to get ready in a shortened time given the many groups with whom we share the theatre,” Casagran said via email. “However, the important thing is that students are having fun while tackling and learning to love one of the most demanding pieces in English literature—that is a good kind of challenge.”

Watch our video interview with the stars at Dbbullseye.com

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 11, 2017

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Haunting Halloween Films As October rolls around, and colder weather with it, you finally have an excuse to stay home at night and watch movies. Here are four that will keep you on the edge of your seat this Halloween.

Jillian Lunsford, Contributing Writer

THE VILLAGE

THE CRAFT

A quaint colonial town is surrounded by a dark forest filled with creatures that terrify the townspeople. These creatures are only referred to as “those who we don’t speak of,” and they will kill anyone who gets close enough.

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this movie is an intense psychological thriller. The monsters are created with such attention to detail that they seem very real. And don’t forget your tissues because even though this film is brimming throughout with terror, “The Village” has its tear jerking moments.

The movie has a cute romance and well-rounded characters capable of drawing sympathy from the audience that will leave viewers with a mix of emotions that they will have a difficult time deciphering.

BUENA VISTA PICTURES

Sarah (Robin Tunney) joins a coven of teenage witches who attend her Catholic school. After a minor spell creates terrible consequences, the witches abuse Sarah’s newfound power to take revenge on their enemies.

There are no montages of blood and gore, but this movie isn’t for the faint of heart. Twisted illusions of snakes and vermin haunt the protagonist’s mind, while at other points there are sequences that will leave you feeling overwhelmed. Although this film has all the trademarks of horror, it is more about how power corrupts.

All three of the witches have lives which leave them craving control – and when they get it, they can’t handle it.

“The Craft” is a good Halloween movie to make you feel chilled to the core.

COLUMBIA PICTURES

CORALINE

THE OMEN

Coraline Jones’s parents don’t seem to care about her. It takes a sinister encounter with a creature who calls herself “The Other Mother” to make her realize that she’s got it all wrong.

Based on the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and made with stop-motion animation, this movie will thoroughly creep you out. The illusion of “The Other Mother” is terrifying, because it initially presents itself as a child’s fantasy – a perfect family, with perfect toys, perfect food, and more.

The illusion soon shatters, leaving the audience with the sinister truth behind a “dream come true.” Although created for children, this movie will haunt even the adults in your family.

In “The Omen,” Ambassador Robert Thorn adopts an orphaned infant when the child his wife delivers is stillborn. Their family is sweet and idyllic, until people around the child start to die horribly.

Filled with unholy, macabre, and apocalyptic undertones, this movie is a horror classic. Robert Thorn is played by Gregory Peck, a major star of 20th Century in such films as who starred in films from “12 O’ Clock High” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

The movie’s score is outstanding, with the music slowly building up every dramatic scene. Although the film was followed by a number of sequels, all with equally gory deaths, the original is by far the best.

20TH CENTURY FOX

FOCUS FEATURES

Student Spotlight: Peyton Avery Dance team lieutnant doesn’t let physical challenges get in her way

Cindy Liu asst. news editor Diamond Bar High School sophomore Peyton Avery was born without the full use of her left arm, yet nobody would know from watching her dance. Avery was born with Erb’s Palsy, a condition that prevents her from fully straightening her arm, but that didn’t prevent her from pursuing her passion.

“Dance has always just been there for me,” Avery said. “Especially when I’m feeling emotional or I can’t say stuff, dance has always been there.”

Avery started dancing at age two at the Fine Arts Academy of Dance in Diamond Bar, then later moved to train at the Cutting Edge Dance Center in Pomona. Over the years, she has danced jazz, lyrical and modern, but mainly focuses on hip-hop with contemporary.

“I feel like with hip-hop, you can do anything with it,” Avery said. “You can add different styles with it, like contemporary, which is what I do.”

Dance is not only her pas-

sion but a form of physical therapy as well. Avery has a severe form of Erb’s Palsy; for the first six months of her life, she was unable to move her arm. After extensive physical therapy, she’s now able to move her arm but still experiences difficulties with fully straightening and maneuvering it.

Aside from its physical benefits, dancing while having Erb’s Palsy pushed Avery to be mentally stronger.

“Mentality is really big on me now, because when I was little, I was always like ‘I’m that weird kid who can’t do that,’ and even to this day, I’m still like ‘man, I wish I could do that,” but I stopped saying ‘wish’ and started saying ‘I will,’”Avery said.

Roughly a year ago, Avery joined the Movement Talent Agency, which introduced her to new professional opportunities.

The agency provides her with chances to attend auditions for events ranging from music videos to various advertisements. “ I ’ v e a u d i tioned for

about three or four talent agencies,” Avery said.

“I didn’t make any of them, and I was at the point like ‘I give up,’” and the last one, which was the Movement Talent Photo Courtesy of PEYTON AVERY Agency, I was like ‘you Peyton Avery started dancing when she was two years old and is currently DBHS Dance Company lieutenant. know what?

I’m just going to go out there and way of engaging the audience.” see what happens’ and I made it.”

Outside of school, Avery is a Although she hasn’t participatpart of GRaVy Babies, a hip-hop ed in any major projects yet, she club and dance team well known hopes she will have the chance by dancers within the DBHS comfor more opportunities as she gets munity. With practices sometimes older. lasting up to 12 hours, Avery At DBHS, Avery is involved in stresses the importance of workthe school’s Dance Company. As a ing out to maintain her fitness lieutenant, some of her duties inlevels so she can keep up with the clude assisting the co-captains and physical demands of dancing. captains in managing the dancers Performing Elliot Moss’s “High and helping choreograph dances Speeds” for her competition solo for rallies and competitions. Adlast year was one of Avery’s most ditionally, she is part of the Small memorable dance experiences. and Medium Coed, Small and Me“It was very emotional for me dium Female Hip Hop, Small and because it was for my auntie, who Medium Lyrical/Contemporary had passed away at 30 years old,” and the Extra Small competition Avery said. “That song always regroups in the Dance Company. minded me of her just because it’s “She is [a] versatile [and] strong talking about traveling [and] movperformer,” DBHS dance coach ing away...it’s always there with Kari Simonson said. “She has a me.”

11

TAKE TWO The magic of movie music Emily Jacobsson & Pauline Woodley A&E Editors

T

he power of music can transform a movie. By creating tension with harsh violins or adding a magical touch with light flutes, a film’s score can be the difference between a mediocre film and an immediate favorite.

Imagine enjoying a day with your closest friends on the beautiful English countryside. Dario Marianelli, who also wrote and composed the music for “Kubo and the Two Strings” and “V for Vendetta,” recreates this feeling perfectly through an elegantly classical score for the film "Pride & Prejudice.” The film opens with “Dawn,” a delicate piano piece fitting for the introduction of Elizabeth Bennet.

Among other magnificent pieces in Marianelli’s score is “Georgiana,” a predominantly piano piece that becomes more complex upon each repetition of the theme.

If there is any way to make a movie about a time traveling dog any more magical than it already is, Danny Elfman has achieved it with “Mr. Peabody and Sherman.”

Elfman, who is notable for his work alongside producer Tim Burton, managed to capture the perfect tone in the film. With fluffy pieces directly contrasted with darker, more mysterious ones, the film seems to have a perfect song for every scene.

Elfman skillfully tailors each song to the historical character being featured. While “Off to Egypt” is, upon first listen, a western orchestral piece, it has undertones of trilling flutes fit for a pharaoh.

“Trojan Horse” demonstrates the qualities of a powerful Greek operetta and adds to the intensity of the scene. Full of variety and, ultimately, fun, the score “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” gives its listeners a hunger for adventure.

The original “Halloween” is iconic for a number of reasons, but what truly sets it aside is the unforgettable music that will haunt you long after the final scene. Director John Carpenter wrote the score himself in only three days, and he claims it “saved the movie.”

The classic theme song was inspired by a drumming exercise Carpenter did do as a child. Its intense beat with underlining violins make each scene where Michael Myers appears even more chilling than the last.

The high pace instrumentals in songs like “Laurie Knows” prove that Carpenter is a master at tone, and he knows exactly what will make the spines of his audience tingle.

Though a more recent film, “Moonlight” has proven its worth with its numerous awards and nominations, including best original score at both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes. In addition to the beautiful storyline, Moonlight provides the sublime music to define each step in the life of Chiron.

One of the most chilling scenes in the film occurs when Chiron learns to swim, with nothing but the sound of the ocean and composer Nicholas Britell’s “The Middle of the World” playing. Britell’s use of string instruments and tone reflects a softness that is hardly seen in the black male community.

Britell also wrote the score for showstoppers such as “Lion.”

12 BUSINESS

THE BULL'S EYE

Classroom rivalries

RIVALRY FROM P. 9 tests. On the 2017 Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, 69 percent of DBHS students met the state standard in both Mathematics and English, while 85 and 79 percent of WHS students met the state standard in Mathematics and English, respectively.

This year, DBHS had more National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, with 10 Brahma seniors earning the distinction. WHS had four.

Scores for the DBHS class of 2018 displayed improvement in both categories compared to the previous year, with scores going up to 75 and 79 percent for Mathematics and English, respectively.

On the other hand, WHS saw improvement in English as its scores went up to 80 percent, although its Mathematics scores suffered a major dip, dropping to 69 percent.

WHS offers 22 AP classes, similar to DBHS’ 21, with AP Human Geography being the only AP class offered at WHS without a counterpart at DBHS. In addition, WHS offers a range of classes that the Brahmas do not get to pursue, including but not limited to German, creative writing, American sign language, web design and business law.

The Mustangs also have the op-

tion of choosing honors courses for physics and U.S. history instead of only regular or AP. WHS also offers a biomedical program in collaboration with Project Lead the Way, a national nonprofit organization. Students can enter the program starting their sophomore year with Biomedical Sciences, then moving on to Human Body Systems their junior year and finish with either Medical Interventions or Biomedical Innovation for their senior year.

Focusing on hands-on projects, the program allows students to learn a variety of skills through real life experiences.

Meanwhile, DBHS offers the four year program of Brahma Tech, which centers on STEM fields and therefore focuses on teaching students to apply science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills to the real world, exemplified by a mandatory internship in each student’s summer before senior year.

Although the general student population of WHS and DBHS has different levels of success in academics and standardized testing, both schools have a similar amount of graduating students who are headed to prestigious colleges.

Last year, both WHS and DBHS

saw 11 graduates heading to either Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology or Ivy League schools.

Additionally, WHS produced 14 valedictorians in last year’s graduating class while DBHS had 26.

Contrasting bell schedules as well as the varying programs offered at each school display distinct differences between the Mustangs and the Brahmas. But, unlike the Branding Iron football game, there are no winners or losers, just sister schools quietly competing in the classroom.

“I know that both schools are striving to do the best that they can for their kids, and students are striving to do the best that they can for their school,” DBHS Principal Reuben Jones said. “We want to be the best, and I know Walnut wants to be the best, and that’s what makes it a real healthy and positive rivalry.”

OCTOBER 11, 2017

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 11, 2017

Key injuries take a toll

SPORTS COLUMN

Giving props to WNBA

FOOTBALL Brahmas have yet to win a game as the team has gone 0-6 in league and preseason.

Amy Miyahara Asst. a&E Editor

B

CATHERINE LIU STAFF WRITER Missing its offensive anchor and captain, the Diamond Bar High School football team has started the season with a rough start, losing all five preseason games and playing without their starting quarterback and center due to injuries.

The Brahmas lost 21-15 against the Walnut Mustangs at Branding Iron and then faced another loss against the Alta Loma Braves with a score of 19-22. Afterwards, the team lost against Covina Colts with a 35-0 and lost against Brea Olinda Wildcats with a 31-14.

“We’re low in numbers, so one thing that we have learned is courage and the will to fight because kids have come in who [previously] have not seen the field,” head coach Kevin Argumosa said.

In a 50-12 loss against San Dimas Saints, sophomore center Jonathan Song did not play due to a concussion while backup center junior Alex Fuentes was out with a broken thumb. Argumosa was forced to put in their third string center during halftime.

“We [put] in Jack Rukes, who plays in JV, but our JV playbook is a little different then varsity sometimes,” Argumosa said.

The team’s linemen have been working on helping Rukes adapt to

Sophomore Dylan Karanickolas returned against Bonita and scored three touchdowns, including a rushing TD. varsity plays while ensuring that they just said ‘hey coach, we’ll take they are also able to focus on their care of it and we’ll do what we can own roles during the game. do’,” Argumosa said.

The football team also felt the However, in the first league absence of sophomore quartergame of the season, the Brahmas back, Dylan Karanickolas, who lost a close match against the Bonimissed two games due to a high anta Bearcats with the return of their kle sprain. The starting quarteam strugterback.

Kagled to find reranickolas re“We’re low in numbers, so placements for covered from one thing that we have Karanickolas, his injury and learned is courage and as the backup scored three the will to fight.”

QB was out t o u c h d ow n s, with an injury but the team KEVIN ARGUMOSA while the third ultimately string QB refaced the loss cently transof 42-39 when ferred schools. In the last three the Bearcats scored a touchdown games, Argumosa has relied on dein the last minutes of the game. fensive backs senior Charles Miller While the team faces the chaland junior Darryn Ongsing. lenge of playing with different “We were down to two kids who personnel, the boys have also been didn’t really play quarterback but acclimating to the new coaching

AMELIE LEE

staff. Song states that the team had to relearn new offensive and defensive schemes; in addition, they have faced a new style of discipline.

“When someone did something wrong, our coach would punish the whole team, which made us realize that there is 39 other guys who are impacted by their actions,” Song said via Facebook.

He said that the team has been focusing more on fundamentals, which is relearning the proper footwork and blocking techniques.

Argumosa states that the Brahmas need to improve more on getting past the little mistakes, such as getting to practice on time, avoiding fumbles and jumping offsides.

“We’re just trying to figure out what’s going to be the best [for the team] and what’s going to fit the guys,” Argumosa said.

Winning is par for the course GIRLS GOLF The Lady Brahmas have excelled in both league and tournaments, starting off 8-0. justin prakaiphetkul ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Starting the season with a 8-0 league record, the Diamond Bar High School girls golf team looks to be headed to its fourth straight Palomares League title.

“We’re stronger than ever, we’re deeper than we’ve ever been in the school’s history,” head coach Tony McCabe said.

In addition to beginning the year with a perfect record, the girls excelled at both the South Bay Classic and the San Clemente Rainbow Sandal Classic Golf Tournament.

The Lady Brahmas once again finished first at the San Clemente Rainbow Sandal Classic Tournament, winning by nearly 20 strokes.

Senior Crystal Wang took home the Rainbow Sandal Classic Individual Championship by shooting one under par. Wang also made school history as the first Brahma to ever take home the Big Sandal, an award given to the golfer with the lowest score in the tournament.

“Maybe not all of us may have played awesome, we still did not give up and, we just hoped that everything turned out well,” Wang said.

Wang expressed shock that she won the Big Sandal, as she felt that she did not score high enough to finish first individually.

Sophomore Esther Lee also helped lead the Lady Brahmas to their first place finish in the San Clemente Rainbow Sandal Classic

13

Tournament by placing fourth.

Out of the twenty teams that competed in the South Bay Classic Tournament, DB finished second behind Troy with a score of 373.

At the tournament, Wang shot a five under par 66, one of the lowest rounds in DBHS history, according to McCabe.

Freshman Emma Han also performed well during the tournament, shooting a one-over par 72 in her debut tournament.

According to Wang, freshmen Han, Michelle Chang and Alicia Kuo have performed well during the first half of the season. In a match against Glendora, Chang finished with a score of 37 while Kuo, against Wilson, earned medalist honors by shooting one under par 35.

“We normally just get one freshman per year, but this year, we have three great freshmen,” Wang said.

As one of the three captains, Wang, along with seniors Susie Pan and Jasmine Zhang, has the responsibilities of reminding the team of the meeting times and the colors to wear for certain matches.

Additionally, the captains provide advice to the younger players.

“We’re getting great leadership from our captains on and off the court,” McCabe said.

Wang stated that team practices, along with gaining more experience by playing together as a group, will be key to continuing their winning streak. According to Wang, the team practices for nearly three hours a day.

Throughout the season, Wang has played a huge role in the Lady Brahmas’ success. Along with capturing the two individual tournament championships, Wang also placed as a medalist in three league matches.

Against Glendora, Wang was a medalist with a score of 36 in a 191224 win. In the Lady Brahmas’ 189257 win over Wilson in their second league game, Wang earned medalist honors by shooting one under par 35. In their season opener their season, Wang once again earned medalist honors by shooting a 37 in a 199-281 win over Ayala.

“Crystal has been doing amazing,” junior Kailie Vongsaga said via Facebook. “Being on a team definitely means working together and working, so she has been playing well, and I’m super proud of all that she has done.”

With great success so far, the team looks forward to facing tougher competition “I feel as though if you play against better [teams], it makes you a better [player overall],” Wang said.

Despite the team’s successful start, McCabe stated that the team has to continue improving in order to compete with teams not only in their division, but also in CIF State should they qualify. “[We] have to keep getting better and keep the momentum, so that’s our goal now,” McCabe said. “We have to keep our foot on the gas.”

INGRID CHAN

Sophomore Esther Lee chips onto the green in a match against South Hills.

oring. Slow. Weak. These are words that have been used to describe a league of some of the world’s finest athletes: the WNBA. In its 21 years of existence, the Women’s National Basketball Association has struggled to form a major fan base. According to a 2016 New York Times article, half of the WNBA’s teams lose money, and the league has an average television viewership of under 200,000, a fraction of the millions of views generated by the NBA. “Let’s face it, women’s games just aren’t as exciting as men’s.

Women aren’t as fast as men, and most of them can’t dunk, or hit three-pointers like Steph Curry,” Carl Jackson, writer and radio host of “The Carl Jackson Show,” wrote in an article for the WorldNetDaily.

I’ll admit that this is a valid point: women are biologically different than men, which affects the way they play. Generally, women are not as tall as men and do not have jump as high, and these physical disparities are part of the reason why it is unrealistic that the WNBA will ever reach the NBA’s level of popularity. However, the WNBA should still be acknowledged for its contributions to basketball.

Those who appreciate and respect high quality basketball will see the WNBA for what it is: an engaging and entertaining league made up of the highest caliber of athletes. Yes, the WNBA lacks the slam dunks, but it doesn’t need excessive dunking to prove its worth.

What the WNBA lacks in athleticism, it makes up with its old-fashioned team play.

It is definitely exciting to watch LeBron James throw it down seven times in one game over the Detroit Pistons, but I find it equally thrilling to watch duos such as Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike lead the Los Angeles Sparks to the 2016 WNBA title by a one- point margin, only to have the Minnesota Lynx take back its title in another five game series, just last week. The level of execution required to run plays in the WNBA is equal to that required to succeed in the NBA. In my opinion, however, one of the biggest appeals of the WNBA is not its entertainment value, but its ability to inspire girls across the globe.

Ask any young male basketball player who they want to be when they grow up; they’ll likely be dreaming of being the next Michael Jordan, the next Magic or Kobe.

But before 1996, young American female basketball players didn’t have such icons to idolize, and no role models of that caliber to look up to.

This is why the influence of the WNBA is so important. Now, girls who play basketball can feel empowered, knowing that they can become the next Lisa Leslie or the next Maya Moore.

This does not just apply to the WNBA. As of today, many sports have male household names, but few feature female athletes whose popularity match that of their male counterparts, with tennis being an exception with Serena Williams.

No American female professional sports league has been able to mirror the popularity of male leagues, and it is admittedly unlikely that this will ever change.

Nevertheless, female professional athletes deserve more respect for the hard work that they dedicate to their sport---dedication that parallels that of their more renowned male counterparts.

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Named to the first team all league for the last two years, DB tennis captain has high expectations for CIF. ingrid chan asst. photo editor As a freshman, Angeline Cheng didn’t think much of her decision to participate in three different sports: tennis, track and soccer.

But soon the Diamond Bar High School student discovered that juggling the three activities as well as her grades would prove to be an extremely difficult feat.

After deciding to focus solely on tennis in her junior year, senior Cheng has already served on the varsity tennis team for three years

and is now one of the team’s two captains. She and senior Zaina Siyed were selected to their position by their peers.

“It’s great because she’s exactly what I want in a tennis captain: organized, a great tennis player, and her peers recognize that,” tennis coach Alexis Feix said. “I’m able to pass on some tasks to the girls and they have no problem taking on these responsibilities.”

When she played three sports during her freshman and sophomore year, Cheng said that she didn’t have much of a social life because of the frequent practices.

Her everyday routine consisted of

INGRID CHAN

Senior Angeline Cheng has played for both singles and doubles for the team.

attending school, going to two JV practice sessions and then returning home past 8 p.m. She only had time to finish her homework before trying to sleep as much as she could.

“Sophomore year wasn’t as difficult as freshman year. I already stopped club soccer then, so I had some more room for schedule flexibility,” Cheng said.

Once she became a junior, Cheng realized that trying to continue all three sports would be far too demanding, so she quit soccer and track in order to focus her attention on tennis.

Though she’s normally a singles player, Cheng has played doubles in CIF playoffs. But because her normal partner, junior Jaida Wilson, is unable to play this year, she’s still uncertain as to who she will pair with.

The duo was the team’s No. 1 and No. 2 doubles players; last year, they made it to the second round of CIFs together. Ever since her sophomore year, Cheng has been named to the Palomares first team all league in which both doubles and singles records are compiled. This year the tennis team is 4-2 in league after not winning any games in preseason.

“Angeline has made tremendous progress in terms of being a tennis player. She’s always been steady and very competent, so I mostly see her fine tuning her game here and there. I’ve seen her grow mentally as a tennis player; I’ve seen her grow a little more tough and work through things better,” Feix said.

Cheng’s most memorable match was in her junior year during league finals. She and her partner were playing against an undefeated doubles team from Ayala and were behind by three points.

Everyone, including themselves, expected the pair to lose. With nothing to lose and so much to gain, the pair let go of all their inhibitions and pulled off the impossible--knocking off the unbeaten.

“We were already halfway through the game when we decided to try a whole bunch of really random moves and just did a lot of experimentation in general,” Cheng said. “We really didn’t expect to win.”

Although she has played tennis for almost a decade, Cheng doesn’t plan to play for a team in college.

However, she does expect to participate in intramural programs if she can, and if not that, at least continue tennis as a recreational activity.

OCTOBER 11, 2017

Runners still finding footing CROSS COUNTRY Both boys and girls have struggled in their meets. ingrid chan asst. photo editor At the second official league meet, the Diamond Bar varsity cross country placed last in the boys division while the girls placed fifth out of the six teams competing at Bonelli Park.

“We are doing everything we can, and I’m really proud of our team,” head coach Malinalli Cooke said. “They have been steadily improving with 90 percent of the runners improving over every single race.”

The boys ran behind Glendora by two and a half minutes, falling in last place. Girls varsity fell behind Glendora by four minutes, but managed to pull ahead of South Hills taking fifth place. Cooke said that an advantage was the fact that DB put seven girls into the race while South Hill only put five.

“I think what we really need to do is get the boys in the lower half a little bit faster and our grouping a little bit better,” Cooke said.

Cooke said that decreasing the time between the team’s top runner and last runner will help the

team get significantly closer to South Hills’ time. The top runner, sophomore George Rosales, placed 23 out of the 41 runners with a time of 17:01, with the team falling in the bottom half of the pack run.

“I believe that the team is doing much better this year, and we need to improve on cohesively working together as a team to get better,” said captain Fred Yang via Facebook.

The girls on the other hand had a one minute and fifteen seconds gap between the top runner and fifth runner. The top runner, sophomore Natalie Santiago placed 22 out of 40 runners with a time of 20:27. Cooke sees room for improvement in the next season since the girls cross country team is mainly made up of underclassmen.

“Ideally this is their baseline and we will get them stronger next year as we keep progressing,” Cooke said.

Although the team struggled at the league meet, girls cross country did well at the Wayne Walker Invitational held at Craig Park, with the varsity girl’s team placing ninth out of the 32 teams present.

Cooke has high hopes for next season with the four of the top runners on the girls team and three of the top runners on the boys teams being underclassmen. The next league meet is going to be held at Bell Gardens on October 14.

INGRID CHAN

Senior Janet Wong and junior Garrett Miller practice to improve their times.

Brahma finds passion in kung fu Junior Sunny Yang has won multiple medals practicing Shaolin wushu. ted yarmoski asst. opinion editor The sounds of yells, jumps, kicks and swinging swords radiate off the room’s walls. All around are trainees executing powerful movements with precision and force while wielding swords, staffs or just their fists.

Diamond Bar High School junior Sunny Yang is among those trainees practicing Shaolin wushu, the source from which “all martial arts under heaven originated from,” according to Chinese folklore.

Although he played basketball as a child, Yang was never fully invested in sports until he watched Shaolin wushu performances in China. Intrigued by the weapons used and acrobatics performed, Yang asked his parents to enroll him in lessons when he was ten.

“Learning different forms with weapons is really fun and Shaolin wushu is also a part of my Chinese culture,” Yang said.

There are two main forms of Shaolin wushu: northern and southern. The northern style focuses on grace and flexibility, while the southern consists of powerful movements. Both styles also utilize weapons with cultural meanings and backgrounds in some performances.

“Shaolin wushu is a combination of skill, grace and power, many of the jumps and movements require several months of training to perform,” Yang said.

Yang has practiced the southern form since he began and prefers to use hand form instead of performing with weapons. At 13, Yang began competing, and since then, has participated in four tournaments, earning a total of seven gold medals and two silver medals.

The biggest tournament Yang has competed in is the Los Angeles International Shaolin Wushu Tournament, in which he won several medals against contestants from around the world.

“I do my best at major events. I finally put to use all of the hard work I put into training and preparing,” Yang said.

These competitions usually last an entire day and consist of a variety of events featuring different

Photo Courtesy of SUNNY YANG

Junior Sunny Yang has competed at multiple events, including the Los Angeles International Shaolin Wushu Tournament. skill levels and ages and the use of various weapons. Yang has earned most of his gold medals from hand form performances, while majority of his silver came from his broadsword form and staff form.

To prepare for these events, Yang trains two to three times every week for roughly one and a half hours each session. The training can be brutal and varies throughout the year. However, the training typically follows a pattern: warm up, practicing jumps and finally practicing and correcting form.

During the school year, Yang does not have as much time to practice and usually engages in a longer session during the weekends. In the summer, however, he follows a routine of three sessions per week of strict training. The training grows especially challenging before a major tournament or performance, since perfecting the tiniest details in form becomes critical to success.

“The training is exhausting,” Yang said. “You have to correct every minute mistake in your

form and sometimes that involves redoing the same movement over and over and over for as long as it takes.”

After high school, Yang hopes to continue practicing Shaolin wushu. If he makes the competitive Shaolin wushu teams of schools such as UC Berkeley, he will definitely continue to dedicate his time to the art. However, if not, he will prioritize his studies and may teach Shaolin wushu as a side job, hoping to pass on the art to future generations.

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 11, 2017

Lady Brahmas bounce back GIRLS TENNIS Opening the season 4-2, the team is currently in third place. emily kim feature editor After a rocky preseason, the Diamond Bar girls tennis team started the year strong, with a current league record of 4-2.

“We haven’t been doing bad considering we lost an important player [Jaida Wilson], but [in] presea-

son, our scores were really tight.

So it wasn’t bad,” senior co-captain Angeline Cheng said.

The girls’ preseason was plagued with close matches, but they lost all four. The Lady Brahmas lost 12-6 against El Dorado High School, won in a tiebreaker against Wilson High School and lost 10-8 against Walnut and Sunny Hills.

“Some of the other schools have just gotten a lot better and have had some new talent, which makes it more challenging for us. For the most part, I have been really happy with the way we have been playing.

Sometimes the scores aren’t repre-

Senior Tiffany Liew returns a serve in a win against South Hills.

sentative of the way you’ve been playing,” head coach Alexis Feix said.

The Lady Brahmas, however, had more luck in their league matches. The girls’ strong start after winning their two league games against Bonita and Glendora, 117, the team hit a bump when they were outplayed by Ayala 17-1.

Although the girls made up for the loss in a win against South Hills, the team faced another challenge when the lost against Claremont. “[Ayala is] a very strong tennis team, and we lost to them first round this season. However, we are hoping to really put a dent in them the second round,” senior Nikita Deng said via text.

The team placed third overall in league last year, a significant improvement compared to being tied for last the year before. This year, Cheng hopes DB can place higher than third place as she feels the doubles teams have grown stronger. Other players on the team said they believe that the team has grown as a whole, both physically and mentally.

Deng stated that during the off-season there was a greater emphasis on mental growth to help individuals grow stronger in their skills and confidence. She said that

Injuries derail hopeful season VOLLEYBALL The girls started 2-4 in league and are 3-2 in tournaments. justin prakaiphetkul asst. sports editor Despite a 2-4 start in league, the Diamond Bar High School volleyball team remains optimistic about reaching the CIF Playoffs for the second year in a row.

“The key to turning it around for us is going to be controlling our mental game,” head coach Katie Swetnam said. “We’re a very skilled team but sometimes we fall to the mental pressure that we put on ourselves...we’re going to have to learn how to control our heads .”

The team started its season with a 3-0 loss against Glendora. The Lady Brahmas defeated Bonita in their second league game in three sets and then lost to Ayala in three sets.

The Lady Brahmas were beaten

by South Hills in four sets, taking the first set 25-16, but losing the next three with scores of 25-18, 25-22, 25-16. The team then lost 3-0 against Claremont.

“So far I’ve really liked how scrappy we’ve been. We’re hustling for the ball, diving on the floor and we’ve been smart offensively,” Swetnam said.

Figueroa stated that she is looking forward to facing league rivals Glendora in a rematch today.

“In the first game against [Glendora], we weren’t really connecting as well,” Figueroa said. “Now, with more practices and better [chemistry], we really have a chance to beat them.”

With injuries sidelining middle blocker senior Charis Doi and outside hitter junior Emily Chiang for the remainder of the season, Swetnam stated that she will be looking for the other girls to step up in their place. Doi sustained a concussion before the season began and Chiang suffered a sprained knee.

In tournament play, the Lady Brahmas finished with a winning

record after participating in the Diamond Ranch Tournament and the Ayala tournaments.

The girls began the Ayala Tournament with a 2-1 win over Centennial. In the second game of the tournament, the Lady Brahmas lost to Palm Desert 1-0 in a close contest with a set score of 25-23. Despite finishing the tournament 1-1, Figueroa stated that she was proud of the team’s performance.

“We had so much energy. We wanted to win so badly, but sadly we couldn’t,” Figueroa said.

At the Diamond Ranch Tournament, the team finished with a 2-1 record. In their first two matches of the tournament, the Lady Brahmas dominated the Vivian Webb School, 2-0 with scores of 25-12 in both sets, and the team knocked off Patriot 2-0 with scores of 25-15 and 25-22. However, DB lost in its third match against Ontario Christian 2-0 with two sets of 25-17.

From having to play at Chaparral Middle School during the preseason to now competing in the newly refurbished gym, the girls look forward to playing in home games as the season progresses. “[The gym] feels great. The new floors have a little extra bounce,” Swetnam said. “It feels like we’re jumping higher, and it feels a lot brighter in there. Other teams have noticed it as well.”

As the captains of the Lady Brahmas, Figueroa, senior Hannah Wangsa and Chiang are responsible for communicating with the team on a daily basis to keep the girls from dwelling on their mistakes, along with keeping the entire team motivated throughout the season.

“As team captains, we’re trying to become role models in that we shouldn’t focus on what we’re doing bad but rather focus on what we’re doing well,” Figueroa said.

In Swetnam’s second season, Swetnam has already left a lasting impact on Figueroa.

“I love her as a coach,” Figueroa said. “She shares her passion for volleyball with us all the time; it has really helped us improve and we work hard for her too.”

SPORTS

15

Photos by INGRID CHAN

Junior Ellie Delano attacks the ball in a 13-5 victory against Bonita. this mentality has helped with the overall growth of the team due to the individual members improving themselves rigorously.

“We would love to make it to CIF. Not to jinx anything, but I think we definitely possess the capabilities of making it even further in CIF than last year this season. We have a litany of strong players ready and determined to win,” Deng said.

Feix commends a number of the underclassmen this year for stepping up to plate and taking ownership of their roles on the team. Junior Ellie Delano made progress as

a singles player this year and has improved her skills greatly. Junior Megan Young moved up from JV last year and has put in her full effort into practice. Sophomore Lindsay Kashiwabara has also made great progress as a returning varsity player.

The Lady Brahmas will face off against Bonita and Glendora again in the second round of league matches in addition to matches against Claremont and South Hills. They will look to redeem themselves against Ayala tomorrow.

IN HIS GLORY DAYS ANTHONY POULLARD DBHS history teacher has over ten years of experience with basketball. ryan chae sports editor Overweight at age 13 and having no prior experience of any sports, Diamond Bar High School history teacher Anthony Poullard made a single decision that would change his life forever: trying out for Suzanne Middle School’s basketball team.

Fast forward over ten years and countless basketball games later, Poullard is now revisiting his high school basketball roots, but this time as the head coach for the junior varsity basketball team.

As an eighth grader, Poullard never played any recreational sports, only utilizing recess as an outlet for his love of basketball.

“Growing up, I was very much into recess, and one thing I always liked was basketball,” Poullard said. “At the time, the one player I wanted to be like was Shaquille O’Neal.”

Despite his limited time playing the sport, Poullard made the team, though he claims that he wasn’t as athletic as some of his teammates.

“I was surprised I made the team because I wasn’t as in shape as some of the other guys and not necessarily as athletic either,” Poullard said.

Poullard struggled to keep up with his teammates as he was still getting accustomed to playing for a team while also trying to shed weight. Yet no matter how much he struggled, Poullard said he kept working hard, believing that his efforts would soon pay off.

By high school, his determina-

Photo Courtesy of ANTHONY POULLARD

Anthony Poullard spent four years playing for Walnut’s basketball teams.

tion would be rewarded as Poullard made the freshmen basketball team for DBHS’s rival, Walnut High School. However, his hopes of playing high school ball were nearly derailed when his doctor diagnosed him with Osgood-Schlatter disease, a condition in which the knee grinds against other bones during high intensity exercise.

“My doctor told me that if I want this pain to go away, I have to stop exercising and should definitely not play basketball,” Poullard said.

“I really did like the game and I didn’t want something like [the disease] get in my way. When you see these other professionals go through what they go through, it was inspiring.”

But Poullard was willing to go through any pain if he meant he could play the sport he loves. And for the next four years, Poullard spent his time in Walnut’s basketball program, playing for all three levels of high school basketball.

As a Mustang, Poullard was primarily a big, guarding down low and boxing out, but as he got older, the competition got bigger. By his senior year, Poullard had to defend shifty wings and guards while he spent his time at the post. He has countless memories at Walnut, from dropping a career high 30 points and earning the praise of the opponent’s coach to dunking as a sophomore in front of the varsity team. One memory that he most fondly remembers was not one of individual success, but that of a team when the Mustangs won the Arroyo Tournament in his senior year, the first during his time on the varsity team. Poullard saw it as a culmination of the hard work he had put in as a player.

“After all the work you put in for four years, you get rewarded. You actually come out triumphant and victorious. Whatever contributions it was, whether as a starter or guy coming off the bench, it was great,” Poullard said.

After graduating in 2008, Poullard attended UCI and continued playing basketball in intramural leagues. During his six years as an undergraduate and a graduate, Poullard continued his involvement in basketball, winning two tournaments while also personally training others.

This year Poullard switched from the role of the player to the position of a coach as he was named the JV head coach for the boys’ team. As a coach, Poullard hopes he can use the sport as a way to positively influence the lives of his players.

“I believe basketball and sports in general should be used as a tool where you can be competitive but also grow as a person, learn to mature and build character. You can learn all these skills that translate to the real world and real life.”

16 SPORTS

OCTOBER 11, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

WARMING UP FOOTBALL

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL 3-0 L vs glendora 3-0 W @ bonita 3-0 L @ ayala 3-1 L vs south hills 3-0 L @ claremont 3-0 w vs bonita

29-22 l vs alta loma 21-15 l @ walnut 35-0 l vs covina 31-14 l @ brea olinda 50-12 L vs san dimas 42-39 L vs bonita

GIRLS TENNIS

GIRLS GOLF

CROSS COUNTRY

BOYS WATERPOLO

11-7 w @ bonita 11-7 w vs glendora 17-1 L @ ayala 9-9 w vs south hills 14-4 l @ claremont 13-5 W vs bonita

189-257 w VS glendora 204-250 W @ Wilson 191-224 W vs glendora 189-233 W @ glendora 186-252 W vs Ayala 206-302 w @ south Hills

9/02 @ arcadia county park 9/06 @ legg lake 9/23 @ craig park 9/27 @ bonelli park 9/30 @ brea olinda

9-3 l @ bonita 7-5 W vs glendora 15-2 l @ ayala 8-7 L @ claremont

Rough waters in the pool

BOYS WATERPOLO The Brahmas start off the Palomares League slow, beginning 1-4.

Samyuktha vellaiyan staff writer

Aspiring to transcend the outcome of last year’s awe-inspiring season, the Diamond Bar High School boys water polo team sees major improvements as critical to its continued success, and has changed the practice routine to work on weaknesses.

The Brahmas finished the

preseason with two strong wins against teams from Los Amigos, 113, and Norco, 11-8.

However, the Brahmas have yet to find their stride since the team began league and tournament play.

In their league opener, DB lost to Bonita, 9-3, but won its second league game against Glendora, 7-5.

On Sept. 22 and 23, the Brahmas held the Diamond Bar tournament on campus. Though the team won against San Dimas and Hemet, 9-3 and 11-4, the boys lost against Crescenta Valley, 16-4 and lost two games against Murrieta Mesa and Sonora, 16-12 and 11-9, respectively.

“Even though we jumped two divisions for CIF-SS, we are able to compete with teams within our

Junior Brandon Lin looks for an opening in a match against the Glendora Tartans.

division. But I think both games [against Sonora and Murrieta Mesa] could have gone either way,” head coach Alexander Matal said via email.

Learning from past league games and tournaments, the coaching staff has pushed to implement adjustments with a completely different practice system. Since their main goal is to practice body positioning and techniques to take away position, the coaches have enforced defensive one-on-one drills.

Furthermore, the staff has modified practices by making defenders complete drills together while the main offensive players work on improving their offensive repertoire.

“The coaches have started to have more individualized practices to improve each player’s strength, and sometimes we get punishments, like doing push-ups for messing up,” junior Matthew Kim said.

The new practices have helped the team’s performance and confidence, as the boys beat the Glendora Tartans, who in past years defeated DB by a wide margin. According to Matal, the lineup changes for their game against Glendora also helped the team win the game.

The team has already experienced a major injury with one of their best scoring options, junior Christian Cheung, being out with a concussion. With the absence of Cheung, the team had to prepare

Photos by AMELIE LEE

The Brahmas defeated the Tartans 7-5 after adjusting their lineup due to injury. differently.

“Because I am the person who’s supposed to assist most of the shots and start offensive plays, our team had to adjust their positions a little bit for the time I was gone,” Cheung said.

As the Brahmas advance through the season, they hope to advance to CIF-SS. The team needs to finish with an even record or above in case CIF accepts additional teams that do not receive an automatic entry through league play.

“Every game and every tournament we play affects our season because they’re games that count towards our season, and it shows how we need to work hard in every

single one of our games,” Kim said.

Even though the team’s goal is to compete in CIF, they look forward to team bonding as they compete in multiple games.

“I personally am looking forward to having those games where we dominate the other team because we built up our team chemistry and will finally be able to play at the best of our abilities together,” Kim said.

The boys lost their last two league matches against Ayala and Claremont, 15-2 and 8-7. The team faced Bonita on Monday and will travel to compete in the San Diego Open tournament from Oct. 19 to Oct. 21.

college hoops fouling out News broke two weeks ago that the FBI was on the trail of taking down a major criminal organization, known for its corruption.

Already, members from multiple crime families have been arrested.

This crime syndicate is none other than the collegiate basketball world.

With only a month before the beginning of the season, the sports world was rocked by the unexpected news of the corruption in the college basketball as a federal investigation discovered that various coaches, administrators, investors and sneaker executives were funneling money through bribes and payoffs.

As more findings of corruption are released, it’s clearer than ever that today’s system just isn’t cutting it. When a two-year federal investigation is required to un-

cover corruption of the system of college basketball, I don’t know what’s a bigger sign that change is necessary.

From Hall of Fame coaches like Rick Pitino being placed on “paid administrative leave” to the director of Adidas global sports marketing being accused of making bribes worth over $150,000, the alleged corruption has affected everyone involved in the world of college basketball. More importantly, the players are the center of all of it, allegedly taking bribes to “advertise” certain shoe companies, joining the right school and supporting specific investors.

Now the issue of bribery is not something new to sports, with past incidents such as the Ed Martin scandal that vacated the success of Michigan’s Fab Five and Reggie Bush’s fallout with USC. How-

ever, a federal level investigation that has already accused eight top schools of criminal charges is unheard of.

When there’s a disease, there’s always been a cure. From gambling to performance enhancement drugs, sports seemed to always find a way to control the problems, yet bribery in college basketball has been an issue that dates back over 50 years ago. Only sanctions have been implemented, not any changes to game.

When huge shoe companies like Adidas, Nike and Jordan have begun taking over the endorsements of schools, bribery is sure to follow at an even higher rate. At this point, Big Baller Brand looks like the purest sneaker company out there.

The topic of money and college sports has always been one of the

most controversial issues as the NCAA has tried to emphasize their focus on “amateur athletes.” Yet isn’t it hypocritical that this organization is making billions of dollars off these students and the “amateurs” don’t get to see a single dime?

This organization is unable to see the failures in their own system while they gorge on the fat cash from television deals and shoe endorsements.

As bold and outrageous as this sounds, considering this proposal would end a system that has lasted for the last 110 years, I think that it’s time that these student athletes are paid or, at least, compensated for the revenue they bring to the “amateur” level of sports.

For college students to be paid for their role in sports would be unprecedented, but more impor-

tantly, it would even the playing ground for recruitment as it would make it harder for shady schools, companies and coaches to influence players when they’re already making money to support themselves.

Also, it would help eliminate the possibility of court cases such as the infamous Ed O’Bannon v.

NCAA trial in which former players sued the NCAA for using their likeness in products.

Truly, it is ridiculous how deep corruption has drilled itself into the system of college basketball.

But what’s even more blasphemous is how long it took to discover the evidence for the case. Right now, college basketball is on the verge of a total collapse in credibility and respect. The only thing that will save the system, and possibly the NCAA, is compensation.