September 2012

INSIDE

OPPAN GANGNAM STYLE 2012 OLYMPICS AT A GLANCE

A 34-year-old Korean singer-rapper infects the globe with a viral music video.

PAGE 8-9

PAGE11 A&E

DIAMOND BAR HIGH SCHOOL

NOTE TO READERS:

The Bull’s Eye staff is proud to introduce a revamped, modernized layout for the new year. Make sure to check out our new full-color centerfold, as well as expanded coverage in other sections.

We look forward to your response to your updated school newspaper.

STUDENT NEWSPAPER

The Bull’s Eye WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

Volume XXXI, Issue I | ONLINE at bullseye.dbhs.org | Published Monthly

Brahma Olympian Alex Morgan Makes a Surprise DBHS Visit

New Lunch Causes Uproar

Gold medalist Alex Morgan stopped by DBHS, her former high school, during lunch.

Students complain about the changes made to lunch services on campus.

BY JUSTIN PARK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BY SARAH CHO FEATURE EDITOR

Class of 2007 alumna and an Olympic gold medalist, U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team forward Alex Morgan made a surprise visit to Diamond Bar High School on Aug. 27 for a brief lunchtime ceremony to celebrate her accomplishments and retire the number she wore in the Olympics.

“I knew I needed to come back here soon after I won gold, because I wanted to pay my dues and see everyone. And there are couple teachers who I wanted to say hi to,” Morgan shared. Morgan is DBHS's very first Olympic medalist, as she scored a late game-winner in the 123rd minute in a semifinals match against Canada during the 2012 London Olympics. Her decisive assist to Carli Lloyd in the team's final match against Japan led the nation to a gold medal.

Upon her entrance into the gym,

be used by the captain of the girls’ soccer team, but will be printed in gold regardless of the color of the uniform in honor of Morgan’s

Intense heat, excruciatingly long lines, and food shortages—oh my. The school has clearly cooked up a “winning” combination that has effectively turned lunch into sheer torture. It seems that over the summer, Diamond Bar High School’s lunch system was tinkered with and altered. While some of these changes were due to district wide policies, these new rules have made buying lunch a difficult task.

Even without the new changes, the school seemed ill-equipped and grossly unprepared for the demand for food. The lunch areas are always swamped with hungry students; however, early in the first week of school, many students were turned away because the school had run out of meals. Food Services reported that there were

See SOCCER | pg 2

See MEAL| pg 3

JUSTIN PARK

LUCKY NUMBER 13 (Second to the left, front) Alex Morgan proudly displays her diamond banner with the current girls soccer team and faculty members to celebrate her retired number. a short clip, “Alex Morgan: Pride of the Brahmas,” was projected onto the screens.

The video, filmed and edited

by U.S. Soccer, showed Morgan visiting the campus and with faculty members in March.

Shortly after the video, the DBHS administration presented Morgan a special Olympics-themed diamond banner to officially retire her number, an unprecedented case since the athlete has already graduated. Her number 13 will still

Shadow Showdown Sneaks up on Club X

New Staff Members Join the House of Brahmas

The Homecoming Dance is to be held at Newport Beach on Sept. 22.

BY ANGIE ZHANG FEATURE EDITOR

EMILY HWANG

TEACHER FEATURE - William Whelon, Jenna Maine, Anthony Gogos, and Richard Gonzales (left to right) pose for the camera.

A new year brings new staff members to Diamond Bar High School.

BY JOY CHOW ASST. NEWS EDITOR

With the start of the school year, eight new staff members have joined the Brahma family. Ranging

from Grade Level Coordinators to Academic teachers, Diamond Bar High School’s new staff members have many different contributions to offer the school.

Jenna Maine is the new GLC for the Class of 2014. She completed her counseling internship at DBHS and worked as the Intervention Counselor last year. “I feel honored to work at such a great school with the best staff and student body around!” she said.

Richard Gonzales is the new GLC for the Freshman Class of

2016. He is a 1985 DBHS alumnus and has been substituting for other GLCs, such as Sonja Burns and Jon Goode, at the school.

Gonzales watches “Keeping up the Kardashians” every Sunday night.

His message to DBHS students is: “At the end of the day, be able look at yourself, and know that you tried your best. That’s all anyone can ask.”

Stephanie Duenas, the new

See STAFF | pg 3

Scheduled on the day after the Homecoming football game, Diamond Bar High School’s Homecoming dance has been heavily anticipated by students because of its intriguing theme— ninjas.

Officially named Shadow Showdown, this year’s dance will be held at Club X, also known as Ten Nightclub, on Sept. 22 at 4647 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach.

Even as an asian bistro, Ten Nightclub is a modern venue that often hosts a variety of special events and doubles as a very popular club.

This event was mainly planned by United Student Body Commissioners of Special Projects, seniors Catherine Palanca and Danielle Foley, who visited the club and immediately decided to use the oriental restaurant as the site for the dance.

“Club X restaurant is a Japanese restaurant and club; the venue

itself already has a beautiful Japanese décor, so we decided to stick with it,” Palanca said.

The interior of Club X is furnished with a centerpiece Buddha statue, colorful LED lights, and Japanese artwork.

The dance floor sits in the center of the building and is adorned in blue, pink, and purple lights. The decorations and furniture pieces incorporate an oriental theme.

The event will include a photo booth and sushi for attendees. The addition of a scroll artist, a tea tasting station, and an origamimaking station are also activities planned for at the dance.

Single tickets are $45 with an activity card and $50 without.

Couple tickets are $90 with two activity cards, $95 with one, and $100 without any.

Tickets will be sold in the USB room until Tuesday, so students who have not bought their tickets yet still have time.

In anticipation for the event, junior Raven Lin said, “I’m really looking forward to this year’s homecoming dance, especially because of its interesting theme.

The location looks absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!”

With the perfect venue and an exciting theme, Shadow Showdown is shaping up to be a dance that students won’t want to miss.

2 NEWS

THE BULL’S EYE

A Hypnotist to Perform in School Theater Hypnotist James Kellog Jr. will be present at Diamond Bar High School to perform a fun-filled show to raise money for the Class of 2013.

BY GLORIA KIM ASST. EDITORIAL EDITOR

Next Monday, Diamond Bar High will present a comedy-filled show next Monday featuring hypnotist James Kellogg Jr., who will introduce students to what hypnosis is all about and the world of the subconscious mind.

Kellogg plans to hypnotize 25 to 30 student volunteers from the audience and make them do comical things, choreographed to music. The chosen students will unknowingly follow exactly as the hypnotist commands. According

SOCCER from pg 1

Olympian Soccer Player, a DBHS Alumna, visits. achievements.

Morgan also shared the news about her retired number with thousands of her fans via Twitter.

Students will be able to see the diamond banner posted up on the ceiling of the gym in the next few weeks.

After a quick photo shoot and an autograph session, Morgan took the time to share her high school experience as a Brahma.

“I remember going to so many activities, so many sporting events, and being a part of girls' soccer program. I remember getting out of school early at lunch with my 0-4 schedule. I played volleyball, soccer, and track and field, and [took] AP classes and honor classes,

to people’s experiences, after regaining consciousness from being hypnotized, many feel as if they had awoken from a deep sleep and do not remember anything.

Kellog will choose random students from the audience and guarantees that no part of the act was planned in advanced. “[Hypnosis] is really a psychological thing. If you tell yourself that they can’t make you [be hypnotized], then chances are, you really won’t be. On the other hand, if you listen to what the hypnotist says and let you mind relax, you’re more likely to,” explained Frank De Anda, Class of 2013 advisor.

A hypnosis show was held

previously at DBHS. It was “successful and everybody enjoyed it. When students act in completely unexpected ways, the audience just roars in laughter because these kids would never do such a thing in real life,” De Anda said.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the 90-minute show will start at 7 pm. Tickets cost $10 per student and $12 after the presale.

The show is hosted by the Class Committee of 2013 to raise money for the class. The money will be used for Senior Week.

“Class of 2013 is such an amazing class. We are holding this show to display school spirit and provide entertainment for the whole school,” De Anda said.

and having to balance that, I think that helped me grow a little bit and adjust to college life,” Morgan said. “[My teammates] were always looking to help me out and practice with me when I needed extra practice. Even though I wasn’t able to be there every time, they were able to support me no matter what,” she added.

Although the details of the event were kept secret until the day of the visit, it was arranged beforehand.

“It wasn’t much of a surprise. We wanted to make sure that it was a ceremony that could be brief enough to have during lunch. We didn’t want too many people from outside coming in. It was a planned information leak,” Athletics Director Kurt Davies said.

Morgan isn’t the first Brahma to mature into a famed, successful athlete. Ranging from NBA Keith Van Horn to PGA Kevin Na, DBHS is renowned for its prolific athletics

program. In addition DBHS unofficially, ranked second among high schools in producing the most NFL players last year, according to Davies.

Davies put the honor in perspective. “For us to have as many athletes as we’ve had, playing in the NFL and different things, it’s pretty special. A lot of times we don’t appreciate the great athletes we have when they are here, but when they move on, we get to see new great things. It’s very meaningful for coaches and staff.”

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

ONTARGET BACK ON TRACK School just started, but it already feels like an eternity. Don’t fret! Now it’s your parents’ turn to come and step in your shoes for a night. That’s right; Back-to-School Night is just around the corner! Come to the Diamond Bar High School campus for an informational night! Your parents will be pumped up to walk in your footsteps.

Back-to-School Night is on Thursday, September 13

IT’S FRIDAY, I’M IN LOVE Are you tired of a regular school day and the same old school lunch? Well, it’s time to spice it up a bit. A minimum day is on its way. Grab this opportunity to hang out and have a nice time with your friends and family. Keep in mind that school gets out 11 minutes past noon, and remind your parents to pick you up on time!

Minimum Day is on Friday, September 14

TREAT YOURSELF TO A TREAT Hey Brahmas! If you are an Activity Card holder, there’s a special treat prepared just for you, thanks to your hard work. Yes! Renaissance Giveaway is here at last! Just remember to bring your ID cards during lunch and gear up for a sweet treat in the Upper Quad.

Renaissance Giveaway is on Tuesday, September 25

KEEP YOUR BEST SCORE GOING Seems like school just started yesterday, but are we already talking grades? It’s true; the end of the six-week grading period is approaching quickly. Better put your thinking caps on and continue to pass those exams with flying colors. Make sure you don’t skip any homework assignments; those will really help in the long run. Let’s make this year our best!

Six-week grading period ends on Friday, September 28

School’s English Teacher is Selected as Teacher of the Year

THE BULL’S EYE

Diamond Bar High School Student Newspaper

STAFF

Lea Chang, Justin Park

Editors-in-Chief

Holly Liu, Jennifer Wang Joy Chow, Katlyn Lee

News Editors Asst. News Editors

Colene Eng Gloria Kim

Editorial Editor Asst. Editorial Editor

Sarah Cho, Angie Zhang

Feature Editors

Austin Kong Claire Huang

A&E Editor Asst. A&E Editor

Vivian Tang, Hanna Yi

Feature Theme Editors

Winston Cho Andrew Choi, Joseph Park

Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editors

Xing Yen Quek

Photo Editor

Michelle Lee Katlyn Lee

Business Manager Asst. Business Manager

Rose Kim

Web Editor Staff Writers

Emily Hwang, Hanna Kang, Rose Kim

Advisor

Doug List

CONTACT

Diamond Bar High School, Room 250 21400 Pathfinder Road Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Phone: (909) 594-1405 x33250 Email: contact@dbhsbullseye.com Business Inquiries: dbhs_business@yahoo.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 anonimity. The staff reserves the right to edit letters without changing content. You may forward letters to Room 250, or submit them online.

XING YEN QUEK

SPECTACULAR SEMIFINALIST - Teacher Sandra Davis paves her way to success with her effective teaching methods.

BY KATLYN LEE ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Sandra Davis, a proud Brahma for 10 years, seemed to continuously win awards and never cease being recognized for her academic excellence this past summer.

Davis, an English teacher and a peer counseling advisor at DBHS, was selected out of 79 teachers as one of the honorary semifinalists for the Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year competition this past summer. However, achieving this recognition was not an easy process.

Davis first became involved in this rigorous competition when she was voted as the English Career Education and the Arts Division Teacher of the Year by her school division and then as the DBHS Teacher of the Year by the entire school staff.

As the school representative, Davis competed against 14 other

teachers from different schools of the same district and later advanced as the Walnut Valley United School District Teacher of the Year.

“I feel extremely honored and humbled to be recognized by my Brahma colleagues for my efforts to educate our students in English, as well as providing activities and events for our campus that promote awareness of challenging teen issues,” the English teacher said.

However, the competition was not quite finished yet for the semifinalist. Still part of the competition, Davis had to submit a formal biography with three essays covering several issues of education and participate in an interview with a judging panel. After completing these requirements, Davis is now waiting for the results to be disclosed.

On Sept. 21, she will attend a Teacher of the Year luncheon at the Universal City Hilton, where the finalists of the LA County competition will be announced.

All finalists will then have their applications sent to the state competition.

Davis attributes her achievements to her unique methods of teaching and her continuous involvement in school activities. The English teacher uses a hands-on, project-based approach when teaching her students.

According to Davis, her experience as a peer counselor advisor allows her to make English lessons more “interesting by providing more in-depth background information for the students as [they] read and analyze literature.” The advisor also founded the school’s semi-annual Diamond Bar Forum and holds occasional peer counseling events during lunch.

“I believe being affirmed and recognized at this level has encouraged me to continue my advocacy for students to be more balanced socially, emotionally and spiritually, while continuing to pursue academic excellence,” Davis said.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

NEWS

THE BULL’S EYE

A New Diamond Bar Library Opens Near City Hall

STAFF from pg 1

The new library held its Grand Opening,, a couple weeks after moving in. on July 28

Intervention Counselor, works with students who struggle with academics or family problems and those who just want to stop by and talk. Duenas, also a DBHS alumna who graduated in 2002, is proud to be back working at her alma mater.

As a dancer in high school, Duenas brought her passion along with her to college. Later, she also coached the dance team at San Dimas High School and Bonita High School.

Anthony Gogos, the new Special Education teacher, has been teaching special education for about eight years. Working with autistic students and children with severe disabilities, he was a teacher at Gabriello High School. Gogos was recently married and says he is really good at the bean-bag game, corn-hole.

Margaret Ku, the new Algebra A and Algebra II teacher, formerly taught in South Central Los Angeles. In the past seven years, she has been working in classrooms

DBHS welcomes new teachers and Grade Level Coordinators.

JOY CHOW

NEW ARRIVAL - The new Diamond Bar Library, which is located near City Hall, after its opening, is now a very popular spot for people of all ages.

BY JOY CHOW ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Over the summer, Diamond Bar readers encountered a pleasant surprise when a new library was built behind City Hall, replacing the old library on Grand Avenue.

Tripling in size, the new library now has quadrupled the number of computers it had before: 11 public computers, 10 children computers, six early literacy computers, and six teen computers. In addition to more computers, the DB Library also established a new teen advisory board and book club.

Furthermore, not only are there separate group conference rooms interspersed around the library grounds, but there is also live online homework help offered in all subjects. With a new, around the clock, online assistant and downloadable audio books, eBooks,

MEAL from pg 1

School lunches have been a cause for a lot of dissatisfaction. actually many leftovers, but this was clearly not the case as many students left to 5th period hungry.

One of the most unpopular changes, however, comes with the $.50 increase on subway sandwiches. Just last year, this deal was sold for $2.50. To students the price was reasonable since Subway sells foot long sandwiches for $5. The school subways were

and music, Diamond Bar citizens now have more access to different features of the library.

“I think that the new library, to the city of Diamond Bar, is an even greater source than it ever was. We strive to provide our community enjoyment with convenience.

We want to promote a peaceful environment where people can enjoy reading,” Diamond Bar Library Manager Jesse Lanz said.

For families who want their youngsters to go out and socialize, the library has built a new family play area just for young children.

In a section of the library that is isolated from the rest, children can play with the toys and video games.

Other new events that the DB Library has implemented include computer classes, story time for young children, movie nights with free popcorn and drinks, visual art workshops, writing workshops, craft sessions, teen gaming sessions, music classes, knitting club, cupcake parties, and even

scavenger hunts. These events occur on a weekly or monthly basis.

Over the summer, the Diamond Bar Library received many donations and managed to purchase all varieties of new books, magazines, newspapers, and DVDs. Friends of the Diamond Bar Library also funded the new book store, a small portion of the library where people can purchase popular items.

Another unique feature that many adults cherish is the Reading Garden. It is located right outside of the library and is decorated with plants and flowers surrounding small tables.

“The Reading Garden is such a nice place for adults to relax and unwind. You’re surrounded by nature in peace and quiet. You can just read and completely take yourself out from the hustle and bustle of the world for a while,” Diamond Bar resident Rebecca Tanner said.

half the size and half the price.

The increase in selling price this year, though, makes it higher than the commercial cost with little of the benefits, like choosing personal toppings and claiming special offers, found in actual subway stores. This price increase, however, was the result of Subway raising its price with the school district.

Nevertheless, the single most disliked change is the restriction on buying multiple lunches. The school no longer allows students to buy two full lunches; instead, they can only purchase a second

entrée for $2. This change was the result of a new US Department of Agriculture policy that restricts calories to 850 per lunch for each student. It is absurd that the USDA is using a one size fits all method in controlling how students eat.

Some students, especially growing teenagers, may need more food.

Also, the single entrée is only $.50 cheaper from a full lunch, making the purchase seem overpriced and unfair.

In addition, it restricts students from buying lunches for their friends which only promotes cutting, slows down the process,

3

as a teacher and an aide.

Working with Steve Acciani, Marie Sato is the new co-Music Director. She works with the Instrumental Music students at DBHS. Previously, she was a student-teacher at DBHS and at South Pointe Middle School. Sato has been teaching percussion for nine years now. Her hobby is crocheting and creating little ”crafty things.”

Andrew Villegas is the new U.S. History and Kinesiology teacher.

He’s been working with kids since 2000 and has taught at three high schools in Los Angeles. Villegas loves to coach, work out, and spend time with his family. He lives by and encourages others to live by the four agreements: “Always do your best, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and be impeccable or perfect with your work.”

Finally, William Whelon is the new Environmental Science teacher. He’s been teaching for about 12 years, and always wears an ancient white lab coat while teaching. He has worked in many high schools and colleges as well.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* L.A. County Fair: Aug. 31 - Sept. 30 * S.A.T.: Oct. 6 * P.S.A.T.: Oct 20

* Ocktoberfest: Sept. 14 - Oct. 28 (Open Weekends) @ Pheonix Club * Hall of Horrors Haunetd House: Oct. 30 - 31 @ Heritage Park * Fall Fun Festival: Oct. 31 (4:30 - 8:30 P.M.) @ Heritage Park * Car Show: Nov. 22 @ Costa Mesa and increases the lunch line. Prior to this change, many students would purchase two lunches—one for their own consumption and the other for a friend. This only required one of two students to stand in line, one of two students to punch in their ID number, and one of two students to purchase the food which greatly accelerated the process of purchasing lunch.

Now, both students have to stand in line, punch in their ID number, and purchase food. The effect of this change has been seen immediately as lines are noticeably much longer. The only alternative

for students to buy lunch now is the hugely overpriced food in the student store which, for the most part, consists of junk food such as cookies and chips.

These new polices coming from the district and USDA have caused trouble for the students at DBHS. The district and the USDA seem to believe that these changes are for the better. It is clear, however, by the state of the lunch lines and the students’ satisfactions that the school’s assumptions were completely off the mark as these alterations are likely to affect the students’ performance in school.

NEWSBITS w Nepali Mohamed Salmo Miya chased a cobra that bit him in his rice paddy, caught it, and bit it to death. Miya said that he could have killed the snake with a stick but instead bit it with his teeth because he was so angry. Because of the snake bite, he was treated at a local clinic and is recovering. w A young mountain lion was caught trying to slip into a casino.

When the revolving door did not seem to cooperate, it hid under an outdoor stage nearby. State wildlife officials tranquilized him. w Acting as a surrogate for her daughter, 49-year-old Linda Sirois gave birth to her own grandson, Madden Hebert, as his legal mother Angel Hebert stood nearby.

Owning to a heart condition, the daughter could not get pregnant. w Joseph Watson, a cattleman in Kentucky, responded to the escalating corn prices by substituting the corn in his cows’ diets for low-quality candy. Watson claimed that in addition to being cheaper, the candy has a higher percentage of fat than corn. w The mayor of the small village of Talkeetna, Alaska walks on four paws. Mayor Stubbs, a cat, was named honorary mayor shortly after his birth, and has been the mayor ever since. Fifteen years ago, the majority of the town elected the feline because the residents did not like the mayoral candidates who were running.

COURTESY OF SHANNON FAN, CLASS OF 2012

THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY - A Baldwin Park High School student was spotted wearing an imitation version of DBHS Class of 2012 senior gear at Souplantation. The front design, sleeve print, and the color matched exactly with that of DBHS sweatshirt, albeit the name is different .

4 EDITORIAL

THE BULL’S EYE

N.Y. Times Paywall

FOLLOW UPS Chen Guang Cheng

In the May 2012 issue, Feature Editor Angie Zhang discussed the poor decision America made when it provided refuge for Chen Guang Cheng, a Chinese human rights activist who escaped house arrest. She claimed it worsened the already strained relationship between America and China. In June, the two countries’ diplomats agreed to allow Chen to leave China to study abroad in the U.S. Currently, Chen is continuing to acclimate to life in America.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Proposition 29

In the same issue, News Editor Holly Liu asserted her view on the needlessness of Proposition 29, a proposal which would have raised a $1 tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products to fund cancer research and smoking prevention programs. After more than 5 million ballots were counted, 50.8% of citizens voted “no.” Clearly, many Americans shared the same view as Liu and agreed that the unnecessary tax would not be beneficial in any way.

The New York Times paywall will be helpful in keeping local and international news circulating.

BY HANNA KANG STAFF WRITER

F

or years, newspapers have made every effort to weather through the demands of the highly advanced Internet age, and above all, the fluctuating print circulations and advertisers’ changeover from print to online media.

The New York Times found an answer to the dilemma last year, and the proposed solution, a paywall, is about to get stronger.

In a venture to coax readers toward the online subscription strategy presented last March, the paper announced the paywall plan: the number of articles for free access would be condensed by half on NYTimes. com. Instead of the 20 free articles that were available each month, readers will now only be able to view 10. Many believe that the paywall is depriving readers of their right to information; however, in order for news to circulate, the paywall is desperately needed.

Over the past decade, printed newspapers have experienced a huge decline in readership. The rapid growth of smartphones and upgraded tablet computers have made the Internet the preferred choice for the majority of news consumers. According to the Project for Excellence in Journalism, a research organization that interprets the work of the press, online news consumption was increased by 17 percent. Consequently, print publications profits declined as few people subscribed to the newspaper and few business advertised.

The problem of free news access does not end there, however.

Newspaper companies do not run for free; they obviously need to pay their staff for the tremendous amount of work a newspaper demands. If the publication does not have enough money to run prosperously, let alone pay its staff, there is a great possibility of bankruptcy. In a telephone survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & Press, 28 percent of the American people stated that the disappearance of the newspaper would greatly impact their ability to keep track of information. In essence, the newspaper is just another business that strives to generate profit by providing necessary goods to its customers.

After the initiation of the paywall, the NY Times continues to surpass all expectations.

The Times’ subscriptions accelerated 16 percent over 2011. Furthermore, the company has more than 530,000 paying digital subscribers, compared to the 100,000 from last April. The NY Times’ digital paywall is also assisting the digital business to promote a highly advanced revenue stream.

The reinforcement of the NY Times paywall should serve as an example to galvanize other newspaper companies into action. In fact, the Los Angeles Times started a similar paywall in March 2012.

Paying to read additional articles is fair. Newspapers need the money to keep sending out information to the people. If newspaper companies shut down because of financial deficits, worldwide Internet users will lose a valuable source of local and international news.

“The reinforcement of the NY Times paywall should serve as an example to galvanize other newspaper companies into action.”

Boundaries Overstepped Although teachers are influential figures in students’ lives, certain lines should not be crossed.

BY ROSE KIM STAFF WRITER

T

here is a distinct boundary between a student and a teacher. For Brittni Nicole Colleps, a former English teacher at Kennendale High School, the boundaries were few and thin. On Aug. 17, the former teacher was convicted on 16 counts of inappropriate relationship between a student and teacher. Despite being married with three children, Colleps engaged in sexual activities with five of her students in her home over a span of two months.

The defense argued that these students were all of legal age; however, although this may be true, teachers, among other school faculty members, have a responsibility to uphold certain limitations in the classroom and out.

No one is denying the benefits of close student and teacher relationships. Often, our teachers can become one of our greatest mentors, inspiring us reach our potential and beyond. Yet, this is precisely why the role of the teacher must be taken with great caution.

A high school student with a regular six class schedule is in contact with six different teachers for at least an hour every weekday. That is 30 hours of teacher-student contact. In some case, students have the same teachers for more than one period, allowing even more time for a teacher to wield his or

her influence. Should students be a part of extra-curricular activities, the hours that they are spending with teachers, advisors, and coaches are that much greater.

From the examples exhibited, it is clear that a teacher’s sphere of influence is nothing short of ample. Teachers are given virtually unlimited opportunity to develop close bonds with their students, and without any boundaries, students stand to lose more than they may gain. A student benefits nothing once the line between advisory figure and romantic partner is crossed. Eighteen or not, students in high school have yet to be fully developed both physically and mentally. High school romance in itself takes heavy tolls on its participants, doling out stress, complications, and often, painful heartbreak. A romantic entanglement of student and teacher can only have more so in all three departments.

Moreover, teachers in romantic relationships with students compromise their credibility as they can no longer be trusted to treat each student equally.

Cases like Colleps’s must set precedents for future instances of inappropriate student and teacher relationships. Teachers must realize the responsibility they are given is meant to be beneficial for the students. As one can see, there must never be any room to allow for exceptions and exemptions for the sake of the student, the teacher, and the very foundation of integrity that the public education system has been built upon.

GLORIA KIM

Blazing Trails of Satire Curse of 2013: The Cause of Everything

BY JUSTIN PARK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A

t DBHS, many people regard us seniors as the most unlucky group of students on campus. And actually, no one blames them for pitying our class.

Heck, we sometimes pity ourselves. After all, it was Class of 2013 that never got to experience a new shiny gym at Chaparral Middle School, attend a Sadie’s dance, have seven classes in our schedule, or take AP Rhetoric as juniors or AP Chemistry as sophomores. “Getting the shorter end of the stick” would not do justice to all the unfairness we Class of 2013 had to endure over the past years. But I’ve finally found the reason why.

Ready?

We’re cursed.

There have been stories, movies, and TV shows written about all kinds of horrible things the number 13 brings to people, but we were all too ignorant to anticipate this problem. It was right there and we didn’t see it… how stupid and oblivious of us. After six years of elementary school, two years of middle school, and four grudgingly

long years of high school, it has finally hit us. Class of 2013 at Diamond Bar High School is under a horrendous curse, and there is no getting out of it.

The evil goddess of fate decided to toy with our emotions by taking away everything good in our high school lives. The construction of a brand new multimillion

dollar gymnasium built right after some of us graduated from Chaparral was our first omen. We were foolish to think that it was merely by chance. Shortly after, we found out that Sadie’s dance was canceled indefinitely, and we weren’t given any explanation.

But who is there to blame? Come on, think about it. We have enough talented and motivated student groups on campus to put the event together, seemingly more than enough budget (in fact, the school earns money from ticket sales), and a state-of-art gym to host the

event. There is absolutely no viable reason why we cannot have Sadie’s at DBHS. Doesn’t that explain it all? The school administrations are mere victims of this supernatural curse! They refuse to give us this highly desired event, simply because this powerful curse forbids them to.

Oh, and AP Rhet. Let’s not even go there. The school administration was probably desperate to let us take AP Rhet as juniors, but the darn curse!

So as soon as we became seniors, they were freed to let the succeeding class take AP Rhet.

Not only that, they began to let certain sophomores take AP Chemistry after we became juniors.

That speaks volumes GLORIA KIM about how much they’ve wanted to offer more AP classes to underclassmen all this time. Bless our younger generations who aren’t affected by the curse.

So please don’t point fingers at the school administration for being, for lack of a better word, submissive to the power of this curse. You all read “Harry Potter”—you can never block a curse. Once you’re hit, you’re gone!

Oh, that’s right, I forgot about Harry. He survived the curse. But that’s because his parents dearly loved him and cared about him.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Eye of the Editors CHANGING TEACHERS | Some students at Diamond Bar have switched their teachers countless times, while others have not had the benefit of such an option.

Every year there is the same mad rush to change classes. Students swarm grade level coordinators’ offices in a desperate attempt to get this teacher or that teacher. The inconsistency and bias among the GLCs, however, turns this annual tradition into an unpredictable, and often unfair, process Simply by luck, certain students have a better chance of changing teachers based on who their GLC is. Some GLCs are notorious for being inconvincible when it comes to altering a student’s schedule, while others are well-known for being overly flexible. However, it is not acceptable that students should rely on pure luck in order to determine their schedule. What teacher a student has may not only affect the students’ experience during the year, but also their grades and performance on AP tests. Therefore, there must be a more uniform policy across the board in order to give all students an equal chance at success.

This is especially important when prejudice and favoritism are taken into consideration. As responsible as our GLCs may be, they are still human.

They may be more partial to some students than others, and obviously, this is a factor when deciding whether to switch a student’s class. This creates a skewed system that is difficult to understand and even more

difficult to defend.

Also, the huge number of students switching teachers leads to an unbalanced proportion of pupils in certain classes. One teacher may have, at most, 16 or 17 students while other classes may be bursting at the seams. This leads to overcrowding and will drastically reduce the educational experience of each student.

In addition, much of this switching of teachers occurs on registration day. This automatically puts students with earlier registration days at a serious advantage as classes may fill up before these later students have the chance to switch their own classes. This directly contradicts the school administrators’ assertion that schedules are made prior to registration and the appointment dates have no real influence.

To eliminate the ability of GLCs to bypass more formal measures, the school should disable the feature in Aeries that allows GLCs to freely change a student’s classes. The school administration should also be more transparent with their policies.

The policies should not be some unspoken secret that only a few are privy to. All students should be aware of the procedures and should be treated fairly by all grade level coordinators in order to create an equal educational environment.

EDITORIAL

THE BULL’S EYE

5

QUESTION:

Should students be free to change their schedule based on their preference?

“No, because students should just deal with the teachers they are given [...]

Teachers don’t change how hard you should be working.”

—Catherine Palanca,

Senior

“No, but if they already had that teacher and he or she was a bad teacher, then they should be able to.”

—Siham Ayoub, Junior

“No, because if they chose their own class, they would want to hang out with their friends.”

—Rashad Marshall,

Senior

“Yes, that way they can take classes for which they have a passion allowing them to accelerate in their classes.”

—Harry Moon,

Eye of the Editors is an editorial piece of The Bull’s Eye. Statements and opinions expressed in the article herein are strictly those of the editors of The Bull’s Eye. The view of the editors does not necessarily reflect that of the entire staff.

Junior

Valedictorian Denied Diploma A valedictorian was unjustly punished after using the word “hell” in her graduation speech.

BY KATLYN LEE ASST. NEWS EDITOR

D

espite teenagers’ frequent use of swear words, schools have been attempting to control profanity and negativity from their students by implementing new consequences, such as student conferences or suspensions.

However, there is a certain boundary to these consequences, a boundary that Prague High School in Oklahoma has undoubtedly overstepped by

taking away a right all competent and accomplished students fully deserve: receiving their hardearned diploma. Instead of taking such extreme measures, the Prague High School should keep in mind that it cannot punish students for exercising their freedom of speech.

The high school’s 18-year-old valedictorian, Kaitlin Nootbaar, was honored with the opportunity to deliver a graduation speech.

According to her father, the graduate shared in her speech how her aspirations for her future career had changed over her four years in high school. When others wondered what she wanted

to pursue as she approached graduation, she answered, “How the hell do I know? I’ve changed my mind so many times.” Although her fellow students were laughing and applauding in response to her tastefully colloquial speech, her principal, David Smith, was not.

When Nootbaar and her father visited the school office to pick up her diploma, the principal refused and explained that there was a problem. Smith was not pleased with Nootbaar’s profanity in her speech and demanded that Nootbaar issue a written apology to him and the faculty members of Prague High School.

Not only is the school making an unnecessarily extreme decision over a word uttered in a speech largely enjoyed by the audience, but it is also depriving the valedictorian of her freedom of speech. A student should not have to feel remorseful about what he or she says, especially if it no harm was intended. Nootbaar was not using “hell” to offend or affront a specific person or a group of people. The straight-A student told her parents that her choice of words were inspired by another graduation speech given in the “Twilight” movie “Eclipse,” and that she was simply expressing her

frustration about her future.

Even after making their absurd demand for an unnecessary apology, the school and the administrative board could not fully justify their decision. The superintendent claimed that the valedictorian used inappropriate language for a graduation exercise.

Despite this claim, Nootbaar should not be punished for exercising her freedom of speech.

Prague High School should either provide reasonable explanation for its offensive actions or award Kaitlin Nootbaar the diploma she earned, in order to rectify their unjustifiable action.

Drug Testing Professional Athletes PRO | Drug testing is imperative to keep all sports clean.

BY JOSEPH PARK ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

M

any believe drug test for professional sports nationwide are overused to the point where it may be considered intrusive. Drug tests for professional athletes should remain the way they are now or be intensified to confirm that there are not any athletes taking performance enhancing drugs. The number of drug tests that athletes take should not be reduced because of a few complaints. The tests’ only purpose is to ensure the safety and fairness of the athlete and the sport involved.

Performance enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids are illegal. Every sport would be played unfairly with a ratio of the athletes taking steroids. Steroid-using athletes use these drugs to take the easy way out to build muscle and bulk up in a short period of time, primarily to have a speed and strength advantage over their opponents.

This shortcut should be eliminated because the majority of athletes work hard to compete with the cheaters.

To make sure there are no athletes who cheat their way out with performance enhancing drugs, drug tests should be held consistently, or even more often, when suspicions rise against an athlete. Thorough

check-ups should be given to all athletes even though it requires severely pestering them. They drag innocent athletes into these tests due to the liars who cheat their way out of situations.

Due to the lack of trustworthiness caused by numerous lying athletes, Lance Armstrong was continuously tested for drugs because of suspicious surroundings his amazing accomplishments, such as winning Tour de France seven consecutive times after surviving testicular cancer.

Although he repeatedly stated that he did not take drugs, he was not believed. The hundreds of drug tests that Armstrong underwent did, in fact, prove him innocent.

If the sport’s officials had only relied on testing, Armstrong would be considered a clean athlete. Plenty of athletes have been proved guilty with the aid of drug tests. Alex Rodriguez is considered to be one of the best all-around baseball player of all time. However, he tested positive of anabolic steroids in 2003. Rodriguez’s drug test emphasizes the point that performing enhancing drug tests should be required for even the biggest starts. Even though testing officials may go a little overboard with constant accusations such as in like Armstrong’s, complaints about drug tests should not be taken into consideration. At the end of the day, there will be athletes who lie and athletes who tell the truth, and under any circumstance, the only way to find the truth is a drug test.

CON | Drug testing organizations can bring more harm than good.

BY ANDREW CHOI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

T

o ensure that every team is playing by the rules, every athlete has to take a drug test. Such tests are necessary for every sport because gaining an undeserved advantage is cheating. Although drug tests have been proven helpful in convicting many elite athletes, such as Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez, the results should be taken with a grain of salt. People should not always trust the drug tests for they can be misleading and eventually hurt each athlete’s respective sport. Even the tiniest of suspicions that someone is using illegal performance enhancing drugs can cause officials to go overboard.

Former cyclist Lance Armstrong, considered one of the greatest cyclists ever, has been accused of using steroids since 1999 due to his Toure De France championship win after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. Armstrong would later win five more consecutive championships from 2000-2005. Suspicion from the United States Anti-Doping Agency of Armstrong rose even higher as a result of his incredible feat. Recently, Armstrong gave up the fight against the charges from the USADA and has consequently been banned from competitive cycling. The USADA has also

stripped the world-renown cyclist from his seven championship wins, despite the hundreds of drug tests he passed.

The USADA should stop badgering athletes who have not failed tests about steroids even if their accomplishments are off the charts. For example, basketball player Kobe Bryant is by far one of the greatest players to play the game. He did not get those accomplishments from using performance enhancing drugs—he got it by hard work. The USADA and other testing groups should know that players go to the extreme in their workout just to accomplish a goal, most without using drugs.

Most times, drug tests are considered reliable when used to convict an athlete of using illegal substances. However, before the start of the 2012 Major League Baseball season, reigning National League MVP Ryan Braun was accused of using illicit performance enhancing drugs. Even though he had passed previous tests, he was still suspended for 50 games. When Braun appealed against the suspension, he was cleared from the sentencing because the sample collector who dealt with Braun’s urine left it in his refrigerator for two days before shipping it to the lab. Therefore, the sample was considered contaminated, raising suspicions about whether or not Braun used drugs.

A single accusation of a player using steroids can do harm not only to the athlete but to the sport as well.

6 FEATURE

THE BULL’S EYE

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Ninja in Shining Armor A time for courting danger...

BY CLAIRE HUANG ASST. A&E EDITOR

Aside from seeing old friends and meeting new teachers, Homecoming is one of the most anticipated events of coming back to school. As tickets are put on sale, students bring out their paintbrushes and put their creative minds to test by planning out the perfect way to ask their potential date to the Shadow Showdown.

The classic homecoming asking was seen on campus with junior Will Zhu. As Will waited to ask his date with balloons, flowers, and a

sign, an eager crowd began to form around him to watch the sweet surprise. When junior Justine Skaar finally arrived, the crowd jumped to their feet with applause as the pair embraced.

Junior Raven Lin surprised her Mustang boyfriend, Rax Wang with an unusual asking.

Because she was a Brahma and he was a Mustang, she felt that she should ask him to a Diamond Bar Homecoming. The couple went with a few other friends to Farrel’s where the workers began to ring a bell and sing to the unsuspecting Mustang. They then presented him with a homemade card which read “Be my date to..?” and set down a platter of ice cream in front of him

with the letters “HC?” on top.

Senior Austin Kong planned to do something off campus and surprise senior May Ting at her house instead. With the help of one of May’s friends, Austin was able to catch May when she least expected it. Her friend lured her outside by asking for help to carry something into the house. When May stepped out of the house, she saw Austin with flowers and a poster. She screamed at first from the surprise and once she calmed down from the excitement, she happily agreed to be his date.

All the effort put into homecoming proposals will be sure to pay off with an exciting night at the X Nightclub!

How to write a Bestselling, Cheesy, Romance Novel “Twilight” sold over 100 million copies. “50 Shades of Grey” sold 40 million. Together, they’ve amassed a fan base of a ludicrous size. What’s the secret to writing a bestselling cheesy romance novel? From the time of the classic novels of “Jane Eyre” and “Pride and Prejudice,” female writers have been following these same steps.

BY SARAH CHO FEATURE EDITOR

1.

The female protagonist has to be plain and just a tad boring.

Whether mousy like Jane Eyre or expressionless like Kirsten Stewart’s rendition of Bella, the leading lady has got to be the run of the mill girl. Plus, she probably has little to no experience in love. This draws readers into the novel, allowing them to believe that this impossible scenario could happen to themselves.

2.

The leading lady has to have a swarm of attractive boys falling head over heels for her. It could be the military man who is in town for a few months or the werewolf next door. This situation is essentially every girl’s dreams—to be insanely desirable and attractive.

3.

The main love interest must be amazingly good looking, spectacularly rich, and ridiculously popular. His singularity, his good looks, his wealth, and his status make him the most desirable bachelor ever heard of in the history of the world. And most of all, he must be unattainable to all women. All women, except of course, the protagonist. This is the Disney princess phenomenon all over again. Girls are left waiting for a perfect, unrealistic boyfriend of their dreams or scorning their current significant others for not sparkling in the sunlight.

4.

The main man must also be moody, guarded, and full of secrets. He has to come with a considerable amount of baggage—whether he is a manipulative freak with a penchant for whips or a vegetarian vampire. And of course, he must have a dark past. It could be a psycho wife with a mental disorder or a neglectful mother with an abusive pimp. It just has to cause considerable discomfort and doubt to the leading girl.

5.

This romance should be the man’s first, greatest, and final love. He must never have experienced any feelings similar to this sort. It has to be new and radical as well as a pivotal point of his life. His life is changing; he is changing—and for the better. And it’s all due to her.

6.

At first, the femme fatale has to believe that the man resents her or even outright hates her. He could carelessly make a comment about how distasteful the girls in her town are or wrinkle his nose in aversion to her smell. In reality, he is madly in love with her despite countless warnings to stay away from him as he is potentially harmful to her health. He will finally realize the extent of his love—the fact that he can’t live without he—only after he almost loses her. And then he will never let her go. He’ll change, he’ll adjust, and he’ll compromise to keep her. She never changes, at least, personality wise. Although usually, she does become more attractive and more desirable. She begins to become the ideal girl she has always dreamed of being.

And there you have it—six easy steps to write a cheesy, romance novel. If you follow these steps, I guarantee you will have a best seller on your hands, or at least a moderately well selling novel. Or, you could at least find it in the library in paperback form next to the rest of the pink covers with the chiseled, buff men with flowing blonde hair of other cheesy romance novels. Although, I can’t guarantee that your writing will improve any.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

FEATURE

THE BULL’S EYE

Restaurant Ratings

out of five

BY XING YEN QUEK Curry Indian Bistro, a new establishment in PHOTO EDITOR

Diamond Hills Plaza, serves exotic Western Indian fusion dishes.

Located in the center of a Diamond Bar hotspot where flocks of students gather after school each day for boba at Tea Rush or frozen yogurt at Cherry on Top, this restaurant is hard to miss.

Curry serves authentic Indian food while accommodating conventional taste buds.

Entree #2 Entree #1

Ambiance Due to its heavily tinted windows, the outside of the restaurant does not seem inviting. However, as I entered the restaurant I was immediately greeted by a friendly waitress who kindly offered me a table. The eatery was decorated with ornate pictures of exotic Indian spices and simple wall embellishments. Its dim lighting gave off a romantic and calm ambiance.

Beverage

My first entrée consisted of three types of vegetarian curries: baingan bharta, an eggplant dish, daal makhani, a dish that blends lentils with a variety of Indian spices, and mattar paneer, green peas curry. The curries were complemented by naan, a flat leavened bread, and basmati rice. My overall experience with the curries is one of apathy. All three of the curries were slightly too salty for my preference, even with the naan and rice.

For my drink, I ordered the mango lassi, a unique Indian drink consisting of yogurt, milk, and mango flavoring. It had a smooth and creamy texture which resembled that of a mango smoothie. Considering the sweltering weather outside, the lassi was refreshing and delightful. Along with its cooling taste, its sweet and aromatic flavor complemented the entire meal well.

Dessert Overall Impression

For my next dish, I was presented with a pleasant array of marinated chicken and lamb meat.

The tandoori platter is composed of tandoori chicken, red pieces of chicken grilled with tandoori spices, garlic chicken kabab, a regular grilled chicken marinated with garlic, and lamb boti kabab, tender lamb pieces blended with a variety of spices. The meat from each variety was tendered with just the right amount of spices; This dish would defintely be number one on my recommended list.

Dessert, gulab jamun, was included as part of the lunch set menu. This small ball caramelized with lightly sweetened syrup tasted just as foreign as it sounds. My taste buds were unfamiliar with the dessert’s glutinous texture. The ball itself tasted like an extremely sugared donut and its viscous syrup had a strange hint of spice.

Curry left me with an unforgettable experience because it introduced a selection of dishes that I was foreign to before. Unfortunately, the experience did not surpass my initial expectation of the restaurant. However, the dishes I had at Curry were only a small part of the variegated menu. There are many more exotic discoveries that I have yet to explore.

7

Definition

Deficit

BY ANGIE ZHANG FEATURE EDITOR

There is a multitude of words in the world that has no English counterpart, words that so precisely describe a particular situation that, when translated to English, end up with five times the word count of the original foreign word. Here I present you with five such words that could be helpful in your daily life, whether it’s trying to impress your English teacher (and get on her good side) or adopting a persona of intelligence in front of your peers.

1. Schlimazel (Yiddish): someone prone to bad luck. The schlemiel is the one who trips and spills his lunch; the schlimazel is the one who comes out covered in the spaghetti sauce.

2. Litost (Czech): a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one’s own misery. Anyone thinking of Odysseus?

3. Rhwe (Tsonga, South Africa): almost exclusively meant for college students, this word means “to sleep on the floor without a mat, while drunk, and missing a few pieces of important clothing.”

4. Kaelling (Danish): Were you ever in a situation where your parents were yelling at you in public? Well, this word would describe them perfectly in the situation as a Kaelling is literaly a parent who likes to reprimand his or her children in public.

5. Gumusservi (Turkish): A must need for aspiring poets, this word means “moonlight shining on water.” Now you can incorporate foreign words into your writing.

Whichever you choose to use, I guarantee that you have nothing to lose. These words practically ooze intelligence and you’ll come off looking ten times as smart.

A Q&A With Jason Lin

BY EMILY HWANG STAFF WRITER As the class of 2012 seniors graduate and leave behind all their high school memories, they also leave a deficit of talent at Diamond Bar High School.

Luckily, the new incoming DBHS freshman students have proved that they can more than make up for it. One such freshman is Jason Lin who performed alongside the dance crew Miniotics on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew. He has impressed many students as well as various dance teams with his astounding moves. The Bull’s Eye was able to get his personal take on dancing, school, and more!

The Bull’s Eye: How many years have you been dancing?

Jason: I’ve been dancing for nine years now. I started when I was five years old.

BE: What got you into dancing, and who motivates you?

J: My sister is the person who motivates me and the person who got me into dancing. I used to watch her dance. And one day when I got bored, I tried it out.

BE: How did you get into America’s Best Dance Crew?

J: One of the finalists of the Miniotics team couldn’t make it, so the team asked if I was able to perform. I was nervous yet happy to be able to dance for the show.

BE: Did everyone know that you

were on the show at school?

J: Yeah, since everyone watches that show at my middle school, they all noticed I was on it.

BE: What were the reactions of your family and friends when you were on TV? J: They thought it was really cool. All my friends gave me phone calls after saying they saw me on TV. It was really nice because since the show aired in the summer I was able hang out with my friends who I separated from after graduating from Suzanne Middle School. It was nice to meet up and get back in touch with them.

BE: Have you been in any other dance contests?

J: I’ve been competing since I was seven years old. I competed in competitions for solos and others.

Then when I was about nine or ten years old, I started joining dance crews. I joined a lot of different dance crews like Marvels Dance Company, Miniotics Dance Crew, and GRaVy Babies which is GRV’s Junior Crew.

BE: What dance teams are you currently in?

J: Right now, I’m on the Dance Team and the All Male Dance Crew for our school. I started out with Marvels Dance Company, but I’m only in GRaVy Babies and Miniotics Dance Crew now.

BE: Do you choreograph your own dances?

J: I actually do! I once choreographed a part of the dance for Marvels Dance Company’s Marvels World to Dance in 2011.

BE: Besides dancing, what other sports are you in?

J: I used to play basketball, soccer, and swim, but I had to quit because of my busy dance schedule. As a hobby, I enjoy playing basketball. My favorite teams are the Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

BE: Since you’re now a freshman, how is school?

J: School is actually fun!

Everyone told me there would be a lot of homework, but so far, I don’t think there is that big of a load.

I just hope the homework won’t increase!

BE: What is your number one goal in life and in school?

J: My goal for school is to succeed. My goal in life is to become an engineer. When I grow

older, I want to dance as a hobby.

BE: What are you most excited about for high school?

J: I’m excited to meet new people since I don’t know a lot of people because I came from Suzanne Middle School.

BE: What do you do in your free time?

J: Well, I rarely have any free time because I’m always dancing and doing homework, but whenever I have free time, I enjoy playing video games.

BE: If you didn’t start dancing a long time ago, what would you have done?

J: I would have done soccer. I started soccer around the time I started dancing, but I had to quit soccer because of my dance schedule.

Lin (third from right) with Miniotics team on America’s Best Dance Crew.

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

THE BULL’S EYE

DB Dancers Shine at Major Competition

XING YEN QUEK

DBHS GRAVY BABIES MEMBERS (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT): Keegan Sullivan, Jason Lin, Taylor Yada, Franklin Yu, and Derrick Sy

DBHS members of GRaVY BABIES gain international fame at a world-renowned event.

BY SARAH CHO FEATURE EDITOR Five current Diamond Bar High School students along with several past graduates competed in the World of Dance in the Junior Division this past summer as part of the GRaVY BABIES dance crew.

GRaVY BABIES is the junior team to GRV, a hugely respected mega crew that placed second at Hip Hop International this same year.

Due to GRV’s popularity, GRaVY

BABIES was created in January of 2012 and has since placed first at two major dance competitions – World of Dance and Body Rocks.

World of Dance is one of the most well-known dance competitions as it is sponsored by business powerhouses such as Verizon. Its appeal also comes from the fact that there are several, localized events throughout the nation. The event draws a wide range of spectators from simple observers to hundreds of dance hopefuls and has earned a solid, loyal fan base that attends each year. For instance, the Bay Area competition where GRaVY BABIES performed had over 4000 attendees. The convention also holds workshops and sells various fashion items from huge, up and coming street brands.

In preparation of WOD, the

group had several practice sessions a week for four hours each. They trained for about a month in preparation of the prestigious event. The team had received fairly short notice, but were able to pull it together as the dancers used the same set they performed at Body Rock where they received a score of 497 out of 500. Senior Keegan Sullivan, a lieutenant of DBHS All Male Dance Crew, stated, “I felt really proud that we were able to do that on the stage and I know we pushed as hard as we could.”

After fine tuning various aspects, the team was able to give an amazing performance that won both the audience’s love and the judge’s favor. Senior Franklin Yu, who is also the DBHS AMDC captain, explained, “Our set is very draining because it is very high

THE BUZZ

In this lies the basic essence of the film. At one point, the actual author of Jansen’s plagiarized work says to him, “We all have to make a choice; the hardest part is living with it.”

In a movie featuring many In a movie that was produced well-known actors, “The Words” by its star, Bradley Cooper, one disappoints. The performances would expect that the film would be of Cooper, Saldana, and Quaid worthwhile. At least, that’s what I failed to evoke any emotion from was thinking going in to see “The the audience, as if viewers were Words,” which also stars expected to be a moved Dennis Quaid, Zoe Saldana, by a measly tear in and Olivia Wilde. It turns s h ow i n g s a d n e s s o r out that I was dreadfully a strained smile in wrong. showing happiness.

Walking into the theater, In fact, the true gems I couldn’t help but notice lay with the supporting the demographics of the ro l e s. Je re my I ro n s room. It was comprised plays the old man and solely of senior citizens that original author of we’d see for the Early Bird Rory’s plagiarized work. special—and rightfully so.

Irons grips you with The movie took its his shaky tone and his p a i n f u l l y sw e e t t i m e disheveled gaze, pouring getting where it wanted his feelings of injustice to go. It catered to no and loss into you and PHOTO COURTESY of popdust.com audience’s specific pace, making them your own.

THE WORDS opened Sept. 7, starring Cooper and Saldana. taking its time in order Ben Barnes plays the to completely communicate the Rory’s plagiarized work came to be. younger Jeremy Irons and Nora intended messages. In doing this, His entire life, Rory Jansen has Arnezeder plays Celia, his wife. the film sacrifices any potential been working night after night to Both were surprisingly excellent in for attracting young viewers—a write a piece of literature at a level their roles. The love and losses they l u c r at ive ave nu e. T h e o f t e n worth publishing. Unfortunately, experience struck a powerful chord. excessively subtle nuances of the his first novel is not his own. As he These actors managed to evoke movie will make it difficult for is catapulted into a world of both more emotion from the audience in teens and tweens to watch. literary and commercial fame, their slim twenty minute slot that “The Words” begins with a scene Jansen must now deal with the did any of the other A-list stars of an author Clay Hammond, mental ramifications of his choice. throughout the rest of the movie.

BY ROSE KIM STAFF WRITER

played by Quaid, reading an excerpt of his novel. This is the first of many plotlines, as the film is formatted as stories within a story. The scene then shifts to dramatize the events of Hammond’s book; this is the plotline in which we see Cooper as aspiring author Rory Jansen, happily mar ried to Saldana’s character, Dora. In this second plotline unfolds a third story of how

energy and by the end of it, we are all really dead.” It obviously paid off as the team placed first in the Bay Area World of Dance Competition and achieved the first perfect score in WOD Junior Division history.

“It was unreal because no one had done it before and after various competitions with different teams, I know how hard it is,” Yu commented. Yu also had the great honor of subbing for a GRV member at Hip Hop International where GRV placed second in the world.

Alongside West Covina High School, DBHS has the most students participating in the award-winning dance crew.

Current Diamond Bar students, along with Yu and Sullivan, Derrick Sy, Taylor Yada, and

BY CLAIRE HUANG ASST. A&E EDITOR

Jason Lin, are also proud members.

All five members are also a part of DBHS dance teams. The January 2012 audition, where these five tried out, drew over 100 dancers but less than 50 were actually accepted.

There are several DBHS students in various other dance crews such as Marvels, Goon Squad, and Miniotics, but it seems that GRaVY BABIES is quickly stealing the spotlight with its recent successes. The team will be losing a few members due to some age restrictions, but auditions were held in September to find new, talented dancers.

The entire dance community looks to this new dance crew as the future of the dance scene. DBHS proudly stands behind our talented students who have truly shown their worth as dancers.

vs.

When the Samsung Galaxy SIII was released, all heads immediately turned toward the iPhone to spot any similarities between the two phones.

In comparison, the two phones looked very much alike, a fact which increased tension in the already heated rivalry between the two companies. However, most do not know that this “battle” began a year ago in April, when Apple sued Samsung for copying Apple’s iPod and iPad designs. Samsung then struck back and claimed that Apple had taken some of Samsung’s designs as well. Finally, in August 2012, the jury reached a verdict by finding Samsung guilty of intentionally infringing Apple’s patents, which led to Samsung having to pay $1.05 billion to Apple.

Although Samsung is deemed to pay this large sum of money, the battle is not yet over. Apple has also requested the banning of eight Galaxy products from the American market. Still, Samsung has stated that they would do their best to keep the products in the U.S, even if it meant altering a few of their products. Samsung also released their thoughts on the case by claiming that they felt Apple did

not sue based on copyright issues, but rather on the desire to beat competition.

To the American people, there are two ways of looking at the outcome of the case. Some may claim that because of this case, there will be more restrictions on future items and fewer products will be produced. As a result, this would hamper creative freedom within other companies in the future.

On the other hand, this case has brought up another important matter: the American patent system. Apple’s claims in court included claims that may sound trivial. For example, a “pinch and zoom” patent was put up for consideration. This function was not only taken by Samsung, but by other companies as well, which allows the question of validity to surface: does the American patent system need to be redone?

The victory for Apple will undoubtedly not only put further restrictions for smartphones in the market, but also place a watchful eye on Samsung’s future endeavors. However, the case is not yet over and the verdict is not yet final. Samsung and Apple are to meet in court again on Sept. 20.

Until then, smartphone consumers should tightly hold onto their phones; it shouldn’t be surprising if Apple hits another company with a lawsuit.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Fall Back Into Television

BY WINSTON CHO SPORTS EDITOR

Fall can be the most disheartening time of the year for students. Summer is officially over and school is back in session.

However, there is one reason to be excited about the fall. Our favorite shows that took their own summer breaks will soon return to thrill us with much entertainment.

The Walking Dead- Oct. 14: Season two of The Walking Dead ended with the group narrowly escaping Hershel’s farm when it was invaded by zombies. Shortly after, Rick reveals to the group that they too can turn into zombies after death and establishes a “Ricktatorship” amongst the survivors. Season three similarly promises more action as the group battles the Governor for a prison they hope to turn into their own safe haven with the help of the mysterious hooded figure.

The Vampire Diaries- Oct. 11: After Elena’s horrifying death due to a devastating car accident, she was revived through the vampire blood she ingested before the crash. Elena will most likely have no choice but to transition into a vampire, but this would only

complicate her twisted relationship with the Salvatore brothers. Will she stay with Stefan, or leave him for Damon? Is there room enough for both Tyler and Klaus in Mystic Falls? Find out in season four!

Arrow- Oct. 10: With the recent success of comic-book adaptations of movies during the summer, Arrow, a spin-off of Smallville, promises to be a dynamic new show with plenty of action. It revolves around Oliver Queen’s return to Starling City after his seven-year exile on a deserted island from a boating accident that also killed his family. Changed from this ordeal, he returns determined to rid the city of corruption and find those responsible for murdering his family.

The Office- Sept. 20: The Office has entertained its loyal viewers for years but after eight years, this season will be its last run.

Season eight ended with Andy reclaiming the Regional Manager position with the help of none other than former Dunder Mifflin CFO David Wallace. Dwight and Angela also shared a steamy kiss while delivering a diaper for a paternity test to see if he is truly the father of her baby. The final season promises to end with a bang with several new faces joining the Scranton branch including a new love interest for Erin.

PHOTO COURTESY of io9.com

THE BULL’S EYE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Gangnam Style

11

track in PSY’s sixth album, released after his latest contract deal with YG Entertainment, a K-pop powerhouse agency that currently houses Korea’s most popular hip hop artists like Big Bang and 2NE1 (and DBHS’s Class of 1996 alumnus Hong Jun Park, also known by his stage name Teddy). Through the song, PSY brings the tony, Beverly Hills-esque town of Gangnam, Korea into the spotlight. He wittily sings about

factor why the song has gained such popularity. It’s quite simple— crisscross your arms, extend them outward and bounce your legs rhythmically as if you are riding on a galloping pony. Then spin Some people call it a fad, some your forearm in the air as if you are people call it a syndrome. But about to throw an invisible lasso. most people simply can’t find the Some have labeled this right word to describe the massive equestrian choreography the next whirlwind of a popularity a 34-yearMacarena, and with 104 million old Korean rollicking singerviews on YouTube, and counting, rapper has cast around the globe. its catchiness may possibly Meet PSY (Park surpass any form Jae Sang), the of popular dance man who finally routine in existence. trumped Carly As a testimony to Rae Jepsen and the song’s stellar Katy Perry over reco gnition, a single, viral “Gangnam Style” music video, has already aired “ G a n g n a m in various public Style.” settings, including Hailed “The at Dodger Stadium Korean LMFAO,” during its Dance PSY does not Cam Session and on embody the the “Tonight Show” current trend of during Jay Leno’s androg ynous, parody of Republican pretty boy candidate Mitt groups currently Romney.

Celebrity bombarding the Twitterians such as K-pop scene. He Britney Spears and is shamelessly T-Pain have also comical, topped shared their interest with a dash toward the song. of masculine According to the confidence PHOTO COURTESY of popdust.com latest reports, PSY and strong PSY’S “GANGNAM STYLE” has reached over 110 million views on YouTube. has officially begun stage presence. his trek into the Debuting in 2001, PSY amassed how his ideal girl and his ideal self American entertainment scene. much popularity in South Korea are as elegant as the inhabitants of On Sept. 4, the singer signed with his hit track, “Champion.” the city, but laid-back and exciting with Island Records, which will It’s no wonder as to why Korean at the same time. His music video, solely manage PSY’s upcoming citizens are so awestruck by where he attempts to act rich international activities. In addition, the recent Gangnam Style and pretentious in a hilariously PSY made a surprise appearance phenomenon—this man has been contrasting background (for with Kevin Hart on MTV’s VMA around the music industry for example, sun tanning in a local last Thursday night. over a decade now, but none of his playground), clearly reflects this So whether you’re sad or happy, hit tracks have ever reached such comical message. it’s time to giddy up. Crisscross global fame until now.

The offbeat choreography of your arms, and just bounce it the “Gangnam Style” is the title the song is undoubtedly the main Gangnam Style.

BY JUSTIN PARK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kong’s Korner

ARROW, a new television show, will premiere on October 10.

Mad About Madden?

A monthly review or rant on games, shows, movies, and other forms of entertainment

BY AUSTIN KONG A&E EDITOR

On Aug. 28, EA Sports released this year’s Madden and boasted about many new features that made this year’s game “the greatest ever.” I laughed as I read reviewers online criticize and

complain about how this year’s release was a disappointment.

THIS HAPPENS EVERY YEAR! This is the Madden trend that has plagued football fans across the nation for at least a decade.

Madden will always disappoint its fans but will nevertheless continue to stay loyal to the franchise.

This year’s Madden emphasizes the new Infinity Physics engine that the developers incorporated

PHOTO COURTESY of gamedynamo.com

MADDEN is incorporating the new Infinity Physics engine in this year’s game.

into its gameplay. In a recent preview, the EA representative raved that, “No hit will ever look the same!” WELL, FINALLY. It seems that EA has finally decided to answer the angry messages from its fans that the hits and tackles in previous installments were filled with glitches and bugs.

I can’t have enough instances of how my middle linebacker sacked a quarterback but still managed to lose yards because the QB falls forward instead of back.

The Infinity Physics engine was used in a popular iPhone game, “Backbreaker.” Most people do not know that an actual console “Backbreaker” game was released.

I own a copy of this game and the physics engine makes this game worth my money in gold. Overall, the engine is definitely an upgrade for Madden 13.

However, this just solidifies my claim about a consistent trend in every Madden installment. I would not be surprised if the EA developers have a list of new ideas that date up to Madden 32. They take one idea off this list and make it the central marketing aspect of their new game. They also take out a few of the successful game modes that fans love and bring it back after a few years to

PHOTO COURTESY of vividgamer.com

CALVIN JOHNSON JR. was chosen to be on the cover of Madden 13. make people buy their product.

This year’s Madden got rid of the Franchise Mode and Fantasy Draft and replaced it with the new Connected Careers Mode. You are probably wondering to yourself, why would the EA developers take out their most successful game modes without warning their fans?

It’s because they know that fans will buy the product regardless of what game modes are in the game, because they want to play with the Infinity Physics Engine and with the brand new depth charts for the upcoming season! This tactic

is repeated year after year. Don’t be excited when EA announces that they will return the Franchise mode to Madden 14 or 15. We all saw it coming.

The point I am trying to make is that it is useless to get “Mad about Madden.” The game is still fun regardless of what game modes they include or exclude.

What may disappoint you in this year’s Madden was only done so that you would end up buying next year’s product. This year’s disappointment will be next year’s excitement.

12 ADVERTISEMENTS

THE BULL’S EYE

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

SPORTS

THE BULL’S EYE

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Cross Country Runs its first Meet under Coach Cortez

13

COACH PROFILE Name: Christine Cortez Currently Coaching: Varsity Cross Country Coaching Since: 2012 Christine Cortez is the new coach of the varsity Cross Country team. She is replacing last years head coach Brian Weincek. “I found out that last year was his last year so I wanted to replace him,” Cortez commented. Before getting the head coach position, Cortez was a part time student in college and the assistant varsity track coach last year. She has high expectations for the 2012 Cross Country team. “My expectations for the team are that I want the team to finish in the Top 3 in every meet,” Cortez said.

The Lady Brahmas Dominate the Hacienda League ANDREW CHOI

RACE TO PLACE - Senior Annemarie Branks endures the blazing heat.

CROSS COUNTRY |

Seniors Zachary Unger and Kelly Kuo lead the team in their first meet.

BY ANDREW CHOI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

The Diamond Bar High School varsity Cross Country team competed in its first official meet at the 2012 Bronco Invitational at Cal Poly Pomona. Out of 18 schools the boys’ team placed 16th while the girls’ team placed 9th.

The course was 3.1 miles long consisting of grass and hard packed dirt trails with some asphalt and concrete. Senior Kelly Kuo led the girls’ team by finishing in eighteenth place with an overall time of 19:43. Following Kuo was sophomore Ariana Infante who completed the course at 20:26. Next for the Lady Brahmas was senior Annemarie Branks and senior co-captain Casey Lam with times of 21:23 and 22.01 respectively.

Close behind Lam was sophomore

Jeannie Huang with a time of 22.07 with junior Annaliz Loera finishing it up for the Lady Brahmas clocking in at 23:07. “We had a fast start, but because of the hot temperatures I think we started too fast. However, the team did really good for the first meet of the season,” Lam commented.

“The top three runners did well and everybody showed that they are dedicated to the team. The team did really good. It kept a good pace and all of them pushed very hard toward the end,” Coach Christine Cortez said.

For the boys’ varsity team, senior captain Zachary Unger led the way for the Brahmas finishing with a time of 18:18. Then senior Aaron Wong and sophomore Ryan Alvarado completed the course with times of 18:44 and 18:44 respectively. Sophomore Hamilton Lin came in at 19:24 while his twin

brother Harrison Lin finishing it up for the Brahmas at 19:38. The results of the boys’ team were affected by the absence of junior Jacob Unger and senior Jeremy Meyers. “The team did great as we exceeded the expectations we had before the race,” Unger commented.

This is also the first official meet for Coach Cortez.

She is replacing last year’s varsity coach Brian Weincek.

Cortez was an assistant to him and the track team. “I love Cross Country because the sport’s main aspect is the focus on how the team did,” she expressed.

“It was a good start for the boys because many of the runners are newcomers,” Cortez said. As the Lady Brahmas were able to qualify for CIF last year, Cortez has high expectations expecting both teams to finish in the top three in every league meet.

“The top three runners did well and everybody showed that they are dedicated to the team”

G. GOLF | The girls won their 50th straight dual match against the West Covina Bulldogs.

BY WINSTON CHO SPORTS EDITOR Coming off its second straight Hacienda League title, the Diamond Bar High School Girls Golf team defeated West Covina High School 198-270 at the Diamond Bar Golf Course. This brings its overall record to 7-0 and league record to 3-0. Sophomore co-captain Bethany Wu shot a strong 38 while senior Jihyun Park shot a team best 37.

Because of the large number of players on the varsity golf team, Tony McCabe split up the teams into three strings to conserve the players’ energy. Despite this, Diamond Bar’s second and third string players are as good as, if not better than, most of the Hacienda league. As a testament to the team’s depth, the lowest score out of the West Covina team was 49 compared to the Park’s 37. The team’s depth allows the team’s players to rest as there are multiple games a week, a situation that can put strain on the golfers’ bodies.

The entire team played well and was in control the entire match.

The team’s low score reveals the Lady Brahmas’ depth and balance.

“Any time you break 200, you’re one of the top teams in the state and we do that on a regular basis,” McCabe commented. Sophomores Josephine Chang and Joan Park shot a low score of 39 as they played with a cool demeanor the entire match. Despite shooting a 38, Wu was very disappointed in her score.

“I didn’t play as well as last year.

It just wasn’t my day,” Wu said.

However, she shot the second lowest score out of all the players.

The team fully expects to capture the Hacienda League title for the third straight year and continue on to the state finals.

Although the Lady Brahmas lost in the state semi-finals last year, the team knows that it has the potential to win state this year.

“Just being ready on the big day is the final step for state,” McCabe said. The Lady Brahmas are no longer satisfied with receiving second place despite playing well the entire season.

Wu, as well as senior co-captains Isabelle Shee and Kristie Yang, believes that the team has the makings of the best team in the

WINSTON CHO

FOCUSING - Sophomore Josephine Chang uses her driver to tee off.

state despite losing one of their best players from last year in Valerie Wijaya who went on to golf professionally in college. In addition to winning seven straight league titles, the team has not lost a dual match since McCabe started coaching the team two years ago.

The win against the West Covina Bulldogs makes an unprecedented 50 straight dual match victories, the most in all of the Hacienda League. However, the team is solely focused on winning the state title that has eluded them since they made it to the semi-finals in 2004.

“We made it to the state semi-finals last year so we hope to win it all this year,” McCabe said.

Last year, for the first time in DBHS history, a freshman, Wu, won the Hacienda League MVP award.

In addition, she qualified for the CIF Individual Finals along with Park, Shee, and Yang and all four placed in the top ten. To top it off, Wu was invited to compete in the US Women’s Amateur tournament.

She shot one over par to tie for 25th place over two days of play.

She then won her first round of match play to reach the top 32. The tournament is mostly comprised of the best golfers at the collegiate level, but Wu was invited due to her high level of play.

“Any time you break

200, you’re one of the top teams in the state and we do that on a regular basis.”

POOL IN PROGRESS - The future home of Brahma aquatics begins to take its shape.

JUSTIN PARK

14 SPORTS

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

THE BULL’S EYE

PRO SPORTS MEMES

Take a look at these staff-selected Internet memes to see what’s the latest in today’s professional sports teams!

NBA - Steve Nash and Dwight Howard’s Trade

The Lady Brahmas Suffer a Disappointing Defeat VOLLEYBALL | The girls fall to the Alta Loma Braves 0-3 dropping their league record to 2-1.

BY JOSEPH PARK ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

MLB - The Dodgers continue to struggle

NFL - The Broncos get a real quarterback

Coming off a win against Sunny Hills High School 3-2 Aug. 30, the varsity Volleyball team fell short against the Alta Loma Braves last Thursday. Alta Loma came out strong as Diamond Bar could not keep up due to the many errors in its passing. This loss drops Diamond Bar’s record to 1-2.

DBHS came out struggling from the start as the team’s chemistry was off. The Lady Brahmas routinely dropped passes and failed to set up one another. Diamond Bar never got into the match losing the first set 13-25.

Despite getting dominated in the first set, the Lady Brahmas got off to a strong start in the second set.

However, Diamond Bar could not keep up with Alta Loma’s offense.

Unfortunately, Diamond Bar hopes of winning the second set started to ebb as the team fell apart in the second half of the second set.

Diamond Bar ended up losing the second 15-25. “We had too many errors after starting off well,” Bevans said.

The third set was much like the first. The Braves took the lead right away and never looked back. However, senior captain Tia Hernandezhad eight kills but was ultimately not enough as Diamond Bar lost the third set 14-25. “I think we really just needed to focus on passing in the game. Passing was a big issue ye s t e r d ay.

We got the opportunities to get good passes but we could not finish our opportunities,” Hernandez said.Once again, passing was the downfall of the Lady Brahmas in the third set. “This was not one of our best

COURTESY OF SHANNON FAN, CLASS OF 2012

PHOTO CAPTION - Ravens Asa Jackson celebrates after his touchdown.

XING YEN QUEK

PERFECT POSITION - Senior Angela Schmidt takes form to retrieve. games,” Bevans said.

The Braves consistently had a lead throughout the game d e s p i t e the Lady Brahmas’ effort. Due to failed passes and set ups, DBHS had no answer for Alto L o m a ’ s unrelenting offense.

“Alta Loma had really big hitters that we couldn’t defend,” Bevans commented.

Alta Loma had better ball

“We need to get our confidence back. We know our whole games start with good passing and tough serving. We just need to regroup, erase this one and move one”

Olympian Michael Phelps Brings Honor to the United States

control and tougher strikes which Diamond Bar could not defend.

Despite the loss against the Braves, the Lady Brahmas did very well against Sunny Hills High School. It was a tough match but Diamond Bar pulled through to win the game in five sets 25-21, 1525, 25-21, 20-25, 15-13 respectively proving that DBHS is capable of winning.

After a tough loss, DBHS looks forward to the next away game against the Brea Olinda Wildcats.

“We need to get our confidence back. We know our whole games start with good passing and tough serving. We just need to regroup, erase this one and move on,” Bevans commented. Without a strong start to the season, Diamond Bar is hoping to recover and gain momentum into CIF.

OLYMPICS | Michael Phelps’ 22 total medals leaves him as one of the greatest Olympians of all time.

BY COLENE ENG EDITORIAL EDITOR

Over the past 12 years of some of the world’s biggest swim meets, Michael Phelps has cemented his status as one the best Olympians of all time. Few can forget his unprecedented eight gold medal haul in Beijing and the 39 world records that he has set during his athletic career, surpassing the previous record of 33.

Although Phelps was relatively well-known among swimmers, he first burst onto the international stage in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney when he was only 15, making him the youngest male swimmer to make the United States Olympic swim team in 68 years.

Phelps finished 5th in his sole event, the 200-meter butterfly. Prior to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, it was rumored that Phelps was attempting to break Spitz’s record of seven gold medals set in the 1972 Games in Munich. However, Phelps

fell short, winning bronze in two of his eight events. While Phelps did not manage to break Spitz’s record, only winning six gold medals, Phelps did successfully manage to become the second male swimmer ever to win more than two individual titles in a single Games. These Games was merely a hint to what this magnificent athlete would later accomplish.

For the next four years, Phelps trained furiously to prepare for his unforgettable appearance in the 2008 Beijing Games. During these Games, Phelps broke seven world records and one Olympic record. With the record of eight gold medals from a single Games, Phelps has left a massive legacy in the sports realm. Few, if any, will be able to surpass the Phelps’ numerous feats.

The London Games this past summer was Phelps’ last time ever swimming competitively. The 27-year old swimmer managed to medal in six out of his seven events, an impressive feat considering that he took a two-year hiatus following the 2008 Olympics.

Despite this, Phelps emerged as the most decorated Olympian, winning his historic 19th, 20th, and 21st Olympic medals in these Games. These medals guaranteed that Phelps would smash gymnast Larisa Latynina’s 48-year old record of winning 18 medals. After swimming his race ever on an international stage, Phelps received an award from the international swimming federation, FINA, commemorating his prominence as the most decorated Olympian ever. However, to many, Phelps is not regarded as merely the most decorated Olympian, but rather, the best athlete that the world has seen.

With Phelps’ 22 Olympic medals, he actually has more hardware than 154 other countries do. That means that his medal haul is bigger than approximately 75% of the world’s countries, cementing Phelps as the world’s greatest Olympian. With his hard work, dedication, perseverance, and will power, Michael Phelps is undeniably the world’s greatest athlete of all time.

COURTESY OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

MOST DECORATED OLYMPIAN - Michael Phelps raises FINA trophy in pride.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

SPORTS COLUMN

A Big Risk For the Dodgers

SPORTS

THE BULL’S EYE

15

Girls Tennis Controls the Match to Capture Another Victory for a 2-0 Record G. TENNIS | The Lady Brahmas defeat the Rowland Raiders 12-6 on their way to an undefeated season.

BY HANNA KANG STAFF WRITER

BY ANDREW CHOI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

B

efore the start of the 2012 Major League Baseball season, Magic Johnson, the new part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, said that the team would have a “win at all costs” approach to the upcoming season. The team knew that it would not be able to win the World Series with only outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, and starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw. Johnson and General Manager Ned Colletti seized a huge opportunity recently to improve their roster by acquiring Boston Red Sox’s power-hitting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Due to the Dodgers falling out of first place in the National League West Division to the San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers acquired Miami Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez and Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino to further improve the team. However, on August 25, the Dodgers completed the largest trade in franchise history, which included nine players and a quarter of a billion dollars. The Dodgers received starting pitcher Josh Beckett, left fielder Carl Crawford (out for the season due to an elbow injury), and second basemen Nick Punto from the Boston Red Sox in addition to Gonzalez.

Despite being traded due to the Red Sox’s desire to rebuild for the future, Gonzalez is still considered one of the top players in all of baseball. He is a major upgrade over former first basemen James Loney who was batting .241 with four homeruns compared to Gonzalez’s .305 and 16 homeruns.

Ramirez is a much better hitter and defender than former starting shortstop Dee Gordon as Ramirez’s .301 career batting average proves.

Additionally, Victorino adds veteran experience and depth to a youthful but injury-prone team.

The Dodgers are currently 1.5 games back of the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Wild Card race. The Dodgers has one of the best pitching teams in the league with Kershaw, last year’s Cy Young Award Winner, and Chris Capuano, who is having an excellent season. With the new players and the core the team had before the trading deadline, many baseball fans expect the team to make it to the playoffs and go to the World Series. There are only a few teams in the league such as the Texas Rangers and the Washington Nationals that can match the Dodgers’ offensive explosiveness.

The future looks bright as the Dodgers have all of their core players under contract until 2014 except Kershaw, who is likely to resign. Although the Dodgers acquired so many new players, the team still has most of their top minor league prospects like starting pitcher Zach Lee. The Dodgers now have the building blocks of an offensive dynasty with Kemp, Ethier, Ramirez, Kershaw, and Gonzalez .Although the Dodgers will have to pay more than $ 250 million in yearly salary, Dodger fans have a lot to be excited about for years to come.

The Diamond Bar High School varsity Girls Tennis team beat the Rowland High School Raiders 12-6 last Thursday. The team is currently undefeated with an overall record of 2-0 and league record of 1-0.

The Lady Brahmas started the match strong. with number one singles player senior Padmaja Krishnan winning all of her three matches; however, the number two singles player, senior Iris Hsieh, lost two of her three matches.

Senior co-captain Joycelyn Chen and Christina Georgescu, the number two doubles team, were in complete control of their match and won all of their three sets.

After the end of the first set, senior Evelyn Wang, was substituted by junior Silvia Lin due to a sprained ankle. In the third match senior Melody Chen and Lin were replaced by players Danielle Foley and Jasmine Zhang.

The number one doubles team of Chen and Wang won its first two matches and ended 6-1.

“We have two very strong doubles teams.”

Coach Tisa Shavers said on the performance of the team.

COURTESY OF KELLY SANDBERG

SLICING THE BALL - Senior Melody Chen looks to finish her opponent with a shot.

The team boldly entered its match on Sept. 6 against the Raiders with confidence after the previous m a t c h against the Sunny Hill Lancers, one of the better teams in the Hacienda L e a g u e .

Although the Lancers played well with strong serves and hits, the Brahmas kept calm and defeated the Lancers

“They’re working hard to get better, and working on being consistent. They are really a great group of girls...”

13-5. “They’re working hard to get better, and working on being consistent. They are really a great group of girls who are just like a family. Tennis is basically an independent sport, but they work as a team, and care for each other, and show concern for each other’s matches.” Shavers said.

Last season, the team went 16-2 through the season and more impressively did not lose a single league match. For their effort, the number one doubles team of Chen and Wang were named the Hacienda League’s Most Valuable Players. This was Chen’s second MVP award. The team also made CIF last season for the third straight year. However, after

advancing to the quarterfinals of the CIF Division II championships, the Lady Brahmas fell to Troy High School. Despite losing in the quarterfinals. Shavers described this as a great achievement as this is the farthest she and the team has gone in CIF since coaching at DBHS. This year, the team expects to advance to the finals. “I think unity is important when it comes to matches. Without team effort, you can’t accomplish anything.” Chen commented.

The Brahmas hope to maintain their winning streak to maintain their momentum. Their next match is today at the Ayala High School Bulldogs.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

SPORTS

THE BULL’S EYE

16

Brahma Football Tramples over Don Lugo for an Easy Victory 51-13 FOOTBALL | With

its first win of the season, DBHS shows a promising future.

BY ANDREW CHOI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

The Diamond Bar High School football team beat the Don Lugo Conquistadors at home last Friday 51-13. The game was a “Military Appreciation Game” and was a tribute to all of the teachers that were in the army. Before the game, former marine and coach Albert Lim was a honorary co-captain.

This game marks the first win of the 2012 football season.

“It feels good to finally get one under our belt,” Coach Ryan Maine said. The Brahmas started the game with a field goal from junior kicker Nolan Luzzi. Then the Brahmas’ defense was able to give the Conquistadors a three and out, forcing Don Lugo to punt the ball and giving great field position to the Brahmas. Junior running back Tyler Brown took advantage and scored a touchdown on a one yard run. However, the Brahmas failed to convert the extra point, making the score 9-0.

In the second quarter, the Conquistadors were able to carry the ball further down the field.

However, Don Lugo could not score because the Conquistadors tried to convert a fourth down but failed to, due to the Brahmas’ strong defense.

On the first play after the failed fourth conversion, sophomore quarterback Tyler Peterson threw

an 80-yard touchdown pass to running back Brown.

Later in the quarter, senior defensive lineman Andres Meave recovered a fumble for the Brahmas. Taking advantage of the turnover, Peterson threw a 32yard touchdown on a screen pass to sophomore wide receiver Kanya Bell. Due to their stellar defense, the Brahmas scored another touchdown with Peterson‘s 17yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Austin Cox. This was Peterson’s third touchdown of the half. The Conquistadors were able to score a touchdown during the final seconds of the second quarter, making it 27-7 at the end of the half.

The Brahmas’ defense started the third quarter giving the Conquistadors another three and out. On the next possession, Peterson threw a pass to Bell for a 40-yard completion, giving DBHS an opportunity to score. However, instead of getting a touchdown, the team completed a field goal for a 30-7 lead.

In the beginning of the fourth quarter, Peterson threw another touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Cordell Broadus. Peterson finished the game completing 12 out of his 20 passes and throwing for 279 yards with four touchdowns.

Then the Brahmas’ special teams recovered an onside kick by Luzzi which led to another touchdown

by Brown. Brown rushed for 101 yards, received for 156 yards, and had three touchdowns. DBHS had full control of the game with a 44-13 lead. In the final seconds of the game, DBHS scored another touchdown, making the total 5113. “It was great to get this off our

XING YEN QUEK

TOUCHDOWN - Sophomore Kanya Bell sprints to complete a touchdown in the second quarter. chest as we came and won this game,” senior co-captain Chris Knight. said.

Although the Brahmas won by such a large margin, the team was called for multiple penalties.

“There are some things we still have to tweak,” Knight commented.

This is the second straight game that the Brahmas’ offense scored

more than 35 points. “We always expect to get on an offensive roll and even though we blew them out, we always try to get better,” Peterson expressed.

Although the DBHS offense was nearly impeccable, the team’s defense is what truly won the game. It had three sacks, two turnovers, and gave the offensive

KRISTIE YANG ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

many chances to score.. “The last two games we could not finish, but tonight we finished,” Maine said.

The Brahmas are now 1-2 in the season. They expect to capture another victory on Sept. 14 at home against the Brea Olinda Wildcats.

“We want to play our best and continue to win games,” Maine commented.

A Beauty on the Stage, A Beast on the Range

BY JOSEPH PARK ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

As the varsity girl’s golf team captain of two years and a disciplined student, Kristie Yang is the epitome of a successful student athlete. She stands out from her peers as she has a wide variety of accomplishments and extracurricular activities in her high school career.

Yang’s golf career started ever since her sister influenced her. Yang started to play golf recreationally with her sister in middle school. After watching her sister excel with the Brahmas in the varsity team, Yang also decided to pursue golf in high school.

Subsequently, Yang made the varsity team as a freshman. “Golf is a very time consuming sport,” Yang said. Although golf takes up the majority of her time, she still maintains a GPA of 3.6. She is also currently taking difficult AP courses such as Psychology and Calculus.

As a Brahma, Yang advanced

to CIF her first three years in high school and will most likely qualify this year. She placed allleague 3rd, 2nd, and 4th in her freshman, sophomore, and junior years, respectively. “Whenever I’m competing against other players, I don’t focus as much on the opponents but I always try to beat myself with the high expectations I set for myself,” Yang commented. Yang does not really have any opponents, her goal is to defeat herself in every match. This unique mindset in competing with herself led her to beat many other opponents in default.

Yang has many accomplishments not only in school but also out of school. She competed in the LA County Championship twice, placing 4th in her sophomore year and winning 1st her junior year.

She also took 2nd place at the Toyota Tour Cup in her junior year.

Another out of school competition she competed in is the Junior Amateur Golf Scholars, in which she placed 3rd place once and 4th place twice.

Many colleges are interested in Yang’s exceptional abilities in golf. One such school is Southern

UPCOMING EVENTS FOOTBALL

9/14 vs Brea Olinda 9/21 vs Los Altos 9/28 @ Rowland 10/6 @ D. Ranch 10/19 vs Walnut

(7:00 PM)

VOLLEYBALL

9/18 @ Los Altos 9/20 vs W. Covina 9/22 vs D. Ranch 10/2 @ Walnut 10/4 vs Rowland 10/9 @ Bonita 10/11 vs Los Altos 10/16 @ W. Covina 10/18 @ D. Ranch

(5:30 PM)

G. TENNIS

9/13 @ Los Altos 9/18 @ West Covina 9/20 @ D. Ranch 9/27 vs Walnut 10/2 vs Rowland 10/4 vs Bonita 10/9 vs Los Altos 10/11 vs West Covina 10/16 vs D. Ranch 10/22 @ Walnut

(3:30 PM)

Illinois University, to which she received a scholarship, “I feel complete because I got the scholarship,” Yang said. The scholarship was one of the main motivation and the reason she strvies so hard in playing golf even though it drastically sacrifices time to do homeowork or rest. She credits her success to her sister, who paved the way for her as a golf player, and her grandfather, who gives her good advice.

In addition to golf, Yang also competes in beauty pageants.

Yang still manages to fit in other activities such as competing in the Miss Teen Taiwan Pageant. This taught her crucial life techniques such as etiquette and confidence.

Being one of the elite golfers in Diamond Bar High School and of all the Hacienda League, she plans to compete at the collegiate level. She challenges herself with great determination, taking hard courses and maintaining an excellent grade point average while playing such a time consuming sport. “I want to be the best that I can possibly be.” Yang said. All in all, Kristie Yang sets the standards for future Brahma golfers.

G. GOLF

(2:30 PM)

9/25 Los Altos @ Diamond Bar 9/27 Los Altos @ Whittier Narrows 10/2 Rowland @ Royal Vista 10/4 Rowland @ Diamond Bar 10/9 Walnut @ Diamond Bar 10/11 Walnut @ Royal Vista

CROSS COUNTRY

9/22 Dana Hills Invitational @ Dana Point 8:00 a.m.

9/29 Top Speed Invitational @ Bonelli Park 6:15 a.m.

10/10 Hacienda League Meet #2 @ Bonelli Park 3:45 p.m.

10/13 San Gabriel Valley Champs @ Mt. Sac 6:30 a.m.