September 2015

inside the issue

culture shock: FOBS ADJUST TO A NEW LIFE

SERIOUSLY SATIRICAL: DONALD TRUMP

feature 6

opinion 5

sports 16

a&e 11

UPCOMING FALL TV SHOWS

the bull’s eye NEWS

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OPINION

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F E AT U RE

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BRAHMAS START SEASON WITH 3 WINS

September 16, 2015 Volume XXXIV, Issue I ONLINE at dbbullseye.com

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

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S P O RT S

Brummett moves forward The social studies teacher joins Hong and Aguilar as one of the deans. frances wu news editor

Photo courtesy of WILLIAM FOLEY

Catherine Real, with staff members Stephanie Duenas and Dave Desmond at her goodbye party.

Parting ways with DBHS

Catherine Real moves on after five years as the school’s principal. yusheng xia editor-in-chief In September of 2010, Catherine Real took the job as principal of Diamond Bar High School, embarking on a journey with the hopes of continuing the school’s growth in order to give students the quality education she believed they deserved. Five years and numerous school developments later, Real has stepped down from her job in order to move on to the next challenge of her life.

Real, in an interview with the Bull’s Eye, said she believes that one of her biggest accomplishments as principal has been mak-

ing Advanced Placement courses accessible to a larger range of students. This process has included removing many barriers such as writing exams, application packets, and teacher recommendations, which previously existed at DBHS and are still enacted in many schools today.

“As I interact with different kids around, it makes me sad to think that I’m not going to do that all day every day...”

CATHERINE REAL

“We’ve increased the number of students who are trying [AP courses], but that’s not easy because we’ve also had to increase the number of sections,” Real said.

“We can’t just say ‘Hey everyone come on, take an AP class’ and then there is not enough seats.”

By increasing the number of AP courses offered, Real said that she thinks more students challenge themselves by taking these classes. While she doesn’t believe AP classes are right for everyone, Real thinks that the classes are beneficial in that they improve time management skills and help students “up their game” with higher level thinking and writing.

“I think if you’re capable, you should try it because those skills will make you successful when you go to college,” Real said. “We don’t want to send to send kids to college thinking they’re all that and then they get there and they realize ‘Oh my God, everybody’s intellectual level and discourse in things are so far above what I’m capable of.’”

Providing more opportunities for students in terms of class dif-

PRINCIPAL on p.3

Matt Brummett, who once spent his days teaching students about civic responsibility, has decided to take on some more responsibility of his own by stepping out of his classroom and into his new office.

Brummett is now the Instructional Dean for the Social Studies, English, and the PE/Health divisions at Diamond Bar High School.

As a result, Deans David Hong and Gabriel Aguilar have each been re-assigned to different departments as well, due to a combination of Brummett’s pre-existing Social Science background and the other deans’ desire for new challenges.

Hong is now the head of the Math, Science, and Fine & Performing Acts divisions, while Aguilar has taken on the Careers/Technology/ROP, Foreign Language, and Special Education sections.

As an Instructional Dean, Brummett’s job is to work with teachers and GLCs to accommodate the students’ needs, as well as meet the teachers’ needs.

The deans work with Vice Principal John Terry to create the master schedule and determine class sizes.

“Our job is, first and foremost, to oversee teachers in our division and to support the school from an administrative setting,” Brummett said.

Brummett, who has been interested in becoming an administrator for a few years now, had encouragement from several existing

Photo courtesy of DBHS.ORG

administrators to apply for this position.

“Ms. Real, Mr. Aguilar, and many other administrators have given me the opportunity to build my resume … I was definitely interested [in this job] and I talked it over with my wife [GLC Jenna Brummett].

We thought it would be a good opportunity for me to pursue, and lo and behold, I was fortunate enough to be hired,” he said.

Currently, Brummett has only set short-term goals for himself, saving any large-scale projects for the upcoming years.

As of now, his main goal is to focus on getting to familiar with all of the teachers in his divisions and to build relationships with them.

Additionally, he is working on improving different departments of the school in order to maintain the school’s accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

He, like the other deans, also still

BRUMMETT on p.2

School welcomes group of new teachers Eleven new teachers have joined the DBHS staff, five of them alumni. ingrid chan staff writer sarah markiewicz asst. opinion editor Though there are new teachers who join the Diamond Bar High School staff every year, this year’s crop is an uncommonly large group, with 11 instructors taking their places in the classroom.

With teachers Courtney Corona and Isabella Chiang in the math department; Nancy Najera, Katy Swetnam, and Caroline Gatlin in the language departments; Jacob Kaitz in drama; Sam Jacoby in woodshop; Isaac Lee and Jon Hurst in the social science department; Adriana Garibay in the special

needs department; and Vianney Hwang in art DBHS will soon be accustomed to ten new faces taking charge of its classrooms.

In addition to interacting with students in the classroom, Corona and Chiang are the advisors for the 2019 class committee.

Corona, a 2003 DBHS graduate, now teaches Algebra A and Algebra II, and is able to work with some of her favorite teachers from

FOR MORE ON JON HURST’S BASEBALL CAREER, SEE SPORTS, PAGE 15 her school days, including Kent Neal, who also teaches Algebra II. Students involved in baseball will have a common interest with another new teacher, Jon Hurst, who used to play baseball with the Gulf Coast League Yankees in the minor league system. Hurst teach-

TEACHERS on p.2

ERIC HONG

Seven of eleven new teachers (left to right) Nancy Najera, Sam Jacoby, Vianney Hwang, Courtney Corona, Isabella Chiang, Katie Swetnam, and Caroline Gatlin stand at the entrance of DBHS, their new workplace.

2

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

DBHS on the go taming the mustangS A new mobile app was created by Edlio in cooperation with DBHS. brian chang asst. news editor In order to keep up with changing times, Diamond Bar High School has developed an iPhone app that allows students to look up upcoming events and reminders as well as visit teacher’s web pages.

The mobile app was designed by DBHS’s resident web administrator Randy Thomas and was created

by Edlio that also hosts the school website.

Since the app costs extra to maintain and the mobile version is easy to navigate as it is, Thomas originally felt that it was unnecessary; however, he was eventually drawn in by the “modern ‘coolness’ factor” of such an app.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, other schools, such as Walnut High School and Diamond Ranch High, are also currently showcasing new apps for mobile users.

“If you look at other schools’ apps, they’re very complex. They look kind of cool, things slide around, but they’re hard to figure out and it’s hard to get to where you want to get to,” Thomas said.

“Truthfully, our mobile website has everything you need. Our mo-

bile app has access to less information, but the access is quicker.”

The app looks and feels very similar to the mobile web page; important information is grouped under different categories, such as “News” and “Staff Directory.”

A bar on the bottom of the app allows users to get directions to the school or contact the school.

Notifications of upcoming events show up on the Home page, and Parent Portal, which many students and parents use to check grades, is easily accessed by tapping on its respective tab.

Links to DBHS’ social media accounts can also be found near the bottom of the app. Currently only the Facebook and Twitter links will open the actual app; the Instagram link opens in Safari.

The app contains less information than the actual website does, and hosts only the most visited links.

At the moment, the app is still incomplete.

In the future, several other features will be added, including a link to the mobile website, as well as videos under the Multimedia tab, as opposed to just photos.

However, the app is designed to provide easy access to frequently visited pages, so not everything found on the website will make its way to the final app.

Finally, as Edlio only creates apps for iPhones, no plans for an Android version are in place.

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

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

Opinion Editor Asst. Opinion Editor

Eric Hong Sarah Markiewicz

Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editors

Michelle Ki Vrinda Chauhan, Catherine Zhang

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

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

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

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

CALVIN RU

Senior Blake Goodman swings at a car during a lunchtime activity the week before the annual Branding Iron game against Walnut High School, which DBHS won for the fifth year in a row, 57-7.

TEACHERS from p.1

New staff members at school es both Advanced Placement and regular economics and civics.

Meanwhile, Chiang always intended to return to DBHS and now teaches Algebra B and Geometry in hopes of alleviating the fears many students hold towards math.

She finds mathematics to be a very real and important solution to many problems in the world.

“I plan on creating a collaborative environment in my classroom where students feel safe and comfortable enough to voice their minds and discuss mathematics.”

Chiang said.

Another teacher, Lee, plans to become a class advisor as well as advisor for the new DECA club, which focuses on marketing and finance. The 2005 DBHS graduate began teaching at the school last semester, but is still getting accustomed to being back on campus.

“I have seniors and I have freshmen, and they’re very different populations and all fun in their own way,” Lee said. “[The school]

has all the familiarities of ten years ago, but at the same time the perspective is so different because I’m on the other side of the classroom.”

As stagecraft and theatre manager, Kaitz, a 2009 alumni, is responsible for all events and shows related to the drama department, providing advice and assistance in areas like live sound, lighting, and staging needs.

For Kaitz, theatre has always been a passion of his, leading to his Bachelor of the Arts degree in Theatre Arts as well as Theatrical Design and Production. One of his goals for this year is to finish building the sets for two theatrical projects.

Another new teacher is an instructor who not only teaches French, but was also born and raised in France as well. Gatlin came to America with the intention of learning English so she could teach in her home country, but instead of returning, she ended up staying and now teaches French.

Responsible for a class of French

I Honors, French II Honors, and French III, Gatlin wants to cultivate a group of students who are fluent communicators and enthusiastic about French culture.

Swetnam, a DBHS alumni has returned where she’ll be educating students in Spanish. Besides teaching a foreign language, she also coaches volleyball, having played the sport at both DBHS and college.

Furthermore, since she spent her time as a student teacher in Diamond Bar High School, and her mother is a DBHS English teacher Shannon Kelly, Swetnam is familiar with campus activities. She looks forward to watching the volleyball and football games, both of which she had been interested in when in high school.

Adriana Garibay teaches Autism Syndrome Disorder students.

This year is her first time teaching kids with special needs, and she hopes to successfully lead her class through the school year.

BRUMMETT from p.1

Setting new goals as Dean

teaches one class, Economics.

Not only is Brummett a new administrator at the school, he also became a father in April.

In order to balance his family and his job, the dean has had to make some adjustments to his schedule, working longer hours during the weekdays and finishing all of his work so that he is available to spend quality time with his family on the weekends.

“We’re very fortunate; my wife is on a nice, long maternity leave, so she’ll be able to spend some time with the baby…I’m not coaching anymore [because] there were

some long hours with coaching [girl’s soccer] and teaching that, in a similar situation, would have taken time away from my family,” he said.

Clearly, there are some major differences between teaching and administrative work, and having been a social studies teacher for several years at DBHS, Brummett has had to adjust his priorities.

Although he has already served a few administrative positions before, working as the former WASC co-writer and the assistant SBAC coordinator, Brummett is taking

extra measures to ensure that he does the best job possible.

In order to prepare himself for his new role and do the best job possible on the DBHS campus.

He is taking classes at Cal Poly Pomona, as well as keeping in contact with one of his mentors.

“I think anytime you’re stepping into a new position, whether it be a dean or a teacher or whatever you may be doing, there’s always a learning curve when you begin something, so I’ve learned a ton already in the first week on the job and I learn something new everyday,” he explained.

NEWS

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

3

DBHS campus goes digital casting ballots The school installed kiosks to help reduce the use of fliers on campus. gaby dinh web editor Fliers have always been a common staple on the Diamond Bar High School campus, and so has the litter that came along with it.

But for the past few weeks, students who have looked at the newly-installed school kiosks have seen announcements of school events and video advertisements posted on the touch-screen. Students can

use the kiosks to advertise for their clubs and campaigns as the school transitions and learns more about the kiosks.

The kiosks were announced by former Principal Catherine Real in an e-mail to school staff. The e-mail stated that these kiosks would be used to make the school environmentally friendly, stating that they would be an effective way to reduce the number of campus fliers.

“I hope it’ll be used to save paper,” senior Anabelle Cheng said.

“So if we still have flyers around school everywhere, that would be a waste.”

The company Skool Live partnered with DBHS to install these kiosks at school after school offi-

cials first saw them used in Mater Dei High School.

“I think it has great potential to help us reduce a lot of wasted paper because there are always fliers up on campus during the school year,” APES teacher and Instruction Dean David Hong said.

Two kiosks were installed on Aug. 26. One is next to the career center and the library, and the other is placed near the front entrance of school.

Students interested in using the kiosks to advertise their clubs or extracurricular activities will have to wait until next month when Randy Thomas and Activities Director Janna Van Horn will explain the protocol to sign up .

CALVIN RU

Freshman Isabel Cambiaso, who was elected as the Class of 2019 President, gave her election speech in the lower lunch area on Sept. 9.

CALVIN RU

Students view the newly installed kiosks that are a part of a recently implemented program to reduce school waste.

Looking ahead to college Several DBHS seniors experienced a glimpse of college life this past summer. calvin ru asst. photo editor

Visiting colleges during the summer is a tried and true high school tradition. While the majority of students simply tour the campus and explore the area, many driven individuals attended summer programs and internships in order to further expand their knowledge.

Dorothy Lewes and Nicholas Zhou were among the Diamond Bar High School seniors who enrolled in these opportunities.

Attending a two month summer internship at UC Davis, Lewes worked on graphing the effects of

naturally sweetened beverages versus artificially sweetened beverages and testing how various samples of fat would react to different types of food. Lewes’ plans to major in nutrition science, which contributed largely to the decision of her internship. Her contribution in the nutritional research study at the Peter Havel Lab is expected to be published.

Zhou attended a four week Business and Entrepreneurship at Stanford University, where he was able to learn the basic principles of business through lectures and entrepreneur guest speakers. Zhou was also able to tour the headquarters of Twitter and Quizlet and explore the Bay Area, playing tourist at attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge.

“The most memorable part of the program was definitely getting to know the campus at Stanford and meeting all these new people from all over the world,” Zhou said via Facebook.

more on THE WEB TRAVELLING TO GREECE

By Ingrid Chan Math teacher Shari De Cambra took students on an annual summer trip.

COLLEGE VISITS

By Yusheng Xia One senior documents his college application process in a series of blog posts.

NEWSWEEK RANKS DBHS

By Ingrid Chan The school was named 77th overall in the nation in a recent assessment by the magazine.

LOCAL PAPER NOMINATES PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

By Ryan Chae Two DBHS alumni received this title for golf and tennis, respectively.

VISIT DBBULLSEYE.COM

The students had to go through an application process. Lewes personally e-mailed the professor that worked at the lab for an internship and was required to take several lab training and safety classes before attending. For Zhou, the program required an application that included multiple essays and short answers as well as letters of recommendation from teachers.

“I learned a lot in the classes I took subjects about and also learned what it is like to work in the career field itself and I am forever grateful for the opportunity I had,” Lewes said. “I was able to make new friends and meet new people, learn a college level subject, experience a new environment, live on my own with a roommate, and experience college life.”

FOR A MORE DETAILED STORY ON SUMMER PROGRAMS, SEE DBBULLSEYE.COM

The search for a new successor After Real’s departure, DBHS searches for a permanent replacement. yusheng xia editor-in-chief Following Catherine Real’s departure as principal of Diamond Bar High School, former principal Denis Paul has taken on the position as interim principal as the school takes in job applications from people all around the country.

DBHS released the job offering on Edjoin, the nation’s number one education job board, after Real officially resigned on Aug. 25. The period for applications stays open until Oct. 1.

Applicants for the DBHS Principal position submit all their applications, recommendations, and resumes onto the site, where then

the district conducts a background check on the applicants in order to see if they have the right credentials and a solid history to be eligible for the position.

Afterwards, the district office sets up two interview panels, one in charge of interpersonal skills related to the characteristics and qualities of the applicant and the other in charge of technical skills related to the applicant’s knowledge on how to run a school. The two panels meet following the interview to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant before ranking them in an order of proficiency for the job.

The top candidates for the job will then move on to the district superintendent and cabinet for a second interview.

The total process from when the application closes on Edjoin to when the final decision of which candidate becomes principal is expected to take a few months.

A new beginning for Real PRINCIPAL from p.1 ficulty level and helping them with college and career readiness are what Real believes to be key components in getting DBHS a gold star marking with U.S. News and World Report. However, besides the academic success of the school, Real has also helped maintain the wide variety of activities DBHS offers, despite challenges presented by budget cuts.

“As I was coming into this job, all the money went away. Imagine trying to support athletics and activities and academics and the arts with huge budget cuts,” Real said.

Real believes that less money means lower morale and support among students and parents for a particular organization, but she feels that her dedication to the activities despite the cuts has helped DBHS take its programs to the

next level.

One such program that has achieved particular success is the school’s music program, which in the past five years, has seen Real add more human resources in order to provide a wider range of musical opportunities for the students, ultimately leading to multiple Grammy Awards over the years.

“I think the most notable thing for me in the last five years was Ms. Real’s ability to bring us through the most challenging times from a financial perspective that I’ve ever seen the school go through,” Instructional Dean David Hong said.

“Through more and more budget cuts, we continued to improve our program and I think that was pretty attributed to her leadership.”

Despite the challenges of her

job, Real loved her time as principal because of how much she was able to interact with the Brahmas.

Real stated that one of her joys as a Brahma was the time she spent with staff members, teachers, and students.

After serving DBHS for 17 years, the school is practically her second home. However, Real is firm in her belief that her career as a DBHS language teacher, instructional dean, assistant principal, and principal prepared her well for her upcoming job as the Director of Counseling, College, and Career Pathways of the Monrovia School District.

“As I interact with different kids ...it makes me sad to think that I’m not going to do that all day every day for the next part of my career,” Real said.

4 OPINION

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

EYE EDITORS OF THE

OPINION: This section brings to light the issues relevant to students and seeks their perspectives as well.

A

merica was built upon freedoms: the freedoms of religion, speech, and the press. Newspapers have been in circulation for over 300 years, and editorial articles are a major part of any journalistic enterprise. While news articles report the facts or describe events, editorials allow writers to express their opinions and share them with the public.

The whole of The Bull’s Eye is, essentially, a slice of reality among all the purplegold hype. For students, the Opinion section is a forum in which students can discuss their opinions on a multitude of topics, from the condition of school bathrooms to the popularity of presidential candidates.

Our goal is simply to dedicate our writing and ourselves to the freedom of expression of student opinion.

Diamond Bar High School is considered by many to be one of the best schools in the nation, but like all schools, it has its flaws. The articles discuss the unsavory aspects of high school that students whisper about in the hallways, cutting through all of the fluff and pro-high school propaganda that thrives on every school campus.

High school, while exciting and commonly regarded as

some of the most important years of people’s lives, has its ups and downs, and that’s what The Bull’s Eye is all about. Our goal isn’t to tear down DBHS’ carefully crafted reputation, but rather to expose issues that students experience so that these problems can be solved.

The Eye of the Editors, usually accompanied by student quotes, represents the collective opinion of the editors, while opinions expressed in regular editorial articles are those of solely the writer. Additionally, each issue contains several editorial cartoons, each of which expresses a perspective through art and allows readers to interpret the image as they wish.

However, the Opinion section isn’t only for the staffers.

The Bull’s Eye encourages the entire student body to keep the discussion alive by sending in letters expressing different perspectives, some of which may also end up printed in the newspaper or on the paper’s website.

In a society in which teenagers’ opinions generally aren’t given much value, this is our way of being heard.

Opinion is the exception to the rule, the one section to which anybody can contribute—take advantage of it.

FROM THE BRAHMA PERSPECTIVE:

SANDRA LEE (12)

SCOTT KABIGTING (9) “People can read other people’s opinions about the school and hopefully this can change the school for the better.”

NIKKI JATWANI (11) “Editorials are beneficial to our school because they encourage students to stand up for what they believe in.”

“Editorial articles show the diversity of people’s opinions and what they stand on for either the political or social spectrum.”

ERIC SORENSEN (BIO TEACHER) “A critical skill for anyone to have is to voice their opinion and why they think the way they do.”

AP: Advanced Pressure

NOT SO FAST

DBHS’ tradition of promoting Advanced Placement causes unnecessary stress for students who would be more comfortable learning in a regular class.

emily kim asst. sports editor

I

Cartoon courtesy of MEGAN LEE

n a society in which grades are revered, Diamond Bar High School students are spending many sleepless nights in hopes of scoring 5s on their AP exams.

According to a 2014 report

by College Board, almost 2.3 million high school students took part in AP testing. At DBHS alone, there are 23 different AP courses offered to students. However, the AP culture at DBHS is over emphasized, which is caused in part by the need to maintain a standing as one of the best high schools in the country.

Students need to find the balance between regular and advanced classes that works for them. Unfortunately, this is very difficult to do when not taking AP courses gives the impression of laziness.

Although the multitude of AP courses does help Diamond Bar stand out, it may be doing more harm than good. Taking AP classes can come with large amounts of stress and loads of additional classwork, and, on top of that, many DBHS students participate in sports, clubs and music programs.

All the extra work does not help if it causes the loss of sleep, poorer grades, in-class fatigue, and poor scores on the AP tests. While taking AP classes can demonstrate that

students are actively trying to better themselves, pushing themselves beyond what the average student might do, it does not do any favors when they burn out in an attempt to fit everything in.

The sad truth is that students are being pressured into taking these difficult classes, many of which they can’t handle, because of the atmosphere of DBHS that is created by an obsession with passing as many AP courses as possible.

With the apparent majority of students taking multiple AP classes, it is hard to be a part of the minority and take regular classes rather than those that are sure to cause excessive stress levels.

Students hear the words “taking more AP classes will get you into a better college” too many times. Individuals should be able to judge for themselves how many AP classes they are capable of taking without being exhausted by the end of the day.

There should be no stigma attached to not taking an AP class, especially if it is not an important subject to the student. As a warning, if you know that extracurricular activities will be taking up too much of your time or if you can’t buckle down and do all of the extra work that comes with taking a harder class, you should not have to. It is much better to get the better grade in a regular class than to suffer in an AP class you know you can’t handle.

OPINION

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

5

Guns, not for everyone

POLITICS IN THE CLASSROOM

Implementation of basic common sense gun regulation is taking too long, at the expense of innocent lives.

eric hong opinion editor

ryan chae asst. sports editor

PRO|

The primary election is just months away, yet I have found few students who are even aware that there is an upcoming election. Unaware of the real issues of today, the students of this generation are clueless of what really goes on in the political world and are instead only interested in the comedy that is Donald Trump. There is no one to blame for this other than the students themselves.

However, teachers could help change this if they would discuss politics openly with their students, without of course, pushing their views on students. Yet, teachers are hesitant to candidly the subject, as politics remain a topic that can be controversial.

This is a mistake. Teachers should feel free to discuss political issues. As citizens of America, they have the right to free speech just like every other person in the country.

High school students should be intelligent enough not to accept their teacher’s opinion as truth on politics. Travis Rother, a civics teacher at Chanhassen High School in Minnesota, provides his students with some of his different political views, but he does it knowing that there won’t be any hard feelings.

“There are those rare instances where things come up and it feels right in the four walls of your classroom and the environment you’ve crafted,” Rother said to the StarTribune in Minnesota. “I’m extremely comfortable that [my students] are not going to decide ‘I’m a Democrat because Mr. Rother’s a Democrat.’”

With this sense of security, teachers should do what they’re paid to do: teach students and inform them about the world around them. Teachers can’t educate children to the fullest potential if they’re being censored on real life political views.

Ultimately, the discussion of political subjects inside a classroom would also bring more awareness of the real world to their students. They would benefit from discussions in the classroom on political matters.

Students are the country’s future voters, so it would be very valuable to have them be wellinformed on current political news. The more informed they are, the more capable they’ll be in making decisions when they reach 18. Shouldn’t future voters be when they make their political choices?

All in all, teachers’ First Amendment rights should not cause any turmoil in the classroom if they choose to speak their minds. As facilitators, they can involve students in political conversations, allowing them to gain insight into the world.

emily jacobsson asst. a&e editor

CON|

With each prominent political issue, students face the responsibility of developing their opinions and learning to argue them. The voices of their teachers are unnecessary and inappropriate during a time when students are just beginning to formulate their own political views.

Despite the fact that it is traditionally frowned upon for teachers to share their political views in the classroom, many still continue to do it. The many conflicts, which are kindled by this kind of behavior, could be easily prevented. It is in everyone’s best interest for teachers to simply refrain from bringing politics into a class discussion.

Part of the job of a teacher is giving students the knowledge necessary for them to form their own opinions, not teaching them a certain way of looking at a topic. A teacher who shares his or her political views not only distracts the students, but also takes away time in which they could be speaking objectively about things relevant to the education of students.

In addition, a classroom is a place of education, a place where students should feel comfortable sharing their views. Should a teacher assert his or her opinions on a political topic, students may be too afraid to voice opinions that challenge those of the teacher for

fear of possible consequences. The prospect of creating a bad relationship with a teacher or receiving a lower grade will burden them each time they consider arguing their views in class. This creates an unhealthy environment in the classroom that could very possibly inhibit a student’s future participation and growth.

Additionally, if teachers do not talk about religion in fear of offending a student and their family, then the same can be said for politics.

Meanwhile, a teacher’s job is to teach, not to preach. When they cross the thin line that separates the two, a problem arises. Because teachers are placed in a position of authority in classrooms, students that hardly even understand the political subject at hand are prone to accepting their teacher’s views.

Those who support teachers speaking about their political views in the classroom do so thinking that it will improve the student’s political awareness. However, they are missing a vital point: students will not be sincerely educated in politics, but rather only in the view the teacher is presenting.

For a teacher, sharing political views is a far more personal act than wearing a jersey from a favorite sports team or displaying the banner of a favorite college.

Teachers with strong opinions may struggle to separate their opinions from lesson plans, but it is an imperative part of their job. Their personal political views have absolutely no place in the classroom.

SERIOUSLY SATI RI C AL michelle ki feature editor

T

oday is finally November 8, 2016, which means that it is officially the end of the 2016 Presidential Election, and I could not be more excited to watch Donald Trump get elected as the newest chief executive of the United States. Unlike his incompetent, inconsequential competitors, Trump has all the characteristics I could ever ask for in a president.

First of all, Trump is amazingly innovative in the political world. While the Democratic candidate has decades of experience in public office and a prestigious law degree, Trump has a personality. He is also a nonbeliever when it comes to political correctness.

Aiming to be politically correct all the time is obviously pointless when running to be the next political leader of a country and I’m sick and tired of everyone pinpointing every little insensitive statement that comes out of his mouth.

I mean, yes, he has called homeless veterans “fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting ani-

mals,” but we the people must understand because he was only being completely truthful. Honesty and versatility is the key to success and Trump’s got it.

T r u m p came up with the brilliantly realistic idea of building “a great, great wall” to prevent illegal Italian “criminals and drug dealers” from coming to America. He also promises to make Italy pay for that “great, great wall” and that, to me, is what a true leader should Cartoon courtesy be like.

In addition, even before entering presidency, Trump has convinced France to chip in as well!

Trump knows what he wants and gets what he wants. He plans

on deporting the 11-million plus Czechoslovakian immigrants who live in the U.S. and sending them back to where they came from.

But of course this is absolutely conceivable b e c a u s e Trump is that realistic and great of a leader. And don’t worry!

The approximately $400 billion that will be spent is simply just “Trump change.”

Because of Trump’s cosmopolitan background and amazing ne gotiation skills, President Kim Jong-Un of of DUSTIN PARK North Korea has agreed to become allies to take down ISIS once and for all.

Trump has even decided to adapt to North Korea’s military service rules by deploying all Americans

of legal age to join the fight against our enemies. Thanks to Trump, ISIS will be gone in no time.

In the past, Trump has made the legendary discovery that President Obama was actually born in China. Without Trump, we the American citizens would’ve never even known that our very own President was born in Heilongjiang! Because Obama deceived his people, America is in the horrible state it is in now.

During his campaign announcement speeches, Trump has correctly degraded Obama’s whole entire presidency and has every right to do so as well—Trump will do a much better job than any previous president has done! For a guy that starred on a reality television show where he fires his workers, I can definitely say he has all the qualities he need to associate himself as a symbol to every American, not just to the millionaires and billionaires of our country.

Trump is hands down the best candidate for the presidency I’ve ever come across, and I can already envision him giving his inauguration speech with that powerful voice of his. Donald Trump aims to “make America great again” and indeed he will!

L

afayette, three. Charleston, nine. Isla Vista, seven. Sandy Hook, 27. Aurora, 12. Virginia Tech, 32. And from just a few weeks ago, Roanoke, two—live on national television.

Following each shooting, the topic of gun control sees another five minutes of fame after five minutes of mourning, only to simmer back down almost instantaneously.

Politicians promise to act upon the horrific incidents and never to forget them, but that’s exactly what they seem to be—forgotten. A decisive majority of mass shootings have a few things in common. Being virtually ignored is one.

Being committed at the hands of the mentally ill is the other. Let’s face it: guns just do not belong in some people’s hands.

One thing must be clear.

Especially when discussing a subject as touchy as this, it’s important to delineate the difference between correlation and causation. To say that mental illness inclines one to commit public acts of violence is most definitely not the intent behind this column. But we also can’t ignore that the perpetrators of many of history’s massacres haven’t been perfectly sane.

Houser, Roof, Rodger, Lanza, Holmes, Cho, Flanagan. These are names that are sure to ring of infamy throughout history, but—in a sense—through no fault of their own. Had Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza not been inflicted with mental illness, chances are that America would not have had to spill its tears over the lives of 20 children and seven adults. In other words, the blame for these deaths is not necessarily on the hand behind the trigger, but rather on the faulty system that put it there.

The U.S. has been notoriously sloppy about keeping guns out of the wrong hands. On multiple occasions, shooters had not been recognized as potentially violent or mentally ill by their respective state courts, allowing them to slip through the cracks of security and attain firearms. Simply as a result of a lax, nearly nonexistent background check system that failed to be attentive enough to keep track of potentially dangerous criminals, handguns and automatic rifles came into possession by people who should not be carrying weapons in the first place—and the results were horrific.

It’s rather clear that America is getting tired of hearing about gun control, especially when each shooting is followed by Republicans complaining that liberals are only “advancing their political agendas” and “politicizing” tragedies, one can almost be certain of this. There is nothing sadder than citizens ignoring the tragedies of their neighbors for their own selfish desires.

Wake up, lawmakers. The U.S. cannot afford to see lives flying out the window every few weeks in the name of gun-toting, trigger-happy America. It’s about time we stopped worshipping the 2nd Amendment and came to realize that guns—or any other weapon, for that matter— are not for everyone. The dreaded “largest gun grab in America history” (so eloquently coined by the National Rifle Association) cannot come soon enough.

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FEATURE

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THE BULL'S EYE

Breaking Stereotypes: Fresh off the boat emily jacobsson asst. a&e editor The term “Fresh off the Boat” is frequently used among Diamond Bar High School students to describe people who have recently moved to the United States from an Asian country and, generally, don’t speak English very well. Many students don’t know much about FOBs, and judge them according to what the label they’ve been given suggests.

Moving to a new country brings many new challenges, the main one being learning a new language.

Sophomore Chowun Yun, who moved from Korea two years ago, and sophomore Yeri Jung, who moved from Korea one year and six months ago, both feel that other people think negatively of them because of their lack of experience in speaking English. Jung has even faced situations where people have laughed at her for not pronouncing things correctly.

“People think I’m weird because I’m not good at English and it makes me sad,” Jung said.

In Yun’s experience, she has also interacted with less than cordial students.

“Learning the culture is hard and uncomfortable for me. White

EMILY JACOBSSON

Crystal Lee, Leo Au-Yeung, Kevin Sun, Yeri Jung, and Chowun Yun (left to right) have all traveled from their native countries for the betterment of their futures. people are rude to us just because we’re different and we don’t speak English,” Yun said.

Moving to America also proved to be a culture shock for many students, like senior Crystal Lee, who moved from China four years ago.

“The way people talk and communicate and play around with each other [is] crazy. It is more ca-

KENNETH WAH TAKES ON GHANA brian chang asst. news editor In recent years, STEM has been an area of study that has been greatly promoted in schools across the nation, an enterprise that is not shared by many other countries.

Despite this seeming lack of interest in science and engineering in foreign areas, Diamond Bar High School junior Kenneth Wah continues to spread interest in technological fields when he flies to Ghana each summer.

The junior began traveling to Ghana in 2014 as a part of the Trans-Cultural Network program, which is a part of the Global Leadership Adventures program that focuses on educating students in Ghana. He teaches mainly junior high students at Avete-Anloga Basic School.

This past summer, he focused on math and science and brought PVC pipes to launch paper rockets with the students, and created a baking soda and vinegar volcano, both activities which had not been experienced before by the majority of the school children.

“A lot of the people there don’t go to school, even those with public schools in their villages because they don’t have enough money for education,” Wah said. “I want to

help benefit their education.”

As another part of his agenda at Avete-Anloga, Wah started a robotics program for the students, bringing LEGO Mindstorms, kits containing the hardware and software necessary to create and program a small robot, to help kick start the process. The students Wah was with were “excited because they were seeing something new for the first time.”

He was motivated to visit schools in Ghana by his desire to help the less fortunate. After searching online for aid opportunities in unique places such as Tanzania and Nepal, Wah decided to help middle school students in Ghana gain more knowledge, especially in STEM fields.

Wah continues to go back for the experience and the opportunity to learn about African culture and lifestyle. Each year that he goes back, Wah believes he learns a lot more about how they live and becomes more interested in their way of life.

“The best part about going to Ghana is seeing the children and people. You would say there is a stereotype for danger but it’s a very friendly country,” Wah said. “You don’t see lots of crime, people say ‘hi’ to random strangers, and everyone treats each other like family.”

Photo courtesy of KENNETH WAH

DBHS Junior Kenneth Wah visits the poverty-stricken country, Ghana, every summer in hopes of educating underprivileged children about STEM subjects.

sual than in China,” Lee said.

Along with language and culture, some students find it hard to adapt to school. Jung was surprised to find that she had to pay for lunch at DBHS, as meals at her old school in Korea was free. Yun was shocked at the larger size of the school, and mentions that it was intimidating compared to her old school.

However, seniors Kevin Sun, who moved from China three years ago, and Leo Au-Yeung, who moved from China one year and six months ago, both feel that there wasn’t too much to adjust to. The only real challenge for them was the language aspect.

Each student had mixed feelings about whether or not DBHS is a good choice for students like them.

Lee, Sun, and Yun agreed that if there were fewer FOBs, DBHS would be a better environment for new English speakers.

“For the people who just came I think they shouldn’t be here because they will never have the chance to speak English,” Sun said, referring to the large number of Chinese speakers.

Nonetheless, DBHS has programs to help students that are new to the country transition into the new education system, as well as teachers who are well equipped to guide them.

“The teachers are good because they can understand the students who cannot speak English and they teach classes easier like ELD and shelter classes,” Jung said.

In fact, DBHS seems to hold a reputation with students coming from a different country.

“Before I came to DBHS I heard that there are a lot of Asians in

there. People said it’s a good environment to study but its level of competitiveness is really high,” Au-Yeung said.

It is becoming extremely popular for foreigners, especially from Asia, to move to America to get a better education. Many of these students, referred to by the Los Angeles Times as “Parachute Kids,” are not able to move with their whole families and so they stay with someone willing to house them, as arranged through various programs.

Often times their guardian’s may not play an active role in their lives, leaving the children with a lack of supervision and care.

In literature you often hear the idiom, “every dark cloud has a silver lining.” This can also be applied to moving to a new country.

While each student had a hard time leaving their friends behind and adjusting to their new lives, in the end they are glad about their move to the United States.

Simple things like seeing new sights, getting to speak English, and experiencing prom and homecoming help these students stay positive while they are longing for home.

“I am happy that I got to move here,” Lee said. “I have a lot more freedom.”

The Newest Smash pauline villegas asst. a&e editor

If you are craving a beef patty and a bun, you can pretty much drive through any fast food restaurant and satisfy your craving in under 10 minutes, but if you are looking for something new in the burger world, look no further than The Shoppes at Chino Hills and the newest burger joint, Smashburger.

When I first walked in, a sign immediately pointed me toward the direction of the line, where there was no waiting to order.

After a quick glance at the menu, my parents and I were ready to order. The name Smashburger might lead you to believe that you would only have one food option, but you have the choice of a regular burger, a veggie burger, a chicken sandwich, or a salad. All menu items range from $5 to $8.

My mom and I both ordered one of their regular cheeseburgers with fries, and my step-dad decided to build his own burger. He chose the type of bun, meat, and condiments he wanted. The side options included seasoned vegetables, regular fries, and sweet potato fries.

He eventually selected a veggie burger and a side of seasoned vegetables.

As soon as we finished ordering, we were given a number and cups. Finding a seat was fairly easy considering it wasn’t too crowded.

With a trendy color scheme of red and white, Smashburger is modern and stylish. The pictures and words on the walls make you excited to eat your food, as you are surrounded by bright colors and cool graphics. The name Smashburger comes from the unique way that they prepare the patty. Natural lighting from the many windows ran throughout the entire restaurant, which added to the overall vibe.

Within 10 minutes of ordering,

PAULINE VILLEGAS

Smashburger offers a large variety of foods including a classic cheeseburger (pictured above) along with salads, veggie options, and sides such as fries. a waitress brought our meals out.

Many waitresses were frequently checking on us and were happy to serve us with a smile. Displayed in a metal tray, the plate comes with an open burger and the side of your choice. All of our meals looked extremely appetizing. The bun was moist and the patty was cooked to perfection. As soon as I took my first bite, I knew this was no ordinary drive-through cheeseburger.

The patty looked “smashed” and the seasoning put into it was flavorful. The thin cut fries were a bit on the salty side, but were still enjoyable.

My step-dad’s meal looked a little different than ours. The veggie burger, which was served on a whole-wheat bun, was much more colorful. His side, of seasoned vegetables were both crunchy and flavorful. Both of our burgers included the secret condiment that the restaurant calls “Smash Sauce.”

This sauce resembled mustard in look and flavor, but added a thousand island dressing taste to the burger.

After our first couple of bites, we realized that Smashburger would soon be a new favorite of ours. The

service was reasonably good with waitresses coming around to make sure we were okay. The serving sizes were not ridiculously huge like I thought they would be. My stepdad was the first to finish, completely licking his plate. My mom and I soon followed as we continued to snack on our sides.

We walked out of the restaurant with satisfied tastebuds and full stomachs. My visit to Smashburger was quite savory and my family and I agreed that we would soon return.

DETAILS

cuisine: American

Address: 13855 City Center Dr. #3042 PHONE #: (909) 315-5106 PRICE RANGE: $5-$8 Yelp Rating:

FEATURE

THE BULL'S EYE

September 16, 2015

7

CompassionBeyondClassrooms sophia kim staff writer

Photo courtesy of LAUREN WONG

Girls Who Code offers female students a chance to learn about the STEM field.

Club Corner

GIRLS who CODE calvin ru asst. photo editor

˃˃ CODING on p.12

Photo courtesy of JOSE MARQUEZ

DBHS teacher Jose Marquez is involved with the organization, Hands of Mercy, to provide homes for the less fortunate in Mexico. causes,” Jensvold said. “When I die, all my money will go to charity.”

While donating to charities appeal to certain teachers, Marquez enjoys working with charities hands-on, more than just funding them. Through the organization Hands of Mercy, he helps build small homes for people in Mexico who need shelter. Although a 500 square feet house with no running water or electricity may seem useless here, it provides a home for a family living in Mexico.

“You see these houses all over the place,” he said. “We paint the house, build the house, and they’ll have shelter.”

Additionally, both Marquez and Sorensen are working as a team to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis by riding bikes. After finding out that one of their friends was diagnosed with the disease, they decided

to join the MS Foundation to help raise money for research.

“It’s a fun ride, a couple thousand people do it,” Marquez said. “It’s a good time to be around people.”

To raise money, Sorensen shared the organization on Facebook and granted song requests for whoever donated.

“I started out with a goal of $500 and I went past that in a week,” Sorensen said. “I changed it to $1500.”

For 10 years, Ku has been an active member of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that raises money to help low income families purchase homes. Ku and the other members of the organization participate in events such as sleeping in cardboard boxes to experience the hardships, and also helps repair the homes of nearby veterans to give them a better place to live.

The Bull’s Eye asked DBHS students: “What back-to-school trends will you be sporting this fall?”

FASHION

BACK-TO-SCHOOL

Let’s be honest: girls do not always have the same opportunities as boys do in the science field. However, Diamond Bar High School has a new rising opportunity for girls, thanks to the club, Girls who Code, which was formed this year by junior Lauren Wong.

Unlike other coding clubs and organizations, members do not have to know how to code at all.

The goal of Girls Who Code is to support females and help them realize that they are not bound by career stigmas; they can explore different career paths and find out if the STEM field is one that they want to pursue. The main platforms of education in the club will revolve around web development and design, programming essentials, mobile development, and

hands-on work.

The club is endorsed by Girls Who Code International. Since the start of this club, girls have been learning not only how to code but also about how programming plays an integral role in the STEM field.

Girls also have the opportunity to participate in the Summer Immersion Program to enhance their skills in programming.

This summer, Wong attended a VMware program, a 7-week intensive coding program for girls who are more advanced in the computer science field. From robotics, to HTML and CSS, she received valuable training and mentorship.

By attending this program, Wong was exposed to influential people such as Diane Gonzales, the vice president of Girls who Code International, Yanbing Li, who Forbes

Not many people are willing to sacrifice time and money for the benefit of someone else, especially if it’s for someone they’ve never met before. However, despite the hardships that follow, some DBHS teachers have been willing to lend a hand to fulfill the needs of others. Lisa Pacheco, Jose Marquez, Eric Sorensen, Angela Jensvold, and Margaret Ku have been devoting their time to raise money for the less fortunate.

As the Girl’s League advisor for the past 15 years, Pacheco has been working every lunch and break with students to raise money for a variety of charities. She and the club donate over $20,000 to breast cancer foundations, deliver food to St. Denis Church, raise money for the Women for Women International organization, and adopt families during the holidays.

“I just really found out that I have a passion for helping others and this club, to what we built it into, really does that,” Pacheco said.

Jensvold is in her 13th year of funding for various environmental organizations around the world.

She donates to elephant orphanages, which help prevent poaching of ivory tusks, and contributes to scientific research in order to keep lions from being illegally killed. With the help of her contribution, she hopes that the deaths of elephants and lions will decline.

“From the money I get from being a teacher, I give some money here and there for environmental

MARCUS ROSALES (11) COMBAT BOOTS

“[My style] is different... It shows character. If it appeals to me, I just wear it. I don’t like wearing branded clothes.”

Han Chen (12) CREEPERS

“I get most of my fashion inspiration from fashion bloggers, Zoe Suen and Jenagogo.”

Nicholas Tanaka (12) CUT-OFFS

“I like [my outfit] because it’s comfortable and it allows me to mix [things up] for color coordination.”

JASMINE ZHANG (10) SOFT SHORTS

“I describe my style as casual and effortless, like what I’m wearing today with highwaisted shorts and a tank top.”

8 FEATURE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

“When we’re not fighting, we like to make fun of other people!”

“Finding out my brother is autistic helped me develop an open mind and have better perspective over things and not judge people. Keep an open mind over things because you’re never going to know what’s going to happen to you.”

Vanessa Do and Priscilla Chang, Sophomores

Malia Haines, Sophomore

HUMANS + StUDENTS of DBHS

“I’m scared that maybe one day when I bleach it, I’m going to forget and fall asleep and my hair is going to fall out.

I’d be so sad.”

Elizabeth Li, Junior

“I’m kind of a mean kid, really. I own a skateboard and everything.”

Adam Montes, Freshman

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

“I was giving her a hug and someone brushed past me and dropped my phone and it landed face first. I was like ‘Oh My God! If I turn this phone up and it’s cracked, it’s about to go down’ So I turned my phone over and it’s cracked. So this girl, she was like ‘Did I do that?’ and I was like ‘Yes!’ She said ‘Oh,” and ran away. So we spent the entire lunch walking around and looking for her so she could pay the insurance for my phone.”

Meanna Gray and Jai Hicks, Seniors

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL'S EYE

9

CREATIVE MINDS AT WORK

The word elective brings to mind classes such asorchestra, band, and foreign languages, but the arts are not an option many consider when arranging their schedules. Unlike other subjects, art electives have many differing aspects when compared to academic classes. These differences include what factors are taken into consideration when grading and the assignments students receive, all of which are unique to each individual subject. —Ingrid Chan, Staff Writer

photo by lilly ball

3D Design

Though many assume Introduction to 3D-Design is a single class, it’s actually a new course that encompasses both ceramics and jewelry design.

3D-Design is taught jointly by art teachers Coleen Gee and Vianney Hwang. As it is an introductory class, there are no advanced students; students who attended 3D-Design have the opportunity to move on to AP Studio Art or IB Visual Arts, continuing to use the knowledge they gained in the introduction class to create a three dimensional portfolio.

Each project assigned by woodshop teacher Sam Jacoby aims to encompass as many woodworking skills as possible. For example, one of the first things new students do is build a box, breaking down every component of its structure through planning, drawing, and building. Those students who have taken the class for more than a year are part of an advanced curriculum. They are taught much more than how to cut, measure, and construct. The advanced students know how to wire electrical outlets, set tile, design house frames, and understand the details of installing plumbing and roofing.

Architecture

w

photo by calvin ru

Woodshop

Advised and taught by John Jones, students in architecture participate in a wide variety of activities, ranging from drawing blueprints to actually building physical models. They are separated into two categories, the advanced students and the beginners. Students who just started the class are often given paperwork or instructed how to draw in order to help familiarize them with the intricacies of architecture. Once they have been acquainted with the basics, they can then begin to construct three dimensional models.

photo by calvin ru

To read more about these DBHS electives, visit dbbullseye.com.

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

Girls Step Up to Transporter: Refueled the Beat Now Showing:

‘Transporter: Refueled,’a reboot of the film “Transporter,” follows four girls seeking revenge on their abductors after being forced into human trafficking. hannah lee asst. news editor Lately, Hollywood seems to have been struck with a fear of original film ideas, as reboots have been occupying the box office, and director Camille Delamarre’s “Transporter Refueled” is no exception to this.

Despite the title, the rebooted film seems to have lost its fuel through this new remake.

After a seven year gap, Delamarre has decided to bring Frank Martin, the “Transporter,” back to the big screen. However, this time portrayed by Ed Skrein, a familiar face from the popular TV show series, “Game of Thrones.” Skrein’s sharp, carved features and swift movements embodied the physique

of the driver perfectly. However, his monotone and emotionless performance fail to compare with his striking looks.

The storyline is the equivalent to an overwhelming jigsaw puzzle, with all the pieces of the plot scattered about. The main story picks up when Frank is recruited by an enigmatic woman, Anna (Loan Chabanol,) and her three accomplices, to assist them in getting back at Stanislas Turgin (Anatole Taubman), who forced them into human trafficking for over a decade. Frank attempts to remove himself from the sketchy mission, but is forced to participate after his father is kidnapped and held hostage on multiple occasions.

Although the film largely revolves around a driver, it felt more

Photo courtesy of 20TH CENTURY

Frank Martin (Ed Skrein) engages in hand to hand combat to defend his clients.

like an hour and 40 minute long Audi car commercial. There are points in the film where the rather horribly nauseating camera work seemed to be focused on the specs of the car rather than the action or plot.

The only remotely cinematic shots are of the Audi vehicles, capturing every detail and feature of the cars. Close-ups, slow motion shots, first-person views, you name it; the cars are advertised in a quite unsubtle manner.

The “Transporter” movie series has drawn audiences in by its action sequences in the past, and aside from all the flaws from this new reboot, it often delivers in the action department. The combat scenes are very well executed, and exhilarating. No action scene is overdone or underdone with CGI effects, and they truly give Frank the heroic image.

The script is one of the most disappointing aspects of the film. The cast was aesthetically pleasing and fit their roles, but the words that left their pretty mouths sounded cheesy and pathetic to my ears.

Despite the fact that they had various thick accents, the dialogue resembled a case of bad language dubbing.

With only $2.4 million in the box office receipts the opening Friday, this adaptation was a complete disappointment and was dominated by other opening movies during the Labor Day weekend.

sophia kim staff writer While the All-Male dance team is known for its slick moves and overflowing energy, the boys won’t be the only ones performing hip hop at Diamond Bar High School anymore. For the first time in DBHS’ dance company history, girls have been added to the hip-hop team.

Joining the dance family are nine hip-hop girls who are ready to dance to their own beat.

Dance teacher Kari Simonson decided to mix things up this year by adding the new genre of dance to the company. Acting on advice from last year’s senior dancers about developing the team, Simonson accepted the new girls through auditions, seeing great potential in them. Simonson wanted to give them an opportunity to be acknowledged as dancers—just like those who specialize in jazz and contemporary.

“There was so much hip-hop talent that I didn’t want to exclude anybody,” Simonson said. “We welcome all types of dancers.”

Although hip hop is a very different genre from jazz and contemporary dance, Simonson still looks at the dance company as one big team, and will have all of the genres performing together. Based on their own style, the dancers will break off in between performances to show their specialized skills. The new dancers will also be performing jazz and contemporary with the rest of the dance program.

“They are one unified group, and when it comes to performing,

they’ll break off based on their specialized style.” Simonson said.

Hiring choreographers and depending on the captains to create stunning choreography, Simonson believes that the team will go far. As hip hop is one of the rising genres of music, she decided that putting the girls beside the distinguished “All-Male” dance team would make the team more diverse.

“I think having the hip-hop girls in the team makes it more versatile and more of a dance company than just a dance team,” hip-hop dancer and sophomore Katelyn Kim said.

The girl’s debuted at the back to school pep rally, and successfully performed their routine alongside the All-Male dance team. The girls have been training with the boys hip-hop team to prepare for their performances and will be showing different sides of their dance style . They hope that the co-ed performances will be as sensational as those of the rest of the dance company.

“I think [hip hop] brought a lot of positive attention to the dance department in general and I’m just excited to see them grow,” she said.

The nine new girls will also be part of the medium hip-hop competition routine, which will be held in spring. Along with the girls, the dance company will have dancers compete in All-Male, lyrical, and small dance. They are working hard to get their routine together in order to compete at the national competition taking place in March.

“I’d like to see the whole thing grow because I know hip hop is constantly evolving and changing,” Simonson said.

Vo i c e s o f D B H S A l u m n i B e c o m e s t h e I nt e r n et Published Author tess guan asst. web editor Despite my love for the radio, I have come to appreciate the simple and easy access of internet podcasts. Podcasts are versatile, great for when you are on the go, or when you don’t feel like watching Netflix.

You can listen to them whenever and wherever, or tune in during their weekly or daily schedules.

Unlike radio shows, podcasts are based on and revolved around a specific topic, however, they share the same format as radio shows, making them just as enjoyable and entertaining.

For food lovers, I suggest “The Sporkful,” a podcast that revolves around the world of food. Hosted

by Dan Pashman, who is also the producer of the web series “You’re Eating It Wrong,” “The Sporkful” is popular among foodies of all ages.

“The Sporkful” airs every Monday with topics ranging from recipes for making good sandwiches to foods you should eat in the shower.

Interviews with comedians and reviews on exotic foods and famous restaurants all over the world are features as well. Episodes are free and available on the New York Public Radio website and on the iTunes app.

Nothing screams educational more than the podcast “Stuff You Should Know.” Hosted by the writers at HowStuffWorks, Charles (Chuck) Bryant and Josh Clark, the podcast reveals and explains surprising facts about common ideas, clarifies everyday misconceptions and myths, and much more. You

can read posts and watch videos about scientific and quotidian topics discussed in episodes on the “Stuff You Should Know” website or tune in every Tuesday and Thursday. Episodes are free and available online and on iTunes.

Shows are also currently available for purchase on iTunes and Google Play.

For music lovers searching for hidden and unknown bands and artists, I recommend “All Songs Considered” with Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton. “All Songs Considered” is available online and on iTunes for free and features new music of all genres as well as interviews with new or unsigned musicians, weekly. “All Songs Considered” has a music channel, called “All Songs 24/7,” which plays a continuous mix of every song played on “All Songs Considered.”

Listen to old favorites, modern soundtracks, and exclusive recordings from live concerts on the NPR music app found in the Google Play and app store.

“Just Vocabulary” is a quick and simple method for developing, improving, and increasing your knowledge and vocabulary for the SAT. “Just Vocabulary” is a daily weekday podcast, hosted by Jan Folmer, which introduces two English words each episode. Words are explained with synonyms and antonyms and used in three to five sentences, with no unnecessary chitchat. On Saturdays, Folmer reviews the past week’s vocabulary words. Episodes are short, about four or five minutes, making this podcast a very efficient learning tool.

hannah lee asst. news editor Most students find an outlet through a hobby or activity to get them through their high school years. For Ruben Reyes Jr., writing a novel was his form of release during tough times. After starting the book when he was only 16, the Diamond Bar High School alumni officially published his final version of the novel, titled “The Day After,” on July 6.

While fiction books are usually sparked by imagination, Reyes’ novel was triggered by his teenage angst. He faced the inevitable struggles and stress that come along with being in high school, but rather than venting in a diary or a journal, Reyes found that he preferred working on a fiction story.

“Initially, I wrote out of anger. I was in a terrible mind set that led to lots of curse words in my writing, so obviously it was more of a way to vent,” Reyes said.

The current Harvard student was always was fond of reading, but never thought about writing until he was 16. As soon as he discovered that it was a therapeutic way of expressing himself, he began his young adult novel. Although he did not intend for the story to be published from the start, he eventually wrote enough of the story to share it. Publishing was not a problem for Reyes, as he self published through Amazon.

Reyes now considers writing his favorite hobby, despite the fact that it can get difficult.

The book follows the daily life of an indifferent teen, Frank Lietz, attempting to find himself in his high school journey. In spite of being a “normal” suburban teen, he hits an unexpected turning point in his life that leads him to discover purpose, friends, and disabilities, along with love.

“The book is pretty much a perfect chronicle of my high school years. Whenever I wrote, I was feeling some kind of strong emotion. Usually frustration, which explains why some of the things I wrote seem so angry and full of angst,” Reyes said via Facebook.

Although the negative aspects of high school are what strongly impacted his writing, he also found that other parts of his adolescence that influenced it as well. As a former member of the Best Buddies club, Reyes applied the knowledge he gained on both intellectual and developmental disabilities to one of

his main characters, Frank Lietz.

Though he is currently attending Harvard, Reyes has plans for his writing career to continue. He has future plans for a book based on the El Salvadoran civil war, as he feels that this period has a significant gap in literature.

“There is so much potential because of all the stories from those tough years, so I hope to help keep track of them through my fiction.”

Having such a personal book with real experiences had both its advantages and disadvantages for Reyes. It also consists of sections that were written while he was 16, that he admits aren’t his best work.

The book contains true and authentic emotions that readers can relate to, but that also made it difficult for him to share.

“Most of what I’ve written is what I have learned in the past couple of years. I decided to keep it in because it was raw and genuine.”

Photo courtesy of RUBEN REYES

Ruben Reyes photographed alongside his published novel, “The Day After.”

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Cami Kuruma catherine zhang asst. feature editor While many students fantasize about appearing in a film, Diamond Bar High School sophomore Cami Kuruma stepped it up a notch by winning the lead role in a recent documentary.

In the sixth grade, a scout asked Kuruma to audition for their talent studio, David Deluise Actors Studio, which is owned by actor and director David Deluise.

Kuruma auditioned after being encouraged by her parents and ended up making the final cut, competing with over 200 other kids. Kuruma and eleven others joined the studio where they started working with Disney Channel stars.

At the studio, Kuruma is coached on various things such as monologues, what to do while on set, and taking head shots.

In addition, she takes acting classes on the we e ke n d s at studios in Beverly Hills and in

West Hollywood. Meanwhile on audition days, Kuruma leaves school early to receive coaching on the script or her character.

Due to her very busy schedule, Kuruma was considering being home-schooled at one point. But, she decided to remain at DBHS. “If you want to do acting, it has to be your main priority. If you want to be an actress or you want to be successful, it has to come first… Once school ends, I’m considering putting acting first and going farther into what I want to do,” Kuruma said.

In addition, the entertainment industry isn’t exactly easy.

Kuruma has already dropped two agencies and learned many life lessons.

“Even if I think that this role is perfect for me, there’s always g o ing to be a pers o n t h a t auditions for the same role but just has something

A Harvest of New TV emily jacobsson asst. a&e editor From saying goodbye to canceled shows, to learning about new favorites, the start of another year of television is always bittersweet. However, this fall’s lineup of promising new TV shows is guaranteed to have viewers excited to clear out their DVR and make room for the new.

Supergirl (Oct. 3) Fans of “The Flash” and “Arrow” may find themselves enjoying “Supergirl,” a new action adventure series. “Supergirl” follows Kara Zor-el (Melissa Benoist) cousin of Superman, who spends her days running errands for her boss and hiding her powers. When her best friend’s plane faces the danger of crashing, Kara has no choice but to embrace those powers, and once she does, she doesn’t want to stop.

Scream Queens (Sept. 22) In a killer (literally) new comedy by Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Glee” and “American Horror Story,” a group of rich and vain sorority sisters led by Chanel Oberlin (Emma Roberts) live in a house with a haunted past. When pledge season comes around and a killing spree begins, the sorority girls are forced to work with their pledges in hopes of staying safe. With a cast full of familiar faces, (including Ariana Grande and Nick Jonas) and a killer set on taking the sorority out, “Scream Queens” will have no problem keeping you on your toes.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

Dr. Ken (Oct. 22) For those looking for a lighthearted comedy, “Dr. Ken” is a show you won’t want to miss. Ken Jeong, a physician turned comedian, stars in a show loosely based off of his past career. At work, he’s an overly honest doctor with a terrible bedside manner. At home, he’s an overbearing, and often times clueless, father with a therapist wife who keeps him in check.

While he tries to be the best doctor and father he can, Ken often slips up.

Limitless (Sept. 22) “Limitless” is a continuation of the 2011 film of the same name.

However, you won’t need to see the movie to follow this thriller’s plot.

Brian Finch (Jake McDorman) discovers NZT, a powerful brainenhancing drug that makes him the smartest man alive. He uses his extraordinary skills to help the FBI solve their most complex cases. This fast paced show includes highly anticipated cameos from Bradley Cooper in which he will be playing his character Eddie Mora from the film.

The Grinder (Sept. 29) Following in his father’s and brother’s footsteps, Dean Sanderson (Rob Lowe) becomes a lawyer, one in a TV series that is. When his show ends and he moves back home, Rob decides he has enough experience to join his dad and brother in the real world. His smile and dramatic flair is enough to win him a case on TV, but he soon realizes he doesn’t know the first thing about law in real life and falls into a mid-life crisis.

Tune In:

The Weeknd vrinda chauhan business editor

better than me or that factor that I don’t have. It sucks but it’s definitely a lesson that life isn’t always fair,” Kuruma said.

Also, race plays a big role in selecting actors or actresses. Kuruma’s biggest difficulty was not being selected due to her race. A white actress would try out for the role and receive it, due to a huge factor which is having the “look” the directors search for.

“It’s hard to really find that medium of being happy with yourself yet still having things you want to work on,” Kuruma said.

However, acting has also played a positive influence in Kuruma’s life.

“It didn’t teach me lessons on just acting, it gave me lessons on life...acting made me go out of my comfort zone and push myself to do things that I never thought I would be doing. It just helped me a lot with who I am now and who I was then,” Kuruma said.

In addition, acting has created unforgettable memories for Kuruma.

One such example would be booking her first job, a documentary about survivors of human trafficking, “California’s Forgotten Children.” Kuruma landed the lead role, as the younger version of a trafficking survivor.

Although acting can have its ups and downs, Kuruma recommends sticking with it.

“It’s really time consuming and frustrating business but if you enjoy it, you should keep doing it.”

11

With his angelic voice and confessional lyrics, The Weeknd has come to be known in the music industry as all noir and enigma.

From initially refusing to give press interviews or to even show his face back in 2012, to making his debut album free on his website, The Weeknd has kept his life as shadowy and murky as his music.

Now, in his newly released album, “Beauty Behind the Madness,” he steps right into the limelight and sheds his anonymity to embody the contemporary pop star.

I’m not saying The Weeknd is a sell-out. His lyrics retain the same theme of a distinct dysfunctional world. His voice still drizzles out like honey, and it still overflows with sex appeal, but in his new album, he sheds his signature image. The Weeknd was a character, a misunderstood villain covered in shadows, a cigarette smouldering.

He was a half-apologetic, destructive sinner, solitary yet swamped by women. If sin were to take form in a person, he would be it. And it suited him.

His new album rejects this image, and instead projects a laidback, bad-boy pop star. He lost his defining trait: his mysteriousness.

It is clear that his music and image are both striving to be more radio-palatable. However, this does not necessarily make his album unpleasant. If he would have stuck with his image, his music would have eventually become boring.

His new music is ambitious and innovative. It buzzes and sucker

punches you with its very first song, “Real Life,” with heavier instrumental (similar to the later song “The Hills”) than the alternative R&B signature to the artist.

The first half of his album continues in this fashion, with upbeat pop songs dominating. Some songs were released earlier this year, such as “The Hills” and “Can’t Feel my Face,” and those were melodious and catchy. However, this is the section of the album that disappointed me. In particular, I disliked “Tell Your Friends,” which changed tempo sporadically and had awkward transitions.

The second half moves into a more slow-paced, sexy rhythm, the transition beginning abruptly at “Shameless.” “Shameless” is probably my favorite song on the album, simply because it is unlike his style in any way. It is stringy and strummy, with a soft guitar and angelic vocals. It parallels a drug addiction with a dysfunctional relationship, strung together by a whirlwind of emotions.

Sonically, the album is very boring. The sounds and tunes seem to repeat themselves and blend into one another. It is a good thing that the album also features Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey, because I learned by listening to this album that it is possible to get tired of even the sweetest of voices.

I am left half-hoping that The Weeknd will revert back to his signature R&B style, half-enjoying some of his new songs in this new album.

To read the full review, visit dbbullseye.com

The Lilly Pad

The Beauty of Period Dramas lilly ball editor-in-chief

It all began during fifth grade, at the height of the “Twilight” series fan-girl craze. While my friends were writing their names alongside Edward Cullen’s, I had the name of a very different fictional dream man scribbled all over my notebook: Fitzwilliam Darcy. I was only 11, barely old enough to understand the language of Jane Austen’s beloved novel, but after one viewing of the 2005 film, I was hooked on “Pride and Prejudice,” and completely dedicated to my beloved, Mr. Darcy.

“Pride and Prejudice” was the first step to my obsession with period dramas, (films set in a different time period, usually many years ago) but before I learned about the other masterpieces of the genre, it was the only film that I could watch over and over again, and still be enchanted with each viewing. I’m not sure which aspect of the film drew me in first, the gorgeous cinematography of the English countryside, the extravagance of Mr. Darcy’s home, Pemberley, or Matthew Macfadyen’s stormy gaze. I still discover new things to love about the film, even after seeing it over 20 times.

Though “P&P” will always be my favorite, I seem to love almost every period drama that I come across. From “Sense and Sensibility” and “Jane Eyre,” to Baz

Luhrmann’s million dollar blockbuster, “The Great Gatsby,” period dramas have a way of hypnotizing me. There’s something about a film that has the capability to take me away from my computer screen, and transport me to an English manor in the 1800s. Period dramas may not be relatable, but they’re certainly a form of magic.

While I know many people that would die for a replica of the dress worn by Disney’s “Cinderella,” I would much rather have a full costume worn by Kirsten Dunst in Sofia Coppola’s film, “Marie Antoinette.” One of the most important jobs on the set of a period drama film is held by the costume department. Down to the corsets, the costumes of these films must be accurate enough to convincingly portray a time period, and flashy enough to catch the attention of their modern viewers. “Marie Antoinette” is an excellent example

of this; Dunst parades around Versailles in ball gowns adorned with gold and lace, and powdered wigs of ridiculous heights, yet it is the most aesthetically pleasing movie that I have ever seen. No modern day character could ever achieve such rococo perfection.

Although I often fantasize about waltzing about my house in an 18th century gown, petticoat and all, there is another aspect of period films that I love even more; the leading men. Period drama men are beyond dreamy, they are romantic, heroic, and actually know how to express themselves. What person wouldn’t want to be told, “I love you, most ardently,” by my husband Mr. Darcy, or “you transfix me quite,” by the incredibly handsome Mr. Rochester? Modern day leading men may chase their true love through an airport, but I would take Mr. Darcy over Channing Tatum any day.

Photo courtesy of AMERICAN ZOETROPE

Kirsten Dunst stars as the Queen of France in Coppola’s film, “Marie Antoinette.”

12 FEATURE CODING from p.7

Club introduces female students to the STEM field magazine named the seventh all-girls team,” Wong said.

The vision of Girls Who most powerful engineer in the world, and Sylvia N’guessan, Code Club is to narrow the gena programmer at Google. der gap in technology and to This program is unique encourage girls to pursue combecause Wong had the oppor- puter science. Along with the tunity to work with female en- programming-fest, Wong hopes gineering mentors to create to host a miniature hackathon mobile apps and pitch ideas at DBHS and collaborate with to executives of the program. Vidcode, a cross-disciplinary Not only did she obtain platform that teaches computer science through the chance filmmaking. to improve “Being a programmer Teaming on her ideas isn’t just about writing up with DBHS’s and applicalines and lines of tags.

Programming is a lot chapter of Girl tions, but about problem solving Up, an orgaalso was able and thinking in a new nization that to meet menway.” unites girls tors that can LAUREN WONG across the globe aid girls such to change the as herself on their path to the com- world, girls will be equipped puter science field. with the necessities to pave This summer enhance- their own career paths and ment program was a chance find their own way to success.

“Being a programmer for the junior to join a diverse environment where ev- isn’t just about writing lines eryone had the same goal. and lines of tags. Program“Our main goal is to go ming is a lot about probto programming-fest at Cal lem solving and thinking in State LA next January. It’d a new way,” Wong stated.

“So hopefully our membe great to have a team representing DBHS there, and bers will think like proit’d be really cool to have an grammers once they learn.”

THE BULL'S EYE

September 16, 2015

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

Bumping up season expectations

SPORTS COLUMN

Is Brady still a Hall of Famer?

VOLLEYBALL The Lady Brahmas are not letting a switch

in coaches prevent them from taking home multiple wins this season. catherine zhang asst. feature editor

Even with a switch in coaching staff, the Diamond Bar High School Volleyball team is full of determination as it prepares for its upcoming games.

The team has two new additions to their coaching staff, as Becky Bevans, DBHS Physical Education and Health teacher, stepped up and filled the role of the interim head coach while Katie Swetnam, a new Spanish teacher, became the assistant varsity coach.

“It wasn’t originally a part of my plan to come back and coach this season, but I’m excited about it,” Bevans said. “I missed the competition…Every time you walk through the gym, you reminisce and think about all the fun, the close matches, and the cheering in the gym. I missed that. I missed being involved in athletics in general, so I’m excited to be able to do that again,” Bevans, previously coached from 2001 to 2012.

In addition to Bevans, Swetnam also has experience in the volleyball field as she assisted in various summer volleyball activities.

But this is her first time formally coaching in the fall season. She previously played varsity volleyball as a student at DBHS and col-

legiate volleyball as well.

Compared to last year, Bevans hopes to use a different technique as well as change a few aspects of the team.

“I think we lost some of the traditions that have been around the volleyball teams for about 15 to 20 years…I think for us, the emphasis isn’t just on volleyball. We want our teams to be competitive, but we also want it infused with fun, school spirit, pride, being positive and supporting each other,” Bevans said.

Swetnam also has similar thoughts, as she hopes to teach the volleyball team to stay positive, a quality many athletes struggle with.

“I think what I’m bringing to them is definitely teaching them what it takes–attitude wise to be successful. That’s one of the most important things I’m working on right now is their attitude and staying positive- not that we have bad attitudes. It’s just so important since volleyball is about 80% mental and 20% physical,” Swetnam said.

In addition, the players have been practicing nearly every day since teams were set. The team partakes in different exercises designed to enhance the player’s performances depending on which position they have as well as im-

ryan chae asst.sports editor

Senior Tricia Byerrum delivers a spike the ball during practice. proving overall strength.

Also, not only has the team been training physically, but it is trying to increase chemistry between players as well.

“We are planning events together off the court to help with the personal connection between one another… build a more unified team that will work and play hard together,” junior varsity setter Molly Hummel said via Facebook.

ERIC HONG

Ultimately, volleyball hopes to advance to CIF Championships this season despite starting off on the wrong foot at their recent game against the Poly Bears at Riverside.

“Our team is moving forward and leaving behind all of the negative aspects. I am so excited for us to show everyone what we are capable of accomplishing this year,” senior varsity libero Kiana Malbas said via text message.

Arduous preparations push athletes toward the new season’s finish line CROSS COUNTRY The

athletes prepare for upcoming races under the instruction of the new coaches Sally Jarvis and Malinalli Cooke. sarah markiewicz asst. opinion editor

As they strive to race at a competitive level, the members of the Diamond Bar High School Cross Country team aim to train harder and more efficiently as two new coaches lead the runners.

Sally Jarvis and Malinalli Cooke are the first year coaches, and the team has aimed to make positive changes that will bring about success following their arrival.

“Coach Cooke and I were very happy with the times, especially since we didn’t have practice over the summer,” Jarvis said about the tryout times. “I think we’re going to have a very good team, especially for our first year coaching here at Diamond Bar, and hopefully we’ll win some races.”

In the coming weeks, before the meets begin, Jarvis plans on making adjustments that will help the team become more competitive.

“My philosophy is that you need to get a lot of mileage in to be ready for the race,” Jarvis said. “This year, there’ll be definitely a lot more mileage, and this year, we’re going in it to win it. I want to show some type of achievement compared to last year.”

As the coaches work to help the team achieve more, the runners also plan to do their part in keeping up with the expectations set in place by practicing more efficiently.

13

ERIC HONG

Junior Alexander Ramirez leads a group during a warm up run in practice to increase strength and shorten run time.

“During races we need to try to faces a natural obstacle. times and overall strength by runstay with the top groups,” senior “The biggest thing we need to ning seven to ten miles for each day Anabelle Cheng said. “We have overcome right now is to figure of practice. a pretty strong varsity team this out running routes in the area,” However, while they practice dilyear, but it’s still very competitive.” Jarvis said. “Diamond Bar is not igently to place well against their According to Cheng, competitors, the coaches some returning playand runners will also try “This year, there’ll be definitely a lot more mileage, ers who performed well to give runners memoand this year, we’re going in it to win it. I want to during time trials were rable experiences and show some type of achievement compared to last Paul Abdo, a junior, and adventures as a stronger year.”

Grace Wu, a senior. Wu team. in particular made a “You go on an eightCOACH SALLY JARVIS great improvement in mile long run, you’re runher trial time since she ning with your friends, joined cross country in her sopho- near a big park, and there are a lot talking, and having a good time,” more year. of stoplights, roads, and cars, so Jarvis said. “I’m all about team “She improved [her time] by six my biggest concerns are safety and building, so I like to schedule Sluror seven minutes,” Cheng said. getting long runs in.” pee runs. We go run for a Slurpee, In addition to increasing the ferThroughout the season, the team or we go out to dinner as a group or of their training, the team also will work on improving running team before our big race.”

When a player is a 10-time Pro Bowler, two-time MVP, and fourtime Super Bowl champion, admission to the Hall of Fame in the future should be a no brainer- unless that player is Tom Brady. While there are many questions over Brady’s career, there is no doubt in my mind that he should be a Hall of Famer.

In the future, Brady’s career will be seen as one of the greatest underdog stories. He was described in his draft profile as skinny and not strong enough to play in the NFL. Thereafter, Brady continued to lower his draft stock by having one of the worst combine workouts that year. Finally, Brady was drafted 199th in the 2000 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.

In his second year, Brady was given the opportunity to play a game when starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe had suffered internal bleeding in the team’s second game.

After the game Brady was named the starting QB for the remainder of the season. Over the next 14 years, Brady has led the Patriots to four Super Bowl titles, six AFC championships, and 12 AFC East divisional titles.

Despite multiple years of achievements and triumphs for the Patriots and for Brady, those years have also been filled with controversy. Even some fans have admitted that the team cheated.

It all began on January 19, 2002 when the Patriots faced the Oakland Raiders in the AFC divisional playoff game. The Patriots were down three by with 2:06 left, and it looked like Brady fumbled the ball to the Raiders in the ensuing play.

However, the referees reviewed the play and reversed the call, labeling it an incomplete pass, according to the controversial and now-abolished Tuck Rule. With possession, the Patriots would tie the game and win in overtime.

The controversial moments during Brady’s time on the team didn’t end there. In September 2007, the Patriots were caught illegally videotaping the defensive coaching signals of the New York Jets, causing the team to be docked its first round pick that year and fined $250,000.

However, the incident has since been forgiven by most of the NFL. After the Patriots were caught videotaping, the team had an extraordinary 17-1 season. This would be Brady’s most accomplished year, winning the MVP award, and throwing 50 touchdowns.

However, the hard times would continue. Now, the most recent scandal involving the Patriots has been Deflategate, which I find to be the most overblown investigation in NFL history. At the end of the investigation, Brady was suspended for four games (currently on hold), the Patriots were fined $1 million, and the team lost multiple draft picks. All this came from the suspicion that the Patriots may have deflated footballs slightly in the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, which the Patriots won 45-7.

While Brady has been a part of these scandals, it shouldn’t reflect on his entire career. Three games shouldn’t define the other 235 games he’s appeared in.

When Brady retires from the game, he will still be remembered as one of the greatest to have ever played. He should be remembered as a scrawny QB out of Michigan who would create an unlikely Hall of Fame career with 392 touchdowns, 53, 258 yards, and more than 50 NFL records in over 15 seasons.

14 SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

Bouncing back from disappointment TENNIS The girls worked

hard over the offseason to get ready for new challenges this season. tess guan asst. web editor

After a disappointing season last year, the Diamond Bar High School girls varsity tennis team is ready to bounce back. With a new mindset and goals, the girls are ready to take on the league again.

“This year we’re going to focus on more technique and positive attitudes, just trying our best,” senior team captain Samantha Cho said.

This year, the team consists of twelve players: eight new additions and four returning players. Several seniors on the team, including team captains Cho and Emily Zhang, have played tennis all four years while many of the other recently recruited players have previously played three years on junior varsity.

“What I like most about this team is that they’re experienced.

One of the improvements is for the girls to build up on their strategy, have awesome team work, and to be competitive in the league this year,” coach Tisa Shavers said.

To ensure that they will be healthy and actively engaged, the girls practice every day after school for two and a half hours.

The players are constantly stretching, running drills, and working out to prepare for the season.

Last year, the team faced several injuries, which hampered its

ability to compete. Emily Dang, a returning senior and member was injured for half the season with a tennis elbow, a condition caused by the overuse of arm muscles that result in elbow pain. She emphasized her determination to avoid further injuries, improve on her playing skills, and enforce strong footwork.

“I’m going to try to improve as a doubles player and work my hardest. Last year I played singles, then I got injured half way through. So now I’m trying not to get injured,” Dang said.

Another player, Angeline Cheng, has patella chondromalacia, or “runner’s knee” which causes her knees to numb and sore during and after games. Dang and Cheng were just two of the six players injured on last year’s team.

In additional to getting healthier, part of the team’s goal this year is to have a more optimistic approach towards its competition as well.

“I definitely want to improve on my confidence during the games and how I contribute to the team,” senior Zhang said, “I’m going to make the team more exciting and more worthwhile being, because we’re all like a family this year.”

Despite last year’s results, the girls are keeping their head up about winning the league.

“The competition will certainly be better and stronger for them this year. It’ll be different, but they have the arsenal of strokes to be able to compete,” Shavers said, “We’re looking forward to a great season this year and we’re very optimistic about our competition this league.”

Photo courtesy of KAILIE VONGSAGA

Kailie Vongsaga, who is a member of DBHS varsity golf team, aims for LPGA tour later in life

Freshman golfer earns a spot on all-star team GOLF Kailie Vongsaga becomes a member of prestigious golf team, AJGA All-Star Team, in her first year of high school. michelle ki feature editor Most of the time, older and more experienced athletes of Diamond Bar High School are the ones to make headlines. However, golfer Kailie Vongsaga is capturing the spotlight as a freshman.

Vongsaga, who started playing when she was three-years old and competed in her first tournament when she was eight, is now part of the American Junior Golf Association’s All-Star Team.

In late August, the team was created based on Polo Golf Rankings, as well as each qualifying player’s participation in at least two Junior All-Star Series competitions in 2015.

With players throughout 10 different states, the team includes 10 boys and 10 girls who are considered the top 12 to 15-year-old golfers in the United States in the 2015 season.

“I was excited and happy to find out that I got into the 2015 AJGA All-Star Team and at the same time proud since I’ve worked so hard this year,” Vonsaga said.

As a member of the AJGA Junior All-Star Series, Vongsaga will be offered opportunities that will allow her to develop her skills and possibly earn entry into the AJGA Open tournaments. She will also be given an invitation to play in the Junior All-Star Invitational, which will be sponsored by Nike Golf in Oregon from Oct. 9 to 12.

Always aiming to improve and succeed, Vongsaga practices for two to three hours daily on weeks when she has upcoming tournaments. Usually, she practices three to four times a week, one to two hours per day.

“Golf makes me feel happy because it allows me to compete against players from all over the

world and I get to meet new friends.

I’ve kept in touch with a bunch [of] friends from the Philippines, Thailand, [and] China,” Vongsaga said.

Introduced to the sport by her dad at a very young age, Vongsaga has won the Los Angeles Junior Championships in 2014, is ranked first in the Yang Foundation Junior at Wood Ranch, has four AJGA titles overall, finished third in the ANA Inspirations Champion Junior Challenge, and is ranked 21st overall in AJGA Polo Golf Rankings. On top of all her accomplishments, Vongsaga is a member of DBHS girls varsity golf team as a freshman.

In the future, Vongsaga aspires to join the LPGA tour and has never stopped working to achieve her goals.

“My motivation to always keep practicing is to work hard and to get better each day. I’ve loved [golf] ever since I was introduced to it.”

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH ingrid chan staff writer Senior Blake Goodman, a Diamond Bar High School varsity football captain, knows exactly what he wants to do with sports in his future. As captain, Goodman strives to motivate his teammates and lead them by example so they can be as successful as possible.

Since he had been playing football for nine years before high school, Goodman knew he wanted to join the DBHS varsity team.

BLAKE GOODMAN

Before attending DBHS, he had back on offense and he continues in played Pop Warner football in Diahis leadership role as a captain. mond Bar. “I love the feeling I get on the field In his freshman year, he was every Friday night. The greatest named the thing football team’s offenhas given me “I love playing football so much and is a great work sive rookie of can’t believe it’s my last year, but the year. He ethic. No matI’m looking forward to playing in then started ter how hard college.” his sophosomething more year as gets, I can fight BLAKE GOODMAN the varsity through it.” center and Goodman said. earned the honor of becoming a Although his father was the one captain in his junior year. This year who first prompted him to play he’s a defensive lineman and a fullfootball, Goodman admires his un-

CALVIN RU

Senior Blake Goodman sacks the Walnut High School quarterback duringthe Branding Iron game.

cle the most due to the fact that he helped him during the off-season to become a better player.

“Besides family, I do enjoy contact and being physical, so that is one of the reasons why I play football.” Goodman said.

Among his many experiences in football, Blake remembers best the first round of playoffs during his sophomore year, when the team was convinced it was going to lose to Downey High School after hearing about the other team’s skill.

Instead, they defeated Downey 63-21.

Though he has played a variety of other sports before, Goodman never actually devoted himself to anything besides football due to the fact he did not enjoy other sports as much. Often going home very late because of practice, Goodman confesses that balancing school work and football tended to be a very stressful task.

After committing so much of his time to the sport, Goodman plans to

continue football at a college level.

Once his playing days are done, he hopes to pursue a career as a firefighter.

“I love playing football so much and can’t believe it’s my last year, but I’m looking forward to playing in college. I love my team and coach; they’re my family and are always there f o r me.”

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

15

Brahma swimmer tops school records SWIM Jenna Lloyd sets new times for the 50 meters freestyle and 100 meters breaststroke for DBHS at the Palomares League finals in May. gaby dinh web editor Diamond Bar High School senior Jenna Lloyd has made remarkable strides in varsity swim last season.

Not only did she break her own personal records, but Lloyd also broke the DBHS records for the 50 meters freestyle at 24.42 seconds and the 100 meters breaststroke at 64.3 seconds, both at the Palomares League Championships held at Mt. SAC in May. Outside of school, she broke her personal record for the 200 medley relay for Brea Aquatics at the 2015 June Age Group Champs at 2:02.56.

“I was super excited when I found out I broke the records,” Lloyd said. “I felt that all my hard work paid off.”

This upcoming season, Lloyd is hoping to become varsity captain.

To improve from last year’s season, she has practiced two to three hours a day, six days a week, over

this past summer in Mt. SAC’s Olympic-sized pool for the Brea Aquatics club. Swimming since she was five, Lloyd decided to compete competitively because her older sister a swimmer.

“I felt really dedicated to the sport,” Lloyd said. “I always loved

swimming around in the water.”

Lloyd specializes in freestyle and breaststroke. However, she also does well in individual medleys, a combination of freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly.

Aside from Lloyd’s records, the last swim season proved to be a pivotal one in DBHS history as well. It was the first time in 16 years that DBHS, all six swim team levels, won against Walnut.

Swim also won in the Palomares

Photo courtesy of JENNA LLOYD

Senior Jenna Lloyd swimming in a breaststroke event during her junior year.

League Championships.

“We have a lot of new swimmers this season, from people who just came [to DBHS] for the swim team because it’s improved a lot. The boys have definitely improved, the girls are on their way to improvement,” Lloyd said. “It should be a better season than last year.”

In addition to competing at DBHS and swimming for Brea Aquatics, Lloyd works as a lifeguard at Diamond Pointe Swim Club, where she gives swimming lessons to younger kids.

Lloyd has plans to compete competitively in college, and doesn’t plan on letting her swimming career end in high school. She has been offered full ride scholarships to schools like Syracuse University in New York. However, Lloyd may stay in California for college and is looking to swim at schools such as Cal Poly San Louis Obispo and schools around San Jose or San Diego. She is thinking of competing at the Division 1 level for swimming.

“I want to be able to drop time, continue [swimming] in college to compete with really good people and eventually try to work my way up to the national and NCAA championships,” Lloyd said.

Baseball coach with a Yankee past BASEBALL Recently hired AP Economics teacher Jon Hurst previously played professional baseball in the New York Yankees’ farm system. bernard chen sports editor After two years of professional baseball, Jon Hurst has taken his talents to Diamond Bar High School, where he will be taking on the role of varsity baseball head coach. Hurst previously played in the Yankees minor league system and later became the coach of various high school and college teams in California.

Hurst began playing baseball as a Little Leaguer and then played at El Modena High School in Orange. He played college baseball at UC Irvine. After graduating from college, Hurst was signed by the Yankees in 2011 and assigned to the Tampa Yankees in Florida as catcher and outfielder.

Hurst later played one year of independent baseball, professional baseball without affiliation with any major league teams. He signed to the Traverse City Beach Bums in Michigan in 2012, was traded to the San Rafael Pacifics in San Francisco, and then purchased by the St. Paul Saints in the same year.

Coming back home to Orange County after, Hurst began to

work locally, coaching a variety of high school and youth teams.

He coached baseball at Cypress College, where he previously attended junior college, started a youth travel ball program called the OC Breakers, coached at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana for a year, and returned to El Modena to coach in 2014.

“I’m proud. I’m very proud of what I’ve done. I’m very excited about getting the opportunity to coach high school kids because it’s something that allows me to give

“Education is something that I’ve always put great value in. I consider myself a lifelong learner” COACH JON HURST back and I think there’s a lot of things that I’ve learned that I can pass on to them. I think it’ll be a great opportunity for both of us,” Hurst said.

Hurst hopes to pass on his talent and skill to DBHS’ baseball team.

“Baseball is definitely my forte, and I definitely take a lot of my theories and philosophies away from college and professional baseball.

A lot of the values I gained playing

in college and professionally are things that I think I can use here as well.” Hurst said.

Additionally, Hurst was also hired to teach AP Economics and regular Economics at DBHS. Initially not knowing his desire to teach, he found inspiration in his travels throughout the country during his professional baseball career.

Experiencing new cultures and differing ways of life, Hurst realized he loved learning about the various histories, values, and backgrounds of places. Since history was something he took joy in learning, he found teaching the social sciences to be just as enjoyable.

Overall, playing in the Yankees system was the best experience for Hurst, but since arriving at DBHS, he has grown to enjoy teaching as well and hopes to grow in the profession. As the head coach, he also looks forward to building a successful baseball program.

“I really enjoy interacting with the kids and watching them grow.

That’s what I’m here to do,” Hurst said. “Education is something that I’ve always put great value in. I consider myself a lifelong learner, and I hope that’s a value I can instill in the students in my class.”

Photo courtesy of JON HURST

Jon Hurst poses, left, in the famous Yankee pinstripes while part of the minor league team, the Tampa Yankees. At right, he takes a swing during his time the Tampa Yankees farm team in 2011.

ERIC HONG

Hurst was hired this year to teach AP and regular economics at DBHS. He has also taken on the role of head coach of the varsity baseball team.

16 SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

SPORTS

Brahmas look to carry momentum into season

FOOTBALL With three straight wins, including one over rival Walnut, Diamond Bar looks to continue their success in the season. eric hong opinion editor Three weeks ago, the Diamond Bar High School Brahmas trampled the Duarte Falcons. The following week, they brought home the prized Branding Iron after a resounding victory against the rival Mustangs.

Continuing its momentum, the team went head to head with the San Dimas Saints last Friday and came out on top, earning its third consecutive win of the preseason.

With a record of 3-0, the Brahmas are powering through, undefeated.

“I think [because of] the work

[the players] put in during the offseason and having a whole offseason with the kids, we’re just going to be much better,” head coach Marcus Hughes said. “It’s already showing that they’re much better.”

The Brahmas’ preparation for the upcoming season started back in January. Since that time, the team has been training hard, especially with the Palomares League in mind.

“The team started lifting, running, and speed training right after holiday break, so they’ve been preparing since then,” Hughes said.

The Brahmas won their first preseason victory against Duarte

High School with an overwhelming score of 44-13. In an impressive display of the Brahmas’ offense, senior running back Dimaggio Rico, who scored a decisive majority of the team’s touchdowns thus far, rushed for three touchdowns.

Junior quarterback Grant Mestas added one rushing touchdown, while receivers senior Kyle Yada and sophomore Shane Wells scored one receiving touchdown each.

“I think the biggest thing was not putting our heads down and just fighting,” Rico said. Currently with 401 rushing yards, Rico has run nine of Diamond Bar’s 15 total touchdowns.

Diamond Bar Brahmas celebrate their 57-7 victory in the Branding Iron game against Walnut.

BERNARD CHEN

ERIC HONG

Senior Dimaggio Rico attempts to push through three Walnut defensive players.

The Diamond Bar-Walnut rivalry match resulted no differently, with 57-7 as the final score. After the Mustangs claimed the first points of the game, the Brahmas ramped up their defense and made the final seven touchdowns, as Walnut struggled to push through.

“We really came together as a unit. Walnut has always kind of been a breeze to us, but it’s still a rivalry game. We took it seriously and we came out strong, and we hit them in the mouth,” senior captain Blake Goodman said.

Of the six rushing touchdowns, Rico scored five and senior running back Marcus Hunt and defensive lineman David Omana each made one. Further extending the Brahmas’ lead, Yada contributed with one receiving touchdown.

“If anything, I hope that [the Brahmas] take from the last two wins that they are a good team, and if you play together as a team, good things will happen,” Hughes said before the San Dimas game.

The Brahmas’ closest game thus far this season was against San Dimas, ending in a 18-7 win for Dia-

mond Bar. The Saints started off fast with the first seven points, but the Brahmas stepped up again with a touchdown pass by junior wide receiver J.C. Holmes.

“We knew that [San Dimas] was going to come out hard. They definitely did hit hard, but we just stuck it to them and kept pushing,” Goodman said.

Despite the constant push and pull, the Brahmas prevailed. By halftime, Rico had scored a 2-yard rushing touchdown and senior kicker Anthony Vasquez landed a field goal, which he repeated in the fourth quarter for the final points of the game.

“I knew [San Dimas] was going to play physical, and we were up for the challenge,” Hughes said. “Our defense coaches did a great job of getting the defense ready, and they executed.”

In the following weeks, the Brahmas will take on the Brea Olinda High School Wildcats and the Cypress High School Centurion.

“I expect us to dominate, and we did. But, the tests are really about to start coming,” Hughes added.

Signs of improvement in sophomore year WATER POLO After last year’s inaugural season, the Brahmas have started on their road to improvement with hours of practice and a year of experience under their belts. The team has gone 1-1, including a win over the Los Amigos Lobos. emily kim asst. sports editor

they are not letting that get in We are just going to keep working their way. The team members are hard as we have been,” head coach focusing on enhancing their skills Alexander Matal said. in the water, such as reading the

Another challenge that The Diamond Bar boys’ water d e f e n s e c o m e s polo team treaded through its first a n d with the “Compared to last year, this year we year with a few bumps and bruises, working lack of have a lot more club players. A lot of but it has been working year-round on difexperipeople got trained over winter, spring, in order to improve its gameplay. ferent ence is and summer seasons.”

“Compared to last year, this year p l a y s . the abwe have a lot more club players. A T h e y s e n c e COACH ALEXANDER MATAL lot of people got trained over win- are also of team ter, spring, and summer seasons. w o r k c h e m They all played at this club called ing on their attitude towards the istry. Only in its second year, CHAWP,” senior Dylan Lee said. game. the team is still in the process of Though the Brahmas do not “The experience is something strengthening bonds with one anhave the experience that some of that plays against [us], but we are other. Therefore, they have been the more established teams have, not going to use that as an excuse. doing multiple team building activities as well as spending more time with one another to strengthen those bonds.

“One of the biggest challenges will probably still be building that team chemistry out in the water just because we have only been playing one year together,” Matal said. “It is definitely going to be stronger this year, but it is still something that we are working on.”

Key players on this year’s team will include returning upperclassmen junior Diego Hammond and Lee. Joining them will also be sophomores Logan Knight, Cameron Belden, and Tyler Parquette, ERIC HONG Junior Sebastian Houng tries to block a shot in the first game of the season. all returning players said that they

Junior Arman Shah attempts to score against a Los Amigos defender. have improved their skill in and out of the water.

For the team, last year’s season was more about developing the basic skills they needed to catch up with rival schools. This year, all of the players are more prepared after training diligently during the offseason. After getting down the basics, the team is now working on more in-depth water polo strategies.

“We have one year of training under our belt so we are definitely going to improve off of our season from last year, it being our first

CALVIN RU

year ever,” Matal said. So we will definitely have a better outcome as far as the wins and the losses but we are still trying to build the new program.”

The Brahmas won their first non-conference game against the Los Amigos Lobos 18 - 9.

The team took control of the game in the first quarter leading by three points. They continued to maintain the upper hand all the way to the final quarter.

Hammond and Belden scored the most points of the game securing the team’s first win.