September 2018

INSIDE THE ISSUE

opinion 4 4 opinion

feature 7

sports 15

a&e 9

the bull’s eye NEWS

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OPINION

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FEATURE

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 VOLUME XXXVII, ISSUE I ONLINE AT DBBULLSEYE.COM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Grads to leave nest in spring

More safey measures will be implemented after Branding Iron incident. kristen sanchez asst. feature editor

Samyuktha vellaiyan Asst. photo editor

ADMITS ON P. 2

SPORTS

School to reinforce campus security

Two class of 2018 alumni will attend their dream schools next semester.

While most high school graduates start college in the fall, class of 2018 alumni Joyce Ni and Cami Kuruma were selected by their dream colleges as spring admits.

The spring admission program allows incoming freshmen to start their first semester of college in January. Some universities allow accepted students to choose when to begin their first semester, but most colleges select students from their list of wait-listed applicants to start during their spring semester, USC being an exception. USC sends out spring admission offers to the applicants in replacement of waitlist letters.

Though the freshmen begin one semester later, they are still considered students in the class of 2022, and the missing semester does not affect their graduation.

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to teach at another district, Swetnam said it was tough for her to leave.

“I was so sad and torn up about the idea of leaving DBHS,” Swetnam said via Messenger. “I do love my students, and I hate that I didn’t get to say goodbye to them.”

She now teaches Spanish and coaches boys volleyball at Los Alamitos High School.

This year, Romero and Kruger are both teaching Spanish I and II, while Escobar is teaching Spanish I and III. This year will be Romero’s first year teaching. She said that one of her goals is to learn from the vet-

After an on-campus rally last May commemorating the 17 lives lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Diamond Bar High School administration promised tighter school security. Since the Aug. 17 security threat at Branding Iron, DBHS has placed these matters on a more urgent agenda.

The school quickly added precautionary measures, installing Lock-Blocks and window shades and chains were replaced on all perimeter gates with locks that are easier to open and close.

However, recent events prompted demands for more preparation.

Principal Reuben Jones addressed concerns at a Safety and Wellness Meeting held on Aug. 28.

Jones told the audience that he had been meeting with law enforcement nearly every day since the Branding Iron incident, working to make improvements and move forward from the event.

staff ON P. 2

SECURity ON P. 3

ANGELA YANG

New faces greet DB campus Three Spanish teachers are among those joining the Brahma family. camille mccurry Staff writer

and those who left staff for different districts.

Rosa Romero, Lisa Kruger and Iliana Escobar joined staff after both Katie Swetnam—who taught

“I'm already so impressed with the vibe here at Diamond Bar High School."

ROSA ROMERO

The start of a new school year always brings new students, new classes and new materials; but this year also brought eight new faculty to Diamond Bar High School.

Among the newcomers are teachers, a long-term substitute and the new dean for Mathematics, Physical Education and Health.

Many of those who joined are here to fill the empty shoes of retirees

Spanish and coached volleyball at DBHS for three years—and Lorena Piña quit to work at school districts closer to their homes.

Although she made the decision

rushing over the fence, following the Diamond Bar players.

While many Brahmas witnessed the mayhem that ensued on the night of the Branding Iron football game, Mustang fans had equally frightening experiences during the event.

“Everyone pulled out their Snapchats because at first, it looked like a facetious act of forfeiting the game,” WHS senior Andrei Dimano said. “Furthermore, the Walnut coaches and football staff pointed at the DB football, and it seemed like they were gesturing to run after them so that they don’t escape

from the game.”

Soon, word spread among both the DBHS and WHS crowds that there was a shooter at the football game.

When students began finding out, they immediately began leaving the bleachers and run out of the stadium as fast as they could.

“Everyone on our side started to push and I heard someone yell, ‘Shooter!,’” WHS senior Rachel Zhang said. “I grabbed my friend and ran for my life because at that moment, we all thought the threat was real.”

Zhang and her friend hopped the

fence. After they found a mutual friend, the trio got picked up by an Associated Student Body student who had jumped into her car. The group then drove to H-Mart and went to hide out in a restaurant until Zhang’s parents came.

WHS junior Preston Patam stayed in the bleachers since he was unable to navigate through the terrified crowd.

Within moments, security and teachers yelled at the remaining students in the stands to get down.

“I laid down and there were a bunch of people around me freaking out and crying,” Patam said.

Andrei Dimano

Jonathan Wang

Angela Cao

A memory branded into Mustang minds Walnut students share their experiences from the other side of the stadium during Branding Iron.

By RENEE ELEFANTE anD ELIZABETH PENG It was the last minute of the Branding Iron game. On the scoreboard, yellow numbers showed the Brahmas down 27-20.

Walnut High School Mustang cheers rang through the bleachers as they prepared to claim their second win in a row in the rivalry, but what they saw next puzzled them.

Crowds of Diamond Bar High School supporters began leaving the stands in droves as both football teams and the Walnut crowd looked on.

Suddenly, the Brahma players bolted to the fence and jumped over it, running into the residential neighborhood next to Holmes Stadium.

Walnut High School students then noticed their own team also

“After a couple minutes, they told us we could get up and they assured everyone that we were safe.

People were still very panicked and shaken, though.”

WHS senior Kaitlyn Suzuki and her fellow band members sat in the marching band section when they heard their band director shout at them to get down.

“I was still processing the situation, so I was mainly in shock because in the moment, I couldn’t believe this was actually happening,” Suzuki said. “But after a while, I was definitely afraid as some of the reality set in.”

When a friend tapped Angela Cao on her shoulder and told her there was a shooter, the WHS senior hopped over a fence and ran into a nearby residential area.

There, she waited with some homeowners for her parents to pick her up.

“I was really shocked by how something like this—that we see so often in the news—actually happened to us,” Cao said. “It is crazy how a rumor can cause mass panic so quickly and without any real evidence simply because of the vola-

MUSTANGS ON P. 3

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NEWS

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

Brahma filmmakers work with pros Digital production students learn trade at Covina Center.

Photos courtesy of CAMI KURUMA and JOYCE NI

Class of 2018 graduates Cami Kuruma (left) and Joyce Ni will be attending NYU and USC on the spring admission system.

Two students to delay start

Admits FROM p. 1 It is the students’ responsibility to finish their General Education requirements prior to graduation.

Kuruma was initially wait-listed

by NYU and intended on attending California State Long Beach. She was planning to transfer to NYU after completing all of her general education requirements within one or two years. Once she received the spring admit acceptance letter, her dream became a reality.

“It's definitely safe to say that finding out that I got off the waitlist to NYU was the happiest moment of my life,” Kuruma said via Facebook. “I have been dreaming of going to school there since I was little, and to me, it’s always been New York or nothing.

It has been my goal since the very beginning and I still can’t believe I will be attending the university of my dreams.”

Kuruma will be attending NYU in the spring with a major in media,

culture and communications.

Prior to her starting semester at NYU, Kuruma was considering completing some courses at Mt. SAC but decided to work full time to save up for college tuition. She also hopes to also spend time with her friends and family before her departure.

According to Kuruma, one of the biggest challenges of having to attend a school across the nation is the location, as she will be thousands of miles away from her family.

“It’s going to be interesting to live in a completely different state where I won’t know anyone else but that's what's so exciting,” Kuruma said. “I get to start a new life in the city that is famous for creativity.”

Ni was originally set on attending Boston University in the fall, until she received an acceptance letter to USC. Rather than attending school on the East Coast, Ni chose to commit to USC in the spring with a sociology major.

Several current Brahmas and alumni were given the opportunity to intern with professionals at the Covina Center for the Performing Arts starting this summer.

Digital productions teacher Mario Enriquez partnered with the Covina Center to give several digital production students a chance to intern with professionals.

The students work as assistants with the theater group in many different areas, including video production, television production, short-film production and live recording. They will be working on set with other students from the Los Angeles Film Academy, New York Film Academy and other professionals in the industry.

Instead of working individually, the company allows students to work under well-known producers like Kenya Barris (“The Game,” “Black-ish”) to see how they produce shows. The students will also help the professionals on their individual movies, which will then be shown at the Covina Center.

Aside from working on the fundamentals of video production, the students have also been given

A rush to get involved

the staff Editors-in-Chief

Amelie Lee, Amy Miyahara

News Editor Asst. News Editors

Angela Yang Renee Elefante, Elizabeth Peng

Opinion Editor Asst. Opinion Editors

Ted Yarmoski Grace Lee, Erin Li

Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editors

Cindy Liu Kristen Sanchez, Kate Zheng

A&E Editor Asst. A&E Editors

Amelie Lee Josh Kim, Maggie Liu

Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editors

Amy Miyahara Ryan Lam, Johnny Wang

Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editors

Amelie Lee Victoria Artale, Tiffany Lee, Samyuktha Vellaiyan

Business Managers Asst. Business Managers Web Editor Asst. Web Editors

“I was ecstatic to be accepted at first, but a little put off by the spring admission,” Ni said. “But my love for the school outweighs the cons of missing a semester, so it was worth it for me.”

Like Kuruma, Ni was also planning to attend community college to complete some college GE requirements. Instead, she will be working a part-time job just for the experience and plans to develop her interests in her free time to create a clear-cut path of what to pursue in the future.

Ni finds spring admission itself a struggle, as she feels she is missing out while her friends start college in the fall. However, she hasn’t let this disadvantage bring her down.

“It’s going to be hard at first, especially when you see your friends off at college, so you may feel as if you’re missing out,” Ni stated. “But as long as you keep yourself busy and focus on the positives, the few months will fly by.”

Johnny Wang Asst. sports editor

the opportunity to create videos, such as a murder mystery and an athletic commercial. They have also taken on roles as extras in certain movie scenes.

They have been able to learn indepth camera work like positioning and what to capture in the frame as well as lighting techniques.

“With this, I am able to really meet people who do this everyday and they give you an inside look on how things go,” senior Linda Beltran said.

As interns, the students will be doing maintenance work and assisting the producers or directors whenever they need help. During breaks, the students are able to sit back and watch the production process of a scene and then ask questions or request tips and tricks.

Enriquez said he hopes to continue this working relationship.

His connection with the Covina Center came mainly through Joshua Prisk, a current East San Gabriel Regional Occupational Program member.

Enriquez believes the opportunity is beneficial to his students and that they will learn more about the industry that they love.

“Your first impression can also be your last impression and whether or not you think your doing something enriching during that entire shift is entirely up to your output,” Enriquez said.

Catherine Liu, Cindy Liu Maggie Liu, Nia Mitchell Ted Yarmoski Christina Liu, Samyuktha Vellaiyan

Staff Writers

Emily Koh, Camille McCurry

Adviser

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.

AMELIE LEE

Juniors Emily Lee and Kyle Kato learn about Habitat for Humanity during Club Rush on Sept. 4 in the upper quad.

New teachers, coaches, dean staff FROM p. 1 eran teachers in the Spanish department.

“I’m already so impressed with the vibe here at Diamond Bar High School,” Romero said. “The team spirit had me really impressed with how proud the students here at Diamond Bar are to be part of this amazing school.”

She was inspired in part to teach Spanish by her family, some of whom are teachers, and by her passion for Spanish literature.

She attended Cal Poly Pomona and earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish as well as her teaching credentials.

New AP computer science teacher Victor Lu joined staff after Luke Shubin left. Previously, Lu taught math at Suzanne Middle School.

Joining the theater department is new stagecraft teacher Jenna Riley. She attended California State University Fullerton before becoming adjunct faculty at Cyprus College, where she taught a production class. After that, she worked as

“I want the students to enjoy the class they're in and actually learn."

JENNA RILEY theater manager for Century High School in Santa Ana. "There's a lot of things I want to achieve, I don't know how you could measure it. I want the stu-

dents to enjoy the class they're in and actually learn," Riley said. "I [also] want the stage crew, when they compete at the [Fullerton College High School Theater] Festival, to place in first."

Temporarily taking the place of USB activities director Janna Van Horn while she is on maternity leave is Pedro Paz, who will be her long-term substitute.

There is also one new addition to staff in the athletics department: Jeffrey Reitz. Though he is better known as the football coach, he is also teaching kinesiology.

The new dean of Mathematics, Physical Education and Health is Denise Loera, who attended Cal State Los Angeles and UCLA. She earned her bachelor’s in pure mathematics and her master’s in educational leadership.

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

NEWS

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Construction to start in 2019 More renovations are set to begin after portables are installed on the fields. camille mccurry staff writer Beginning this summer, Diamond Bar High School started undergoing a series of construction projects to modernize the campus.

Included in these are the covered parking area in the front of the school, the new exterior LED lighting and AC units in the 100 and 200 buildings.

Painting of the buildings, including the student lockers, is also underway and, according to operations manager Mike Bromberg, is likely to last until winter.

The solar panels that sit on the top of the parking lot covers are scheduled to be completed this month. The energy they collect does not go directly to the school, however.

“The solar puts back electricity into the grid. Thus, the district pays a lower electricity bill,” Bromberg explained.

According to Bromberg, construction of the portables is set to begin this spring. They are being built to accommodate English and history classes during the renovations to the 400 and 500 buildings.

They were original scheduled to be ready for this school year.

The setting up of portable classrooms and modular restrooms on the baseball field will likely last until summer of 2019, according to operations manager Mike Bromberg.

The three-story band building will be constructed at the same time the 500 building is being renovated. In the meantime, band classes will stay where they currently are. All music programs will move into the new building after construction is finished.

The old band room will house the new Golden Horseshoe and the office of the athletic director. The current Golden Horseshoe will be remodeled into a science class-

room, as will the other classrooms in the building. “[The old Golden Horseshoe] gets [demolished] with the rest of the 500 building, so the 500 building is only science classrooms,” Bromberg said.

That building, which was a temporary structure to begin with, will be modernized. Additionally, both an elevator and equipment room will be constructed. These renovations will likely begin in summer 2019.

During that time, students will follow a revised schedule to accommodate the walk posed by the distance between the main campus and the fields containing the portables.

“So, to start out, the 500 teachers will go into the portables. They will work on the 500 building. When the science wing is done, the science teachers from 400 will go in there.

All the rest of the teachers will go into the portables as well. And then they’ll do a remodel on the 400 building. It’s over a five-year period,” Bromberg said.

Walnut speaks on Branding Iron Mustangs FROM p. 1 tile environment today.”

Throughout all of the panic and chaos, WHS senior Jonathan Wang managed to remain calm while exiting.

He had noticed that many people were falling down and getting trampled, so he walked to lower the risk of injury.

“It was really unexpected and it gave me a new perspective on the world and the people in it,” Wang said. “I’m not sure how to put it in words, but it really made me see how ignorant someone can be to be able to make a joke or prank like that and not see the negative side

of it.”

Although some students said they wished there had been better security measures, others expressed gratitude for the staff and security guards who attended the Branding Iron game for staying with them in the bleachers throughout the situation.

“I felt relieved that everyone was safe and for the most part unharmed, and also happy that the staff was able to deal with the situation as well as they did,” WHS junior Taylor Torreyson said.

Despite the fact that the shooter threat turned out to be false, students were still shaken up as they messaged their friends to check if

they were safe and uninjured.

“I don’t think I truly felt the effects of the ordeal until I got home, because that’s when I truly understood the severity of the situation and what was at stake,” Suzuki said.

Days after Branding Iron, people exchanged stories about what happened to them that Friday night.

More than two thousand people signed a petition that called for more efficient school security measures. Both DBHS and WHS have begun increasing efforts to inform and better prepare teachers and students for emergency shooter situations.

KYL REPLACES MCCAIN

Former Republican senator Jon Kyl was sworn in on Sept. 5 as John McCain’s successor in Arizona’s newly vacant senate seat. For now, he has only committed to serving until the next Congress begins in January 2019. Appointed by Governor Doug Ducey, Kyl has decades of experience under his belt in both law and politics and was the second-ranking Republican senator when he left his post in 2013.

WHITE HOUSE SEARCH

An infuriated President Donald Trump has ordered Attorney General Jeff Sessions to launch an investigation into the author of the scathing op-ed piece written by an anonymous senior White House administration official for The New York Times, which relayed that members of Trump’s own inner circle deliberately undermine his orders. One after another, potential candidates have taken to the press and social media to declare their innocence or condemn the article.

KAVANAUGH GRILLED

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was placed in the spotlight during two days of public confirmation hearings last week, in which he provided answers to questions on landmark decisions that appeased Republicans and frustrated Democrats. The release of thousands of once-confidential emails from 2001 to 2003 revealed a stance on Roe v. Wade that contradicts what he presently claims to believe.

TUG-OF-WAR ON STUDENT LOANS

When several states and the District of Columbia attempted to implement protections against fraud for borrowers of student loans, Secretary of Education Betsy Devos struck back. Last year, the Department of Education reduced regulations on servicers of federal student loans. In response to the states’ plans, Devos argued that federal commodities should remain under federal regulation, and that differing state policies would make the loan process confusing.

Administration reviews safety SECURITY FROM p. 1

SETTLING INTO DEAN'S SEAT AT DBHS Former Chaparral teacher Denise Loera takes over the chair of Mathematics, Physical Education and Health as dean.

SEEING THE SIGHTS AT L.A. COUNTY FAIR Located in Pomona, this year's LA County Fair, which ends on Sept. 23, features a petting zoo, an indoor arcade and more.

The meeting, which intended to give an overview of the Branding Iron incident, ran an hour over schedule after many expressed their anger and confusion at the situation.

“I heard students saying that their teachers were telling them that...the kids should not have been running but you know what, they should have been running because had there been a real gunman or woman, I want them running and safe,” Diamond Bar High School parent Debra Chavira said. “They [the school] need to continue this conversation and tell these kids that they did do the right thing."

Over the course of an hour, the meeting turned into a Q and A

group discussion.

“I want to make sure we are communicating to our community to collectively figure this out,” Jones said.

Jones laid out plans and accepted suggestions regarding improving DBHS security. The first of those measures were implemented at last Friday’s football game, including the creation of a evacuation plan for the stadium that will be included in the pre-game spiel over the intercom. Upon entering the stadium, all guests will receive an evacuation sheet showing exits and nearby street names.

Entrances are now limited to the gymnasium and Brea Canyon road gates while all other entrances will remained locked. Jones also will be implementing an idea to

make trustworthy adults more identifiable; now every supervision staff member will be wearing a bright red lanyard.

The district has also approved the use of LobbyGuards, a visitor management system that runs background checks on every visitor who checks in at the front desk.

Additionally, Jones said the district has approved money for the installation of HD Cisco surveillance cameras around the campus.

The school is also working to form a parent safety advisory council. Jones asked anyone interested to send him an email.

“Measures may seem small now, but it is just the beginning,” Jones said.

DANCING IN WONDERLAND

NOW SHOWING: CRAZY RICH ASIANS

A Bull's Eye staff member reviews a romantic comedy starring an all-Asian cast and considers its impact on the cinematic world.

STRIKING A POSE

Diamond Bar High School junior Amber Fierro reveals her modeling and acting experiences and talks about how she stays positive in the industry.

AMELIE LEE

DBHS Dance Company members perform a lyrical dance during the annual Fall Sports Rally in the gym on Sept. 7.

OPINION

THE BULL'S EYE

EYE EDITORS OF THE

OPINION: The student paper provides a forum for Diamond Bar High School students’ perspectives.

Contact us to voice your opinion about issues discussed in The Bull’s Eye.

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 allows 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 purple-gold 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 the 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 rath-

er 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 editors, while opinions expressed in regular editorial articles are those solely of the writer. Additionally each issue contains 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.

Email BullsEyeEditorial@gmail.com or use the QR code below to submit your opinion. Be Heard.

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Repetitive repentance, no real reform

amelie lee editor-in-chief

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ecent reports have turned the spotlight back onto the Catholic Church, after over 300 priests have been accused by a Pennsylvania grand jury of sexual abusing more than 1,000 children over 70 years. In the aftermath, only two charges have been filed, with hundreds of cases deemed too old to prosecute.

While the criminal behavior of members of the clergy has been the subject of decades of dark humor, these reports need to lead to more than slaps on the wrist for the church. Repeated apologies and insistence on gradual reform and eventual redemption is no longer an acceptable pattern. It’s clear that radical and immediate reform in religious hierarchy needs to be implemented in the Roman Catholic Church, and that those in positions of power need to be closely managed and rightfully indicted.

Despite promises of change and

stricter restrictions from bishops and religious authority in years past, the Catholic Church has been unable to prevent such abuse and crack down on it. The most recent reports document truly sickening activity— describing the rape of a 7 year old girl, distribution of child pornography and the inappropriate grooming of middle school students.

As with most corruption, the problems in the church aren’t the result of a couple bad apples.

These issues are systemic, stemming from the lack of balance in religious authority and monitoring of those in charge. With hundreds of sexual harassments reports from those working under movie directors and business executives, it’s clear that we need to change this unchecked power that leads to extensive corruption and mismanagement.

In the Catholic Church, this power is accompanied by a supposed moral high ground and access to thousands of children— giving pedophiles in the church a clear path to inappropriate behavior.

The church’s religious hierarchy and power dynamic hands predators a position to hide corruption and perversion, where reports of misdemeanor can easily be dismissed by those at the head of the system. While there might be thousands of good hearted bishops and priests, the amount of power given

to these individuals allows those with malicious intent the opportunity to hide from society’s scathing eye. There needs to be a way to sustain a balance of power— one where abuse isn’t dismissed, and those in charge are monitored.

While the selection of the relatively progressive Pope Francis in 2013 created hope for reform, recent events only emphasize the inability of the church to fix the problem. Decades of clerical power have rejected a more democratic system of religious authority, with past suggestions of democratizing the process of choosing bishops falling short.

In light of the accusations made over the past decade, the church needs to adopt some of

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

Tedy

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these more democratic processes to allow members of the church to feel more secure. The church needs to institute a system where laypeople can check or monitor the power of ordained clergy. Those in charge need to start legally prosecuting those with complaints filed against them, even if they’re no longer a part of the church.

With the safety of hundreds of thousands of children at stake, change is no longer optional for the Catholic Church. The “repentance” of those being accused isn’t an acceptable means of redemption. Those in the Vatican must assume responsibility for changing the hierarchy of the church, and change their hierarchy for the safety of parents and children who choose to remain in the faith.

Short-lived activism

Cartoon courtesy of SARAH SEIF

Cooling tempers over ICE

ted yarmoski opinion editor

alls to dismantle Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more commonly known as ICE, have spiked recently due to a particular arrest that occurred at a gas station on a Saturday in August. These complaints are misdirected.

On that Saturday in Los Angeles, an immigrant couple stopped at a gas station on the way to the hospital. Maria del Carmen Venegas was pregnant. Immediately after pulling in, ICE vans surrounded their vehicle and asked for the couple’s papers. Venegas provided her identification, but explained that her husband left his at home in the rush to get to the hospital.

Venegas was forced to drive herself to the hospital in tears, delivering her baby in the absence of her husband. This lead to intensive public outcry.

However, the public needs to understand that ICE’s job is not solely to arrest illegal immigrants. They play significant roles in combating human trafficking and intellectual property theft, extremely prevalent problems especially in California.

ICE was forced to release the reason the arrest was made; the man’s outstanding arrest warrant for murder in Mexico. Predictably as it is in 2018, this was met with more backlash as the public shifted from complaining about unreasonable arrests to “character assassination,” or the release of negative information regarding arrested immigrants. ICE is painted in a bad light no matter their actions.

Getting rid of the agency is not the answer. The real problem lies with the administration laying out the policies ICE is to enforce.

Trump’s zero tolerance policy has resulted in many tragic events, most notably the separation of hundreds of kids at the US-Mexico border earlier this year. However, Democrats choose to focus their energy on ICE rather than its master.

Before the infamous agency was established, other organizations carried out the same roles as ICE. If it was shut down like protesters are asking for, the policies determined by the administration would still be carried out in some form.

Furthering this point, the arrests are not the end of injustice for immigrants. Under the Trump administration, it is common for these people to be held in poor conditions and to not receive public defenders, according to Snopes. Additionally, many are handcuffed and shackled during civil proceedings.

The administration is even trying to detain immigrants indefinitely while their immigration cases are pending, highlighting the true source of struggle for migrants.

All current protesters of ICE, including students, should instead put their effort toward flipping House and Senate seats in November and eventually electing a president who will direct the immigration agency’s efforts and resources toward more noble and morally correct endeavors such as the campaign against human trafficking.

As we progress through this turbulent time, we should heed Obama-era ICE director John Sandweg’s words: “It should be an ‘abolish Trump’ movement, not an ‘abolish ICE’ movement.”

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

OPINION

5

extra classes Is the time spent on online and college courses justified? compared to other college applications.

However, these are just basic reasons for taking classes outside of DBHS. Not only do community colleges allow students a chance to learn about a topic not offered at school, they also give high school students the opportunity to experience a real college course in a college classroom while better preparing them for their future.

In addition, for those who have more financial freedom, there are numerous onerin li line schools that offer students a variety asst. opinion editor of courses. Online classes are flexible to As students begin developaccommodate students’ schedules, giving ing clearer goals for their them the option of waking up later, taking future, they might feel days off or finishing multiple chapters or frustrated with the lack of career-oriented units in just a few hours. courses at Diamond Bar High School. StuMost schools offer courses that are transdents should be more conscious of this ferable to your current school or are weightproblem and consider ened into your entire GPA, rolling in classes outside of which if you do well in “[Extra classes] give DBHS. your class, can only help high school students High school offers a very you. The large variety of the opportunity to limited selection of courses additional classes will fit experience a real that address more specialyour schedule, interests or college course in a ized majors. Those who are any other needs. If you are not planning on majoring willing to put more time college classroom.” in biology or mathematics into your education and will be affected by a lack of expand your knowledge, class options. Lack of classes orientated totaking additional courses at a local commuward their dream jobs may deprive students nity college or online can only be an advanof valuable knowledge that could be critical tage and help you in the long run. to their future careers.

If students never take a class relevant to their interests, college admission officers may interpret this as a lack of interest in that field. Another disadvantage is that students may go into college with very limited knowledge of their major. This may lead to a realization that possible careers in that field isn’t something they’re willing to do for the rest of their lives, resulting in changes of their major and a loss of valuable time and money.

Extra classes aren’t all expensive; many community colleges offer certain courses to high school students for free—meaning individuals who are not financially stable or not willing to spend money can also sign up for these classes.

Some might wrongfully assume that an individual is only taking extra classes to boost their GPA or look more competitive

PRO

College and online courses that students take while still working simultaneously toward their high school diploma offers many benefits to those who have a clear picture of their end goal and future career. However, many high schoolers are stressing to get through this time of growth and coming of age by taking on as many classes as they possibly can rather than discovering their own niche. Their time at this vulnerable age should be spent exploring different areas of kristen sanchez interest before a student begins to narrow asst. feature editor down their specific college endeavors.

On the surface, opting Students are seen trudging through their to take outside or online classes, sacrificing hobbies or social life classes while in high pushed by the phrases, “knocking out classschool seems like an obvious decision. es” and “getting ahead” instead of enjoying However, with the heavy load of most Diathe process of being a high schooler. mond Bar High School students, it is not When teenagers pile on extra college justifiable to pile on unneccourses to their schedule, essary work for a benefit they risk falling into the “[Students] risk falling that’s not guaranteed. mindset of doing activities into the mindset of Encouraging students to get into college, rather doing activities to get to get a leg up on their than doing for the sake of into college, rather peers has played a signifilearning or self improvethan doing for the sake cant role in the decision of ment. Students should take of learning.” taking extra college classadvantage of the over 100 es in high school. Because extracurriculars offered at of this fixation on the imDBHS for their own enjoymediate goal of getting into college, it’s easy ment. Instead, the constant search for the to lose sight of the bigger picture: personal next best thing result in missed opportuniinterests, well being and general happiness. ties available right where we are at.

It is important to understand the economic motives behind attending these classes, but choosing this route to reap the benefit of a free or lower-priced course may not be worth it. According to the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, various universities accept academic credits or degrees only from institutions that are only regionally accredited and can pick and choose which courses they accept.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no guaranteed transfer. Therefore, the rush to start banking up on college credit is a concept that can create unnecessary stress, whereas focusing on AP courses during high school is the more viable alternative.

Instead of sacrificing time and effort for these extra courses, student participation in this dual enrollment for a quicker earned degree should be an afterthought rather than a first priority.

Cartoon courtesy of NICHOLAS KIM

CON

A fruitless summer job

GRace lee asst. opinion editor

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hile most students groan at the mere thought of doing work during vacation, I had one of the best summers of my life by appreciating the intellectual advancements made through summer work and summer school.

When someone asks me how my vacation went, I can tell them that wasting away in my room staring at homework was the best vacation I could have asked for. Despite my passion for studying, I was dragged on a flight to Hawaii, but thankfully, I enjoyed finishing summer assignments there instead of snorkeling in crystal clear oceans and spending quality time with family.

In addition, although I started my detailed assignments in the last week or so of the summer, I know

I can fully retain the knowledge for the eight months between the time I complete my history summer work and the AP test in May. I’ll definitely be able to recall what the encomienda system did in the colonies when I see that question on the AP test.

I also learned valuable prioritizing skills, as I struggled deciding between doing my assignments or other educational opportunities. In hindsight, choosing summer work over an internship or summer program was the right choice to make— I grew as a student by answering questions for APUSH summer work far more than I would attending classes at a top college or getting real world experience.

My parents suggested that I volunteer at the local hospital in the summer, but I don’t think they understand how valuable and meaningful summer assignments are compared to community service.

All of the positive word-ofmouth about summer school convinced me to stop trying so hard in my semester courses in hopes of getting into remediation class.

I’ve also persuaded my friends to do the same so that we could save time—32 weeks, to be precise—by cramming a year’s worth of infor-

SCHOLASTICALLY SATIRICAL

mation into a few weeks. I’m sure anyone who sees my transcript will understand my ingenious plan right away.

Something that my friends and I look forward to each day of summer school are the movies that teachers show in class. The movie

selection indicates the immense amount of time our teacher spent planning out the curriculum.

If anything, I want to thank my teacher for being so considerate as to making the classroom dark and turning on background music for me to catch up on sleep that I lost

trying to make it to school on time.

Throughout this meaningful break, I learned many important lessons. The most influential realization I had was that summer school and summer work will be the necessary building blocks for my successful future.

Best summer yet!

Cartoon courtesy of COLLIN CHIU

6

FEATURE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

Preparing their pitch Grace Lee Asst. Opinion Editor Among the many business-focused clubs on campus, LaunchX is alone in guiding students to create their own businesses and present ideas for feedback.

The club is a branch of the LaunchX organization, which offers summer programs at various universities, such as MIT and University of Pennsylvania. LaunchX, which was founded in 2012, has the motto “To empower young people to build the future.”

The Diamond Bar High School club gives pointers on creating a business and simulates what being an entrepreneur in the real world is like. Members are also presented with real-life business challenges. “[Students] are guided through the different aspects of starting a

company and develop them over the school year. Towards the end, they pitch their progress and idea to a panel of entrepreneurs and then receive feedback on how to further develop as a business,” said junior Assistant Human Resources Michael Cheng via Facebook.

During Regional Demo Day in March, members present startups that they have been working on for the judges. Teams attending Demo Day can also hear guest speakers, network with other LaunchX club members and possibly be selected by the judges to participate in Global Demo Day, held in April at MIT, according to the LaunchX website.

“My primary goal for LaunchX is for members to build on his or her interest in entrepreneurship. MIT LaunchX provides amazing training which will enable members to grow and create transferable skills they can use in the future,” said Sa-

AMELIE LEE

Launch X club helps students pursue their interests in entrepreneurships.

brina Ruiz-Emmons, the advisor of the club.

However, as it has only been a year since it was started, Diamond Bar High School LaunchX has yet to garner the school’s interest.

“Last year, [it was hard to create businesses] because it was our first year and it was a trial period,” senior club President Brian Sun said. “This year, we’re going to try to get those real businesses started and we’re trying to get solid groups who work well together to pursue that goal.”

In addition to guidance, LaunchX club members have access to an online curriculum and lessons from the main LaunchX organization at MIT, which further educates club members about businesses.

According to junior vice president Sherissa Cheng, the president and vice president also go through online sessions and relay information back to the members.

According to Sun, one goal of the club is to create a stable and lasting organization at DBHS and become more involved with the LaunchX organization.

“We’re still trying to establish a foothold in the LaunchX community and the Diamond Bar community...and to set the stage for future years,” Sun said. “We’re trying to set a solid foundation that has a solid plan of action for every month [and] every meeting that future years could follow.”

From clothing to canvas TIFFANY LEE ASST. PHOTO EDITOR While many artists express their talent on paper, Diamond Bar High School sophomore Julia Ruelas takes an unconventional approach by painting on everyday apparel.

Combining her love for fashion and her artistic talent, Ruelas started painting on personal items—such as her shoes, Hydro Flasks and shorts—during her free time, and posting them on her Twitter and Instagram accounts, @JuliaRuelas1 and @jullia_ruelas, this March.

“The pieces went viral on Twitter and Instagram. People were wondering if I was selling them. I turned it into something to make money from,” Ruelas said.

One of her most popular pieces depicts Vincent Van Gogh’s “A Starry Night” and Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave” painted on the back pockets of two pairs of pants.

The photo on her Twitter account gained over 34.5K likes motivating her to make more art pieces and grow her business. She’s also

done a painting of flowers, guitars, telephones and peaches in reference to the popular book and movie, “Call Me by Your Name.”

Ruelas said she’s been drawing ever since she could pick up a cray-

"I just love creating art that makes people happy..."

JULIA RUELAS

TIFFANY LEE

Sophmore Julia Ruelas holds up jeans with her hand-painted designs.

on. Other than an art introduction class she took in sixth grade, Ruelas is self taught, As she enters her sophomore year, and school life becomes more demanding, Ruelas still spends most of her time sitting in front of a blank canvas. On a daily basis, she said she paints for two to three hours but can sometimes find herself painting for up to six hours.

“It is a stress reliever for me with school and other activities. I mean, to sit down and paint something, that is my own [hobby] and it definitely takes my mind off things,” Ruelas said.

In April, she began selling the same designs of the clothes and Hydro Flask water bottles on her Instagram page. The costs of the items vary from $80 to $180, depending on the designs and surface types her customers want.

While Ruelas has always hand painted her replicas to sell to her customers, she is thinking of printing her paintings to help fill the increasing demand of orders.

“I just love to create art that makes people happy and lets me express myself and my creativity,” Ruelas said via text.

Photo Courtesy of CONNIE CHO

Alumna Connie Cho (left) poses with her husband for a photo at the red carpet during the“One Hundred Million Subscribers” celebration for Netflix.

Networking For Netflix Samyuktha Velaiyan ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Despite having no prior experience and interest in the entertainment industry, Diamond Bar High School class of 1994 alumna Connie Cho Lee now works for one of the most high-profile companies in the industry: Netflix.

“I sort of fell into it,” Lee said.

“I didn’t always dream of working in entertainment. I’ve always held jobs related to entertainment, publishing or editorial.”

Having worked at Netflix for 12 years, Lee is the director of title operations. She currently leads a team of 90 people that manages to secure licenses from partnerships to ensure launch readiness of titles.

Along with her team, Lee confirms that all components of the project—specifically subtitles, dubbed audio, artwork and trailers—are ready to be displayed on Netflix. As a group, the team handle hundreds of titles and partnerships per year.

“Since I’m a veteran at the company and also in a leadership position, it’s a passion of mine to mentor younger people or anyone new at Netflix since our culture is unique and one in which one can thrive,” Lee said.

Before Netflix, Lee’s artistic side showed with her interest in design and editing. During high school, Lee was involved in yearbook, becoming one of the Taurus editors.

After she graduated from DBHS, Lee set her mind to become a psychologist while attending UCLA. Lee continued her passion for editing by working for the UCLA newspaper and securing a job as an editor for a small youth magazine.

She also participated in copyediting classes to hone her skills.

She graduated from UCLA in 1998 with a major in American Literature after she realized the medical field did not fit her interests.

“This [major] is what set me on a path to really want to pursue magazine publishing, online or print, as a career,” Lee said.

Lee went on to New York University for a master’s degree in publishing, graduating from the two-year program in 2003. While pursuing a master’s degreew, she worked and interned at publications including Scholastic, USA Today and Conde Nast Traveler.

After completing her master’s, Lee moved back to Los Angeles and worked for a small magazine company as a copyeditor. She later discovered the then-new company Netflix by signing up for a free trial to binge watch her favorite show, “Project Runway.”

Fascinated by the company’s work, Lee browsed through a few positions online and applied for a copy editor role for fun, as she already enjoyed her previous job.

Four months later, she was called for an interview and received the job to manage the workflow of freelance editors at the company. She later moved on to streamlining operations leadership roles and has stayed in the field since then.

Working at Netflix for 12 years now, Lee loves that her job enables her to impact lives by bringing others joy with Netflix content. She has also been able to travel to multiple countries, mostly in Europe and Japan, and build teams to support Netflix’s global operations in Amsterdam and Singapore.

“I’ve certainly gained a ton of business knowledge but also learned how to deal with all kinds of people in all cultures and places,” Lee said. “I have much pride to work for Netflix in our feedback-driven culture. It has been the highlight of my career and I hope to stay here many more years.”

Lee advises high school students to reach out and do internships, as it significantly guides her narrow down what career to pursue.

“Do as many internships as possible in different areas of interest,” Lee said. “It’s OK to not have a specific vision of what you want to do as a career. Be open and just start out trying something. Then you’ll learn what you’re good at as well as develop new skills and interests.”

Diving into the competition Elizabeth Peng Asst. News Editor Members of the Hydromechs team watched with bated breaths, as a student carefully placed the cylinder machine they built from scratch into a swimming pool. After weeks of designing and building, the team had finally succeeded— the robot descended underneath the water at neutral buoyancy and maneuvered through the pool.

Hydromechs is an underwater robotics team made up of students from thschools Diamond Bar, Walnut, Troy and Bishop Amat Memorial high schools. It was founded outside of school in 2015 by DBHS class of 2017 alumnus William Loo, who was also part of the Walnut

Valley Robotics team.

DBHS students on the team include juniors Peter Hsueh, Sean Chang and Jessica Yen. During middle school, Hsueh and Chang were both on the same FIRST LEGO League robotics team.

Hsueh joined Hydromechs when the team first started, and Chang joined after he heard about the team from Hsueh.

Yen, who was in the Lego Robotics club in middle school and is also currently on Team Sprocket, joined the Hydromechs last winter. “[Hydromechs] encompasses more than just

the competition. We do a bunch of outreaches [to] try and promote STEM education,” Hydromechs’ CEO Hsueh said.

Instead of building robots that operate on the ground, members of the team design underwater ROVs, which are remotely operated vehicles that operate in the water.

Usually, members meet every Saturday, but once competition season rolls around, they come together several times a week to prepare.

“I really enjoy the members and the learning process, like there’s so many things you can learn from Hydromechs that you can’t necessarily get from [other robotics teams],” Hydromechs’ COO Yen said.

Hydromechs participates in a competition called the Marine Advanced Technology Education ROV, where competing teams build robots that have to complete real-life tasks underwater such as turning a valve and fixing an oil leak. Each year, the competition presents a different

game or task, and teams have to build waterproof robots to play the game or accomplish the activity. “[We] have to build a robot and present it as a company, so [we] have to present our budget and everything else. Also, [the robot] has to conform to certain restrictions,” Hsueh said.

A highlight of Hydromech’s team history was qualifying for the 2017 MATE International ROV Competition in Long Beach, where they won the Ranger Class Sharkpedo award for the most innovative robot design. Hydromechs competed against 11 teams in the MATE ROV competition.

Additionally, the team has taken a second place at the 2016 Long

HYDROMECHS ON P. 12

FEATURE

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

7

boba Showdown

By KATE ZHENG AND MAGGIE LIU

Due to the rising popularity of boba, many new tea shops have opened to keep up with the trend. With growing number of cafes around us, it can be hard to find the perfect place for boba. We visited new shops to find a perfect place for the next time you are craving boba.

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Known for its delicious cheese foam drink, Omomo Tea Shoppe (Tancca) is another cafe that recently opened. When I arrived, I ordered the Uji Matcha milk tea with cheese foam and honey boba for $4.50. My drink was ready within 10 minutes. My order definitely did not disappoint. The thick and creamy cheese foam had the perfect sweet taste to it, with a hint of salt to mix up the flavors.

The foam, paired with the light and refreshing matcha milk tea and chewy, sweet honey boba, made for a perfect combination. The drink’s flavor and consistency will definitely bring me back.

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Royal Tea is a new boba shop in the Diamond Bar area. It has a trendy interior with areas to take pictures for social media. I ordered the jasmine green tea sea salt drink for $3.75. The foam-topped drink made for a refreshing and surprisingly flavorful drink. The tea itself was strong, yet not too bitter. It had a well-rounded flavor and would have been good on its own, but the sea foam was what really made the drink great. It was an unexpected blend of salty and sweet, which complemented the tea well. Royal Tea’s good drinks and cute decor will keep me coming back for more.

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Tea Brick has become popular among DBHS students due to its nearby location and cute Corgi designs on its containers. At the cafe, I ordered a Matchamisu with boba and Nutella cheese-cream. The drink’s total was $6. The service was fast and when I finally received my order, I was more than satisfied with the drink’s quality.

The boba in the drink had a great consistency and flavor. Although the matcha was less sweet than I expected, the Nutella cheese foam balanced out the flavor by adding a rich and creamy sweeter taste to the drink. The drink was a great match for my taste.

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I had high expectations for Ding Cha, a recently opened shop. But Ding Cha’s disappointing drink and unpleasant atmosphere were a far cry from the social media hype. I ordered a Hokaido Black Milk Tea with honey boba and quarter sugar for $3.25. What I received was far from my expectations: the drink was too sweet with no balance between the caramel and milk.

The overall experience was also unpleasant as there was no proper waiting area, and the space is poorly air conditioned. The combination of a disappointing drink and a bad atmosphere will deter me from going to Ding Cha ever again.

Buddying up for awareness Erin Li Asst. Opinion Editor With the goal of spreading awareness about disabilities throughout Washington state, former chapter president of Diamond Bar High School’s Best Buddies has taken her commitment to the program one step further.

DBHS class of 2015 alumna Molly McCabe—daughter of DBHS math teacher and golf coach Tony McCabe—is part of the Best Buddies Washington volunteer expansion board. She has recently helped Seattle University Best Buddies program become nationally recognized as the Outstanding Expansion Chapter of the year at the Best Buddies Annual Leadership Conference.

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through one-on-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development.

This year, Seattle University’s

Best Buddies chapter was awarded the Outstanding Expansion Chapter of the year for the second time in a row over about 22 competing chapters at the recent national Best Buddies Leadership Conference.

This award is given every year to chapters that best exemplify what it means to be a Best Buddies chapter, from great events and successful Buddy pairs to impact on their local community.

There were about 2,500 people at the conference, with 10 to 30 representatives for most states. However, McCabe, who has attended the conference five times before, has been the sole representative for Washington for the past two years.

She has attended this conference twice with DBHS’ Best Buddies before graduating, and has continued to attend representing Seattle University.

“I [joined] my freshman year because I wanted to meet new people.

I stayed because the club actually changed my life,” McCabe said via Facebook.

best buddies ON P. 12

Photo Courtesy of MOLLY MCCABE

Alumna Molly McCabe (right) poses with her friend, Devon Adelman, at the Best Buddies Annual Leadership Conference, where they received a national award.

AMELIE LEE

Senior Wesley Lu, the only male cheerleader on the pep team in 17 years, performs a toe touch, a cheerleading stunt.

Passion for pom-poms

CINDY LIU FEATURE EDITOR Standing amidst a shower of purple confetti, three rows of cheerleaders performed synchronized movements in high-ribboned ponytails and short skirts—all except for one.

Wearing long purple pants and a matching uniform shirt, Diamond Bar High School senior Wesley Lu stood in the center of the group, waving and cheering into a megaphone.

In the Branding Iron game this year, Lu made his official debut as the first male cheerleader on the pep team in 17 years.

“Since my freshman year, I’ve always just admired the cheerleaders and their ability to have such a positive attitude,” Lu said. “They kind of hold this confidence and composure everywhere they go.”

Even though Lu had interest in joining the team ever since he came to DBHS, his full academic schedule always prevented him from doing so. He also felt as if he didn’t actually have enough skills to cheer, but after meeting DBHS class of 2016 varsity song captain Brandy Baker

in his beginning dance class sophomore year, Lu gained confidence and was further inspired to join cheer.

When he had an opening in his schedule his senior year, he leaped at the opportunity to try out for the team. He was later named one of the JV pep captains along with freshman Alexis Chandler.

“Wesley has brought a new energy and enthusiasm to the team,” pep director Kari Simonson said via email. “Wesley has opened doors, shifted perspectives and is part of establishing a new standard not just for male cheerleaders, but for the entire DBHS Pep Squad.”

While his friends were supportive of him being a cheerleader, Lu also faced stigmas as a male cheerleader. On the day of his tryouts, Lu recalled how some male students laughed at him as he walked past with the other female cheerleaders.

“I was a little bit intimidated [being the only guy]...but that didn’t really change anything I did,” Lu said. “If anything, it kind of just motivated me to do my best, and be who I wanted to be as a person.”

As a male cheerleader, Lu also faces higher expectations about his physical

strength and is working to perform difficult stunts such as the one-man stunt, a move where the base lifts the flyer into the air and holds the flyer’s feet.

Over the summer, Lu attended the United Spirit Association cheer camp at Chapman University with the DBHS pep team, where he learned over 15 cheers and various stunts.

The first day there, he and his team had to perform the DBHS fight song on the spot. Lu describes his experience as one of the highlights of his cheer career.

“Putting your all into one performance, being spirited, having your facials, being strong in everything you do—that really set why I wanted to be in cheerleading,” Lu said.

Although Lu still has many obstacles to overcome in his first year as a male cheerleader, he’s embraced his path and all the accompanying bumps in the road. He plans to continue cheering in college if he’s able to improve enough to be at the college level.

“I want to set the bar of what a guy in cheerleading can do and set a legacy, hopefully, for more boys to join cheer,” Lu said. “In the end, it’s all about doing your best and not letting other people’s opinions change who you are.”

8 FEATURE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

BACK TO SCHOOL

fashion

By kate zheng and kristen sanchez The beginning of a new school year can mean the beginning of a new you.

Freshen up your ensembles with these trendy clothing items and accessories while having fun adjusting them to fit your personal style.

WRAP TOPS

It’s not hard to see how wrap tops became a trend. Perfect for a hot summer day, wrap tops are not only easy to throw on, but different colors and patterns can also be customized to fit a wide variety of preferences. These tops are easy to style and can be worn with a skirt or shorts for a casual school day.

SCRUNCHIES Scrunchies are the perfect accessories to tie your back-toschool look together.

You can match them with almost any outfit, and they can be extremely convenient and stylish. These hair ties are also very affordable, which helps them become a favorite accessory among many students.

STREETWEAR Big brands such as Fila and Champion have worked themselves into the hottest street style fashion and have reached the DBHS campus as well. The clean cut prints and boxy silhouettes allow for mixing and matching as these sporty brands can put together any casual outfit while exuding a fresh and modern vibe.

KANKEN BACKPACKS Though Kanken backpacks were on the rise last year, there has been a recent takeover by the brand.

Many students are starting off the new school year with a Kanken backpack due to its high quality These classic shoes material and unique style. These have been around for backpacks come in a wide years, and though they variety of colors, patterns have gone in and out of and sizes and can easily style, they have since found find their way into your themselves back into the go-to personal style. outfits of many DBHS students. The skater shoe gives any outfit a laidback, comfortable feel. Whether you prefer a simple classic design or a more creative print, they’re perfect for everyday wear.

VANS

BAGGY PANTS We have seen the boyfriend jeans and the revamped girlfriend jeans, but this season’s trendiest pants take their roots from the late 90’s with a 2018 twist. These comfy highwaisted bottoms are far from your standard skinny jeans.

Pair them with your favorite belts and sneakers for a more edgy, unique look.

DESIGN BY: CINDY LIU PHOTO BY: AMELIE LEE MODELS: JENNIFER NIE AND GOODSON RICKER

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

9

From Joystick to virtual reality Josh kim ASST. A&E Editor

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ince their birth in the early 1950s, video games have evolved drastically from what anyone would have imagined.

Today, many high schoolers spend countless hours on video games, spending hundreds of dollars to buy the latest and greatest game or adding cosmetics for their avatars to feel more confident in-game. With Fortnite and League of Legends leading the way, the growth of video games has changed the way that many people spend their free time.

In their infancy, video games were never meant for the general public and were mainly used in the military and in science. The first video games were made using advanced computers in science labs, which were extremely expensive and too heavy to be transported to people’s homes, according to an article by the Smithsonian Institute on the history of video games. Even when video games were first released to the public, they failed to gain attention as a regular household item.

The popularity of video games surged in 1972, with the launch of the Atari and its advertised World’s First video game: Pong. In this game, two players face off against each other in a table tennis-like experience. Atari’s major success gave birth to many other popular titles, such as Space Invaders and Asteroids. These simplistic gaming systems paved the way for more intricate games in the future.

The golden age of arcade games began in the 1980s, when games such as Donkey Kong and Pac-Man were created. Arcades were a smash hit with the public, young and old alike. Kids could go with their friends to play for high scores on games while young adults turned arcades into date destinations.

These coin operated joints made billions annually. In 1981, total earnings were $5.7 billion. By July of 1982, sales had jumped to $7.3 billion, according to an article on the history of arcade games by Ken Polsson.

In the 1990s, the popularity of arcade games began to dwindle as household consoles became the new craze. Companies like Nintendo made a name for themselves in the gaming industry through products such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo 64 (N64), Game Boy and more.

Other companies entered the video game scene, such as Sony with the Playstation or Microsoft with their high tech computers. Cult classics such as Doom, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario 64 and Pokemon Red/Blue became the new addiction of children across the nation. Pokemon, in particular, allowed players to interact with each other through trading and battles.

In the new century came a major evolution in video games, and consoles became the king of the gaming industry. During this time, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo continued to dom-

inate the gaming industry with the Playstation 2, Xbox and Gamecube, respectively. These consoles allowed up to four players to play simultaneously, allowing players to engage with one another in their gaming time. Cooperative and player-versus-player games were widely acclaimed and games such as Grand Theft Auto, Halo, Call of Duty and Mario Kart sparked competition between multiple players.

In addition, the rise of computer screens led to computer games being played just as much as console games.

In the 2000s, fast internet speeds and affordable computers allowed people from across the world to play online with each other.

The most famous computer game of the 2000s was World of Warcraft, a massively popular, multiplayer online role-playing game. Other games included Starcraft, Diablo, Half-Life and Counter-Strike.

Along with the increased popularity has come a growing influence across entertainment platforms. Action movies and their effects mirror video games and video gaming was the subject of Steven Spielberg’s most recent film, “Ready Player One.” With such a wide variety of games to choose from, whether it be shooting or adventure, storytelling or building to survive, games now appeal to a wide audience. Due to the enormous market in video games, different platforms such as eSports and streaming services have popped up.

Competitive gaming, or eSports, allows video game fans to cheer for their favorite teams as they face off against each other, similar to traditional sports.

The competitive scene incorporates multiple games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends and Overwatch. In addition, eSports have been broadcasted on major sports channels, which has caused debate over whether competitive gaming should be considered a sport.

Obviously, video games will continue to evolve. Even now, virtual reality has begun making a splash on the scene, allowing gamers to “experience” the game as if it was in real life.

Video games are more inclusive than ever, allowing more people to experience them together. Streaming and eSports will only continue to grow due to the popularity of video games. As technology continues to improve, video games will follow.

DESIGN BY: AMELIE LEE

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

arts & Eics predators portrayed romantic amelie lee editor-in-chief

Lessons through color

Photos courtesy of GOOGLE BOOKS

DBHS art teacher Vianney Hwang illustrated the children’s book, “Josephine’s Pouch,” which teaches readers a moral lesson about loving individuality.

christina liu asst. web editor

In the quiet of the night, Diamond Bar High School art teacher Vianney Hwang pulls out his worn Reeves watercolor set, gently laying down vibrant base colors. After the watercolor has completely dried, Hwang begins tightening the borders of his images with Prismacolors, keeping both his and the author Geneva Witmer’s vision in mind for the children’s book “Josephine’s Pouch.”

“When I heard about this one [project], it really lined up with my values, so I was really excited for it,” Hwang said.

Hwang was notified about this opportunity to be the replacement artist to illustrate a children’s book last December from Dr. Matt Witmer, father of the author. Having met Witmer at a recent leadership seminar, Hwang shared his passion for art with Witmer, and was then asked to read Geneva’s story.

Although Hwang has been approached many times to take on

similar types of projects, he always turned them down since he didn’t believe in the story’s themes.

“It’s a really great story about acceptance,” Hwang said. “[Growing up] we always kind of notice things about ourselves that are different from other people, and the book really embraces those differences and really talks about forgiving those who kind of don’t understand why we’re different.”

Agreeing to illustrate the story, Hwang first presented the different style options toGeneva, exploring what tone she wanted for the images of the book. Witmer wrote notes with the specific pages that she wrote for the book, giving Hwang an idea of what she wanted to be illustrated on the page.

“Before I came in contact with Mr. Hwang, I was slightly worried about finding an illustrator who would understand the deeper emotions within the story and who could capture these emotions with illustrations,” Witmer said via email. “Mr. Hwang understood the themes in my story and was willing to communicate with me and work

with me, as a team.”

From there, it was a lengthy communication process, in which Hwang updated Witmer on the progress, and she would give the OK to move on. Hwang then sent the completed works to DBHS photography teacher Bill Foley, who helped photograph them to be sent back to Geneva.

“I think we both had extremely busy schedules, so I would be communicating with her parents rather than her directly,” Hwang said. “Sometimes that was a little difficult to balance, but for the most part [the process] was pretty smooth.”

From January to February, Hwang worked about three hours a day on the project. Hwang said that for projects like this, he would ideally prefer a six-month period, but had to work on a tight-

er time frame since he was a late replacement.

“It was quite a commitment,” Hwang said. “I was very surprised that I could hit that deadline without having pages look incomplete.”

The book was published in the summer, and was followed by a Barnes and Nobles signing in midJune in Tustin.

“I was very proud to be a part of the signing,” Hwang said.

“We ordered 100 books to sell and we sold out immediately, so that was pretty amazing.”

Brahmas dance along star catherine liu business manager In their matching bowl cut wigs and orange school uniforms, Diamond Bar High School students and alumni grooved in the background of K-pop star Tiffany Young’s music video “Over My Skin.”

“It happened spontaneously; Mr A. [Acciani] asked if I could play Photo Courtesy of TIFFANY YOUNG OFFICIAL the guitar or bass and I said guitar Alumna Tiffany Young included DBHS students and alumni in her music video “Over My Skin,” shot over the summer. and he said perfect. You’re going to be in Tiffany Young’s music video,” wanted to participate to volunteer twice,” Lee said. “It was just like senior Kevin Kuo said. for a chance to be in the music vidan hour or two to get to know the Young —who was in the widely eo. However, the students had to choreo and memorize the music popular Korean pop band Girl’s meet certain requirements, such even though it wasn’t a lot.”

Generation— is a former student as specific instrumentation, height At the music studio, the students of DBHS music director Steve and look. were fitted into the costumes before Acciani. She was searching for “So you had to be a guy, you have rehearsing for the music video and background performers with into be Asian, you have to be over 5’7 performing. In between breaks, the strumental experience, and her and under 5’11,” senior John Lee students had the chance to talk to manager contacted Acciani about said.

Young. the music video.

Lee per“When we weren’t recording, “I was realformed along those couple minutes in between "...they got to meet ly excited bewith alumni she would have an actual conversaa superstar who was cause I haven’t John Kim, Stetion with us,” Lee said. incredibly down to seen her since ven Liang, JerAccording to Lee, she asked school, so getemy Kim, Ryan them about the type of music they earth. " ting a chance to Chao and Kevin listened to daily, and Kuo said STEVE ACCIANI see her again, I Lew. Seniors they were able to talk about Harthought, was reJungwoo Lim, ry Potter and found out she was a ally cool thing, Kevin Kuo, AarSlytherin. Both Kuo and Lee agree and we love givon Tamura, Carthat the absolute best part of the ing our students opportunities to ter Sun, Jerry Cheung and Daniel trip was meeting the surpringly cado great things like this,” Acciani Lo and juniors Cyrus Lo, Sol Lee, sual Young. said.

Ethan Liao and Kyle Kato also par“The kids really enjoyed it beYoung attended South Pointe ticipated. The students who voluncause they got to meet a superstar middle school before heading to teered rehearsed the choreography who was incredibly down to earth, Diamond Bar High School. Howevthat was put together by senior humble and friendly,” Acciani said. er, after her freshman year, Young Grace Chun and music teacher “She spent time hanging out with went to South Korea to pursue her Marie Sato at school for a few days the kids and telling them old junior passions. before heading to Hollywood to high things like that, and she’s supThe opportunity came in July, perform in the new music video. portive of the music program here Photo courtesy of PINTEREST and Acciani allowed everyone who “I think we rehearsed like so it was just a very fun time.”

A

fter a long-winded pursuit, the charming prince finally woos the reluctant princess and the pair rides off into the sunset—living happily ever after. While it sounds like an old-fashioned cliche, this theme is still prevalent in movies today, disguised as romantic persistence and true love.

Decades of societal change have moved us away from belief in stories that reinforce male superiority and two-dimensional women.

Surely, the stories that we know and love today don’t adhere to outdated tropes of hesitant damsels in distress that need to be won over.

In order to present a truly compelling storyline, Hollywood movies rarely portray healthy, happy relationships— and this isn’t a problem. The basic premise of a dramatic love story centers around two people who have to work through some sort of difficulty to end up together. Often, movie studios create conflicts that revolve around a complicated situation— perhaps the pair live far away from each other, or their parents forbid them from seeing one another.

Occasionally, however, studios choose to create problems where the conflict lies with the feelings of the love interests themselves.

Maybe the pair doesn’t want to ruin their friendship, or perhaps, maybe the woman simply isn’t interested in the first place.

As Han Solo kisses Leia after she backs away from him and says no repeatedly, we root for the protagonist. The audience doesn’t see a moral dilemma when Noah tries to break up a happy couple in “The Notebook,” because we know that he’s supposed to end up with Allie.

When Patrick lies and manipulates Kat to go on a date with him in “Ten Things I Hate About You,” it’s OK— his actions are eventually redeemed when Kat falls in love with him at the end.

Problems start to arise when rejection from a woman is portrayed as a plot point the men need to overcome. When we watch a film, we have a full understanding of each of the characters, and what they’re thinking. We don’t have an issue with the actions of these men because we never doubt that the woman will end up happy. In real life, things aren’t as clear cut.

In his writing, culture critic and YouTuber Jonathan McIntosh dives into predatory behavior in Hollywood, and the ideas perpetrated to those who watch it.

“Women are framed as challenges — puzzles to be solved or prizes to be won. When faced with rejection or disinterest, male protagonists simply stalk, pester or otherwise push women’s boundaries until their defenses are worn down.”

These example of “true love” allow people watching these movies to form a skewed perspective of what love truly is. While we can reinforce the idea that “no means no,” it’s difficult to implement that when media continuously shows women as something attainable if you simply try hard enough.

Hollywood needs to take into careful consideration the crafting of their love stories, and what it truly means for two characters to get together and fall in love.

Amelie Lee and Amy Miyahara will write the Arts & Entertainment column on alternating issues.

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

11

A Look Back in Time

BY AMY MIYAHARA

While shows such as “Star Trek” draw inspiration from grand visions of the future, others take their stories from equally fanciful images of past eras. Many recent television shows have gained popularity by taking viewers on a journey to the worlds of princesses, vikings and everything in between. All these shows are available on online streaming platforms, allowing viewers to experience the magic of ancient times whenever they want.

VIKINGS

This show takes place during the Viking Age beginning in the 8th century, and is inspired by the stories of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) — one of the most well-known Norsemen of medieval Scandinavia. The show follows his adventures as he raids England and rises to become the king of Scandinavia. The most recent season, which aired on the History Channel last November and is now available on Hulu, focuses on the adventures of Ragnar’s sons.

KNIGHTFALL

“Knightfall” follows the Knights Templar, a Catholic military order, and its fall in the 14th century, after which many were killed at the hands of King Philip IV of France. The story focuses on the fictional Landry du Lauzon (Tom Cullen), a knight who participated in the Crusades. Upset about the failures of the Templars, he leads them on a new journey to locate the Holy Grail. The show premiered on the History channel in Dec. 2017, and it was renewed for a second season early last month. Episodes can be purchased on Amazon.

THE WHITE PRINCESS

A sequel to “The White Queen,” which takes place during the war for power between the House of York and the House of Lancaster known as the War of the Roses, which took place from 1455 to 1485, “The White Princess” follows the marriage of Henry VII (Jacob Collins-Levy) and Elizabeth “Lizzie” of York (Jodie Comer). While their union might have put an end to the war, their kingdom is strained by the animosity between their families and the political schemes of their mothers. The show’s eight episodes aired from April 16 to June 14, 2017, on Starz and are currently available for purchase on Amazon.

THE CROWN

This series portrays the rule of Queen Victoria (Daisy Goodwin) as she takes over the throne of England at just 18 years old, after the death of King William IV in 1837. The show follows her as she manages her marriage to Prince Albert (Tom Hughes), the birth of her first child and her responsibilities as Queen of England. The first season concluded in 2016 on ITV and is now available on Netflix, and the third season is set for release on Jan. 13, 2019.

Bright lights in NYC Broadway as well as to overcome discomfort performing live on stage.

Despite having been involved in theater for three years, Santogrossi said she felt uncomfortable in front of a “more important” audience.

“The main event was the performance at the end of the week where our parents could come and also talent agents were there. It was a stressful experience at first, but by the end it was all good,” Santogrossi said.

Along with real-life experience, the program brought Santogrossi in contact with those who have found a niche in the entertainment industry.

“It was really nice to bond with people about theater, and to bond with people that I wouldn’t have meant without the workshop because they live so far away,” Santogrossi said.

Before going on this journey to NYC, Santogrossi said she was uncertain if she was a fit for the spotlight. Now along with her new friends and knowledge, Santogrossi is planning her future around the stage.

“I really hope to be on Broadway in my future and I also want to go to NYU...I think it was very important that I took away as much as I did from this experience,” Santogrossi said. “It’s also nice to know that I have people out there that know how I work and what I can bring to different performances.”

Victoria ARTALE ASST. PHOTO Editor With a dream of one day becoming a Broadway star, Diamond Bar High School sophomore Alison Santogrossi had the chance to experience the life of an actress in New York this summer.

Santogrossi was first introduced to a program for budding performers after taking a trip to New York City with her mother her freshman summer. There she found a one-day workshop held by “Class Act NYC,” a program teaching students what it takes to make it in the acting industry. Soon after the experience in New York, Santogrossi received an invitation to join the week-long program the following summer.

“One of the administration people there heard me and they kind of convinced everyone that they wanted me to come back for their workshop this year which was a week-long workshop,” Santogrossi said. “So, they called my mom up a couple days later and asked if I was able to come back.”

Santagrossi’s first role was as an understudy for the character Grampa Joe in Chaparral Middle Schools’s “Willy Wonka Jr.”. Now, she is getting ready for her debut in DBHS Drama Department’s “Suite Surrender” playing the part of Claudia Mcfadden on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.

Santogrossi’s main goal in New York program was to be able to make connections in the world of

Times have changed, Disney has not For almost a century, children have grown up watching Disney movies--stories of beautiful princesses, conniving villains, catchy songs and plenty of magic. Despite Disney’s efforts to create original content, today’s children are watching the same stories in a live action format, taking away from progress and evolution in children’s entertainment.

For the past few years, Walt Disney Studios has worked toward creating live action versions of previous animated movies. From “Beauty and the Beast” to “Jungle Book,” Disney continuously remakes their films, despite the success of new content like “The BFG” and “Moana.” This is similar

to many other film studios, mixing new content while reusing the old, but unlike the other studios Disney is producing almost identical copies of older stories and repackaging them to seem new.

Disney is taking these nostalgic stories from our childhood and altering them to feature real actors, a slightly different perspective, more backstory and a couple new songs.

Instead of providing moviegoers with new plots and storylines, they are reusing old ones.

Disney is not planning on stopping its flow of live action remakes anytime soon. In 2019 alone, the studio plans on releasing the “new and improved” versions of “The Lion King,” “Aladdin” and “Dumbo.” Unfortunately this is the new Disney, a company which used to value thinking that was outside of the box.

The 2017 remake of “Beauty and the Beast” is extremely similar to the animated 1991 version. Disney is milking this fairy tale, trying to reap more profit out of the same plot by adding a few new scenes and songs here and there.

While it was advertised as new and improved, the reality is that the only truly impressive aspect is the CGI used to bring the household objects to life.

“The Jungle Book,” made in 2016, is the tale of Mowgli, a boy raised by a wolves, and his epic adventure back to the human village to try and save himself from the evil tiger Shere Khan.

This familiar story, from Rudyard Kipling’s novel, is best known from the 1967 animated version, which includes the same songs.

When Disney goes out of their comfort zone to produce something

new, the effort is seen in the quality of the plot. In “Maleficent,” the “Sleeping Beauty”-inspired story is told from the perspective of the villain herself. The movie is no longer about Aurora. The audience has compassion for Maleficent for the first time, as they see her backstory and heartbreak. Unlike the other remakes, the plot doesn’t stay within the lines of the original story. There are surprising twists, which keeps the story interesting and captivating.

In a way all of this can be seen as financially and temporarily profitable. Disney doesn’t need to spend time coming up with completely new and creative ideas if they can build off the same ideas other people had decades ago.

This strategy allows Disney to earn revenue by attracting not only kids but older generations, be-

cause these movies relate to what they loved in the past.

Disney has gone downhill in terms of creativity, and quality content. Their goal, it seems, is to make as much money as possible without much effort or time.

Disney is going backwards instead of pushing for new ideas that will inspire today’s children.

Some of their recent content that weren’t remakes, such as “Zootopia” and “Big Hero 6,” provides the audience with a new stories.. The messages behind these newer films relates more to our generation.

For example, “Zootopia” tackled stereotypes and discrimination, a message not portrayed in the older Disney movies. It’s films like these that should be influencing the children today: times have changed, and movies should too.

Sleeping Beauty

Beauty and the Beast

101 Dalmatians

Cinderella

The Jungle Book

emily koh staff writer

2014

1959

2017

1991

1996

1961

2015

1950

2016

1967

Photos courtesy of DISNEY STUDIOS

12 BUSINESS

THE BULL'S EYE

Alumna nationally recog nized BEST BUDDIES FROM P. 7 McCabe’s involvement with this program since high school has greatly influenced her throughout the years, so much so that she wishes to pursue a career with them in the future.

Best Buddies is “simple” with their foundation based on friendship, yet it allows her to bond with those with disabilities.

“I decided to pursue [a career in Best Buddies] because I have been changed by Best Buddies just as much as I have changed others,” McCabe said.

McCabe was influenced by Calvin Carillo, a student with a disability she met in her freshman year of high school.

After bonding with Carillo and

realizing how many opportunities weren’t available to him, McCabe realized the importance of Best Buddies and became passionate in helping those less fortunate.

“Being friends with him showed me that a lot of people with disabilities don’t get to go to prom, hang out with friends on the weekends or other simple things like that. Being able to be a part of his life while he got to do those things with me was so important,” McCabe said.

Now, as a Washington board member, McCabe is working toward her goal of raising $250,000 to open a Best Buddies state office in Seattle by next year.

Being a Washington board member means dedicating her time to spreading awareness—opening new friendship chapters in high

Robotics rolls into new territory HYDROMECHS FROM P. 6 Beach MATE Regionals, second in the 2017 MATE California Regionals and qualified to compete in the 2017 MATE Internationals.

This year, Hydromechs is aiming to go to the state competition.

“We want to try to go to state this time because we went to state last time, but we didn’t win because we had some programming difficulties last minute. So now we’re just trying to stabilize our design and work,” Hydromechs’ CFO Chang said.

Because the next competition Hydromechs will participate in will be next year, the team members are designing their robot, building it and waiting for the robot’s mission--the task set by the competition judges--to be released.

The underwater robotics team is also currently working on fundraising and trying to qualify for nonprofit status.

“We’re just trying to recruit people at this point because we want to expand the team a little bit more,” Hsueh said.

schools and colleges and working to build a Best Buddies state office.

She and her college friend Devon Adelman have already started organizing a movement to get a state office and starting the expansion board.

She also hopes to expand Washington’s programs to the eastern region of Washington, along with every high school and college in the state.

After graduating, McCabe plans to officially work for Best Buddies as a state program manager.

“Don’t join clubs or extracurriculars for the sake of college applications, but rather, do it because you love it. Doing something you are truly passionate about stands out to people and opens the door for amazing opportunities.” McCabe said.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

Application Advice While movies make it seem as if senior year is a time of partying, fun and senioritis, the reality is that many seniors spend their first semester swamped with college applications. To help ease the stress, class of 2019 GLCs and Diamond Bar High School alumni shared their words of wisdom.

“I feel like some of the stress comes from trying to compete with your friends and keep up with all of the colleges they’re applying to. Maybe you were good with just applying to five or six colleges, but your friend’s applying to twenty and now you’re like, ‘oh shoot, I have to do last minute research, now I have to apply to more.’ But you have to do what’s best for you, not necessarily what’s best for your best friend.”

Sonja Burns, GLC

“The number one thing kids need to do is breathe. Sometimes I see seniors walking around at lunch or brunch and it looks like they’re holding their breath.

I just wanted to encourage them to breathe and embrace the process. You’ve done all your hard work, all you can do now is relax and give your best. Lean on each other. You’re not alone, and you should talk to each other.”

Richard Gonzales, GLC

Catherine Zhang, Class of 2018

Ryan Chae, Class of 2018

FEATURE

13

CHECKLIST LETTERS OF REC If you are planning on applying to private schools, be sure to ask your teachers for letters of recommendation politely and as soon as possible. You also need to turn in your senior profile to your GLC by Oct. 5, and Sept. 20 if you are planning on applying to any schools by the early action or early decision deadlines.

ESSAYS Starting on essays well before deadlines gives you time to perfect your final draft. The Cal State application will be out on Oct. 1. The deadline for UC application is Nov. 30.

Private school deadlines vary, but most are due in early Janruary.

INTERVIEWS While doing an interview isn’t required for most schools, many private schools highly recommend completing one, and it is a good way to show demonstrated interest in your top choices. Be sure to practice, research on the school and go with questions prepared for your interviewer.

Emily Jacobsson, Class of 2018

FINANCIAL AID

“Keep in mind that choosing majors definitely plays a big role, so slow down and research about the major you’re choosing.

Applicants choosing different majors are evaluated in different ways, so make sure you know evrything about all the programs and majors you’re applying for.”

“For dealing with rejections, being with friends really helped me out because they understood how I felt. Also, just understanding that you did the best you could really helped me sleep without any regrets.”

“Don’t think of your essays as something big and scary, because then just the thought of rking on them will be so overwhelming that you end up procrastinating. Instead, write for 30 minutes before bed, when you first wake up Saturday morning, or even between homework assignments.”

Many schools offer both need and merit based financial aid. Applying to schools such as USC and Boston University by Dec. 1 puts you in the running for merit based scholarships.

Fill out the FASFA, which will be available Oct. 1 and is necessary for students applying for need-based federal financial aid.

14

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

Girls continue their winning tradition GIRLS GOLF The Lady Brahmas poised for success after training intensively all summer.

VICTORIA ARTALE

Junior Kelly Tsao hits a forehand in her doubles win to help the Brahmas win their match 16-2 against South Hills.

Unexpected start to the season GIRLS TENNIS Despite the absence of head coach, the team defeats South Hills, 16-2. samyuktha velaiyan asst. photo editor Even with their coach out on maternity leave, Diamond Bar High School girls varsity tennis team is determined to carry on.

Varsity coach Alexis Feix is taking a break from coaching after delivering a baby on Aug. 10. The team is currently under the direction of the boys assistant varsity coach Troy Wong, who is stepping in to help the athletes during practice. DBHS Athletics director Albert Lim will also be supporting the girls during matches along with Wong.

“Not having as many eyes on us is going to affect us as a team because Coach Wong won’t actually be at all of our games,” junior Lindsay Kashiwabara said. “The athletic director is a great coach but he won’t be able to give the same advice on our form or strokes that we would need during a match.”

In preparation for this season, the girls couldn’t practice together as a team because of adjustments in the coaching staff. Most of them trained on their own to maintain their composition for this season.

During the first week of school, Wong focused on improving the Brahmas’ shoulder strength by implementing resistance band activities into their workouts.

Additionally, they have been working on serving and returning to perfect their game.

The varsity team currently consists of seven returning players and five new players. With incon-

sistencies in the coaches’ availability, Wong had the girls choose temporary captains to lead practices while he is gone.

Currently, the three captains are seniors Ellie Delano and Megan Young and Kashiwabara. The Lady Brahmas had a strong showing after winning their first home game against South Hills, 16-2.

However, their dominant performance ended with losses to El Dorado, Ayala and Wilson.

The team hopes to compete again at CIF and see individual improvement, regardless of their record.

“I think my personal goal and for the team overall is to do better each game because as long as you are improving, that’s all that matters,” Kashiwabara said. “I heard that this league that we’re dropping to is a lot better ... and that a lot of people predicted that we are going to go a lot further than we’ve been before.”

playing all the time. We are looking forward to going farther than we did than last year,” McCabe said.

While most sport teams in DBHS devote many hours to team practices, the girls golf team only practices during competition season, and tiffany lee instead holds a mock tournament to determine who will play for the asst. photo EDITOR team. Each player has private instructors who refine their skills and practice on their own time.

The Diamond Bar High School Vongsaga, a co-captain alongside girls golf team hopes to swing its Kusnowo, said she rushes to comway back to being CIF champions plete her homework and practice this season. her swings for approximately two Since 2014, the team has only hours daily. had individual players win CIF “I would love to get four hours titles. Just last year, the team got but usually for school nights two close, reaching the CIF finals, but hours. If I am off season, I would came up short in the end. choose random days. If it is tourAlthough the team lost players nament season, I would definitely such as senior Crystal Wang this practice every single day,” Vongsayear, who was second overall in the ga said. state individuWhile Mcals, the team still Cabe was the has plenty of re“I think we had the school’s athletturning talent. best summer we ever ic director, he So far, the team had... We are looking pushed, along has won its first forward to going farwith Principal six matches and ther than we did than Reuben Jones, lost one. In the last year.“ to move to the match last week new league. against Upland, TONY MCCABE The school did freshman Bella changed to the Yang was low Mt. Baldy League for this season, scorer with a one-over 37. the girls golf team has became a Head coach Tony McCabe menfreelance team, playing whomever tioned senior Kailie Vongsaga, they choose. juniors Angelica Kusnowo and “I thought it would be good for Esther Lee, and sophomores AliDiamond Bar. We had finished at cia Kuo, Emma Han and Michelle the bottom overall the last three Chang as key players this season. years. We were fifth place out of six The coach also said the team has a teams. If you take all the sports for strong group of freshmen this year. three years and add them together “I think we had the best sumit’s not very good,” McCabe said. mer we ever had. The players were

Brahmas find their footing in new league CROSS COUNTRY New team members have stepped up their game. catherine liu business manager Although running at six in the morning is no easy feat, the Diamond Bar High School cross country team is willing to do what it takes each day to prepare for the upcoming season.

Along with morning workouts, the cross country team practiced during the summer in preparation for the upcoming meets.

Coach Malinalli Cooke hosted summer camp for the team and incoming members to train.

According to senior captain Frederick Yang, the team would practice at school on Mondays and Wednesdays while running at different locations and trails on Fridays and Saturdays.

Yang said that team members have been focusing on building up their core muscles through circuit training through push ups, sit ups and short distance runs.

Although losing last year’s seniors have impacted the team, Yang said that the younger players have stepped up to contribute.

“The loss of previous members definitely hurt the team, especially since some of [the team] just can’t make it for the morning schedule, but the new members, we know that they are all dedicated,” Yang said.

With the school’s recent switch from Palomares League to the Mt. Baldy League, Cooke said that the change has improved the team’s chances of moving for-

ward within the league. In the first league match, the boys varsity team took first place with juniors Lukas Amare and George Rosales tying for first with a time of 16:24.1. Meanwhile, girls varsity sophomore Keili Ishitani placed third place as did the team.

“Our girl’s team looks really strong—comparable to the rest of the teams in the league. Our boys team has potential as well, so really our goals for this season are to try to get a CIF spot, and to CIF prelims,” Cooke said.

According to Cooke, the team will be led by seniors Yang, Thomas Ear and juniors Amare and Rosales. Also, sophomores Nathan Sin, Victoria Artale, Allison Ear, Ishitani and freshman Carissa Jeon are expected to continue to contribute to the team’s success.

“I’m trying to make us more cohesive and trying to make us more of a team, cause I feel like that would cause us to focus on a team goal and for us to strive toward that goal together,” Cooke said.

VICTORIA ARTALE

Madison Thayer competes in a meet.

From left to right, Coaches Hughes, Adnoff and Cheever bring years of coaching experience to their new assignments.

Familiar faces take charge

Basketball, volleyball and water polo find new coaches for the upcoming season. josh kim ASST. a&e Editor New coaches will be leading Brahma athletes this year in girls basketball, water polo and volleyball teams on campus, but two of them are very familiar faces.

Marcus Hughes will be taking over as the head coach for girls basketball at all levels this season.

Having coached frosh and junior varsity for the past three years along with football for three years, Hughes is no stranger to coaching.

Hughes said his decision to coach girls basketball was an easy decision to make.

“I’ve just gotten to know the girls in the program, and I’ve learned so much from Coach McCabe and Coach Erica [Young]. Just the chance to coach these girls would be a great experience and I love working with them,” Hughes said.

As the girls varsity team only won a single league game last season, Hughes hopes to build on the girls’ foundational skills in order to compete for a conference championship or a spot in the playoffs.

Hughes believes that the girls’ experience from last year will help to improve their game along with conditioning to get them stronger and more in shape.

With the departure of Alexander Matal, Gary Cheever will be taking over as the head water polo coach.

Cheever, who doesn’t teach at DBHS, has years of experience under his belt, having coached at Don Lugo for nine years, Chino Hills for three years and Claremont for four years. Besides coaching water polo, Cheever works as a one-on-one aide and overnight security guard at Boys Republic.

Going into the program, Cheever was already well informed about the atmosphere of the team. Cheever seeks to build on what coach Matal built. He said he believes the team is ready to compete for league championship and make a run at playoffs. Cheever is most focused on conditioning, consisting of swimming, strength training and running.

“It’s not just about winning but building on their experience and passion for the game, as well as driving them to push themselves,”

Cheever said.

Lauren Adnoff will replace Katie Swetnam as varsity girls volleyball coach. This is Adnoff’s fourth year with the program, as she was previously an assistant coach. In addition to coaching at Diamond Bar, Adnoff also coaches club volleyball while pursuing a higher education.

Her main goal this year among all levels is to build more camaraderie and to diminish division between the three teams. She said she is excited to see the team continuously improve and hopes to make CIF once again with varsity. “[I’m] just taking the hard work and building off of that, showing them that ‘you did it before, you can do it again,’ and just expanding on what’s already been emplaced from coach Swetnam,” Adnoff said.

Rather than focusing on practicing sets of skills, Adnoff aims to prepare her athletes for real-game scenarios.

“I do conditioning within the technique and more gameplay so that we can learn from that situation. If that situation arises in an actual game, then they will be ready,” Adnoff said.

THE BULL'S EYE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

SPORTS

15

Student speaks out on concussions Since freshman year, Jenna Wong has faced difficulty competing in sports due to head injuries.

ANGELA YANG news Editor

AMELIE LEE

Jenna Wong is bringing her message on concussions to various teams. gave her first presentation to the DBHS girls basketball team. Wong was also given the opportunity to present to a girls soccer team coached by her friend, and hopes to expand the instruction to other teams in the future. The presentation involves a series of interactive activities to help listeners better understand the severity of concussion symptoms.

She said her decision to speak out stems from the emotional rollercoaster she endured after the head trauma. Throughout the two to three months that followed her concussion, Wong suffered constant headaches, dizziness and sensitivity to light and sound. The symptoms persisted on a daily basis at first, then gradually began ebbing as her recovery entered

months four and five, she said.

On the verge of full recuperation, Wong took an elbow to the head that September during her first basketball practice since the injury—receiving her second concussion within less than a year.

The incident took her out of basketball for all of sophomore year; she was cleared by her doctor to rejoin the game in August of her junior year.

“After my second concussion I still had symptoms for months after, and it was like almost a year and I still did, so my doctor diagnosed me with post-concussion syndrome, where my symptoms last longer than a typical timeframe for a concussion,” Wong said.

In her presentation, Wong touch-

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As a football soared through the April rain, senior Jenna Wong slipped and hit her head in the midst of one drizzly powderpuff game freshman year. The concussion she received that day would mark a turning point in her high school career.

After realizing that most people—including her closest teammates and friends—didn’t truly understand her silent struggle as she fought for her return to normalcy, Wong decided to take action to educate other athletes on the effects of a concussion.

She first spoke publicly about her experience last November, in a TEDx Talk organized by the Diamond Bar High School Wellness Center and given in the school theater. It was her first time opening up about the situation to an audience broader than that of her close friends and family.

“With the opportunity to share something that I was able to make relevant to also our student body, I thought that it would be great to share my story, to not only bring awareness toward concussions but also hopefully help other people see that you can overcome the struggles that you face,” Wong said.

This year, she composed a script and organized a lesson plan, then

es on symptoms such as irritability and confusion—topics she knows all too well. The concussions took a heavy emotional toll on Wong, as any casual string of words could trigger flashbacks and generate renewed fear, she said.

“In class if I heard someone say, ‘Oh, come watch our soccer game on Friday!’ That would make me start crying in class. [And] probably one of the strongest examples was we were reading Frankenstein and it said ‘a concussion of air,’ and that’s when I started crying because I heard the word ‘concussion,’” Wong said. “There was another time we were down on the field and soccer was having a practice on the field behind me, and then they kicked the ball and it flew over my head and I just freaked out.”

Although the journey back to mental stability is still ongoing, progress has been apparent. Previously, her emotional balance would tip sometimes for no clear reason, but now Wong said she is more aware of what elicits a response.

“When it does happen, I just need to settle down because in the moment, it’s scary, but when I think back, [I’m] fine and I’m still able to play,” Wong said. “I did make the conscious decision to come back to basketball.”

Though the struggle has been taking a toll on her life since freshman year, it ultimately empowered her, Wong said. The experiences she underwent gave her a sense of purpose.

It made me realize that I do have a capability to do big things if I really set my heart to it,” Wong said.

a s vong

Photo courtesy of KAILIE VONGSAGA

Vonsaga made her fourth appearance in the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Senior golf co-captain Kailie Vongsaga hopes to pursue a professional career in the sport. tiffany lee ASST. photo Editor Ever since Diamond Bar High School senior Kailie Vongsaga has been able to walk, she has been practicing golf with her dad.

The practice has paid off. Vongsaga, who has been a member of the girl’s varsity golf team since her freshman year, is currently ranked 839 out of all the amateur female golfers around the world, according to the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

She has participated in many competitive golf tournaments, such as the AJGA Junior at Superstition, Arizona, in June, where she

placed first.

This summer, from Aug. 6 to 12, Vongsaga played on the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in Tennessee where she made it to the third round. “It was a really a great experience playing with top players all over the world. I played just a whole bunch, but that summer was a good time for me,” Vongsaga said.

From playing for DBHS, Vongsaga said she has learned teamwork in a primarily individual sport, which has allowed her to get used to playing for a team when she goes to the University of Arizona. Vongsaga received golf scholarships from both UCLA and Stanford during her freshman year, but chose to instead commit to Arizona.

“I fell in love with the University of Arizona. I think I chose Arizona because of the [undeniable] chemistry between the coaches and me.

They were very supportive.” Vong-

saga said.

Along her path to achieving her goal of becoming a professional golfer, she almost gave up all hope in playing. From September 2017 through this past February, she had an major injury of her left wrist, called Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex and caused by hitting balls off a golf mat everyday instead of off grass.

“All of the doctors didn’t know what it was, so I almost gave up hope. I finally found a doctor who could help me. And now I am fully healed,” Vongsaga said.

Her parents have supported her every step of the way, being there throughout her struggles and wins.

Last year, she placed fourteenth in the regional CIF and advanced to the state tournament.

As soon as Vongsaga gets home, she hurries to complete her school work so that she can prepare for her daily golf practices at Moun-

tain Meadows in Pomona and Oak Creek in Irvine, as she believes it is the best golf course for her.

“As a student you have to both balance academics and golf. It is definitely tough and I don’t know how I do it but I always try to stay on top of my academics first then when I am done with whatever homework I have I will go out and practice the time I have left in the day,” Vongsaga said.

Aside from becoming a professional golfer, Vongsaga said that she would love to work for the Golf Channel, become a women’s college golf coach or a golf-apparel designer for Nike or Under Armour.

“Vongsaga was MVP two years in a row. Each time we would get to the playoffs she did really well in league. She was our best player in all of our CIF championships.

She’s been outstanding and she is doing really good this year,” coach Tony McCabe said.

SporTS TALK with johnny wang and ryan lam

Jump start for Lakers

B

efore the upcoming NBA season, Magic Johnson said that if he didn’t change the Lakers’ losing culture in two summers, he would resign. With the addition of NBA superstar Lebron James in the off-season, Johnson’s job is no longer on the line.

Along with James, the Lakers have added notable veterans Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley and Javale McGee to their roster. This year, the Lakers have a strong young core of players including Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and rookies Moritz Wagner and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk. The new lineup definitely has a chance at becoming a championship winning team, or at least making it to the Western Conference semifinals.

The Lakers have given the King an opportunity to lead a young team to perhaps yet another ring.

Although he is near the end of his career, last season was arguably one of his best years, averaging 27.5 points per game. If James continues to stay motivated, Lakers fans will be in for a treat.

Accompanying James is pointguard Rajon Rondo, with unbelievable court vision and high basketball IQ. With a 25 assist game last season— the only player to do so since 1996—he is undeniably one of the best passers in the league.

He is an ideal player in the Lakers rotation, focusing more on setting up key carry players like James to score rather than scoring himself.

Another big man the Lakers obtained is Javale McGee, a previous Warrior. Although he logged only a couple minutes per game, we believe that the Lakers will utilize this seven-footer on most nights during the season. His defensive ability and dominance in the paint will help the Lakers tremendously against other centers in the league.

As for the younger players, the Lakers have Brandon Ingram as a starter at the three position. Ever since Ingram joined the team, he has been a valuable player with a dominant play-making ability and finish. His physical transformation over the summer only adds to the fact that he is ready to work hard and go far in this league. Averaging nine points in his rookie season and 16 points in his second season, there is no doubt that he will play even better this season— helping the Lakers in their playoff run.

To round up the already stacked team is newly drafted Moritz Wagner and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.

Both rookies definitely have the skills to compete. Both players have offensive firepower, with Mykhailiuk averaging 44.4 percent shooting from behind the arc during his time in Kansas and Wagner averaging a 54.7 percent field goal percentage during his senior year at Michigan.

The big question is Lonzo Ball.

Despite being a bad shooter, he is a decent rebounder and passer. If Ball cleans up his jump shot and confidence in time for the season, he will become a dangerous threat alongside James.

Also, Ball must remain healthy through the year. As seen last year, he wasn’t able to play in all of the Lakers’ scheduled games.

The Lakers have, arguably, crafted one of the better rosters in the league over the summer. Though the team will need some time to build chemistry, the line-up seems very promising and will be able to compete as a top contender in the NBA playoffs.

16

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

THE BULL'S EYE

Upcoming Games Rowland 9/14

@Craig Park 9/22

Glendora 9/12

@PalosVerdes 9/19

@Chaffey 9/18

@Schurr 9/18

@Chino 9/28

@Bonelli Park 10/4

Chino 9/18

@San Clemente 9/24

Don Lugo 9/20

@Chino 9/24

@Ontario 10/5

@Cerritos Park 10/13

@Ontario 9/20

Walnut @DBGC 9/26

@Montclair 9/25

@Ontario 9/26

Chaffey 10/12

@Mt. SAC 10/20

Chaffey 9/25

@Don Lugo 10/19

@Bonelli Park 11/1

@Don Lugo 9/27

Troy @DBGC 10/3 @Walnut 10/4

Chino 9/27

Chaffey 10/1

Ontario 10/2

Don Lugo 10/3

Brahmas show improvement under Reitz FOOTBALL The team experiences growing pains, but wins first game in two years.

Ryan LAM asst. Sports editor With a new head coach and a change in leagues, the upcoming season signals a fresh start for the Diamond Bar High School football team. Starting the season with three losses against Walnut, Bonita and Claremont, the Brahmas have a lot to work on.

“You’re not supposed to lose games when you have that much offense [offensive yards], but it’s not the defense’s fault. It’s been the offense’s fault for not finishing drives, and that’s my job as the head coach, so therefore the responsibility lays on me not the team,” head coach Jeff Reitz said.

The constant coaching staff changes from past seasons has been challenging for the players, since each staff introduces new strategies and playing styles that they want implemented. Accord-

ing to Reitz, as the players learn a new system, mistakes will be made as they become accustomed to the offense and defense.

“When you have kids that have been taught for two or three years and they’ve been taught a certain way, and then they’re taught a new way, it’s hard on them, and it’s been hard on the offensive line,” Reitz said. “The offensive line has been a lot different than it’s ever been here.”

As a result of this, the teams’ offense hasn’t been able to perform up to expectations. This has created a domino effect onto the Brahmas’ defense, keeping them from playing with the same energy and motivation as they normally would.

“In the games we’ve played, we’ve done some things like not completing things offensively, so it kind of lets the defense down. If we start completing those things on offense, the defense will stay excited and finish out a great game,” Reitz said.

Also, Reitz stated the teams’ off-season training wasn’t as efficient as he would have liked. According to Reitz, the most import-

AMELIE LEE

Dylan Karanickolas had five passing touchdowns in their first win in two years. ant part of the off-season is the weight training, because the players become bigger, stronger and more confident. Since Reitz was a new coach, the training wasn’t as intense as he wanted.

“We didn’t get that intense of an off-season, so we’re going to have to get to know each other during the season,” Reitz said.

However, both the players and coaching staff have confidence in the team this season even with these setbacks.

“We probably have the best QB in Southern California, and our wide receivers are the best in the [San Gabriel] valley,” senior running back Jeremiah Chukwudobe said.

“We want a playoff run at CIF. ”

Facilitating the offense is quarterback Dylan Karanickolas, and combined with wide receiver Kai Smith and Chukwudobe, the team is averaging 29 points per game, eleven and a half points more than last season’s average. Additionally, the Brahmas are averaging 461 offensive yards per game, compared to the 300 yards they averaged last season.

According to Reitz, the defensive team is also stepping up, and he considers them to be even stronger then the offensive team. The defense as a whole is averaging 64.5 tackles per game. More than 70 percent of the team is averaging double digit tackles per game, with Jacoah Chennault, Leo Carreon and Sean Martin leading the averages with 17, 14 and 14 tackles respectively.

“They [players] have to believe in what we’re going to run offensively and defensively, and they buy into that, and that’s exciting because they see the potential,” Reitz said. “The improvements have been incredible, the kids have been incredible. The kids have bought into me, I’ve bought into them, and the season is going to get bright.”

Girls get served early losses VOLLEYBALL The Lady Brahmas start the season on the wrong foot, with an overall record of 0-7.

Renee Elefante asst. news editor Diamond Bar High School’s girls volleyball team has a new head coach, but it’s someone the team is very familiar with.

For the past three years, Lauren Adnoff had been the assistant coach and worked alongside previous head coach Katie Swetnam, who left DBHS this past summer.

So far, the team has lost its first seven games against Alta Loma, Bonita, Walnut, Los Altos, Ayala, South Hills and Diamond Ranch.

They lost to Alta Loma and Bonita in four sets; Walnut, Los Altos, Ayala and Diamond Ranch in three sets; and South Hills in five sets.

Despite these losses, the Lady Brahmas are optimistic about the rest of the season and starting league play.

“With the change of leagues, the team is seeing this as a new challenge to conquer,” Adnoff said. “It’s been a while since the program has played the teams currently in our league. It will be a fresh look and great opportunity to see other top notch programs.”

She believes the team can reach CIF through their determination, discipline and teamwork. Adnoff said she wants the team to learn more during practices by discussing or demonstrating a mistake or play and re-doing it over. She says this method will prepare the players for an actual game and their bodies will remember what to do.

“Besides trying to reach CIF, ultimately my goal is to help the team continue bettering themselves on

and off the court and learn the importance of what it means to be a team,” she said.

From offense and defense to the players on the bench, she believes that everyone is a key player on the team, and that each contributes something that will help the Lady Brahmas reach CIF. She said junior Faith Vasquez and senior Angela Zhang as key players on offense, while seniors Karly Moreno and Kimberly Flores contribute as assertive servers.

Adnoff also mentioned seniors Joycelyn Ung and Emily Chiang as the team’s top defense players, and senior Simran Sandhu as a powerful blocker, who forces the opponent to mix up their hits. She also said that senior Lauren Chang should be a key contributor who can keep the team from getting locked down on defense.

Chang, Chiang, Flores and Ung have stepped up as co-captains.

Chang, currently a setter, aspires to become a better leader and more versatile by the end of the season.

She said she hopes to improve her hitting and blocking skills, and be able to set a variety of plays.

“I feel better about the new league because I heard it’s a little weaker so that means that we have a better chance of winning [the] league and getting into CIF,” Chang said.

Chiang, currently a defensive specialist, also wishes to improve her skills, become a better captain and leader by being more assertive on and off the court. In terms of improving from the last season, Chiang wants the team to work hard at the practices, be more cohesive, and refine their skills as individuals and as a team.

“For the new league, we have no idea what to expect, but we are preparing for everything that is going to come to us,” Chiang said.

AMELIE LEE

Joycelyn Ung, left, and Emily Licon coordinate a return against Walnut.

AMELIE LEE

Senior Jason Hellmold scans for open drivers during the game against Walnut.

Brahmas cause a splash

BOYS WATER POLO The Brahmas start strong with a 3-2 record. emily koh staff writer

With a new coach, players and league, the boys varsity water polo team is approaching this season with high hopes and expectations.

The Brahmas are diving into the new season with an overall record of 3-2.

The boys had a rocky start with a loss to Walnut 13-8, but they then won three out of the four next games. The Brahmas beat Wilson High School 16-5 and Bonita 10-5.

This winning streak ended when the team lost against Yorba Linda 14-11. However, they dominated their next game against Norco 13-5.

“As a team this season, we plan to win league and try to win CIF, but that will take a lot of dedication and hard work,” set player senior Sebastian Galelli said.

Gary Cheever, the team’s new coach, doesn’t plan on making any major changes to the program but instead continuing the work of former coach Alexander Matal.

“My plan is to challenge each player to train harder then they trained the day before. The boys

feed off each other, when they see the guy next to them trying to step up, whether it is in swimming harder, lifting more in the weight room, or challenging each other physically in drills,” Cheever said via email.

The team lost many seniors last year, so multiple junior varsity players were moved up to varsity to fill in the spots. With key players such as Galelli, goalie Raphael Mutuc, defender Brandon Lin and wing/set guard Matthew Kim, the team remains a strong united front.

The boys practiced over the summer as a team, in clubs and individually. During the school year they practice five to six times a week, and three of those days are spent in the weight room.

“Our main focus during practice is to play hard and play physical. This will help us push teams to their limits for four quarters,” Cheever said.

According to Kim, some improvements that have set apart this year’s team from last year’s squad is the amount of dedication shown by each team member.

“Last year we struggled with commitment off season, but this year the commitment was definitely there. It showed because there was drastic improvement in almost every player since last year,” Kim said.