JANUARY 2022

opinion 5

feature 8

a&e 10

40

05

JANUARY 19, 2022

New strain dries state resources Districts have responded to Omicron variant with updated safety protocols.

Seniors Alyssa Wu, Andrew Shi, Eileen Zu, Ella Chiu, Akash George and Emma Fu plan to attend top schools across the nation.

Committing to their dreams Seven Brahmas have been chosen as future students to prestigious universities.

Juniors exceed past annual test standard Following the pandemic, California saw a decrease in average SBAC scores.

Sophomore Angel Huang and senior Darren Fang work to modify their ping-pong catapult used during the Engineering event.

Setting a trajectory for success “...Distance learning did not give them the right help they needed for tests.”

JOHN MOK

Science Olympiad team continues dominating their National Invitational.

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News

January 19, 2022

The Bull’s Eye

Drawing national acclaim in card design Students in the Computer Graphics class made cards to vie for a scholarship.

Nathan Chu Asst. Sports editor After countless hours of hard work and dedication, 11 Diamond Bar High School students have made their way to the voting round of the Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship event with $10,000 on the line.

The competition, which is held annually by the card-making company The Gallery Collection, is open to all high school, college and university students in the United States.

It lasts until March 2, with 100 entries being put up for voting on the company’s website each month.

Of this years’ applicants, brahmas Dylan Carpino, Aidan de Guzman, Abby Kottke, Rita Mei, Sarah Cai, Haylee Darmawan, Chloe Huang, Claire Lee, Sunny Liang, Ziyan Wang and Grace Wen have reached this round.

Having discovered the program several years ago, computer systems and computer graphics design teacher Alina Gallardo has continued to encourage her students to participate in the event to teach them how computer graphics can be applied outside the class-

room.

“Students learn basic art skills and vector graphic tools in Computer Graphics,” Gallardo said via email.

“I encourage students to participate in the scholarship competition for the experience of creating art for commercial use.”

The competition tasks participants with creating a greeting card for any kind of holiday or event.

Designs must be original and can be created using computer software, in addition to traditional drawing or painting.

The cards are graded on characteristics such as their overall aesthetic appeal, quality of execution, creativity and appropriate application.

“On birthdays, people have a tradition of wishing and wishing other people happy birthdays, so I decided to use some hands that looked like a pair of hands making a wish,” Mei said via email.

Although participants have the option to hand-make their cards, DBHS students used digital media-creation applications that they learned about in class when creating their pieces for the competition.

“I had to use a lot, if not most, of the techniques that we had been taught in our computer graphics class and I learned how to use the shortcuts more efficiently as I was using the tools a lot throughout this project,” Huang said via email.

VASH CHEN Freshmen Grace Wen (left) and Chloe Huang (right) showcase greeting card designs that reached the national voting stage.

Aside from the potential of winning a monetary award, most students took part in the competition simply for the experience.

“It is fun to design something and entering a competition gives me an experience or example of future goals [or] benefits I can achieve with [the] art that I create,” Wen said.

Because the students made it to the voting round for the month of

November, students had the option of looking back at their project on their own and reflecting on possibilities for improvement.

“I would pay more attention to details and perfect them more,” Mei said. “I would have also changed some of the color combinations that I used to make some things stand out.”

According to the participants, the competition provided an in-

valuable learning experience for students seeking to learn more about commercial art.

“I hoped to gain some experience and luckily I was able to get into the voting round for this competition,” Mei said.

“Mostly, I wanted [to see] some other designs that were also submitted into the competition [for inspiration] and hopefully find them helpful for future designs.”

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

Reyna Wan, Niko Yatawara Marcus Hsieh, Steve Qu Lauren Cheng, Jeremiah Jung

Opinion Editor Asst. Opinion Editors

Reyna Wan Jianlan Busteed, Rachel Lee

Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editors

Sam Jajieh Natasha Chang, Maia Pak Niko Yatawara Taylor Joe, MK Palaris

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

Charles Tam Nathan Chu

Photo Managers Asst. Photo Editors

Reyna Wan, Niko Yatawara Vash Chen, Claire Wu Edward Kim Ryan Kung

Business Manager Asst. Business Manager Web Editor Asst. Web Editors

Reyna Wan Natasha Chang, Lauren Cheng

Staff Writers

Kyle Hong, Lyndon Kaneko, Ashley Park, Ethan Ro

Adviser

Connie Chen

contact us Diamond Bar High School, Room 717 21400 Pathfinder Road Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Phone: (909) 594- 1405x33459 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 717 or submit them online at dbbullseye.com.

LAUREN CHENG

Numbers rise with new wave of cases COVID FROM P. 1 span of Winter Break up until January 15.

WVUSD has also continued to hold vaccination clinics, offering free immunization against COVID-19 to students.

These clinics are open on weekdays and tend to cycle locations day-to-day.

Along with notifications regarding vaccination clinics, students may recall seeing emails concerning school-wide positive cases.

But to increase efficiency, DBHS has opted to begin emailing students who share the same classroom with a positive case rather than continue with contact tracing.

Additionally, more rigid rules are being put in place to combat infections.

These new regulations include testing immediately after notification of exposure and five days following exposure as well as it being strongly suggested to use a medical grade mask.

Students who tested positive or reported symptoms will also not be allowed on campus without proof of a negative test and must undergo a two-week quarantine.

WVUSD will be continuing to implement the following rules: students and staff must wear masks indoors, masks outdoors when social distancing isn’t possible and

“I cannot impress upon you more how important it is...to get our kids tested, vaccinated.

GAVIN NEWSOM

large gatherings must be minimized.

It is also recommended to sanitize frequently and quality checks on air filtration will take place to guarantee an efficiency rating of at least 13.

“We want to ensure our parent community that students being on campus have more protection than

when they are in the community at large because of the layered levels of COVID-19 safety measures at schools as directed by Public Health,” DBHS said via email.

In order to establish and enforce all safety protocols, the school has gone through the effort of assembling a compliance team, which includes a designated compliance officer who is capable of quickly reporting positive cases to the Walnut Valley Unified School District Human Resources office for quick, up-to-date information.

The district has also published twenty page appendixes specific to each school in the district outlining their plans for the 2021-2022 school year.

The informational links are located on their website and also answer frequently asked questions regarding rules and regulations.

According to the appendix, as of now, the WVUSD district has no plans to return students to distance learning environments in the near future and it will only be used as a last resort.

January 19, 2022

The Bull’s Eye

News

3

Gliding over the competition Competition FROM P. 1 part of the competition, was the Trajectory event. In this section of the competition, sophomore Dora Huang and senior Darren Fang were assigned the task of assembling a ping-pong catapult. But, due to unforseen scheduling conflicts, Fang ended up being late to the event and could not be there in time for the actual competition, leaving the duo with a disadvantage.

“I started the Zoom call without him [Fang] so we [didn’t] get disqualified, and solo-ed most of the event which wasn’t ideal, as it took more time to adjust the catapult without a partner,” Huang said via Discord.

Regardless of Huang taking charge and running the majority of the event by herself, the duo was still able to place relatively high, scoring 24th place overall.

Despite the issues and difficulties she faced and had to overcome in previous events, Huang also participated in Experimental Design with sophomore Mia Zhang and freshman Audrey Tjandra.

Experimental Design focuses on creating an experiment with controlled conditions to analyze a certain phenomenon.

“It went fairly smoothly, and we had a couple minutes to spare and check our work,” Huang said. “It was a bit of reassurance, as running out of time is a worry.”

With the plentiful amount of time to improve upon their work, the unit was ranked 16th.

Another event that was attended was bioinformatics, carried out by

sophomore Emily Ren. Simply put, it is computer science algorithms and mathematical models being applied to analyze biological data.

“It feels like the more I study, the more I think there is left for me to learn,” Ren said. “The test was very difficult, and I felt I wasn’t ful-

“My hope for this year’s team is to win regionals, and hopefully do well at state.”

JEFFREY GONG

ly prepared.”

Hoping to uphold their streak of solid performances, the team looks forward to continuing their run of

sucess in the rest of their future competitions.

“My hope for this year’s team is to win regionals, and hopefully do well at state,” junior Jeffrey Gong said via Instagram. “We have a strong team this year and hopefully we can do well.”

Overall, the team ended up placing no lower than 25th place for all of their events at the Science Olympiad National Invitational competition, which means that they qualify to earn either a trophy or medal.

“I’m grateful to and proud of our team,” sophomore Emily Ren said.

“We spend hours in group study meetings on Saturdays, as well as during winter break and our free time, studying for our events. It’s greatly rewarding to see how our hard work pays off.”

CLAIRE WU Darren Fang (left) and Emily Ren present the glider that they used in competition.

Brahmas uphold run of superb test scores TESTING FROM P. 1 mark.

In mathematics, the state standard was 39.7% while DBHS sur passed the average with a 72.8% passing rate.

Due to the academic and eduational toll of distance learning, there has been a reduction in the scores of students in California overall, with the state seeing a 2 percent decrease in English Language Arts scores and an even greater 6 percent drop in mathematics. Brahmas, on the other hand, saw just a 1 percent drop in English, while math saw a 5 percent increase.

Compared to Walnut High School’s test results in the 20202021 school year, ELA scores were virtually the same, with the Mustangs overall surpassing DBHS students by 0.38%.

However, DBHS managed to exceed WHS students by 7% in the mathematics portion of the CAASPP exam.

In the pre-pandemic school year, Walnut’s results for ELA scores were 82%, exceeding Diamond Bar by nearly 2%.

In mathematics, 70.93% of students from Walnut High School met or exceeded the standard for mathematics, around 1% less than Brahmas.

Overall, despite the numerous challenges presented throughout the duration of the 2020-21 school year, Diamond Bar High School students prevailed and were even able to improve upon their scores from previous years.

Aiming for a successful higher education ADMITS FROM P. 1 pany.

In addition to this particular opportunity, George undertook business courses at Mt. Sac during his high school career to help himself in gathering early knowledge and preparation in his future business major.

“Now that I am accepted, I feel like I can focus more on developing my soft skills and work on broadening my perspective,” he said.

Chiu, who is set to be joining Claremont McKenna College as a finance major in the upcoming school year next fall, was aided in securing her position at the university thanks to a sports commitment following her continuous success on the DBHS varsity golf team.

Having been a member of the team since her freshman year and qualifying for CIFs all four years of her high school career, Chiu said she received a lot of support from her coaches to apply for Claremont McKenna early.

“The coaches volunteered to

come to watch me play and analyze my golf games,” Chiu said.

“They were impressed and highly encouraged me to apply to their Early Decision Application and invited me to meet them again on the campus.”

Chiu looks to participate in Claremont McKenna’s economic program, which is ranked at the top in the United States, due to her interest in finance.

“During my sophomore year, I took on the role of Treasurer for Interact Club and this developed my interest in finance,” Chiu said.

“Because CMC’s School of Economics and Finance prepares its students for business management, I wanted to develop my leadership skills so I can be prepared for any role in my future profession.”

Double-majoring in Mathematics, Computational Science, and Music, Andrew Shi was recognized for his ef-

forts by one of the most prestigious schools in the United States by receiving a restrictive early action acceptance from Stanford University.

“Stanford has been my dream school ever since I visited their campus nine years ago,” Shi said.

“There is a really strong tech culture, research spirit, and entrepreneurial drive that serves as the underlying philosophy for many disciplines.”

Shi has competed and performed in front of numerous audiences on countless international stages of great renown as a classically-trained pianist.

Intrigued by the intersection and frequent correlations drawn between music and technology in the modern world, he hopes to implement computer programming as a novel medium for music creation and production.

“I think it is important to show colleges what makes you different and unique from other

applicants,” Shi said.

Making her way into the medical field, Alyssa Wu has been accepted to the well-known Johns Hopkins University as a pre-medical student.

“I really was not expecting myself to get accepted, so upon seeing the news when my decision was released, I was shocked,” she said via Instagram.

“At the same time, I was quite glad that I no longer had to complete the rest of my regular decision applications, so this really took a huge burden off of my shoulders.”

In terms of her actual application, Wu said she tried to approach the personal statement in a more humble manner when drafting out the personal essay and supplemental essay.

“Instead of trying to be outwardly boastful about achievements or awards, I wanted to capture my perspective in linking my past experience with future passions, especially for a highly-competitive field like biology and pre-med,” Wu said.

Wu plans to go into the medicine industry as a doctor or specialist after graduating.

Opinion

4

EYE editors OF THE

- OPINION-

The school’s curriculum should not be adapted to allow freshmen to take Advanced Placement classes, as this change would promote the growth of an already increasingly toxic and competitive learning environment.

A

lthough Diamond Bar High School is already notorious for its academically rigorous curriculum, its competitive environment has resulted in a desire among students for increasingly advanced courses.

Students dissatisfied with the curriculum will most often point to nearby high schools, such as Walnut High School and Troy High School, as examples of how the curriculum should be structured. Despite the opinions of some students on campus, allowing students of lower grade levels to take AP classes will do more harm than good.

At Troy, students are allowed to take multiple Advanced Placement courses in their first year of high school, while those at DBHS aren’t allowed to take any AP classes as freshmen. However, since Troy is a magnet school that receives additional funding for its Troy Tech program, it has more resources than the average public school, making it an unfair point of comparison.

Walnut High School serves as a much fairer source of comparison, as both Walnut and Diamond Bar limit the grade levels that are allowed to take certain AP courses. The only differ-

ence is that Walnut allows its students to finish their physical education and elective course requirements as summer classes, so they are free to fill their academic year with more challenging courses.

However, given the competitive academic atmosphere of DBHS, changing the curriculum would add to an already toxic environment that values achieving the highest grade possible, even if it means students must cheat their way through classes. This is on top of the logistical difficulties of having more students fill up classes that are already crowded.

Allowing freshmen to take AP classes will only further cement students’ mentality of only studying for a grade. High school is meant to prepare students to be knowledgeable citizens in the real world, and treating the classes as letters on a transcript sets students up for failure in their future college or workplace, as they will have to compete with people who used their education to better themselves.

In fact, taking even more AP classes than the ones that Brahmas are already offered gives little benefits to their college applications. Not only do stu-

dents need a rigorous course load that challenges them, they also need to get good grades in those classes.

While a ‘B’ in a difficult class may look better than an ‘A’ in a regular class, a ‘C’ would look mediocre, no matter the circumstance. Moreover, a more burdensome course load would create more peer pressure for students to “catch-up,” even if they have already reached their limit.

At the end of the day, there is more to getting into a good college than letters on transcripts.

The school already encourages student outlook based on the 4 As, academics, athletics, arts and activities, thus students should continue to aim for success in their classes alongside becoming well-rounded citizens outside of the classroom.

As much as colleges care about a ‘5’ in an AP course, they also care about your passion on the football field or your willingness to volunteer at homeless centers.

Although the curriculum at Diamond Bar is far from perfect, increasing competition between underclassmen and upperclassmen is not the right path to take moving forward.

FROM THE BRAHMA PERSPECTIVE

“

January 19, 2022

The Bull’s Eye

When I was a freshman I was pretty unprepared [...] a college level course when I just got out of high school would be a lot of pressure.

“

If freshmen were to take AP classes, the GPA average of the school would decline drastically [...] I’m stressed out enough as it is.

“

I believe [for] freshmen, it’s a good opportunity to prepare them for their sophomore year and junior year, in general.

News writes off pressing issues private celebrities, participation in conscious consumption was all the craze and the environmental effects of tourism became apparent all around the world. But, as interest subsided, these stories disappeared from the front pages.

On Dec. 7, almost two years since the beginning of the pandemic, a 71-year-old Asian man in Chicago Natasha Chang was shot 22 times while purchasing asst. feature editor a newspaper. His name was Woo Sing Tse, and the news coverage of he news industry, a predom- the incident never made it past the inantly white field with most local community.

During the height of the BLM power players residing in the movement, when mass scrutiUnited States, has guaranteed one ny over such hate crimes was in thing: homogenous press coverage. vogue, events like the murder of To maximize profits and reader Woo Sing Tse would have made engagement, the world of press has headlines, week after week. In fact, counteracted the diminishing mara research study done by the Uniket by increasing coverage of topversity of Massachusetts, Amherst ics that are sure to yield earnings. showed that the attention brought These stories are often exclusively forth by BLM protests and media limited to a handful of subjects, attention led to a 15-20% decrease generally revolving around politics and sensationalized stories to pro- in police homicides.

The irony is far from lost; in an voke audience response. industry dominated by non-POC, The need to succumb to reader interests is an understandable ra- it just so happens that POC news is consistently tionale. Afterall, limited and igmoney is the “...turning a blind nored—most of main incentive eye towards topwhich involve rain a capitalist socially motivated ciety. ics deemed ‘less violence against However, the important’ goes the community. purpose of the against the very esThough seempress, as stated sence of journalism.” ingly impossiby Bill Kovach ble, this kind of and Tom Rosenchange can be inistiel in “The Eltiated by the press. The Watergate ements of Journalism,” is defined Scandal of 1972 was the work of by “the function news plays in the lives of people.” While it’s im- journalists who believed in writing the truth at the cost of their repuportant to understand the current political climate and trending sto- tations. In their belief of a better, ries, turning a blind eye towards more truthful future, their journaltopics deemed ‘less important’ goes istic work resulted in the first-ever presidential resignation in the against the very essence of jourUnited States, increasing positive nalism. constraints on federal power.

The majority of topics that The power of the press should lack news coverage are related to not be underestimated. The jourhate crimes against people of color and environmental concerns. nalism industry has a moral and ethical responsibility to bring During the height of the pandemmore awareness about topics that ic, the aforementioned subjects have the potential to make or break were trending topics—both tied to our world. Although difficult in our COVID-19. The effect was instantaneous, especially around racial capitalist society, the ideals of a injustice: Black Lives Matter was a journalist should reflect ones that impact the future for the better. topic mentioned by even the most

T

” ” ” Adopting responsible habits for household pets JIMMY CHEN (10)

MAIA PAK asst. feature editor

T

he classic image of gleeful children receiving a puppy for Christmas is one glamorized by the media every holiday season. But, what entertainers of this gift idea can tend to forget is that this temporary moment of joy is actually a 10 to 20 year financial and emotional investment.

Gifting pets hold many ethical issues that are not often analyzed prior to adopting a living animal.

For one, searching for popular and more ‘giftable’ pets, such as younger animals and specific breeds, puts a strain on the already problematic breeding industry.

Considering how notorious the pet industry is for neglecting the interest of animals, receiving a higher demand from consumers will only allow abuse to flourish.

LILIA DAHAK (9)

KEVIN YANG (12)

This practice also ignores the 6.3 million animals left in shelters across the U.S.—a number which grows thanks to the gifting of pets.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, more consumers than ever sought new pets as companions to combat lonely times.

However, it is unfair to expect animals to act as ‘cure-alls’ for their owners if they ignore the fact that it’s their job to care for their pets.

Since animals are capable of feeling anxious and stressed— like humans— they deserve the same attentiveness to their emotional needs.

As these pets’ owners transitioned into working away from home, these young animals were suddenly introduced to a new schedule, with their owners absent for most of the day. This drastic change can lead to the development of separation anxiety or, in some cases, result in the pet being given up to a shelter due to the owner’s

lack of time to care for them. Since the animals have aged under the care of their original owner, they are also less likely to be adopted from the shelter than if they were younger.

Many people are quick to forget that pets are sentient beings, capable of experiencing both positive emotions, such as attachment and love, as well as negative emotions, like stress and fear.

Presenting pets as ‘gifts’ to young, impressionable children can equate living animals to inanimate objects gifted in the same way. This can perpetuate the false narrative that animals cannot feel emotions the same way humans do.

However, in many circumstances, pets are gifted to children from adults who may not live in the same household as them. These well-meaning friends and family members cannot properly determine the financial responsibility

they are placing onto guardians, as dogs can cost an upward of $93,520 over 15 years.

It is also impossible to gauge the amount of time and care required for that individual pet. Even if the children are responsible enough to assume the position of primary caretaker, pets can live for up to 20 years.

As many children move out at age 18, depending on the year the child received the pet, their parents may be required to undertake responsibility for more than 10 years.

The only circumstance in which people can fully determine

whether they should give a pet is when the individual receiving them has both the time and the money to take on this responsibility. This decision can only be made by the individual who will become the primary caretaker of this animal.

Unlike a stuffed animal or Lego set, a pet is not a gift that can be easily set aside or forgotten.

As the domesticators of these animals, we have a responsibility to provide them with loving homes, emotional understanding and fulfilled lives.

The Bull’s Eye

Opinion 5

School holidays reflect religious biases portant is that they still do exist.

Just because their voices are talked over, doesn’t mean that there aren’t millions of people who celebrate it. Taking different traditions into consideration in education and political boards can help lessen discrimination.

With this in mind, schools are required to have a minimum of 180 days in a school year. Although long breaks help students and teachers to relax, taking away a few days off of long breaks would leave enough time off for other religious holidays.

All students deserve the right to observe their practices without impairing their education.

Evidently, there is bias in g ove r n m e n t - o r d a i n e d holidays, contributing to the religious prejudice today’s society.

That must change to ensure a better and more accepting future for students in America.

FALL ATHLETIC SCORES

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hristmas, Thanksgiving, Veterans’ Day—While these holidays are well-known and widely celebrated by American people, their celebrations often overshadow those of other communities present in our acclaimed mixing pot of culture.

It’s well known that breaks from school or work are typically reserved for federal holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving.

However, this pardon does not extend to major holidays from other religions, effectively ignoring the diversity of citizens.

dents who miss out on school to observe an unexcused holiday still have to catch up on their work, while one-day holidays like Christmas give students a whole two weeks off.

According to a study conducted in 2019 by the Pew Research Center, Christianity is America’s most popular religion, with its followers making up approximately 65% of the population.

Minorities—religions other than Christianity—in a school sample may be scarce, but what’s im-

boy wp, girls golf, boys football, girls volleyball, girls tennis, co-ed cross, girls cross, boys cross

mk palaris asst. a&e editor

For instance, Yom Kippur—an entire day dedicated to atonement and forgiveness—is considered the holiest day for those who practice Judaism. This tradition involves fasting and prayer, with followers often spending the majority of the day in synagogue services. Yet, despite the 4.2 million Americans identifying as Jewish, Yom Kippur isn’t observed as a government-excused holiday, and all students must still attend school.

Similarly, Diwali, a festival observed by Hindus celebrating new beginnings, is another holiday that doesn’t get a federal pardon from the government. The five day long tradition is typically celebrated by families through prayer, gatherings and feasts, forcing students to make the choice between their culture or education.

Of course, excused absences are available, but that doesn’t change the lack of accommodation. Stu-

“The cold never bothered me anyway”

Cartoon Courtesy of CATHERINE HAN

“Not like everyone else”

Jianlan busteed Asst. opinion Editor

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here is only one word to sum up my existence: unique.

Never one to follow the flock, I’ve always been a lone wolf, disrupting society’s dull uniformity.

Every day, I wake up and make the conscious choice to take the road less traveled—by the way, that was a poetry reference that only intellectuals like me will understand.

You see, I’m not interested in following trends like other students—they’re all just clones of one another. Instead, I thrive in the neverending euphoria that comes with being unique.

From the moment I step on campus, all eyes are on me. With my orange fedora bobbing around in a sea of denim and plaid pajamas, I never fail to stick out. While they’re wearing their “trendy” jackets and wide-legged jeans, I set my own trends with my leather pants and orange fedora to match my statement piece: a custom ‘Ya basic’ tee.

One time, this girl wearing a plain shirt and jeans approached me and asked where I bought my hat. Of course, in a world where individualism is almost impossible, nothing would convince me to tell her.

Anyway, everyone knows that jeans are the lowest level of fashion. Just because they’ve been trending for the past few decades doesn’t mean they’re even remotely stylish. I only wear jeans to relax in the comfort of my home when no one is watching.

In addition to fashion, I take many precautions to keep myself from being categorized as “basic” even when it comes to my interests.

Instead of wearing makeup like the other girls, I only wear mascara and lipgloss to accentuate my natural features. It’s not like I don’t know how to use makeup, I just prefer to look like myself.

While my classmates text on generic media platforms like Instagram, I exclusively converse through Discord’s video chat feature so I can see who I’m talking to.

Not to judge them, of course, just to rate their basicness visually, oh, and to communicate on a deeper, personal level to ultimately build stronger bonds than any antisocial texting addict will ever know.

But what infuriates me most about these posers is their sudden ‘obsession’ for things despite hav-

ing no prior interest in them. For instance, now that we’re in high school, obsessing about football games is the new norm.

But for me, football has been my life ever since I discovered it at the age of 12. I bet most of these supposed ‘fans’ don’t even know what a field goal is, since I’m practically the only one cheering when the

SATIRICAL superficially

runner makes it to the end of the field.

You might wonder why I go through so much to stand out when everyone else is trying to fit in. The answer is simple: I’m just being me.

So, I’ll ignore the screams of the critics, because the thrill of being complimented for my uniqueness is much more worth it.

MK PALARIS

wan-take

January 19, 2022

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Hands off my future

REYNA WAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ro-life or pro-choice? That’s been the question of the century, pulling from evangelicals labeling it as homicide to liberals who argue that it’s for a woman to decide. But, Texas has answered this question with their own abortion law—an inhumane ban that gives the Supreme Court leeway to overturn the decades of stability offered by Roe v. Wade.

Enacted on Sept. 1 of 2021, the Texas Abortion Law bans abortion at the six-week mark—the first time a fetal heartbeat can be detected. To put this into context, most women don’t realize they’ve missed their period until their fourth week of pregnancy. That gives women two weeks to recognize their pregnancy and decide whether or not they should get an abortion. There have even been cases where women have hit the six-week mark and not known they were pregnant.

Not only does this period give limited time for a woman to make an emotionally and physically draining decision, it’s also 18 weeks earlier than the 24 week standard set by Roe v. Wade. Such a standard was established in relation to when a fetus becomes viable, or when it can survive outside the womb.

What’s worse is that the law does not make exceptions for rape or incest. In fact, the only time exceptions are drawn is if the pregnancy endangers the mother’s life or causes irreversible effects on the woman’s body. And, who draws this line? Health providers who are forced to strictly abide by the law, fearing medical malpractice and the loss of their license.

But there’s one specific regulation that makes this ban unique from others: private citizens can enforce the law when they see fit.

According to Shayna Medley, a lecturer at Harvard Law School, people are allowed to sue anyone they suspect have recieved or aided an abortion after six weeks. The list of those that can be targeted are endless: relatives, drivers who took them to appointments, even those who work at abortion clinics.

This gives the opportunity for “anti-abortion vigilantes,”as Medley calls them, to target women at their choosing—forgoing any sort of decision a woman is allowed to make.

Despite these biased guidelines, the Supreme Court refused to block the law—voting against the measure 5 to 4. Apart of those 4 is Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who stated in her dissent that preventing this block gives states permission to target other decisions the Supreme Court has made.

Roe v. Wade and all other constitutional decisions are made after addressing both sides of an argument, supposedly from justices who remain impartial. But, this law is a direct contradiction of every single measure Roe v. Wade established, attacking women’s rights and further polarizing an already-split political landscape.

A woman’s body is not for the government to decide on—it never was and it never should be.

6 Feature

The Bull’s Eye

January 19, 2022

Global New Year food traditions While 2022 is already in full swing, families around the world started the year with traditions they've upheld for centuries.

turkey - pomegranate seeds

mexico - tamales Originating as early as 8000 B.C.E. and a staple of Mesoamerican culture, ta ma les have always been a popular dish to celebrate life, family and heritage. In Mexico, the holiday season lasts from December 12, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to January 6, Three Kings' Day. These little packets of meat wrapped in dough and corn husks are often served with menudo—a traditional Mexican soup—to further enhance the meal.

china - longevity noodles Decided by the Chinese lunar calendar, Chinese New Year is celebrated on a different date each year, typically falling in early February. During this 16-day celebration, many gather to eat longevity noodles. These extra long noodles symbolize a long life to come—one filled with prosperity and good fortune. The sauce is usually kept simple, featuring traditional flavors of sesame and soy. An additional tradition is kept in the way the noodles are eaten, as it is considered polite to slurp your noodles to communicate appreciation to the cook in East Asian cultures.

As the new year approaches, it's common to see many homes adorned with ornate decorations. While Turkey has only recognized New Year's Day as an official holiday since 1935, the people there have long enjoyed the holiday with their unique customs. In Turkey, decorations often depict pomegranates—a symbol of good luck. For the new year, pomegranates are smashed in hopes of good fortune. The amount of seeds that sprays out represents how much luck will follow you into

spain - twelve grapes As they await the toll of the midnight bell on Dec. 31, people of Spain gather at Madrid's Puerta del Sol with something besides the expected champagne bottles. In preparation for the celebration, revelers hold twelve grapes in their hands and eat them when the clock strikes midnight—one for each toll. The fruit symbolizes good luck and prosperity, but, if one cannot eat all the grapes, bad luck is said to follow them into the new year. The flavor of the grapes—sweet or sour— also corresponds to good and bad fortunes.

story by Maia Pak and Jeremiah Jung | design by Maia Pak

A DIVERSIFIED CAREER JOURNEY Nathan Chu ASST. sports Editor

CLAIRE WU Natalie Nyuang and Katherine Wang pose in their shirts from California SkillsUSA competition, in which they placed first.

Advancing the STEAM field through design Maia Pak Asst. Feature Editor Using their skills to manufacture change in the world, seniors Natalie Nyuang and Katherine Wang represented Diamond Bar High School in a SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing competition, taking home first place in state and sixth place at the national level.

Following their enrollment in Architecture Design at DBHS, Nyuang and Wang were told about the competition by their teacher, An Tran, who inspired them to apply what they had learned in class to a competition setting. During a three hour time period, Nyuang and Wang were required to design and complete a functional product inspiration to submit for scoring.

“We wanted to design a product that could help humanity as well [as] improve the environment,” Nyuang said via email. “We decided to create a tracking device that is made especially for first responders and contains eco-friendly materials.”

From selecting prime materials to designing the product digitally, the duo created a tracking device for the firefighters working to tame California wildfires. The device, which locates first responders, also sends emergency alerts to other trackers in the area.

As the first people from DBHS to compete in this particular category, Nyuang and Wang had to learn new skills in order to prepare for the competition. Not only this, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, the two were also challenged with learning the necessary skills remotely.

“At first, I did not know how to create an engineering notebook, so I researched online and asked the people around me,” Wang said via email, “Eventually I found out how it was supposed to be formatted and what went in the notebook, and was able to apply it into the competition.”

Another key skill the two became proficient in was using Computer Aided Design, a software created for 3D printing. While Tran aided her students in designing simple

to complex models using this program, Nyuang and Wang furthered their understanding by utilizing online resources, such as YouTube.

“Being able to CAD inspires me to make products that can help people or advance our technology,” Nyuang said. “I enjoy creating 3D models where I can design anything I want, and being able to print them out in a 3D printer and use it fascinates me,” Looking toward their futures, Nyuang and Wang plan on competing in the same competition this year, along with junior Allison Yuh. They both plan on pursuing higher education in the science and engineering fields.

“With this experience and my interests, I believe that I now have a better understanding of what I am good at as well as what I am not, and it will definitely help me in the future when I’m deciding my career path,” Wang said. “I think that this field is really interesting because it brings all parts of STEAM together, and it is really amazing to see how they all work together to have a great impact on the world.”

With a resume that emcompasses several fields of law enforcement, Forensics Chemistry teacher Kenneth Carlson has found a new occupation that will allow him to employ his organizational and creative skills.

After three years at Diamond Bar High School, Carlson’s next step in his career will be as an instructional supervisor at the East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program. He was offered this position in the first week of November and started on Dec. 1, alternating between both DBHS and the ROP office during this transition period. In terms of academic classes, Carlson has already found a new instructor, Nancy Franklin—Carlson’s previous supervisor at the Chino Police Department.

“I began my new position while helping with the transition of the new Chemistry Through Forensic Science, Forensic Biology and Administration of Justice teacher, Mrs. Franklin,” Carlson said. “Essentially, I acted in a double-duty fashion from Dec. 1 until the winter break.”

As an instructional supervisor, Carlson is responsible for developing a n d monitoring t h e career

and technical education program for the East San Gabriel Valley School District. “[The] position develops curriculum, provides staff development, submits state and federal reports, and prepares/monitors the CTE budget,” Carlson said. “[I] assist teachers with the development of their class for the good of students and the site they serve.”

Although Carlson has already changed occupations, his involvement with DBHS is far from over.

As an assistant coach of the mock trial team, Carlson will continue to mentor the team, as he enjoys working with and coaching students.

“I have made arrangements to continue with this upcoming state competition,” Carlson said. “And, I hope to continue as an assistant coach, similar to persons who coach sport teams but are not actual staff members for DBHS.” According to Carlson, his three years at DBHS were enjoyable, largely due to his positive interactions with students and staff. Despite this, his passion for helping others calls him to a new occupation.

“My life has been about service and this position provides an opportunity to maximize the impact I have toward the benefit of my fellow educators and students,” Carlson said. “[I’m excited] to create a broader impact for students and assist teachers, along w i t h g rowing and developing a va r i e t y of ROP courses.”

January 19, 2022

The Bull’s Eye

Curating handmade goods for survivors of exploitation kyle hong staff writer

Handmaking blankets and collecting donations from students and teachers, Pathways has focused their latest project on helping human trafficking survivors get back on their feet.

Pathways collaborated with Everyone One Free—a Pomona-based community group that fights against human trafficking—to give away 50 blankets, five backpacks and a dozen socks through donations from teachers and students.

While brainstorming ideas, the seniors initially focused on ways they could assist homeless communities or bring awareness to the social injustices affecting minorities.

Eventually, Pathways teacher Kimberley Dalton suggested they make freedom bags, as she felt it was an overlooked issue.

“I feel we made an impact in providing comfort for victims rath-

MK PALARIS a&e asst. editor While there are many restaurants within reasonable walking distance to visit after school, I didn’t think many of them had the qualities that warrant becoming a regular—until I went to Cafe 101.

The restaurant, located in a small corner of Diamond Hills Plaza, specializes in Taiwanese food and features a plethora of lunch and dinner meals. With an exterior that seemed lacking in comparison to other spots surrounding it and a somewhat drab and cramped interior, Cafe 101 failed to really capture my eye at first. Though, what the restaurant lacked in presenta-

chased socks and stuffed animals to distribute to Every One Free.

Although it was difficult to gather all the materials at first, Pathways credits the success of the project to the people who came together and donated to the cause.

“I feel these blankets make an

impact on people who tend to be forgotten about or overlooked, especially during the holiday season,” Marinoff said. “It makes me feel good to know that I did something, even if it was as small as making blankets, I know that every bit counts.”

er than just the donations themselves,” sophomore Kyla Nikravan said via Instagram. “That impact is just as if not even more important.”

In order to make the blankets, Pathways assigned different members to complete certain tasks, such as cutting felt or cutting slits in the fabric. The project started roughly two weeks before winter break and students spent their last two classes of finals week making blankets.

At the end of finals week, Dalton brought all the materials to Every One Free for them to turn into bags.

“The process of making was pretty repetitive but also fun!” sophomore Alivia Marinoff said via Instagram. “Our main objective was to take pieces of fabric and tie them together at the edges.”

One of the biggest contributors to the project was a school security guard who donated fleece and 12 blankets she’d made herself.

Some Pathways members also pur-

From left to right, Kyla Nikravan and Zephyr Meneses make blankets for bags.

tion, they definitely made up for in food.

After taking time to look at the menu, I opted to get a lunch special, ordering the pork wonton noodle with an appetizer ($10.95) to-go, which was ready in just ten minutes. Considering the generous size of the portion, I found this to be well worth the price.

The appetizer, as nondescript as it was on the menu, turned out to be a typical hot and sour soup and what seemed to be pressed pig ear with tofu. While the broth was somewhat spicy and piquant as expected from this kind of dish, it didn’t exactly stand out, though that’s not to say it was any less enjoyable.

The pig ear had a unique taste

reminiscent of something fresh from a fancy charcuterie board. Its savory and salty flavors were perfectly mitigated by pleasantly firm tofu—signaling the beginning of what ended up being a fulfilling meal.

My main course, the pork wonton noodle, was quite savory and I found myself enjoying every bite. The noodles, which

Photo courtesy of PATHWAYS

were springy in texture, also had a somewhat refreshing element to them due to a generous sprinkling of green onions it came with. The wontons were plentiful in number, each filled with a fulfilling amount of juicy meat, wrapped with a soft, tasty dough.

And, although it wasn’t on the menu, I was pleased to see that the lunch special came with a small iced black tea. The taste was as sweet as it was refreshing, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the flavor wasn’t enhanced by sickly amounts of sweetener.

With its delicious Taiwanese cuisine and reasonable prices, I see myself returning to the establishment soon.

In a school that excels in science and mathematics, six Diamond Bar High School juniors took their engineering prowess to the next level in the NASA TechRise Student Challenge.

The engineering competition challenged groups of students from grades 6-12 to design spaceflight-related experiments for either a suborbital rocket or a high-altitude balloon. On Jan. 21, 57 winning teams will be given $1,500 to execute their ideas and launch them on a NASA-sponsored suborbital flight for testing in early 2023.

DBHS students Jeffrey Gong, Jason Kim, William Li, Duncan Seshiki, Jessica Wang and Allison Yuh decided to apply to this competition when the annual JPL Inven-

tion Challenge was canceled due to COVID-19. Also contributing to their decision was the opportunity to branch out into a sub-field of engineering. .

“I am happy with our achieve-

ments regardless of the result as this was a very rewarding and eye-opening experience,” Yuh said.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished and truly enjoyed the competition process.”

Photo courtesy of VASH CHEN

Sprocket team members work together and explore the world of engineering.

To prepare for the competition, the juniors had to research and draft a project proposal that detailed their experiment design, and submitted it between Aug. 18 and Nov. 3 for judging.

Although teams are given creative freedom in drafting their designs, there is one rule that all teams must abide by: their experiment design must fit into a 4x8x8 inch box—a space only slightly larger than a small milk carton.

“Our team brainstormed and designed an experiment that tested the feasibility of biodegradable and edible pods to hold liquid in space,” Yuh said. “We are aiming to improve the sustainability of space exploration as life on the space station often uses nonrenewable and wasteful resources.”

team ON P. 13

7

feature commen

Deficit in body diversity SAM jajieh feature editor

I

Pursuing sustainability in space ethan ro staff writer

Feature

t’s easy to get sucked into scrolling through social media for hours in search of outfit inspiration– saving and organizing posts of clothing we admire. But more often than not, those same pictures we obsess over tend to almost exclusively feature thinner models, making it easy to fall into the mentality that thinness and style are synonymous.

Although thinness has been a long-standing standard of beauty, recent generations—especially in the United States—praise the fashion industry for becoming more size inclusive. However, if the current revival of baggy clothing, reminiscent of late 90s and 2000s trends, has made anything clear, it’s that thinness continues to be favored over plussized, and even mid-sized, bodies.

With mainstream brands often scrambling to include plus-sized options for their customers, and with stores like Brandy Melville neglecting to sell anything past a size small, it’s no surprise that, in order to find fashion inspiration on a more diverse spectrum of body types, you have to use keywords such as “plus-sized.” In fact, thinness has become such an idolized beauty standard that people often don’t feel comfortable wearing a certain style unless they look like the models sporting it, opting to instead hold off on wearing styles they enjoy until they lose weight.

A large contributor to this praise of smaller frames can largely be attributed to the fact that most other body types lack representation within the fashion industry—from runway models to those displayed on the walls of clothing stores.

The idea of representing more body types is often met with criticism, with the insistence that brands hiring plus-sized models tears down thinner people and instead promotes unhealthy lifestyles. Relating someone’s health to their body type cannot be further from the truth and instead just isolates an entire group of people from being represented in the fashion industry for the sake of upholding archaic and toxic beauty standards. In reality, size inclusion just acknowledges that other bodies exist and allows more people to see themselves in the clothing being advertised to them.

This kind of argument can only be attested to poorly veiled fatphobia. This is emphasized through the praise of fairly simple day-today outfits, mostly consisting of baggy pants and crop tops, as seen on celebrities like Bella Hadid and Kylie Jenner. In response, fashion bloggers have called out these double standards by recreating outfits worn by thinner celebrities. More often than not, they find that the ensembles are cute regardless of body type, but definitely nothing new or innovative. Since the fashion industry often hires thinner models to show off their clothing, it makes it difficult for people to differentiate between style and thinness. Ultimately, body types don’t dictate how fashionable someone’s outfit may be, but the fatphobia that the industry and we consumers perpetuate definitely does.

8 News & Opinion

The Bull’s Eye

January 19, 2022

THE DANGERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA Through social media platforms, students can post and comment about others without revealing their names or faces, eliminating any possible reprecussions.

T

ype in the letters ‘d’, ‘b’, ‘h’, ‘s’, and you’ll be met with neatly crafted pages representing clubs, student-led organizations and even the school itself. Recently, however, several newer schoolbased accounts have popped up, deviating from their counterparts with disturbing content.

Beginning with the well-known DBHS Confessions Facebook page, students have long used the cover of anonymity to interact with peers online.

Especially on Instagram, DBHS students have been creating anonymous accounts using the school’s name to post all kinds of content, ranging from pictures of sleeping peers to private opinions about other students.

“I have never interacted with any of them, but I know my friends follow some,” junior Kelsey Wu said via Instagram. “I also know that one of the secret accounts posted about one of my friends, and she got really hurt by it.”

The bulk of the accounts are modeled after the original DBHS Confessions and take submissions from students who wish to share their private feelings anonymously—many of which have been reported to have malicious content.

“The official confessions page on Facebook is filtered and relatively harmless, but the student-made ones on Instagram are used only to tear down other students,” one student said.

It is on such pages that students have reported seeing personal attacks against individual students, including mentions of racism, homophobia and transphobia.

“I was harassed by multiple accounts, one threatening to tell my parents that I was gay,” a student said. “I dealt with this for around four months during quarantine.”

A couple of accounts, such as the now deleted @dbhskira, have explicitly threatened and revealed personal

MATTHEW HSU 10

“My thoughts depend on the account. For accounts that aren’t attacking students, I don’t see an issue.“

CATHERINE HAN

HANNAH JEONG

“People who are running these accounts need to be more considerate of what they’re posting.“

“ They [the accounts] aren’t really helping, they’re just spreading so I don’t exactly think they’re beneficial.“

10

11

information about students—a blatant form of cyberbullying.

“Some of my friends were featured on the page for harmful lies that were disgusting to read about,” a student said in an Instagram poll regarding the accounts. “Many people feel like it’s a funny joke, but it has a genuine impact on student

they’re honestly pretty uncomfortable,” junior Audrey Pitallano said.

“I got put on there once without my consent and it kinda violates someone’s privacy.”

One of the accounts most commonly reported to have negative postings goes by the tag @dbhsleaked. This account, unlike others, does not take submis-

“..students have reported seeing personal attacks against individual.” mental health and puts them in a position where they’re afraid to speak up or advocate for themselves.”

While the accounts may shield the names of submitters, they take no measures to censor the names or faces of the actual targets, raising concerns among students about their personal privacy.

“I’ve only seen the shipping accounts and

person running it is an attention-seeker.”

In dealing with the accounts, most students believe that the nature of the pages must also be taken into consideration, as not all accounts are inherently negative.

Some pages, like @ dbhs.sleeping, allow students to feel more connected, with most emphasizing that the account is a product of good fun between friends.

Other accounts, like @dbhs_gymrats, allow students to share their accomplishments with the DBHS community, and some accounts even post anonymous positive affirmations.

“I believe the person who created the DBHS leaked page should be expelled because they have made very homophobic and racist remarks,” freshman Jalyn Winston said.

“However, the people behind the sleeping page shouldn’t face any disciplinary action, because that account

wasn’t made with malicious intent.”

As the accounts are completely anonymous, the school has not managed to track down many of the perpetrators.

“An anonymous account is anonymous and Instagram will not tell us who is behind it,” senior GLC Dave Desmond said. “So if anyone knows of a way that someone is connected to an account, then we act on it.”

According to Desmond, since the school is unable to consistently track the accounts, the administration is focused on supporting students who have been victimized by these hostile posts.

“I can’t control what somebody does in the dark of their room using all sorts of ways to stay anonymous, all I can control is my reaction and supporting those who have been hurt by it, and trying to encourage the school as a whole to be better than that,” Desmond said.

sions; rather, the owner posts images or videos of random people from the school, insulting them and even calling them slurs.

“I remember talking about how disrespectful the account is with my friends and how it just points out people’s insecurities,” a student said via Instagram.

“There’s really nothing wrong with the people posted, it’s just the WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY NEWS AND OPINION

9

Have you interacted with DB Confessions or similar pages?

33% Yes

67% No

63.6% of students think these accounts should be removed

What do you think about accounts similar to DBHS Confessions?

77% Harmful

23% Helpful

10

January 19, 2022

Working behind the scenes ashley park staff writer While the rest of us sit in our classrooms, surrounded by the typical sound of our instructors’ voices, one group’s room chimes another tune. Encapsulated by the drumming of hammers on wood and swift feet pacing the stage floors, Diamond Bar High School’s stagecraft students spend their class time preparing for the school’s upcoming performances.

Established in 2005, stagecraft focuses on the behind-the-scenes work in every DBHS production, including everything from seasonal choir concerts to drama productions. Students are divided into two groups—beginning and advanced.

In both classes, they learn about production and other theater related subjects. Other days, when they are not learning the technicalities of this craft, these Brahmas collaborate on the construction of sets and props.

“All students entering Stagecraft start in the beginning class, and if they wish to advance their knowledge, they can register for the advanced class,” stagecraft director Jenna Riley said via Gmail.

These Brahmas join stagecraft for various reasons—filling their elective slot, completing their art credit or simply to experience something unique during their highschool career.

“I returned for two years, because I enjoyed the experience and challenge,” junior Jocelyn Wang said via Instagram. “Whether it be building the set for the theater

Arts and Entertainment

The Bull’s Eye

productions or working on other school productions, it’s a very fun experience because you learn while you have fun.”

To ensure their safety while handling machinery, students are required to pass a safety test and complete tool training.

“Personally, completing the training essentially taught me all I know about the tools as prior to taking stagecraft I had never touched a power tool before,” senior Jalen Davis said.

When preparing for upcoming performances, the stagecraft students will often stay after school for technology rehearsals, which can last anywhere from two to four hours.

“Tech rehearsals are basically a way for tech to understand the ques and flow of a show so they can be performed efficiently and effectively during a live performance,” said senior Eric Wyrick. “From my experience, drama shows are

always the most intricate performances.”

When it comes to the completion of sets, stagecraft often spends one to two months in class and after-school to perfect the craft, depending on the complexity.

“Without Stagecraft’s support, the shows would be a lot simpler, and with our help, they run smoother and we can bring their vision to life,” Riley said. “We aren’t seen, but many hands are working on all the technical aspects of the show.”

When shows are done, the team disassembles their creations with the intention of preserving as much as possible for potential future use.

Currently, stagecraft is starting their annual stage lighting project, which involves programming light cues to songs. Such exercises are intended to prepare the students for future performances such as the upcoming Spring Choir show and the Anastasia show.

CLAIRE WU Stagecraft working on the props and sets that performing arts use in their productions.

Stream it or skip it

jojo’s bizarre adventure

lyndon kaneko staff writer Following a two-year absence of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (JJBA) content, David Productions has graced starved fans with some much needed, ambitiously eccentric, Joestar goodness.

Starring the series’ first-ever female lead, “Stone Ocean” received its anime adaptation on Dec. 1 and is the sixth installation of the JJBA franchise, written by award-winning mangaka Hirohiko Araki.

Framed for a crime she didn’t commit, protagonist Jolyne Kujo finds herself accidentally awakening her latent abilities thanks to a mysterious artifact bestowed upon her by her father while she is incarcerated.

Before long, she finds herself unravelling the mystery surrounding her imprisonment and its relation to an intricate assassination plot aimed toward her and her father.

With its humble beginnings in the 2012 adaptation of “Phantom Blood,” watching from the very start is one of the best ways to enjoy the series, for reasons that become apparent later down the line.

This season, like past seasons, is

packed with allusions to previous arcs and recurring characters.

Seeing references to past seasons makes the show much more gratifying to watch in canonical order and is, considered by its fanbase, the optimal way to watch it.

“Stone Ocean” goes a step above the rest in instilling this season with this kind of fan service due to its identity as the end of the 14 year old JoJo’s arc. These mild references come in the form of seminal objects, recurring characters like Jotaro Kujo or long-time organizations like the Speedwagon Foundation. Each subsequent season of JJBA has introduced a new generation of the Joestar lineage, and each one plays an important role in the overarching storyline.

Animated by David Productions, who have been responsible for the past five seasons of the show, “Stone Ocean”’s quality has seen slight improvements compared to its preceding counterparts. While it isn’t anything to write home about in comparison to other animes, the animation is forgivable knowing the amount of material left to be adapted and the studio’s decision to focus on giving future, more

jojo on p.12

Arts and Entertainment

The Bull’s Eye

January 19, 2022

11

Diversifying Disney rachel lee asst. opinion editor Starting out as a real-life Disney Princess, then making her way up the corporate ladder to an executive position, Diamond Bar High School class of 2012 alumna Alyssa Navarro was recently featured on the illustrious Forbes’ 30 under 30 for working her dream job at the Walt Disney Company promoting minority representation.

She earned recognition for her work as Executive Producer and Coordinator on the Disney Launchpad Shorts Incubator. The initiative enlisted six filmmakers from minority backgrounds to share their cultural perspectives by creating live-action short films featured on Disney Plus.

“Representation matters because when you see yourself represented on screen, you feel seen, you feel heard, and you feel less alone and empowered,” Navarro said via email.

Part of Navarro’s own inspiration to pursue her current career path came from her father—a retired technical support engineer at the Walt Disney Animation Studios.

“It was just my dad and I, and we got to see the whole room with all the props from every Disney movie,” Navarro said in an interview for the La Verne Magazine. “After visiting there, I knew that I would eventually work with something like that, and it made me love the Disney Company even more.”

Growing up, she pursued her interests through the per-

forming arts, taking various classes in dance, piano and singing. At DBHS, Navarro was involved in the show choir and went on to be president of the choral department her senior year.

“I was always known as the girl who wouldn’t stop singing,” she said. “I was in every play, musical, performance at a pep rally–if there was singing involved, I was a part of it.”

Navarro began working at Disney when she was 20 years old, casted as a dancer in the show “Fantasmic.” She would later go on to perform in the roles of a mapmaker and Mulan in the “Mickey and the Magic Map” musical.

Giving up her spotlight on stage, Navarro became more involved in entertainment media after graduating from the University of La Verne with a degree in Communications and Marketing. And, after getting an internship at Disney, Navarro joined their Creative Mar-

keting team.

“I ended up getting a professional internship and spent months dedicated to networking and meetand-greets learning about different roles within the company,” Navarro said. ”One of my meetand-greets was with a Director of Creative Print marketing, who eventually offered me a full-time job as her executive assistant.”

Her current position as a Manager of Content Advisement at the Walt Disney Studios for Representation, Inclusion, Strategies and Engagement—also known as the RISE team—allows her to work more closely with her passion.

“My role and our team exists to diversify the types of stories we tell and who tells them,” Navarro said.

“My work involves reading and reviewing scripts and screenings to ensure cultural authenticity.”

In addition to promoting storytellers who bring authentic stories with relatable themes, the RISE team also aims to bridge the gap between the creatives at the studios and the communities they hope to reach with their content.

“Representation is something that I’ve been passionate about for many years. It’s something that is very personal to me because I didn’t grow up feeling fully represented on screen,” Navarro said. “When a role on the team opened up, I took it as a sign to change my career path from marketing to DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion].”

Currently, Navarro plans to continue to further inclusivity and honest representation in the industry through her position at the RISE team.

“Representation is important because people feel validated and feel a sense of worth by seeing themselves reflected on screen,” Navarro said. “I’ll continue to push the needle forward and push for more rich authentic diverse stories in Hollywood.”

Photo courtesy of PACIFIC SYMPHONY Junior Aaron Chang’s interest in clarinet was initially piqued by his brother’s skill.

Playing alongside Pacific Symphony lyndon kaneko staff writer

Sitting first chair in the clarinet section for one of the largest orchestras formed in the United States in the last 50 years, Diamond Bar High School junior Aaron Chang has received the opportunity to play alongside an array of talented musicians in the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Spurred on by his parents, Chang began his music journey as a pianist. However, inspired by his brother’s clarinet skills and his growing distaste for piano, he picked up the instrument in fifth grade.

“My parents believed that music was really important and wanted to get me into it at a young age,” Chang said via Discord. “They encouraged me to play piano, but I found myself investing more time into learning the clarinet.”

In order to maintain his level of proficiency in the instrument, Chang’s practice schedule consists of an hour-long rehearsal on weekdays and at least two hours-worth of practice on weekends. His routine is composed entirely of fundamentals, only deviating from this

when there are upcoming events.

“The music that I practice depends on what events are upcoming,” he said. “I’ll prepare the specific pieces that the competition requires me to play. If there’s no upcoming events then I’ll practice the basics like long tones and scales.”

Along with his daily practice, Chang attends Pacific Symphony’s weekly Sunday rehearsals. According to Chang, the main benefit behind participating in such a group is the opportunity to learn with other talented players.

“The reason I joined was to play alongside really great players. I think that surrounding yourself with great players lets you improve a lot faster,” Chang said. “It’s also a great way to gain valuable experience in an orchestra environment, which is really different from playing in an ensemble.”

Chang’s triumphs in the world of music don’t just end at his inclusion in the Pacific Symphony.

Under the guidance of Dr. Michael Yoshimi, he has managed to be a part of the All State Honor Band for the past four years and the All Southern Honor Band for the past

symphony ON P. 13

Now showing: Spiderman No Way Home Edward kim Business manager A portal emerges from nowhere, revealing a mysterious silhouette in the distance. At first glance, it may seem to be just a random figure in an alleyway. But that odd, yet familiar, posture along with those large bug-eyes could only belong to one person: Spider-Man. Or, maybe two. In the span of only three minutes, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” has somehow put together a crossover—one that was thought to be impossible—between three fan-favorite Spiderman actors from three different studios.

The movie starts right where the prequel, “Far From Home,” left off, during which time Spider-Man’s identity has just been revealed to the public and Peter Parker’s normal life has been ruined. He attempts to solve his dilemma with the help of Doctor Strange’s magic. But, following a series of mishaps, characters from several universes are pulled into

Spiderman’s own universe, leaving it to Parker to return everyone to their original reality.

The movie plays heavily into nostalgia as it presents familiar faces from as far back as 20 years ago, alongside multiple references to earlier films. Popular lines— some of which were made into memes—are re-used, such as Norman Osborn’s line “I’m something of a scientist myself.” As a viewer, it was pleasantly surprising when they casually slipped in allusions

to previous movies, adding a level of satisfaction each time I understood one.

Although the various character references and integration of iconic lines may be hard for newer fans to understand, some knowledge concerning more recent Spider-Man films, like “Homecoming” and “Far from Home,” is enough to get you through this film. Previously, Marvel had assembled a team of just Peter, MJ and Ned. However, with the introduction of two new

protagonists and five antagonists, the movie is an intricate web of overlapping universes and character backgrounds. Nonetheless, by introducing each character gradually instead of all at once, Marvel manages to create a seamless yet compelling plot that even casual viewers can follow.

Due to its rather unique storyline, it’s hard to put a finger on which comic, if any, “No Way Home” is based on. One that fits closest to the criteria is the comic “One

Photo courtesy of MARVEL STUDIOS The long-awaited movie brings back familiar faces from several Spiderman cinematic universes after a spell goes awry.

More Day.” T h o u g h this story is well-known

by Spider-Man f a n s , most readers have labeled it as the “worst Spider-Man comic” to exist.

Fans claim that the comic contradicted everything the character stood for: using his power for good and taking responsibility for whatever happens.

Taking inspiration from the base story, the live adaptation amended major plot holes and integrated different characters that were more fitting to the storyline, salvaging an otherwise hopeless comic. The end result was a close-to-flawless story that stuck to the core ideals of our favorite web-head while still following the blueprint of the original plot. The enhancement of the original story places “No Way Home” on top.

In the comics, when Spider-Man’s identity is revealed, he has to do everything in his power to keep the people around him safe.

As the live-action portrayal of this period of Spider-Man’s life, “No Way Home” displays the true, raw consequences of being a hero.

The Bull’s Eye

12 Business

Must watch: JJBA’s Stone Ocean JOJO from p.10 Fight scenes in the show always involve multiple layers and are the driving force for its unpredictable endings.

Along with the interesting twists and turns that come with a series as unhinged by its creator’s limitless imagination, the interactions between characters are borderline volatile, yet the aggression doesn’t take from the viewing experience.

In fact, this kind of delivery almost reads like a manga while simultaneously enriching the story’s content and is proof of David Production’s dedication to creating a faithful adaptation.

The dialogue and monologue have the show’s characters to thank for their delivery. Jolyne is very easy to root for; starting off as a timid teenage girl, her victories within the prison quickly strengthen her into a more straight-forward and perceptive personality.

This season’s supporting cast are just as charming as its main character, having distinct identities and interesting quirks. A significant part of what makes these characters compelling, aside from their personalities, are their abilities. Araki never fails to pleasantly

surprise his audience with infinitely interesting stand abilities— manifestations of spiritual energy that visually express their abilities and greatly differ in variety. The presence of stands has only served to heighten the appeal of the show through their vast variety and nature.

Ever since “Stardust Crusaders,” the third installation of the series, JJBA has thrived on its monsterof-the-week style, incorporating a gauntlet of minor villains leading up to a final confrontation. The simplistic, yet effective, overarching formula gives Araki more room to come up with creative stand concepts. For example, Jolyne’s stand consists of a super-strong thread that can be unwinded at will.

Stands can also come in autonomous forms like a sentient colony of plankton or a debt collector who can steal organs. Stands act as visual representations of the mental battles between characters, while also upping the stakes of the fight by reflecting damage they take on their users. This mechanic makes the plot more interesting and gives the audience a reason to be invested in these fights.

Something the series has always been good at is gambling on its daring color palette, with “Stone

Ocean” being no exception. While any other anime’s color scheme seemingly only dulls with a drab prison setting, JJBA breathes life into its surroundings with vivid colors and vibrant characters decked out in stylish clothing.

The fashion of the series prides itself on its pompous appeal and it’s only helped by the fact that it doesn’t force characters to dress in traditionally masculine or feminine ways and instead, focuses on reflecting the character’s personality. The best example of these unconventional displays is Narciso Anasui, an integral character later in the series. He, like most other JJBA characters, carries heavily masculine facial features yet wears a tight mesh top with thigh high boots and bright pink lipstick.

Although only 12 episodes of the season have been released so far, manga readers expect there to be a total of 39 episodes, with each batch of releases getting progressively abnormal. Whether or not you have been following the JJBA saga since its 2012 adaptation, “Stone Ocean” is the perfect action-packed, excitingly weird series. Jolyne’s adventure has only just started, and her story only gets more bizarre from here.

Verdict: stream it

January 19, 2021

January 19, 2021

The Bull’s Eye

Exceeding remarkable expectations SYMPHONY from p.11 five years. He also received first place for all Wind in the Southwestern Youth Music Festival and the Great Composer International

Competition and 2nd in the IGMC & Enkor International Competition.

Despite how time consuming his involvement in music has been, Chang celebrates his successes and anticipates his commitment to mu-

sic reaping benefits in his future.

“Even if it takes a lot of time, I think that taking part in these groups [is] going to benefit me in the long run and [it’ll] let me meet a lot of new people that share the same passion for music as me.”

From Sprocket to space engineering Team from P.7 “Our team brainstormed and designed an experiment that tested the feasibility of biodegradable and edible pods to hold liquid in space,” Yuh said. “We are aiming to improve the sustainability of space exploration as life on the space station often uses nonrenewable and wasteful resources.”

Though the team worked together to engineer their final product,

each member had a unique role that contributed to the end result.

Many credited their expertise in their respective roles to experience in the DBHS robotics team, Team Sprocket, since it taught about practical computer-aided design.

“Although I did have to branch out on my own in learning new features and advanced functions, Sprocket gave me a solid foundation in 3D modeling that I will also be able to go off of in the future,” Wang said.

After participating in this challenge, the team is hopeful that their hard work will yield success.

Nonetheless, they are grateful for the teamwork skills they developed and for the opportunity to learn more about NASA and life in space.

“I was able to learn a lot of new information regarding space and different kinds of materials,” Gong said. “More importantly, I was able to learn how to work with people who had different skills than me to be able to design an end product.”

Business

13

14 Sports

The Bull’s Eye

Alumnus becomes PGA Tour member Shot after shot, Sahith Theegala has shown promise since entering the professional scene in 2020.

Kyle Hong Staff Writer Throughout 2021 and into 2022, Diamond Bar High School alumnus Sahith Theegala, who graduated in 2015, has continued to strive and improve in his professional golf career.

Following his 2020 title as Pepperdine University’s first National Player of the Year, he would continue with impressive placements throughout the 2020-21 season.

This included his first top 10 placement in a tournament at the MGM Resorts Championship in April, shooting eight under par.

Throughout a majority of 2021, Theegala played as a non-member, which meant he had to play for the points to earn himself a PGA Tour Card and play in the official PGA Tour. However, he would get to play officially in some events through qualifiers and sponsorships, from companies like Ping—an equipment brand and Unisys—a sponsorship program for golf players.

After qualifying for the last qualifiers of the season, Theegala scored a chance to compete in the

2021 U.S. Open, only getting cut after shooting four above par over two rounds. He ended off the season with a mediocre finish, placing 37th at the Barbasol Championship after shooting 12 under par over four rounds.

In September, Theegala placed sixth in the Korn Ferry Tour Championships and finally secured his PGA Tour card during the finals, ensuring his professional status for the next season.

In addition, he placed fourth at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in August where

he impressively shot two consecutive 5-unders and finished with a total of 14 shots under par.

Going into the 2021-22 season, Theegala placed 47th in the Fortinet Championship, shooting five under par over four rounds. Two weeks later, he placed 8th at the Sanderson Farms Championship— an impressive performance as he shot 19 under par over four rounds.

“Definitely a little nerves in there for sure,” Theegala told the PGA Associated Press after his impressive performance at the Sanderson Farms Championship. “But I

think people have said before that pressure is a privilege, and I’m trying to use those nerves to my advantage.”

Since then, Theegala has had decent placements, placing 74th at the Butterfield Bermuda Championships and 61st at the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open.

“Obviously, the guys out here are the best of the best and the best in the world so it’s a little bit different, but golf is still golf,” Theegala said in an interview with the Clarion Ledger. “That’s what I keep saying to myself.”

Photo courtesy of GOLF.COM DBHS alumnus Sahith Theegala earned his PGA Tour card for the 2021-22 season at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.

Girls water polo met with new challenges

CLAIRE WU Senior Kyle Shiroma protects the ball from a defender against South Hills.

Boys soccer set back by roster absences Jianlan Busteed asst. Opinion editor After a preseason plagued by injuries and devastating losses, the boys soccer team ended with a record of 3-7-2. However, many players are still on the path to recovery, leaving newer players to fill the gaps left by the injured.

Although the team began League play with a 3-1 loss against Los Altos, head coach Pete Orosco praised the team’s ball control, saying the goals could have been easily prevented. After making some small tweaks, the team quickly made up for the previous loss and won 4-2 against Wilson.

“I believe we will have a successful season and [I] like the way we have played the last two games,” Orosco said via email.

Leading up to last Tuesday’s tough 5-0 loss to South Hills, the team felt that they were not mentally prepared. Carrying that mentality into the game, the team struggled with communication, comprehension of game tactics and tackles.

Underrated talent shines through pandemic

W

The Lady Brahmas hold an even record despite going through team obstacles.

The Brahmas have faced hardships in health throughout this season

January 19, 2022

“We didn’t play well, because we weren’t mentally ready going into the games,” senior captain Jackson Haynes said. “We approached the game way too relaxed, and the results showed it.”

The team is also facing challenges in their defense with junior left defensive back Michael Chang out for the next few weeks. To make up for his absence, other players have been substituted into defense. Newer defenders, namely freshman Ethan Nguyen and junior Elijah Robinson, stepped up where they were needed, giving them much needed play time and experience.

“Injuries also created opportunities to look at players who were not starters,” Orosco said. “We are able to count on them when starters need breaks during a game in the regular season.”

This season, Orosco said he saw more injuries than any other year he has coached high school soccer.

Despite this, captains Haynes and Damian Mata have worked hard to build team chemistry and keep the team focused on their goals.

“When the team is healthy, we will be a tough team to beat, and we will have a good shot at securing a spot at CIF,” Orosco said.

Their next home game is Jan. 25 against Wilson High School, where the team hopes to recreate their previous successes.

In addition, there is a shortage of substitutes. As of right now, the team mostly relies on a rather transparent game strategy that depends on four core players–Samantha Jew, wings freshman Michelle Natasha CHang Granados and junior Juliana LonAsst. Feature Editor goria, and junior goalie Nichole Arancibia—the team’s former set player.

With the entire coaching staff The rest of the girls switch out resigning at the beginning of the throughout the game. Although a season, girls water polo has faced viable game plan, there are some an exceptionally rocky start difficulties. to the season.

“This is an ob“There have vious strategy been difficulties and eventually “There have been diffibecause we had the other team culties because we had to take a two catches on,” Jew to take a two to three to three week said. “This leads week break.” break,” junior to them double/ point Samantha triple-teaming Jo SAMANTHA JEW Jew said. and Michelle on This season has offense, and wabeen more tumultuous than previter polo is a tiring sport.” ous years, with the team adjusting However, the Lady Brahmas to new head coach, Melanie Gonzahave no intentions of backing les, after previous head coach Gary down. Having already won their Cheever resigned shortly after takfirst league game against Wilson, ing on the position. Practices have the team is expecting to play with been cut down significantly and a relative success rate for the rest are of notably less intensity. of the season.

CLAIRE WU The girls competed in the Lady Brahmas Tournament last week at home.

ith the recent surge in the Omicron variant of COVID-19 throughout the nation including the sports world, professional sports were in jeopardy once again. However, the NBA’s hardship exception has saved the league’s season from a suspension.

The hardship exception allows teams to exceed the 15-player roster limit with temporary roster spots in times when four or more players are out due to injury or illness.

With hundreds of players in the league entering the health and safety protocols just prior to the holidays, this rule was displayed in full effect when numerous teams faced COVID-19 outbreaks.

As a result of the outbreak, 11 games were postponed, as teams didn’t have enough players ready to suit up. It looked as if the league was heading into the direction of being suspended like in the 2019-2020 season. Other sporting leagues, such as the National Hockey League, paused its season going into the holidays.

To prevent further postponement, teams have signed players to 10-day contracts using the hardship exception. Different from the standard 10-day deal that is given in a normal season, these contracts are for players filling in for those in the health and safety protocols.

These temporary players are often from the NBA G League, with some being veterans who are looking for another shot at playing in the league. Most notably, veterans Lance Stephenson, Isaiah Thomas and Joe Johnson returned to the NBA on 10-day contracts with various teams.

Several players took advantage of the given opportunity and took the league by notice, showing they deserve a spot on a roster. Stephenson has shown out with his 10-day contract with the Indiana Pacers since returning to NBA play, scoring 30 points against the Nets and putting up 16 points and 14 assists against the Jazz in the following game. His impressive play led the Pacers to sign him to a second 10day hardship contract, and they intend to keep him for the rest of the season.

Another player who made the most out of a 10-day deal is veteran Bismack Biyombo who averaged 13.5 points on 86.4 percent efficiency, six rebounds and two blocks in his first two games with the Phoenix Suns. Following the team’s success with Biyombo, the Suns signed him for the remainder of the season.

As COVID-19 inevitably continues to spread and cause more players to be sidelined, even more 10-day contracts will be given out to those who are looking to stick around the league.

From big name veterans to promising young NBA hopefuls, teams across the league and basketball fans will be impressed by a lot of talent that was left forgotten or unnoticed.

January 19, 2022

The Bull’s Eye

Sports 15

Disappointing record for the Lady Brahmas The girls team is learning to enhance their gameplay following several losses.

Ashley Park Staff Writer After a restful winter break, the Diamond Bar High School girls basketball team has returned to with a struggling start.

The team’s comeback game was on Wednesday, January 5 against Los Altos. However, out of the 26 games they’ve played this season, the varsity girls have seen this one as their strongest thus far.

“So far out, our best game was against Los Altos because we [played] very well together in the first half and it showed us our potential as a team,” junior co-captain Avril Ho said.

Maintaining a strong offense and defense in the first half, the team showed promise. They were even able to lock down Los Altos’ best player, which was a m---ajor strong point. However, due to a lack of communication in the second half, the team ultimately lost 46-38.

“The Los Altos game was our best game because we came out hard and kept that energy most of the game,” freshman Jalyn Winston said.

The next game the team played was on Jan. 7 against Wilson. Although the team lost 48-30, they were able to strengthen their communication from the Los Altos game, bringing the team closer together.

“It made us realize we had to trust one another to win a game,” freshman Nataly Sun said. “Losing together was actually a win because we bonded over that loss as a family.”

VASH CHEN Freshman Erika Liang avoids an opponent from Los Altos to put up a floater.

Photo courtesy of EMILY ZHOU Junior Emily Zhou trains a German Shephard named Simba for the Internationale Gebrauchshundprüfung competition.

Guiding pets towards success

One DBHS junior competes in competitions for dog training internationally.

Claire Wu ASST. Photo Editor A year and a half ago, Diamond Bar High School junior Emily Zhou’s passion for animals unexpectedly grew into an interest in training dogs as a sport.

Zhou first met Simba in 2019—a one-year-old German Shepherd.

A rambunctious and athletically driven dog, Simba was the perfect introduction to the world of sports dog training.

“I adopted [my first dog] from the shelter and I got Simba from his breeder,” Zhou said. “His breeder was one of the trainers of the sports dogs and introduced me to the sport.”

That introduction grew into true interest when Simba’s breeder brought Zhou to the field where people train dogs. There, Zhou be-

came impressed with the different tricks and movements the dogs were performing, including some of the tracking and protection work they did.

“I felt that it was very cool, and I think that it is something I want to do, so I talked to the trainer and [he] said that I could try,” Zhou said.

Zhou said that there was no specific reason why she had chosen Simba for sports dog training. In fact, Simba was the last puppy left in the litter by the time she had met him. However, that didn’t stop the bond between Zhou and Simba.

“I feel like we really match with each other,” Zhou said. “He’s kind of a mid-drive puppy, not like a super crazy with high drive, which is really unsuitable for me as it’s my first time training a sports dog.”

As a person with a soft spot for animals, one of Zhou’s favorite aspects about sports dog training is the strong bond she’s created with Simba. Zhou builds trust with Simba through daily training in between homework sessions and weekly Sunday morning training

with the American Kennel Club.

“I want to work with dogs because I think it is a way we can build our relationship solidly,” Zhou said. “So when we are training, the feeling of you and your dog and the relationship keeps building up and becoming really good partners and friends.”

Since they started a year and a half ago, the duo has already achieved the Canine Good Citizen title from the American Kennel Club. Now, Zhou and Simba are focused on making small achievements towards their goals. In two or three months, the pair will compete for BH— a Temperament and Obedience test that is required before advancing to other titles.

The next test they will aim for is the IGB titles, which tests a dog’s tracking, protection and obedience on a ten-level scale.

“I hope to pass the IGB 1 before I go to college,” Zhou said. “We’ll keep continuing the sport to see if I have time after going into college.”

After high school, Zhou plans to continue interacting and working with animals in her career.

Boys shoot for better results Following a week hiatus, caused by COVID-19, the team must resume regular practices to improve.

ETHAN RO Staff Writer In a flurry of missed shots, the Brahma boys basketball team came up short in their season opening League game against the Los Altos Conquerors on Jan. 5, 54-35.

After COVID-19 issues forced many players to miss out on practice before the Los Altos game, head coach Henry Frierson and his team are looking forward to resuming their consistent practice schedule.

“We haven’t had practice in

six days and that really showed,” Frierson said. “Just [the] typical shots that we usually make, we just would like another opportunity to work on that.”

Despite the underperforming offense by the Brahmas, Frierson gave praise to his team’s strong defensive hold, especially senior wing Harry Zhang’s defense against Los Altos’ Jazz Gardner.

“Jazz is a seven-foot wing/ forward who’s probably going to end up being a lottery pick in the next four years,” Frierson said. “I thought Harry did a really good job defending him and making life difficult for him.”

In preparation for their upcoming League games, Frierson would like his team to improve on their shooting—something that the team was lacking during the season-opener.

Though the team has also struggled with their late-game endurance for the past two seasons, the team’s intense strength training and conditioning during the summer and preseason paid off, and is no longer one of Frierson’s concerns.

More importantly, with the recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases and the new Omicron variant, Frierson would also like his team to fully recover from their illnesses and stay safe.

“I’d like for everyone to get healthy,” Frierson said. “We’re missing quite a few guys so if we can get everybody back on the floor and practicing that would be great.”

With an overall record of 10-8 and a League record of 2-1, the Brahmas will be playing Walnut High School later today at 6:30 pm.

VASH CHEN Sophomore Ethan Alfonso follows through with a shot in the varsity team’s Jan. 5 game against Los Altos High School.

CLAIRE WU The girls aim to stay undefeated in the Hacienda League after a 2-0 record start.

Kicking off to a hot start Even with several student absences, the ladies remain successful at the start of their league competition.

Vash Chen ASST. Photo Editor Amidst ongoing shutdowns and demanding games, the Diamond Bar girls soccer team pushes forward into the season with a League record of 2-0.

With the new Omicron variant, the varsity team has had to adjust without important players, eventually leading to an outbreak and seven-day shutdown.

For games prior to the shutdown, freshman goalie Sydney Applebaum filled in the role of Senior goalie Sydney Humphrey— one of the players missing from COVID-19.

“Our goalie [Sydney] is currently out, and our JV team did get hit so we missed the start of this week.

They have quite a few cases,” head coach Matt Franco said.

Both in practice and in school, the team members are wearing their masks and sanitizing regularly to continue playing and limit the

spread of the virus.

“We have been reminding our varsity and JV players to be smart when they’re out, make sure they’re taking precaution and avoiding large groups,” Franco said.

Among the healthy varsity members, two forwards—sophomore Darah Johnson and senior Alexis Fuller—have shown their talents with aggressive tactics and strong offense, helping the team win in two League games. “[Darah is] starting to really develop into a strong forward striker, scoring goals and creating opportunities as well as senior Alexis Fuller,” Franco said.”Together with their speed, it is really helping us; they are scoring quite a few goals in the League.”

So far, the team has two wins against Los Altos and Wilson in the Hacienda League. However, they will be going against their toughest team yet: South Hills, the four-time defending league champions. “[South Hills] are always strong, always organized with the way they play. They always have talent. We are looking forward to a big game, we are both 2-0,” Franco said.

The team’s next game will be an away game against Los Altos on Thurs., Jan. 20.

The Bull’s Eye

SPORTS

Haynes faces setback to a major comeback Even with an injury, the senior athlete still continues striving to meet his goals.

Lauren Cheng ASST. NEWS EDITOR More often than not, occupational injuries mark the end of an athlete’s career, forcing them into early retirement. However, this is not the case for Diamond Bar High School senior Jackson Haynes; to him, a sprained ankle is just another obstacle to overcome in his journey to professional soccer.

Through hard work and dedication, Haynes is determined to make a speedy recovery and rejoin his fellow teammates on both the DBHS soccer team and his club team, Legends FC—a soccer club committed to fostering player development at a national level.

“During 2020, [my club team and I] went to North Carolina, where we went undefeated in the playoffs,” Haynes said. “In our league, we were placed 34th nationally, and

[that] was probably one of our best achievements in the last several years.”

Haynes, who was recently named MVP and captain of the DBHS soccer team, fell in love with the sport at the age of five. Since then, he’s spent the past seven years developing his skills as a defensive midfielder, which controls the flow of the game through passing ability and game awareness.

“What I enjoy most about playing soccer has to be the competitive spirit,” Haynes said. “It is like every game is a battle, and you are just trying to come in on top.”

Even with devotion to the sport, his road to recovery has not been easy.

“I sprained my ankle three weeks ago. So, I was in a cast for a week and a boot for a week,” Haynes said. “That impacted me because I lost my endurance, and just being away from the sport for two and a half weeks, I can definitely feel where my endurance is lacking.”

Following his injury, Haynes was hopeful he would be able to play in the highly anticipated game against Walnut High School. However, he soon found out that his in-

BOYS SOCCER

JANUARY AOTM: AOTM : JACKSON HAYNES CLAIRE WU Senior Jackson Haynes defends the ball against a player in the team’s Jan. 11 game against South Hills High School. jury was more serious than he had initially thought, as he was struggling to even walk. “[I have to] make sure I stay upto-date with the different exercises and try to get my ankle back to the way it was before,” he said. “It is really just all about rehab and recovery just to try to strengthen it up again.”

At times, when Haynes felt frustrated about his situation, he had to remind himself of his motivations to keep pushing through.

“My motivation has been really

just to hold myself to the highest standard possible, and try to give 110 percent effort each time I step onto the field either for practice or for games,” he said. “I pride myself in giving full effort for everything I do.”

Even when held up with an injury and powering through the pain of practice, Haynes has learned to balance his recovery with his training for both teams.

“If you practice the wrong thing, you would not be able to get better at the thing you are really trying to

improve on,” he said. “If you practice the right way, you would see enormous improvements.”

As of now, Haynes is looking forward to recovering from his injury and playing soccer with his teammates once again.

“My main goal right now is just to play college soccer at a high level,” he said. “I plan to work hard, on and off the field, I plan to perform well in games and I plan to put myself in the best situation possible to be able to have the best opportunities possible.”

End of a several-year tenure After working with DBHS for many years, two coaches have decided to resign.

MARCUS HSIEH News Editor Following the end of this year’s football and water polo seasons, Diamond Bar High School is bidding farewell to two long-time sports coaches.

After a four year-stint as football head coach, Jeff Reitz will be resigning after an average-performing season this year. Meanwhile, water polo head coach Gary Cheever will also be resigning, after working for three years.

Reitz joined Diamond Bar High School in 2018 to replace Kevin Argumosa, who resigned after a devastating 0-10 season.

The veteran coach has had over 40 years of experience, leading Sonora High School to a CIF victory in 1975 as an all-league linebacker.

As a coach, Reitz has worked as a walk-on coach for Fullerton College and an assistant strengths coach at the University of Alabama.

“Under Cheever, the team qualified for CIF in all three years and advanced past the first round this season.”

He also led Life High School in Texas to become the top offensive powerhouse of the area before coming to DBHS. At Diamond Bar High School, Reitz has led the football team to numerous record-breaking years,

focusing on explosive offense to win games. In 2020, the Brahma football team took the 2020 Hacienda League champion title after not competing in the playoffs since 2013.

Since joining the DBHS water polo program in 2018, Cheever has led the team to numerous dominant seasons. The Brahmas water polo team were league champions in the Mt. Baldy League in 2018 and 2019. Under Cheever, the team qualified for CIF in all three years and advanced past the first round this season.

Earlier this year, Cheever expanded his responsibilities by taking on the girls’ water polo team in addition to the boys’ water polo team. The experienced coach has been employed for over 14 years and has previously worked at Chino Hills High School, Don Lugo High School and Claremont High School.

Wrestling with safety precautions The new Omicron variant has presented the boys with challenges during practices.

Ryan Kung ASST. Business Manager

Photo Courtesy of DBHSSPORTS Coach Jeff Reitz mentors the football team, following a play in the team’s Branding Iron game against Walnut High School.

Stepping further into the season, the Diamond Bar Wrestling team has been making strong efforts at solidifying their skill and operating with the new COVID variant.

Due to the virus, the team’s practice routines have been altered from the start of the season.

“COVID shut down our winter practices and now each week we have to get tested,” senior captain Ryan Wong said. “We have to be extra vigilant to avoid closure.”

Despite the lack of practices, many of the team’s players placed high in tournaments. Wong placed

first at the Trabuco Hills Tournament, second at Mater Dei and fifth at Brea. Freshman Brently Macamay also placed second at Trabuco Hills and fourth at Brea.

“My favorite thing about this season has been watching the new wrestlers grow and develop,” Wong said.

The team is still focusing on enhancements that will land them a spot at this year’s CIF duals.

During practice, they mainly focused on takedown drills to improve their performance.

“We reviewed over mistakes at past tournaments [to improve],” Wong said.

The team versed South Hills in their last home competition of the season. Despite many individuals winning their duals, the team ultimately lost the meet.

“Despite having a lot of holes at weights, a lot of our guys came through,” Wong said.