INSIDE
QUESTIONABLE VIEW See what we think about Google’s new invention: the Google Glass.
PAGE4 EDITORIAL
FILM FESTIVAL RESULTS
BURST OF ENERGY AP tests are coming up, but which energy drink works best? PAGE7 FEATURE
TRACK : DB VS BONITA
DIAMOND BAR HIGH SCHOOL
PAGE 16 SPORTS
Check out the winning videos of the annual show of student produced films. PAGE13 A & E
STUDENT NEWSPAPER
The Bull’s Eye WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013
Volume XXXI, Issue VII | ONLINE at dbbullseye.com | Published Monthly
Prom has a date with James Bond This year, Prom will be held at the elegant Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. BY CLAIRE HUANG ASST. A&E EDITOR
XING YEN QUEK
ACADEMIC AWARD - Dancers of the senior class perform at the spring rally recognizing the top ten students.
USB honors academics, Top 10 students at Spring Rally Students of all grade levels applied to be recognized as the best students on campus. BY HANNA KANG STAFF WRITER
Diamond Bar High School students never fail to amaze their
teachers and fellow students with their intelligence and unique talents. Ten such students were selected from each grade level in honor of Academic Week and were featured at the Spring Sports Rally last Friday. During Academic Week, the Top 10 students participated in a special lunchtime activity and also had an In-N-Out luncheon. During the rally, the selected Top 10 students were introduced in a video slideshow. “We look for students who are
well rounded—who challenge themselves by taking a few hard classes, balance that with participating in an art or sport while giving back to their community with plenty of charity work, and [are] also very involved in school. But since this describes the typical Diamond Bar student, we look for people who stand out—in the way they present themselves in explaining why they should be chosen for Top
See ACADEMICS| pg 3
The time of year has come when the frantic proposals and bouquet purchases arrive, all in preparation for what is known to be the most important night of high school: Prom. This year’s prom comes with the adventurous, yet classy theme of James Bond 007. On May 18, the annual prom will be held at Park Plaza Hotel from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and eager students will be able to experience the daring secret agent themed night. The elegant Los Angeles location features two ballrooms specifically designated for activities such as pool tables, air hockey, and pinball machines. Attendees will also be entertained by card games such as Craps, Blackjack, Texas Hold’em, and Roulette tables. Aside from the casino-themed activities, there will also be other activities including photo booths, a flipbook station by “Get Flipped,” and a 2D and a 3D imaging company. More of these exciting features will be showcased at the Prom Expo on May 2 in the upper quad
during lunch. The Prom Expo will provide representatives from various companies to help attendees prepare for prom. The companies will include limousine companies, florists, and photo studios. During the event, junior class officers will be selling sets of five raffle tickets for $1. The possible raffle prizes are a corsage or boutonniere, picture packages, manicures, eyebrow threading, and a prom ticket. The top 15 female senior nominees, 15 male senior nominees, 9 female junior nominees, and 9 male junior nominees for prom court will also be announced at this event. The court will then be declared at the prom fashion show, which will be held on May 3. “[We] will get busier when the date approaches. I think the theme is really cool and Park Plaza is very beautiful. I think it’s classy and elegant just like James Bond,” prom committee member Erika Lee said. Pre-sale prom tickets are already available for purchase in the USB room. It ends on May 3. During pre-sale, couples with two activity cards will be able to purchase the tickets for $170, couples with one activity card will be able to purchase tickets for $175, and couples with none will be able to purchase tickets for $180. Individuals with activity cards will pay $85 and those without, $90. Starting May 6 and continuing
See PROM| pg 2
Diamond Bar girls battle it out at the Powder Puff game DBHS senior girls took on the junior girls in the annual game of flag football. BY ANDREW CHOI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
XING YEN QUEK
GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME - Senior Sam Ting prepares to hit opponents at the staff versus student dodgeball game.
Staff claims victory over student team The tournament was held during lunch at the gym the week before spring break. BY KATLYN LEE ASST. NEWS EDITOR
The Flying Bald Eagles of America Yeah and The Manhat-
tan Project dominated the court all throughout the week during the second annual Dodgeball Tournament. Although the groups were victorious among their peers, the two teams had no chance against the faculty team. The staff members, including badminton coach Kemp Wells and athletic instructor Chase Paulson, quickly defeated both teams. “It was a lot of fun playing
See TOURNAMENT| pg 2
The Class of 2013 was determined to win this year’s Powder Puff game after a tough loss in 2012. Last year, the juniors had the victory in their hands with only a couple of seconds remaining on the clock. However, the Class of 2012 team called a Hail Mary and a receiver miraculously caught the ball in the end zone, which gave that year’s seniors, the victory. This year, in an intense game of flag football, the seniors continuously dominated in the game by beating the juniors with a final score of 45-8. “We did amazing and just demolished the juniors,” Joey Fontana, the senior’s head coach, said. In preparation for the game, both teams practiced and improved
XING YEN QUEK
GIRL POWER - Senior Tatum Lockett takes the ball for another touchdown during the annual Powder Puff Game. its fundamentals. “We improved a lot in our fundamentals like blocking, [and] catching. We also understood our play schemes,” Fontana commented. Members of the boys football
team volunteered to coach their own class. Instead of Pep Squad cheering that night, several DBHS
See FOOTBALL| pg 2
2 NEWS
The Bull’s Eye staff places at the Southern California Write Offs The staff demonstrated its skills at California State University, Long Beach. BY ANGIE ZHANG FEATURE EDITOR
Competing in the annual Onthe-Spot Write-Offs hosted by the Southern California Journalism Education Association, members of Diamond Bar High School’s student newspaper, The Bull’s Eye, were awarded certificates and a medal for placing in the top spots of the various writing divisions. The competition, held at California State University, Long Beach on April 13, was a congregation of various student journalism orga-
TOURNAMENT from pg 1
The first place winners won t-shirts and trophies and a game against the staff team. against the student team in the tournament. The boys from the basketball team couldn’t handle the power of the faculty. We rose to the challenge and the students had no idea what hit them!” staff team member Addison Whitesel stated. Pathways Communications Academy held its dodgeball tournament during the last week of March. The first and second place winners of the competition had the opportunity to play against the staff team on April 12. The champion team, The Manhattan Project, mainly consisted
nizations from Southern California, including groups from Walnut High School, Wilson High School, and Bell Gardens High School. Students who competed in the Feature, News, Opinion, and Sports sections must have qualified at their local area Write-Offs. On the other hand, Photography, Newspaper layout, Yearbook layout, Critical review, and Editorial cartooning sections were open to all participants. Despite not having as many representatives as other schools, The Bull’s Eye staff was still able to prove that it was indeed competition to be wary of—all five DBHS students who competed were able to earn an award. Senior Justin Park earned a medal for 2nd place in Newspaper Layout while staff members who obtained certificates were: senior Holly Liu for 13th Place in News, senior Winston Cho for 7th Place in Sports, junior Gloria Kim for 10th Place in Editorial
cartooning, and junior Xing Yen Quek for 8th Place in Photography. Scenarios were presented to writers of each section, some in the form of a press conference and others a presentation. Students were allowed time to ask any additional questions after the demonstration and given approximately one hour to write, with the exception of the Photo and Yearbook section participants, who were allowed two hours. Articles and pictures were evaluated by judges specializing in each section, with the overall score created from the sum of the points given in individual categories and used to determine the winners. “I was very proud of how well we performed at Write-Offs, considered we only had a handful of students compete. It will serve as an incentive for the staff to do even better next year, “Journalism advisor Doug List stated.
of members from the boy’s basketball team. Each team member sported a basketball jersey and shorts throughout the tournament. The Flying Bald Eagles of America Yeah, which placed second, was mostly comprised of members of the boy’s soccer team, and each player wore the patriotic colors of red, white and blue. “It was a really fun experience trying to hit some teachers. It’s humbling to be part of the championship team, but it was mostly my teammates who did all the work,” Christian Manalo, team captain of The Manhattan Project, recalled. The team captain also explained how the team came up with its strategy. Stronger members of the Manhattan Project were able to focus on powerfully hitting players, while those with other skills, such as Manalo, concentrated on catch-
ing the ball to get opponents who threw the caught ball out of the game. The dodgeball tournament was held during lunch in the school gym from March 25 to 29. Separated into brackets, the participating teams played against their designated opponents, and winning teams were able to advance in the competition. The first place team was awarded trophies and t-shirts, while the second place winners received medals. Both teams were also rewarded with a chance to play against the staff team. “I found the dodgeball event to be a great opportunity to interact with a couple of my students in a way I normally would not. I thought it was great for Pathways to put on such a fun interactive event for our school,” Frank De Anda, one of the teachers in the staff team, shared. In order to participate, students were required to fill out an application form and pay a fee of $5. Tim Woolston, Pathways Leadership teacher and the coordinator of the event, started the tournament last year to fundraise for Pathways. The event’s success allowed him to hold the tournament again this year. A Multi-School Championship among Diamond Ranch, Bonita, and West Covina High School was planned, but was cancelled last week due to low ticket sales. “This year’s tournament at the school was very successful. We made about $800 last year and about $400 this year, so I think in total we made much profit from the event,” Woolston said.
THE BULL’S EYE
Diamond Bar High School Student Newspaper
STAFF
Lea Chang, Justin Park
Editors-in-Chief
Holly Liu, Jennifer Wang Joy Chow, Katlyn Lee
News Editors Asst. News Editors
Colene Eng Gloria Kim
Editorial Editor Asst. Editorial Editor
Sarah Cho, Angie Zhang
Feature Editors
Austin Kong Claire Huang
A&E Editor Asst. A&E Editor
Vivian Tang, Hanna Yi
Feature Theme Editors
Winston Cho Andrew Choi, Joseph Park
Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editors
ONTARGET * Prom Fashion Show: May 3 * Spring Musical: May 3-4 * AP/IB Testing: May 2-17 * Prom Ticket Sales: May 6-10 * House of Reps Meeting: May 8 * Prom Week: May 13-17 * Class of 2014 Registration Lottery: May 14 * Class of 2015 Registration Lottery: May 15 * Class of 2016 Registration Lottery: May 16 * Prom: May 18 * Senior Yearbook Distribution: May 21 * Underclassmen Yearbook Distribution: May 22 * All School Awards Night: May 23 * No School (Memorial Day): May 27 * Finals Week: May 27-30 * Minimum Day: May 30 FOOTBALL from pg 1
The Powder Puff game was hosted and organized by the Pep Squad as a fundraiser. boys imitated and performed the cheer’s team moves as a mock team. Early in the first quarter, the seniors were in great field position. In the third play of the possession, senior Tatum Lockett ran thirty yards down the field to score the first points of the game. Toward the end of the second quarter, the seniors caught the juniors off guard with a trick play that ended with a touchdown reception by senior Angela Schmitt. The first half
PROM from pg 1
Many activities will be available at prom such as card games, air hockey, and pinball. until May 15, tickets will be sold for $180 for couples with two activity cards, $185 for couples with one, and $190 for couples with none. As
ended with the seniors up, 20-0. On the first play of the second half, Lockett found an opening and ran fifty yards for her third touchdown of the game. “I felt good. We had a lot of weapons and the juniors had a lot of trouble stopping us,” Lockett stated. After the final whistle, the score was 45-8 and the seniors were proclaimed the champions of the annual Powder Puff game. The annual Powder Puff game started back in 2010 to fundraise for Pep. “This game was exciting and fun as it had some great plays. We look forward to adding a freshmen and sophomores game before ending it with a seniors and juniors game. It might even be a tournament,” Pep advisor Whitney Prenger stated. for the individuals attending the event, those with an activity card can purchase a ticket for $90. Those without an activity card can purchase one for $95. “It’s going to have things that we’ve never had before and it’s a beautiful place with plenty of room. It’s not going to be small like homecoming – it’s huge,” Shari De Cambra, prom committee advisor, commented.
DB turns twenty-four
Xing Yen Quek
Photo Editor
Michelle Lee Katlyn Lee
Business Manager Asst. Business Manager
Rose Kim
Web Editor Staff Writers
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
THE BULL’S EYE
Emily Hwang, Hanna Kang, Rose Kim
Advisor
Doug List
CONTACT
Diamond Bar High School, Room 250 21400 Pathfinder Road Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Phone: (909) 594-1405 x33250 Email: eye.editors@gmail.com Business Inquiries: dbhs_business@yahoo.com
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Bull’s Eye is a public forum that welcomes the views of our readers. Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed pieces will be accepted only if they are signed. The author, may, however, request anonymity. The staff reserves the right to edit letters without changing content. You may forward letters to Room 250, or submit them online at dbbullseye.com.
KATLYN LEE
PUMP UP THE PARTY - Children ride one of the mini rollercoasters at the 24th Annual Diamond Bar Birthday Party, which was held on April 13. The event, which was open to all city residents, had various rides, game booths, and food stands for attendees to enjoy. The birthday party was held at Pantera Park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
NEWS
THE BULL’S EYE
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
3
Concert percussion competes DBHS students get a and places at a national level glimpse of Europe Twenty students from DBHS explored the various historical monuments in Europe.
Over spring break, 20 Diamond Bar High School students of all grade levels were able to experience life in a completely foreign environment. Led by Class of 2015 advisors Emily Clark and Latitia Thomas, the students signed up for the 10day trip to Europe, which took place from March 30 through April 9. The group stayed in Paris for the first three days, visiting many historical monuments such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower. They also went to various museums and saw famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum. During their last day in France, students stopped by the Palace of Versailles, where they were able to explore the historical treasures in the palace at their own comfortable pace. “It was an amazing experience. Together, we got to see what it was like to live in Europe and enjoy all the delicious foods and activities. AP Euro became more interesting because we got to stand in the very spots where the famous events occurred. It wasn’t just something we had to read in our boring textbooks
anymore. It was [also] great to go with our teachers. They helped to explain the historical significance of everywhere we went to,” sophomore Geoffrey Wang explained. After a bus ride to Germany, they visited many major cities including Heidelberg, Munich, and Berlin. In Berlin, students were able to see the remains of the Berlin Wall. Additionally, the rebuilt Dresden Frauenkirche, a Lutheran church in Germany, was another one of the sites that students spent a lot of time roaming around. Ending in Munich, the 20 tourists were able to visit one of the most horrific concentration camps during the Holocaust, Dachau. “The trip was educational yet fun and fast-paced. It was a wonderful bonding experience for all the students that went. They were able to try new things together and adapt to a completely foreign environment,” Thomas commented. Any student who wanted to go to Europe could sign up with Clark and Thomas. The trip was meant to help students who are taking Advanced Placement European History understand the class material more; but it was also an experience that enabled students to come closer together and bond. “Travel is life-altering. You see your own home, your own country, and yourself differently after you’ve traveled someplace else. Trying different foods, observing different customs, and hearing a different language changes the way you see things and also helps you appreciate what you have in life. That is why I encourage students to explore,” Clark said.
leapfrogging to the next station. The winners of the activity were seniors Alena Glushchenko and Chris Lee. “The lunchtime activity was very challenging [and] I loved the team effort with Chris Lee. I’m pumped up for the rally because it will be my last one forever. I am going to miss Diamond Bar and I hope that our senior class will have a great time cheering and being Brahmas for the last rally,” Glushchenko stated. In order to secure a spot in the Top 10 positions, potential candidates had to go through a thorough application process in which they were required to answer questions as well as include their class schedule, first semester transcript, a minimum of two teacher recom-
mendations, and a list of their current extracurricular activities. “When my USB representative came in and handed me the balloon, I was really happy and touched because it proved to me that all my hard work paid off,” sophomore Michelle Lyu commented. The students who were chosen as the Top 10 students of their respective grade levels were notified by USB representatives a week before the rally. “I am grateful that I was able to have a spot in Top 10 every time since freshman year and it feels good to be recognized as a wellrounded individual. I feel like the Top 10 program impacts our whole community. It just feels great to be chosen as a Top 10 student,” senior Joycelyn Chen shared.
BY JOY CHOW ASST. NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY OF ALEX QUAN
BEAT ‘EM - Academy members perform at the Winter Guard International Indoor Percussion, which was held at Dayton, Ohio. The DBHS Percussion Group placed third at the national competition.
This is the first year DBHS Drumline had competed in the Winter Guard International. BY EMILY HWANG STAFF WRITER
Diamond Bar High School’s percussion groups took home first and third place medals from the Southern California Percussion Alliance finals championship competition on April 13 at California State University, San Bernardino. The Concert Percussion group, also known as Academy, performed its show Star Crossed Lovers, and received the highest score out of the 12 high schools that competed in the Percussion Scholastic Concert Open group. Directed by the DBHS percussion instructors Gabriel Cobas and Marie Sato, Academy members received gold medals in the finals competition and went to Dayton, Ohio to compete in the
Winter Guard International Indoor Percussion’s national level. Academy flew to Dayton on April 18 and came back after placing on April 21. Academy placed second and received an overall score of 92.1, which was only .25 points away from winning the gold medal. “The 2013 season was truly unforgettable. I’m so happy that we won, and I’m glad that all of our hard work paid off,” sophomore vibraphone player Christie Hui commented. Academy’s show, Star Crossed Lovers, performed a seven-minute performance depicting the whole story of the ongoing feud between the Capulet and Montague families. The four movements of the music piece represented Romeo and Juliet’s love life and the relationship between the two families in various melodies. “I feel honored to be part of the first group of students to ever represent DBHS at WGI, and I can’t wait to see the growing success of DBHS’ percussion program,” senior Benji Pun, a timpani player, commented. DBHS’ indoor drumline also
NEWSBITS w It’s official—men just cannot understand women. Released this past month, recent studies have proven that men have twice as much trouble reading a woman’s emotions as they do a man’s. Coming to this conclusion, several researchers from Germany instructed 22 men to look at different pairs of eyes, both men and women, and to guess the emotion the people were portraying. The test subjects between the ages of 21 and 52 had a harder time accurately describing the emotion for women’s eyes. w Florida residents better beware: the big, bad snails are coming to town. With large shells that can grow up to 12 inches long, thousands of giant snails are being found every week in the MiamiDade county area. These snails have the ability to eat through the building plaster and carry parasites that can potentially contaminate water and vegetables. So far, 117,000 of these rabbit-sized snails have been destroyed in attempts to keep the locals safe. w Philadelphia resident Bienvenido Reynoso’s belt does more than just keep his pants secure on his waist. The grocery store employee was wheeling a hand truck outside the supermarket when he heard gunshots and immediately dropped to the ground in order to avoid getting shot. Checking his unharmed body with relief, the
32-year-old continued his day until someone noticed that there was a hole in his shirt. After taking a look, he noticed that a bullet from the shooting earlier was stuck in his belt buckle. Saved by his belt, Reynoso plans to cherish his lifesaver for the rest of his life. w Teenage sisters Hannah and Haylee Smith from Lebanon, Oregon did not know their true strength until a walk with their dog put them to the test. One afternoon, while walking around their farm, the girls heard cries for help from their father, who was trapped under a tractor. With the nearest help miles away, the girls had no other option but to lift the 3,000 pound tractor by themselves to free their father. w In order to help local farmers in need of a sitter for their chickens, owner of Eugene Backyard Famer in Eugene, Oregon, Bill Bezuk, created an unprecedented luxury chicken hotel. The hotel The Nest, provides basic services, including fresh food and water, and charges only $2 per night for each chicken. The Nest also offers deluxe accommodations, including organic food and fresh vegetable scraps. There are two suites next to the luxury hotel for rare breeds of black or mottledfeathered chickens and perkychested chickens. The only condition that the hotel mandates is that roosters are not allowed.
competed against 43 other ensembles in the Scholastic A division in the SCPA finals competition and won third place. Drumline’s fiveminute show was about Japanese samurais fighting in war. While performing their show, drummers also had to move on specially designed floors that served as visuals corresponding with the music. Drumline received an overall score of 90.75, only a point away from getting first place. “I was really happy when I heard that we won third place. I was glad that the seniors got to end their high school careers with a medal, since Diamond Bar has never gotten one before,” sophomore tenor player, Daniel Shin stated.
ACADEMICS from pg 1
All Top 10 students participated in a lunchtime activity representing each class. 10, and what sets them apart from everyone else,” Tammy Law, United Student Body Commissioner of Academics, shared. USB also provided a special lunchtime activity on Wednesday for the selected Top 10 students. Two students from each grade level were chosen as representatives for their respective class. The pair then went through many different obstacles such as throwing and catching water balloons without popping them, and
4 EDITORIAL
G
THE BULL’S EYE
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
gle Glass Glitch
Google’s revolutionary new technology will be a threat to people’s privacy.
PHOTO COURTESY of Reuters
BY FRANCES SONG & GLORIA KIM CONTRIBUTING WRITER & ASST. EDITORIAL WRITER Google Glass, the latest breakthrough in technology, is an innovative device that can literally be called a “wearable computer.” It resembles a pair of traditional eyeglasses that sits directly above the user’s line of sight; yet when worn, it can present a display equivalent to that of a 25-inch HD screen eight feet away. Its cuttingedge functions will undoubtedly revolutionize society and change the way we think, live, and interact with others; however, its various high-tech abilities have the potential to threaten people’s privacy. The spectacles come equipped with a multitude of functions, including web browsing, photography, GPS, and text messaging, all of which can be manipulated using simple voice commands. Because the gadget is designed to be worn full-time, Glass is able to follow us through our social, as well as personal lives, by way of the lenses—
images and information of our school and workplace, the most frequently visited stores and restaurants, and even our homes will be easily accessed by many. With data collected from Glass, companies may be provided with information for developing ads targeting individuals with particular tasts, interests, and backgrounds. Aside from targeted ads, there are limitless possibilities of anonymous individuals manipulating our private information for their advantage. Another major concern is the product’s built-in, 5-megapixel camera that can record video in 720p. Using the simple voice command, Glass users may covertly capture photos, audio, and video without the subject’s consent. Whereas usage is hard to conceal on traditional cameras and mobile phones, taking photos and videos with Glass is far less difficult to detect because it requires no motion to perform the action. The device displays a red light when the video is recording, but many testers have pointed out that the indicator is hardly detectable. Of course, many public sites, such as AMC movie theaters, have banned the use of this device in its
cinemas. However, what law has ever fully successfully kept crooks from crossing the line? Certainly, when there is a law, there will also inevitably be lawbreakers. With such incredible functions that Glass provides, there are sure to be unlawful citizens who will take advantage of these utilities. Many people who become aware of Glass’s ability to discreetly record everything they see and hear will find it difficult to hold private conversations in public, fearing that whatever slips out of their mouth will be heard or recorded. People should be able to speak and act without fear of being published or persecuted; with Glass, however, this right may become compromised. Though Glass appears to be a revolutionary invention that could add tremendous convenience to our daily lives, there will also be major setbacks. Google should certainly increase precautions to ensure the privacy of its consumers and society. It’s even more important, however, that the everyday person remain wary of the potential threats of the invasion of privacy, because if overlooked, they could result in catastrophic consequences.
CARTOON BY GLORIA KIM
FOLLOW UPS GUN CONTROL
To the dismay of those who supported tighter gun control laws, the Senate recently voted down the bill for stricter gun control registration. Numerous bills have been proposed in Congress, but the issue remains unsolved as the heated debate on gun control continues.
Here’s an AP Problem!!! As more colleges decide to deny AP scores for college credit, students are left wondering if the rigorous courses are worth taking. BY CLAIRE HUANG ASST. A&E EDITOR
PRO|
Near the end of each school year, students are given the option to take a rigorous, comprehensive test known as the Advanced Placement test, or AP exam. Although thousands of students take the difficult year-long AP class and corresponding exam to receive recognition for their hard work, Dartmouth College, along with other universities, recently stated that it will not be transferring Advanced Placement scores for college credit. This has raised the question of whether taking these higher-level courses and exams are worthwhile. While they may not receive college credit, students should still grasp the opportunity to challenge and distinguish themselves among top-tier students by proving their competency with a college-level course load. The common belief is that now, there are fewer benefits from taking these advanced courses. However, college administrations are aware of the difficulty of collegeleveled classes and plan to still provide some sort of advantage to students who prioritize education and persevere in the demanding courses. With the ability to excel in the highest-level courses in school, students eager to challenge themselves will differentiate themselves from the rest of the applicants. In addition, Dartmouth hopes to utilize these scores to place students into appropriate courses. Aside from the benefit of standing out from the rest of the crowd, students should want to take these tests for the scholastic appeal of acquiring new knowledge. In modern society, advancement is the key in every field, whether it be science or fashion, and in order to keep up with the pace of society, students should
adopt a naturally curious mindset. Furthermore, although the AP credits earned in high school may save a semester or more in college, the AP course work differs from the actual classes in college to such an extent that when 208 students in Dartmouth who received 5’s on their AP exams were given a college level test, only 20 of them passed. Teachers also observed that those students who earned a 5 performed at the same caliber as those who received less than a 5 on the AP exam, thereby supporting the notion that exemplary performance on the AP exam does not guarantee a better understanding of the material than those who received lower scores. The AP test is not solely a test to examine the amount of knowledge acquired in the span of a year. Rather, it is a test of perseverance to oneself. In addition, college administration may utilize the scores as a source to see whether the student is a high achiever or if they opt for lower leveled classes. Aside from Dartmouth, more colleges are beginning to pursue similar academic systems of not weighing AP tests as heavily, as seen in Yale University and Stanford U n ive r s i t y. Therefore, s t u d e n t s should always challenges themselves, especially in the extremely competitive modern world of academics, and persevere in order to be set apart as ambitious.
BY JOSPEH PARK ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
CON| The greatest reason many high
school students put themselves through rigorous Advanced Placement classes is to get college credit for the future; however, when a prestigious Ivy League school like Dartmouth College decides to stop giving college credit, there seems to be no reason to take such a time-consuming and challenging class that one will eventually have to retake. Dartmouth College reached an agreement that starting from the Class of 2018, it will no longer give credit for AP scores, but only acknowledge the fact that a student has taken the exam. Is simply receiving acknowledgement worth the immense stress and pressure, numerous tests and all-nighters? AP classes, as taxing as they are, need to be more rewarding, such as granting a student the opportunity to skip certain required college courses, because without it, students have little incentive to work hard in the classes. The number of students who have taken AP tests nearly doubled in the past decade from 471,404 to 954,070 students. However, with the n e w policy being
initiated, that growing trend will come to a standstill, and eventually a drastic decline. Hakan Tell, committee chair member of Dartmouth, emphasizes that although the school will recognize that students have taken the AP courses and exams, the admissions committee does not believe the scores indicate that students have already mastered the college-level course material. If more and more colleges follow Dartmouth’s policies to discredit AP scores, students should reconsider taking these classes. Clearly, they should not have to go through the trouble of persevering through AP classes for the sole purpose of becoming “better-prepared,” because it is not worth the amount of work an AP class requires. It is unfair that AP students, who put in admirable extensive effort in their studies to distinguish themselves above their peers, will ultimately start out at the same place as that of non-AP students in college. Since its establishment in the 1950s, the AP program has provided a different route for students who wanted to excel and be ahead of the rest of the student body. They could attain credit for college courses and potentially graduate early as a reward for their hard work and perseverence in high school. Without tangible benefit, there is little reason students will challenge themselves to take AP courses. Students need to realize they should not take a class they will eventually take again in the future, especially considering the preposterous amount of work AP classes entail. In that sense, students should instead wait to take those courses in college. Without the benefit of being able to skip those advanced level subjects in higher education institutions, the immense workload, as well as the stress and time that must be sacrificed, is far too great for a student to even consider enrolling in an Advanced Placement course.
EDITORIAL
THE BULL’S EYE
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Eye of the Editors
5
STUDENTS | Have you ever been affected by teachers who delayed updating their grades until the end of grading period?
PARENT PORTAL| An online tool designed to keep parents and students updated about grades is not being utilized to its full advantage. Though not new to the district, Parent Portal, an online tool that provides convenient access to students’ academic and personal information, was introduced to Diamond Bar High School three years ago. Parent Portal is directly linked to each teacher’s grade book so that students and parents can immediately see the changes teachers make and easily monitor grades. Though Parent Portal is intended to be convenient for everyone, several teachers have not taken full advantage of this tool and neglect to update grades until the end of a grading period nears. Students and parents alike have voiced discontent because some teachers fail to consistently make sure that grades are up to date. The purpose of Parent Portal is to allow both parents and students to be aware of a student’s progress so that any problems can be addressed before grades are final and unchangeable. Many teachers update grades right before a grading period ends; however, this is much too late as a progress report is already being mailed home. Students will therefore already know their grades without needing to check Parent Portal. The purpose of having Parent Portal is to allow a student to be aware of his or her grades before each grading periods ends so that he or she can improve any areas of concern. When a teacher puts off updating grades, students cannot keep track of their status in the class and have a hard time determining what they need to improve. A teacher’s primary goal should be to help students improve and do well in school. However, neglecting the duty to enter in grades promptly hinders progress toward that goal. Often times, students with borderline
grades anxiously await modified grades after a significant test or project. Teachers should be aware of this and update grades consistently so that students are aware of the potential opportunity to raise their grade. Teachers who are inconsistent with updating grades tend to be slower at grading and returning work. In some cases, with an accumulated amount of work to grade, some teachers end up hastily skimming through or simply assigning credit for effort. This seems unfair to students who put in much more effort into the assignment than others. Grading delays are sometimes understandable, considering that teachers have busy schedules outside of their teacher roles. Many teachers volunteer their personal time to help students, such as advising clubs or tutoring students outside of instructional time. They have personal responsibilities to their families and are already trying their best to dedicate themselves to all areas of involvement. But, again, it is a teacher’s job to help students improve performance by providing up-to-date grades for them. Students and parents were given access to Parent Portal so that each student’s grades would be clearly displayed at all times. This allows parents to talk to the teachers about specific assignments instead of constantly asking about a student because they do not know his or her academic standing. DBHS teachers are hardworking, but posting grades in a timely manner is vital to their efficiency as teachers. Teachers should take advantage of the convenience Parent Portal provides and update student grades whenever they possibly can.
“Yes, when my grades were not updated I did not really know how much effort I had to put into my work.” —Sunny Kar (12)
“I feel annoyed when some teachers don’t update grades because it’s another thing to worry about.”
“My English teachers almost all four years never updated their grades.” —Ayesha Hussain (12)
“Yes, I don’t know what my actual grades are right now so I don’t know if I can take the summer class I want to take this year.” —Andrew Lee (10)
“My teachers always put in grades on time and are up-to-date.” —Aakash Pathak (9)
—Melina Rudianto (11)
“My teachers are consistent with updating my grades. It’s never been a problem for me.” —Chasedy Nguyen (9)
Eye of the Editors is an editorial piece of The Bull’s Eye. Statements and opinions expressed in the article herein are strictly those of the editors of The Bull’s Eye. The view of the editors does not necessarily reflect that of the entire staff.
Blazing Trails of Satire The Sting of Stigma
BY SARAH CHO FEATURE EDITOR
M
y morning routine is rather dull: wakeup, brush teeth, wash face, turn on TV to “news” that North Korea is making nuclear threats. Day in, day out, my schedule rarely changes. It’s predictable and painfully mundane. Apparently, the U.S. has been on the “brink of war” with this Far East country for years now. It seems just yesterday that Kim Jong-Il was making his own rather ill-advised threats and now his younger, slightly stupider, and definitely fatter son, Kim JongUn, the “Great Successor” (though great may be an overstatement, mediocre might be a bit more accurate) is now making his own idiotic threats. But, don’t for a second underestimate this slightly overweight ruler of the oppressed world. This chubby, European educated, exceedingly modern “Supreme Leader of North Korea” (the
North Koreans really love their grossly inflated adjectives) is intent on making his mark in North Korea. From stealing footage from the very American “Call of Duty” video game for his extremely persuasive, propaganda video (complete with narration and animation of the United States’ White House and Congress being blown to bits) to effectively ridding North Korea of its sole, pesky ally—China— Kim Jong-Un has been intent on improving its relationship with the United Nations. The video, in particular, was a true stroke of Oscar-worthy genius. The animation was some genuinely top notch work and the song “We are the World” playing in the background really tied the moving video together. If it worked for Haiti, it’ll definitely do for the extremely communist, evil, less wellendowed twin brother of South Korea. I do have to question though if Kim Jong-Un received any copyright lawsuits following the release of this video. With SOPA, PIPA, and all the other acronym-ed, copyright legislation being pushed, you can never be too careful.
Even still, luckily for bad propaganda film fans everywhere, this is but one of a dozen other clips uploaded to Youtube (funny, I would think the U.S. based website would be blocked in North Korea). Included in this menagerie of Academy Award-level cinematography is a scene of North Korea invading America. The scene, though, seems oddly familiar. I’m wondering if the acclaimed North Korean director of cheesy propaganda videos saw the American 2012 film, “Red Dawn.” They both reek of that B rated horrifically cheap Hollywood quality North Koreans have grown to know and love. And Kim Jong-Un, admirably and bravely, refuses to simply stop at invading the devilishly democratic virtual land of Youtube. The ambitious, feisty young ruler has even taken to Twitter and even Flickr (a bit of a misstep— really, who actually uses Flickr nowadays?) to promote his budding young country. Maybe with all of this use of social media, North Korea will become the premier, go-to tourist spot this summer. One can only hope.
CARTOON BY HANNA YI
The AP’s decision to ban the term “illegal immigrants” will not diminish the negativity. BY HANNA KANG STAFF WRITER
R
ecently, the Associated Press announced that it will no longer be sanctioning the term “illegal immigrant” in its stylebook. This decision has generated debate, attracting both support and criticism. Some applaud the AP for interdicting the derogatory term and recommending instead that journalists fully describe a person’s immigration status. These proponents believe that if the AP stops using the word “illegal,” it will also alleviate the negative connotation of undocumented immigrants. However, the AP was nonsensical in its decision because simply banning the expression certainly will not change the underlying hostility of the term. Kathleen Carroll, executive editor and Senior Vice President of the AP, clarified that the recent ban is one of several undertakings taken by the organization to purge the stylebook of labels due to some negative implications that they carry. Journalists are now expected to use the word “illegal” only to describe an action, such as living in or immigrating to a country illegally, but not to distinguish a person. Organizations that advocate immigration adamantly argue that the AP’s decision was necessary to lighten the general sentiment of those who are here illegally. I beg to differ. Actions define an individual. Crossing the border without permission is an illegal act, thus can accurately define the offender as an illegal immigrant. Though immigration advocates deem that using the derogatory term only to label an action relieves
the word of its offense, the negative label will not go away. Following the ban, the argument “No human being is illegal” was released by the racial justice website ColorLines with the launch of its “Drop the I-Word” campaign. However, the fact that some human beings are in fact illegal remains. These include those who have overstayed their visas or crossed the border illegally. Such individuals absolutely cannot be accepted as legal immigrants since they have not taken the legal route to America; thus they deserve the title, “illegal immigrants.” Rewording a perfectly distinct term in the hopes that it will give a positive aura to a perpetually controversial policy is a vain attempt. It will not be long before the euphemism will revive the same negative implication as its predecessor. This has happened to previous efforts to eliminate a term of its derisive meaning. When politicians associated the term “racial preferences” with the negative sentiments they had toward the policy, the term was replaced with “affirmative action.” Now, the replacement is taken just as offensively. Furthermore, the AP’s decision to ban the term “illegal immigrant” might go one step further and harm legal inhabitants. If the prominent distinction between legal and illegal immigrants is destroyed, it would result in a misfortune in which the legal immigrants would be unfairly stigmatized. Merely rephrasing a term that already carries a negative meaning will not lighten its existing bitterness. The only way to avoid such an issue is to reform the law to reduce the number of illegal immigrants. Until then, the controversial issue of illegal immigrants will remain— and with a feeling of hostility.
6 FEATURE
THE BULL’S EYE
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Teachers who Rock By Gloria Kim A spotlight on two talented musicians who just happened to also love teaching.
Daniel Gorden (Mr. Gorden)
One couldn’t find a finer example of someone who has the best of two worlds than Daniel Gorden, a Diamond Bar High School teacher who currently teaches during the day and performs in various gigs at night. He has been making a living as a professional drummer since age 19 and still holds that career today, playing for various events from school plays to professional musicals. An expert in the music industry, Gorden has experienced both sides of music-related career—he performed in bands and also worked in the business aspect of the industry, at one point holding a position as an accountant at Warner Brothers Records. Gorden took all the music classes his college offered. He then majored in Music Business at Cal State Northridge to widen his range of expertise related to music rather than pursue a path as a performer. “To be a professional musician, you don’t need a degree…when you get hired to play in bands, they don’t care if you have [one]; they care if you can play,” Gorden stated. Throughout college, Gorden was an excellent student as well as an ambitious performer. He mainly played freelance, taking one performance at a time, and still continues the same career today—playing in high school show choirs, musicals, churches, club scenes, and sometimes rock bands that need a substitute. One of his most fascinating experiences as a performer was being part
of an Australian Christian rock band for three months on a U.S. national tour. They were on the road in a fifteen-passenger van and performed on a day-to-day basis, not knowing what to anticipate the next morning. “We would stop by at a church and play for thirty kids, and then the next day play for like five thousand. Sometimes we would sleep on the side of the road, and the next day someone would put us into a Hilton. It was a crazy contrast,” Gorden shared. Gorden’s love for music and his profession will continue to be an unwavering driving force to further him in his career. “Playing in a rock band in a really good scene is just as fulfilling as playing in a really good musical or choir concert… but I think my favorite part about music is being able to pass the torch to the younger generations of people. I can vividly remember myself as a young guy in elementary school, going to watch a junior high concert and seeing someone play a solo. I remember thinking, ‘that’s what I want to do that with my life’… and so I pursued it,” Gorden said.
Tony Deerfield (Mr. Tietz)
If one had known Mr. Tietz before he worked at DBHS, he or she would find it hilariously ironic to discover that Tietz had become a teacher. Having spent a major portion of his life as a rock star, Tietz seems like the last person to hold a teaching career; however, with the help of fate, he has now found himself in the place he loves most—in his classroom. Also known by his stage name Tony Deerfield, Tietz accomplished the task of forming a band called SkyPark with three friends at age 16. The band was signed to the well-reputed record label Epic Records, sold over 70,000 records, and performed in more than 30 states and four continents during its career. Tietz began his career as a musician when his mom had a vision that he would become a rock star and told him to drop out of high school in Chicago to start a band in Los Angeles. He moved to Northridge, California in 1994, then to Fullerton where he met the three friends, Tyrone, Joey, and Keith, with whom he formed the rock band SkyPark. The band never really “broke into” the radio or sold millions of records like big name stars, but they were still asked to perform in numerous states and even around the world. Tietz admitted that being a relatively unknown band had its advantages. “We would live normal lives and still get to tour the world and have a lot of fun,” he stated.
The Unsung Tale of Peer Counseling students
BY KEERIT KOHLI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
When I tell people that I’m a peer counselor, their initial reaction of ‘Oh, how much have you cried today?’ is usually accompanied by a snigger or an attempt to slide me a box of tissues. In my first year of Peer Counseling, I would have been offended and somewhat embarrassed, but now, at the end of my second year, I am more amused than anything else when any stereotypical joke is directed towards me. It’s because the people that make these jokes just don’t understand what peer counseling is, or how it has changed my life. My decision to join the Peer Counseling program at the end of my freshman year was made partly because of my desperation to fill up my schedule and partly because of my interest about what we would be learning. Now, two years later, I am certain that my decision to join was the best one I have made in my high school career. Peer Counseling has, above all things, opened my eyes to the world and to the people living in it. It made me more aware of the emotions and actions of the people around me. I have learned how to talk to people, how to really understand them. I know how to help people who are grieving or feeling lonely or really anything else. I have learned how to help people in the most important of ways: by
COURTESY OF EUNICE JEON
listening to them. This may be the most important thing I’ve accomplished in class, and despite how it sounds, it wasn’t easy, but I’m proud. When I first joined PC, I promised myself I would stay for only one year. After that, I would try something different at school, or take another class. When the year started and I walked into the PC classroom, all I could think about was how different the other kids were in the class compared to me. We were a mix of seniors, juniors, and sophomores, and we all seemed to be interested in completely different things. As the year progressed, we learned that we weren’t so different after all. We were actually very similar and became a close-knit group. I have told more of my se-
crets to the people in peer counseling, people I have only known for a year or in some cases two, than I have to people I have known my whole life. When we are not learning about how to counsel a student grieving from a loss or dealing with family troubles (which we do a lot of, by the way) we are putting our lessons into practice by holding Diamond Bar Forum twice a year or participating in counseling sessions. I have never participated in anything as enriching as DB Forum, and I cherish it as one of my favorite memories of high school. By the end of the year, after experiencing and learning so much, the idea of leaving Peer Counseling and the family that I had gained was unfathomable, so I didn’t. And I couldn’t possibly be happier.
For three years, SkyPark worked fulltime—recording, writing music, and performing all over the world. That life came to a halt in 2003, when the band’s singer decided to go solo and the group dismantled. Deerfield, who was financially stable, found an ad to teach at a private school and applied right away. “I had no idea how to teach… I was professionally doing something I didn’t know how to do. But even though I was horrible at it, I loved the challenge of doing something impossible,” Tietz said. Years later, he applied for and received the position as a French teacher at DBHS. Tietz no longer plays music professionally, but continues to participate in other activities related to music, coaching students who have the ambition to go on that route themselves. “We were very fortunate to have wise people coach us through those years—people who’ve been through a lot, seen everything, basically, at their expense [and] invested in us…to the point we realized the importance of relationships over pursuit of fame,” Tietz stated.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
FEATURE
THE BULL’S EYE
tHE bUZZ ON eNERGY dRINKS
BY JUSTIN PARK: I have earned quite a reputation for being an excessive sleeper, almost to a shameful and dangerous degree. I fall asleep at the most inappropriate and inconvenient times, often wreaking havoc with myself and others. This is definitely not an overstatement. Any teacher or classmate of mine in the past four years, or the driver of that car I unconsciously rear ended last year on Diamond Bar Boulevard, or the United Airlines employee who paged my name ten times last week because I wasn’t there to board the plane (I was dozing off on a nearby bench), could testify to how sleepy I can get, regardless of the setting and situation. So it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone when I say that I tend to fall asleep even more so when I try studying for tests late at night. I’ve tried drinking coffee, chewing gum, washing my face with cold water, and setting backup alarms on my phone just in case I fall asleep when I should be studying. Nothing has worked so far...but perhaps a healthy(?) dose of over-the-counter chemicals will! Without further ado, here are a few different types of energy supplements I’ve tested out to combat my sleepiness. MONSTER
This drink is nothing short of magical. I felt a surge of energy immediately after my first sip. Without becoming too hyper and disoriented, I no longer felt the need to hit the sack. It doesn’t taste too bad, but the carbonation was a bit strong. After each sip came a new wave of energy that kept me going with my studies.
7
OVERHEARD IN DB Every month, we will bring you some of the most ridiculous, hilarious, flat-out idiotic, and sometimes insightful things we hear around campus. So beware—we’ll be listening.
Student: I don’t like brown rice because both Brown and Rice rejected me.
Student: Yeah, okay. I failed physical ed, but at least I run faster than Internet Explorer.
Teacher: Today’s kids will never know the feeling of slamming a phone shut after an argument. Now, all you can do is poke your screen in an angry rage.
Boy: I want to go to the beach! Girl: A lot of people have been talking about a place called Guantanamo Bay. Maybe that’s a good place.
5-HOUR ENERGY
Stay away from this potion, which was probably concocted by mad, evil scientists. Yes, it did its job at keeping me awake... mostly because I physically couldn’t stay still. I felt my fingertips trembling as I tried to hold a pencil. It felt like my red blood cells grew arms and legs and started sprinting through my veins in a desperate attempt to escape my body. At one point, I wanted to go on a mile run to exhaust myself from this unfamiliar rush of energy. (They aren’t kidding when they say 5 hours.)
Student: Are college apps hand written?
Teacher: After the test, feel free to get some beauty sleep! Some of you guys really need it!
ESPRESSO
I spit it out after my first sip. I couldn’t handle its unbearably bitter taste, but I knew I had to overcome my extremely low tolerance for bitter drinks. After drinking a shot, I slowly felt the caffeine intake taking its toll on my body. I felt alert, but not so much energetic or jittery. I was wide awake, ready to flip through my pages and soak in all the knowledge.
Student: I love it when I buy a bag of air, the company is nice enough to put a few chips in it.
What’s Really Cooking? By Holly Liu and Katlyn Lee
We all have our favorite restaurant for late night food runs or some refreshing drinks. However, no restaurant is perfect: many have products that are not as good as they seem to be, and a restaurant’s advertising can be misleading at times. Here is some information various restaurant employees have revealed about their restaurants.
JAMBA JUICE
Usually when people want a cool and tasty, yet healthy drink, they head over to Jamba Juice. However, this store is not as healthy as you may think. Its classical smoothies are usually made out of two scoops of sherbet, which is loaded with corn syrup, or frozen yogurt. But, if you guys want a healthier alternative, try ordering the smoothie in Make it Light, which decreases the amount of calories, sugars, and carbohydrates. You can also try substituting the sherbet and juices in the classical smoothie for real fruit. This way, you still pay for a classical smoothie, instead of an all fruit smoothie, which is more expensive. Beware of the ingredients list! In some of the ingredients lists, it is stated that real fruit is used, even if only fruit juice is used. For example, the Banana Berry drink claims to have strawberries, blueberries, and raspberry sherbet—but there’s actually frozen yogurt in there too. The only real fruits are bananas and blueberries there is only apple strawberry juice and not actual strawberries. Do not worry about the fruits because, though they are frozen, Jamba Juice assures its customers that they were froze at the peak of their ripeness. However, do not let those weight burner and antioxidant boosts fool you! Even though they do work, taking them once in awhile does absolutely nothing for you. Do not expect to order a smoothie with the most calories and add a weight burner boost and actually lose weight. The Jamba Juice that we contacted has confirmed all of this information.
CHO DANG TOFU
A former employee revealed that MSG, a concentrated form of salt used to enhance flavor, has been added in large amounts to many of the soups and dishes at Cho Dang Tofu. Many customers have also noticed that they were very thirsty after eating a savory meal at the tofu restaurant. Although the restaurant manager did confirm that MSG was added into their dishes, she clarified that the amount added was not as much as the employee described to be. “We only add like a pinch to our food,” she claimed. So if you’re not a fan of MSG in your food, be sure to know what the ingredients are in your food before you order!
LOLLICUP
An employee of the famous boba place, Lollicup, explained that many of the quality beverages are filled with syrup to give it a sweeter taste. She also mentioned that some of the ingredients are actually premade. The manager confirmed that many of their fruit slushies, while claiming to be made of real fruit on the website, actually have about a third of a cup of syrup also mixed in. Lollicup, whose slogan is “to add a bit of fun, mix a little flavor,” certainly has lived up to its motto by adding a bit too much flavor to its beverages.
COSTCO
Most of us all know about Costco’s convenient food court. Clubs at our school, in an attempt to fundraise money, often buy churros or chicken bakes from Costco. But be careful about how often you eat these seemingly delicious goods. The food is not prepared fresh. The frozen dough and ingredients are prepared in the morning and then popped into a freezer and are sometimes preheated for people before it is ordered. During busy hours, the food is preheated and then served. Health lovers, stay clear of the cheese pizza. It is loaded with an excessive amount of cheese and has the most calories. The employees get perks based off how long they have worked there and automatically get membership to Costco. But take it easy on them; their job is physically wearing and tiring. Despite our attempts to confirm the above information, Costco management ignored all of our calls.
8 FEATURE THEME
THE BULL’S EYE
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
9
DESIGNED BY VIVIAN TANG & HANNA YI
10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
BY CLAIRE HUANG ASST. A&E EDITOR
With such a technologically advanced society, it is hard to imagine life without the many smartphone and social media benefits that we are given today. Yet, for the few who are actually frightened by society’s fascination with breaking down the walls of privacy, Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook Home will fuel the fire of these fears. Facebook Home is a concept that was recently introduced on April 12 for Android phones. Facebook Home is designed so that Android users can pick up their phone and be automatically greeted by a unique user interface that replaces default home screens and certain features. The new home screen is an eerie experience with its constant updates and uncomfortably easy access to friends’ pictures and statuses. An overwhelming amount of personal information is available at one’s fingertips without ever even opening the Facebook application. Notifications are placed in the center of the home screen and can be ignored by users should they choose to swipe them away. Tapping the statuses reveals options such as liking and commenting, and double tapping the notifications pulls up the Facebook application. The truth is, all of these Facebook options so readily available on a phone’s home screen encourage the users to be entrapped in the world of Facebook to such an extent that they will not be able to revert back to a normal phone. This fascination with the lives of others
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
THE BULL’S EYE
will become the norm and impulsively checking Facebook by simply taking out a phone will become a regretful habit. Facebook Home’s application launcher is similar to any smartphone’s application launcher, with the addition of three new buttons near the top of the screen: post a status update, upload a photo, or check into a location. Essentially, Facebook Home sneaks in every option available on Facebook into a small, compact bar and cleverly integrates Facebook into daily activities that include making phone calls or checking e-mails. Users cannot help being distracted by the sleek and convenient interface and are inclined to constantly check for updates. Accompanying the entire Facebook “take-over” experience are the small circles with friends’ profile pictures that pop up on the screen, alerting users of their Facebook messages. Users may then drag the circle elsewhere or tap them to view the conversation. As Facebook users, we are engrossed with the lives of others. As smartphone users, we are captivated by the convenience. Facebook Home has taken these two 21st century obsessions to another level – almost to the point of creepiness, even. The walls of privacy were torn down with the introduction of Facebook, and now, Facebook Home has further expedited this process of gathering personal information of friends with a mere swipe of a circle. It’s not unlikely that fellow competitors will follow suit, and our generation would do well to remember: beware the cost of information and convenience that comes at the magnitude of Facebook Home.
Corrections: Last issue, A&E had a misprint in the article “What Are You Reading Now?” The very last sentence of the article should have read “It is an extremely honest book about being the outsider as a child but still manages to be funny in all the darkest ways and like “Fight Club,” isn’t for the easily offended.
conveys the tension and confusion his character experiences in response to the reality-changing facts that surface. The CGI aspect of the movie was fairly good—much of the landscape depicted seemed realistic With ticket sales around $38.2 and served as an adequate backmillion, the future-esque science drop for the story. The technology fiction movie “Oblivion” has easused by the characters all seemed ily claimed the title of No. 1 on the very sleek and modern, with the weekend box office, and rightfully exception of the air craft, which so. An intriguing plotline that is Jack pilots, and the drones, which unique amongst its peers has made felt a bit out of place in the otherthis film largewise realisly popular to tic setting. audience memThe lines bers of all ages, and motions and promising of the maactors such as chines were Tom Cruise unnaturally and Morgan smooth and Freeman enthe colorsure that the ing was too movie will not perfect, prebe a letdown. senting a “Oblivion” is p e c u l i a rl y set in a world flat image that was inamidst a vaded by aliens scene filled called Scavs with depth. and creates O v e r a setting that looking the seems like a issues recross between garding the H.G. Wells’ graphics, novel “War of h o w e v e r, the Worlds” was an easy PHOTO COURTESY of moviehole.net and Roland Emtask since my TOM CRUISE targets drones in his new action-packed movie. merich’s film attention was “The Day After quickly reTomorrow.” The war between the a conspiracy filled with clones, re- captured by the actors and I soon intruders and inhabitants of Earth sistance groups, and everything in ceased to pick at the flaws. “Oblivresults in the obliteration of the between. ion” was excellently balanced moon, causing an apocalyptical reWith many year’s worth of ex- with alternating drama and action sponse from the planet. Mankind perience as an action star under scenes, successfully keeping its aurelocates; some go to live on one of his belt, Cruise treats the audience dience riveted on the film. Overall, Saturn’s moons called Titan, while of “Oblivion” to thrilling sequenc- the film did not disappoint, and I a select few reside on a large spacees that leave their hearts pound- particularly enjoyed pondering the ship orbiting the Earth called the ing and bodies at the edge of their implications of the enigmatic and Tet. seats in anticipation. He skillfully mind-boggling ending.
BY ANGIE ZHANG FEATURE EDITOR
Tom Cruise plays the part of Jack Harper, a mechanic in charge of repairing the drones stationed on Earth to eliminate any remaining Scavs. He, along with his partner Victoria, is one of the few humans still remaining on the abandoned planet. Jack’s life is peaceful until he chances upon a few delta-sleep pods that have crashed to Earth. He finds a woman by the name of Julia in a state similar to hibernation in one of the pods and begins to uncover
Kong’s Korner
A monthly review or rant on games, shows, movies, and other forms of entertainment
A Few of My Favorite Things BY AUSTIN KONG A&E EDITOR
This is the very last Kong’s Korner. It might even be the last article I write in my life. I don’t want to use this final opportunity to rant and complain about something (as I usually do). Instead, I want to praise and talk about some of my personal favorite movies, video games, TV shows, etc. This will be a happy article since I tainted my
past “Korners” with my constant complaints and annoyances. Favorite Film: “Rocky” (1976) Having watched many films in my life, I had an extremely difficult time picking out “Rocky” as my favorite. Of course, “Rocky”, isn’t considered one of the best movies of all time such as “Titanic”, “Ben Hur”, and “Return of the King”, but it had a very specific impact on me as a person. Watching Rocky had me come to a profound message that was unknown to me beforehand –it isn’t always about
PHOTO COURTESY of cinematoria.com
ROCKY BALBOA’S climb, up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, has become an symbol of hope and triumph.
winning. Of course, the winners are always able to gloat and gleam about their successes and accomplishments, but does winning really teach one a lesson? Lessons are given those who lose, and in this case, Rocky Balboa learned that he didn’t have to defeat the current world champion to prove anything. He just wanted to prove to himself that he could hang with the best. Favorite Song: “Charlie Brown”- Coldplay People who know me and know what type of music I listen to will immediately scoff at this selection. Let it be known to the world that I basically hate everything that plays on the radio. I look for substance rather than a catchy chorus and beat (Justin Bieber and One Direction). I have been a Coldplay fan for the majority of my life and this song just reinforced my love for their music. Favorite Book: “Battle Royale” - Koushun Takami I want to thank Ms. Chen for giving me the chance to read this book. I was stopping by her room to say “hi” and I saw this book on her
PHOTO COURTESY of trendingrecords.com
COLDPLAY released “Charlie Brown” in their latest album, “Mylo Xyloto.” table. I had heard of the book be- state all the amazing qualities about forehand, since there was a debate this show (as there are many). All I that the entire “Hunger Games” will say is that this show was execuseries stole its ideas from this par- tive produced by Steven Spielberg ticular book. Let me just say that I and Tom Hanks… that is all. agree with the consensus… So that’s it! These were just some of my favorites. Thank you Favorite TV Show: “Band of for all the support and for reading Brothers” (2001) my rants. I’ve gotten a lot of feedI already wrote about this show back every issue. It was fun while in my last “Korner,” so I won’t re- it lasted.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THE BULL’S EYE
11
Film Festival Recap BY JOY CHOW ASST. NEWS EDITOR
At the 4th annual Doppleganger Film Festival composed of studentproduced films, many students including Reese Vollebregt in “I Scream” and Daniel Aley in “Defining the Shadows,” won awards for their unique works. The nominees for Best Commercial were: “Snicker,” “Background Dancers,” “Hiking Boots,” and “Chocolate Milk.” “Background Dancers,” starring junior Will Zhu and seniors Becky Hsu, Julian Park, and Danny Mayugba, won for its creative idea on having background dancers following one around wherever he or she goes. The next category presented Best Original Film. After three months of production, senior Daniel Aley worked diligently to put together his film “Defining the Shadows,” using a total of 1,544 individual snapshots. His superb work was recognized and acknowledged as Best Original Film as well as Best Editing in Film. The time Aley put into capturing every image slowly and carefully really proved the film worthy ofthe viewers’ posi-
tive reactions. The other nominees for this category included “Water Fight,” “Road to Glory,” and “Perfect Two.” Following Best Original Film, three nominees for Best Music Video were presented. Out of the three, “Tongue Tied,” starring Becky Hsu, Danny Mayuba, Julian Park, and Will Zhu took home the gold. Filming in spontaneous locations, “Tongue Tied” endlessly amused viewers with flashing lights and twisting images in the glamorous setting of downtown Los Angeles. “Bromance,” “Too Fake,” and “Never Ever Getting Back Together” were the other nominees for this category. For Best Movie Trailer, there were three nominees: “The Last of Us,” “Uprising Anonymous,” and “Flaws,” which starred English
teacher, Kemp Wells. The sophisticated editing and intriguing plot of “Uprising Anonymous,” awarded Aaron Chan, Alexander Zhou, Chris Geere, and Radu Firat for Best Movie Trailer. The professional “Uprising Anonymous” seemed like a genuine movie trailer that one would see in the movie theater. Closing off the night, the nominees for Best Short Film included “The Chase,” “I Scream,” and “El Conflicto.” These action, horror, and drama-filled videos, respectively, were all captured very differently but still aroused cheers from the audience. In the end, senior Reese Vollebregt’s “I Scream” was awarded Best Short Film in addition to Best C i n e m at o g r a phy in a Film. “I’ve been to a couple of the past film festivals and noticed that the au-
dience loved the horror or thriller type of videos. Everyone always screams and gets hyped up. So, I just thought of a simple idea the audience would enjoy. I was at my house and realized how creepy it would be to get chased down my hallway or turn the lights on in my pitch-black garage and see a masked man standing in front of me. I just took these certain scenes that I thought would be scary and found a light story to link them together,” Vollebregt explained. The two individual awards that were announced were Best Actor and Best Actress. The nominees for Best Actor were junior Shiv Jain from the commercial “Snickers,” senior Jeff Trujillo from short film “El Conflicto,” teacher and coach Kemp Wells from trailer “Flaws,” and senior Kase Vollebregt from short film “I Scream.” Tujillo won Best Actor in “El Conficto” and his associate, senior Bayan Mohammaddi, who also starred in “El Conficto,” received the Best Actress award. Mohammaddi played a female role in all of his videos, bringing the audience members laughter. Other nominees for Best Actress included senior Becky Hsu from the music video “Tongue Tied” and Mrs.Vollebregt from the short film “I Scream.”
Prom Fashion Reading Now?
What Are You
Each issue, the Bull’s Eye’s Editor-in-Chief Lea Chang will review a book she is currently reading. It may be a recent novel or an old classic, but with every book, she will reveal her opinions as she reads. Next month, be ready for her concluding thoughts on the previous issue’s book and new reviews on the next book she decides to pick up!
BY SARAH CHO FEATURE EDITOR
With Prom just around the corner, I can almost hear the estrogen fuelled screams of frustration as girls everywhere on campus begin to panic over what to wear and who to take. While I can’t help any girls with matchmaking, I can offer some assistance over the first problem. Here are some huge trends that are sure to be big Prom season 2013.
The Red, the White, and the Gold
Bright red, pure white, and metallic gold – these are three show-stopping colors that are all sure to make you stand out and have been trending on red carpets at award shows and inevitably high school proms. Now these colors aren’t for the wallflowers out there; you will be sure to stick out in a crowd if you wear any of these colors, but sometimes it’s fun to show off your confident side with a bold, bright red. An elegant white gown might even bring out the Marilyn Monroe in you. Or try making a statement with a metallic gold dress. Any choice you pick, you’re sure to be the bell of the ball. If you’re looking for a dress, check out LA’s Fashion District for some more affordable, but beautiful dresses.
BY LEA CHANG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
There are no two ways about it: Charles Bukowski’s “Ham on Rye” is definitely bawdy and all things obscene. But it is that rawness that I love about Bukowski’s writing, and just the fact that he never sugarcoats anything. His novels are the definition of telling it like it is, and I think that is something that deserves some appreciation in this day and age. However, “Ham on Rye” certainly is not a work that I would have come across in my literature class. In fact, I had started to resign myself to the sad fact that I would not ever encounter a book that I genuinely liked through that class. So you can only imagine my surprise when a novel my class was assigned actually caught my attention. Never did I think the day would come that school assigned reading material would not only be bearable, but actually pretty good. Nonetheless, “Purple Hibiscus” by Chimamanda Adichie has been staring me in the face for the last couple of weeks and proving just that. The novel is told by Kambili, a fifteen-year-old girl growing up in a devoutly Catholic household in Nigeria. Her narration makes it fairly clear early on that despite her father Eugene’s utter devotion to religion and his charity to the other villagers, he is both physically and emotionally abusive. “Purple Hi-
Attention all female Brahmas! Here is your time to shine!
Statement Necklaces
biscus” traces both Kambili’s and her brother Jaja’s growth in the midst of this religious and moral confusion, as well as the dangerous political upheaval going on within the country. It is very much a coming of age story in that these two sheltered teenagers start opening their eyes to the injustices happening around and to them, recognizing them for what they are. They identify that the violent punishment they experience at the hands of their father is wrong, as is his condemnation of “heathens” who worship the old gods. Eugene even goes as far as to deny his own father entry to his household and limits the amount of time he can spend with Kambili and Jaja. “Purple Hibiscus” is exactly the type of book that fills a good 80 percent of my bookshelves at home. Subtly feminist and all about breaking social norms in favor of what is right, this novel has truly captivated me and tugged at my heartstrings a little bit. Not too bad, Mrs. Clifford.
Big, chunky necklaces are the fad this season and will be a beautiful accessory to the gorgeous gown you choose to wear to Prom. Make sure, however, that your dress’ neckline doesn’t clash too harshly with such a bold accessory. But don’t shy away from the unusual colors or daring designs for said necklace. It may be the final touch that makes your outfit really pop. Thrift shops like Buffalo Exchange are sure to have some amazingly funky necklaces which won’t empty your wallet. PHOTO COURTESY of fashionstarve.com
Color-Block Heels
Speaking of pop, color block heels are all the rage right now. They’re trendy, cute, and definitely fashion forward. And it seems that everyone is catching on. Nearly every major shoe line and many of the smaller ones have introduced a variant of this look, and it’s obvious why. It can really tie an outfit together and make you glow the night of prom. So instead of the typical, and sometimes boring, black or nude pumps, try on a pair of these cheeky, colorful shoes.
Sweetheart Neckline
What screams prom more than the ever classy, traditional sweetheart neckline? It seems that this look never goes out of fashion and for good reason. It’s a flattering cut that really gives an elegant touch to prom that is sure to make your prom date blush. It is the quintessential Prom look and is so easy to pull off. PHOTO COURTESY of eonline.com
Now that you know all the ins and outs of this year’s fashion trends, it may be a tad easier to find the perfect dress for one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year. I wish you luck in dress hunting, date hunting, and in making Prom the best night of your life.
For more prom fashion, visit dbbullseye.com/category/ae
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THE BULL’S EYE
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
SPORTS
THE BULL’S EYE
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Inspired Brahmas swim past the Conquistadors
13
SPORTS COLUMN
What’s next for the Lakers
SWIM| Diamond Bar adds to its legacy as the girls win back-to-back league titles with a stunning overall record of 8-0 while the boys finish the season strong with a second place finish in league. BY JOSEPH PARK ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Last Wednesday’s final swim meet against Los Altos was truly inspiring as Diamond Bar overcame several obstacles to clinch the win and many CIF spots. With the competitive nature of the Brahmas, mixed with an outstanding team effort, DB managed to pull away with a victory with the boys and girls winning 87-83 and 109-61, respectively. “This was one of our toughest meets of the year. Los Altos has a very talented squad and we won this meet with the depth of our team,” coach Patrick Murphy said. In the girls 200-yard medley relay, sophomores Amy Wong, Athena Chen, Lorelle Sun, and Junior Tiffany Cheng showed why the Lady Brahmas remained undefeated throughout the season placing first with the time of 1:58.69. Chen also, in the 50 yard freestyle, placed first with the time of 25.82 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle, qualifying for a CIF spot. Freshman Margaret Wang placed first in the 500-yard Freestyle with the time of 6:16.99. “It was a stand-up swim of the year for varsity girls,” Murphy shared. In the boys 200-yard freestyle, sophomores John Ang, Alex Song, Kevin Wang, and junior Kevin Thai placed first with the time of 1:38.01. “The boys’ victory locks up another solid year and second place league finish, behind Walnut,” Murphy said. Junior Matthew Sia, after losing to a swimmer of Los Altos last season, was determined to win in
BY ANDREW CHOI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
GLORIA KIM
GLIDING WITH PASSION - Diamond Bar swimmer breaststrokes to the finish line, qualifying for league finals. the 100-yard backstroke of medley relay. Sia was trailing three lengths of the race, but, spirited cheers and encouragements lifted him to defeat his opponent with 15 yards left. Sia finished with the time of 56.70 and also qualified for a CIF spot. “Spectators openly wept at what can only be described as the most inspired swim of the year for varsity boys,” Murphy shared. DB is preparing for the league finals. “Our season is over, I think we are going to do well in the finals next week,” sophomore Jordan Lin
said. Several DB swimmers are also preparing for the CIF tournament coming up. The season came to an end but it was a season to remember. The Lady Brahmas remained undefeated with an overall record of 8-0 and a league record of 5-0, also sealing a second consecutive league championship. Boys team finished with an overall record of 6-2-0 and league record of 4-1-0. “Our squad
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is young, but driven. Many underclassmen swimmers performed with the determination and tenacity of seasoned veterans. We will only grow stronger and faster over the next several years, and look forward to numerous League Championships and strong CIF showing with this squad,” Murphy commented. The young athletes of DB have shown their potential for the future of Brahma swimmers.
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With 3:09 remaining in the fourth quarter with the crowd cheering, “Let’s go Lakers!” shooting guard Kobe Bryant received the ball behind the three point line, drew a foul with a move that he does a million times, and fell to the ground. The crowd went dead silent as they waited for the Black Mamba to rise back on his feet. But he couldn’t. After making a couple of free throws with “MVP” chants from the audience to tie the game, Bryant limped off the court into the locker room, knowing that he would have to trust his teammates to finish off the heated match. Soon an MRI exam confirmed Bryant had torn his Achilles tendon, a critical injury that would keep him off the court for the next six to nine months. With the first round of the playoffs coming to an end, the Lakers’ ownership is left with one question to answer. “What should be the Lakers next move?” With the beginning of a new era for the Lakers thanks to Dwight Howard, the team has many decisions to settle in the offseason to make it a championship contender. First, the Lakers have to re-sign Dwight Howard, a three time Defensive Player of the Year. It would be completely absurd if the organization does not sign Howard because they would essentially be starting from scratch without him. When Bryant retires, the Lakers would have player or superstar to lead the team. Second, in order to sign and acquire new players to help improve the team, the Lakers need to trade power forward Pau Gasol, who is owed $19 million this year and again the next year. The Lakers are $30 million over the salary cap, and on top of that, they have an extra $85 million of luxury taxes to pay due to the new rules of the CBA. Over the past two seasons,the seven foot forward has been rapidly declining due to his age and has been on the NBA trading block all season. The Lakers have to trade him for an athletic small forward like Minnesota Timberwolves Derrick Williams. The final objectives for the Lakers must complete are to amnesty Metta World Peace and release Chris Duhon and Devin Ebanks. Ebanks and Duhon just warmed up the bench and there is no reason why they should come back to the Lakeshow. Moreover, World Peace’s time with the Lakers should come to an end. The small forward has been terrible on the offensive side with countless misses on open three pointers. World Peace is due $14 million the next two years and if the team cuts World Peace after it trades Gasol for Williams and draft picks, the team will have enough money to sign another key player, for instance J.J. Hickson, to bring forth the needed energy on the glass. If the Lakers make these transactions, the team will reap much benefit from a solid starting lineup that would consist of Nash, Bryant, Williams, Hickson, and Howard. The Lakers will be guaranteed favorites for many years, but only if these key acquisitions are made.
14 SPORTS
Brahmas lose to the reigning CIF champs BOYS TENNIS| Diamond Bar could not match the Valencia Tigers’ consistency
and aggressive style of play, losing the match 13-5. BY ANDREW CHOI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
With the Hacienda League finals and the CIF playoffs around the corner, Diamond Bar boys tennis lost to the reigning Empire League and CIF Southern Section champions Valencia High School 5-13, in its last regular season game on April 22. With a league record of 9-3, the Brahmas finished second behind the Rowland Raiders. DB started off shaky as neither the singles nor doubles team was able to win a set. After the first round of the match, the Tigers were leading 6-0. “Valencia is a tough team and was our strongest competition,” coach Dave Hamels said. With senior captain Justin Yang out due to a back injury, freshman Garrett Masuda got the call to play as the number one singles. In the second round, Masuda barely defeated his opponent 7-6. “I thought Garrett Masuda was the highlight of the match since he moved up to the number one spot,” Hamels added. The number one doubles team of juniors Minsong Hsu and Kenny Sakata overpowered their competition 7-5, putting the Brahmas on the board with their first two points. However, the Tigers won the other four sets and increased their lead to eight as DB’s chances of coming back and winning the match was close to none. However, the Brahmas seemed to come alive in the third round as they won three out of six sets. Masuda again barely defeated his opponent 7-6. “It was pretty tough. I did not do my best in the first game, but in the next two sets, I was able to outlast my opponent,” Masuda said. The number three doubles team of juniors Michael and James Phan won their first and only set 6-3. The number one doubles team also contributed as they defeated their competition 6-3. However,
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
THE BULL’S EYE
the late rally was all for not as the Brahmas lost 13-5. “We were coming into the match knowing it will be a challenge. Although we lost, it was a good experience for the team,” James. Phan commented. The duo of Hsu and Sakata were invited to compete in the Ojai Invitational Tournament which consists of the top 64 doubles team in
California. The pair has a lot of confidence going into the tournament, as they won their last two sets. With the playoffs near, the Brahmas still have areas to improve in. The team plans to play with a more aggressive attitude. “ Coach always told us to play hard and show our ugly,” James. Phan said.
Six golfers compete in the first round of the League Individual Finals BOYS GOLF | Of the six golfers that qualified for the League Individual Finals, they all rank in the top seven in the entire match.
a 72, 75, and 73 respectively. This reveals just how good the DBHS team is as the Brahmas’ highest score is currently ranked seventh in the entire match. The League Individual Finals is Carrying on the long tradition the ultimate stage to show DBHS’s of excellence in golf at DBHS, boys dominance in boys golf over the golf competed in the first round of entire Hacienda League. The most three of the League Individual Fiimportant factor to winning indinals. After the first day of action, viduals is to “stay hungry and consix Brahmas rank in the top seven sistent for the next two rounds,” of the match. coach Ty Watkins said. Of the six DBHS golfers who The Brahmas have won league qualified for league individuals, the past five years and hope to senior co-captain Jason Chen leads repeat once again further estabthe finals with lishing their domia score of 69. nance in the entire Like many Hacienda League. other athletes Boys golf has alwho do well ready qualified for in the first CIF and expects to round of comwin it all this year. petition, Chen Last season the attributes Coach Ty Watkins boys golf team “consistency” only lost one as the biggest match and went factor to finishing the remainder of 12-0 in league. Similarly, Watkins the finals in a similarly dominating led his team to only one loss all fashion. season despite rotating his roster Showing just how well-balanced to give all of his golfers a chance the DBHS golf team is, sophomore to play. Sahith Theegala and junior Dean The boys golf team has consisSakata are directly behind the tently been one of the best, if not match-leading Chen with a strong the best team on campus for years. score of 70 and 71 respectively. Watkins attributes the team’s efThe other three golfers, seniors fort and determination as the most Brian Fong and Chris Nithjaworm important quality in its long hisand sophomore Jefferson Kao shot tory of winning.
BY WINSTON CHO SPORTS EDITOR
[We have to] stay hungry and consistent for the next two rounds.
BULL’S EYE CORRECTION Senior Zeph Walters was featured in the baseball article published last issue on March 27. His name was mistakenly written as “Zelph Walters.”
ANDREW CHOI
RETURN THE FAVOR - Junior Minsong Hsu finishes off the set with a return.
UDODIRI OKWANDU ATHLETE OF THE MONTH The First, The Fast, The Furious BY LEA CHANG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
To say that Udodiri Okwandu is a good student athlete would be a gross understatement. She is a straight-A student and has skillfully balanced her years of taking AP classes with being a varsity captain of Track and Field. Not only does Okwandu maintain high standards in both academics and athletics, but she also manages to give back to the community; she is heavily involved in the Black Student Union and volunteers at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. In the sixth grade, Okwandu was inspired to start running by her older sisters who were involved in the sport. “To my surprise, I ended up falling in love with track,” Okwandu said. She had also taken up gymnastics in fourth grade and
did the two sports competitively until her freshman year, after which she focused solely on track. She became a varsity captain her sophomore year, a commendable achievement for any student in any sport. Last year, she won the High Point Varsity Girl award for Track and Field, as well as the Varsity Athletic award. Furthermore, Okwandu has gone undefeated in her individual races since last season. However, she still isn’t satisfied and continues to aim higher. “I still hope to decrease my times so I am more competitive for CIF,” she said. Okwandu is also at the top of her class academically. In her junior year, she was a semifinalist for the National Achievement Scholarship, an award offered to Black American high school students who score well on the PSAT. She also received the AP Scholar with Honor award. This year, Okwandu continues to maintain her 4.0 GPA despite her
hefty course load which includes AP Government, AP Calculus, AP Psychology, and AP English Language. Okwandu will be continuing her already impressive legacy at a fittingly prestigious school next year. She is planning on attending Harvard University, the most illustrious college institute in the world, this coming fall. There, she plans on pursuing a major in the life sciences, such as neuroscience or biology. Okwandu believes that she owes her successes to those around her who have supported her. She is particularly grateful to her huge family: her parents and six sisters. “All throughout my school years, I have always had P.E. teachers, coaches, and even family members who saw the talent I had within myself that I didn’t even recognize myself. Their encouragement inspired me to try it out and continued to aid in me staying dedicated to the sport,” she said.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
SPORTS
THE BULL’S EYE
15
Gonzalez bats her way to DB victory SOFTBALL| Great performances from freshman Andrea Gonzalez and senior co-captain Dani Wilson helped keep Diamond Bar’s hopes for the CIF playoffs alive after defeating the Walnut Mustangs 8-3. BY ANDREW CHOI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
After losing to the Edison Chargers 7-6 on April 17, the Diamond Bar softball team went on an of-
fensive run to defeat rival Walnut High School 8-3, keeping its hopes for the CIF playoffs alive. The Lady Brahmas are now 10-11 and now second in the Hacienda League with a league record of 6-1, closely catching up to the Bonita Bearcats. After giving up a run and three hits to the Mustangs in the top of
the first inning, the Lady Brahmas came back with an offensive punch scoring two runs by sophomore left fielder Danielle Cornejo and freshman catcher Casey Tamanaha. In the second inning, senior co-captain pitcher Dani Wilson held the WHS batters scoreless with no hits while the Lady Brahmas scored an-
other run from a single by senior co-captain shortstop Brianna Gonzalez. However, both teams were held scoreless in the third inning, keeping the score at 3-1. During the top of the fourth inning, Wilson had trouble controlling her pitches as she let a couple of Mustangs score on a double. “I
ANDREW CHOI
PATIENCE IS KEY- Junior Ariana Martinez waits for the perfect pitch to increase the Lady Brahmas’ lead against the Mustangs
had better days than this day,” Wilson said. However, the Lady Brahmas answered back with four runs, one of them being a two-run home run by freshman third baseman Andrea Gonzalez. “It felt amazing since it was my first one of the season,” Gonzalez said. At the end of the fourth inning, DB was leading 8-3. “When coach [Gonzalez] talked to us before the game, she was really motivating on how we should start focusing on hitting,” Wilson said. The Lady Brahmas were able to have nine hits with eight of them being singles. Andrea Gonzalez was three for four with three runs batted ins. After scoring another run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by junior second baseman Aubrey Horita, it seemed as if the Lady Brahmas were going to cruise to an early win. With one more out left in the game, Wilson ended the contest with her fourth strikeout of the match. This is Wilson’s ninth win of the season with an earned run average of 3.14 “We feel good beating our opponents and since I beat Walnut every time, I feel accomplished,” Wilson said. As league play goes on, DB has improved their team chemistry. “Before the game, I told everyone to play as a team not as individuals,” Wilson said. Even with three freshmen on the team, each player has accepted her role to make the team better. “We are a family and this is my second home,” Andrea Gonzalez said. With five more league games before the playoffs, the Lady Brahmas still has to come out and compete in each game to make it to the playoffs. “We have to love the game and play all out in each game,” coach Roberta Garcia-Uyemura said.
The Brahmas shutout by the Mustangs despite exceptional pitching
BASEBALL | Although Diamond Bar displayed an
excellent defensive performance, it could not score on the offensive end, leading to a 2-0 loss. BY BROOKE MILLER CONTRIBUTING STAFF WRITER
Despite a strong defensive effort from Diamond Bar baseball, the Brahmas could not overcome the Walnut Mustangs, losing 2-0. This drops DB’s overall record to 16-4 and league record to 5-2, two games behind Bonita High School for first place in the Hacienda League. The Mustangs scored first in the top of the first but had only one run for the rest of the inning. DB got off to a sluggish start after they were retired in the first inning. With Walnut up 1-0 after the first inning, the Brahmas kept the Mustangs scoreless for the next three innings. However, DB simply could not get on the board with their offense struggling to get a hit. In the top of the fifth, the Mustangs led off with a, which led to Walnut increasing its lead to 2-0. DB senior pitcher Sean Patton struck out the last batter to end the rally. The Brahmas tried to fight back with some hard hits in the next couple of innings, but could not get on base. Although the Brahmas played mistake-free defense, they could not capitalize as their offense was lethargic all game long. The Brahmas made key defensive plays and had hard hits but ul-
timately came up short against the excellence pitching from the Mustangs. “Our defense did well today. We had no errors out in the field. But we just got shut out at the plate and we shouldn’t have,” senior co-captain Casey Kernohan said. Kernohan had the only hit for the Brahmas in the bottom of the fifth. “Our pitching is one of our greatest strengths this season. Our pitchers have really stepped up and done a good job,” senior co-captain Tommy Delgadillo said. The Brahmas have had a strong overall season and has shown their strength both in the field and at the plate this season. With a stellar defense led by senior co-captain Zeph Walters along with an all-star caliber offense, the Brahmas are primed to compete for a league championship and make a deep run into the CIF playoffs. “The team has a lot of potential to finish the season strong and play some good baseball,” coach Eric Shibley said. The Brahmas have five league games left in the season with the last two games against a very strong Bonita Bearcats team. With preperation and practice, DB hopes to finish the season with a statement. “After today’s loss we hope that the team will come back humbled and fired up for our next game. And hopefully this will help us fuel our hard work for the rest of the season,” Walters said.
EMILY HWANG
DEADLY AIM- Senior captain Sean Patton strikes out a Mustang to end the fifth inning.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
THE BULL’S EYE
SPORTS
SPORTS
16
Boys team win in a close one, while girls team could not match Bonita
TRACK AND FIELD|Seniors Matt Harris and Sam Nogami, sophomores Isaiah Austin, Kenneth Thai, and Jesse Dickens rally back from a deficit to take the lead late in the meet, defeating the Bonita Bearcats 69-62. BY JOSEPH PARK ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Last Thursday, Diamond Bar faced off against the Bonita Bearcats in the final meet of the season. The boys team escaped with the 69-62 victory with strong perseverance in the heat. On the other hand, the girls team was unable to match the Bearcat’s toughness and speed, losing 85-46, falling just short of a league title. Heading into the meet, DB knew Bonita was not an easy opponent as the two teams were fighting for a league title. “We made sure that all the athletes were mentally ready because it was going to be a difficult meet. We wanted to outsmart them by being prepared,” coach Marc Natividad said. Down 19-4, the Brahmas needed players to step up and sophomore Isaiah Austin and seniors Jay Kim and Nate Moody did just that, placing top three in the 110-meter hurdle to cut into Bonita’s lead to make it 19-13. In the 100 meter sprint, sophomore Kenneth Thai and freshman Kyle Yada placed first and second, respectively, allowing DB to come within one point. “Our young athletes such as Kenneth Thai and Kyle Yada have been huge for us on varsity,” Natividad said. In the discus throw, senior Sam Nogami tied the meet 34-34 by placing first. The high jump was the turning point of the meet as DB got its first lead with senior Matt Harris, Yada, and junior Kelly Kraft sweeping Bonita, taking the lead 47-39. DB also swept Bonita in the 300-meter hurdle with sophomore Jesse Dickens, Austin, and Kim
placing top three. DB wrapped the game up in the triple jump sprint with Thai and junior Daniel Ayala placing first and second respectively clinching the Brahma victory. The girls team started off strong in the 4x100 relay, taking the lead 5-0. However, Bonita came back to take the lead and never gave it back until senior captain Udodiri Okwandu ran. Okwandu placed
We made sure that all the athletes were mentally ready because it was going to be a difficult meet. Coach Marc Natividad first and junior Candace Rucker placed third in the 100-meter sprint to take the lead 31-28. However, DB soon fell behind and was never able to come back. “Overall it went well but it was a little disappointing because we were hoping that the girls varsity would have won because that would have gave them a league championship, but came in second. From a coaching standpoint, there is a lot more that needs to happen to make sure that accountability is there across the board, making sure athletes are prepared and ready for every meet,” Natividad said. DB is hosting the preliminary rounds this week to qualify top nine athletes for the league finals. One to three athletes from tomorrow’s meet will advance to CIF. “My expectations are that athletes will be ready and committed to do track and field,” Natividad said.
BECOMING THE PERFECT ATHLETE - DBHS tracksters run, hurdle, and jump past the Bearcats
XING YEN QUEK
Brahmas head to CIF after win against the Nobles BADMINTON| Diamond Bar easily defeats the Nogales Nobles 18-3, on the way to winning another CIF title. BY WINSTON CHO SPORTS EDITOR
XING YEN QUEK
SLICE AND DICE- Freshman Krista Hsu wins the set with a commanding hit.
Despite a rocky start, Diamond Bar badminton defeated the Nogales Nobles 18-3 in a home game on April 18. This gives the Brahmas much needed momentum going into league finals where they will once again most likely meet Wilson High School. The victory over the Nobles brings their overall record to 9-0 and undefeated league record to 6-0. The Brahmas did not get off to the start they wanted, losing the first three matches of the game, and putting themselves in an early hole. However, they proceeded to win the remainder of the matches to coast to the easy victory in a dominating fashion. “We’ve won all our games so far this year and I’m confident that we have a huge chance to take CIF finals,” senior captain Samantha Li said. After boys singles split the four matches they played, the mixed doubles teams won all four of their matches with the duo of senior Franklin Yu and junior Coco Lai winning with one donut in each match.
The girls singles teams proceeded to win three of their four matches to give the Brahmas a slim lead over Nogales. The girls doubles team proceeded to do even better, winning all of their matches by a large margin giving the Brahmas a commanding lead. Although the boys doubles team of seniors Nick Chen and Jonathan Seun initially had trouble losing their first set
We’ve won all our games so far this year and I’m confident that we have a huge chance to take CIF Finals. Senior captain Samantha Li 6-11, they came surging back, donuting the next set and winning the third and final set 11-9. “The key factor was staying confident and making sure my partner was confident too and really hitting things we would normally hit in practice,” Seun said. As DBHS dominated Nogales the last time the two schools played each other, coach Kemp Wells decided to alter his roster giving
more players a chance to play and giving some of the underclassmen valuable experience for next season. “We played very well. We actually played a lot of the players we don’t normally get a chance to play,” Wells said. Badminton has a long history of excellence in DB boasting a winning record and a trip to CIF nearly every year. This season is no different. The team absolutely expects to once again win league and CIF for the second consecutive year. “We want to win league finals again. We won it last year and we probably improved as a team this year. We were very strong, but I actually think we’re better this season,” Wells said. Despite an undefeated league record, Wells still sees areas to improve upon before playing some of the better teams in CIF. Like many other great teams in sports, consistency remains an issue that must be resolved to play at the highest level possible. “Sometimes we need to focus more. It actually happens a lot of times with teams that are very strong, they think they don’t have to work as hard because they’re beating everyone so easily but we don’t want any slips against a strong team in the finals,” Wells said.