Pop Punk

by SETH RUIZ

Staff Writer

As you may already know, Pop Punk is a type of music. It is the type of music that almost always makes you want to tear something up and punch stuff to let out anger. In my opinion, it is the best sounding music and has some of the most real songs you can possibly hear. Pop Punk is the type of music that is composed with pure emotion from the band members and always seem to relate with us on some level. The emotion is conceived with hardcore beats and lyrics that almost always have to do with heartbreak. One thing that is a true stereotype for this music is that it is almost always sad. These bands come to let out their sadness and anger through intense rhythmic music to let go and have fun.

Some bands, like Neck Deep, The Story So Far, and State Champs have great music that you can just jam to. Any song will do you good in a car or hanging out with friends. For those looking for an emotional escape, you can listen to the lyrics and know you are not alone. Of course, you do not have to be sad to listen to this music. Its style of music alone is enough to put on any song and simple dance crazily to. I recommend you start out with easy songs from The Story So Far and State Champs to get used to all the yelling and loud nature of the songs.

I would much rather hear Pop Punk songs anywhere than any other type of music because it is such a joy to listen to all the time. Not all songs are hard as well. State Champs and some of Story So Far’s songs have an acoustic rhythm that you can lay back and relax to. If you like to just let out your anger sometimes, i recommend listening to this music in your own privacy and dance your heart out. This type of music will cure any broken heart and will always have a way of getting to you. you will be going through your daily life when you realize you are humming a Pop Punk song until you have to go back and listen to it immediately. Give Pop Punk  a shot and go out and mosh pit with some people that understand you. Pop Punk has great music and great fans.

WYL: Swimming

WYL: Swimming

by BRIDGET CAHILL

Staff Writer

Hanford West hosted WYL this year at Golden West as the seven teams in the league all competed against each other. El Diamante, Golden West, Hanford High, Hanford West, Lemoore, Mt. Whitney, and Redwood all vied for the title of WYL champions. Thursday afternoon began with preliminaries which qualified the top seven from each event to compete on Friday.

In the relays, Aubrey Nunez, Emily Helpio, Allison Baker and Madison Thompson took second in the 200 Medley, barely out touched by Golden West. Callen Bruening, Wesley Hatcher, Greyson Canterbury, and Chase Canterbury took first in the  Boys Medley with a 1:42.72. In the 200 Freestyle Relay, Emily Patterson, Brenna Hatcher, Madison Thompson, and Andy Morales got second due to the disqualification of Redwood’s A relay. Once again, the boys team consisting of Hatcher, Bruening, and the Canterbury brothers, took first in the Free Relay, swimming a 1:32.81. The Girls 400 Free Relay with Emily Patterson, Maura Patterson, Aubrey Nunez, and Emily Helpio held on to second place and the boys, Stephen Marshall, Michael Diaz, Luke Apodaca, and Austin Martin, finished in third.

As for the individual events, Brenna Hatcher took second in the 200 Yard Freestyle and Stephen Marshall took fifth. Emily Patterson got third in the 200 IM, Callen Bruening received first, followed by his teammate, Greyson Canterbury, in fifth. In the 50 Freestyle, sophomore Andy Morales took second place and Emily Helpio took fifth. Freshman, Emily Patterson, got fifth and Chelsea Battle was out touched by Hanford’s Meghan Wright and received seventh in the 100 Fly. Chase Canterbury proved to be a strong contender as he kept up with Parker Giles, a senior from Hanford, and took second in his fly. Andy Morales once again received a WYL medal in the 100 Yard Free, getting third place. The number one WYL seed, Brenna Hatcher, was unable to keep her seed in the 500 Free, receiving second to Redwood’s Mackenzie Peters. As for the boys team, Stephen Marshall secured third place. Freshman, Aubrey Nunez proved to be a strong competitor out touching Golden West junior, Madeline Pace, as she received first place in the 100 Backstroke with a 1:05.78. Callen Bruening easily took first in the Backstroke with a 53.82 beating his closest opponent  by over six seconds; Greyson Canterbury got third. In the Breaststroke, the El Diamante girls occupied three of the seven lanes. Emily Helpio got second to the number one seed, Olivia McKray, and Madison Thompson narrowly lost to Helpio, coming in third. Teammate Maura Patterson came in sixth. Once again, Chase Canterbury proves himself getting a 1:07.18 in the Breaststroke.

Redwood came out on top for both boys and girls, winning the 2015 WYL title. Golden West took second in both, El Diamante received third in both, and the remaining schools were shuffled around for each place.

All WYL finalists will be competing for Valley titles on May 15th and 16th. They will have one last chance to qualify for State which will take place in Clovis the following weekend.

Miner Baseball 5/15

Miner Baseball 5/15

by JENNIFER IRVINE

Staff Writer

Last Friday our Miners played in their last game of the season against the Whitney Pioneers. After winning WYL and having a memorable season our Miners fell to Whitney 5-3. It was a neutral playoff game that left the Miners proud of their accomplishments, but left them with bittersweet goodbye to their outstanding season.

The game started off with a bang for both of these strong teams. They each scored a winning run to gain a tie between the two in the first few innings. The Whitney Pioneers came prepared and determined to defeat our Miners. They scored in the third inning bringing in their lead of 5-2 that would win them the game. Our El Diamante boys didn’t lose with shame when they came back in the sixth and seventh to shut down Pioneers defensively and score for the last time.

Our Miners had an unforgettable season with the accomplishment of winning WYL! They had nine home runs, thirtynine stolen bases, and the overall record of 20-11! Congratulations to the seniors who played with talent and passion for their final season as El Diamante Miners.

Study Tips for AP Tests

by BRIDGET CAHILL

Staff Writer

The dreaded AP tests are officially among us; now it is time for all of our hard work to be put to the test. Studying for such large tests can be time consuming and stressful. However, if you planouty how you are going to be studying, they will not be as bad.

Manage Your Time

Do not wait until the last minute to try to review! Cramming does not allow you to retain the information you are learning; it will only stress you out. Studying a little bit each day will increase your chances of doing well on the test.

Form a Study Group

Study groups are beneficial to everyone involved. Find a quiet place to review such as Panera or someone’s house and plan out what the topics will be. When you review with other people, it allows them to teach you topics you may not be too familiar with and vice versa. This is not only useful for AP tests, but it can even help with big unit tests.

Try Your Best

Whether you pass the test or not, make sure you walk away knowing you tried your hardest. The college credit is not all that matters. What matters the most is that you will be better prepared for college. If you tried your best, then that is all that counts.