Dian Zhong



Projects by Zhong Dian

Connecting communities: Opal the Band members unite from every corner of campus

By Macy Pugh, Jennifer Liu, and Dian Zhong

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Apr. 3, 2025) — Opal the Band members practice for two upcoming gigs at the Bluebird.

Opal the Band members Claire, Fran, Ahnay, Philip, Kenneth and Emmet prepare to take the stage at the Bluebird, one of Bloomington’s biggest music venues. Some of the band members have had time to practice before their gig, while others are going straight from campus to the stage. Either way, the musicians are excited to take the stage with their fellow band members.

Opal members perform at Riley Dance Marathon to get the event started. Their performance took place on November 15, 2024. Courtesy of Macy Pugh.

 

Opal the Band formed about a year ago and has become immensely successful on Indiana University’s campus. With consistent weekly gigs at the Bluebird, the band members are kept busy. They have to work hard to manage their time. These musicians have to balance the band with their academic and social lives, as well as other activities that they are involved in on campus.

The band meets for weekly practices, usually lasting about two hours, and the timing of each session depends on each of their schedules for the week. Each band member is also involved with other organizations on campus, so it can be a bit challenging to manage all of their schedules. Fran, Opal’s bass player, is also in a sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. Claire, their singer, is heavily involved with the First Nations Educational and Cultural Center. Philip, their drummer, is also involved in a business fraternity and the Filipino American Association. These are just a few of the many activities each member is involved in. Practicing with their busy lives was a challenge at first, but now it is starting to get easier as the band performs more. 

Fran and Ahnay discuss the components of a new song they are working on. The band has multiple original songs in the works currently.

Opal members have all had to accept that sometimes there will be bumps in the road. At one specific practice, there were some obstacles. Claire had been sick for over a week, so she had to miss this Saturday’s practice. At the same time, three members of Opal who are in another band, Horizon, had to get ready for their gig later that night. The band members still managed to get together, though, and they sounded great while they rehearsed their songs. 

Philip, the newest member of the band, was nervous to join Opal at first. He said that the band had already been together for about seven months when he joined. They had to look for a new drummer, and after playing with Philip a couple of times, they asked him to join. The other members include the guitarists, Ahnay and Kenneth, and Emmet on piano. Throughout the band’s time playing together, they have begun to work on creating some original songs. They started with covers in the beginning, as many bands on campus do. Philip mentioned that they have been playing the same songs for a while, so they do not need to practice those as much anymore. “I probably should practice more,” Philip said. Other members also agree that they could practice more, but are often too busy.

Philip plays the drums at the band’s Saturday rehearsal. He had to prepare for a performance for his other band, Horizon, the same night.

Being in a band can be both mentally and physically taxing, especially for busy college students. “When we have Bluebird shows back to back, even sometimes multiple times a week,” Claire said, “my voice was so tired and it was very stressful for me to keep up with that.” Claire also mentioned that the band has started to practice less over time because the band is more experienced and comfortable playing together. “Since we’ve been getting more Bluebird gigs,” Claire said, “we either don’t rehearse at all or we do once a weekend.” Claire also mentioned being tired the day after gigs, which can often make it hard to focus on schoolwork. While being in a band has its struggles, Claire also mentioned that their band members get along very well. 

Opal Members Claire and Philip speak about the challenges of time management with being in a band. They also talk about their experience as a band member and some of their favorite parts of Opal.

Philip says that managing his time with the band has begun to get easier. “I’m a senior now,” he said, “there’s a lot more time in the day now so I can put it toward things I really enjoy.” He said academics have become easier to balance because he was very focused on grades and internships throughout his first few years of college. When asked about having a social life while also focusing on the band, he said that his social life and the band have started to combine. “All of my friends are in my band or come to see me at my shows,” he said. He and Claire both mentioned how their social lives have combined with their band, which has had a positive impact on both of them. “You’re surrounded by people who are all thinking the same things,” Philip said, “it gets really draining, but it’s great to have a third space.” He also mentioned that he enjoys spending time with his fellow band members, and they are now some of his close friends. He also mentioned that coming together and being able to create music for others to enjoy is the most rewarding part. “I love these people, these are my best friends,” Claire said, “I think it’s that and seeing people enjoy it.”

 

Apple Watch Launch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Apple Watch Launch

Media Contacts
Dian Zhong
Ava Lavigna
Hayden Pope

Cupertino, California, U.S.A.(September 9, 2014)-Apple officially unveiled the Apple Watch, a smart device worn on the wrist, at a launch event at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California, U.S.A. on September 9, 2014. This is a brand new product that combines technology and fashion with a sense of interaction and experience between the product and the user, and this has made a huge breakthrough in product innovation, especially for Apple as a company. 

At the conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook presented that the Apple Watch will be a highly personalized product of Apple, which can track the user’s health status, communication, and other functions, providing users with an unprecedented convenient experience. No one had ever seen this type of product before!

Student wears Apple watch at breakfast
An Indiana University student toggles through his Apple watch while enjoying his breakfast. His watch enables him to check his calendar, his messages, his health, the weather and much more right from his wrist!

Both models include the A15 Bionic chip with a 5-core GPU, which offers incredible performance and efficiency for demanding workloads, and is designed with privacy and security built in.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus introduce critical safety capabilities such as Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite, a first in the industry. And with amazing battery life, industry-leading durability features, and super-fast 5G, this iPhone lineup is more advanced than ever before.

Employee wears Apple Watch at Work
An employee at the Sugar and Spice cafe, located inside the Indiana Memorial Union, wears an Apple Watch while working the early morning shift. As she works, her Apple Watch monitors her health metrics and keeps her in touch with the world!

This product has a design sense of appearance and the new Digital Crown, realizing the breakthrough of human-technology interaction experience. In addition, Apple Watch can not only check the time, receive notifications, track health data, Apple Pay, but also connect to a cell phone, providing users with a more convenient and faster experience.

Apple Watch is available in different versions for different target user groups, which are mainly divided into three different series:

– Apple Watch: This has a delicate stainless steel case and a sapphire glass screen, the classic design is suitable for business people.

– Apple Watch Sport: This includes a lighter aluminum alloy with a durable Ion-X glass screen for those who love sports.

– Apple Watch Edition: The 18-karat gold case and top-of-the-line craftsmanship provide a premium experience for high-end consumers.

Apple Watch comes with a wide range of interchangeable bands, from sporty rubber bands to classic leather bands, to meet most users’ individual needs and personalize the look of the watch.

Apple Watch features a 24/7 health monitoring system that tracks and records user health data in real-time. For example, the Apple Watch will automatically detect heart rate data every 10 minutes through optical sensors; the program algorithm recognizes the user’s walking, running, cycling, fitness, and other exercise modes and switches the calorie counting model according to different exercise modes to provide users with more accurate calorie consumption data; and the sedentary reminder function reminds the user to stand up using slight vibration of the watch. Apple Watch’s unique “Activity Circle” can also visualize the goals set by the user, encouraging the user to maintain good health and cultivate exercise habits. In addition, the Apple Watch features personalized fitness. It provides suggestions based on the user’s exercise habits, visualizes the user’s fitness goals, and encourages the user to develop good exercise habits.

Apple Watch features a new operating system, which will give users a new experience, and a Retina display with Force Touch technology that recognizes the difference between a tap and a press, providing a more accurate interaction experience. In addition, the Taptic Engine vibrates slightly to notify users of new messages, providing a more natural interaction experience.

Apple Watch connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing users to easily answer calls, read text messages, and check emails, and users can also operate via Siri voice assistant. The unique Glance feature allows users to quickly browse weather, calendar, news, and stock market updates with a single swipe to get the information they want. On top of that, Apple’s industry analysts point out that the Apple Watch will expand the audience for the item by differentiating the product. This layered design can also help Apple more quickly complete the watch brand intelligent transformation.

Apple officially revealed that the first batch of Apple Watch products will be carried out in 20 key cities around the world for experience activities. As the date of Apple Watch’s full launch approaches, this new concept product may redefine the way people interact with smart devices, provide more convenient services for people’s lives, and offer more new possibilities for the future development of technology.

Apple Watch Introduction_1

Kevin Lynch explores the new possibilities of the brand new Apple Watch. The Apple Watch comes with multiple unique and creative innovations for the user. 

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