Volume 41, Issue 8, May 19 2010 by El Estoque

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Students explain the ups and downs of raising these land-bound birds A&E page 19

CCS BOUND

CENTERSPREAD pages 11-14

Swimming and track competitors prepare for CCS meets. Meet a few of them inside

SPORTS page 15

VOLUME XLISSUE 8MONTA VISTA HIGH SCHOOLCUPERTINO, CA

MAY 19, 2010

WEATHERING THE STORM After pink slip scare, districts avoid teacher layoffs

Section allotments change next year Course selections reveal enrollment swings by Ashley Wu

ew things are more fickle than trends among teenagers. When it comes to clothes, music and movies, taste varies greatly from year to year and not surprisingly, their preference for academics is no different. The 2010-2011 school year is seeing a variety of changes in class enrollment. The choices students made regarding the classes they want to take next school year are turning number of students out to have quite signed up for an impact as administration British Literature creates the master schedule. Perhaps the most noticeable of these changes is the reemergence of British Literature. When not enough students enrolled in the course for the 2009-2010 school year, the course was eliminated entirely. However this year, 79 prospective students listed it on their course selection sheet and, as a result, there will be two sections of the class next year. Sophomore Shreya Chandrashekhar is one of those 79 students and says she chose the class because she was looking for something different from the standard courses. “[British Literature] is interesting and different. It’s not like any other number of students contemporary signed up for literature class,” Chandrashekhar Physiology said. “I just wanted to try something new.” It’s exactly the reaction administration was going for when they presented the course offerings for next year. “When we went to talk to students in classes, we really emphasized that there are a lot of choices [for courses] at the junior level,” Assistant Principal Trudy Gross said.

Stefan Ball | El Estoque Illustration

B-lated parcel tax

Saving the future

by Samved Sangameswara

by Vijeta Tandon

Voters approve $5 million

sigh of relief was perhaps the best way to describe the collective feeling in the MVHS office on the days following May 4. The following day, the PTSA hosted a “B” themed breakfast for the office as teachers and employees all over the FUHSD celebrated the passing of the parcel tax, Measure B. “[The passing of Measure B] lifted this black cloud that has been hovering over us,” Principal April Scott said. “It’s fun to look forward to the end of this year and beginning of next year now. It would not have been fun without the parcel tax.” Scott was referencing the consequences that were looming with the uncertainty of the tax. A reduction in force was a certainty, and the district was preparing for program eliminations and larger class sizes as well.

CUSD pink slips rescinded

n May 14, 107 Cupertino Union School District teachers successfully avoided a downpour—a downpour of pink slips. Thanks to the “Their Future is Now” campaign, which was organized by CUSD parents and community members, $3 million was raised to save the jobs of 107 teachers who would have otherwise been layed off. Due to state budget cuts in education, CUSD was facing a projected $7.3 million budget shortfall for the upcoming school year. CUSD schools largely feed into the Fremont Union High School District, meaning that the quality of education is quite literally transferred from one district to the other. For MVHS students who helped out with the campaign, however, the issue is closer to heart.

see MEASURE B on page 6

see CUSD on page 3

227

see ENROLLMENT on page 4

Happy feet: Fisher and her community dance to their own tune Special education students support each other, celebrate individuality at district dance special education dance. It was April 30 and over 100 students and The gym lights were off, but the late morning sunlight still penetrated through teachers from around the Bay Area walked, the windows. In the midst of this kooky limped, and wheeled their way into the gym sunlit congregation, not far from the girl to celebrate “ah ah ah ah stayin’ alive,” as the song being played in the walker, junior by Thomas suggested. Gwendolyn Fisher The upward slide of But even with all the stood tall, a wide smile hullabaloo, there were of triumph spreading Gwendolyn Fisher no qualms about safety across her face. This is the final installment in a threehere. Just a few minutes part series looking at the journey “The biggest worry is earlier, she had been of special education student junior [the students] eating too unbearably busy. There Gwendolyn Fisher and her community, much food,” laughed were plastic flamingos to the Perspectives class. Cupertino High School place around the room, special education paper palm trees and ukuleles to paste on the walls, snacks to divvy teacher, Seamus Quillinan. He had his arm up among the smorgasbord of Dixie cups on around Tony, one of his nine students. “Most the table. After all, it was only fitting to have students love—Tony, can you be patient? a “tropical” theme at the hottest and most And wipe your face off!” He chuckled and highly anticipated event of the month—the continued. “Love coming here. They get

by Kanwalroop Singh and Sabrina Ghaus Jeff Thomas, who was wearing a pink lei.

hen it came to dancing, the girl was not a natural. She looked down at her feet, not out of timidity or deference, but because she was concentrating on moving them with the music, trying to wish away their stiffness with a smile and some effort. Her teacher danced eagerly beside her, encouraging her with claps and laughter. A boy in a red striped shirt held one of her hands. The other hand gripped a drab steel walker. There was no room for self-consciousness here. Students were doing the “robot”, running around mimicking the evil “Thriller” laugh, and dancing with life-sized balloon flamingos. Even the teachers took off their jackets and did the “cha cha”, while the boys let loose to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”— courtesy of the DJ, physical education teacher

really excited about it.” Quillinan barely had time to finish his sentence before waltzing off with Tony to talk to a mutual friend. Quillinan noticed that most of the students at the dance were autistic, like Gwen—yet despite having the same disability, there were obvious differences. A certain saying came to his mind: when you know one person with autism, you only know one person with autism. Each student is distinct, cognitively, emotionally, socially—a unique piece of a giant jigsaw puzzle that completes the picture of a community vast and varied. “We can serve students on a continuum,” Nancy Sullivan, head of the department, said. “We have students with just one period of special ed., to students who have four periods, to students who have difficulty with writing, to students who can barely write at all.” see PERSPECTIVES on page 4

MAY 19, 2010

EL ESTOQUE NEWS

Following their footsteps

BHARGAV SETLUR

Eighth graders shadow students, capture glimpse of life on campus

“

“When I first came to MVHS, I thought it was really big. I think shadowing gives [eighth graders] a good experience.

I think this is a good way to prepare to go to this school every day for the next few years of my life.” —eighth grader Manali Begur

—junior Jonathan Cheong Courtesy of Meghana Begur

“

Courtesy of Eliza Cheong

“A glimpse at what they’re going to do next year is what I think [the eighth graders] need in order to make a good transition.

The classes that I’m really looking forward to seeing are French 2 and Principles of Business.” —eighth grader Shruti Khullar Courtesy of Nidhi Khullar

The main medium of promotion was through KMS’ announcements. Upon hearing about this event, though, many were not interested. Most students disregarded the announcement, unaware of how useful it could be. However, some were fortunate enough to have siblings that currently attend MVHS who recommended the event. “My sister asked me to do the shadowing because she said it would help to see what everyone does in high school,” eighth grader Manali Begur said. The number of signups at MVHS for shadow hosts was significantly larger than that of the eighth graders that signed up to shadow. Many MVHS students were excited to have

Courtesy ofTaylor Law

an eighth grader from KMS shadow them because they wanted to be able to help the middle schoolers adjust to the new school life more easily. “I had [friends] show me around before I was a freshman, and I want to be able to pay it back to the incoming freshmen,” freshman Megan Jones said. Jones did not have the opportunity to shadow a student during her transition from middle to high school, but was excited to hear that MVHS was still offering this option to the incoming freshmen, allowing them to come into high school more prepared. Though this is the third year that Youth Services Commission has been doing the Shadow Day, they still

—freshman Megan Jones

“

hile all incoming freshmen go through a short campus tour during Matador Retreat, each year about 50 to 60 eighth graders from Kennedy Middle get to experience a day in the life of a high school student. Community Leadership’s Youth Services Commission provides incoming freshmen with an opportunity to experience high school life months before they begin their own journey. On May 28, approximately 80 eighth graders from Kennedy Middle School will shadow MVHS students. From first to fifth period, with a rally in between, the incoming freshmen will experience high school life and see how MVHS students spend their class time. They will end their day with pizza, provided by the commission. “Link goes [to Kennedy Middle School] and tells [the eighth graders] about high school life, but we want them to have the actual experience,” Youth Commissioner senior Nidhi Khullar said. The eighth grade shadow idea first surfaced when the commission thought about what eighth graders might need to transition into high school with more ease. The commission believed that although ASB Leadership’s Link Commission covers the basics, like where the bathrooms are, or which building is which, the threehour Matador Retreat never provided the new students with actual experience that is essential for the transition from middle to high school.

STUDENT VIEWPOINTS

“

by Erin Chiu

ran into a couple of problems while planning. Every year during this time, the freshmen Biology classes participate in pig dissections to learn about human anatomy. However, without a permission slip, participation in this monthlong lab is not allowed. For the eighth graders shadowing freshmen, the commission had to brainstorm what they could do with the students during that period. Though they have yet to make a decision, the commissioners hope to come up with a feasible solution within the little time that they have left. “After the planning that we have been doing since March, I hope that in the end everything goes well,” Khullar said.

CUSD: Campaign raises over $3 million for teachers

Courtesy of Jena Rajabelly

SAVE OUR TEACHERS Many help raise money for TFIN at the Cherry Blosson Festival in Memorial Park on April 24. continued from page 1

“These are the schools which I come from,” junior Alexandra Chiu said. “I still remember the teachers. I don’t want them to lose their jobs.” When she first heard about the campaign, Chiu took the initiative to organize a free-throw-a-thon in which community members sponsored members of the MVHS girls basketball teams, and donated a certain amount of money for every freethrow that a player was able to make. The event, which was held on May 8, ended up raising $1,750. Localized fundraisers such as this one were characteristic of the “TFIN” campaign as a whole. On May 4, the campaign organized a Community Day, where over 80 local businesses agreed to donate a share of their profits to the campaign. In fact, these donations from businesses accounted for a significant percentage of the total donations which the campaign received as a whole. Aside from participating in Community Day, many businesses also made individual contributions to the campaign. Whole Foods and 99 Ranch each held a day where a percentage of every

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purchase went towards TFIN. Nina Daruwalla, a Coldwell Banker realtor, also personally contributed to the campaign. “Education is the best thing that you can give your children,” Daruwalla said. “It goes with you wherever you are.” Several PTA organizations and teachers at specific school sites also made contributions. As a whole, CUSD teachers agreed to take five furlough days next year, which resulted in a savings of $2.5 million, one million of which a district chose to donate to the TFIN campaign. Paired along with the $1 million donation from the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation, the campaign was able to raise this significant amount of money very quickly. The campaign was originally organized as a result of discussions on a CUSD Parents Yahoo! Group, and then partnered with the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation and CUSD. For the parents who first started the campaign, the main motivation was the quality of their children’s education. “They’re the innocent victims in this case,” Lincoln Elementary School TFIN Outreach Lead Melinda Chu said. According to Chu, if the TFIN campaign had been unsuccessful and teachers had been layed off, class sizes for grades K-3 would have increased from 20:1 to 30:1. Also, since teachers are removed based purely on seniority, mass reshuffling could have led to many teachers teaching an entirely new grade level. Although the campaign has been successful, there still remains a deficit in the overall CUSD budget projection. Parents are also concerned that continuing state budget cuts in education will impact the district in following years, as well. Kennedy Middle School’s TFIN Outreach Lead Kimaya Firodia Kelkar refers to the campaign as an “emergency band-aid.” “Something else will have to be done,” Kelkar said. “I just don’t understand—why is education considered dispensable? Why is it optional? Where is our future going if we don’t teach our kids well?” Regardless of what continues to happen at the state level regarding educational funding, both Chu and Kelkar feel that in times such as these, it is the local community which must step up and do what it can. As the success of the TFIN campaign has proven, the Cupertino community is ready to do so.

Say it like it is

Curtain column

n this, my final column of high school, I won’t write about a specific event in recent news. Mostly this is because not too many things have happened in the past few weeks that I can easily make light of (think the attempted Times Square car bomb or the growing oil spill in Gulf of Mexico). So instead, I can’t think of a better way to end than to talk about the concept of news itself—and why it matters. In my past seven columns, I’ve tried to highlight a special kind of story. They were the stories that didn’t get a lot of publicity because they didn’t include sex or violence (or some combination of the two) but were still incredibly meaningful—if you cared to look deeper. I covered everything from incivility in the House of Representatives to unlawful student surveillance to even one high school student’s push for gay rights in the Deep South. While these stories may or may not have been plastered across the front page of CNN, they spoke volumes about the changing character of our society.

News’s significance

More than anything else, this is the power of news—to let us know how our world is changing as soon as it happens. From the limited perspective of Cupertino, it’s nearly impossible to get that bird’s eye view alone. Caught in the endless cycle of school and work and everything else, I hardly have the time to talk to the other residents on my own street. But just because I can’t see what’s happening in Washington or in New York or even in Mumbai, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t affect me. It’s so easy to live within the confines of the bubble without taking even a minute to look outside. But that kind of life is an illusion, and the sooner we get past it the better. The good news is that it costs no more than a little time every day to break down these walls. A quick glance at news sites like the New York Times, the BBC, or (especially) Al Jazeera will stretch your horizons clear around the world.

Using the news

Of course, this is easier said than done. The real news—in other words, the stories that really matter —is hidden among all the garbage that makes up our modern news system. But with a little patience, you’ll be able to get past the story of how much Tiger Woods’ clubs were auctioned for and find the exposé of dangerous chemicals used on golf courses like the one in your city. It’s all there, you just have to find it. And, once you do, you’ll find that every piece of news, from the smallest fragment to the largest narrative, will all fit together. A profile on the troops in Afghanistan will connect with a press release by their commanders in Washington, which in turn will fit right in with an in-depth story on the everyday citizens who, through actions like paying the bills and casting ballots, are really running the show. People like you. In the office of the citizen, you’re appointed for life. And, as Uncle Ben once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” We each wield a piece of the greatest power in our society: the power of the people. In a bigger way than you think, you can control what happens in this world, even the world you don’t see. But first, you must know a thing or two about it. No one, except for a few eccentrics, will quiz you on world events. It is possible to go through life and not know much about going-ons beyond the scope of your hometown. But when we choose to do that, we miss out on the best part of life on this Earth: each other. People say that modern news has made the world smaller. I disagree. The news just lets you reach farther.

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EL ESTOQUE NEWS

ENROLLMENT: Course sections change for 2011 continued from page 1

Clearly the effort worked, as British Literature was not the only class that saw a swing in its enrollment. Physiology, which only had four sections this year, will also grow to six sections next year due to the increased student interest. Another major change to the 2010-2011 school year is the addition of a section of American Studies. In its first year, the 2007-2008 school year, the class had two sections but in the past two years there has only been one. Next year, due to the immense student popularity, an additional section of the class will be taught by English teacher Diana Combs and teacher David Clarke who has accredidation in both English and social studies. Sophomore Alletta Simons

AP Environmental Science 4 sections to 2 sections 89 students signed up

Physiology

PERSPECTIVES: Special education community unites through district dance

is one of the 132 students that signed up for American Studies class next year, chose the class in place of other literature and history classes. Her main decision factor in choosing her classses next year was the difficulty of the other classes she had already selected for next year. She thinks that it is likely that many other students may have done the same. “I definitely think that [the difficulty of classes] affects students because some people only take classes for the teachers and others just don’t want to take too many difficult classes,” Simons said. Currently, administration is working to accommodate initial changes to student schedules. The final numbers will only be established during Running of the Bulls in August.

Karishma Mehrotra | El Estoque

DANCING Junior Gwendolyn Fisher and other students dance at the special education dance on April 30.

CLASS CHANGES These are the projected changes in number of classes and students for the 20102011 school year.

MAY 19, 2010

continued from page 1

British Literature 0 sections to 3 sections 79 students signed up

American Literature Honors 3 sections to 5 sections 130 students signed up

American Studies

4 sections to 6 sections

2 classes to 4 classes

227 students signed up

132 students signed up

Students with disabilities, like Gwen, wear them on their sleeves. They display their autism, their paralysis, their disfiguration as if they were marks of identity emblazoned permanently on their skin—skin that cannot be taken off or hidden or ignored. In the end, a disability for all to see means nothing to hide. And at the special education dance, where all weaknesses, faults, and insecurities were laid bare, this is what was seen: A mute girl frolicking in the corner. A boy in a sweatshirt rolling on the floor, exhibiting the latest breakdancing moves. And the girl trying to do the hokey pokey—in a walker. As her fingers gripped the sides of the metal monstrosity that enveloped her petite frame, she tried

to lift her left foot. Everyone else in the gym, including Gwen, lifted theirs too. “You put your left foot in and then you shake it all about...” She wiggled it slowly, then laughed at her teacher and the boy who did it with her—cheering her on with the youthful exuberance of two seven year olds. “You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around...” With painstaking effort she began to lift the walker to make the turn—the turn that Gwen and everyone else in the room could make so effortlessly. She probably wouldn’t finish it. Everyone else probably would. But she did it anyway. So they did it with her. And that’s what it’s all about.

MAY 19, 2010

EL ESTOQUE NEWS

PAGE 5

D E E TH AD LO

N O I T S E QU

“Guns freak people out. I mean, what are you going to use them for in Cupertino? It depends on your circumstances. If I lived in Oakland, I might consider it.” -Senior and gun shooter Neda Nasr

“Guns provoke uncomfortable feelings in many people. So do motorcycles, groups of boisterous youths, rave parties and many other things. Does this mean those things should be made illegal?” -MVHS parent and gun owner Michael Zimmers

Erin Chiu, Joseph Beyda, and Ashley Wu | El Estoque Photo Illustration

Debate over the safety of public firearm posession takes center-stage in Cupertino “My dad, though, doesn’t carry [a gun] around wherever he goes,” Briana said. “I don’t really think people should need to carry guns in normal civilian areas. I think I would utside the zero-tolerance realm that is MVHS, the be pretty uncomfortable with that.” possession of firearms is not an inherent problem. Senior Neda Nasr has visited a shooting range for A recent movement that has swept the nation, the past few years. Describing it as a “stress relief”, Nasr the “Open Carry” debate, has achieved prominence in the explains that she enjoys going to the shooting range every Bay Area. Gun owners participating in the movement week. However, she believes that open carriage of firearms believe that it is their Second Amendment right to openly is unnecessary in Cupertino. carry a gun without the fear of confiscation. California law “I do like shooting guns, but I don’t think people should is unique in that it states that the gun can be worn openly, be carrying [the guns] around with them. They but it cannot be loaded—the only such law in freak people out,” Nasr said. “I mean, what are any of the 43 states that support open carry GUN POSSESSION AND THE LAW you going to use them for in Cupertino? It in some form to specify this. The gun owner depends on your circumstances. If I lived in may carry ammunition in close proximity to Second Amendment to the Constitution Oakland, I might consider it.” the firearm, though. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right Michael agreed that Cupertino is a Two months ago, a group of gun owners of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” relatively safe area in which guns might be advocating for their right to openly carry their less essential. firearms walked into a Cupertino Starbucks California Penal Code Section 12020 “But an elderly woman living alone or a location with unloaded and unconcealed guns. “(a) Any person in this state who does any of the following is punishable by survivor of a personal assault may not feel that Although these gun owners were abiding by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or in the state prison: way, and it is essential that we respect their the law, open carry opponents were concerned ...possesses...any...undetectable firearm, any firearm which is not immediately feelings as well as their rights,” Michael said. with the seemingly threatening appearance of recognizable as a firearm...” Unlike Michael, Nasr is conflicted on the firearms in the public location. Starbucks has issue of gun control as a whole. In essence, since been caught in the middle of the debate she believes that it depends on the integrity of across the nation, as it does not prohibit guns California Penal Code Section 12023 individual at hand. from its property. “(a) Every person who carries a loaded firearm with the intent to commit a “I’m kind of torn because there are people, Gun owner and father of junior Briana felony is guilty of armed criminal action. no matter what you do, that are not going to Zimmers, Michael Zimmers, believes that the (b) Armed criminal action is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not be safe about it,” Nasr said. “So I don’t really open carry gatherings at Starbucks locations exceeding one year, or in the state prison.” know, I haven’t decided...I’m safe about it, so could have been valuable demonstrations of California Penal Code Section 12024 I’m not worried about when I use it. But there the gun owners’ rights. are also a bunch of people that won’t be safe “It seems kind of silly and likely to provoke “Every person having upon him or her any deadly weapon, with intent to assault about it.” anti-gun sentiment among the uninformed,” another, is guilty of a misdemeanor.” Open carry—as well as gun control in Michael said. “But, done properly, it could general—are issues that have proponents provide a teachable moment to many in for both sides. Some, such as Nasr, are less attendance. One thing that people might learn He referred to another quote by Arizona Senator Barry opinionated about them. Others like Michael mandate is that gun-tolerant communities tend to have much less Goldwater: “Remember that a government big enough to that gun control laws are “ineffective, immoral, and violent crime than those with strict gun laws.” Michael owns guns for both recreational—hunting and give you everything you want is also big enough to take unconstitutional.” “Guns provoke uncomfortable feelings in many people,” target shooting—and protection purposes. When asked away everything you have.” Like her father, Briana believes that the open carry Michael said. “So do motorcycles, groups of boisterous whether he felt it was necessary for gun owners to carry their guns in public, Michael stated that as long as the policy is merely an assertion of the rights that the Second youths, rave parties and many other things. Does this mean those things should be made illegal?” individual respected the law, it was up to his or her own Amendment guarantees.

by Varshini Cherukupalli

McDONALD v. CHICAGO

personal judgment. However, in more general terms of whether protection should completely be left to the responsibility of the police, Michael cited the historical dangers of disarming the people in places like Nazi Germany, a process that statesman George Mason described as “the best and most effectual way to enslave them.” It would be arrogant, explained Michael, to assume the same could not happen in the United States—though it wouldn’t likely occur to the same extreme extent.

The case that may change the constitutionality of gun control laws

WHO: Gun owner Otis McDonald and others v. the City of Chicago WHY: McDonald believes that handgun bans are unconstitutional, citing the Second and 14th Amendments SO FAR: He lost on the district level but was granted an appeal to the Supreme Court AT STAKE: A ruling in his favor would make state gun control laws unconstitutional

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EL ESTOQUE NEWS

MAY 19, 2010

MEASURE B : District celebrates recent passing of renewal parcel tax

Checked out Students find themselves responsible for previously returned books has to deal with that, and we have to clear those delinquencies.” Most of the issues come from s the school year comes to an end, approximately teachers who check out books with 350 delinquency notices the barcoding system, Destiny, but have been issued to students across come the end of the year don’t use campus. While many of the lost the system and check-out books books and sports uniforms involved without checking them in. Students are due to student losses and will be are left with delinquencies for books paid for, others may not be—at least they know they returned, and Ma is according to the students fined for left with fees to sift through. But using or not using the system books they’re positive they returned. isn’t the big issue. It While there are is whether or not the undoubtedly scenarios system is used from where students make beginning to end. The mistakes concerning modern language the status of their Deliquency notices department doesn’t materials, or it comes issued so far barcode their books, down to the word of manually and diligently the school against the word of the student, there are some keeping track of their textbooks. So inherent discrepancies in the system far, it appears to have worked. “Every now and again say, [French that can leave all parties involved teacher Lise Gabet] will come in with somewhat confused. Senior Celine Liong suffered from a book missing and the student will this confusion, receiving a deliquency come in and pay [for] it,” Ma said. at the beginning of this semester for “And they don’t deny [they lost it.]” English teacher Mikki McMillion, last year’s history textbook, a book who uses both Destiny and a she knew she returned. “I had to look through the whole written record, agrees that many class set,” Liong said. “I was lucky delinquency mistakes come down because [my book] was older and to the teacher and their method for was a lighter color. Only three were checking materials in and out. “Some teachers just don’t want to like that.” Others may not be so lucky, be on the system,” McMillion said. however. Keeping track on the school’s “Or they don’t write it down on a end is also difficult. Having had piece of paper, so they don’t know three different computer inventory who’s right and who’s wrong. I know systems within the last five years, it’s a huge problem for the school.” Ma said that the current 350 the school’s data is hard to keep track of. Additionally, whether or not to deliquencies aren’t bad for the size of use the barcode system is a decision our school, but did mention the large departments make on their own, amount of work the mistakes entail. She said that the system isn’t leaving the office and ASB Financial Technician Judy Ma with multiple flawed in itself—only the constant technology changes—and that sources for issuing delinquencies. “Teachers check out the [materials] with compliance from teachers, the but don’t use the system,” Ma said. students and school will have fewer “And [the student] is the one who misplaced fines to deal with.

by Stefan Ball

Samved Sangameswara | El Estoque

DID YOU VOTE? Assistant Principal Brad Metheany holds a sign on May 4 as part of the Measure B campaign to raise awareness and encourage passing of the parcel tax. continued from page 1

Superintendent Polly Bove shared Scott’s sentiments, noting that much of the happiness comes from the fact that they won’t have to make those difficult decisions next year. “I think we’ve all been holding back on moving forward with so many things because if we didn’t pass this, we would have had to make so many cuts,” Bove said. “It would just be devastating to face that.” In the end, that was not the case. Unlike Measure G, the district’s first and failed attempt at a new parcel tax last November, Measure B passed with 72 percent. Scott attributes the victory to a heightened sense of involvement and urgency that the community felt this time around, one which wasn’t present in November. In addition, a finite end date and removal of a cost of living

adjustment which originally existed on Measure G was received well by members of the community. “It was a raised level of communication,” Scott said. “We listened to the community, and they were concerned about the no end date and cost of living adjustment.” The result of that listening

72% Votes in favor of Measure B

was a successful phrasing of the new parcel tax, which passed relatively smoothly. However, the passing of the tax does not entirely solve the district’s financial woes. Measure B only keeps the funding given from the community at the status quo from 2012 to 2018. As

it stands, the school’s property tax funding will remain at that status quo through 2018, but there is still fear of $2.4 million in cuts from the state government. In light of those cuts, Bove says the district is still approaching the future conservatively. Although she says that she does not see any layoffs or program cuts in the immediate future, she describes her attitude towards the district budget issues as “cautiously optimistic.” The optimism comes from the fact that, more than anything, the FUHSD has been given the gift of time. District officials now have six more years to try and find a solution that would prevent such a situation from arising again. “I hope between now and then we can spend time talking with our community about what they think,” Bove said. “[Measure B] gives us breathing room to talk about what works and why.”

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n o i n i p o

7 Beat the cyberbully: Sit back, relax PAGE 8

Mandatory final exam illogical

PAGE 9

Point sheets send negative message

PAGE 10

New Leadership interview process

Users of social networking sites can overcome cyberbullying by controlling their reactions STAFF EDITORIAL

“S

eriously, are you a virgin or not?” “Whenever you walk by someone you make this really bitchy face, and it makes people think you’re mean.” “I made food. And it tasted bad. So I named it your name. Hahahaha.” Offended and shocked? Ready to bite back with razor-sharp criticism and throw in a couple of f-bombs for special effect? But hold on—you’re staring with bulging eyes at a computer screen, with no clue to the accursed assailant’s identity. Welcome to Formspring, a new social networking site that allows anyone to post anything on anybody’s account anonymously and gives the receiver a choice to respond or ignore. Keep in mind a few psychological tools, and countering cyberbullying in such treacherous terrain can even lead to self-realization and improvement. First, before one fights the enemy, one should know the enemy. There exists a slight chance that, in our haste to activate our missile defense system, we mistakenly associate constructive criticism with unfounded abuse. This is not cyberbullying. This is someone who kindly hid his or her displeasure in real life. It’s only natural for acquaintances to take advantage of the anonymity of Formspring to post such criticism, instead of making a blunt comment to the face.

But one has to admit: judging the sincerity and value of anonymous criticism is full of uncertainty. We can only measure the extent of contrast between the comment and our self-image, and calmly reach a conclusion: to change, or not to change. When we do identify the enemy—when we know beyond a reasonable doubt that the attack originated from the immature mind of a bored teenager—a calm and self-aware response is still the best counterattack. Keep the flames of anger in check, strike back with a witty retort and dismiss the content—but value the attack as an opportunity to develop a method to counter madness. Do not fail this test of self-esteem. Don’t degrade yourself into an object of entertainment for someone who flaunts immaturity. Instead, ace it and emerge with greater self-confidence. But what if the cyberbully amasses more assailants and the onslaught continues? The same solution applies: stay calm; don’t attempt to beat them at their self-demeaning game. Treat the swarm like a computer virus and just delete the account. When emotional stability is threatened, consult the authorities or commit temporary virtual suicide. Both are preferable to giving malicious libel the breathing space to draw more believers. Thus, with the option of deletion, we have arrived at the heart of the matter. By choosing to join an online social network, we threw the door wide open and laid out a

welcome mat for abuse. True, cyberbullying happens because a depraved and corrupted sub-human made a choice to press that “Send” button, but who unlocked the doors? We did. If we dislike what others say but continue to respond and maintain an account, we can only blame our own subconscious need for external validation due to low self-esteem. Those who build friendships through online social networking should value

Collaboration led to Measure B success Participation of various groups meant increased awareness by Stefan Ball

BY THE NUMBERS

eenagers are pretty lazy and parents are pretty busy. This means that naturally, both seem to be pretty poor activists without the time, energy, or motivation to induce realistic and significant change. At the beginning of 2010, FUHSD was facing a looming budget deficit and the challenge of passing an emergency measure to prevent it, after a failed Measure G. Things didn’t seem to be looking up. Yet. On May 4, Measure B passed, preventing a $5 million loss of funds for FUHSD schools for the next six years through an annual parcel tax. From local council races to national presidential campaigns, most elections end up producing marginal results. Candidates rarely manage to muster even 60 percent of votes. Measure B passed with 72 percent. This says that voters didn’t just pick up their ballot and bubble in yes or no based upon the flip of a coin. They voted because they meant to, and they voted because they were influenced. Beyond the fact that it passed, we should have a headline reading

QUICK TAKE

by Jiachen Yang

A snapshot of the issues surrounding campus today

the occasional offensive post as an opportunity to test their self-confidence and composure. For the unlucky ones who are barraged with virtual vilification, self-evaluation is even more pivotal. These are all risky endeavors, for understanding a nameless and faceless entity is fraught with uncertainty. But fortunately, unlike in real life, there’s always the “Delete” button.

Community effort succeeds for CUSD

3 phone-banking nights

Farsighted parents and businesses raise $3 million

1 day

by Bhargav Setlur

held with the help of administration, teachers, students, and volunteers

of precinct walking held on April 24 in which volunteers went door-to-door in order to raise awareness about Measure B

3 hours

each group traveled around Cupertino during precinct walking

“Measure B trumps apathy.” In a revolutionary success, a group of high school students, publically paid workers (with tenure), and busy concerned parents managed to make a legitimate change for the future. The sub-head will read “Measure B also trumps impulsive selfishness.” Our community voted to use its money to prevent a downfall that doesn’t affect them immediately or directly, spurred on by notoriously selfish teenagers who

made themselves heard not for themselves, but instead for future MVHS students. We should remember this. As a school, we have some great advantages when it comes to activism—while as students we may not be the most credible, we are a constantly connected community, easily brought together and easy to communicate through.

ere in Cupertino, money is rarely in short supply. A stroll down the quiet residential streets of our town past million dollar residences is a testament to the financial success of the people who call Cupertino home. The money even rolls down the street in the form of the expensive luxury vehicles—BMWs, Mercedes, and so on—that ferry children to and from school every day. Sadly, in our rich town, the buck stops at the school gates. And not in a good way, either. It’s ironic that in one of the richest cities in California, our schools are strapped for cash. Add to that the fact that Cupertino schools are among the highest performing in the country, and it only added insult to injury when in March the Cupertino Union School District was forced to announce the imminent layoff of 115 teachers as well as the increase of primary grade class sizes from 20 to 30. Left high and dry by education cuts at the state level, the CUSD faced a budget shortfall of $7.3 million. $3 million would have to be cut from instructional spending— money that directly affected the classroom environment. With students facing larger classes and teachers facing reassignment, mom and dad stepped in.

see TEAMWORK on page 9

see $3 MILLION on page 8

Commendable computers

Terrifying toilets

Leniency causes laziness

Finally, the school has tended to student interests. No longer do we have to sit on the torture chair and watch “Initializing personalized settings” for infinite lengths of time, and surfing the Internet no longer feels like surfing on superglue. Now, we log in without lagging and race around the Web as fast as the Comcast rabbit-panther with turbines driven by an over-caffeinated fighter pilot traveling down a ski jump. This effective measure deserves utmost appreciation.

Boys who visit the lower A-Building boys’ restroom don’t find “rest”—being overwhelmed by revulsion is much more likely. One step into a stall is enough to send the nose into sensory overload, and one glance at the toilet is more than enough to deter anyone from eating lunch. Clogged and overflowing with a soggy mass of toilet paper, with you-know-what lurking ominously in the mix, this toilet should have no place in a “restroom.” The atrocious sociopath who created this mess must soon be stopped.

The club reapplication form—which merely asks for two potential activities and four potential members—is too lenient. Club Commission also lacks the capability to check whether a club has the minimum of 10 active members and two activities per month, and even allows clubs to define “active” membership. This is like an assignment graded on completion— it calls for laziness.

PAGE 8

MAY 19, 2010

EL ESTOQUE OPINION

Rally leaves Shadow Day in the dark Inviting eight-graders on campus on day of rally risks intimidation, potential hearing loss as the academic side of student life. While the intention of the scheduled date is or students at Kennedy Middle reasonable, the purpose of the program is School, the opportunity to experience to supply students with a realistic MVHS the MVHS lifestyle only comes once experience for a single day, and bringing a year, with the MV-Kennedy Shadow them on a rally day does not accomplish that. Can anyone argue that a rally day at Day program. During that one day, our miniature counterparts are partnered with our school is a normal one? First and a select group of volunteers in order to foremost, the minds of students are clearly experience a portion of the life of a high elsewhere for the first three periods of schooler. And, as in the past few years, the the day. There is a certain fervor among program continues to excel as a successful, the students on days like this and it’s key bridge between our two communities. evident enough to interrupt classes. Furthermore, students involved In the past, MVHS students have shown their appreciation of the importance with the rally lead highly atypial days of the Shadow Day system by actively on such occassions. If a KMS student participating as a Shadowee. Their was to shadow a leadership student or contribution has proven to be critical to the anyone who spends a portion of their inflow of students into our school, as many morning in the gym setting up, the day of the program’s participants are in the would hardly be like on a regular day. What does this accomplish? Sure rally process of determining whether to attend public or private school. Such students days are fun, but we shouldn’t be trying use their experience at MVHS as a basis of to sell MVHS to these kids. They want their final decision. Thus, MVHS students’ to know what MVHS is like on a typical volunteering is essential to the constant school day, and this may give them a false impression. We should influx of new students to be assisting, not our school. Without their manipulating. To show contribution, our school SHADOW DAY them only rally days could risk losing any When: May 28 and not the normal students wavering between KMS Students: 80 ones, we’re employing our school and another. techniques used by This year, KMS Shadow sleazy salesmen, Day will take place on May frontloading all 28, the same day as the Farewell Rally, meaning that shadowers are the good stuff and hiding the bad. If Community Leadership could set up either going to attend the Rally or spend 30 minutes out in a nearly vacant campus. a system through which eighth graders The exposure of middle-schoolers to the could choose whether or not they wanted rally will provide a good opportunity to to attend the Rally and have an alternative open them up to the recreational as well set up for those who chose not to, any

by Christophe Haubursin

Christophe Haubursin | El Estoque

discomfort that they would feel if forced to spend time at the rally would be eliminated. In the shadowee’s classrooms themselves throughout the day, teachers and shadowees alike should also introduce the incoming students to the style of learning and class structure of the class, as well as a short description of the curriculum for the year. Community Leadership already makes an effort to pair up older and younger students with common interests, so an introduction to the classes themselves would allow for further insight to the difficulty of classes that KMS students might be planning on taking in following years.

Not all should have to take final exams Last test of year unnecessary for students with high grades material to secure a grade when there are other finals to worry about, more work to finish, and a warm bed to f a student has a solid A in a class and other classes sleep in. It presents a situation of stress. to stress over, then that final is not called a test; it’s Unfortunately, a year of working trains students to called a waste of time. study even when they don’t need to. No one forces us to Thankfully, some teachers don’t require students to study, but not many can help worrying when 20 percent take the final if they have a high enough grade in the of our grade is still undecided. class, and there is no policy requiring teachers to give Students spend roughly 180 days of school. That is a final either. Having a 96 percent overall grade in a about 1350 hours of sitting in a classroom, finishing particular class would mean that the two hours normally classwork, and preparing presentations. It is not spent taking the final at the only unreasonable but SOLVING FOR THE SCORE end of the year could be spent unfathomable that the last differently. We could study for How to calculate the score you need on the final to two hours of class out of a other classes, catch up on sleep total 1350 can account for or actually be happy during the get the grade you want: such a large portion of the last week of school. total grade, especially when You will need: Learning takes a long time, the other 1348 hours were • Your grades in one class like memorizing the periodic spent working just as hard table of elements or logging on • Calculator for so much longer. I may not to the school computers. It’s a • Box of tissues (optional) be the best with numbers, long process, and like anything but the ratio seems to be just else, one big test or essay at the The equation: slightly off-balance. end of the year does nothing to [(100 x overall grade needed) – (100 – percent The fact of the matter is that prove what a solid A student of weighted final) x (current grade)] / percent of a final can only do so much has learned since the last test weighted final = grade needed on final damage to high grades, even he or she aced. when it is disproportionately In truth, the entire school Example: weighted in our academics. year is a test of a student’s An A is an 89.5%. Why do we need to have intelligence, diligence, and The final is weighted 15%. one last test to end the stress level. Someone who has You currently have a 93%. school year? Do we have a held onto a high grade for five subconscious need to place months has already proven [(100 x 89.5) – (100 – 15) x (93)] / 15 = 69.67% thirty percent of our literature himself. No matter how well grade on one mere exam? he could do on it, the final You will need at least a 69.67% on the final to earn What is the purpose of asking would be a needless formality. an A. Congratulations. tedious questions that no one A final exam wouldn’t change takes pleasure in answering, anything for him. let alone reading? Basically, We already have enough tests to worry about: driving what would the final exam actually accomplish? tests, Advanced Placement tests, personality tests. Do we There are plenty of people who believe the answer need one more? is “a lot”. The idea is that it would be unfair for some Anybody can calculate the percentage he or she needs students to be exempt from the final when others aren’t. to earn on the final to get a desired grade in the class. It’s the principle of the thing, they say. That means anyone can find out if raising a grade level Students should take the final—no matter how well is out of reach and if dropping a grade level is nearly they have performed already, no matter how much impossible. There is absolutely no motivation to study they have worked to prove themselves as exceptional— and review. We know that our grade can take a beating because that is the way things have always been done. A and, yes, we use that to our advantage. good, traditional education does not have the room for Not many would willingly spend hours reviewing old change. Obviously.

by Natalie Chan

There should also be a method by which students that are juniors or lowerclassmen should be preferred as shadowees, due to their proximity in age. Ensuring that middle schoolers are partnered with the youngest high schoolers possible will make sure that they have the greatest ability to relate through closeness of age. We all need to remember the importance that Shadow Day has in the lives of prospective students, and that our contribution to the program takes up the time of our MVHS hosts. After all, volunteering isn’t just about the pizza party at the end of the day. It’s about the future of our school.

$3 MILLION: Effort brings temporary relief continued from page 7

Cupertino parents exemplified dedication and shared interest by coming together to form the fundraising organization Their Future is Now. Along with money comes apathy and detachment, and Cupertino residents have been accused of both in recent years on a variety of issues. If anything can prove otherwise, Their Future is Now (TFIN) is it. By raising over $2 million from businesses immediate to the Cupertino area to prevent instructional cuts to CUSD’s 20 schools, Cupertino parents showed that they can be trusted to go to bat when it matters most. The budget shortfall of $7.3 million threatens the deepest, most painful cuts ever seen by CUSD. Parent volunteers for TFIN presented a compelling case, both on the web and COME TOGETHER around the community, Their Future is Now took action communicating the to prevent state educational consequences of such budget cuts from affecting the far-reaching cuts. Their quality of classroom instruction efforts paid off, and with across the Cupertino Union the help of a generous $1 School District. Funding came million grant from the from: Cupertino Educational Endowment Fund, TFIN •Parents successfully reached the •Local Businesses $2 million mark. But businesses also •Teachers deserve their fair share of credit for helping to avert imminent cuts. From Kumud Groceries on De Anza Boulevard, to numerous dentist’s offices, to even Whole Foods, businesses wrote checks—ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars—to help TFIN reach its goal. The outpouring of support was a very farsighted move by local businesses, who recognized that wellfunded schools make happy parents, who in turn make better customers. Here in Cupertino, as in every other town, everything is connected, and businesses were wise to see that. The money raised by TFIN isn’t going to solve the CUSD’s budget problems. But it will provide a much-needed buffer that protects the quality of primary-level instruction. And nothing could be more important than that. In a few short years, today’s second-graders will soon be high school students. Thanks to Their Future Is Now, they’ll be ready when that happens.

EL ESTOQUE OPINION

MAY 19, 2010

The principle of relativity

Stefan Ball and Bhargav Setlur | El Estoque

It’s Monday morning and according to your cell phone, you’re in the door at 7:34 a.m. According to the clock on the wall, it’s 7:37. Who’s right? Is an entire cellular network transmitting the wrong time to thousands, or are the school clocks off? Common sense points to the classroom clocks. The black “tardy” mark under your name says otherwise. Welcome to MVST: MVHS’ very own time zone.

ASB activity points sheet: encourage egos “Pointless” collecting of sheets only undermines value of activities by Somel Jammu

ince childhood, we’ve been told to be unique, to be leaders, to be at the top. And when it comes to high school, this frenzy to be something only becomes more intense. But if the classmates you study with, have lunch with, and do extracurriculars with are your competition, how exactly do you set yourself apart? By filling out the chart, at least for some students. The yearly ASB Activity Points Verification sheet that allows students to mark which activities they have been involved in throughout the year seems to have evolved from something that was meant to recognize students to something that simply adds points to their academic resumes for college. According to interim AP Secretary Calvin Wong, the ASB Activity Points sheet was originally meant to recognize the amount of time students put in “outside of books”—to recognize the activities students were involved in not merely for the sake of passing high school. “But I guess sometimes kids do it because they’re trying to get the points,” said Wong. And trying to simply get more points seems to be the case here. Though the intent behind creating the activity sheet was a noble one, it does not make up for the lack of impact the sheets have, or how they send the wrong message out to students. Rather than coming across as a way of recognizing or thanking students for their creativity, hard work, and activeness in school programs, the very idea of points sets students racing to come out on top. Oftentimes, the students who are as involved or even more involved than those ‘recognized’ lose faith in the reason they do their activities if what counts more is the amount of points you get, not the actual passion you have for something. Some students, on the other hand, have never heard of the ASB Activity Points, therefore almost automatically excluding themselves

from the prospect of being recognized. In addition to awareness and the question as to whether the activity sheet sets forth an illusion of yet another race to compete in at an already academically fierce school, there also rises the issue of efficiency. According to Wong, there is a lot of recordkeeping involved in making sure that each student’s entire high school record of activities has been updated properly. After compiling all the information together, by senior year students must be split into groups based on how many points they received throughout all four years of high school—groups that seem to be divided by random and biased criteria. How, really, does one decide that athletes do not put in as much work as a class officer, and therefore do not deserve any points at all, versus the 450 points a class officer gets? Flip through the first few pages of our MVHS Academic Planner, and there are mission statements, visions, and learning goals set for the whole school as an overall motto for living and learning—nowhere in these listed categories is there a goal labeled, ‘Learning how to be egotistical and toot your own horn.’ Yet, if by the time students

graduate and are considered adults they still find the need to brag about themselves, then what, really, have we learned in the past four years, and how much have we truly matured? Students are constantly trying to rally their peers to worry less about grades and attend more club fundraisers and school events, yet when the opportunity to translate those fundraisers and school events into a system similar to grades comes our way, we throw ourselves at it. With ASB Activity Points, students may just be filling the sheets out trying to impress colleges. As opposed to continuing this practice, we should consider keeping only the Purple & Gold awards, recognition of students based on something good they did without being asked, or perhaps even eliminating the idea of giving awards at all. Administration on the one hand encourages us to walk away from high school having learned how to be responsible, respectful, and honest in order to deal with the ‘real’ world. But with the incentives students are provided—especially those like the ASB Activity Points Sheet—it seems that the only thing we walk away having learned is a nice, solid sense of pretension.

STUDENT VIEWPOINTS

Do you know what ASB Activity Points are? ”Awards or something? I’ve never really heard of [the sheet] before.” —freshman Sacheth Hegde “No idea [what the sheet is for]. I filled it out last year because I thought I had enough points—I don’t think I had enough this year, though.” —sophomore Alekhya Mangalampalli

What do you feel is the sheet’s purpose? “To be honest, MVHS is all about the ‘my numbers are bigger than yours,’ so [the sheet] is just there to feed [the craze].” —senior Robert Frederick

TEAMWORK: A success for the future, made now continued from page 7

While we’ll never be able to track exactly why Measure B passed, the communication from students to students, and teachers to students, and then on to parents, can’t have harmed the process. Take a variety of studenttransmitted information from senior ditch day to fashion trends and the point isn’t a hard one to imagine. Students network vigorously—if you can let the entire senior class know they need to ditch on a certain day, you can let them

know they need to help the community. Education is a hot topic for many, especially parents, and for that reason voters may be willing to hear students out. Residents note that education is important, many having moved to the area for its strong academic standard. Beyond this, we’re young and all the cliché’s apply— passionate, fresh, and undeniably the future. Why should we wait for activism in college, when if nothing else our tight-knit nature lends itself to change, perhaps even better than the freedom a college life provides when it comes to sharing opinions?

If we can avoid apathy and an innate selfishness we can accomplish a lot. There were other forces at work with Measure B, and we’re still very far from an ideal budget, but the effort put in by students, teachers, and administrators counts for something, and not just dollar signs. We’ve got both the academic power and the opportunity to be active. Most of us don’t have to deal with poverty, violence, or drugs. We have to fight a much easier war against apathy. With the passing of Measure B, we’ve won the first battle and can continue to beat apathy.

PAGE 9

SARIKA PATEL

It’s all in your Head

Classy not trashy

eave it to me to point out the absurdity in one of the most cherished, most anticipated events since school began: Summer. Don’t worry, I’m not in favor of year-round school, or a shorter summer vacation, but those two things which seem absurd, in my eyes are actually more acceptable than the obviously decreasing hemlines and increasing display of cleavage on our campus that is apparent during this cherished season.

Keep it in your shirt

This is about the time of year when flip flops, short shorts, tube tops, spaghetti straps, and dresses come out ready to soak up the sun—along with everything else we don’t need to see. It’s perfectly understandable that weather change calls for an altered wardrobe, but it’s really not necessary to shrink all articles of clothing to a quarter of their original size. I feel the need to defend myself and state that I’m not an advocate of turtle necks, sweat pants and parkas, but I can’t help but commend those who can dress to impress without reducing themselves to indecent exposure. Reduced hem lines, deep v-necks, backless “shirts”, and fluttering skirts manage to make even summer worth criticism. But I won’t blame summer. It’s a conscious decision that each of us makes every morning when we get dressed. Some choose to take the high road (literally) and ensure that the essentials are covered before walking out of the house, whereas others seem to have a minimum 10:1 skin to clothing ratio which they strictly adhere to every morning. Now pardon me for not being interested in your birthday suit, but please, it’s not a fashion statement to show off certain creases and dips which don’t need to be seen by other people.

Tasteful cupcakes

One of the only reasons I can think of as justification for the excessive display of skin is attention. We all know who they are—the people who act obnoxious to get attention, the over dramatics, the compulsive knowit-alls, and the girls who dress in practically transparent clothing to enhance their already notoriously obvious undergarments. True, these excessive displays may attract attention, but chances are this kind of attention is only ephemeral and bound to wear off quickly. I’m no guy, but in general, “a little is better than too much” applies almost everywhere. Take for instance a cupcake compared to a whole cake. At first, the cake seems more appealing, but about half way through you realize that’s all there is to it. You would think you’re left more satisfied, but obviously one cupcake is more satisfying.

Targets of sandwich humor

Now ladies, there is the classic fantasy man—tall, dark and handsome, the dark enforcing the mystery required to enhance the initial attraction between two individuals. Same goes the other way around. Although the word “dark” is never used in reference to a girl, it’s pretty obvious that a little air of mystery could work in your favor, and not to mention the entire female race. I’m no feminist, but the new found trend of “make me a sandwich” and kitchen jokes are only stemmed from the fact that we degrade ourselves both physically and intellectually. By relying on provocative dress you are only setting youself up to be the target of such humor. If you’re going to make the conscious decision to dress trashy, not classy, don’t complain about inequality or women’s rights, because you’re only begging to be used.

PAGE 10

EL ESTOQUE OPINION

MAY 19, 2010

Open-carry about necessity Choice of carrying guns should be based on need, not principle by Tammy Su

here is something to be said for standing up for what you believe in, but in some cases, the distinction between theory and practice can make all the difference. This is especially true in the case of the recently spreading open carry movement, regarding the public possession and display of firearms. Cupertino and the Bay Area made national headlines in the past month when groups of individuals were seen at local Starbucks shops with guns in plain sight. A part of the national open carry movement, these crowds of right-to-carry advocates meet in public places and go about their daily lives—whether it be drinking coffee, picking up laundry, or just walking down the street—with firearms strapped to their person. Residents interviewed by local news stations have defended their open-carry choices with a myriad of reasons. Justifications range from seeking a reduction in local crime, to providing personal security, to increasing the level of politeness in the community. Ironically, however, while these citizens do have the legal right to display guns, the situation in this city is entirely inappropriate for such actions. One questions the placement of the situation, the pragmatism of the action taken within this

Amid end-of-year celebrations, seniors should appreciate their efforts by Sahana Sridhara

...but I can take my gun into Starbucks. Dominique Pieb | El Estoque

particular society.It’s interesting that Cupertino has seen opencarry activism, given the character of the area. Known for its emphasis on education, family life, and general safety, the local community doesn’t see violence or even symbols of violence often. The crime rate is already low—one of the lowest in the entire country— and the diversity in the area contributes to a, for the most part, friendly environment. Furthermore, the impacts of public placement of guns is counterproductive in such a community. In a place where young children frequently accompany their parents on errands, where the

most common patrons are students, seeing firearms is alarming. This concern for the local environment is just as important as national philosophical arguments. And it should be taken into consideration. While practicers of open carry do so under certain restrictions that should, in theory, eliminate potential safety hazards, the consequence at hand is a sacrifice in well-being. Even with directives that prohibit carrying weapons within certain boundaries and circumstances, and even if gun carriers have to right to do so for reasons of their discretion, the question of its

suitability remains. Ultimately, it’s not a case of whether or not the ideal is right, but instead the tangible impact that these tangible acts are having. The local fear instilled may not be intended, but is an unfortunate, and unnecessary, reality. The nature of the area we live in thus calls into question the practice of open-carry, as an issue separate from the concept of the policy. By law, residents of the United States of America have the right to bear arms. Just because it’s a right doesn’t mean that it must be taken advantage of, though, especially in a place like Cupertino—where there isn’t a purpose to do so.

Leadership application process much improved ASB-elect adds new elements in selecting future commisioners by Roxana Wiswell

Parents: The unsung heroes of graduation

e see them on the morning announcements. We see them running around in matching shirts, behind the scenes at events like Club Day and Spirit Survivor. We see Leadership kids all the time, but what does it mean to be in Leadership? To some, it might seem like the ASB Leadership class doesn’t affect them at all; others often attend Leadership-organized events. There is no doubt that Leadership, as a class, gets a lot done and a lot planned. But there is always room for improvement. This year, Leadership’s application process and class structure are going through a subtle revamp to improve both. The end result? A more efficient Leadership class. Props to ASB officers and advisers for flexibility and forward-thinking. Leadership is only as good as its commissioners, so the application process is the first thing to be scrutinized. This year’s Leadership application includes teacher and peer recommendations, which add another dimension to the application process—after all, how much can you really learn about someone by reading and listening as they talk about themselves? The application also included a new section this year asking for a “free response,” where the applicant could choose their answer topic. By including these different perspectives, the ASB officers aspire to create a more accurate picture of the applicant. According to next year’s ASB president junior Daniel Ki, the leadership class is slimming down from this year’s size of about 70 to about 60. Each commission will be reduced from five to four members. Additionally, Club Commission will combine with Campus while Staff

LEADERSHIP CHANGES

BEFORE

WHAT’S NEW

Four Questions which asked the applicant questions specific to the commisions they were applying for

Peer Recommendation was added to create another dimmension to judge the applicant by

Interview after the written application which emphasizes the strengths and weaknesses of the applicant

Teacher Recommendations asked teachers to judge applicants in initiative, independence, ability to lead a group, ability to work cooperatively, communication, dedication, problem solving, and creativity

Example of Leadership asked the applicant one time when they displayed exemplary leadership

Free Response question asked applicants to write about anything they felt would help enhance their application

CLASS CHANGES Staff and Academics commissions used to be two seperate commissions but have now been combined to increase efficency throughout the year Commission sizes are expected to shrink from an average of five to four. Recognition will combine with Student Academics. By combining commissions, Leadership will also improve efficiency. In the cases of those commissions, they only have work to do during the part of the year when their events are held; the rest of the year is practically wasted. For example, Club Commission is swamped with work around Club Day, but less busy for the rest of the year. By combining task forces, the commissions will have work loads more evenly spead through the course of the year. Although the change in size means that fewer students will get to participate in Leadership, it will also mean big

improvements for those who do participate. According to Dean Denae Moore, the reduction will allow the Leadership advisors, Moore and Dean Michael Hicks, to get to know each commissioner better. Quality of experience beats quantity of students. It would be all too easy for Leadership’s leaders to sit on their hands and let things be done the same way every year. Instead, the class is thinking, improving and moving forward so that each year can be better than the last. With a smaller size and a better application and interview process, next year’s Leadership will be off to a positive and productive start.

e, as a generation, have been dubbed as the ungrateful generation. We’ve all heard the long-winded speeches about how we are self-centered and don’t care to appreciate all the things our parents provide for us. And sometimes it’s true. At MVHS, parents play a key role in the way our community works and functions. Beginning with the high-stress environments they provide at home to the endless dollars they pore into our extra curriculars, we take for granted what they give us. Parent Teacher Student Association, PTSA, is a key example of where parents work day-in and day-out to set up all kinds of events and fundraisers that keep our school up and running. Parents rallied together and worked long hours to set up a promising campaign for Measure B and for the previous measures a as well. week are spent on However, their most planning prominent recurring event is the Senior All is the Night Party. approximate number While S A N P , that volunteer on re n o w n e d the day of Senior All to be the Night Party party of a lifetime, takes place on the last day of school, the preparations begin on the first day, or even earlier. The entire party is taken care of by volunteers who slave over decor and details until the last minute only to remain unrecognized and unappreciated by the students that enjoy the party. Many parents start preparations in September and put in 20 or more hours a week to accomplish the massive amounts of planning necessary. In addition, over 300 parent volunteers are present on the day of the event to ensure a smooth execution. With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in the months of May and June, it’s our job to take some time and appreciate them for all that they do. Not only do they voluntarily work hard to make students happy, but they ask and receive no recognition for any of it. We don’t need to set aside a specific time to be appreciated, hence the lacking of a “Children’s Day” while our parents toil throughout, and get only one day of thanks. Let’s make every day a Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and show them what they show us every day.

8 hours 300

parents

THE GAMEPLAN 6-8 hours a week on average from the beginning of March to May are used for the planning of Senior All Night Party, especially by the decorations committee Saturday and Sunday of the week before SANP are spent in preparation Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday evenings of the week before SANP are spent in preparation Thursday is the day of the party, so the volunteers work from 9 pm to 7am the following morning manning tables and booths and “ensuring the kids have a good time”

PAGE 11

EL ESTOQUE A CLOSER LOOK

MAY 19, 2010

g to e.or Go qu

ele

sto more tion a r Fo orm inf

Virtual victims

Students use the anonymity of the internet as a medium to bully others by Aileen Le

It was only supposed to be an inside joke, but it didn’t take long for that inside joke to spiral out of control—and out of senior

Keshav Saharia’s hands. Saharia and his friends would send links of videos and photos from Facebook that they found amusing to each other. It was entertaining to make fun of people and give them nicknames to use amongst themselves, but for one senior their fun would become increasingly hurtful. Saharia describes what happened next as a domino effect. Saharia’s friends told their friends and soon everyone was in on the joke. At some point someone from Saharia’s original group of friends suggested that they stop, but it was too late—it didn’t mean that the others who joined in did. “They would egg each other on and see how bold and direct they could be in making fun of [this person], just like when you’re doing something dangerous just for the thrill of it,” Saharia said. “They even made a Twitter account for [the target]. It was just too much. They definitely stepped beyond the line.” That line has become more difficult to distinguish with increased use of technology and has grown beyond a local issue with cases of cyberbullying becoming much more widespread than the MVHS community. After the recent suicide of Phoebe Prince, a student who was a victim of online harassment, the Massachusetts House of Representatives was prompted to pass a bill that focused on preventing bullying and cyberbullying in late April. According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, the University of New Hampshire, and other sources researching cyberbullying in late 2009, 93 percent of teens age 12 to 17 go online. Thirty-two percent of those teens have experienced some sort of online harassment, with teens age 14 to 17, girls, and social network users most at risk. “When you’re behind the computer screen you’re basically masking yourself from the consequences,” Saharia said. “You can say whatever you want and there are no real consequences—there are so many different ways to justify what you say online even if it’s really hurtful to someone else. It really changes the dynamic of how you live in real life versus how you live online.” Saharia explains that there’s no accountability because things can be posted anonymously on the internet or a non-anonymous posting could just be blamed on a friend using the account, making it difficult to identify harmful behavior and intervening according to the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Even then, since everything visible on Facebook is public to that particular person, Saharia says that people think that they can justify sending links to a photo by saying that a person already put it on public domain. “We would never have done the things we did in person. You would never take a picture and send it to your friends,” Saharia said. “But if someone takes a picture of themselves doing something scandalous and puts it online then you can say you’re entitled to do whatever you want with it. It really makes a gray area and blurs out the rules—there are no rules.” See VICTIMS on page 12

Nation-wide

MVHS 31% of students say they have been cyber-bullied.

7 of 75 students who have been bullied on the internet have actually reported the incidents.

“

If someone insults you over the internet and you actually care about what they say, the problem lies within you. —survey respondent

”

32% of teens who go online have experienced some sort of online harrassment.

“

[Cyberbullying means] being a jerk to others while hiding cowardice and insecurity behind the anonymity of the internet. —survey respondent

”

*What do you think people are bullied about? Looks Sexuality Relationships Grades Other

88% 77% 70% 60% 35%

*Where do you think people get cyberbullied? Formspring Social Networking Sites Youtube comments Blog Chat Email School Loop Videochat Other *Survey respondents selected all that apply. All statistics come from an online survey of 123 students.

86% 82% 71% 60% 59% 57% 35% 32% 25%

PAGE 14

EL ESTOQUE A CLOSER LOOK

MAY 19, 2010

Facing the unknown Students subject to harassment through anonymous questions on website by Jiachen Yang

What is Formspring? Formspring.me is a website that allows users to post anything to others’ accounts anonymously. The recipient has the choice to respond or ignore the comments and questions.

ctor Patrick McGoohan said, “Questions are a burden to others; answers are a prison for oneself.” But give the questioner absolute anonymity with Formspring.me, and the situation worsens. Questions become irresponsible incisions into personal privacy, and answers are fuel for further abuse. Opening the door to one’s soul An unsuspecting teenager may enter the territory of cyberbullies, oblivious to the possibility of abuse and intrusion. In the case of junior Shishi Wang, a simple suggestion from a friend was enough for her to create a Formspring account. For freshman Michelle Tsai, a link to Formspring on a friend’s Gmail status message transported her into the realm of anonymity. Both of them initially regarded Formspring, which allows anyone to post anything on anybody’s account anonymously and gives the receiver a choice to respond or ignore, as entertaining and harmless. Neither foresaw the arrival of undesirable posts.

Absolutely no accountability

A psychological analysis

“They’re always asking about body stuff. It’s like, ‘Why do you care? Why does it bother you?’” Wang said. “It gets annoying. I get the same inappropriate questions over and over again.” These probing questions are not only directed towards private areas of her body, but also seek to expose the nature of her relationship with her boyfriend. Furthermore, many who post on her Formspring make lewd and sexual comments about her relationship, bringing Formspring’s stated purpose—to let users “learn more about [their] friends”—to the extreme. “I might get angry afterward, but if they can’t say things to my face then they are cowards. I disregard them or say ‘F-off’,” Wang said. Even without intruding upon personal privacy, posts on Formspring can carry an emotional impact, especially when they challenge the recipient’s perception of him or herself. Tsai’s Formspring contains no questions as inappropriate as those of Wang’s, but she recognizes the potential influence of Formspring on her. “The anonymous questions go past the normal boundaries because you’re never held accountable for the things you say,” Tsai said. “I thought I got along well with the debate team. After a while, I got mean debate-related comments and I could tell [they were] from my teammates. I was shocked to hear them, and so I was not so trusting of everyone else.”

Since users of Formspring can choose to ignore a post and prevent it from appearing on their profile, they are not absolutely defenseless against unpleasant posts. However, in the first two months after she created a Formspring account, Wang responded to many egregious posts that bothered her. School psychologist Sheila Altmann offers an explanation: “People are in search of validation. They want to have some form of confirmation from others about themselves, to see if what others feel matches how they see themselves,” Altmann said. “It takes self-esteem to accept [a criticism] or to say, ‘You’re off-base.’” As such, choosing to dismiss a personal attack or accept a criticism is not easy. Add on the mask of anonymity, and a logical response to abuse dismissing the attack becomes even more difficult. “If it’s anonymous there is no way to measure the value of what they say. I can’t say, ‘If I don’t respect the person, then I would dismiss [the comment],’” Altmann said. A possible benefit

putting relationships at risk. “I want to know how people feel about me, but I don’t want to know which people feel that way about me. Through [Formspring], you can avoid some of the consequences of telling the truth that no one wants to hear,” Tsai said. “Overall, it’s more positive than negative. I want to make myself stronger. I want to be able to keep my composure. It has helped me define who I am as a person, and I feel that I’m aware of people’s opinions of me.” The right response In the case of destructive criticism, Altmann believes the ideal response is to share the impact and convey one’s perspective, for the sender to see the effect of their irresponsibility. But if all else fails, the user can disable the account and handle cyber networking with a greater awareness of danger. “Students today don’t have a strong sense of privacy,” Altmann said. “They don’t realize the extent of damage that can be done if they put everything out there, not just to trusted people. It’s like a house with no curtains, like a glass house.”

According to Altmann, people dislike giving direct feedback, which could hurt someone’s feelings, to a person’s face. This could explain why Tsai regards Formspring as a positive tool that builds her character because anonymity allows others to post constructive criticism without

Protect yourself from your Formspring Keep it private To prevent unnecessary comments, keep your formspring quiet by only telling close friends about it. Don’t respond Don’t take offense to a negative comment. Ignore it and the commenter won’t feel validated.

I use [Formspring] for entartainment, so it doesn’t really matter if people make fun of me. I just find it funny.

”

junior Melissa Wang

“

Hannah Lem | El Estoque

junior Jeremy Dor

“

junior Neha Prakash

senior Vincent Nguyen

Thoughts on Formspring

I just got one because my friends all had one. I feel like if it was a good thing, they could just say it to my face.

”

“

Formspring is a website where people can ask intrusive questions, say quo- things and hate on mean teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee people.

”

“

I just like to know what people think of me. If people don’t have the guts to say it to me, then they can just type it on Formspring.

”

sports

5 1 At the top of their game Interview with Kevin Wilson

PAGE 16

PAGE 17

Boys swimming sweeps leagues

PAGE 18

Where did the trainer go?

Meet the spring athletes that have made it to this season’s CCS playoffs

Erin Chiu | El Estoque

ON DECK Freshman Michelle Chan takes a break from practice on May 13. Chan will be swimming in four events at the upcoming CCS semifinals on May 21.

READY, SET, GO Senior Amit Sumal crouches down as he prepares to run on May 15. Sumal will be running the 200 meters in the CCS semifinals on May 22.

Swim teams take next stroke

Sprinting to the finish line

by Joseph Beyda

by Sarika Patel

Meet the swimmers who are headed to CCS Track and field prepares to compete at CCS

he boys and girls swim teams will be competing at the Central Coast Section, CCS, playoffs which this year have been moved from Stanford to the Santa Clara International Swim Center. Preliminary races will be held on May 21, with the top eight swimmers or relay teams for each event advancing to the finals on May 22. Seniors, and twins, Michael and Richard Chen are competing in CCS for their fourth year. The similarities between the two are striking—they wear the same shirts on many days, but in different colors to make laundry easier; they both will swim the 100-meter breaststroke at CCS. “The only way [our teammates] can figure out [who is who] is by the scar on my brother’s stomach,” Michael said. What’s more, their times are almost identical. And with a seeding system that assigns swimmers with like times a certain lane for each of the heats, with the fastest overall swimmers always in lane four, the brothers are rarely forced to swim directly against each other. Their teammate, sophomore Michael Leung, qualified for four individual

events, but has chosen to swim only the 200-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke. Swimmers are limited to just two individual events when competing in CCS; Leung chose these strokes because of their similarity. “They’re similar strokes; basically, backstroke is freestyle on your back,” he said. “So if you get one down, it’s easy to pick up the next.” Leung will also swim as a part of the 400-meter freestyle and 200meter medley relay teams, swimming the backstroke leg in the latter to start the race. The girls team has struggled this season, but potential for the future presents itself in freshman Michelle Chan. At CCS, Chan will be swimming in the 100-meter breaststroke, 50-meter freestyle, and 200-meter freestyle and medley relays. Her contribution to the medley will be with breaststroke, the stroke that has been the most consistent for her since she started swimming competetively at the age of seven. At the beginning of the year, she broke MVHS’s school record in the 100-meter breaststroke, posting a time of 1:09:37, well below the previous mark. Yet that didn’t stop Chan’s hard work. “At CCS, my main goal is probably to improve,” she said.

he track and field team will be heading to the Central Coast Section, CCS, playoffs on May 22. The meet will be held at Gilroy High School and a total of seven MVHS track and field athletes will be competing. According to senior Amit Sumal, a sprinter who qualified to race the 200 meters at the upcoming CCS meet, the team expects that they will be able to do well, but can’t do much as a team because of the small number of athletes that will compete at CCS. Sumal will be joined by six others: sophomores Arvind Rao, Peter Feng, Kevin Bishop and Sayali Khare, as well as seniors Akhil Raju and Alex Balaban. Half of the athletes who will be participating in CCS for MVHS this year also participated last year, meaning that they are experienced with the event and the level of competition. Sumal admits that he personally did not expect to qualify. “Even right now, I’m still surprised that I’m going,” Sumal said. His path to CCS was a bumpy one. On May 14 at the CCS qualifiers, Sumal set

up his starting blocks wrong. Despite his faltering start, Sumal ran a good enough race to advance him to the CCS semifinals. According to Sumal, at the start of the race he was closer to the the back of the pack; either last or second to last. It wasn’t until after rounding the turn at the first 100 meters that Sumal pulled through and was able to place in the top five of his heat. “When I started the race I started off really slow, we went to the beach so I was really relaxed,” Sumal said. This is Sumal’s second year going to CCS but first year running the 200 meter race. Since freshman year, Sumal has ran the hurdles and the 400 meters race. Just the week before SCVAL finals Sumal had set his personal record of 23.2 seconds and hopes to beat his record as CCS. He predicts that there will be about 32 racers in the 200 meters but doesn’t anticipate himself placing. “I’m really happy that I even made it to CCS, so even if I can set a new personal record I’ll be satisfied”, Sumal said. Either way, Sumal admits, the team is highly satisfied with their performance and is very happy to be sending these athletes to CCS.

CCS SCHEDULE

May 21

Here are the athletes that will be swimming preliminary rounds at Santa Clara International Swim Center,

Freshmen Kevin Su Sophomores Michael Leung Keith Yuen

Juniors Alex Bagdasarian Jeffery Dong Sean Hughes Nick Sinzig

Seniors Shunei Asao Ethan Chao Michael Chen Richard Chen Peter Im Antonio Ting senior Michael Chen

May 22

Here are the athletes that will be competing at the CCS track and field semifinals at Gilroy High School.

Sophomore Kevin Bishop Peter Feng Sayali Khare Arvind Rao sophomore Sayali Khare

Seniors Alex Balaban Akhil Raju Amit Sumal senior Akhil Raju

PAGE 16

MAY 19, 2010

EL ESTOQUE SPORTS

THE PAGE THE PLAYER

A LOOK BACK AT THE MONTH IN SPORTS VARSITY BADMINTON

THE GAME

VARSITY BASEBALL

Kevin Wilson Senior Kevin Wilson has been playing baseball for as long as he can remember. While he has been playing on a club team for a few years, Wilson has also been playing on the MVHS varsity team for the past three years. The majority of Wilson’s life has been engulfed in baseball, and after completing in his final game of his high school career last Friday, he is ready to play in college, and to pursue a a job related to sports psychology. Though he is still unsure of his future job, Wilson’s current focus is preparing to play college ball. Erin Chiu | El Estoque

El Estoque: How long have you been playing baseball?

EE: Are you playing baseball in college?

Kevin Wilson: Ever since I was really little.

KW: Yes. I’m playing for Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

EE: Do you play in a club team right now?

EE: Did you get people [from Gettysburg College] to come out and watch you play?

KW: I do. I play for All-Star Academy, and I’ve been there for four years. I plan to continue in the summer. For club teams, you play the entire season that you’re not playing in high school, but there’s still practice during high school. EE: So how did [the MVHS baseball team] do this year? KW: We’re disqualified from CCS. This year was definitely a disappointment. We thought we could have done really well. And we got off to a good start, we were 5-0, and then we had a couple of bad games. Then we started getting down on ourselves, and it just got worse and worse. Now we’re fighting to not get last place in leagues. But next year, hopefully we’ll do better. Our team isn’t losing that many senior starters, only like one or two.

KW: East Coast schools don’t really come out unless they’re big name schools. So for Division III schools you have to go out there. EE: Oh, that’s interesting. Then how did you get noticed by Gettysburg? KW: I went out to the East Coast and played in a couple of tournaments over the summer while people from some schools watched. EE: So, what are your plans for baseball after college? KW: Well, I’m not expecting to play after college, but I’ll probably end up doing something surrounding baseball because it’s pretty much my life right now. I’m studying sports psychology, so hopefully I’ll get to work with something baseball related.

Victor Kuo | El Estoque

BIRDIE SOMETHING Junior Gary Wang returns a hit from the opposing Saratoga High School player on May 11. The Matadors were unable to beat the Falcons in the end and lost 8-7.

MONTA VISTA MATADORS

SARATOGA FALCONS

by Victor Kuo

n a tough game against the Saratoga High School Falcons on May 11, the badminton team faced an opponent with varying skill levels, losing the game to SHS by only one match. The match ended in a 15 to 15 point tie, with the number of points awarded based on the caliber of the teams involved. Despite tying the SHS badminton team in the overall score, SHS won eight matches, one more than MVHS, and came away with the win, in accordance with scoring procedure. Junior Gary Wang, varsity one boys singles, fought for every point against his SHS opponent. The first game began well for Wang, as he made a diving return shot extending his lead 5-1. What started as a strong lead turned into a collapse as Wang’s opponent fought back from his slow start and tied the game at 6-6. Some misplaced shots landed outside the court for Wang, and the SHS player continued to dominate the first game, winning 9-15. Drop shots proved effective against Wang, as the SHS player started off the second game with an 11point scoring run. Fatigue from chasing down the well placed SHS shots combined with some missed serves resulted in a loss for Wang, 3-15. Senior Diane Keng and junior Alex Shung won

THE TEAM

their varsity one mixed doubles match with ease. In the first game, Keng and Shung’s solid team play gave them an early lead and an early win in game number one, 15-9. The duo placed their shots well, forcing their opponents to send back sloppy and slow return shots, as well as tiring them out. The second game was like the first and the MVHS pair clearly outplayed their opponents. Game two ended in another decisive 15-9 victory for Keng and Shung, winning them the match two games to zero. In the varsity one girls doubles, seniors Tiffany Chang and Jennifer Chen defeated their SHS opponents with ease. The Matadors started off strong, creating an 8-0 lead over SHS with strong serves from Chen and smashes from Chang. Saratoga attempted to make a comeback, but wasn’t able to close the lead. Chang and Chen pulled away at the 8-4 mark winning five consective points leading to a 15-6 first game win. The second game was tighter than the first, with several long rallies and a tied score. MVHS, however, pulled ahead to increase their lead 11-5 and eventually won the game with a smash by Chang 15-5. Overall, the duo overwhelmed their opponents at every level from skill and athleticism to teamwork.

THE PLAYERS AND PERSONALITIES OF THE VARSITY BOYS SWIM TEAM Erin Chiu | El Estoque

Junior Alex Bagdasarian Bagdasarian is known to be able to sneak into morning practice late.

Senior Kai Ferng Ferng’s teammates believe that he resembles a panda bear.

Senior Erick Lu Teammates think Lu is the smartest player on the team.

Junior Nick Sinzig Sinzig is called the “New Kid On The Block” because in his first year on the team he made CCS.

Junior Jeffery Dong Dong is nicknamed “Silent J” because he is the quietest member of the team.

Senior Antonio Ting Ting is nicknamed “Snapping Turtle” because he bites teammates at practice.

Junior Sean Hughes Hughes’ teammates say that his body is “chiseled by God.”

Senior Varun Dwarka Dwarka often serenades the team with his guitar.

Senior Peter Im Im competes with teammate Erick Lu for “Most Dedicated Senior” on the team.

Senior Andrew Stewart Stewart is known to find ways to make practice fun such as playing underwater charades.

MAY 19, 2010

EL ESTOQUE SPORTS

Boys swimming takes finals

Both junior varsity and varsity sweep at league finals, move forward

PAGE 17

SAMVED SANGAMESWARA

For the LOVE of the GAME

Don’t take it for granted

Erin Chiu | El Estoque

NO END IN SIGHT Junior Alex Bagdasarian swims at the MVHS pool during a practice on May 13. Bagdasarian is a part of the boys swim team that won the league championship and is sending swimmers to compete in a CCS meet on May 21. by Jordan Lim

ver the last few years, the MVHS boys swim team has been good, but has not found as much success as their girl counterparts. This year however, it was the boys program that won big, with both JV and varsity going undefeated and taking first in leagues. After sweeping their dual meets, both boys swim teams came out on top at the May 7 league championship that was held at Gunn High School. Although they’ve had regular season success in the past, playoff victories like these are something new. “We usually do really well in the regular season, but in the last couple of years

we haven’t been able to pull it off at the division championship meets,” junior JV swimmer Nicholas Wong said. This year the varsity boys won by a fairly large margin, with second place Palo Alto 60 points behind. “I think it was an upset for us to win leagues. A lot of other teams have really strong swimmers who get first in several events,” junior and varsity swimmer Sean Hughes said. “We didn’t take first in any events, but our depth allowed us to take second, third, and fourth. That’s what made the difference for us.” In addition to the depth, the seniors on this year’s team made up for the most of the podium finishes and the majority of the points at the league meet.

“Last year we had a few strong seniors that graduated,” Hughes said. “But our seniors this year definitely stepped up and we got several really strong freshmen, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.” Considering the way that both JV and Varsity did in leagues and the number of swimmers that are going to CCS, the boys swimming team at MVHS is doing well and sees success in the future. “I’d say we have the potential to do really well next year,” Hughes said. “Like last year we are losing strong seniors, but with the way that our JV team has been doing and the number of strong younger swimmers that are staying with us, we should be good.”

Award honors student athletes with passion

Justin Perkins Sandlot Award rewards sportsmanship, dedication by Vijeta Tandon

alk into the front office and you’ll be dazzled by a display of shiny trophies and plaques on either side. But look a little bit closer, and you’ll see a modest, silver structure sitting on the left side of the front desk. Four names are displayed on it: names of the past four winners of the Justin Perkins Sandlot Award. Founded by Albert Perkins and John Loiacono, MVHS graduates, and Steven Hayes Young, who has children attending MVHS, the Justin Perkins Sandlot Award is a memorial award in memory of Justin Perkins, an MVHS Class of 2005 alumnus who was diagnosed with stomach cancer his junior year. Justin was determined to play on the MVHS football team again and was able to do so for the last three games of his senior year. Although Justin lost his battle with cancer in 2008, his family and friends continue to be inspired by his character. It was this inspiration that led them to found the Justin Perkins Sandlot Award, meant to reward individuals who display selflessness and reach out to their community or their teammates. “This is a memorial to [Perkins] and what his values were,” Career Center technician Miriam Taba said. “His values were giving back to the community, giving back more of himself, thinking about others.” Class of 2009 alumnus Curtis Gatley, one of the four winners of the award last year, exemplified this attitude. “Joy is not found in materials, it is found in love. And love is something that has to be given. So I try and give it out to the best of my ability,” Gatley said in a description of himself handed out to attendees at last year’s Senior Awards Night. Although Gatley played sports at MVHS all four years of his high school career, being an athlete is not a requirement for eligibility. Co-founder Steven Hayes Young feels that many times athletes who take the time and effort to help fellow players simply characterize the kinds of personality traits the award is meant to recognize. Young also admitted that at first the three founders weren’t completely sure what they were going to do with the award, but they knew that they wanted to establish

Photo Courtesy of Cathy Gatley

MOMENT OF HONOR MVHS alumni Becca Wagner, Graham Paterson, Curtis Gatley and Silver Creek alumnus Brianna Mercado were commemorated by award co-founder Albert Perkins last November. something. They approached Taba to help them plan the application process and logistics of the award. “We were trying to figure out ways that would make it easier,” Taba said. “The kinds of people that [the award is] targeting are the people who give back but may not necessarily be academic.” They decided to make a simple application that required only a description of current community service activities and references. In this sense, the judging of the award is also not based on a pure formula, but rather takes into account the character and motivation of the individual. “When you look at applications you can just see it, you just find something different,” Young said. “It’s easy to find people with a 4.0, but it’s about finding people who go beyond that.” This year, applications for the award were due by April 29, and the winners will be announced at Senior Awards Night on May 26. Young also believes that sometimes, the people who deserve the award most may not be the ones who think about applying. Although Gatley admits he applied at his mother’s encouragement, he now recognizes what makes it unique. “What makes this award different is that it follows a different choice,” Gatley said. “The recognition is to the one who resists the temptations of the MVHS lifestyle, and reaches beyond his own perceived sphere of interactions.”

suppose since this is my last column it’s my time to leave my parting wisdom with you all. It’s hard, considering this is a sports column and for the most part, high school sports commentary isn’t exactly the venue for that kind of serious talk, but I think I know exactly what I want to leave you all with here. My parting lesson to you is please, do not take what you have here for granted. What I’m referencing of course, are our sports here at MVHS. I know, it’s probably weird to hear. After all, with the value we put in our academics and the interest, or lack thereof, we invest in our sports teams, I think we really need to take a step back and appreciate what we have. Even though we aren’t churning out state championships left and right, we still have a solid program here and in my last column I implore you all to take note of that.

Us vs. Them

You see I, like many other graduating seniors, am coming to the realization that not all colleges are the big time “football schools” and that I’m probably never going to get the experience of going to a game to root for “my” team. It’s strange to think about but especially for those of us who choose to attend a UC (only three of nine have football teams), high school is the last time we get to have that experience. What that means is that high school is it. No more Friday night football games or student sections at basketball games. Sure there are still professional teams to root for, but I can’t say that evokes the same feelings. It’s “Them” not “Us” when I’m watching the Sharks or the 49ers. I will never again be able to take the same sort of pride in sports teams that I did with the ones here at MVHS.

Take notice

So for all of you juniors, sophomores and freshmen, please be grateful for what you have here. It’s so easy to sit there and lament how we never make it beyond CCS, and just down the street at the private schools there are kids competing on the national level, but what does that accomplish? The grass may always be greener on the other side, but there may come a time when you have no grass at all. There are solid, quality sports teams here worth watching, so I really think you should all make the most of it. You don’t know what you’re going to get a few years down the line so enjoy what you have while it’s still there instead of always wishing for something more.

Enjoy what you have

I’m thrilled with the college I’m going to be attending next year, but the one thing that makes me sad is the fact that there are going to be no sports to watch. I’m writing this column because I came to that realization a little too late. Sadly, I feel like I could have valued the athletics here a little bit more and that’s why I’m writing to tell you all to do so. It’s advice I feel can apply to most aspects of your high school life. We don’t know what’s coming next in our lives and it would be a shame if we wasted what we have now by waiting for “something better”. So as I leave this school with over a dozen varsity sports to the land of Banana Slugs and, well at least there’s a basketball team, I really feel the urge to give thanks for what I had here. I know I was lucky to have the sports I have here and I hope you all realize this one day as well.

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EL ESTOQUE SPORTS

MAY 19, 2010

Vacant trainer position causes trouble Lack of possible trainer replacements leaves treating atheletes’ injuries to coaches by Christine Chang

he doors were always open. Invitingly open, it seemed. Just this past fall, the small room between the weight training room and the boys team room was bustling with athletes going in and out for ice, treatment, or simply advice. On some days, a Gatorade cooler just outside the room offered athletes a refreshing drink after practice. But for the last five months, the room has remained locked. Trainer Jesse Little, who was seen by the stands at home games and constantly working with injured athletes during the fall, left mid-November of last year. Since then, the position of an on-campus trainer has gone unfilled. Little was recruited from a credential program in the San Jose State University athletic department, which allows students at the university trying to get certified in athletic training to do hands-on work, part time. The position is paid, and for the last several years, MVHS has recruited its oncampus trainers from this program. However, due to complications with her program, Little was no longer able to participate and left her position at MV. Since the end of November on, injured athletes have been left to seek physical therapy on their own or from coaches. Athletic Director Jeff Mueller asserts that all the coaches are certified in treating athletes and have the knowledge to diagnose and help treat athletes. But being able to both treat athletes and give equal attention to coaching on the field is a completley different story. “Having a trainer without a doubt makes things easier. There’s someone devoted to diagnosing problems and making sure athletes are on beat for games,” Mueller said. “If we don’t have a trainer by next year, it’ll be [the coaches] who do the taping for every single injured athlete, as well as managing the ice. It would be a lot harder with the extra work, and we’d probably lose some focus on the field.”

Christine Chang | El Estoque

KNEE UP Senior varsity softball player Yujia Ding slips on her knee brace in the team locker room before practice on May 12. The trainer also spent considerable time managing the ice, which was a convenient option for athletes with muscle strains. Without a designated individual responsible for preparing the ice, many athletes are unable to get cold therapy regularly since they don’t have the resources to do so at their homes. Senior and varsity softball player Yujia Ding, who injured her knee earlier this school year, found the absence of a trainer difficult mainly because she couldn’t conveniently get the ice or taping when she needed it. “Once a couple of girls were hurting during [softball] practice, like a sprain

or something, and usually the first thing would be ‘get the trainer,’” Ding said. “Now it’s just harder because we have to scramble to find an ice pack, and it takes the coach a while to figure out what’s wrong, whereas the trainer would probably diagnose it much quicker just because she specializes in it.” Freshman and track distance runner Christie Lin began feeling pain in her knee about 10 weeks into the season, but unlike Ding, it prevented her from competing for most of the season. “I didn’t do anything professional with it because it would be too much trouble to go to an actual doctor,” Lin said. “I don’t

actually know what to do besides ice, so having a trainer would help.” The presence of a trainer during cross country season last year helped Lin remember to ice injuries regularly after practice, keeping budding injuries from getting worse. As of now, MVHS and Fremont High are the only schools in the district without a trainer. Because there were no other students at San Jose State in the credential program available to replace Little for the remainder of the year, Mueller is planning to meet with the program directors this month to see if any university students will be able to fill the spot next year.

Golf for girls: Three underclassmen work to create own team

By having their own team, females would have more opportunity to play in tournaments by Kanwalroop Singh

reshman Prianka Singh approached her first hole. She remembers crouching down. Thoughts had raced through the highway of her mind. Was the slope left or right, up or down? How far was she from the hole? Where should she aim? She tried to calm herself—it was just one shot. But people were watching: coaches, parents, students. She stood up. Her heart pounded. She walked to the ball. Blood rushed to her head. She lifted her club and swung. Singh was at Santa Teresa Golf Course, playing in her first tournament on Nov. 1, 2009—a rare opportunity for one of three girls on the golf team. Since then, she has not been able to play in another one. Only varsity players can play in tournaments, and

Singh is in junior varsity because she lacks the experience the male members of the team have. In fact, all three girls on the team are junior varsity. But if there was a separate team, at least some girls would get to play in tournaments, rather than none—which was usually what happened. So Singh set about trying to create a girls golf team. She had been under the impression that girls were interested in playing golf, there was just a lack of opportunity. But she was wrong. At an interest meeting earlier in the year, hardly any girls showed up. Then Singh realized that it wasn’t the opportunity that stopped them, it was fear. “People are interested,” Singh said, “but they don’t have the guts to say, ‘I’m a beginner and I want to play.’” The girls are planning to re-structure their strategy for next year. Sophomore Christina Wong, also on the golf

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team, hopes that they can start earlier and participate in more tournaments. Singh hopes to provide more awareness, take away fear of inexperience, and dispel the idea that golf is “boring.” “I don’t really know why people think it’s boring,” Singh said. “I like it because it’s different from other sports.” For Singh, golf is not an exact science, where distance must be measured accurately or angles calculated meticulously. For Singh, golf is not a sport of suffering, where there is an immense pressure to succeed. For Singh, the most wonderful thing about golf is that it’s fun. At her first and only tournament back in November, Singh’s first hole didn’t go so well. She felt a little frustrated, a little irritated, a little overwhelmed, but then she thought—at least I get the chance to do this. If people only knew what they were missing.

a&e

9 1 The coops of Cupertino

PAGE 20 Students design a cellphone app

PAGE 21 Freshman equestrian owns horses

PAGE 22 Plan the perfect Californian summer trip

Several students’ families raise multiple chickens in their own backyards

Erin Chiu | El Estoque

COOPED UP Junior Chris Berger feeds the chickens that he and his family keep in their backyard on May 15. The Bergers are one of several families that own chickens. by Jane Kim

chicken is no pet dog. But to some of the students who raise chickens in their backyards, these feathery pets are just as much, if not much more, work—and more rewarding. Sophomore Cameron Yates, and his sister, junior Natalie Yates, have around 20 chickens and five peacocks roaming around their seven acres of land. Around 11 years ago, their dad came home with their first bout of chickens to fill up the area. “Might have been a sudden urge to do something different,” Natalie said. Cameron says that it is because they had enough space in their backyard to keep those types of pets. That was the starting point of their chickenkeeping in the backyard. Natalie’s favorite chicken was named “Spikey Dude”. While chickens aren’t usually recognized as good pets or miraculous, according to Natalie, this one was different. Spikey Dude showed tendencies of a doglike loyalty to Natalie. She would follow Natalie everywhere around her backyard. And more often than not, Natalie considered Spikey Dude to be almost miraculous, not because of her loyalty but because she repeatedly escaped death. “We live up in the hills, so there are mountain lions, coyotes, etc. A few nights Spikey Dude got out [of the backyard], but we found her in the morning and she wasn’t harmed, which we thought was amazing,” Natalie said. “She was a miracle chicken.” Later, Spikey Dude became sick a few times, but always

got better, when other chickens didn’t. But not all chickens can be like Spikey Dude. They all have their own types of personalities. Some are aggressive and others are gentle like Floppy, Cameron’s favorite rooster. Floppy is named after the red comb on his head and isn’t aggressive like some of the other chickens the Yates have. Taking care of the birds does entail, however, a lot of work. Junior Chris Berger can attest to that. The chickens need to be fed, their coop needs to be cleaned and water needs to be constantly filled. For Berger, it sometimes even means running out to the backyard whenever they cluck hysterically. Berger has four pet chickens, and he says that the worst part of having them is the amount of noise they make. “In the middle of the night you get woken up because something’s going after [the chickens] like a raccoon or possum,” Berger said. “So in the middle of the night you have to go running out there in your underwear chasing away raccoons.” But like the Yates, Berger thinks the best thing about having chickens is the free eggs that he gets. The peacocks in the Yates’ backyard lay eggs about three times as large as the chicken eggs. But other than that, they don’t do much. They walk around in the house, scattered across the land or sitting in the trees. Sometimes they leave colorful feathers on the ground. But what the peacocks and the chickens give their owners amounts to more than eggs and feathers. “[I] became really attached to a lot of the chickens and the peacocks,” Cameron said. “We’ve seen them breeding, and it’s cool to watch them grow.”

Singing with ‘Glee’: Choir team takes on song list from show For this year’s final choir concert, singers choose to perform contemporary music by Mansi Pathak

onight, more than 200 choir members will take the stage to make their favorite “Glee” idols proud. Instead of a regular mix of classical Broadway numbers, this year’s spring choir concert is taking a more modern approach, by performing renditions of oldies and modern pop songs from the Fox television show, “Glee.” Choir teacher Shari D’Epiro looked into the idea of a “Glee”themed concert after a number of student requests raised her curiosity. “I had never seen ‘Glee’ or even heard of it, but I downloaded all of the episodes on my computer and after watching some I thought, ‘Oh! This is pretty fun,’” D’Epiro said. “I mean, [a lot of the songs] are my era, so I said, ‘Sure, let’s do this!’” D’Epiro chose a variation of songs from the first season “Glee” for all choirs to sing as a whole, ranging from a variety of decades and genres—Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper, Avril Lavigne and more. “[Bill Wither’s] ‘Lean on Me’ is definitely my favorite,” junior Netania Naik said. “We have a little bit of fun and

some cheesy choreography to go along with it.” Along with the group performances, there will be several solo and small group performances, some of modern pop songs and others following the “Glee” theme. Naik, along with sophomore Aaron Ho and juniors Jasper Wu and Svadharma Keerthi ,will be perfoming the “Glee” rendition of Avril Lavigne’s “Keep Holding On,” for which they have been working by dividing up solo verses, as well as harmonizing the chorus. Along with a modern “Glee” theme, D’Epiro is working to make the performance space even larger. For the first time, the concert will be taking place in the main gym, rather than the auditorium, which will enable all 200 choir members to perform on stage together, while seating an additional 200 audience members. “We’re moving risers and bleachers and working with the sound system in there,” D’Epiro said. “It’s a lot of extra work, but it will be worth it.” With many changes being made to the concert structure, D’Epiro is thinking ahead. This year, she has instituted a general admission price for all audience members, with hopes of a raising a little bit of money for some of the choir’s

first festival performances next year. She has high hopes that it will be a concert with songs and performances for all age groups to enjoy. “I was thinking this could be our theme for the next couple years,” she said. “We can just do ‘Glee’ music!”

‘GLEE’ SPRING CONCERT Where: Main gym When: May 19 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Tickets: $5 with student ID $7 general admission What to expect: “Lean on Me” - Bill Withers “I’ll Stand By You” - Carrie Underwood “Somebody to Love” - Queen “Don’t Stop Believin’” - Journey “Keep Holding On” - Avril Lavigne and more...

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EL ESTOQUE A&E

MAY 19, 2010

Clubs in a flash Never tired of drama by Hannah Lem and Jordan Lim

n May 7, 8, 13, and 14 the International Thespian Society and the Advanced Drama class dimmed the lights in the Black box to debut their student-produced series of Children’s Plays, “Just So Stories” and “The Nightingale.” “The Nightingale,” directed by Sheiva Khalily and “Just So Stories,” directed by Jarryd Alfaro, had studentdesigned sets and costumes. This was Alfaro’s final drama production at Monta Vista. “Directing is hard in some ways but really rewarding because it’s such a good learning experience being able to do it yourself,” Alfaro said. “And I think it’s a good way to end my Monta Vista career.” The scripts from each of the plays were adapted from original stories. Khalily also adapted “The Nightingale” to have more actors be able to participate in the production. “Just So Stories” is adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s book of stories. The four tales that were produced were “How the Whale Got His Throat,” “How the Camel Got His Hump,” “How the First Letter was Written,” and “The Cat that Walked by Himself”.

Erin Chiu | El Estoque

CHILDREN’S PLAY Junior Stella Ziegler looks through set costumes backstage in the Green Room after her performance of “Just So Stories” on May 14. Both the costumes and the set were designed and created by drama students. Interacting with moms

A fresh ending

he Interact Club members did not only wrap gifts for their own mothers, but this past Mother’s Day, they wrapped many other mothers’ gifts as well. The Interact Club organized an activity where members helped wrap Mother’s Day presents at Cupertino Square. This is the first time that the club helped to wrap gifts on Mother’s Day, but they have helped wrap for Christmas at Cupertino Square in the past. “We did the activity this time because it’s fun, and it makes Mother’s Day easier on some people—they don’t have to stress about wrapping [on their own],“ Interact president senior Soumya Murag said. There were approximately 22 volunteers from Interact that helped wrap. The club will help out with wrapping gifts next year, but is still unsure whether or not the activity will be held on Mother’s Day because of this year’s low turnout. But there will still be gift wrapping during the Christmas season, and Interact will definitely continue to help.

Fundraising with iron

VHS Future Business Leaders of America, FBLA, held a two day Baja Fresh fundraiser on May 13 and 14. Advertised as a post AP test celebration, the fundraiser was a strong success and experienced a good amount of attendance from the club’s members over its two day span. “We had about 30 people come. It’s not a lot of people, but it’s the majority of the active members in the club,” FBLA fundraiser organizer junior Nishad Joshi said. “We brought in some money, people came and had fun. I thought it was a success.” The fundraiser was organized as a way to put some more money into FBLA’s general funds account to counter balance some of their expenses from this year. FBLA received 20 percent of the profits for every meal purchased with the fundraiser flier. Money from this account would go towards the club’s expenses such as subsidizing competitions and providing studying materials for members to use to prepare for their exams and competitions.

he movie “Iron Man” was featured at MVHS on May 14 during a class of 2013 bonding night and fundraiser event. Tickets were sold for four dollars in advance and five dollars at the door, and included entrance to the movie night as well as a variety of snacks such as ice cream and popcorn. The movie night drew a fairly sizable crowd and proved to be a strong success. It was located in the gym and began at 3:30 p.m. “It went very well,” freshman class Treasurer Thomas Barber said. “We made a good amount of money from the tickets. Around 100 people came, and everyone seemed to have had a good time.” The movie night was one of many class of 2013 fundraisers throughout this year. To cap off a successful year of fundraising, the class of 2013 is also planning on holding an end of the year party that includes games at Memorial Park, movies at Blue Light Cinema and six eatery fundraisers in the Oaks, all at the same time on the same day.

Girl power: Contest urges girls to be innovative with talents

Eight week Technovation Challenge participants place second for their phone application by Hannah Lem

ome girls spend time downloading applications for their smart phones, but one group of girls from MVHS and other Bay Area schools spends time creating smart phone applications. These girls participated in an eight week program called the Technovation Challenge, from two parent organizations, Iridescent and Girls in Tech. Iridescent is a non-profit organizaion based in Los Angeles, offering science classes for middle and high school girls. Girls in Tech is a professional organization where women and young professionals can connect through networking activities. The students and their mentors, females working in technology, used App Inventor for Android. Their efforts ended in a competition where their mobile applications and business plans were judged, and the winner had their application made. Information about the program was posted on School Loop, and applications were due Jan. 6. Freshman Lena Chen’s parents thought that the program was a good opportunity, due to her interest in engineering. Chen was one of more than

five MVHS girls who participated. For the first few weeks, the girls had tutorials on how to use the Android application program. Chen, senior Kate Huang, sophomore Nupur Garg, and senior Sravanthi Koduri won second place for their application, Piano Mania. Their application helps teach piano or just allows people to have fun “playing” a digital piano. The keys form one octave, laid across the bottom of the screen. The notes in treble clef scroll across the screen. When the correct note is over the right key, the player has to touch the key. There is also the option to play anything on an octave of the piano. “The idea came from [Huang]’s mother. Her five-year-old sister wanted to learn how to play the piano, but her mother thought it would be too expensive, “ Koduri said. “And if we created an application for it on the phone, it would only cost $1.” Throughout the eight weeks, the girls learned how to write business plans and use the Android program. One of the first exercises was to create an application that would show a picture of a cat that purred upon touch. The later projects, which were more difficult, included a game where you

Photo courtesy of Kate Huang

APPLICATION DOMINATION From left, freshman Lena Chen, senior Sravanthi Koduri, senior Kate Huang, and sophomore Nupur Garg present their app, Piano Mania. try and get a ball into a hole on the screen. At the end of the program, each girl learned something about either herself, business or application designing. “It was the first time I went in front of three judges to put forth a business plan,”

Koduri said. “I’m not really comfortable with talking in front of a group of people. But now I am more comfortable to be judged. I wasn’t really nervous because I knew what I was talking about. I was talking about our app.”

MAY 19, 2010

EL ESTOQUE A&E

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Student’s horses are a part of the family Freshman Kalie Haynes, brought up around horses, now owns and cares for two of her by Mansi Pathak

hen freshman Kalie Haynes goes to college, she is going to have a lot of baggage. And not the sort of baggage that will carry her entire wardrobe or boxes of books. When Haynes goes to college, she’ll be taking a trailer to carry her two horses. For Haynes, horseback riding extends far beyond a sport—she sat on a horse around the same time she learned how to sit on a chair, and by the time she had the leg control to hold herself up, she was riding a horse. Her mother, Ruth, had been brought up in the same way since her parents—Haynes’ grandparents— bred horses. At least twice a week, Haynes and her mother trek into the hills of Milpitas, where their horse stalls are located. Haynes takes care of five horses: two of her own, Stopper and Skipper, and three others, Jessica, Pretty Girl, and April. Taking care of her horses entails the same sort of work as taking care of an infant: grooming, washing and cleaning their stalls of excrement. Except, unlike small babies, these horses are a little larger and potentially a lot more dangerous. “About a year ago, Stopper actually kicked me in the head. He barely missed the corner of my eye and the corner of my lip and I had this huge bruise,” Haynes said. “And it was right before picture day, which really sucked!” In another incident, a rough fall left Haynes lugging around a doughnut-shaped seat cushion everywhere to protect her injured tail bone. According to Haynes, though, her injuries have hardly been close to intense. During a trail ride in the mountains, Haynes’

friend was reared and bucked off her horse, rolled down the side of the hill, and was knocked unconscious. While she admits all these potential injuries do scare her, she adds that trust and communication between the rider and the horse greatly limit risks of injury. At that moment, Stopper begins to get restless and Haynes whispers “ho.” “When you say ‘ho’ to a horse, it means slow down or calm down,” Haynes explained. “Horses understand vowel sounds, clucks and kisses, and a lot of body movements.” They also understand affection, trust and love. Haynes feeds Stopper “horse cookies” tenderly out of her hand. She gives him kisses on his nose and lightly slaps his belly when he doesn’t listen. Haynes also believes Stopper has a great sense of humor. “Sometimes, if I’m wearing a zipper jacket and standing in front of him, he’ll use his lips to grab the zipper and completely unzips it.” Haynes laughed and stroked the soft summer coat forming on his back. “He’s really funny.” Haynes pulls out Skipper from his stall to stand with Stopper, but admits that it probably won’t go so well. “They don’t really get along,” Hayes said. “They have a sort of competition over who’s been here the longest and who’s in charge.” And like she said, the two horses’ ears shot up at the sight of them. And they turned to face away from each other and do what they know how to do best—eat. “Horses eat more hours in a day than they sleep,” Haynes said, justifying hungry Skipper’s behavior. “You’re a pig,” she chuckled as she tried to lead him back to his stall. “Such a pig.”

Mansi Pathak | El Estoque

SIDE STEPPING STOPPER Freshman Kalie Haynes’ horse, Stopper, side steps on May 13. Haynes owns and cares for two of her own horses in Milpitas.

Spotlite on India opens up cultural experience for others Non-Indian students perform classical and popular dance routines in Indian culture show by Victor Kuo

Mansi Pathak | El Estoque

A TASTE OF INDIAN CULTURE Senior Ramya Kedlaya teaches part of a dance routine to the group for this year’s Spotlite on India, which will take place on the evening of May 22.

hile it may be called Spotlite on India, Indians are hardly the only performers involved. This year, MVHS students of all different ethnicities are performing in the show and getting a taste of the Indian culture in the process. As an Indian culture show, Spotlite hosts a variety of performances, including dance routines, classical singing, comedy routines and a fashion show. All groups audition prior to the show and due to the great variety of acts, only the strongest make it through auditions and into the show. Senior Reva Bhatt, a veteran performer of Spotlite, is a part of three acts: the MV Bhangra routine, a senior dance routine and the fashion show. In her fifth time performing with the group, she recalls auditioning for the show in eighth grade and dancing in Spotlite on India 2006. But besides the excitement she feels for the night of the show, she also deeply respects the meaning behind the show as well. “The beauty of Spotlite is that it brings all

the different parts of India together in one show,” Bhatt said. “A lot of people think being Indian entails the same characteristics and culture. However, in many other respects, the diversity of food, languages, dances, clothes, mannerisms, etc. differ greatly from one region of India to the next.” The cultural reverence she holds for the show and its spotlight on multiple parts of India is shared by her fellow performers, but perhaps most of all in the eyes of the number of non-Indians performing in the show. Senior Samuel Lui, who practices twice a month to be a part of the senior dance routine, enjoys the submersion into another culture. His long-time interest in Indian dance and curiosity about its energy and preparation are but a few of the reasons he participates in the show. And despite his mixture of nerves and excitement to perform this cultural dance in front of a large audience, he reflects on the implications behind joining in the dance. “This show shows how accepting MVHS is of other cultures,” Lui said. “Although it may seem wierd that there is a Chinese kid

dancing with a bunch of Indians, it just shows how open this school is to experiencing new things. The audience may think that it’s strange in the beginning, but as they see how prepared we all are as a group, they’ll be amazed,” he said. Senior Tiffany Chang, another non-Indian participant in the show, is excited for her role in the fashion show. Her routine involves a short dance in her Indian clothing. She, also holding respect and curiosity for the culture, has similar views as her fellow dancers. “I signed up knowing that I probably would be [one of the few non-Indian performers]. I thought it would be exciting to see the culture of a large percent of the student body at Monta Vista,” Chang said. The show, which will take place on May 22, has already sold out on presale tickets, and many hold great anticipation for the show, especially Bhatt. “I think ‘excited’ is an understatement of what I am feeling,” Bhatt said. “May 22 will definitely be a night to remember, especially for the seniors like me.”

EL ESTOQUE A&E

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MAY 19, 2010

Vacation time: Take a summer journey Summer is just weeks away, and we know you don’t want to spend it watching reruns of ‘Glee.’ We decided to help you out by planning a three-day, two night vacation on two different budgets. You’re welcome. Experience some classic California resort town charm in Pismo Beach. With its movie shot-worthy sand dunes and trails along the shoreline, there is a wealth of picturesque beauty to be found. Starting at merely $36 per person.

Pismo Beach

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Orange County

Take a trip to southern California and bathe in the sunny rays of this happy place of busy beaches and bustling towns. So pack your swimsuit and head down to the O.C. With airfare, starting at a manageable $250 per person.

Sleep well for the night

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Stay at the three-star Radisson Suites Buena Park. which is in a great location, only six miles from Disneyland.

Reconnect with nature and camp at Pismo State Beach’s North Beach Campground, located behind the dunes.

Enjoy the tranquility of Back Bay

Visit the butterflies Admire the fiery orange beauty of the monarch butterflies at one of the largest groves in the U.S.

Have fun in the sand The tree-lined sand dunes are the perfect place to spend time on the beach or enjoy a picnic under the sun.

Flickr: Tibchris

Flickr: Donna62

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horseback trail ride through the dunes and beach at $50 per person. Book it I Silver Livery Stables

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Walk, hike, cycle, jog, and explore Back Bay while appreciating over 200 species of birds and other wildlife.

Shop in paradise Shop ‘til you drop at the Fashion Island, an open air Mediterranean-style shopping plaza with over 200 shops and a plethora of restaurants, while enjoying views of the Pacific Ocean, ponds, fountains, and waterfalls.

Play at the happiest place on earth Let your inner kid loose and enjoy all that Disneyland offers. There’s no better way to fulfill your childhood dreams than to take photos with Pooh Bear or sing along to “It’s a Small World.”

ON THE PIER A snapshot of Pismo Pier at sunset Explore the pier

Flickr: Beth Sargent

Enjoy regularly held surfing contests at the hub of South Country Surfing or go fishing. Concession stands, shops, and restaurants are also available.

Swim in hot water Visit the Historic Avila Hot Springs with a mineral and fresh water pool kept at a steamy 104 and 85 degrees respectively.

Flickr: AlBakker

Flickr: Wallyg

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Explore the islands Balboa and six other surrounding islands offer cafes and homey boutiques to visit. Be sure to stop by Balboa Bar, famous for their vanilla-ice cream bar covered with chocolate and drenched with toppings.

Dig for clams Known as the clam capital of the world, there’s no excuse to miss out on Pismo Beach’s world famous clams. Obtain a salt-water fishing license from K-mart or Long Drugs before clamming, with a limit of 10 clams per day.

Hike through nature Explore trails along the shoreline and into the coastal dunes with views of the coastal cliffs and caves and an occasional appearance of sea otters and sea lions.

by Aileen Le

THE BLUFFS A snapshot of Big Corona Flickr: Daniel Peckham

Experience the beach life Flickr: DannyMcL

Flickr: Ray_from_LA

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To enjoy a taste of life at Newport Beach spend an afternoon at Balboa Peninsula. Watch surfers brave waves at The Wedge or stroll on Balboa and Newport Piers.

Visit the village Take the path through the beautiful architectural neighborhoods of the seaside village of Corona del Mar, nestled between the bluffs and the Pacific Ocean.

MAY 19, 2010

EL ESTOQUE A&E

Abdominal work for the soul

In a flash, four definitive comedies to catch before studying for finals by Christophe Haubursin Kick-Ass - Rated R

Date Night - Rated PG-13

ou’re either going to love or hate “Kick-Ass,” the latest film from Matthew Vaughn. It all starts with Dave Lizewski, an average high school kid played by Aaron Johnson who finds himself fed up with New York crime. He’s soon joined by the McLovable Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Red Mist, playing, as he has in all of his movies since “Superbad,” an awkward wannabe. Next to follow are Nicholas Cage as the Batman-esque Big Daddy, and Hit-Girl, his butterfly knife-toting 11-year-old daughter who swears like a sailor. They’re a cast set up for success, and they deliver. Everything about the movie, from the visual style to the jokes that bring tears, will keep you on the edge of your seat, begging for more. There’s awkward romance. There’s crude comedy. And most of all, there’s a hell of a lot of blood. Here’s a part-parody, part-serious superhero action movie that isn’t afraid to cross the lines of conventional silliness—and awesomeness. “Kick Ass” is a roller coaster of a movie that will keep your abs pleading for mercy from the beginning to the end, even if the heroes don’t have any powers besides the ability to entertain. It’s impossible to recommend it highly enough. It kicks ass.

n an industry that has recently turned to churning out dreadful comedies with overdone and predictable plots, “Date Night” manages to break the trend. Directed by Shawn Levy, the film tells the story of Phil and Claire Foster, played by a hilarious Steve Carell and Tina Fey, a self-proclaimed “boring” couple living in the suburbs whose “Date Nights” serve as a break from the stress of raising two high-maintenance kids. But when their nights out become increasingly uneventful, Phil decides to take his wife out to Manhattan, only to steal the restaurant reservation of another couple under the name “Tripplehorn.” Then things get interesting. The real Tripplehorns are a pair of fugitives hunted by police and New York mafia alike that drag the oblivious Fosters into their own high-octane crime predicament. The originality is bogged down with the occasional car chase or gun fight, but even those are injected with surprising creativity. “Date Night” takes the realistic situation of a marriage on the rocks and gives it a unique spin with gut-busting laughs and adrenalinepumped action around every corner. It’s comedy gold. “We should go,” Fey insists before their night in the Big Apple. And she’s right. Don’t miss it.

Dan Smith | MARV Films

20th Century Fox

The Back-Up Plan Rated PG-13

on’t let the title of “romantic comedy” deceive you. Not only does the chemistry between main actors Jennifer Lopez and Alex CBS Films O’Loughlin in “The Backup Plan” feel underdeveloped and sketchy, but the jokes stack up with only as many memorable gags as Lopez has had decent songs. It all starts with Zoe, a single woman desperate to become a mother at any cost after having given up on men, who visits a sperm bank to be artificially inseminated moments before she meets her own Prince Charming in a taxi. They start dating. And when she tells him of her pregnancy predicament, confusion ensues. Think “Knocked Up,” except not nearly as funny. The rest of the movie follows their bizarre relationship of “should I stay or should I go” tension that ultimately goes nowhere. If you’re thinking nauseating, you couldn’t be any more correct. Sporadic comic relief is provided by Zoe’s disabled Boston Terrier and an Anthony Anderson cameo, but there’s much less of their genuine comedy than there is complaining over the horrors of pregnancy. Watch out for the home birth scene, though. The mid-birth performance seems to be pulled straight out of “The Exorcist,” and does more to instill a fear of pregnancy than any abstinence adviser ever could. If you’re planning on going to see this movie, get a backup plan of your own. It just doesn’t work.

Death at a Funeral Rated R

hen I first saw the trailer for “Death at a Funeral,” I wasn’t sure what to think of it. And by the time I watched it a week later, I still wasn’t sure. Neil Sony Pictures LaBute, known for his last ridiculous remake of “The Wicker Man” in 2006, took on this adaptation of 2007’s British version, and the butchered result is far worse than the original. The movie uses a script nearly identical to the first, but even the combined genius of Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, and Tracy Morgan can’t save this ailing situation. It tells the tale of the funeral held for the father of Aaron and Ryan, brothers trapped between author rivalries, with Aaron, played by Rock, as the one stuck with the entire bill for the funeral while Ryan, played by Lawrence, dodges all financial responsibilities. Everybody hates Chris, anyone? Everything starts to go wrong when the deceased father’s homosexual dwarf lover shows up, blackmailing Aaron with a series of scandalous photos. Funny? Potentially. But, like with the funeral, things get nonsensical as soon as the little person arrives. The sparse laughs come from an in-law whose accidental consumption of hallucinogenic drugs leads to some peculiar antics. But, at the end of the day, the only real encounter with death that you’ll have will come from your own wishes to escape from this disaster of a remake.

‘TiaHope94’ for natural beauty on YouTube Sophomore provides online make-up tutorials to boost confidence by Somel Jammu

hat night in March, it seemed to sophomore Tatiana Getman that deactivation was the only solution to stop the cyberbullying. By deactivating her YouTube account and thus putting an end to her online beauty tutorials, she would no longer have to deal with the parody videos, rude comments, and cyberstalking by MVHS classmates, as well as by faceless people from elsewhere. But the next morning, she called her best friend sophomore Rachel Kapul to tell her good news: she had decided not to deactivate her account after all. She had decided not to give in to what she believed the cyberbullies wanted—her defeat. Feeling a new surge of faith in herself, she decided not to succumb to self-doubt, and instead be self-confident. “I’ve learned that if you’re confident in yourself, then other people will have confidence in you,” Getman said. But this lesson took a while to be recognized and learned. Getman started recording beauty videos and makeup

tutorials this past summer after being inspired from watching others’ videos online. Though she quickly deleted her first video within one day, by December she had decided to give it another try. It was a video about hair straightening, and this time, she left it up on her site. “I was surprised and pleased by the good feedback,” Getman said. As a result, she continued to make videos. Now, Getman tries to post at least two videos each week. With nearly 1,300 loyal subscribers that watch her videos and leave positive comments, what started out as a fun activity has turned into something that has changed Getman’s life. “People give me advice as well as ask for advice,” Getman said. “It’s like a full-time job, just checking and replying to people’s messages!” At this point, Getman has posted a total of 53 videos that range anywhere from makeup tutorials, beauty advice, fashion looks, and hair tips, to even personal updates and advice on how you can send help to Haiti. Having expanded so much already, Getman now has plans for opening

up her own line of fashion clothing: an online boutique. “I didn’t really even ask my parents, I just told them and they were fine with it,” laughs Getman. “[An online boutique] is another step for me.” And through it all, Getman has found and remained true to what she now knows sets her apart from other beauty gurus: her sense of self-confidence, which she hopes to instill in others. In fact, it was during her time of stress with cyber-bullying that she found comfort in blogging and letting her followers know what was going on. To her surprise, she was showered with positive feedback from people that assured her they were going through the same thing—she just had to be strong. So Getman resolved to do just that; not only by calling on her friends, family, and supporters, but by returning to what had been the start of her whole journey: makeup. “What I hope I do is bring out confidence in girls,” Getman said. “People automatically think of [makeup] as a shallow thing but makeup is not just makeup—makeup brings confidence to women.”

PAGE 23

VICTOR KUO

the Temp

Adjust, aim, photo shoot!

f there is ever a time to pick up hobbies, it is senior year. The refreshing amount of available time leaves some at a loss of how to spend it. Personally, I decided to allocate some of that free time to something new: photography. A while ago, I invested in a new Nikon D5000, an amateur-level DSLR, enough for me to pick up the hobby but not enough to go professional. And after a few months, I decided to take my photography to a new level. I found a pet photography contest online and went to junior Erin Chiu’s house to photograph her dog, Apollo.

Lesson 1

More than anything else, more than any expensive camera or lens or other piece of equipment, the single most important tool for any photographer is patience. The patience to sit and wait for the right shot, to get exactly what the photographer envisions in his or her head. In my case, this was no easy task considering my subject, the energetic ball of fluff called Apollo. In all honesty, I felt fatigued simply from watching him running around, most of the time in loops and circles. I didn’t think it was possible for any living being to be so jumpy, so active. From an outside perspective, I’m sure the scene was pretty funny. A five-foot-ten high-schooler with a Nikon D5000 chasing around a tiny white Maltese the size of a football. But despite the frustrations of trying to force a dog to stay still, a dog is a dog. He isn’t going to stop moving because I tell him to. And so, patience. The patience to follow him around, put him on my lap or throw toys, often multiple times, to get the shot I envisioned in the back of my mind. Likewise, patience holds precedent in any job or business, such as working hard, waiting to be noticed for a potential pay raise or promotion, or dealing with coworkers who may be as frustrating to deal with as Apollo. In any case, the patience pays off. Pardon the pun.

Lesson 2

A good photo always comes from good inspiration—the lightbulb that lights up, the brain that clicks, the puzzle piece that falls into place, and inspiration comes from the photographer. Kind of. More like the photographer’s ability to look at an object and go through different scenarios in his or her mind, different ways and methods by which to portray the object and create a certain mood or argument. And with a dog that’s running around at total full tilt, I needed my mind to work at least twice as fast. And I tried. I put him on my lap, held him in my arms, let him run around in the grass, even lifted him up like a trophy to try to get the inspiration I needed. But needless to say, I simply can’t think that fast. I need time to plan and to picture it in my mind, so most of my photos ended up just being Apollo in my lap or lying down. Even that was pretty tough, just thinking of all the possible ways to take a picture, doing it and seeing how it turned out on the camera. Likewise, creativity and inspiration are essential to the success of any endeavor, of any business. If there’s any way to the top of the corporate ladder, it involves new, innovative, and creative ideas. Just ask any manager or business leader. I submitted the photo a few days later and am waiting for results. But I think the experience made it worth it in and of itself, a good endpoint for my mix of experiences this year. Jobs are easy to find, but the lessons—and money—they offer are not.

TREND WATCH FIGHT CLUB

UP2DATE

Freshman Stephanie Wang shares her fencing tips and experiences interview conducted by Aileen Le

Q: How did you think about doing fencing? A: I didn’t think about doing fencing. I didn’t even know what fencing was until my mom told me about it. I just kind of went for it.

The best and worst features of the Apple iPad by Christophe Haubursin

Q: What do you like about fencing the most? A: It’s a pretty challenging sport and it requires a lot

of mental training and physical activity because it’s pretty fast paced, and you have to have quick thinking to make a move. There’s a level of intelligence to it. Some people call fencing physical chess because every time the person says, “On guard, ready, fence” you have to have some sort of plan as to what you want to do next because your opponent is also trying to figure you out and break down your defenses.

It’s like a small computer, with about the same screen size. It applies realistic, natural mechanics and movements into a small device, letting you maneuver through things like you would in real life, and has 64 GB of space with a 10-hour battery life. the expert: sophomore Saif Adeeb

Best features: Fast and sensitive Wi-Fi and touchscreen

Worst features: No camera, no multitasking

Q: Have the skills you learned in fencing helped you in

other aspects of your life? A: I know that I can’t let failure get to me. Everytime I fail i have to at least push on and try again. Always, at least keep up with the game.

Q: Earlier you talked about strategy. What is your strategy?

A: Let it loose and don’t think too much about the Aileen Le | El Estoque

game. Just get out there and fence, don’t worry about anything else, it’s very instinctual.

SABER SWORD Freshman Stephanie Wang lunges with Q: Can you tell me about the funniest incident you’ve her fencing weapon, the saber, on May 14. Wang has been had? fencing for four years. A: I hit someone in the balls. When I first started out -Started fencing at age 11 -Practices four times a week, for two hours a day -Usually ranks top eight for her age group -Types of weapons: Foil and epee (poking weapons) and saber (slashing weapon)

CAMPUS RUNWAY

Uses: Web browsing, iBooks, music, movies, games

I was doing foil fencing, so I just somehow lunged and it landed in the wrong spot.

Q: Why did you pick the weapon that you did? A: I felt that the foil had too much competition. The

saber was a little more new and more fun since you get to slash out at people. With foil you just have to be really precise at where your target is. You can just prepare yourself and go when you want to but the saber is people chasing each other up and down the strip.

Cost:

$699.00

What’s next? Spring show May 21, 7:30-8:30 p.m. MVHS Main Gym $5 with student ID, $7 general admission

As May rolls around and the clouds clear, students store their coats and dawn the most popular vivid prints of summer 2010.

Kenya Dance II May 29, 4:30-7:30 p.m. San Jose Center for Performing Arts General admission: $21

Floral Skirt Abercrombie Geometric Top Wet Seal

Tribal Dress Forever 21

Paisley Skirt Nordstrom

Yearbook Distribution June 2 and 3 Rally Court

sophomore Katrina Park

freshman Ariel Martin

junior Lauren Lee

junior

Karina Fathi

Aileen Le and Mansi Pathak | El Estoque

Backpack

Finds

“ ” “ ” I have these [3D glasses] from when I watched Avatar a few months ago. One day [all my friends] decided to wear them to school but we never ended up doing it.

What’s in your bag? Take a peek I have a collection of pens into your [from different countries]. Two of these are from Japan and the other is from Madrid. I have classmates’ one from London too. bags this junior Aneesha Amarnath month:

freshman Holly Matsunami

“ ” “ ” I picked the name for [my ukulele], AGAPE. It’s my church motto and means love in Greek. I love music so this is how I express myself. And it’s a lady killer.

freshman Bryan Zhao

I got [this wallet] from a stall in China when I was visiting my relatives about a year ago. It probably would have cost $1 or $2 here.

sophomore Emily Zhang

Photo illustration by Aileen Le and Mansi Pathak