Volume 48, Issue 4, December 12, 2017

December 2017

Issue IV Volume XLVIII

Monta Vista High School

elESTOQUE

4 NEWS

20 FEATURES

29 A&E

34 SPORTS

Custodian Tom Orsua discusses his retirement plans

Having an eating disorder is particularly challenging during the holidays

How cooking brings people together

MVHS cheer and song teams prepare for competition season

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WORST OF 2017 From mass shootings to violent protests, 2017 took a turn for the worse

NEWS

FEATURES

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TAKING FLIGHT Custodian Tom Orsua discusses his retirement plans

AIDING THE PROCESS College and career advisor McKenna Parfet holds application workshops

IN THE GIVING SPIRIT How the community gives back during the holidays

A&E

SPORTS

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WRITING ON THE WALL Teachers share their favorite decoration in their rooms

THE HUMANS BEHIND HUMANS OF MONTA VISTA The owners of HOMVH plan the account’s future

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ABSENT MINDED MVHS students and staff express their views on skipping school

MINT FOR THE HOLIDAYS Various projects to make with peppermint

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HOLIDAY STRUGGLE Having an eating disorder during the holidays

TO BE A KID AGAIN Reflections on “The Incredibles 2” and other overdue sequels

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SMELLS LIKE TEEN CONNECTIVITY Students discuss experiences at the Cupertino Teen Center

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CULINARY CONNECTIONS How cooking brings people together during the holidays

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ADJUSTING OUR FOCUS We should focus on the possibility of nuclear war in Hawaii

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IN THE SPIRIT MVHS cheer and song teams prepare for competition season

DEVELOPING SUCCESS How the new soccer development team came to be

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GAINING YARDAGE A group of seniors bond through sports

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PATHWAY TO THEIR SPORT How students came to play their favorite sports

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SPORTS FLASH MVHS’ winter sports season through pictures

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IN THIS ISSUE OPINION

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

THE WORST OF 2017 From mass shootings to violent protests, 2017 has taken a turn for the worse 0

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2017

Why we ditch school to get ahead

GIVE US A BREAK Administration explains the school calendar

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THE NEXT OSCAR’S The aftermath of all the sexual assault claims

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REPUTATIONS: HOLIDAY TRADITIONS Students share how they celebrate during the holiday season

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS...

W e hoped it would be better. As we watched the ball drop 12 months ago, we wished with crossed fingers that this year would be better than 2016. But let’s be honest — it wasn’t.

We hoped the Pulse nightclub shooting last year in Orlando would be the last mass shooting — then came the shooting at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas among others. We hoped with the anger and dissent that came with the election last year, our nation wouldn’t become more divided — then came along legislation like the travel ban and protests like those at UC Berkeley regarding the Milo Yiannopoulos visit. We hoped last year would be the worst for Hollywood, with so many of our favorite celebrities passing away — then a long list of celebrities were accused of sexual misconduct. We hoped people would start recognizing the effects of climate change — then we pulled out of the Paris Climate Change Accord.

We hoped for so much, but instead we lost much more.

As we head into each year, there’s never a guarantee that the next one will be better.

But that’s not the scariest part — it’s the way we will soon stop caring about the events that happened in 2016. Everything is blurring together, and all we can think about are finals.

Soon, we’ll only be thinking about break, and then we’ll only be thinking about 2018.

We’ll post on Instagram — either about the happy moments from last year, or about how we hope 2018 will be nothing like the mess 2017 was.

We want 2018 to be better. We want to forget everything bad that happened in 2017.

But each time we think we’ve forgotten, history repeats itself. Each new sexual assault accusation calls to mind the numerous ones that had come before, only to be hushed. The Vegas shooting recalled the Pulse nightclub shooting, gripping us with pain and sadness, only to be dismissed a week later. It is a series of recurring nightmares we can’t wake up from, and trying to forget these events doesn’t help.

Letting it all blend together is a part of the problem. When we let these events and their impact fade, we fail to create change. We allow the problems to persist, forgetting that there’s a reason these terrible events occurred and that there’s often a way we can take steps to solve these problems. In the spirit of remembering and reflecting, staff writers Ananya Bhat and Aanchal Garg explore students’ thoughts on what they consider the worst moments of 2017 on pages 16-17.

We have learned to live in the present, but it’s important not to forget the events of 2017 and each year that preceded it. They are not incidents that are meant to be forgotten. And although 2017 may have failed to meet our expectations in more ways than one, that isn’t to say that 2018 won’t be better. This year’s mistakes don’t have to define every year that follows. But that doesn’t mean we should let ourselves forget the moments that have shaped our year, even if they aren’t all happy.

2017 was far from brilliant. But 2018 can be better. We can do better.

Ananya Bhat

Ilena Peng

CORRECTION FROM THE LAST ISSUE The motto “Semper Paratus,” originally stated as the Army’s motto, is actually the motto for the U.S. Coast Guard.

Sophomore Anusha Pothineni was incorrectly named as sophomore Anumita Alur.

elESTOQUE 21840 McClellan Road Cupertino, CA 95014 mv.el.estoque@gmail.com

Editors-in-chief: Ananya Bhat, Ilena Peng Managing editors: Aanchal Garg, Om Khandekar, Akshara Majjiga, Chetana Ramaiyer, Priya Reddy Copy editors: Emma Lam, Karen Ma, Andrea Schlitt Web editor: Daniel Lin Design editor: Elizabeth Han News editors: Claire Chang, Gauri Kaushik, ZaZu Lippert, Jai Uparkar Sports editors: Rana Aghababazadeh, Roshan Fernandez, Sannidhi Menon, Anthony Moll Entertainment editors: Sara Entezar, Shar Rahman, Michelle Wong, Himani Yalamaddi Opinion editors: Ruth Feng, Songjun Na, Mallika Singh, Nate Stevens Feature editors: Helen Chao, Vivian Chiang, Katerina Pappas, Karen Sanchez Beats editors: Bill Cheng, Anjini Venugopal Business editor: Shayon Moradi Public relations editor: Jennie Chen Visuals editors: Sunjin Chang, Ankit Gupta, Rajas Habbu, Stuti Upadhyay, Anish Vasudevan, Jacob Wee Staff writers: Robert Borrego, Anirudh Chaudhary, Charlotte Chui, Aditya Dash, Aditi Gnanasekar, Alyssa Hui, Zara Iqbal, Shuvi Jha, Ria Kolli, Sreya Kumar, Hannah Lee, Jasmine Lee, Carol Lei, Maggie McCormick, Andrea Perng, Jahan Razavi, Ishani Singh, Rucha Soman, Swara Tewari, Chelsea Wong, Emily Xia, Claire Yang, Julia Yang, Sarah Young Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite Mission Statement El Estoque is an open forum created for and by students of Monta Vista High School.

Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the journalism staff and not of Monta Vista High School or the Fremont Union High School District. The staff seeks to recognize individuals, events, and ideas and bring news to the MVHS community in a manner that is professional, unbiased, and thorough in order to effectively serve our readers. We strive to report accurately, and we will correct any significant error. If you believe such an error has been made, please contact us. Letters of any length should be submitted via email or mail. They may be edited for length or accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion. We also reserve the right to reject advertising due to space limitations or decision of the Editorial Board that content of the advertisement conflicts with the mission of the publication.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ELIZABETH HAN

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TAKING FLIGHT

Custodian Tom Orsua discusses his retirement plans

BY ZAZU LIPPERT AND ILENA PENG

PHOTO | OM KHANDEKAR

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ustodian Tom Orsua has been counting the days he has left at MVHS. Lately, he gets a little “tingly” every time he thinks of it. It’s a little more real, now more than ever, that his memories at MVHS will come to a close. Counting down towards his last day, January 31, he realizes that the ever-diminishing number of days left is 21.

Orsua always thought that he would retire once he hit 65 years old. But as 65 rolled around, he decided to stay another year, and then another. This year, at 68, he decided it was time.

“Now that I’m 68 somebody will say ‘Well why don’t you stay until the end of the school year?’” Orsua said. “If I do that, by the time that comes, my birthday is in May so I’ll turn 69. I don’t want to be working when I’m age 69 — I want to be out of here.”

For Orsua, a drawback to retiring before the end of the 2017-18 school year is that

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he won’t be with the track and field team for its 2018 season. Orsua has been an assistant track coach for the past two years, recalling his experience as a sprinter in high school in order to help team members reduce their times. Junior Alisha Gao is one of the sprinters coached under Orsua, and appreciates his presence both on and off the track.

“Sometimes during just school hours, I would say ‘hi’ and he would just make jokes,” Gao said. “And he was really lighthearted and kind and funny to be around.”

Orsua says that feeling is mutual — he loved working with the team. But his connection with students extends beyond just the track team. Gao recalls how Orsua would always go the extra step and come to students during lunch to collect their trash.

Orsua has connected with numerous students like Gao on campus and watched them grow. Leaving those students behind

is the hardest part of retiring for him.

“All of you students, it’s just amazing,” Orsua said. “We get to see you come in as freshmen as little kids. I mean, literally, little kids … now you’re becoming an adult, and we can see the change. It’s really obvious. Sometimes it’s like ‘Man, did that person ever grow up. Now they talk better, there’s some substance there.’ You can actually see it.”

Senior Natalie Standridge remembers working on a scene for beginning drama as a freshman, with the help of her older sister, who was a teacher assistant for drama. As they worked, Orsua came over and started talking to her sister about her day. From then on, Standridge and Orsua would always say hi to each other around campus, striking up small conversations.

“It’s made [my years at MVHS] a lot better, [because] it’s nice to have a friendly face driving around,” Standridge said.

“Especially after a stressful test or if I got

PHOTO | TOM ORSUA // USED WITH PERMISSION

Photos from Orsua’s trip to DavisMonthan. Orsua keeps these prints, along with others from his time spent around airplanes, in a large binder.

He hopes to compile them into albums when he retires on January 31.

NEWS

ALL OF YOU STUDENTS, IT’S JUST AMAZING. WE GET TO SEE YOU COME IN AS FRESHMEN AS LITTLE KIDS. I MEAN, LITERALLY, LITTLE KIDS […] NOW YOU’RE BECOMING AN ADULT, AND WE CAN SEE THE CHANGE. CUSTODIAN TOM ORSUA back a bad essay grade or whatever, it’s nice to just see him and talk to him. It’s comforting.”

Standridge remarks that the fact that he chose to retire this year instead of previous years is something she’s grateful for.

“Those small interactions, those really make my day,” she said. “I’m glad he’s leaving when I’m leaving, because Monta Vista without him would feel really awkward. It wouldn’t feel like Monta Vista.”

Even though leaving behind students may be hard, Orsua is excited to return to something familiar to him once he retires — his love of airplanes. As a child, he used to sneak under the fence of the San Jose Airport, just across the street from his house, to climb into resting planes and pretend to drive them. Now, he’s looking forward to perfecting his models which have sat in the corner of a room in mint condition for years on end. While making new models, he’ll recall past memories.

“I’d go over [to SJA] all the time on my bicycle and just hang out,” Orsua said. “I remember taking my mom’s small movie camera and filmed the l e n el got a little bit of the show that they did and ran o t o film darn t that wa m fir t attem t at filmin and en o ed that I still have the little reel stashed away in my storage and every now and then I’ll break it out and watch it.”

As Orsua was getting ready to leave MVHS for his Thanksgiving break, he remarked how someday, he wants to turn the photographs of drones he took at the a i onthan ir orce a e in ri ona into a book. Every so often when he lived in ri ona the ’d o en the militar ba e

to ci ilian air lane aficionado to e lore This always gave him a thrill, as the base, Orsua explained, was like the retirement home of all the old military airplanes. Little did he know then that he would be revisiting these memories of times spent there as he looks to his own retirement in a little over a month.

Now Orsua is looking forward to revisiting these memories in retirement.

He has albums of his plane photos taken from childhood, through his time as an employee for jet-making company Learjet and up until the present. One of his favorite photos is from two years ago, when he and his wife drove up to Sacramento and the l e n el ew ri ht o er hi head in a perfect delta formation.

For a while, he worked at Learjet, an aerospace manufacturer, in Tucson, ri ona here he met eil rm tron and former president Gerald Ford.

“To work for a place that builds airplanes [was neat,] especially three million dollar airplanes, because that’s what your basic, bottom of the line Learjet is — three million dollars,” Orsua said. “You want to stand in [the plane]? It probably goes up.”

He remembers exactly how many ear et i ht he ha been in o r or the la t one o tho e o r i ht the ilot had gone to the plane’s phone, and the copilot let Orsua, who was in the front seat, steer the plane.

Unexpectedly, his adventures at Learjet found their way into the classroom at MVHS. One day, while in math teacher Jon Stark’s classroom, Orsua noticed a poster o a ear et’ control anel e’d reco ni ed the panel based on the overall look, not

PHOTO | TOM ORSUA // USED WITH PERMISSION

noticing the word “Learjet” on the steering column. He and Stark began talking about it, and so followed an ongoing conversation about a mutual love for airplanes.

The house he and his wife want to live in has a three-car garage — the third spot solely dedicated to building his model airplanes, which currently sit stacked in unopened boxes in a corner room.

“That’s where I’m going to set up my paint booth, set up my assembly area, so I’m not doing any of that in the house,” Orsua said. “In the house I’ll have another room that’ll be my library, where I’ll have all my reference materials.”

After leaving MVHS for the last time, Orsua will work on getting his house ready to be sold. Then, he wants to move to the house with the three-car garage in Nevada.

Maybe there, he says, he’ll try to coach another high school’s track team. If he wants to get a part-time job, Orsua said it would likely be at a high school, to be around all of the kids again. That’s what he loves most. ildin hi mint condition model planes, researching his love for the models and maybe coaching on the side. This is how Orsua envisions his life after MVHS, and it’s a future that both intimidates and excites him. As he takes off from the 13 ear he ent at in into the distance, he looks towards touching down on the runway of a quiet life, spent with his loved ones and surrounded by his lifelong love for planes. e NEWS | DECEMBER 2017

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AIDING THE PROCESS College and career advisor McKenna Parfet looks to help students through application workshops

BY JENNIE CHEN

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hen McKenna Parfet took the long-time substitute position for college and career advisor in mid-September, there were many changes and additions she envisioned making to the College and Career Center (CCC). One of the changes was hosting Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and college app workshops, which took place every Thursday during tutorial in the month of November.

However, despite sending out emails and posting reminders on SchoolLoop News and Naviance, Parfet only saw two or three seniors attend the tutorial sessions each week.

“Ideally, I would have liked to see a lot of seniors come in, [but] that’s not exactly what happened,” Parfet said. “There were a couple and I was really happy about that, but ideally it would have been filled with seniors all working on [college applications] together.”

For the seniors who did come, Parfet was able to help them with questions about terms and tax information on the FAFSA, which seniors need to fill out when applying to college to be eligible for need-based aid. Otherwise, Parfet feels that students mostly had the hang of it, and were more looking for a place to settle and work on their applications.

Senior Joyce Chen saw the information about the sessions on SchoolLoop, and decided to sign up on Naviance to be able to work more on her applications and get help. Chen knew she was moving in

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a couple of weeks, and wasn’t sure which he believes that Parfet is making the CCC address to put on the residency portion a more accessible place for students, and of her CSU application. Parfet was able to that it’s only a matter of time before more help her, and also answered questions like students start utilizing the CCC. where to find her state student ID. “I think [it’d help] if [Ms. Parfet] reached “It’s nice being able to talk to someone out [and] had the [senior] class officers who can answer all your questions post on their Facebook group like ‘Hey immediately, because I tried doing it on my guys, Ms. Parfet’s having this workshop, own but there’s always come out today,’” small things [and] Chen said. “I think you’re just like ‘What people seeing that the heck? How do I fill the people around this out?’” Chen said. them are also “You just waste extra doing the same time Googling it and thing would help then you don’t really get more interest.” get a clear answer. So Parfet hopes I like the idea of having COLLEGE AND CAREER to continue the someone to be there ADVISOR MCKENNA PARFET tutorial sessions to answer all of my in following years, college questions right away.” with some improvements.

While Chen hadn’t really visited the CCC “There’s definitely some things I can until this year, the CCC was a place senior do to reach more students that I’ve been Jeffrey Xu usually worked on homework, looking into, like doing the announcements so when he saw announcements that the as well,” Parfet said. “I’ll [also] be getting center would be open to seniors working on a sandwich board to put out front of my college applications, it felt natural for him room to also advertise events and stuff that to come in with his friends. is going on in here.”

“College apps [are] very mentally Although her role is mostly geared taxing,” Xu said. “You have to sit down and towards working with juniors and seniors, be like ‘Oh, I’m going to do college apps Parfet also hopes to have more freshmen right now for the next half an hour.’ And and sophomores visit the CCC. One way to that’s the only way to get it done so [these do so, she believes, is to involve them in sessions] are nice.” more career exploration opportunities.

Xu attributes the low turnout to many “I’m just trying to make it a bright, fun students still not knowing what the CCC place for students to be,” Parfet said. e is for and being scared to enter. However,

I’M JUST TRYING TO MAKE [THE CCC] A BRIGHT, FUN PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO BE

IN THE GIVING SPIRIT Community members and MVHS students discuss how they give back during the holidays

BY CLAIRE CHANG AND RIA KOLLI

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hen he first immigrated to the “I’ve been to a lot of different places sometimes goes with her entire family to U.S., Goodwill assistant manager where we do food drives and we give help. She volunteeres every month, and Wilson Lee had little knowledge people food,” Liu said. “We personally give has noticed that Community Seva is busier of the process and paperwork involved. them the food, and even though it’s not a during the holidays. Her favorite memory However, his church stepped in, giving really big meal or anything, I can see that from volunteering was when she got to cook him advice and assisting him with the they feel really happy. It kind of makes you and serve pancakes by herself. She had the immigration process. Through his church, feel good and want to give more.” chance to interact with the people she was he realized he wanted to pursue a career These experiences, along with others, cooking food for, and having conversations that involved helping others. sparked her desire to give back during the with them and hearing their “thank you’s” When Lee came across a job opening for upcoming holiday season. One of Liu’s made her experience more valuable. the assistant manager at Goodwill, he took first experiences Seeing the the opportunity to help people give back with charity was in emotional SCAN FOR MORE and donate to their community. He also a program at her impact of giving COVERAGE helps run programs like the Good Guard Chinese school. back made Security program that aims to change lives Liu and her other experiences like by giving people the experience necessary classmates were these resonate to get a job. each paired with an underprivileged family deeply with Liu, Natarajan and Lee. When “I always feel good when I’m helping for Christmas and gave them gifts including reflecting on how holiday charity can help others and extending a hand to somebody toys, purses and clothes. others, Lee remembers helping distribute else who is in need,” Lee said. “With this For sophomore Chetna Natarajan, Thanksgiving baskets for low-income job I can also teach my kids [to] be grateful improving others’ lives and pursuing families. for what [they] have.” her passions were both motivations to “It’s great to see the faces of the people And now, as the holiday season begins, volunteer at Community Seva, a volunteer when they receive them, all of the happiness more and more people are thinking organization cofounded by her aunt. that they have when they see that they have about extending their hands to others in Community Seva provides meals to the the food to have a Thanksgiving feast for need. According to the National Center hungry, and Natarajan enjoys helping cook their family,” Lee said. for Charitable Statistics, 43 percent of and bake with the organization.

In addition to providing help and high net-worth donors “I’ve always liked happiness to those receiving charity, the donate more during cooking and baking season of giving can also provide a new the holidays, and since I was a perspective for the people who give.

51 percent of little kid,” For Liu, it was the realization that she charities receive N a t a r a j a n wanted to help out the less fortunate. the majority said. “I feel Natarajan discovered that the importance of their like making of volunteering is so much more than donations food for another activity on an application; it can be b e t w e e n [people in rewarding in so many other ways.

October and need] is “Don’t volunteer just for volunteering December. This such a great or college hours,” Natarajan said. “I know can be seen at privilege and a lot of kids [who] say ‘Oh yeah I need MVHS, where I love doing volunteering hours and let’s just go to this 60 percent of 373 it because it place and get it done.’ Just cherish what students surveyed makes their life you are doing. Do it out of the goodness of said they donated a little better. your heart.” or volunteered Obviously For Lee, it provided him with lessons of specifically during these shelters gratitude for his children and a newfound the holidays. help them and appreciation for extending a hand for While Lee gets they could go and someone in need. ready for another make these foods “It shows people that the important holiday season of giving, themselves, [but] it thing is not the receiving,” Lee said. “The sophomore Ashley Liu is may not be the same as really important thing is giving. You should also preparing to donate to having other people cook for be the person who is giving, not always her community by volunteering. you and having a good heart.” thinking of receiving.” e For Liu, the motivation to give Natarajan has been stems from her previous positive volunteering at her aunt’s experiences of helping others. organization for a year, and ILLUSTRATION | ILENA PENG NEWS | DECEMBER 2017

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SMELLS LIKE

TEEN

CONNECTIVITY Students discuss their experiences at the Cupertino Teen Center

BY SUNJIN CHANG AND SHUVI JHA

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enior Varun Muthukumaran is a prep and football practice occupying most fairly busy guy. of his free time during the summer of A member of the MVHS football freshman year, Muthukumaran longed to team for four years, he has attended enjoy his vacation, to sit back and relish daily, four-hour long practices in the the moment once in a while. Taking advice summer and fall. From lunges to deadlifts from his friends at MVHS, who informed to conditioning, he performs various him that the Teen Center was the perfect strenuous activities aimed at increasing spot for just that, Muthukumaran made his strength and speed. While Muthukumaran way the building, wanting to discover if it appreciates football season and the was worth his time. accompanying experience, he admits that He now says it was. most of his time is taken up by this sport.

“I stayed [at the Teen Center] until Add SAT practice and college apps to the closing,” Muthukumaran said. “I played mix, and Muthukumaran’s already busy Xbox, the PS4 and the Wii. And sometimes, schedule becomes even more chaotic.

I would just sit on the couch and eat food or That is where the Teen Center, watch a movie on Netflix.” considered by In contrast to Muthukumaran Muthukumaran is IT’S A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN to be the hidden sophomore Ashley JUST HAVE FUN AND YOU’RE Yeh, who knew that gem of Cupertino, NOT STUCK INSIDE YOUR falls into place. the Teen Center Located near the advocated itself as a HOUSE, ALL BORED. Quinlan Community place of enjoyment SENIOR VARUN Center and below and relief but was MUTHUKUMARAN the Sports Center, hesitant as to the Cupertino whether or not that Teen Center is a self-described modular was true. space that serves to enrich teens’ high As a resident of Cupertino, she had school experience by fostering positive heard about the Teen Center only a few relationships and promoting relaxation. times, either through advertisements or And for Muthukumaran, who enjoys school announcements. Given its lack spending time with friends and meeting of coverage and prominence in her daily new people, the Teen Center has done life, Yeh was thus unwilling to attend the exactly that.

Teen Center as an afterschool program. “[The Teen Center] is not just a healthy However, recognizing that her parents and positive environment where you can were full-time employees with lives of their hang out with your friends,” Muthukumaran own, she decided to give the Teen Center said. “It’s a place where you can just have a chance.

“It looked kinda sketchy when I went fun and you’re not stuck inside your house, there,” Yeh said. “There wasn’t a lot of all bored.”

Boredom, in fact, is one of the main people when I went there, so I was like ‘Oh reasons why Muthukumaran visited the this is a place where no one really goes to.’”

Muthukumaran admits feeling the same Teen Center in the first place. With SAT

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PHOTO | SUNJIN CHANG

way when he first visited the Teen Center.

He was conflicted as to whether he would like the facilities, whether he would actually have fun. This all changed, of course, when he saw the multitude of games and activities offered at the Teen Center.

While socializing with others, a friendship sprouted between him and staff member Andrew Wooten. Like Muthukumaran, Wooten had attended MVHS as part of the class of 2010. “[Wooten] and I [could] relate because he [also] played football at MVHS,” Muthukumaran said. “We would always talk about that, and we would always play 2K together where he would absolutely demolish me every single time. We’ve always just had a really good bond.”

Wooten, now an assistant recreation coordinator at the Teen Center, regarded his bond with Muthukumaran, and other teens, in the same manner, viewing them each as unique individuals with immense potential to grow and learn every day.

In fact, this is why he began working at the Teen Center in the first place — because he enjoyed working and conversing with young adults. After relocating from the front office of the Quinlan Community Center to the inside of the Cupertino Preschool Center, Wooten finally settled on the Teen Center. As part of his job, he now takes the lead on group projects and coordinates events related to teen interest.

“We want to know what teens want,” Wooten said. “So we’re always looking to revamp our facility and programming.

Right now, we’re thinking about making a makerspace with [three-dimensional]

When one walks into the Teen Center, they see a large television screen displaying various movies. Movies are one of the many sources of entertainment that the Teen Center offers.

“I normally have water polo or printers, a teen incubator for startup ideas swimming practice depending on the day,” and a high-tech space.”

As Wooten mentioned, the Teen Center Tang said. “And right after practice, I have is continually adding and modifying facilities work and stuff. I just don’t have that much to best meet the needs and wants of Bay time to go anywhere.”

Supervisor Daniel Mestizo, Area teens. For who works for the City’s this reason, RIGHT NOW, WE’RE Recreation department, it hosts a THINKING ABOUT recognizes this. Many high multitude of MAKING A MAKERSPACE school students have tight services, free schedules with very little leisure of cost for WITH [THREE time. As such, Mestizo, a true Cupertino DIMENSIONAL] PRINTERS, believer of the Teen Center’s students, to A TEEN INCUBATOR FOR purpose to give teens what enjoy. Some they want, emphasizes that if of these STARTUP IDEAS AND A it is necessary, he is willing to include three HIGH-TECH SPACE. allocate times specifically for large screen ASSISTANT RECREATION high school students. television COORDINATOR ANDREW “If [high schoolers] want their screens; WOOTEN own time from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., video game consoles from Playstation, Wii and Xbox; we would be able to change that,” Mestizo and nine computers for both educational said. “But I can’t change that until there [is] and recreational purposes. The Teen more high schooler feedback.”

Muthukumaran, who never felt that Center, being an interchangeable space, is also open to hosting club meetings, there was anything missing at the Teen Center, does not have any feedback or barbecues and parties upon request.

In short, whatever a teenager needs complaints. For him, the overwhelming — whether that be help with homework, care displayed by staff members is more emotional health or time to work on college than enough to meet his needs. “[For anyone that is hesitant], definitely apps — the Teen Center is bound to have.

Despite this, not many students visit the go,” Muthukumaran said. “A lot of people Teen Center. Out of a survey of 359 MVHS are concerned about it, but once you get students, 72 percent said that they had there, you’ll realize how fun it is and you’ll heard of the Teen Center, while only 29 have a lot of fun — because of what they percent said they have been there. Senior have and the kindness and positivity that’s Lauren Tang, whose knowledge about the always there.” e Teen Center stems from middle school and advertisements, has never visited the locale due to time constraints.

PHOTO | SUNJIN CHANG

Among other activities, the Teen Center offers foosball and 1990s-based video game, called Earth Shaker.

PHOTO | SUNJIN CHANG

One of the most popular spots for teenagers is the pool table located at the center of the room.

PHOTO | SUNJIN CHANG

In order to promote relaxation, the Teen Center offers a comfortable rest area.

NEWS | DECEMBER 2017

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ADJUSTING OUR FOCUS Why we should be focusing on Hawaii as they prepare for a possible nuclear war

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turned the TV to the news, expecting to covering another insensitive tweet or see Donald Trump front and center on ridiculous lie.

CNN, as he is almost every day. I did not, As a journalist, I realize the importance however. What I actually saw was much of holding those in power accountable, more terrifying. regardless of party or affiliation. But I think One moment, waves crash along the I speak for a majority of people when I iconic sand beaches. Tourists and natives say I’m sick of it. There used to be a time crowd along the ocean’s edge. The hustle of — however long ago it may have been — the nearby city echoes when the news was in the distance. In not a daily dose of the next, everything depression.

Now, stands still.

The you'd be lucky to even familiar sounds of the hear about the Cold Aloha State come to a War nuclear sirens halt, and in their place blasting in Hawaii. a piercing screech This adjustment envelops the area. is one of the first to On Friday, come in response to December 1, Hawaii SENIOR NATE STEVENS North Korea, and it turned on it's nuclear surely won’t be the sirens for the first time since the Cold War. last. In March, Japan implemented similar Due to increasing hostility from North systems for warning of an attack after four Korea, the famous vacation destination North Korean missiles landed off the coast decided to revive nuclear warnings via their of Oga. disturbingly thunderous alarms. They will Tensions with North Korea continue these tests indefinitely on the first have only gotten worse, and workday of each month. it does not appear that As my mom and I sat in silence — anything will change listening to the television boom in our soon. Yet on the verge house as it did in Hawaii — I was shocked of a potential nuclear to watch the topic quickly change back to war, we as a nation the president. seem to be focused Putting things in perspective, North elsewhere.

Korea would’ve been breaking news for There are 1.4 weeks at any other time. But instead, we’re million people bombarded with headlines about Donald in Hawaii, Trump and Russia. Somehow, as Hawaiian all of whom children ask their parents why a siren is are living blaring in their homes, the news prioritizes with the

TAKING THE LEAD

real possibility of hearing those sirens and knowing, this time, it's not a drill. I know just how distracting the news cycle can be — it feels like something “unprecedented” is happening all the time. But we’re so focused on what’s going in Washington D.C. that we aren’t even considering the consequences — consequences that those in Hawaii have to live with every day.

It’s not just in Hawaii; people are suffering all around the world. No matter how entertaining it is to obsess over our crazy politics, we cannot discount or ignore the people politicians are supposed to represent. Their stories — the ones that truly matter — are becoming less and less prominent in the news.

It’s easier to look away or distract ourselves when North Korea becomes more hostile, but that only makes things worse. I do realize there’s not much we can really do, but we have the power to tell our governments and media outlets that we do care, despite ratings saying otherwise.

Watch. Share. Like. Read. Do whatever it is you can to support those reporting the experiences we rarely get exposed to.

We take our privilege for granted. Living in the U.S., and especially in California, what happens here often makes the news.

That is not the case everywhere. But if we can broaden our perspective by embracing the things we don’t like to hear, we can help those who are not so fortunate, like the people of Hawaii. If we don’t, eventually, there will be no one left to tell our story. e

ILLUSTRATION | ILENA PENG

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2017

OSCARS 2018 The aftermath of all the sexual assault claims

BY CAROL LEI

THE COUNTLESS VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ARE FINALLY SPEAKING UP. Politicians, journalists, actors, directors; powerful men are dropping like flies into unemployment after sexual assault accusations. At this rate, there should be an award show for all those getting fired. But is that enough? Is firing the predators a sufficient punishment?

NO, we need them behind bars. e

OPINION | DECEMBER 2017

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EXCUSES, EXCUSES Students and teachers play a never-ending blame game about ditching school to catch up on work

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION| SUNJIN CHANG

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2017

I

t’s midnight and we still have a mountain for our mistakes if we can get more time the learning experience, but rather on the of work left to do. We tell ourselves to fix them and avoid all the repercussions? grades. We no longer care about using our that finishing everything is possible and Our unwillingness to face the opportunities to learn, but only the end we begin working with a new sense of consequences reveals our unattainably high result: the grades. urgency. Slowly, the words on the computer standards for ourselves. We forget that we While the natural thing to do is point screen begin to blur, and our mind starts are human and that it’s alright to not be the finger at someone else, every situation to wander. Fatigue starts to conquer us. completely ready for a test or have all our is different, and often times it’s much more As the minutes become hours, it becomes h o m e w o r k complicated evident that completing all our assignments completed. than having a and being prepared for another grueling We usually “bad” teacher day at school is impossible. There just isn’t have already or being a enough time. So, we may resort to what d o n e disorganized OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE should be our last option — ditching. everything student.

At EDITORIAL BOARD We see it as the teachers’ fault. They’re in our power times, the the ones who burdened us with piles of to succeed blame may work that could keep us busy for weeks. and yet, rather than accept failure and rest with an uncompromising teacher, They’re the ones who scheduled all these recognize that it’s our own fault, we often and other times the guilty party may be tests for the same day. They’re the ones choose to feign sickness to buy ourselves the procrastinating student. It may be who don’t care about our stressful and more time or more resources. We’re attributed to a student’s packed schedule sleepless nights. teaching ourselves that failure is not an or conflicting tests. The focus should not The teachers see it as our fault. We’re option and success is imperative. We are be pointing fingers, but instead, to find and the ones who mismanaged our time. We’re willing to sacrifice morality, honesty and execute a solution. the ones who overestimated our own integrity just to secure success. Ditching Rather than bad mouthing a teacher for capabilities. We’re the ones who took on teaches us that success must be attained at denying an extension the day before the more than we could handle and made no all costs, despite the repercussions. test, we should be using the experience effort to reach out to them, or communicate Students have forgotten that ditching as a lesson to communicate with teachers before the last minute. is not a good solution and will only result well in advance. No matter whose fault it At MVHS, ditching school to catch in more stress and work. They ditch so is, there is always something more than we up on work is not often that they don’t can do to improve our situation and make uncommon.

In even think twice things better. a survey of 375 about it. Out of 159 Teachers also need to contribute to THE MOST students, thirty-six students, 33 percent solving this issue. Students resorting to percent responded ditch school at least ditching implies that the demands made COMMON that they have once a semester. Out by teachers and classes are sometimes REASONS ditched school due of 315 students, 69 unattainable. After all, there is only a to academic reasons. percent believe that certain amount of work students can STUDENTS GIVE It isn’t unusual to ditching is justified. juggle, a reality teachers could be more FOR ABSENCES hear whispers of a The most troubling sympathetic to. They need to realize that student being “sick” aspect of the issue is students are human and cannot be held because they had that many students to unattainable academic standards. The Sickness three tests that day have become heavily same student who ditched school may have or an essay to turn in, reliant on ditching, studied the entire night for another, more Passport appointments sometimes absent often times unable challenging test. Students are encountering DMV appointments for that specific to succeed without it. every situation for the first time, so teachers period, other times This habit will backfire should demonstrate patience. To begin to Immigration for the entire day. on students when attack the ditching issue, teachers need to appoinments Sixty-three percent they face college and be willing to be flexible. of the students the real world, where Teachers shouldn’t dismiss ditched *According to Attendance Technician Joe Roan who admitted they they will not have the school days as a lapse in the student’s work have ditched school opportunity to freeze ethic or time management, but rather as agreed that stress time for a day. a signal that students are struggling and played a role in their Students and overwhelmed. Willingness to be flexible decision to ditch. teachers often play an eternal blame game about testing dates can be extremely Some students view ditching as a last with each other when it comes to ditching. stress-relieving for students. Again, resort. They weigh their options — go to We may see the teachers as uncompromising whoever’s fault that may be, there is school unprepared, unlikely to succeed, and overly demanding. They may see us always something that they can do to make or stay at home to catch up on the never- as lacking time management and unable students feel more secure. ending flow of work. Others use it as a way to to face consequences. But if a student’s With planning, communication and stay ahead of the curve and not fall behind. situation has become so dire that missing being aware of our own weaknesses, both Why attend school and get burdened with school is their only viable option to succeed, students and teachers can collaborate so more work when you already have work there is a deeper issue at hand. that a sleep-deprived student won’t be piled on your desk at home? To many of us, Missing school to succeed in school forced to ditch class and work all day. After the choice is clear. Why take responsibility indicates that our entire focus is not on all, it isn’t a blame game. e

STAFF EDITORIAL

OPINION | DECEMBER 2017

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REPUTATIONS :

H O L I D AY TRADITIONS

MVHS students discuss their holiday traditions

BY MALLIKA SINGH

HOLIDAYS CELEBRATED

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

24% 21% 21% 20%

NEW YEARS CHRISTMAS THANKSGIVING HALLOWEEN DIWALI

11% 2% 1%

OTHER HANUKKAH *According to a survey of 342 MVHS students

58

GIFT GIVING

DECORATING THE 20 % HOME

TRADITIONAL FOODS

of students celebrate religious holidays they don't believe in

40

%

SETTING UP A TREE

HANUKKAH *According to a survey of 268 MVHS students

THANKSGIVING DINNER SETTING UP A MENORAH

OF STUDENTS TRAVEL TO VISIT FAMILY AROUND THE WORLD *According to a survey of 271 MVHS students

MOST POPULAR TRADITION DURING EACH HOLIDAY

THANKSGIVING

22 %

HOLIDAY TRAVELS

*According to a survey of 312 MVHS students

CHRISTMAS

22 %

*According to a survey of 338 MVHS students

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

%

FAMILY 23 % GATHERINGS

16% 29% 26%

HOLIDAY SEASONS

36

%

OF STUDENTS THINK THE HOLIDAY SEASON STARTS IN OCTOBER

*According to a survey of 344 MVHS students

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2017

GIVE US A BREAK Students and administration discuss the placement of breaks in the school calendar

BY HANNAH LEE AND ANDREA PERNG

F

ILLUSTRATION | SARAH YOUNG

ollowing the transition from a relaxing The teacher’s union works with the district summer into a new school year, office to determine the calendar. According first semester can often be tiring. to math teacher Jon Stark, chairman of the There are approximately 14 1/2 weeks of union’s negotiations team, the community school between the first day of school and expressed a desire to move first semester Thanksgiving break with only final exams from January 3 days off. Students and staff to mid-December.

YOU’RE COMING have only two full days off “When people BACK FROM THIS for Thanksgiving, with finals returned [from winter LONG CHUNK OF week a mere three weeks break], they had some afterwards. As a result, study and prep time, and TIME WHERE YOU some students, including HAVEN’T ATTENDED then took the final exams. junior Devasha Trivedi, find it Then, they got a Monday SCHOOL. IT’S difficult to maintain stamina off and came back, both in and out of school. starting the new semester DIFFICULT GETTING “You’re coming back from INTO THAT ROUTINE. in January,” Stark said. this long chunk of time where “That was perceived to be JUNIOR you haven’t attended school stressful, so there was a DEVASHA TRIVEDI and then all of a sudden you push to move exams prior have to go for [many] weeks to the holiday break.” without a proper break,” Trivedi said. “It’s Due to this change, there are fewer days difficult getting into that routine. I feel like in first semester than in the second semester.

I’m just so mentally tired because there’s so In response to some student opinions much school.” regarding the shorter Thanksgiving break, A potential solution for alleviating student Stark added that some people generally and staff stress might be to institute a longer prefer having a longer summer vacation fall break during first semester. However, and a shorter fall break. Adjustments are according to principal April Scott, there are a certainly possible, but the teachers union number of aspects that go into determining would have to take into consideration how school holidays, including meeting early the semester would have to start in California’s required instructional days and order to finish the first half of the curriculum balancing the length of each semester. before the holiday season.

“When we start school, the number However, sophomore Elena Chen feels of days first semester needs to be enough that the length of Thanksgiving break is so that the number of instructional days not adequate for students because of its are met [in second semester],” Scott said. proximity to the final exams.

“Thanksgiving break, traditionally in our “From having a week of break in district, has just been the Thursday and elementary school and middle school, I’m Friday, so there is no discussion from the used to having a long week off to spend teacher’s union as far as having the Monday, time with family,” Chen said. “Also, because Tuesday and Wednesday off as well.”

Thanksgiving is close to finals, students rely

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ll uld k fa o e r w ts we rte en ne sho n. d o a io t stu a of efer and aca v r k p ea er br mm su

on the Thanksgiving break to start preparing for finals or take a break before the hectic finals schedule.”

While adjustments are possible if students prefer having a longer recess, some students like junior Benjamin Bedregal are content with the current two-day Thanksgiving break. “[The lack of a longer break] is very beneficial to me even though I don’t like it because it just keeps me on track of things,” Bedregal said. “Whenever there’s a threeday weekend or something, I completely slack off that entire week.”

Despite students’ feelings towards the school breaks, the teacher’s union and district office must balance the number of instructional days in the first and second semester. Because of standardized testing second semester, students are not in class for several days. As a result, it can be challenging for teachers who have to teach semester-long AP classes. “[In past years], it was especially bad for some of the semester-long courses,” Stark said. “If you took a course in spring, you would take it for 101 days. If you took it in fall, you would get 79. It was kind of awkward. That’s why we started as early in August as we do. It’s to get 84 days in the fall [so] we would have 96 in the spring [to accommodate for testing].”

Trivedi hopes the teacher’s union and the district administration will consider methods to decrease the marathon-like feel to first semester for her and other students.

“Even though second semester is a lot harder academically, I feel it’s a lot easier for me mentally because there [are] more breaks from school,” Trivedi said. “I can just spend more time with my family and I don’t have to sacrifice my sleep as much.” e

51 %

of th stu e da cu den we ys o rren ts w ek f f t s ou of all ch ld p Fe bre edu re br ak le fer ua ry and of tw br o ea ne o k.

*Based on a survey of 372 students.

OPINION | DECEMBER 2017

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THE WORST OF

BY AANCHAL GARG AND ANANYA BHAT 1

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2017

Countless publications have coined 2017 as the deadliest year for mass shootings. The headlines, which spark outrage for gun control enthusiasts, continued to plague news and social media feeds two years in a row, something senior Pallavi Sripathi noticed.

“It’s abhorrent that it’s back again — shootings have made it onto the [worst of the year] list twice,” Sripathi said. “That means we as a nation aren’t really doing our job to fix a problem.”

The largest mass shooting in modern U.S. history took place just two months ago at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas with a casualty count of 58, surpassing last year’s Pulse nightclub attack by nine casualties.

With the church shooting in Texas on November 5 marking the 307th shooting so far — almost as many shootings as days — Sripathi admits it gets harder to differentiate between each attack.

“They all blend in, and that’s really sad,” Sripathi said. “After the moment was gone, no one remembered these people anymore.”

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF U.S. NAVY

From sexual assault accusations to violent protests, 2017 has taken a turn for the worse

In June, Trump decided to pull out of the Paris climate change agreement, a coalition of 170 parties worldwide meant to address climate change. The announcement shocked and disappointed many nations. The decision was made to prioritize American needs, but the U.S. is now the only country to reject the agreement. Sophomore Andre Rodriguez highlights how the decision will not only counteract positive change, but also will remove the U.S. from the world spotlight, weakening its international power. He speculates that China will take the U.S.’ position, becoming the leader in the global fight against climate change. “[Other countries] are going to look at the U.S. and say, ‘Look how behind they are,’” Rodriguez said. “This is a global issue, and I think it’s beneficial for us, being the last global superpower after the Cold War, to participate and for us to be a leader.”

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF RMVISUALS

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF U.S. EMBASSY FRANCE

PARIS CLIMATE CHANGE ACCORD

MASS SHOOTINGS

NORTH KOREA’S MILITARY THREATS While President Trump mocks the North Korean leader with nicknames like “little rocket man,” Kim Jong-Un is no joke — he has tested over 84 missiles throughout his six years in office. The issue of North Korea has and will continue to test Trump’s abilities, but for some, his responses so far have been less than satisfactory.

“North Korea is definitely a sensitive issue, and [Trump] riles people up about it but he doesn’t do anything,” senior Apoorva Sirigineedi, vice president of MVHS Politics Club, said. “The fact that he’s talking so much about it and riling people up is still, I think, harmful because [he’s] creating this negative image.”

It may seem like all talk, but the threat of nuclear war still frightens many — the missiles tested this year pose dangerous threats, one being powerful enough to reach anywhere in the U.S. Hawaii is currently testing nuclear war sirens, something that hasn’t been done since the Cold War. “There’s a possibility of a missile strike,” Sirigineedi said.

“It’s happening. They have the power to attack us if they want to, so what exactly do we do?”

Protests have become increasingly common this year, and while most have remained peaceful, some have ended in fires and fights. Both the Charlottesville protest in August and the protest against Milo Yiannopoulos speaking at UC Berkeley in September turned violent and brought to light the argument over free speech.

For junior Alex Logie, these protests are just another facet of the many violent outbursts that took place this year.

“I think overall it’s just been a really unnecessarily violent year,” Logie said. “Everyone’s kind of mad at one another for having different views.”

Logie feels this violence is the result of increased tensions among those with differing views. While many protests hoped to further the acceptance of all in society, they have now shifted from peaceful events focusing on certain issues such as race to chaotic riots fixated on bringing down opposing views.

“At the beginning of the year we were all like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re going to accept one another,’” Logie said. “At the end of the year, it has just kind of gotten to this point where no one knows what’s really going on.”

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF RHODODENDRITES

2017 has seen a surge in This year has proven to be sexual assault and harassment one of the strangest years for claims against big names weather and one of the most following film producer Harvey damaging for communities Weinstein’s series of accusers. across the world.

With In just a two-month span, over Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose a dozen influential celebrities, and Maria hitting North America politicians, journalists and more within the last six months, like Ben Affleck, Al Franken, Bill numerous major earthquakes O’Reilly, Matt Lauer and Kevin in Mexico, Iran and Iraq and Spacey have all been added to the roaring the list of fires that SCAN FOR MORE powerful ter ro r i ze d m e n COVERAGE California, called out the world for their has seen actions. more than N a m e its fair share of natural disasters after name leaves people this year. like junior Animesh Agrawal While it has been devastating shocked as stars from multiple to see the damage inflicted, industries resign or are fired it has also been uplifting for from their jobs. some, like freshman Skylar “You rely on Matt Lauer and Ploshay, to see communities Charlie Rose for information come together to survive and and you trust them,” Agrawal overcome these tragedies. said. “You have seen them “I’m sad for all the families interview people who have that lost lives,” Ploshay said. committed sexual assault and “[But] it was awesome to see all you have seen them condemn the people that gave and helped this behavior on the news and them in the disasters or these a week later, they’re accused of stories where kids are trapped doing the exact same thing and underneath the rubble for a it’s like, who can you even trust couple days and they survived.” anymore?”

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF PAX AHIMSA GETHEN

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF DAVID SHANKBONE

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF U.S. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

NATURAL DISASTERS

SEXUAL ASSAULT ACCUSATIONS

PROTESTS GONE VIOLENT

DISCRIMINATORY BANS Trump has signed more executive orders than any president in the last 50 years, with the current total at a whopping 51. Many of his executive actions have sparked controversy, including his travel ban barring entry to people coming from six Muslim-majority countries and his memorandum banning transgender individuals from serving in the military and receiving funds for sexreassignment surgeries. The two pieces of legislation have outraged many, like sophomore Naomi Hahn, who believes these decisions don’t reflect American ideals.

“With the travel ban, you’re not letting these people into this country and we’re supposed to be this welcoming place for everyone,” Hahn said. “And with the whole transgender ban they’re willing to fight for this country and what it stands for, but by not letting them join ... you don’t represent how the U.S. is supposed to be seen.”

OPINION | DECEMBER 2017

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ABS Students and staff voice their views on skipping school

BY VIVIAN CHIANG AND ANJINI VENUGOPAL *Names starting with J are false names to protect the anonymous sources

teenager interviews in 25 cities in the U.S., 46 percent of the high school interviewees said they skip school at t was a sunny Friday SURE, [SKIPPING CLASS] IS least once a week. morning when she SLIGHTLY IMMORAL. BUT Senior Julien skips thought to herself, I once or twice a week, shouldn’t be at school ALSO I THINK THAT I HAVE and similar to Janet, right now. I could be A PRETTY GOOD SENSE does it to take a break doing so many other OF WHAT’S THE BEST USE from school. things. So she and her “It’s for a lot of friend spontaneously OF MY OWN TIME. reasons,” Julien said. decided to get some ANONYMOUS SENIOR “Sometimes I just don’t Korean food, leaving feel like going to class. all worries of school behind. They called Other times, [I] just like going out with their parents, saying they weren’t feeling friends.” well because of the smoke from the Napa The Get Schooled study showed that 32 Valley fire. percent of interviewees stated that their Skipping school to get Korean food is not a frequent occurrence for Janet, but she has skipped school “just because.”

“It’s never because I’m sick,” Janet said.

“Certain days … I feel like I should be taking a mental break from school … and that’s when I say, I’m just not going to show up today.”

From a study conducted by researchers at Get Schooled, a national nonprofit seeking to improve graduation rates and From a MVHS survey of 361 students college success rates, with more than 500

I

8%

SKIP SCHOOL BECAUSE

biggest reason for skipping was because they found school “boring.” Similarly, from a MVHS survey of 361 students, eight percent skipped because they believe they have better things to do than go to class.

Julien doesn’t see the harm in skipping school, and doesn’t feel guilty.

“Sure, [skipping class] is slightly immoral,” Julien said. “But also I think that I have a pretty good sense of what’s the best use of my own time.”

Despite ditching, senior Jenna considers herself to be a good student, as she always gets her work done. As a junior, she would be absent as often as once a week, taking time off from multiple periods over the course of a week. This year, she ditches

30%

HAVE SKIPPED

THEY BELIEVE GOING ONCE OR MORE A MONTH TO CLASS IS BORING

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2017

From a MVHS survey of 159 students

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SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE significantly less often. Even on the days that she skips when she has tests, her goal is to get more time to prepare. Unlike other students she knows, she never skips to find out the questions and answers. Because of this, Jenna doesn’t feel guilty about ditching, but she does feel like her ditching isn’t entirely justified.

“I only skip to get more time to study, never to get answers [for] the test,” Jenna said. “So I don’t feel like I get an unfair advantage over other people just by skipping.”

Janet agrees, and she occasionally skips the day before a test or a big assignment is due and uses the extra time to study and catch up on work. Unlike Julien, Janet plans her absences and typically doesn’t skip the days of tests.

“I usually plan it so I know that that day is either going to be a work day anyway or I ask people from previous periods what they do in class,” Janet said. “But even if I do

have to catch up on stuff, I don’t think it’s that hard.”

However, senior Edmund Shen finds that skipping school to study doesn’t provide any benefits. He finds it a hindrance to the rest of students in a class when one skips school, especially during test days.

“I just don’t think it’s a wise use of their time because in general it’s not as if they’re gaining more time by ditching,” Shen said. “Just borrowing time from the future doesn’t make things better; it’s just shifting over the frame in which you have to do work.”

In the two years attendance technician Joe Roan has been at MVHS, he has gotten used to students and parents calling in for absences. Roan has seen 15 to 20 cases where seniors, after turning 18, call themselves in for absences.

“They’ll say they’re sick, they’ll say they have appointments for this, for that,” Roan said. “There aren’t a lot of kids who ditch

52%

82%

LIE TO THEIR

BELIEVE THAT

TEACHERS WHEN THEY DITCH

SKIPPING SCHOOL IS JUSTIFIED

From a MVHS survey of 197 students

From a MVHS survey of 315 students

and give a reason. Most commonly they’ll just call in sick and then come right before a test and take [it].”

Though Roan can tell if students try to pass off as their parent calling in sick for them, he doesn’t believe MVHS students as a whole skip school often. However, according to a survey of 159 students, 30 percent said they skip school frequently.

Furthermore, 21 percent lie to their parents in order to cut class.

“I don’t think I’ve ever told my parents that I just didn’t feel like coming to school,” Janet said. “I just tell them ‘I don’t feel well’ physically, because I feel like they wouldn’t call me in if I tell them I don’t want to be at school that day.”

Julien chooses to not tell his parents at all and rarely calls into the office to excuse his absences.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Julien said.

“I don’t feel that [skipping school] harmfully affected me or anyone around me and any consequences are on myself.”

Shen disagrees, believing that it is already hard to make up work from sick absences or club field trips.

“I have never considered ditching simply because I don’t think that I would end up getting more done,” Shen said. “The amount of organization that I need to do beforehand — talking to teachers — it’s a big pain.” e

FEATURES | DECEMBER 2017

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BREAKING UNDER PRESSURE Students with eating disorders discuss their experiences during the holidays

BY ZARA IQBAL AND CLAIRE YANG

*Names starting with M are false names to protect the anonymous sources. abel had no idea something was terribly wrong. Not when the world began spinning around her as she warmed up in P.E. Not when she could barely finish one slice of turkey and a spoonful of mashed potatoes during Thanksgiving dinner without feeling full.

Not until three years later.

Throughout elementary school, she’d never felt singled out or particularly unhappy with her body. When Mabel grew older, she noticed how her classmates began shedding their baby fat, but hers just wouldn’t disappear. In order to lose her baby fat, Mabel started gradually eating less.

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2017

She didn’t understand what she was doing to herself. Later, she was diagnosed with anorexia, anemia, as well as prediabetes.

“I was really young and what I thought was [that] more food equals more weight,” Mabel said. “I slowly stopped eating, and I didn’t think of it as a big deal. I would just stop eating and it took [a while] for me to be able to admit to myself, ‘Wow, I’m starving myself, and I have a disorder.’”

Mackenzie on the other hand, has been struggling with bulimia for a few years due to struggles she’s faced at school in the past.

“I think it mostly began because of the stress at school—I didn’t really fit [in] at school and I didn’t really know what to do

so it kind of just happened,” Mackenzie said. “In middle school, I was bullied a lot, and in high school I was kind of scared to talk to people and I didn’t know how to make friends.”

Mabel struggled the most with her eating disorder in the sixth grade, during Christmas. It was also the first time she forced herself to throw up what she ate.

“We had tamales, and I took one, [but] I didn’t really want to eat,” Mabel said. “I didn’t want to eat, but I took one anyways, and I took one bite, and it made me so nauseous. This is the only time I’ve ever tried to make myself throw up to get rid of it. And I think that’s probably one of the worst things I’ve ever done.”

Mabel didn’t think her eating disorder her eating disorder from visiting family was a problem before she was diagnosed, members. Coming from a Latin American but her sister later took note of Mabel’s family, she says food plays a dominant role irregular eating habits and decided to tell in her family’s culture. her mom, who took her to the doctor.

“During Thanksgiving, I’ll usually have She was told to go to therapy, and her maybe like a slice of turkey and some parents supported the idea, but she didn’t mashed potatoes at most,” Mabel said. want to accept the label of being someone “The rest of my cousins will have full, full with an eating disorder. When Mabel was plates, to the brim. Because I got so skinny diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, her mom [my aunts] make fun of me for having an was more concerned with the additional eating disorder without actually realizing [I health complications such as anemia and have one]. I don’t take [it] too personally but prediabetes, instead of anorexia, the root of they’ll make comments about how skinny I her problems. am compared to the rest “I would miss a lot of of my cousins and how I WOULD JUST STOP school and some of my little I eat.” grades were going down EATING AND IT Even though Mabel because I was always super, TOOK [A WHILE] FOR experiences teasing super tired,” Mabel said. from her relatives ME TO BE ABLE TO “Looking at the board about her body and in math would make me ADMIT TO MYSELF, how little she eats, she dizzy. I was failing P.E. ‘WOW, I’M STARVING doesn’t want them to [The doctors] would ask MYSELF, AND I HAVE A feel uncomfortable by [my parents], ‘What are not eating the food they you feeding her? Is she not DISORDER.’ make. She feels guilty eating okay?’ I think that’s ANONYMOUS SOURCE thinking about the hours when [my sister] was like, spent making food when ‘Yeah, she’s just not eating at all. I don’t she can barely eat more than a few bites. know if you guys have noticed or not.’”

“Most of the time, I would just feel guilty, Student advocate Richard Prinz has because even though I want to try to eat, heard many stories about students with it’s really hard to,” Mabel said. “I don’t eating disorders, but says that very rarely want to make my family feel bad, because do those students come directly to him for people get really offended when they make help. Often times, it’s concerned friends something and other people won’t eat it. It’s and family who inform him. not like I’m trying to make my family feel “There are even cases where somebody bad, it’s just I can’t eat it. There’s just some can be so incredibly underweight that foods and some spices that I just can’t do.” they can see themselves in a mirror and Prinz mentions the great importance [their] doctor can be saying, ‘This is very of parents monitoring a child during the dangerous,’” Prinz said. Parents can be holidays. He says that if the eating disorder saying, ‘This is very dangerous.’ But they’re is severe, monitoring what one eats can be saying, ‘I’m fat.’ There’s a distortion of difficult at times, but is vital to keep the how one sees oneself, and then it becomes student safe. more and more addictive so sometimes the “I’m sure at home, if there’s a person does not recognize the problem.” holiday, there will be this monitoring When Mackenzie would experience going on,” Prinz said. “If [the child symptoms, she would space out and eat is] not eating at all, they’re under a large amount of food before throwing treatment and they’re being it up because she couldn’t bear the pain monitoring by their parents. inside her stomach. Similarly to Mabel, she Tricky part is if they’re mentions that she wasn’t really thinking purging. I’ve seen people while eating and only slowly realized the go back to the hospital gravity of her situation. because they’re still trying “I didn’t think it was that bad because not to eat, and then they get it wasn’t clearly defined by the symptoms in trouble again.” online,” Mackenzie said. “But then my Mackenzie is currently in 11 sister noticed and then she made me tell the process of recovery and my parents, and I went to the doctor. The relies on her siblings for help doctor just told my parents to monitor what when her eating disorder gets I eat mostly, and get me a therapist to help out of control. Because of the with the stress.” occasional relapses, she is a little On the other hand, during the holidays, worried about how to control it during Mabel has to make a greater effort to hide the holidays.

“Well, last year, I wasn’t struggling that much with this, but right now I feel like I’m better,” Mackenzie said. “I do have a tendency to overeat a lot, so right now for the holidays, I’m kind of scared that it’s going to get worse, but I feel if I have enough support I can get through it.”

Mabel is also recovering, but she still experiences struggles. She has to explain to others that her not eating a full meal is not asking for attention, and also explain the frustration that comes with being confronted about it. However, the biggest obstacle would be trying to eat a full meal in the first place.

“It still definitely is hard,” Mabel said. “I can barely finish a burger. I just try to eat really small portions in a short amount of time. I can’t eat a full meal and then keep going. I have to eat really small portions and gradually amount from there.”W However, Prinz thinks that being more honest and accepting about your own eating disorder can help others understand it.

Laughing along with the jokes your relatives make may be harmful towards yourself, and make you feel misunderstood.

“If people could just be more open about [their disorders and say], ‘Yeah, I do have an eating disorder. I struggle with depression.

I take medication,’ then they know not to joke,” Prinz said. “If you don’t want to do it, then your parents could educate relatives before they come. I think there are ways that family could look out for each other in those situations.” e

% of MVHS students have had an eating disorder *According to a survey of 353 MVHS students

FEATURES | DECEMBER 2017

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WRITING ON THE WALL Some of these decorations haven’t changed in years. They stay up and are as integral to a classroom as the teacher itself. Character, memories and timeless stories portray the teacher’s personal side.

Students walk in to the sight of the writing on the wall.

BY KAREN SANCHEZ PHOTOS BY OM KHANDEKAR

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English teacher David Clarke had turned his classroom into a giant puzzle of juxtapositions as a form of cultural literacy.

From the posters, clocks, stuffed animals, bumper stickers, graphics and drawings to the bag of tennis balls below a forgotten, deteriorated 15-year-old lunch, each object has a story. Some are personal memories such as his “I graduated from nursery school” certificate or the photo of a venomous letter written by a former dissatisfied student, but others propose questions, begging students to notice and analyze. “It is a challenge to notice because there’s just a ton of stuff to notice. That’s a big part of it: Do you notice?” Hidden among his walls, is an image of Che Guevara and another of a monkey wearing his hat. “It’s about Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution, but it’s also about evolution which is an interesting juxtaposition. Can kids, or anybody who comes in here, look at it and understand what it’s

saying?” Clarke doesn’t view his classroom as distinct stories or disciplines — rather they’re all connected. “It’s not necessarily supposed to lead to one particular result, but it’s just that this is what life is about: looking at things, understanding them, making connections, seeing what’s going on and just all the weird stuff that’s going on around us all the time.”

The ceramics classroom has a secret only art teacher Jodi Johnson knows.

Students walk in and out of her class everyday, but they’re unaware of the guardians that protect them: a little ceramic buddha and a penguin that keep to themselves on a high shelf. “He’s a little bit abstract and his hair fell out, but he’s got his little face.” Johnson’s class is home to various artwork left from previous years, some pieces dating back 12 years. Johnson makes sure to draw a line and put all artwork up, fearing intimidation if students only saw exemplary pieces. “There’s a weird line. I don’t like to necessarily put up the most amazing things that there are because I don’t want them to feel bad about the things they’re doing, but I think you can look at all the things and you can see different skill [levels]. They’re all cool in their own ways, so I just want students to know what the possibilities are and create babies.”

History teacher Bonnie Belshe’s classroom reminds her of distinct, at times hilarious, but unforgettable memories. When she first moved into her new classroom, there was nothing more exciting that the whiteboard where she could display her personal belongings. On it she put one of her favorite photos of herself taken by a student who considered her their “second favorite teacher” and the poster she carried at the Women’s March in Washington D.C. stating “We are fighters.” “I thought it was so appropriate that it was from one of my female students because that’s kind of the reason why I was going, thinking about it, and there.” Many decorations happen to be gifts from past students, including a no parking sign from Nixon’s inauguration, one of Belshe’s favorites. “A former [student’s] grandmother lived in D.C during [the] sixties and seventies and she, like many people, despised Nixon. They had put the no parking signs on her

street. She was so upset, she went out and took it down.” Aside from the historical aspect of her room, Belshe dedicates a whole side of the class to Elvis, showcasing a needlepoint pillow and a screenplay poster from Graceland, Elvis’s hometown, which Belshe has visited six times.

The screenplay poster has been edited in order to suit Belshe, and once in awhile students will notice her name written down as the co-star, screenplay writer and director of the play. Her own face is also photoshopped onto the image on the poster. “The best part is that I just keep the poster up and don’t tell the classroom so I just wait and see if the students notice and and it usually takes a couple of months, and then you see a kid kind of just looking at it, and then they’ll be like ‘Huh, the faces look kind of different.’” Only one decoration is seen twice in her room: a motto that says, “I will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection.”

“I just like the idea of grace and not perfection because it’s freeing and softening.”

FEATURES | DECEMBER 2017

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For physiology teacher Jenna Smith, the name of the game is positivity. It seems as though most of her decorations have become a way to represent the values she hopes to teach students who walk into B103 to take a physiology class. Smack dab above the white board, and the first image many students see as they enter her classroom, lay many iterations of the simple term ‘welcome.’

“I wanted physiology to be a room where people came in, and the whole goal here is that people leave here knowing how to be happier and healthier in their own skin, and being welcome and whatnot of everybody is really important to me. So, I wanted to make it like ‘welcome to physio at Monta Vista’ right? So ‘welcome to’ is in purple and gold but ‘physio’ is in rainbow colors so everybody is welcome in here.” To her, they make the room a more welcoming and friendly atmosphere. “Whoever you are, you are a person and you are welcome in here.”

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One may assume economics teacher Pete Pelkey’s self-centered with all the photos of his face on his walls, but on the contrary, Pelkey doesn’t consider himself a very handsome man. “It’s not that I’m full of myself, and I don’t like to look at myself in the mirror cause I kind of scare myself with how old I’m aging, but I get these things and I put them up because why not?” Rather, each image displaying his face holds economic significance.

One of which, made by MV alumni Perry Ting, hangs just above his desk. “It’s a creative project which is basically a dress-up Pelkey,” Pelkey said. “That is a Perry Ting original, a creative project somebody actually turned in. In my face, there [are] all sorts of economic references like demand and supply, Phillips curves and diamond water paradox. The creativity of it is so over the top that I had to put it up.”

Math teacher Martin Jennings is known to say certain phrases that cause students to crack a smile. Sayings like “Golly Gee Willikers,” “Exac-a-la-caly,” “Tough titties” and “Heavens to Betsy” are showcased on his wall on a poster given to him by past students. Jennings provides his students with food for thought through his decorations: a poster applying math concepts to life, another with a scientific question while picturing the moon in all its glory and the posters explaining different mathematical creations from different counties across the world. “I just like [the posters] because they relate to different ethnic groups, and I think that’s an important quality so people can come in and say, ‘Hey, my country is responsible for this and that.’” e

Various creations to make with peppermint

BY CHARLOTTE CHUI Along with the end of the year comes gifting presents, Christmas caroling and, of course, peppermint. Here are four DIY projects to try with this quintessential holiday favorite.

1 CANDY CANE TREES Try a fresh spin on a classic Christmas treat with this recipe, combining candy canes and white chocolate.

Ingredients: Mini candy canes Peppermint candies White chocolate wafers Sprinkles Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Lay candy canes in a heart shape on baking sheet, with one peppermint candy at the heart’s tip. Cut a mini candy cane in half to create a “tree stump.”

Place at heart’s opposite end.

3. Bake for three to five minutes, until soft.

4. Press the candy cane’s curved tips into a straight line.

Pinch the candies together to attach all parts. Let cool.

5. Melt chocolate wafers.

Spoon white chocolate into trees’ center and decorate with sprinkles. Let cool. sOURCE | JENNIFER FISHKIND

2 PEPPERMINT

3 PEPPERMINT LOTION

ORNAMENTS

BARS

Spice up your Christmas tree with this unique take on traditional ornaments.

Ingredients: Peppermint candies Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Spray the inside of ovensafe cookie cutters with nonstick cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Fill the cookie cutters with a layer of peppermint candies.

4. Bake for three to nine minutes or until melted together.

5. Coat a toothpick with cooking spray and use it to make a hole in each candy.

6. Once cool, pop out the hardened ornament by carefully stretching out the cookie cutter.

Thread with string or ribbon and hang on a Christmas tree. sOURCE | HELLO HOMEBODY

Chilly weather taking a toll?

Moisturize dry skin with these mint scented lotion bars.

Ingredients: 3 ounces cocoa butter 3 ounces coconut oil 3 ounces beeswax 36 drops of peppermint essential oil Directions: 1. Heat water in a medium pan over the stove, until simmering.

2. Place cocoa butter, coconut oil and beeswax into a bowl.

3. Place the glass bowl over the pan of simmering water until all ingredients are melted.

4. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint essential oil.

5. Pour into silicon molds.

6. Refrigerate to cool before removing and packaging. sOURCE | PLANT THERAPY

4 CANDY CANE SLEIGHS

A&E

MINT FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Transform candy into Santa’s sleigh ride with this sweet treat.

Ingredients: 2 candy canes 10 miniature sized candy bars 1 full size Kit Kat bar Directions: 1. Glue the candy canes to the Kit Kat’s bottom for the sleigh’s base.

2. Stack and glue candy bars to make a pyramid formation on top of the Kit Kat. There will be four bars on the bottom, then three, then two, then one.

3. Wrap ribbon around the sleigh, tying it at the bottom.

Tie and glue a bow on top. sOURCE | MAVIS BUTTERFIELD

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PHOTO | SUNJIN CHANG

A & E | DECEMBER 2017

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TO BE A K D AGAIN

Reflections on “The Incredibles 2” and other overdue sequels

BY ADITI GNANASEKAR AND MICHELLE WONG

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hirteen years. That’s how long it has been since the first “Incredibles” movie was released in theaters. And over a decade later, the teaser for its sequel, “The Incredibles 2,” is now attracting the attention of teenagers who had fallen in love with the film during their elementary school years.

One of these students, junior Wayne Mak has been anxiously waiting for the release for the past six years after hearing rumors that Pixar would produce another “Incredibles” movie. He found those stories to be true just recently, after he watched the trailer for the sequel, which is scheduled to be released on June 15, 2018.

“When I saw the trailer, I was like ‘Whoa!’ These are the same characters that I really loved,” Mak said.

The fond memories senior Megumi Pennebaker made when watching animated films such as “The Incredibles” as a child makes her especially excited for the sequel’s 2018 release. Because her father’s friend worked at Pixar as a producer, Pennebaker’s family has regularly gone to the theaters to watch the movies.

“There was that one kid that was like, ‘That was totally wicked’ at the end [of the movie], and me and my brother and my sister loved that line,” Pennebaker said.

“We would say it all the time.”

In addition to the hilarious dialogue,

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N | AN

Pennebaker remembers loving the movie, Mak still believes that he will feel simple storyline and vibrant cartoons of the same emotions and level of excitement animated movies such as “Cars” and “The as he did when he watched the film at Incredibles” as a child. As a teenager, she the age of four, especially because of the still appreciates the movies, attachment he has had but for different reasons. to the characters.

WHEN I SAW THE For example, although “Other than TRAILER, I WAS LIKE “Finding Nemo” is a story Mr. Incredible, I “WHOA!” THESE about fish and may not felt attached to his seem applicable to children, wife Helen.

Mr. ARE THE SAME Pennebaker has found that Incredible wanted to CHARACTERS THAT I be a superhero and she is now able to look past REALLY LOVED. the childish aspects and focus [couldn’t] let go of on its focus on family, along his past, while she JUNIOR WAYNE MAK has to help move on,” with the sounds and music incorporated into the film.

Mak said. “So while “Even now, I still relate to [the movies] watching the movie, I realized that that was because they have the older jokes in a pretty hard struggle for her. So I kind of there too and also the messages are still sympathized with her about that.” relatable,” Pennebaker said.

Senior Malikah Nathani also remembers Although now a feeling an attachment to the characters, member of an older particularly Edna Mode, the superhero suit audience compared designer known for her bangs, circularto when he rimmed glasses and bold attitude. watched the first “I just found her to be so sassy and

ANYA

BHAT

so confident and that was what I wanted to Pennebaker is planning on watching the be like when I was growing up,” Nathani premiere show of the new “Incredibles” said. “Especially at the time, I wanted to be movie, as she usually does. Whenever a fashion designer. I’m excited to see her in there is an earlier screening time for a Pixar the sequel.” movie release, Pennebaker makes sure that Aside from the characters, Nathani she catches the earliest time. also holds nostalgic memories about the “You know how it says they release experience of watching the movie itself. on Friday, but you can go Thursday night Although she hadn’t quite understood before,” Pennebaker said. “I always go to the movie the first time she watched it as those Thursday night movies.” an elementary schooler, she remembers While Nathani is also excited about laughing and enjoying the film with all of watching the “Incredibles” sequel, she her friends the second time when she was still remembers being disappointed by a older. Nathani believes that different Pixar sequel, the movie allowed her and “Finding Dory.” As I THINK I’M GOING her friends to connect with someone who had been TO BE[COME] A KID each other over Disney. a fan of Disney and AGAIN. “I think Disney-Pixar Pixar films from a young movies are able to bond age, “Finding Nemo” SENIOR MALIKAH people of all ages,” Nathani was one of her favorites NATHANI said. “It’s just so fun for while she was growing everybody.” up, one that she would Watching animated watch constantly — and movies like “The Incredibles” allows still does. Although “Finding Nemo” came Pennebaker to rediscover her love of Pixar out in theaters in 2003, it was only after and Disney. What particularly draws her to 13 years that the long anticipated sequel, these movies is their animation. While she “Finding Dory,” was released. Nathani was remembers the initial human characters disappointed by the quality of the sequel, from “The Incredibles” having an eerie stating the gap between the release of the aura to them due to the more rough, two movies as one of the main drawbacks. older animation, she noticed that the new “It’s kind of sad actually because I think animation portrays the characters more when you hype it so much, it doesn’t turn realistically and with more detail. But she out to your expectations,” Nathani said. “A also acknowledged that there is more to lot of the times, sequels aren’t as good as Pixar than its animation. the originals, especially if you had such a “Their stories are really good and I saw great connection to the original.” they’re different from Disney [because] Yet she still maintains high hopes they don’t have a main villain who brings for “The Incredibles 2,” despite her the conflict. There’s antagonists, but disappointment with “Finding Dory.” they’re not the really the reason the conflict Nathani thinks the sequel may be an is there,” Pennebaker said. “There’s never even more enjoyable experience for her, really a love story going on too, it’s just real considering how the first holds a special stories — and a lot of them you can relate place in her heart. to.”

“It’s going to make it even more fun, because we can understand and look back and see both ways,” Nathani said. “I think I’m going to become a kid again.” e

IN A SURVEY OF 351 STUDENTS

73% PREFER "TOY STORY" OVER "TOY STORY 3" IN A SURVEY OF 355 STUDENTS

72% PREFER "MONSTERS, INC." OVER "MONSTERS UNIVERSITY" IN A SURVEY OF 355 STUDENTS

78% PREFER "FINDING NEMO" OVER "FINDING DORY" IN A SURVEY OF 341 STUDENTS

88% PREFER "CARS" OVER "CARS 3"

TOP PIX A & E | DECEMBER 2017

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PHOTO | SHARJEEL RAHMAN

THE HUMANS BEHIND HUMANS OF MONTA VISTA The three owners of HOMVH plan for the account’s future

BY SHARJEEL RAHMAN AND JAHAN RAZAVI

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enior Jesse Wong was browsing a lot of people here are focused on school,” Facebook one evening in May and came Wong said. “We want to get them to talk across a page under the title, “Humans more about things that can help people know of Monta Vista.” He immediately noticed that them more as a person.” the page was inactive with To accomplish their THEIR EXPERIENCES OFF goal of building a raw the last post being from 2015. Determined, Wong connection between CAMPUS AND SEEING got his friends, seniors the three DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES students, Matthew Hsieh and Daniel choose to interview ON LIFE [SHOW] HOW Hong, to revive the page and random people they create a new “Humans of see roaming around PEOPLE BECAME THE Monta Vista.” Their page is campus.

PEOPLE THEY ARE TODAY. school modelled after the critically“We try to make SENIOR MATTHEW HSIEH acclaimed “Humans of New the interviews as York” Facebook page that has accumulated spontaneous and as organic as possible,” over 50 million likes on Facebook.

Hsieh said. “We just try to go up to people ”School is a pretty stressful environment,” without any prior planning and make the Wong said. “We thought we should talk to questions fit whatever we’re talking about some people and get their stories to help that day.” relieve stress and tell people that we all have Although all the members are graduating our own things to deal with.” this year, Wong, Hsieh and Hong still want to The current iteration of “Humans of keep their page alive. Hsieh hopes to bring in Monta Vista” was created in May and has more members and make sure that HOMVH gathered over 600 likes on Facebook and can expand and gain popularity on both its nearly 1000 followers on Instagram since its Facebook and Instagram platforms. launch. Its goal is twofold: relieve stress and “[We’re looking for] people who are let people know more about their peers. just driven and inspired by the content we “We ask them questions, and then try to put out, and are looking to embrace the ask them more personal questions, because values we have at HOMVH, such as making

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everyone’s opinions count,” Hsieh said. “And if they exhibit these qualities, then they’re a great addition for our team.”

The creators believe that the page helps bring people together, since certain stories are able to resonate with people.

“Where everyone is so high-achieving, we often forget we’re human ourselves and not just a test score, and as cliché as it sounds, but not just a grade,” Hsieh said. “[HOMVH] raises awareness and makes us realize we’re worth something and our opinions matter.”

Even with the nine interviews HOMVH has accumulated so far, Hsieh believes that each one is unique — each interview brings about new perspectives and opinions.

“There’s no wrong or right interview, because a lot of the things people say are valuable,” Hsieh said. “[It’s] not like a test where you get something wrong or right, but more of a life lesson and any advice you can provide for your life. Their experiences off campus and seeing different perspectives on life [show] how people became the people they are today.” e

Exploring how cooking helps us bond with those around us

By Priya Reddy and Emily Xia

Cooking brings up a lot of memories. Perhaps a messy kitchen comes to mind, a table with ingredients strewn about. Perhaps it’s a warm bowl of soup on a cold day. Or maybe it’s the unforgettable cupcakes made by a friend for a birthday party. No matter the situation, cooking often brings us together, but how exactly does this happen? Two teachers and a student try to answer this question.

A & E | DECEMBER 2017

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he clock ticks just loud enough so that assistant principal Andrew Goldenkranz can hear it, reminding him of his quickly approaching deadline. Eyeing his ingredients, he gets to work, whipping out bowls and measuring cups. Swiftly pouring and mixing ingredients, he runs a recipe through his head, something that needs to be finished within the next few hours for his Thanksgiving party.

For Goldenkranz, cooking is a regular activity, whether it’s for a family dinner or a large party. When he’s not at school, he can often be found in the kitchen, creating something new and delicious to serve friends and family.

“For me food is largely a social experience in preparing,” Goldenkranz said. “You get to serve it to your friends and family and they tell you how much they like it and everybody’s happy.

Even sometimes when something’s not perfect, they will appreciate the effort whether they really appreciate the product or not.”

Goldenkranz believes his community boosts his love of cooking and baking, as he enjoys hearing other perspectives about his own dishes. For senior Sabrina Hung, although cooking is a way to connect with others, it is also a way for her to relieve stress.

“When I’m stressed out, just the thought of making stuff for other people and seeing them smile, I guess, the act of giving really makes me happy,” Hung said. “It’s like an art. I

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feel like you have to really learn certain thing I’ve ever cooked, everything skills, and it gets [easier] as time goes.” globbed together, there was pesto in Hung developed a passion for baking it so it was just green mush. I made it when she took her first pastry class in for [my husband’s] birthday, and he eighth grade. was very sweetly eating this disgusting “When I was little, my mom was green mush that I made.” really involved in making different After her attempt at gnocchi, Corso foods,” Hung said. “Middle school, the delved into other types of food, such first time, there were cooking classes as spinach artichoke dip and macaroni at Kennedy, and and cheese.

I took those During the FOR ME FOOD IS LARGELY classes.

From Christmas A SOCIAL EXPERIENCE IN there, I started s e a s o n , PREPARING. EVEN SOMETIMES to really like C o r s o WHEN SOMETHING’S NOT baking and cooks with cooking. I took a her father PERFECT, THEY WILL APPRECIATE pastry arts class and makes THE EFFORT WHETHER THEY my eighth grade biscotti and REALLY APPRECIATE THE year, and that’s rosemary PRODUCT OR NOT.” when I really s h o r t b re a d ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL realized, ‘Oh c o o k i e s ANDREW GOLDENKRANZ wow, I really do while visiting like this.’” her family However, for members, a new teacher mentor Jackie Corso, tradition she started during college. cooking was not originally a passions For Corso, cooking is something that of hers. brings her family closer together and “Honestly, at first [cooking] started something that reminds her of her out of necessity and then I would make childhood, both during the holiday things for other people and they’d season and in her everyday life. Corso really like it,” Corso said. “I really like and her husband also cook together cooking for other people. That’s the often, using this as bonding time during thing that makes my heart happy — their busy schedules. hearing when someone likes the food “It’s a fun time for us when we spend that you make — for some reason that time with our families,” Corso said. “It feels really gratifying.” usually revolves around food in some Corso’s journey in cooking, like way, so we cook as a family. More Goldenkranz’s, began in college. For so with my dad, my dad really likes Corso, the drive to cook came mostly to cook and there are some recipes from a desire to eat food that wasn’t that are traditions. Especially around fast food or takeout.

Thanksgiving and Christmas time, “I remember I was 20-years-old, he always likes to make Cioppino fish and I decided I really wanted to make soup, and he makes this really good gnocchi,” Corso said. “It was a hot crab cake. I’ve kind of grabbed those mess. It was the most disgusting recipes from him over the years.”

Similarly, within Goldenkranz’s household, much of the family bonding and activities are centered around cooking. As a child, Goldenkranz’s mother, his role model, would teach him recipes. As she aged, she became unable to cook, and Goldenkranz began teaching those same recipes to his kids, something he feels is appreciated by his mother.

“When my mom lost her ability to

sort of getting back away from that and getting back into the original kinds of recipes.”

Like Goldenkranz, Hung received many cooking tips from her mom, who enjoys experimenting with her own recipes. Through this, Hung realized how she could personalize the dishes she made.

“My mom really likes to make bread, and just in general she started cook, out with almonds,” Hung said. “She t h e found ways to roast almonds in fa m i l y different ways and it was just really would get cool how she would come up with together with my kids these things.

It’s just really cool how and my parents and she takes random ingredients that I my wife and I,” Goldenkranz said. “I would never think of and put it into would tend to make some of my mom’s bread.

She’s my inspiration of trying to recipes. And my mom, even though she take a simple recipe like a cookie, and couldn’t cook anymore, really enjoyed just really turning it into my own.” my kids talk about how much they liked With such the food that I was a diverse LEARNING HOW TO MAKE making because they SIMPLE THINGS IS A REALLY b a c k g r o u n d , knew that they were Goldenkranz is her recipes. There GOOD PLACE TO START. able to merge was a lot of kind of THERE’S A LOT OF BASIC many different love and compassion PASTA DISHES OR ONEcultures into in that.” his dishes.

In POT MEALS. START WITH G o l d e n k r a n z ’s addition to GOOD INGREDIENTS, family has a diverse this, he has background — his AND KEEP IT PRETTY also catered mother’s family came SIMPLE. YOU’D BE PRETTY for various from Eastern Europe SURPRISED AT HOW events and has and his wife’s family attended an GOOD FOOD CAN TASTE. is from Guadalajara apprenticeship — and because of NEW TEACHER at a San this, he has adopted MENTOR JACKIE CORSO F r a n c i s co a wide variety of bakery. cooking styles from a Goldenkranz’s passion for cooking number of cultures. is not something he has wanted to Not only does he have recipes from pursue professionally, though others different countries, but he also carries have told him that they believe he recipes from many different time could pursue it as a career. periods. Having received recipes from “From time to time when I do a big both his grandmother and his mother, event, somebody will try to pay me a he is able to analyze the evolution of compliment by saying, ‘you should their cooking and family recipes over open a restaurant’ which is a flattering the past few generations. thing to say,” Goldenkranz said.

“What was kind of interesting was, “Usually my response is, ‘Well, If I were my grandmother was the immigrant, so she brought her really old school looking for a career with longer hours recipes from her homeland,” and harder work than public education Goldenkranz said. “And then in my then I would certainly consider that.’ mom’s generation, everybody wanted But right now I like doing it as kind of a to be a real American. So they would hobby and a pastime.”

Hung, on the other hand, hopes to adapt the recipes, in that kind of Betty pursue culinary arts as a career. From Crocker generation, and lately, we’re

her experience interning at a culinary school, she realized she had a passion for baking. Although her parents were hesitant at first, they now fully support her decision.

“At first they were kind of hesitant because this field is pretty risky; it’s pretty hard to get out of,” Hung said.

“But they do see that I really enjoy baking, so they’re all for it and they’re supporting me, so it’s really nice.”

While Hung never had much guidance from those around her, she is able to give advice to those who would like to start cooking but don’t know where to start.

“Talk to people,” Hung said. “If you know someone who bakes, I think it’s really helpful when you want to learn something. [Research] a lot and keep practicing. Don’t give up on the first time if you fail because you might learn other things. It might work and it might not work.”

As someone who also didn’t have much guidance and has learned cooking through mostly trial and error, Corso believes that cooking is, in reality, a fairly simple task that anyone can be successful at.

“Start small, and keep adding,” Corso said. “Learning how to make simple things is a really good place to start. There’s a lot of basic pasta dishes or one-pot meals. Start with good ingredients, and keep it pretty simple.

You’d be pretty surprised at how good food can taste.” e

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

A & E | DECEMBER 2017

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SPORTS

out your maximum effort and then having others try to match that,” he said. “If you know that every day you show up and you’re going to start, you’re not going to work as hard. You gotta work for your minutes. It’s all about effort.”

Both Kimble and senior Arjun Mathur, who is on varsity, see this competition as a way to improve the team’s skills and legacy through the coming years.

“When starters or people who should be starting don’t show up, it gives [development players] a chance to prove themselves,” Mathur said. “They’ll be practicing with some really high level players on our roster right now, and that’ll definitely help them get better.”

Along with practicing at the varsity level, development players also gain insight from Kimble’s coaching. Prior to the development team, most of Maldonado’s experience with soccer had been playing during summer trips to Mexico. He’s never had a coach to give him feedback to improve. The team has been a way for him to get advice on his game that he couldn’t get while playing recreationally.

“I don’t have the coach that’s like, ‘Oh yeah work on this,’” Maldonado said, “so it’s good because I get feedback to get better.”

However, while the development team players get to practice alongside the varsity team, they aren’t officially a part of the varsity team and will likely not get a chance to play in any league games this season.

“It was pretty sad, because you know you’re not on the team,” Maldonado said, “but it’s a good opportunity to be able to play and see how people on varsity play, and kind of just get to know people.”

Although results may not be visible yet, Mathur is sure they will surface in the coming years, and wishes the development team had been started earlier.

“It’s training people who aren’t necessarily good enough to play on our roster now but they have the potential to be good enough if they put in the work,” Mathur said, “so it gives them a chance, and I think that’s a really good thing.” e

DEVELOPING SUCCESS How and why the soccer development team came to be

BY KAREN MA AND SANNIDHI MENON

I

t’s the first game of the 2017-18 varsity program. Although development players boys soccer season. As players take the may not have a huge impact on the varsity field, new varsity coach Todd Kimble team’s performance this year, he says, the observes from the sidelines. This year, skills they gain from practicng with varsity however, fans and players on the bench players will hopefully pay off next year. aren’t the only ones watching.

“You get to know the people that are on Six juniors and seniors from the the team, so if you’re on it next year, you MVHS soccer team’s newly implemented kind of already know the gist of things,” development team watch the game as well, Maldonado said. studying the techniques of players on the The idea for a program incorporating a field and listening intently development team occurred IT WAS PRETTY to Kimble’s feedback when Kimble spoke with during the game for later SAD, BECAUSE YOU the varsity team before application during their the interest meeting, about KNOW YOU’RE own practice. difficulties the team faced NOT ON THE TEAM. the previous year. The “The development team is partly to push the new coach discovered that BUT IT’S A GOOD starters, and the people OPPORTUNITY TO three challenges arose most that are on the bench frequently: commitment, TO BE ABLE TO PLAY attendance and chemistry. looking for minutes, but it’s also to build a “There wasn’t really any JUNIOR DANIEL program,” Kimble said. sense of cohesiveness,” MALDONADO The new team consists Kimble said. “So I took that of students who tried out for varsity but and I just basically said, ‘OK, how can we didn’t quite make the cut. However, Kimble create culture?’ Well, culture comes from still wanted to keep them affiliated with the how we do things here ... If we agree on program, as he believed they had potential. these concepts for how to do things, then His solution: the development team, a the team creates the culture.” group who practices with the varsity team According to Kimble, the development to help them make the team next year. team is what ties many of his ideas for Some, Kimble says, could even get playing a new culture and agenda together. By time this season, if they work hard and establishing a team with a similar skillset demonstrate impressive improvement. to that of the varsity team, Kimble hopes As development player junior Daniel to use them as a driving force for varsity Maldonado puts it, the development team players to push themselves even harder. is a way to look out for the future of the “It’s about setting an example by putting

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SPORTS | DECEMBER 2017

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PHOTO | OM KHANDEKAR

IN THE SPIRIT MVHS cheer and song teams prepare for competition season

BY ROSHAN FERNANDEZ AND AKSHARA MAJJIGA

M

usic reverberated off the walls of on performing at competitions, but they the James Logan HS gym as team make modifications throughout the season after team piled onto the blue mat based on the judge’s comments in order in perfect formations. The MVHS cheer to improve their performance. Ultimately, team stood huddled together in a tight circle their goal is to qualify for and perform well as the previous team performed. Moments at USA Spirit Nationals, which takes place later they were running onto in February in Anaheim. the floor, wide smiles across “I think that [it’s only] WE’RE GROWING their faces as they waved to after nationals when we CLOSER AND MORE the crowd. This competition are excited to tell people CONNECTED AS on December 2 was the that this is what we place MVHS cheer team’s first or this is how we did,” A TEAM. WE’RE competition and song team’s senior and song team DEFINITELY ON AN third of the season. member Esha Desai said.

UPWARD TREND. Although much of what “And that’s when [the the student body sees of impact of] competition SENIOR MADI the MVHS cheer and song season comes in, [and ANDERSON-AU teams is confined to the that’s when] we start football field or the gym, talking about what we participating in rally festivities and football had to do to get there.” games is only a part of MVHS spirit. By the This year the MVHS song team will time the football team has hung up its gear participate in five competitions. Although after the final game of the season, the spirit they performed worse than they had team’s season is only just beginning. hoped at their first competition this year, The spirit team, which is comprised of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Regional, both the cheer team and the song team, they qualified for nationals at the second begins training for competition season in competition, California Great America the summer by preparing the choreography Regional, despite some setbacks. for its first competition which is generally in “We didn’t do as well as we expected at September. Both the cheer and song team the first competition because this year ... generally practice a single routine which there’s been a lot of changes,” Desai said. is about three minutes long that they plan “But at the second competition we did

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qualify, and we had a few disruptions — the music stopped while we were performing on stage, but we performed to the best of our abilities.”

The MVHS song and cheer teams often perform together at football games and have the same coach — Brittany Carey.

However, they compete separately during competition season. Desai, who has been a member of both teams but now only participates in song, explains the difference.

“Cheer is the traditional stunting [and] tumbling, but song is dance with a cheer style, so we use pom poms which has more of a cheer essence to it, but we’re still doing jazz and hip hop,” Desai said.

Freshman Rebecca Chiang is a first year member of the cheer team and originally joined cheer as opposed to song because her mom was a cheerleader in high school. She appreciates the stunts that are more prevalent in cheer routines. Chiang explains that her first football game was extremely nerve-wracking, but over time she has settled down and become more comfortable. Part of that was due to the upperclassmen, who serve as role models and help the newer members like Chiang learn routines and techniques.

“I ask [the upperclassmen,] ‘What can I do better?’ or ‘How did you learn this?’ and so it’s like a role model, but at the same

AR

PHOTO | OM KHANDEKAR

SONG

CHEER & SONG

COMPETITION SCHEDULE SEPTEMBER 30 SANTA CRUZ The MVHS song team participated at its first competition at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on September 30. The team placed second in its division.

OCTOBER 7 GREAT AMERICA

CHEER

time they’re like big sisters,” Chiang said. … so it takes two to three months to work As an upperclassmen and captain, everything out and be ready to perform.” senior Ellie Orvick explains that her role on Both teams finished third in their the cheer team is to set a good example, divisions at their most recent competition hopefully help alleviate some tension on December 2 at James Logan HS. Cheer before performances and overall make qualified for USA Spirit Nationals, which sure everyone feels confident. was the team’s primary goal. Song, having “As the years have gone by I’ve already qualified earlier, participated in obviously gotten more confident,” Orvick the event primarily to gain experience, get said. “I [have] become that person I was feedback from the judges and perfect their looking up to when I was a routine. freshman.”

“I think for this This year, however, competition we definitely NO MATTER HOW the cheer team captains feel better than the WE DID RANKING and coach decided that past two competitions,” they would not be ready senior song captain WISE, I WOULD BE to compete at the first Madi Anderson-Au said.

PROUD OF THIS scheduled competition.

“And we’re definitely TEAM NO MATTER According to senior growing closer and more captains Sarah Wood connected as a team.

WHAT. and Orvick, the team SENIOR ELLIE ORVICK We’re definitely on an has definitely benefited upward trend.” from the additional time, which allowed Since both teams have now qualified for the members to gain more confidence and their national competition, they hope to calm their nerves. continue working on their routines to place “We had a lot of conflicts with as well as they can in February. According scheduling and getting space in the gym to to Anderson-Au, this generally involves practice,” Wood said. “So we just felt like contacting the choreographer again we’d rather go to our second competition shortly before the national competition to ready and fully prepared than go to our first polish the choreography so they can put competition and have someone get hurt.” forth their best effort at the event. This Despite the fact that the team marks the thirteenth year that the MVHS currently needs to work on its competition song and cheer teams have qualified for routine and cheer at basketball games USA Spirit Nationals under Coach Brittany simultaneously, Orvick explains that the Carey, and last year, both teams finished in process is no longer as time-consuming as the top three. The team hopes to continue it used to be. Both Orvick and Wood have the trend this year at USA Spirit Nationals noticed that practices and competitions get in Anaheim, Calif. easier as the year progresses and the team “I think just going onto the floor as gains experience. a team and coming off as a team, that’s “[By] the end of the year, our routine is the most important thing and going out very solid [and] everyone has a lot of skills,” there and having fun,” Orvick said. “So no Wood said. “And then as soon as the new matter how we did ranking wise, I would be team comes, it’s like we have a fresh start proud of this team no matter what.” e

At its second competition on October 7 in Great America, the song team reached its goal of qualifying for USA Spirit Nationals 2018 in Anaheim in February.

DECEMBER 2 UNION CITY The song and cheer teams participated in the third and first competition of the season respectively. The cheer team qualified for USA Spirit Nationals, and both teams finished third in their divisions.

JANUARY 13 ANTIOCH Both teams will participate at a regional competition in Antioch on January 13. Having already qualified for USA Spirit Nationals, the teams hope to gain experience through this competition.

FEBRUARY 22-25 ANAHEIM Since coach Brittany Carey took over 13 years ago, both teams have qualified every year for USA Spirit Nationals. Last year, they both placed within the top three, and they hope to continue that streak this February.

The song team performs at James Logan HS on December 2. Their goal for this performance, according to senior captain Madi Anderson-Au, was to gain experience and improve their routine using feedback from the judges.

SPORTS | DECEMBER 2017

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GAINING YARDAGE A group of seniors bond over sports

BY ELIZABETH HAN AND SHAYON MORADI

F

rom a distance, a yellow flag peeks out from the referee’s fist.

In a split second, his grip loosens. A player has crashed into the grass. He tosses the flag, calling a penalty on the defense. The team tries to argue its case, but he shakes his head no as he scoops the flag from the ground. The players return back to their positions and play resumes.

Take a few steps closer and the flag is nothing more than a yellow kitchen towel, and the referee is senior Rohil Srivastava. The players before him are all MVHS seniors, with no uniform or audience. The only thing that resembles official organized sport seems to be the players’ energy. These pick-up games have been happening a few times a month for the last four years.

In their most recent game on November 4, 26 players and two designated referees met up for over three hours of play. With rapid handoffs and occasional interceptions, the group of senior boys marked the highlight of their friendship through a single game of football that began with a group chat.

BEGINNINGS The title of their chat bears its essential purpose: “football chat.”

Here, they organize their weekly games, as well as spark up casual debates related to sports — arguments like the merits of Alex Smith vs. Colin Kaepernick. The number of members fluctuates, though it hasn’t dropped below double digits for a while now. They include anyone who takes an interest, and at times, courteously kick out inactive “ghosts.” Senior Kishan Aryasomayajula recalls his first entry.

“I want[ed] to join because high-key [I] could play with some people who are worse than me,” Aryasomayajula said, jokingly. “[But mostly] just to have fun.”

Such caustic humour runs through the group’s core. They call it “trash-talking,” exchanging lighthearted jabs about each other’s athleticism. A short remark like “I’m a better player than you” often builds up to twenty-something people urging on the argument. To determine the winner, they battle it out in real life, through a faceto-face game on the field. Whether it’s football or basketball, the two enter the spotlight as captains, choosing their respective teams.

According to senior Vedant Sathye, at its inception the group didn’t hold the same intensity as it does today. The notion of a fixed

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PHOTO | SHAYON MORADI

Senior Sarin Gole makes an acrobatic catch while senior Vedant Sathye defends.

“group” rose to the surface in middle school, with just six boys compared to today’s 50 plus members.

Back then, they held casual, unannounced meetups usually at Hoover Park every weekend.

Senior Vedant Sathye, one of the few original members of the group, attributes the group’s growth

TO PULL OR NOT TO PULL, THAT IS THE QUESTION. TO PULL OR NOT TO PULL. WOW HOW FUN I LOVE QUOTES AND SOURCES TOO. GO JOURNALISM. NAME OF SOURCE

PHOTO | SANNIDHI MENON

Senior Amogh Patankar takes the shotgun snap from senior Suchith Ullagaddi, as the rest of the team lines up in wait of the snap.

to the decline of casual games in the park.

“As a kid there used to be a ton of people who showed up. We used to do the same thing, just like pick up games,” Sathye said. “After high school [started], people just stopped playing pickup games in the park.”

As a result, many looked toward the group for the security of a consistent schedule. They embody the physical aspect of football — sweating profusely, bumping into each other on the field — without the added pressure of high commitment competition or the lack of exercise of a virtual game (although a good portion of the group also enjoys Fantasy Football on the side).

But recently, the group hasn’t been able to plan games as regularly. Though they were able to keep the semiregular meetings in the last four years, according to Aryasomayajula, senior year struck them with piles of AP classwork and college applications. While the group chat remained relatively active, the actual meetings cut down to once or twice a month, with only a few players each time.

THE GAME In early November, the game was revived. It began with yet another series of playful insults between seniors Pranav Mallavali and Amogh Patankar over who is a better quarterback. They naturally embraced the role as captains, drafted teams of 15 players through an online coin flipper, and set Saturday, November 4 as the day for it all to be decided. The two sides proceeded to “hype up” the game with boasts and an endless string of trash talking.

“One team thought they could completely destroy the other team,” Parikh said. “They underestimated the other team and the other team knew they had to prove [them] wrong.”

Never before have these players had a week-long preparation, nor such high participation of 26 people to play a game. To up the stakes, they even placed a friendly wager on who would win the game. The two

sides unsurprisingly bet on their respective teams. The eventual pot of money came to a hefty sum of nearly a 100 dollars.

All the money was kept by an independent game commissioner, senior Sarin Gole. The game even had its own designate referee, senior Rohil Srivastava, who brought with him the yellow towel to serve as a penalty flag.

When game day arrived, everyone was excited to see who would finally take home the victory, prize money and bragging rights. They all met at the MVHS upper field at 3 p.m. to begin the game. Team Amogh opened up the game with a 21-7 lead, until Team Pranav rallied back to end to game with a 42-42 tie.

Parikh, the wide receiver on Team Pranav, still vividly recalls his last touchdown.

“Holy, this was definitely one of my best catches I have ever done,” Parikh said. “I’m playing receiver as always. I’m going in, I fade to the outside, I do not see the ball, the ball is thrown, I’m still running, I turn around, it’s to my off shoulder, I’m running straight … and I have to extend my arm out.

I catch it in one hand, it tilts, I catch it again and I run past the defender and get the touchdown.”

Yet after his game-tying touchdown, the sun came down and forced the game to an end. Though the players — especially those who betted — had wanted closure to their biggest game yet, darkness drew the curtain, leaving all 26 players no choice but to head back home.

“This game was not forgettable — not for me at least,” Parikh said.

As for the bets, talk of the next game is stirring among the players. But with finals approaching, they decided to return the stakes to respective betters, seeing another game as unlikely in the near future.

TWILIGHT YEARS Even though the group members have gotten older, they still make time for the activity that brought them together. They haven’t let the workload of high school and increased responsibility stop them from doing an activity they have enjoyed doing since they were little kids. “[We] realized it was still fun — as fun as it was when we were kids — so we decided be more organized because we’re in high school now,” Sathye said. “But we still have plenty of hours in the day to go play football with our friends, so might as well.” e

SPORTS | DECEMBER 2017

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PATHWAY TO THEIR SPORT MVHS students discuss how they came to play their favorite sports

BY ANKIT GUPTA AND JASMINE LEE Whether it’s a soccer player hanging up their cleats to pursue volleyball or a swimmer switching the goggles for a football helmet, sometimes student athletes experiment with different sports before finding the ones that are just right.

SENIOR

PRE-MVHS

FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

SENIOR

DEVIN PEREIRA Horseback Riding

Field Hockey

Soccer “I really think [field hockey is] a unique and special community,” Pereira said.“I’ve grown and developed in field hockey--that’s what makes it my favorite.” Photo

by Sannidhi Menon.

Track and Field

SENIOR

ELIOT LUBOMIRSKY Track and Field

Football

“I’ve met a bunch of my super close friends [in track] and it’s a really nice environment hanging out with them,” Lubomirsky said. Photo by Om Khandekar.

Cross Country

FRESHMAN

HENRY ZHAI Volleyball

Color Guard

“Color guard has taught me to be more confident and not be afraid to do something that I might of thought looked stupid or embarrassing before I joined,” Zhai said. Photo used with permission of Henry Zhai.

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Water Polo

Soccer

spORTs FlASh Junior Soham Mukherjee dribbles downfield in the Matadors’ 2-1 victory over Gilroy HS. After being demoted to the second division, the team is using its preseason games to develop chemistry.

PHOTO | KAREN MA

Senior Colin Yang takes a shot on senior Anahit Falak.

Now under new head coach Ceazar Agront, the 25-man wrestling team is getting ready for upcoming tournaments in second semester.

PHOTO | SUNJIN CHANG

PHOTO | OM KHANDEKAR

The cheer and song teams finished third at their USA Spirit regional competition on December 2. This was cheer’s first competition of the year, while it was song’s third.

Senior Riya Khilnani beats a Woodside Priory HS defender in the team’s first game of the season. The Matadors suffered a 4-1 defeat in the Firebird Classic Fremont Tournament on December 2.

PHOTO | OM KHANDEKAR

SPORTS | DECEMBER 2017

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