Volume 40, Issue 8, May 20 2009 Senior Edition

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elestoque

senior edition KUNALBHAN

something new.

Now I’m neither Einstein nor a Neanderthal. I know my musical strengths and weaknesses. I can write decently but I sound like a humpback whale when I sing. Taking on guitar and songwriting in a structured approach was ignored, and throwing myself into this unknown foray was my chosen work.

YouTube, Ultimate Guitar, and my iTunes library became my teachers and my creativity was cranked out even more. My friends were half-shocked, half-amazed that I taught myself guitar and was already penning songs. No ongwriting is not easy. Especially structure—just pure grit and work when you have no idea where to towards a goal—is what got me to where start and no skill in singing.

I am today with writing abilities.

I have a feeling that somehow It’s not about how you go about I’ll find my way. Sure, I’ll hit many doing whatever it is you have to do. potholes along the way but I’ll make It’s about what comes at the end of it out alive. Lyrics won’t make sense, your so-said efforts. If your mantra is music won’t match, overall flow will “minimum effort, maximum results,” be nonexistent. then follow that. Or if you say, “sensible But that’s how the Red Hot Chili structure sires success,” then by all Peppers got through means go ahead. their rough patch in Find how you the early 1990s when work best, and just YouTube and Ultimate Guitar became my two do it. If it works the group was on the verge of breaking up, once, chances are companions after school, as I sat behind my so why can’t I follow it’s going to work computer screen learning scales and riffs. their example? So I again. If you have decided to copy John to, make it up as Frusciante and get the you go. You think same guitar he had. With my own started writing about a defined theme, Tracy Jordan says his lines exactly as guitar now, I was ready to rock. And be it how I felt after settling an issue planned out on 30 Rock? You think after listening to “Can’t Stop” repeating with my friend or after doing well on Coldplay ensures that they play “Viva on iTunes for 50 times, it was time to something difficult.

La Vida” exactly the same way each write.

Taking inspiration from the rap style time they do it live? Think again.

Being the self-proclaimed genius, I of Anthony Kiedis and Mike Shinoda’s The more I see, the less I know, decided to forgo taking actual lessons lyrics, I wrote some of my best songs to the more I like to let it go. The Chili and instead, took on the challenge date. Mixing different styles of music Peppers do know what they’re doing in of teaching myself. I mean, it’s what and rhythm became a fun experiment the studio, so it seems. Time to head John, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and and I felt like I was in Chemistry AP, under the bridge in the city I live in so other guitar gods did in their early mixing different things and letting that I can find my stairway to heaven. days, so why couldn’t I? YouTube them blow up or settle to result in Don’t stop me now.

Figure it Out

Trailblazing through song

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and Ultimate Guitar became my two companions after school, as I sat behind my computer screen learning scales and riffs.

Running through videos with Starbucks Frappucinos on the side, I blazed my own stairway to musical heaven as I did what has been frequently dubbed as extremely difficult and near impossible.

Now it wasn’t easy.

Calloused fingers, broken strings, random scraps of paper, and pliers adorned my desk as part of my struggle to attain mastery of my new obsession as I toughened my fingers and changed strings like there was no tomorrow.

After soon overcoming phase one of learning guitar, I decided to take a leaf from Anthony Kiedis’ book and began penning my own songs. Picking up a notebook and pen, I thus began jotting down random words strung together in varied rhymes.

It transitioned from incoherent thoughts to two-page songs after I

JONATHANCHAN

Story to Tell

Starting with breakfast

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hy does someone need a surgeon? Most likely, it’s because an organ stopped performing and needs to be opened, fixed, and put back together.

Adopting a dog is like having a child in so many ways.

Parents never think they’re ready for children, and neither did I as the day neared that I would bring home my baby golden retriever, Sierra.

I worried about whether I would be good enough, and showered her with overpriced toys which she pummeled the stuffing out of. The moment I sat down to study, she would need to be taken to the bathroom. And once, after I had my entire house

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cleaned, she peed on the freshly washed carpet that very same day.

It was confusing. Having a dog was supposed to make everything in my perfect life more perfect, but I was doubting if I made the right choice to bring a puppy into my home. I didn’t want to ruin her life, and I didn’t want to ruin my own. After a few weeks, her scratching diminished. I cradled her in my lap and she took long jogs with me. And when I left for a week down in San Diego, I looked into her eyes and knew I would miss her.

During that same summer before senior year, I worked at UCSF. It was an

amazing place to spend the summer, but the intensity was exhausting. I was terrified of the future, afraid that I was wasting my summer and in over my head. But everything fell into place as I pushed through. The fruits from my summer are still blossoming and ripening a year later.

Spending entire days in San Francisco sharpened me for senior year. I practiced my speedwalking quite a bit, since I was always late for the train or shuttle. The efficiency stemming from my speedwalking followed me home.

Now, even though I’m living in the long-awaited heaven of second semester senior year, I still squirm when I’m spending time unproductively.

Whenever I say my dream is to be a pediatric surgeon, sometimes I get the response, “Why do you want to cut open children?” It’s not about cutting them open. It’s about putting them back together.

It’s the same with your world.

It falls apart sometimes, but that’s not what counts. It’s about putting your world back

What is the best part of being a senior?

You can laugh at everyone, like how they’re still going through junior year and I’ve been through that.

— senior Has him Mahmoud

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That I get to go home at 12:15, and that I only need to get a 3.0 GPA.

— senior Sarasa Kim

together when it does shatter.

This year, I switched from a night shower person to a morning shower person. I would rather be late to first period than not shower, because the thought of spending a miserable, oily day is more terrifying than the looks Government teacher Ben Recktenwald gives to tardy students.

That’s a waste of a day.

Breakfast also started becoming an integral part of my morning. Real breakfast, like cereal, fruit, yogurt, and cheese and not leftover pizza (which I have had for breakfast before). Breakfast and showers go hand in hand in perfecting my day. If it’s the trivial bits of your life that totally make your day, embrace those moments, because they keep your world together.

So as we’re straddling the edge between high school and college—end every day with a story to tell. Don’t wish for it to end, because it will never come your way again. And if that day was anything but amazing—it’s about putting your world back together.

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May 20, 2009 BRITTYHOPKINS

&

Thoughts Queeries

Girls like boys

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rom the moment I wake up in the morning to the time I go to bed, I am faced with numerous decisions: Pants or skirt? Sandwich or sushi?

Homework or TV? Sometimes the choice I want to make is not the one I know I should make, but I still get to be the one to decide. However, there are some things that I cannot control, and my affinity for both men and women is one of them.

As a bisexual woman I would like to start off by dispelling some rumors. No, I do not wish to date a girl and a boy at the same time. I have never had desires for a young child, and unlike Tila Tequila, I prefer not to use sex as an icebreaker.

Not to say that there aren’t promiscuous bisexuals, but there are plenty of loose straight people, too. “The Real World,” anyone?

The difference between me and any straight girl is very slight. I grew up in a stable family with slightly overbearing parents, a brother, and a cat.

In elementary school, my core group of friends was comprised mostly of girls who loved to dress up as princesses and consistently bickered over who would get to wear the “prettiest” dress. My dream was to become a famous ballerina and spend the rest of my life in a pink tutu.

In the fifth grade makeup suddenly became a necessity that I could not go with out. I bought rhinestoned tank tops from Limited Too so that I could show off all of my cool, new clothes. I spent extra time fixing my hair in the morning in hopes of attracting that cute ten year old boy in the other fifth grade class. In essence, I was a normal, boycrazed, pre-teenage girl.

On my arrival to MVHS freshman year, not that much had changed. I still wore way too much makeup, Limited Too had become Hollister, and I made sure that my hair looked good so as to impress this dark-haired guy in my Lit class.

But something was different. I was struggling with feelings that I did not understand, that I had no idea how to handle. I had always assumed I was straight, but I was having doubts. There was this beautiful girl who I could not stop thinking about, no matter how hard I tried. I wished for the feelings to just go away. “There is nothing wrong with other people being gay,” I thought to myself. “It’s just not okay for me to be anything but straight.”

I kept my sexuality a secret as I was terrified that all of my friends would hate me since I hated myself so much already. I thought that my life would never be normal, that I could never be happy because I liked boys and girls.

Much to my surprise, as I came out to friends and family members, I got zero negative feedback.

They could care less about my sexuality because they could see what I couldn’t: I was still me.

What I failed to realize at the time was that I was far from ruined, that I would still be able to lead a full life. In fact, now that I embrace my sexuality, I am much happier than I have been since the princess years of elementary school. I have found my niche in the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community and my passion for advocating queer rights. Even if I could somehow magically turn myself straight, I wouldn’t do it. My bisexuality is just a part of who I am and I would be a different person without it.

Ultimately, I’ve chosen to accept myself instead of willing myself to be someone else. That is one decision I can control, and is probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

It’s actually pretty stressful because I have less time now.

There are a lot of year end senior events to plan.

— senior Brad Chew

”

You know it’s your last year of high school, so it makes you want to enjoy yourself more.

— senior Elena Luo

elestoque The worldwide celebration

senior edition

May 20, 2009

3

SERENALEE

Misfit

2009 seniors plan extravagant trips in honor of their graduation

by Dipika Shrihari

Rome, and Switzerland along the way.

“The inspiration to visit there cities came from the aspects hile graduation parties are the most common way of culture we wanted to see in each,” Nagpal said. “We wanted to congratulate seniors on their accomplishments in to see Barcelona’s nightlife, the churches in Rome, and Switzerthe past four years, this year’s seniors will be adding land’s amazing scenery. In France, we might get lucky enough to the celebrations all over the world. From New York to Europe to catch the end of the Tour de France.” to India, many seniors will be voyaging to different places in In addition to the big attractions, the also boys look forward search of themselves, an adventure, or their cultural heritage. to the smaller aspects of their senior excursion, such as hikes One such traveler, senior Priyanka Kulkarni, will be going through Switzerland, siestas in Spain, along with vaious other to India to visit her relatives and see her motherland from an cultural experiences. older perspective. Since last visiting her motherland, Kulkarni’s “I think it is a way for us to take how we’ve grown in high tastes in music, clothing, etc. have changed. school and build upon it, a spark to help us grow even more,” “It’s been almost five years since I’ve had the chance to visit Nagpal said. “It takes an enormous amount of independence relatives in India. I think over the last four years especially, my to go on a month long trip unsupervised, and I look forward to personality and attitude have changed a lot,” Kulkarni said. “So, living like an adult.” visiting this time around is kind of exciting because it’s almost Nagpal’s experience, in contrast to Kulkarni’s, is mainly like I’m going to be seeing India for the first time ever, since about a new adventure and experiencing culture. They both, my outlook has shifted and grown considerably over the past however, have the same intention of boding with those who few years.” they care about. Nagpal will be adventuring with his seniors During her visit, Kulkarni will visit the Taj Mahal, Golden Chris Finch, Cameron Ferguson, and Greg Bodwin. Nagpal said Temple, and the Red Fort. These that over the last four years, places serve as not only a tourthey have seen each other ist attraction to Kulkarni, but a grow and change.

“It takes an enormous amount of chance to relish in her cultural “I think it’s only fitting heritage. Her visit additionally that I conclude my high independence to go on a month serves as the foundation for famschool experience with long trip unsupervised,” senior ily bonding time. Kulkarni’s older those that have been insister, whom she rarely sees bevolved in the highlight Kunal Nagpal said, “and I look forcause of college, will be joining of the last four years: MV ward to living like an adult.” her on the trip.

Hockey,” Nagpal said.

“My family has influenced me This close bond seen a lot over not just the past few among Nagpal’s group of years, but throughout my whole friends is not uncommon in seniors this year. Senior Bonnie life. They have pretty much shaped the most basic form of me,” Qin also feels that the main point of a senior trip is to conclude Kulkarni said. “Friends and my own interests have added on the four years spent bonding with the friends she has made. Alto that but I think most of what I am is shaped by my parents though she and her friends had planned to adventure outside and siblings.” the country, they decided to go to New York instead due to the While Kulkarni celebrates her senior trip with her family, cost of the trip. Qin, like Nagpal, decided to go with her friends senior Kunal Nagpal will be exploring the treasures of Europe rather than her family as a way to see new things. She notes with his best friends and fellow hockey club teammates. For that if she would have visited New York with her family, she Nagpal, the purpose of his trip is to break free of the bubble would end up seeing places such as museums. However, she he and his friends have been living in and immerse himself in expects her trip with her friends to be not only more exciting, various new cultures. but nostalgic as well.

Despite their tight budget, their plans to see “just about ev“We have all known each other for four year now and we erything” are ambitious. They plan on starting in Madrid and have gotten really close,” Qin said. “It’s all the inside jokes and working their way up to London, visiting Barcelona, Milan, memories and pictures that make [the trip] worthwhile.”

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around the world

senior Patty Tan

senior Alex Martin

seniors Bertrand Cheng and Alex Lee

Are you going anywhere this summer?

No, because I’m poor.

Are you going anywhere this summer?

We’re going to do a cruise of the Greek isles and see some art.

Where are you both going this summer?

Alex: Southern California

Is there anywhere you’d like to go?

I’d like to go to Italy and look at the art and architecture there.

What will you be doing at home?

I’ll be packing for college.

“

Is there anywhere you’d like to go?

Yeah at first we thought we weren’t going but two days ago we decided we were just going to ignore the bank and just do it anyway.

Did you run into any problems in planning?

Bertrand: We would have gone to Shanghai, China but with the recession we’re just planning to go to Southern California because plane tickets are expensive and we can just drive there.

What do you plan on doing when you get to Southern California?

Alex: We’re going to Disneyland in SoCal. I’ve wanted to go on a senior trip for a while.

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Just a proud Asian outlier

I

am a proud failure of the traditional Asian stereotype.

There is the undeniable Asian stereotype (and I’m not sure if it should be called stereotype when it truthfully applies to most MVHS Asian students): musically talented, plays badminton, majoring in pre-medicine, loves science and math.

I could not be more different.

Freshman year, I was forced to run with the Cross Country team. Thirty minutes in, I quit. Exercise to me means thinking about the Wii Fit or thinking about dancing with Ellen on “The Ellen Degeneres Show.” It’s all about Mind over Matter. While solving Pre-Calculus problems, I couldn’t understand why I had to answer ridiculous questions. I really don’t care the rate and distance it took Pam to drive home. It’s the 21st century, she can just look at her iPhone or BlackBerry and Google Map it.

In Physics Honors, I didn’t get the purpose of finding “the force” of an object. So what if an egg falls to the ground? Who cares?

While my friends mastered their instruments in the youth symphonies in the Bay Area, I mastered the remote control. I can perfectly switch between channels without having to watch any commercials. It was a natural instrument that I had perfected. Other than my brother, I do not know another ChineseAmerican who cannot play the piano. After five years of piano lessons, I was more interested in the Easy Bake oven my piano teacher’s daughters had than “tickling the ivories.”

Instead of taking piano level exams, I took pop culture quizzes online—and I got a 100% on the “How well do you know Jennifer Aniston” quiz. After all, she will be my best friend in a few years. Just wait and see.

Last summer, as juniors lived in povertystricken countries or took summer classes at their dream Ivy Leagues, I delved into a college course—Introduction to Pop Culture. I had found my calling and people who were just like me—celebrity obsessed television fanatics and Starbucks Latte lovers. I practiced my Speech and Debate skills by debating on whether “The Dark Knight” was better than Spiderman. Oh, and of course there was homework: watch two hours of television each day. Finally, I found my perfect class. And of course, I wrote a lengthy paper on the show “Baby Borrowers,” because honestly who in their right mind would let teenagers borrow their baby? Seriously!

While most of my classmates are venturing into science, engineering, and mathematic majors, I’m following my dream of someday becoming an Entertainment Weekly Magazine writer. Low-pay, small cubicle, New York City public transport? I couldn’t be more excited.

Though I’ve tried to fit in as best I could— believe me, I’ve taken badminton lessons and four weeks of Physics Honors— I realized that I’m just not going to be the perfect Asian child.

But I’m following the dream—that’s all that really matters.

What is your greatest regret about high school?

I don’t regret anything because in the end, everything works out.

— senior Wesley Cheung

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I look back on my last four years, filled with cringing embarrassments, doubts, and fears, with a kind of fondness.

— senior Tracy Chong

I wish I took APUSH because I didn’t think I could handle it. I should ‘ve been more courageous.

— senior Ameya Ganpule

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I feel more independent now that I get around on my own by car and bike.

— senior Andrew Zhang

6

senior edition

elestoque

May 20, 2009

SARAHMCKEE

The Golden State

Taking flight

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henever I see a license plate from another state, I get excited.

Whether it’s the red sky and blue mountains of Idaho or the solid blue backing of the Michigan plate, it’s comforting knowing that somebody here is a stranger in a strange land.

I rarely ever experience that feeling— the feeling of being a stranger. I have lived in California my entire life. And I can guess that I have spent less than two months in any other state, combined. I’ve had brief journeys into Utah, Wyoming and Florida, and in Idaho I spent the entire time in the car. I have been to Chicago, Ill. and Fort Worth, Tex., but I didn’t make it out of the airport until I was on another plane.

California is my home state and I love this place. I love how you only need a light jacket and jeans in the winter and that while it snows in Tahoe, the sun is also shining in Los Angeles. How our governor once tried to destroy the human race on the silver screen, and how both of our senators are women (an honor that is also shared with Washington and Maine). The thing is, I will probably love all of these things and more when I’m gone.

It never occurred to me to leave the state of California. It was an idea I started forming in my head about a year ago. I always thought I would stay here forever. Sure I would go on vacations once in a while, but California would always be my home.

I’m not exactly sure what motivated me to want to leave. Maybe it was after my third trip to Disneyland or how I started to recognize a majority of the towns alongside Highway 1. Something about this place started to get old.

But most of all, I think it is because I am in search of that feeling. The feeling of being in a place that’s entirely new. I haven’t felt like that in a long time, not since I first entered high school, but even then it was subdued. I already knew most of the people in my class, and by the third day of school I knew where everything was. By picking myself up and transplanting myself in an entirely new state, I think it’s going to take me more than three days to find the quickest routes on campus.

It’s also more than that. I will have to relearn everything, a prospect that is both exciting and daunting. In Cupertino, I know the best places for Chinese food, hair cuts, and convenient store shopping.

In four months, I am not even going to know where the closest Starbucks is (granted, it’ll probably be across the street since I’m going to be living in Seattle).

In the lusciously green state of Washington, there will be more clothes to wear in the cold weather and street names to learn other than Lawrence Expressway or Stevens Creek. For me, going away to college means rainy days, life without a car, and always smelling like coffee. But, there will also be that feeling of everything being completely new.

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Deepa Kollipara | El Estoque

CREAMED (above) Senior Connie Wu enjoys getting pied during Octagon’s annual Pie Toss on Sept. 5.

CHAK DE (right) Senior Rani Tiruveedhula balances on senior Amey Shroff’s shoulders during Bhangra’s April 3 Diversity Day performance.

Going back in time

Daniel Stenzel | El Estoque

El Estoque takes a look at our reign as seniors with photographs that celebrate our final year in high school

Deepa Kolliparal | El Estoque Natalie Wong | El Estoque

CAN’T TOUCH THIS Senior Ameya Ganpule performs with the Class of 2009 Powderpuff cheer team during the game between seniors and sophomores on Oct. 22.

FACE PAINT Senior Adrienne Young applies makeup on another student during Carnival Day on Jan. 9.

Alice Lee | El Estoque

IMPACT (above) Senior Erik Romelfanger speaks with a Sheriff’s Deputy prior to the first Every 15 Minutes assembly on April 7.

FINAL HUDDLE, LAST HUG (right) Members of the varsity girls volleyball team share one last hug during their Senior Night on Oct. 30.

Daniel Stenzel | El Estoque

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THE DRIVE Senior Phaniteja Kanneganti defends the ball during the Lynbrook-MVHS varsity basketball game on Jan. 30. MVHS supporters filled up an entire side of the gym and cheered on the team as the game ended in their favor, 69-58.

Natalie Wong | El Estoque

What is your greatest regret about high school?

I regret not participating in clubs as much as I should have since I had an interest in them.

— senior Brian Ting

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I regret not reaching out to more people and not knowing more underclassmen.

— senior Daphne Darmawan

I regret not taking another math class and not joining the clubs I wanted to join.

— senior Neta Assaf

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I wish I got to know more about the California culture and the people.

— senior Siva Udayamurthy

elestoque Financing the college dream

senior edition

May 20, 2009

PATTYCHAO

My Llama Dilemma

For seniors, offer of financial aid just as important as admissions

gious art university also carries a typically high price tag, estimated at $33,000 for the 2009-2010 school year.

“The tuition costs a lot more, not to mention travel costs,” or seniors, there is nothing quite like the feeling of holding a thickly-stuffed envelope. While the package may contain Chen said.

Fortunately for Chen, she was also accepted into UCLA, which a greatly-anticipated offer of admission, there is often an unexpected surprise as well—a financial award falling short of also has a strong art program. Though it may not be quite as renowned as MICA in art, Chen chose to attend UCLA next year, what was expected.

With colleges trumpeting free or lower tuition costs, many where she will be happily ensconced in the comforts of Westwood, the artsy college community where UCLA is located. students expect to receive generous financial aid packages.

“If I go to UCLA, I won’t be taking out as many loans,” Chen “What colleges don’t tell you,” Career Center Liaison Miriam Taba said, “is that the amount of money they report given away said. “It just made more sense.”

The main downside to choosing UCLA is that the university in financial awards includes loans as well.”

According to Taba, colleges look at a variety of factors in de- does not have a foundation year, or a year for students to explore with the differtermining a student’s financial ent art majors ofaid package. Pricey homes in fered. the MVHS area often disqual“If I go to UCLA, I won’t be taking out as “Since I don’t ify students from receiving many loans,” senior Bonnie Chen said, “It just know exactly the most rewarding types of fiwhat I want to nancial aid, such as grants and made more sense.” study yet, I was scholarships. depending on MIWithout adequate financial aid, many students are unable to attend the school of their CA’s foundation year to figure it out,” Chen said.

At UCLA, Chen will be studying design media which revolves choice. Senior Brendan Dinh was accepted to the University of Southern California and intended to enroll. However, in order to mainly around technology and computer generated graphics. Alsave costs at his parents’ urging, he will instead be enrolling at though Chen thinks attending MICA will improve her skills as an artist, UCLA will gear her towards a more practical path. The Foothill College next year.

“My parents say they can’t afford USC, but the university only location of the university also opens more and better opportunigave me $5,000 in loans, so I’m a little confused,” Dinh said, refer- ties for internships and job placements.

However, not all art students are opting for a less expensive ring to the university’s less-than-generous financial aid package, which assumed Dinh’s family would be able to pay the tuition school despite the rising costs of private schools.

“I never even considered it,” senior Cat Tuong Bui said. rather comfortably.

Although she will have to come up with the money herself, Private school tuition can range in price from $35,000 to $45,000. After living costs are figured into the price, families can Bui chose to attend Cal Arts. In order to cover the costs, Bui plans expect to pay at least $50,000 for one school year. The price tag on working as well as taking out student loans.

“All my life my parents told me they would pay for my colis significantly higher than that of a UC, where total costs are aplege, so I never really worried about it,” Bui said. proximately $25,000 - $30,000 a year.

For her university, roughly totaling $42,000 a year, Bui reBecause Dinh was not accepted to the UCs of his choice, he decided to attend community college for better transfer programs. ceived $8,000 in scholarships, which she will have to reapply Although this is not ideal for him, he feels that it is a better alter- for every year. And since her parents are financially well off, Bui explains, she only received $5,000 in loans. native for his college plans.

Yet, Bui is willing to put up with costs to make this a college Senior Bonnie Chen found herself in a similar situation upon being accepted to Maryland Institute College of Arts. The presti- experience to remember.

by Jeremy Lee and Patty Chao

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SHARANYASHANKAR

The Matador Mushroom

Withdrawal symptoms

I

started with one, and now I have many. What exactly does that mean?

Am I talking about my toes... no. I had four to begin with and still do have four.

I’m talking about mushrooms. My friends call me a mushroom because they claim I sprout a new mushroom, a new personality every activity I do. Some variations include: “the journalism mushroom,” “the gtalk mushroom,” “GovTeam mushroom,” “the Mock Trial mushroom,” “the Spirit Commish mushroom,” “the feministic mushroom” and you get the point.

During Govteam, on the first day of senior year I remember awkwardly linking arms with my classmates that I hardly knew. We were supposed to link arms and sing the words to “Ain’t No Mountain

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High Enough”. As Mr. Chiang started the song off, while bobbing his head, we all looked at him indifferently. Today if you come into C110 at around 7:45 you can see 26 students imitating Chiang’s exact actions on that day. From the nervous breakdowns before our follow up at We The People to the cramming sessions at Panera, I’ve only gotten closer with this team. Thanks to Chiang, I feel like I can introduce a bill to Congress or even walk up to the Supreme Court. From here emerged the “GovTeam mushroom.”

Journalism, is a different story. At first I was lost yet excited to be in a world with so many intelligent and prospective journalists. You can see us laying on the ground taking pictures, shouting out random words and writing them on the board in fear of forgetting them, notebooks with pages and pages of oblong, square and rectangular boxes and smiling brightly when a page is pdf-ed. Now finally, I am one of them.

Purple knee socks, purple nike shorts, purple and gold Mardi Gras beads, faded Bull-Spirit t-shirt, and finally the handmade purple head band; my checklist was complete and I was ready to go for the rally. Rallies aren’t the only things that symbolize my spirit but rather are one of many. But nothing is more satisfying that screaming my guts out during the “How do you feel 2009?” in hopes of crushing my fellow junior commissioners, and pleasing

the judges conspicuously located (not) with clipboards. But more than the rallies I will not forget the moments of learning through frustration. At one period of time I was sitting by myself with the huge and infamous speakers. Angered that no one else showed up, I held it in until I learned that communication is key for a team to function. I will take that independence, that “team-player mushroom” into future experiences. Here, grew the leader.

Though most of my titles and commitments have been stripped, I know that I will carry my experiences into the next journey of my life. Nothing will stop me from savoring the memories: leading a successful rally game, and admiring the carefully but beautifully designed Perspectives page. And as far as college? I want to run for class president, write for MHC news, join the College Democrats and anything else that interests me. I may have complained about the sleepless nights, the long days, and occasional faux pas in high school but now, I must formally apologize for those complaints as I wish I could have spent more time with each and every commitment. Every responsibility I was given was another high school experience for me to create. As I leave California to the far, far away East coast, regardless of the distance, my proud Matador-ship will always be a part of me.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go grow a “graduate mushroom.”

“ ”

7

Not Grown Up

I

want a llama. I absolutely adore them, and throughout high school, that adoration has only grown. In yearbooks, I often sign a squiggly little llama following my signature, and on particularly boring lecture days, my notes are plagued with them. I’m even in the Facebook group “At least my llama loves me.” After all, how can I not love an animal that resembles a misshapen piece of Tetris?

Despite this, I still had to attend high school, and put my dreams on hold. Every year, I am reminded that more important than the academics, high school is about self discovery and learning responsibility, before I’m ruthlessly spat out to the mercy of the world, taking with me only a measly 18 years of experience. Each school year meant more challenges than the last, in hopes of transforming us into adults.

However, while everyone’s schedule got busier, it seemed like mine was getting emptier. While everyone worked on labs in Chemistry class, I melted candle wax onto the table. While everyone studied preCalculus, I watched Disney classics. The week before first semester finals, I combed through all four seasons of “X-Men: Evolution” and the first three seasons of “The Justice League.” And no, my work ethic is not up for discussion.

When my last semester of high school began, I took advantage of being a second semester senior by sleeping a minimum of 12 hours a day. At this point, everyone naturally spoke of their academic accomplishments. However, when someone asked me what I was proud of, I couldn’t come up with an answer.

What am I proud of? Not my transcript, that’s for sure. I can’t memorize a single amino acid but I can recite quotes from “Zoolander.” I am still horrible at reading comprehension, but I can analyze the themes in “Batman Beyond.” The only insight I have on living on my own is from “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” I’m off to college in less than three months, and I still can’t explain how a light switch works.

And I still like llamas.

I am 18—but I’m not an adult. All my dreams for maturity have backfired, sending me back to the second grade when all I wanted was to be a Disney princess. But now I realize, so what? So what if I still dream about being a princess? So what if I want a llama for a friend? So what if math is hieroglyphs to me?

If someone asked me now what I am proud of, I can look them in the eye, and say that I am truly, and completely happy with who I am. I would rather mature slowly, than mature too fast. I am proud I can grow up while holding onto all my childish qualities. I may never be responsible, never be a model student, or never be sophisticated. But at least I still have the colorful imagination and sometimes foolish aspirations of a 3 year old. One day, I will own a llama. I only hope they’re legal in Massachusetts.

What are you going to miss the most about MVHS? I’m going to miss some teachers and clubs, the fun stuff other than schoolwork.

We’re going to miss our friends and being in the same place at the same time.

— seniors Sriram Cherukupal— senior Irene Steves li, Tarun Galagali, Arvindh Dorai

I am going to miss the fact that being intelligent and witty is valued over beauty.

— senior Sangita Annamalai

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I’m going to miss the senior spirit that we formed at the beginning of the year.

— senior Sushma Chaluvadi