Volume 52, Issue 6, April 29, 2022

elESTOQUE APRIL 2022

20 WHERE ARE WE NOW?

Social movements grace headlines in waves — a year ago, it was #MeToo, before that, Black Lives Matter. Progress is slow and steady, but what does progress look like specifically? And how does it manifest in our school community?

VOLUME 52 ISSUE 4

elESTOQUE

21840 McClellan Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014 elestoque.org mv.el.estoque@gmail.com Editors-in-Chief: Michelle Chen, Anushka De, Jayanti Jha Managing Editors: Ishaani Dayal, Devin Gupta, Lance Tong, Matthew Yoshimoto Copy Editor: Meggie Chen, Sophia Chen, Sarah Liu News Editors: Melody Cui, Jefferson Le, Tanish Mendki, Jisha Rajala Opinion Editors: Diya Bahl, Shivani Madhan, Kripa Mayureshwar, Jiya Singh Feature Editors: Riya Ravuri, Jannah Sheriff, Prisha Tiwari, Mira Wagner Entertainment Editors: Justin Kim, Gauri Manoj, Aditya Shukla, Shivani Verma Sports Editors: Anna Jerolimov, Irene Tang, Nika Zamani, Michelle Zheng Graphics Editors: Mikaylah Du, Sophia Ma, Lillian Wang Website Editors: Krish Dev, Devin Gupta, Gavin Hung Staff Writers: Crystal Cheng, Nameek Choudhury, Tvisha Gupta, Minjae Kang, Anna Kaminitz, Taryn Lam, Sarah Liu, Geethi Tarra, Aashna Patel, Kalyani Puthenpurayil, Aashi Venkat, Sonia Verma, April Wang, Alex Zhang, Angela Zhang Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite, MJE Mission Statement: El Estoque will accurately inform our community through well-researched, unbiased and in-depth accounts of the student body and staff, news and developments and taboo topics prevalent in and near MVHS. Investigating various voices and credible perspectives, we hope to foster active discussion, effect positive change and spread awareness of timely, relevant content. As a trustworthy and reliable source of information, we strive to be accountable, adaptable and ready to correct and address our mistakes.

Constantly striving for improvement, we will uphold integrity and ethics to be respectful and empathetic to our sources and our readers. We will exercise our press freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment and California Ed Code 48907 while maintaining a community passionate about our work and journalism as a whole.

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Our first memory of freshman year was stepping into the Link Dance, “Gas Pedal” by Sage the Gemini blasting through speakers so loudly that the brick walls around us seemed to shake. We remember the lavender shirts donned by the imposing Link leaders, each of them with their hands extended out in front of them, shouting the lyrics as they swayed to the music.

Walking into that dance was entering a new world. This new world was louder, the people were bigger, laughter was rowdier, smiles were freer. Myths of Monta Vista’s unforgiving rigor, endless homework and sky-high expectations had reached our ears before we started middle school. But this dance seemed so normal. It felt like the high school experience.

Freshman year was late(ish) nights frantically studying for pig practicals and weeks spent practicing and laughing about P.E. group dances. Sophomore year was later nights writing lab reports for Chemistry Honors and finding true unity within our class during our Homecoming skit — when, by the way, we beat the juniors.

Junior year was a virtual monotony of studying for socratics, quizzes, finals, SATs, ACTs and AP exams, all without the little friendships in class to make it worth it and finding friends who, in spite of everything, made you laugh a little louder, your smiles a little freer.

Senior year was coming back and eating brunch and lunch every day with the friends who we once only saw occasionally over Zoom or at socially-distanced hangouts. Senior year was waking up at 5 a.m. to watch a smoggy sunrise and shouting the class chant until your voice became hoarse because you were determined to make the most of every event. It was feeling that same collaborative spirit we fostered in Chemistry Honors and PE 9, this time pushing us through our AP classes and endless college applications. Senior year was hands out in front of you, swaying to the beat while screaming the lyrics to “Gas Pedal” one last time.

To go to school at Monta Vista is to be pushed to a level of excellence seldom required of high school students. Our stress culture has worked itself into jokes with peers and guidance counselors pleading with us to ease up on our course schedules.

But covering students the past three years on El Estoque changed that. It has shown us the true kaleidoscope of students who attend our school; the driven, the future doctors and the future artists, the hilarious, the talented, the sarcastic, the stressed, the passionate and everything in between. It’s shown us the unity that’s come out of such trying circumstances.

And for that, we feel so grateful to have served as editors-in-chief of El Estoque.

To all the classes below us, remember that you are so much more than a single label. Know that there are no guarantees — do what you enjoy and what brings you joy. Be kind to the people around you and remember that though these years may make you feel stressed or occasionally miserable, they will also be years that change you, that help you discover what you like (and what you really, really don’t) and that will, if you’re lucky, leave you with some great memories and even better friends.

And every so often, when you get the chance, remember: With your hands out in front of you and a smile across your face, scream the lyrics to “Gas Pedal” as loudly as you possibly can.

PHOTO | ISHAANI DAYAL

COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ANUSHKA DE COVER PHOTO | JAYANTI JHA

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

Michelle Chen

Anushka De

Jayanti Jha

PHOTO | SHIVANI MADHAN

8 IN

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

8 THIS

What’s your sign?

EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

8

Rats!

Examining the impact of juvenile rats in several buildings on campus

14

PHOTO | SHIVANI VERMA

ISSUE

What’s your sign?

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Going gray

MVHS students share how they’ve unlearned their screen addictions

22

#MeToo

Examining the effect the #MeToo movement has had on FUHSD one year after its online resurgence

30

Fueling a fandom

Taking a look at student fan content creators at MVHS

36

Spring season sports recap

Featuring the eight spring season sports through images

PHOTO BY SOMEONE | USED WITH PERMISSION

EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

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8:30

START

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

Exploring decisions behind the new bell schedule and community response

BY CRYSTAL CHENG AND MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

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UHSD will adopt a new bell schedule in late November of 2021 when schedule for the 2022-23 school she created a schedule committee at year in accordance with the Senate MVHS. At the start of second semester, Bill 328 signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Belshe began working with FEA which requires a mandatory start time of President Jason Heskett and FUHSD 8:30 a.m. or later for all high schools in Lead Negotiator Tom Avvakumovits California. During the by visiting the five creation of FUHSD’s school sites and NO ONE IS GOING new schedule, listening to what TO BE HAPPY WITH Fremont Education each site’s schedule EVERYTHING ABOUT A s s o c i a t i o n committee had THE BELL SCHEDULE. members spent gathered from their AND IF THAT’S WHAT months gathering surveys.

Belshe data from surveys shares that FEA WE WERE DRIVING taken by parents, members from FOR, THEN WE students and staff all sites reported WOULD HAVE BEEN to incorporate their that “the number SETTING OURSELVES opinions into the one concern was UP FOR FAILURE. decision making getting out as early process.

HISTORY TEACHER as possible,” along “We hope that by the number of BONNIE BELSHE with providing as much tutorials per week advance notice of and the time of lunch this change as possible, you and your and teacher collaboration. family will have ample time to prepare To discuss these concerns, Belshe, ahead of the planned bell schedule Heskett and Avvakumovits organized change,” FUHSD said on the district a larger group meeting where two website. representatives from each school site As Lead Negotiator for the FEA, were present. Belshe put the results History teacher Bonnie Belshe became of this meeting in a survey to send to involved in the process for the new all FEA members to gather more input,

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

which she notes yielded an “incredibly high response rate.”

“I actually got more people to care about what’s gonna happen with the bell schedule and that’s huge,” Belshe said. “That also was really important to me, because I wanted to make sure that we were hearing from the voice of as many FEA members as I possibly could get to be a part of responding to the survey, because then it was that survey response that was going to drive for looking at the possible bell schedules.”

The survey results were discussed in another meeting, when members decided on the two finalized bell schedules to be voted on, one with four block days and the other with two. At this meeting, staff requested that students’ input on the number of tutorials per week be taken into account, so a form was sent out regarding the ideal number of tutorials. The results indicated that 89% of FUHSD students prefer three tutorials over two tutorials. Sophomore Varshetha Senthilkumar, who favors three tutorials, appreciates that student opinions were taken into consideration when developing the schedule, since it “gave us a chance to speak.”

After the two different bell schedules

NEWS up for consideration were sent out, all feel successful with.” five FUHSD school sites voted for the When Art teacher Brian Chow schedule with four block days and three looked over the new schedule, he was tutorial periods. Belshe then presented pleased that MVHS will continue a it to the FUHSD board and announced four-block week because he believes it to the community. his curriculum works best with this “There is no bell schedule that’s ever schedule. However, he recognizes that going to make everyone happy,” Belshe having lunch later in the day will be “so said. “We were very clear to both much more challenging” and hopes ourselves and that the length when talking of passing with people, we periods will be understand that “revisited.”

In no one is going spite of this, to be happy he agrees with with everything high schools about the bell starting at a schedule. And later time. if that’s what are in favor of California’s “I think that’s we were driving mandatory start time of 8:30 a.m. the primary for, then we or later for all high schools reason to would have change the According to a survey of 146 people been setting schedule, in ourselves up my mind, to for failure from the very beginning. Our improve the learning experience for focus, my focus in particular, was making students,” Chow said. “Just knowing sure that FEA members had a say, and that as young people, as teenagers, we were listening to that survey data in you need your sleep and rest. I think the process as we worked — and that I biologically your body’s a little more

49%

of MVHS students

awake, a little bit more receptive and primed to learn a little bit later in the day, rather than so early in the morning.”

Unlike Chow, Senthilkumar says that she is “not that big of a fan of the late start” since it would impact after-school activities like her tennis practices and games. She also explains that because MVHS’s tennis courts do not have any lights, she will most likely have to end up missing more class to attend the earlier practices and games. Given the mandatory start time, however, Senthilkumar believes that the schedule is “well thought out.”

Although Chow heard varying student opinions about the later start time, he is hopeful that the new schedule will be beneficial for the community.

“There’s a lot of challenges in creating a schedule that are beyond just putting the timeframes on there,” Chow said. “But I think generally, it’s a good thing that we’re making a change. My hope is that we get it right because we had some interesting schedules in the past five years or so, and the pandemic had different schedules, so I just hope that this works for everybody.”

2022-2023 FUHSD Bell Schedule MONDAY

1 2 Tutorial 3 Brunch 4 5 Lunch 6 7

8:30-9:15 9:20-10:05 10:10-10:35 10:40-11:25 11:25-11:40 11:50-12:33 12:40-1:25 1:25-2:05 2:15-3:00 3:05-3:50

TUESDAY/ THURSDAY

1 2 Brunch 3 Lunch 7

8:30-10:00 10:05-11:35 11:35-11:50 12:00-1:30 1:30-2:10 2:20-3:50

WEDNESDAY/ FRIDAY

4 Tutorial Brunch 5 Lunch 6

8:30-10:05 10:10-10:50 10:50-11:05 11:15-12:45 12:45-1:25 1:35-3:05

NEWS | APRIL 2022

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REACTING TO THE RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR Exploring student and staff perspectives on the humanitarian crisis

BY ANNA KAMINITZ, JISHA RAJALA AND MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022 PHOTO | ANNA KAMINITZ

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T

hough half of her family is about it constantly,” Bokovikova said.

“In other words, a Russian always Ukrainian and the other half “As for my mom, her dad’s grave is in stands for a Ukrainian, not the other is Russian, senior Sophia Ukraine, and it is where she grew up way around,” Jenssen said. “The other Bokovikova says both sides of her — her old house is there. Even having way around would be assassinating or family hold a united view on the the physical objects be destroyed, that committing genocide on Ukrainians.

Russia-Ukraine war: they’re against it. emotional sentiment is very difficult as That’s not what Slavs are because Bokovikova’s own take is nuanced — well.” slavs stand up for each other, they while she acknowledges the current Economics teacher Pete Pelkey defend each other, they help each suffering of the Ukrainian people, also believes that the war is a calamity other.” she also recognizes the difficulty of considering the past union between Although Jenssen urges students Russian civilians who are experiencing Russia and Ukraine. to increase their awareness of the war sanctions imposed by the United “It’s an absolute tragedy,” Pelkey and support Ukrainian refugees, he States government. said.

“The also encourages “Being both Ukrainian and Russian equivalent to what “standing up” for THAT’S NOT WHAT puts me into a position of trying to I see is if the U.S. Russians against SLAVS ARE BECAUSE make sure that I am knowledgeable invaded Canada the war who might about both sides and not neglecting — that is what the face harassment.

SLAVS STAND UP one,” Bokovikova said. “I am just trying Russians are doing “If you see any FOR EACH OTHER, to learn more so that when all of these to Ukraine. They Russians who are THEY DEFEND EACH things are occurring, I have a clearer have been brothers, against the war OTHER, THEY HELP picture of it as opposed to just being as close as any two and feel like they’re EACH OTHER. completely disconnected and being countries have. And going to be in an ignorant American.” for them to have danger, stand up SENIOR for them, “Jenssen In contrast, senior Matvey Jensen, done this, it’s just a MATVEY JENSSEN said. “If you see an ethnic Russian whose extended great tragedy.” family resides in Russia, chose to fully With any war, Russians who are identify with his German nationality. the economy plays a major role in the against the war, don’t blame them in His personal response to the war was downfall of the two parties. Pelkey this case, because there are many separating himself from his Russian details the drawbacks the war will Russians like my parents who are background completely, which he have on the economy of both Russia clearly against the war.” describes feeling “ashamed” of. and Ukraine stating that the war “is Because of the war’s personal “It’s a lot of mixed feelings that you going to push Europe into a recession.” effect on her, Bokovikova says that get in this case because you just want This economic decline is supposedly it “sparked some reflection” in terms to fight in the war yourself,” Jenssen going to take away all “the gains that of her personal understanding of said. “You just the Russian her culture. Since the war began, want to help the citizens have Bokovikova says she’s realized the people there, made since importance of connecting more with but you can’t, the fall of the her Ukrainian roots. because you’re Soviet Union.”

“The war has shown me that you stuck here.”

But more don’t know what’s going to happen Bokovikova than anything, tomorrow or the day after — I think it’s emphasizes the Pelkey says definitely changed my life in that way,” importance of this war is Bokovikova said. “I hope that it can checking in with consistently keep up with news taking out be a reminder for other people to live her relatives who on the Russia-Ukraine War U k r a i n e , compassionately and to think critically live in Kyiv and which is the about political leaders that we have in *According to a survey of 147 people Luka routinely a g r i c u l t u r a l the world.” because she base in the believes there is a lot of propaganda region and it will lead to starvation in and false information coming from Ukraine, Russia and several parts of news sources in the U.S. She also says Eastern Europe. her family is “lucky,” as many of her In an effort to educate his fellow Ukrainian family members have been students, Jenssen regularly wears a able to escape to other countries such self-made T-shirt with the phrase “no as Germany or the Czech Republic. war” printed across the front in three “It’s definitely very emotionally languages: Russian, Ukrainian and draining to see the news and to hear English. The back of the shirt says “a what they have to say and just worry true Russian never kills a Ukrainian.”

41%

of MVHS students

NEWS | APRIL 2022

07

RATS!

Examining the impact of juvenile rats in several buildings on MVHS campus

BY KRISH DEV, TANISH MENDKI AND AASHI VENKAT

J

ust before February break, control company, who creates a English teacher Derek Lu noticed detailed report, attempting to find a narrow hole in the ceiling of his where the issue is. Medal uses these classroom. Upon further inspection, ideas to try and prevent rats from Lu learned that the hole was caused getting into the buildings. by rats. MVHS administration informed However, just like mitigating the him that the rat problem would be food left on campus is a difficult task, fixed by the time he returned, but permanently exterminating the rats is upon coming back, nearly impossible.

IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT, the rat infestation But according to THEY’RE JUST BEING had spread.

Lerner, fighting While he has the issue is vital in RATS. BUT IT’S KIND OF never seen a rat order to “keep [the A SCOURGE IN A PUBLIC in his classroom, rats] from setting a PLACE. Lu has noticed home here.” rat droppings “We don’t use BIOLOGY TEACHER poisons,” scattered in his Medal LORA LERNER said. “I don’t really room.

Facilities manager Eddy like it because you Medal acknowledges that “like [on] poison one of the rodents and it could any campus, rodents are an issue.” He die in a wall and then you get a smell explains that rodents are a probable from it, so we use a lot of trapping.” issue anywhere food is present in The main two types of traps that large quantities. are used to kill the rats are Snap Traps “The [main] reason is because and Tomcat Glue Traps, both of which there’s a lot of food left everywhere effectively work to kill the rat that gets [on campus],” Medal said. “My guys do trapped in them. According to Medal, a pretty good job of cleaning it up. But this tactic has proved beneficial in there’s still stuff that stays behind that decreasing the severity of the we don’t see, like somebody will throw issue. something inside of a bush or shrub or “We’ve put out traps,” it’ll be in the landscape that we don’t Medal said. “It doesn’t see.” seem like there is Lu, Medal and Biology teacher Lora any issue right now Lerner all agree that food waste is [since] I do it as the primary cause of rats on campus. needed. If you Lerner has also experienced the go around issue when conducting labs in her c a m p u s , Biology classes. She remembers you’ll see an experiment that involved M&Ms, little black where rats were able to find the candy. boxes — “It’s not their fault — they’re just those are being rats,” Lerner said. “But it is bait boxes kind of a scourge in a public place. as well.”

You can’t really have a bunch of rats Medal making it their home. So it’s just on all b e l i e v e s of us to be careful to not attract them.” that the Whenever rats are found on severity of campus, Medal and his team the problem investigate and assess the situation will decrease first. After that, they contact a pest as the weather

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gets warmer. With cold temperatures, rats are more likely to inhabit school buildings which provide them with shelter and access to food. Medal adds that destruction to school buildings such as chewed ceilings mostly occur when the rats are attempting to access food in the area.

“From a Biology perspective, humans who are in human occupied areas have to learn to live with a certain amount of other critters,” Lerner said. “We’re going to have insects and occasionally rats that we overlap with in our environments. And I think to some extent, that’s not a huge problem. If there’s any concern of them spreading disease, then I’d be more worried. But if it’s just [that] occasionally they’re around, it’s not the end of the world.”

EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022 ILLUSTRATION | MIKAYLAH DU

TAKE OUR MARCH NEWS QUIZ Test your knowledge of key events last month

BY RIYA RAVURI AND MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

1

6

LGBTQ

Who was the leading In which country did a Republican candidate Boeing 737 plane crash during the California on March 21, killing all recall election?

132 passengers?

March 28?

Who won the ASB Presidential race for the 2022-23 school year?

Flight

Justice

Who was confirmed as the 116th Supreme Court Justice on April 7?

3

ASB

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Who was the leading Which movie won Best Republican candidate Picture at the 2022 during the California Oscars? recall election?

Who was the leading What did opponents Republican candidate dub Florida’s Parental during the California Rights in Education Act recall election? which was passed on

4

Oscars

For which age group did the FDA authorize second Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 booster shots?

8

Which grades attended the first ever MV Spring Fling?

7

COVID-19

Warfare

Dance

Gasoline

Who was the leading Which state has the Republican candidate highest average gas during the California prices? recall election?

How many refugees fled from Ukraine between Feb. 24 and April 1?

2

5

10

Baseball

For how long was the 2022 MLB season postponed?

ILLUSTRATIONS | GAURI MANOJ 1) 4.1 million; 2) Grades 9 & 10; 3) Don't Say Gay Bill; 4) Justine Garcia; 5) California; 6) 50 years and older; 7) Coda; 8) Ketanji Brown Jackson; 9) China; 10) One week

Answers:

NEWS | APRIL 2022

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WAIT FOR IT

Why we can’t expect immediate change in social justice movements

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or many MVHS students, it is not uncommon to open up social media and see yet another infographic among our feed of celebrities and influencers.

After the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, infographics quickly became a source of information.

With aesthetically pleasing fonts, graphics and lists of “do’s and don’ts” and “pros and cons,” it was easy to briefly swipe through such posts and feel accomplished about educating ourselves on the topic.

Movements such as #MeToo, LGBQ+ rights, mental health and more once used to be strictly taboo, but have since become a casual part of our conversations with the hopes of bringing about positive change. At the

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

PHOTO | JIYA SINGH

same time, however, these discussions goal. However, implementing these are often condemned for being boiled practices into one’s daily life is not down to tiny, pretty graphics for social attainable for many people, especially media users busy high to simply view, school students. maybe share But it’s the and scroll past, little changes, without actually such as doing anything implementation tangible to of news support the snippets into movements. our social However, this media feeds, condemnation have reposted an infographic that initiate may not be promoting a social justice larger change. c o m p l e t e l y movement If we don’t start justified.

Of with something *According to a survey of 148 people course, social as simple as media should not be the main source infographics on social media, how can of our news, and taking the time to we ever expect to see changes in laws seek information from unbiased, and regulations? credible news sources is the ultimate Looking back at the years before the

45%

of MVHS students

opinion pandemic, the usage of the n-word was rampant at MVHS, specifically among upperclassmen. Whether used in casual conversation or when singing along to a song, the word was used so commonly b e t w e e n upperclassmen t h a t underclassmen began to repeat it blindly, forming a ripple effect.

However, since 2020, usage of the n-word and other forms of racism have vastly declined, as most students have either been educated by others or taken the time to educate themselves over the past few years.

However, the issue is still prevalent in our community, given the recent vandalism in the boys B building bathroom. There is no doubt that our school must continue to work on such cases of discrimination; however, we cannot disregard the fact MVHS is making slow, but effective, steps to combatting these issues.

While MVHS students often groan at the thought of another tutorial period being taken up by an Advisory lesson, it is strides like the work of our faculty and fellow student leaders who have put effort into teaching the very issues we robotically repost on social media that ingrain these antidiscriminatory ideals into our heads, and subconsciously make us question the funniness of a sexist “joke” or normalization of a homophobic comment.

The truth is, much of the work that goes into social justice movements isn’t marching frontline at protests or giving speeches at City Hall, actions that prioritize immediate societal change before the first step that is required, a mindset change on an individual level. Although being able to go from zero to 100 to stop abortion bans or make captial punishment illegal would be ideal, it’s not entirely

realistic. In fact, it’s the “boring” busy work such as making slideshows and reading articles — and yes, scrolling through infographics — that ultimately are effective. The work isn’t glamorous, it isn’t “postworthy,” but it is what it needs to be — change.

Gradualism is tiresome.

Gradualism is understanding that change takes time and doesn’t happen at the snap of a finger. Gradualism is why our Instagram feeds may be a lot different now than they were in the summer of 2020, back to being filled with selfies and celebrities instead of

pastel infographics.

But gradualism is also optimistic.

If we had the power to implement visible change over one summer, whose effects we are still seeing today through increased awareness and education in our schools, it means we have even more power to do so now. So instead of being discouraged by setbacks, it’s up to us to make the extra effort to spark bits of change wherever we go.

Because at the end of the day, if we aren’t ready to fully pay attention to an Advisory lesson, respect the work of our Equity Task Force or participate in discussions on discrimination in our literature classes, we are slowing down the movement before it can even begin.

OPINION | APRIL 2022

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PH OT O|

NAM EEK

CHOWDHUR Y

UNDER PRESSURE Examining how students unlearn academic stress at MVHS

BY NAMEEK CHOWDHURY

B

elieving that he and others are To limit the impact of academic enclosed in a bubble where stress, Kundu says he exercises daily everyone obsesses over grades, to take his mind off of school. He also senior Nilay Kundu describes the has changed the way he prioritizes his experience as a student in Cupertino to schedule to destress. be one of academic priority. However, “In the last few months, I’ve been through the years as students, Kundu making this self promise to go out and other upperclassmen have found every weekend and put my personal life ways to manage the stresses associated ahead of my academic life,” Kundu said. with the competitive culture through “Instead of the other way around, like it participating in hobbies and differing usually was.” goals.

Akshintala finds it difficult to take Junior Shreya Akshintala attributes breaks during a school week due to the pressure she feels at MVHS to a her workload; however, she does take lofty college acceptance end-goal and small pauses to text friends and family a stress to focus on or do the Wordle.

PEOPLE HAVE STEM. She says this Additionally, she A PERCEIVED competitive culture at believes hobbies are the school comes from worthwhile.

SUPERIORITY WHEN how students perceive “Karate and martial THEY HAVE [HIGHER] themselves. arts give me a break GRADES AND THEY “A lot of times the because you’re HAVE SELF DOUBT pressures motivate physically able to WHEN THEY DON’T. the actions of students blow off steam, but at and their friendships,” same time, they’re the Akshintala said. things I’m passionate about,” Akshintala “People have a perceived superiority when they have said. “Similar to academics, rather than higher grades and they have self doubt the tangible success of it, it’s about when they don’t and sometimes it takes improving myself and having fun.”’ over a person’s self perception and self Junior Rahul Punji expresses that esteem.” he is excited to see MVHS from a new

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

perspective as a senior in a few months, and not be as worried about grades.

In retrospect, he does regret some aspects of how he spent his earlier years in high school.

“I feel I could have been more social while focusing more on academics,” Punji said. “I felt like once I was in class, I [was] introverted because I had this focus on doing well.”

Overall, Akshintala believes that her perceptions of academic success have changed from the grade-based expectations that are often expressed at MVHS. “I heard from a teacher, that it’s not that you get happiness from success, it’s that you get success from happiness,” Akshintala said. “A lot of people just want to get into college and get a job immediately, but you’re not going to be successful and you’re going to get burnt out in the long term if you’re not passionate and motivated to do what you want to do. You need intrinsic motivation. External motivation only goes so far.”

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

BREAKING THE HABIT Exploring student experiences with unlearning unhealthy routines

BY ALEX ZHANG

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rom nail biting to slouching, bad habits tend to have a large impact in an individual’s life. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of Americans reported developing new bad habits—habits they’ve been forced to unlearn. One study released by the American Psychological Association found a “rise in several unhealthy coping behaviors,” with 42% of respondents reporting weight gain and 67% describing a reduction in sleep.

In the MVHS community, students have expressed similar sentiments regarding unlearning bad habits from quarantine, whether it be an addiction to energy drinks, late night snacking urges or even impulse online shopping.

For junior Lance Fuchia, the bad habit he picked up over quarantine was relying on energy drinks to stay awake and finish his work, whether it be Red Bull or Monster Energy.

“I would drink basically everything so I could complete my assignments at 3 a.m. in the morning or get that last push in before a big test,” Fuchia said.

But things reached a turning point when he was confronted by his parents about the stack of empty energy drink cans in his room. In those moments, Fuchia reflected how he needed to change.

Junior Vincent Zhao described a similar confrontation with his family members. Due to a large workload, Zhao would often find himself eating

unhealthy snacks to satisfy late the first week or so,” Chan said. “But night cravings. While Zhao felt that creating a budget for myself really kept the intervention from his family was me accountable and made sure I was initially awkward, he feels grateful that sticking to my goals.” they were ultimately able to help him Likewise, Fuchia echoed the develop healthier eating habits. importance of conscious mental “I’m definitely reminders as a critical grateful that my tool to battle falling I THINK THAT THE family cared enough back into old habits.

HARDEST PART OF to talk to me about it He noted how it usually UNLEARNING BAD because I think that only takes a split second HABITS IS HONESTLY decision to break a relying on them was GETTING PAST THE a big mental boost,” bad habit or continue Zhao said. “Having to INITIAL DISCOMFORT. down the same harmful unlearn a bad habit patterns. by myself would be “The biggest thing JUNIOR way more stressful.”

I struggled with was RACHEL CHAN On the other hand, not giving in to that junior Rachel Chan had her moment of momentary urge,” Fuchia said. “By clarity after careful internal reflection. constantly reminding myself, I was able While reviewing her online shopping to achieve small victories that absolutely purchase history, Chan stated that paid off.” “looking at how much money I spent Despite the common misconception each month on random online clothes of being able to immediately break a definitely surprised me because I don’t bad habit, Zhao states that the biggest think I was really aware of my spending lesson he learned from his experience habits until I looked at it all on paper.” was that unlearning a bad habit was a To combat this expensive bad long term effort that likely would not habit, Chan created a weekly budget happen overnight. to make sure her spending would be “Breaking a bad habit is more of reduced. She took additional efforts like a marathon than a sprint,” Zhao said. removing bookmarked shopping sites “Each new day is an opportunity to set on her computer and actively reminding yourself on the right track and get one herself to avoid impulse purchases. step closer to permanently breaking “I think that the hardest part of your bad habit.” unlearning bad habits is honestly getting past the initial discomfort in OPINION | APRIL 2022

13

GOING

GRAY MVHS students share how they’ve unlearned their screen addictions

BY JAYANTI JHA

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | JAYANTI JHA

A

U

sing grayscale, a phone setting For junior Avani Kulshreshtha, less “filler space” in her day to be on to remove all color from the her desire to unlearn her screen her phone. On the other hand, she screen, would invoke panic in addiction began with a realization says during distance learning, there most phone users. Every app icon, after examining her screen time — she “was nothing else to do” and not many widget and notification would lose all found that she was spending around people to talk to every day. of its vibrant colors. Websites would five hours on Instagram and TikTok Similarly, junior Jerry Hu says that become bland and the hundreds of each day, and thought it “didn’t make he doesn’t text very many people — posts on Instagram would no longer sense [to be] spending half of [her] time over time, he has created a natural be eye catching. But for sophomore on someone habit of controlling his Olivia Ho, turning her phone to else’s life.” screen time, particularly I DIDN’T WANT grayscale is a reminder for her to put “I think I from a young age. He THE FIRST WAKING down her phone and get back to work. realized that says he glances up at “I think it definitely helps me reduce every single the time whenever he is MOMENTS TO BE my screen time on my phone,” Ho morning, the first on his phone watching ABSORBED LOOKING said. “If you open up your phone and thing I did was YouTube, going on THROUGH SOME it’s grayscale, you’re like, ‘Oh I should open Instagram Discord or texting his STRANGER’S FEED. not be on my phone right now,’ so then or TikTok, friends to avoid losing you put it back down.” and I realized track of time. After a Ho saw immediate benefits to that wasn’t JUNIOR AVANI set amount of time, he’ll changing her phone to grayscale — something I KULSHRESHTHA resume working. one of the first steps in unlearning wanted to do “I guess a good way her screen addiction. According to in my life,” to stop your addiction is Google design ethicist Tristan Harris, Kulshreshtha said. “I didn’t want the just by hiding your phone somewhere,” switching to grayscale and reducing first waking moments to be absorbed Hu said. “And keeping it away from the number of colors on the screen looking through some stranger’s feed. your desk so that if you want to look lowers the impulse to continue using I feel like [the morning] should be for your phone, you can’t find it and so one’s phone by removing “positive devoted to myself.” you just return back to work.” reinforcements.”

For Kulshreshtha, a main factor in As Kulshreshtha says, she’s still in a “At first, when I deleted Instagram, this decision was being able to focus on “gradual process,” but she advocates it was to reduce going on the [app’s] her academics without distractions — for a change in mindset for others Explore page,” Ho said. “I needed she’s implemented apps like “Plantie,” trying to unlearn their screen addiction. that app because I was still texting which grows a virtual fruit bush for “I think it’s one thing to say, ‘I don’t people on it, but grayscale helped the duration of a work session and want to be using these apps because me still retain that while being able stops growing once you exit the app. it’s toxic for me,’” Kulshreshtha said. to spend less She also sees “And it’s another thing to be like, ‘I don’t time on parts mental benefits want to be on these apps, because I of Instagram of spending don’t want to devote so much of my that I shouldn’t less time on her day to someone else,’ because I think be looking at phone, saying everyone is a little bit narcissistic. as much.” that she has And so when you adopt that kind of With the more “original mindset, it’s a lot more effective.” addition of thoughts” grayscale to without “TikTok remind her to sounds going focus on life through [her] feel addicted to their screens off the screen, head.” *According to a survey of 152 people she hopes to However, a use her limited worry for her screen time was not being on apps she thinks are “better to able to “keep up with trends” that redirect [her] screen time towards,” originated on TikTok and Instagram like News and Books. Grayscale can — she’s found she now has had more be implemented in the settings of “intellectual conversations” without most phones — on iPhone, the mode having these trends being the basis of can be enabled through the ‘Display & conversation.

Text Size’ section in the Settings app, Kulshreshtha says because these then navigating to ‘Color Filters’ and conversations can happen in-person turning the toggle on the page to on. rather than in remote learning, there’s

70%

of MVHS students

OPINION | APRIL 2022

15

UNDER MY SKIN

PHOTO | JIYA SINGH

Unlearning the burden of physical insecurities

BY DIYA BAHL

I

t was 80 degrees one summer day, the sun beating down on me, causing the small of my back to drip with sweat. Yet, I was sitting there in my fleece-lined hoodie and baggy jeans, unwilling to wear anything that would even dare show my skin or reveal any aspect regarding the shape of my body.

My physical insecurities started in middle school, and constantly progressed throughout the years. They began to create a block in my mind, not allowing me to be comfortable in my own skin. I blamed myself simply for what I looked like, which sent me spiraling, questioning my choices, actions, abilities and overall ran my confidence into the ground.

Insecurities carry a weight of burden.

Wearing baggy clothes on purpose and never taking pictures of myself were all ways in which my self-consciousness about my body channeled into real life decisions and caused me to pay unnecessary attention to every little flaw in the mirror.

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According to a survey of 152 MVHS students, 74% feel insecure about their body image. Constantly comparing myself to what seem like the “perfect” looking people on Instagram and TikTok with their small waists, clear skin and hourglass figures is exhausting.

Thinking that nothing looks good on me or worrying that people see me the way I see myself — these all contributed to a never-ending cycle of self-doubt.

But over these past few years, I’ve unlearned the things that caused me to feel this way. Spending so much time with myself over quarantine introduced me to discovering more about me, and I was finally able to learn what I felt good in. I bought a different style of clothes, such as more crop tops and tighter pants, that showed off the very features I used to hide, like my stomach and arms. I started to experiment with makeup, learning how to do eyeliner and buying the right mascara. I took more pictures that I felt good in and surrounded myself with people I could

be my truest self around. I found new recipes that I enjoyed eating, leading me to making the same avocado toast every weekend morning. I explored new music that I liked. Ultimately, I found the things that made me happy.

Finding this new version of myself immediately boosted my selfconfidence and allowed me to look at my physical self in a more positive light.

The societal standards for what a girl is “supposed” to look like disappeared from the expectations I set for myself, allowing me to finally accept and feel good about what I saw in the mirror.

It’s important to recognize that another person’s beauty doesn’t take away from your own, and comparing physical features only worsens the insecurity. Learning from an insecurity allows the opportunity for growth, and unlearning the burden of them opens up the ability to become the best version of yourself that you can be.

STUDY SESSION

May is approaching rapidly. For many high school students that doesn’t signal the transition into summer but rather the dreaded AP testing ...

BY APRIL WANG AND LILLIAN WANG

IS THAT A NEW LOOK?

What happens when you decide to wear something new and others start to stare? Ignore them, of course!

BY SOPHIA MA AND SONIA VERMA

OPINION | APRIL 2022

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CRY ME A RIVER How my relationship with crying has changed over the years

BY SHIVANI VERMA

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y mom was screaming. It was a Suddenly, my emotions were stronger It was as if I’d been holding back a bit awkward. and sharper, so when my dad river with a hastily-made dam.

My cousin and I were at my snapped at me or when I got a bad Hidden away from my family, it felt uncle’s house to celebrate her 13th grade, tears would begin to prick at liberating to let the sobs wrack my birthday with our family. Although the my eyes. Suddenly, the mantra I had body, no matter the reason. There, night had started out fun, the festivities been living by I wouldn’t eventually dissolved into petty that demanded be judged or arguments, which then progressed don’t cry, don’t seem like I was into a full-blown shouting match. cry, don’t overreacting.

The adults shooed my cousin and cry seemed And once I upstairs and away from the quarrel. less and less I started, I BLOOM But it didn’t matter — we had already effective. couldn’t stop. heard the yelling. My cousin was It began Tears would sobbing, tears streaking down her to seem like SHIVANI VERMA collect along face as she clutched a pillow, and I … e v e r y t h i n g my eyelashes was coloring in a coloring book. was just harder in high school: my and spill at anything and everything, I was only eight years old; I didn’t arguments with my dad hurt more, I no matter how petty or meaningless. comfort her. I didn’t do anything at was in my first relationship, I was at During the pandemic, I cried at least all, because hearing the angry words a new school where I knew nobody once or twice a week. The “Google — echo from downstairs didn’t upset me — there was too much change to Year in Search 2018” YouTube video the way it upset her. It wasn’t that I was count. My emotions were also more made me sniffle without fail, every time holding tears back. I simply felt blank. heightened and painful, and I didn’t I viewed it. Once, my heart clenched That was part of a period of time in know who to tell, or even what to say. and I teared up when the narrator in my life when I didn’t cry at all — not There were days when I wished I could a documentary about the evolution when I was stung by a bee, not when start sobbing in class just so people of country music said a sentence in my dad grounded me and not even would ask me what was wrong. But a specific inflection. A documentary when my mom and uncle ended up the tears just wouldn’t fall. about country music. screaming at each other in a Starbucks.

Talking about crying was equally I no longer see being emotional as In elementary difficult — asking a bad thing. I actually admire people school, I was often someone when the who are able to express themselves IT WAS AS IF I’D told I was sensible last time they cried freely. To be honest, I’m still getting BEEN HOLDING BACK felt just as awkward there; I can’t cry in public, even if I feel and acted older than A RIVER WITH A my age, and over as asking if they had like I want to, and none of my closest time, that praise lost their virginity. friends have ever seen me shed a tear.

HASTILY-MADE DAM. hardened into an Without a way to And I’ve noticed that allowing unwillingness to be seen as anything talk about or express my emotions, I myself to fully feel my emotions and else. When others sniffled after a felt stuck. It must have been building let them run their course helped me teacher had scolded them or burst and building for a long time, because be less hard on myself. Not only that, into tears because they didn’t get junior year, I finally snapped.

I’ve become more capable of empathy what they wanted, I prided myself on Besides when I was an infant, I have and more willing to help people who being above them. Unlike them, I had never cried more in my life than I have may be feeling down. Feelings don’t a handle on my emotions. Ever heard in the last two years. scare me anymore. of the phrase “Crying is for babies”? I Forced to stay at home during As a senior, I’ve become exactly took it to heart. No matter what I was, the pandemic, there was nowhere what I used to scorn. So I’ve decided I would not be a crybaby. I made sure to run from my feelings. So when I to let go of “crying is for babies” and of that. got overwhelmed by school work adopt a new mantra — I’m going to cry And yet, as I settled into middle and friendship problems and was myself a river, build a bridge and take school and puberty trickled in, my left feeling completely alone, I would all the time I need to get over it. hormones staged a coup over my crawl under blankets with that growing rational thoughts. Suddenly, my bubble of emotion in my chest and relationship with crying changed. finally just … cry.

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022 ILLUSTRATION | KRIPA MAYURESHWAR

WHERE ARE WE NOW?

BY ISHAANI DAYAL, ANUSHKA DE, TARYN LAM, SARAH LIU, JANNAH SHERIFF AND MIRA WAGNER Identifying and exploring the changes that have occurred at MVHS since the Black Lives Matter Movement, the LGBTQ+ Movement, the Mental Health Movement and the #MeToo Movement gained popularity and national appeal.

PHOTO | AYAH ALI-AHMAD

BLACK LIVES MATTER

BY SARAH LIU AND MIRA WAGNER Exploring how the BLM movement has changed things at MVHS in recent years

O

n Thursday, March 10, junior “That’s something we’ve learned Greyson Mobley found that over time,” Bove said. “I don’t want to the bathroom in the lower B tell you we started out being incredibly building at MVHS had been graffitied insightful about knowing that that was with the phrase “Kill all n******.” He a big step to take, but it really was a perceived the act as “stupid and learning that we took seriously. We still childish,” but the incident left him have our own processes, but we want wondering about the progress towards to work that through and we want to racial equality at MVHS in the past few do our best to find who’s doing these years. Mobley was also especially things, and then address it.” bothered by his perception of the lack Still, Mobley feels there is a lack of consequences in response to this of investigative work he believes the occurrence. administration Principal should be Ben Clausnitzer doing. states that “ T h e y the type of s h o u l d punishment definitely varies on make it more a case-toof a big deal case basis. instead of However, if the sending out say the BLM movement has perpetrator is one email,” changed things slightly or greatly identified, the Mobley said. since its emergence at MVHS consequences “We haven’t *According to a survey of 103 people w o u l d really done likely entail anything to suspension and potentially expulsion stop it, [so] I think [we should] take because “in a situation like this, [he] more action and try to figure out who can’t see any way where someone it was and solve their behavior.” would remain on campus.”

Clausnitzer states that as no one Superintendent Polly Bove has reported any new information highlights how administration has regarding the graffiti incident, the worked on transparency by sending administration has been unable to out messages about incidents like this progress its investigation. However, to all students and families, whereas he understands that some individuals students may not have been recipients may want to learn more about the in the past. incident and invites them to contact

66%

of MVHS students

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him to share their thoughts.

“It’s always helpful if someone is feeling that they’d like more information that they reach out to us,” Clausnitzer said. “It’s important for me to hear how they’re feeling and what they’re thinking. It’s important to me, it helps me learn and grow as a leader as well.”

Associate Superintendent Tom Avvakumovits says the administration is constantly finding ways to improve its “focus on inclusion and equity.”

He adds that recently, the district has taken some notable steps toward fostering a more inclusive environment for all their students.

“I used to be a teacher at Cupertino High School, and in our sophomore year, and this was a zillion years ago, all of our authors except one were people who looked like me and Mr. Clausnitzer,” Avvakumovitz said. “So there’s been a huge movement, [and] we need to look at literature in ways where we diversify the perspectives, and so now in all of our English classes throughout all five of our comprehensive high schools there’s much more inclusion of perspectives of color.”

Clausnitzer articulates that the administration has since also implemented Equity Task Forces, groups of students and staff that work to address racial inequality in all five high schools in the district.

“That commitment that we are

PHOTO | AYAH ALI-AHMAD

thinking about is transformational, on campus, Mobley believes that the and we’re talking about equity [and] root cause of these racist incidents social-emotional learning,” Clausnitzer stems from a deeper issue. Although he feels that racism is said. “We still have prevalent in the culture to have a focus WE STILL HAVE at MVHS, he thinks it is and need to have a TO HAVE A well concealed due to focus around racial California being a largely equity. We can’t FOCUS AND Democratic state. He lose that. As the NEED TO HAVE A notices that as a result, it Equity Task Force, FOCUS AROUND is harder to solve these the importance is issues of racism. focusing on racial RACIAL EQUITY. “I think the racism equity during that around here, especially, work [and] what is a lot less noticeable became our focus PRINCIPAL because people know and continues to be.” BEN CLAUSNITZER it’s not OK, so they hide While the Equity Task Force seeks to educate students it,” Mobley said. “But it’s very obvious on how to become more inclusive and that it’s still a problem because of, creates plans for the future of inclusivity obviously, what happened.”

Avvakumovitz understands the struggles Mobley identifies, and highlights how the administration is focused on continuously growing and improving to make schools in the district more inclusive.

“This is my 29th year in the district, and ever since I started, we’ve had a strong focus on inclusion and equity,” Avvakumovitz said. “But for me, I think what BLM did is an example of ‘Hey, some of the initiatives that we’re currently working on maybe need to be more explicit and direct about the work we are striving to do and continue to work to do.’ [It] really does address or attempts to address the concerns of some of the less-represented cuts of students, including African Americans.”

PHOTO | AYAH ALI-AHMAD

Protesters hold up cardboard signs during a Black Lives Matter rally in a neighborhood.

FEATURES | APRIL 2022

21

PHOTOS | JAYANTI JHA PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ANUSHKA DE

Senior Manvi Kottakota poses in her handmade earrings, rings and necklaces.

Senior Manvi Kottakota’s small gold jewelry business and brand Kanak celebrates South Asian people

BY ANUSHKA DE

#METOO

Examining the effect the #MeToo movement has had on FUHSD one year after its online resurgence

BY ANUSHKA DE

T

he resurgence of the #MeToo movement in the MVHS community began a little over a year ago in March 2021. COVID-19 restrictions confined much of the movement to Instagram, with Notes app screenshots recounting experiences with sexual assualt or harrassment flooding feeds. Senior Vaishnavi Suresh’s reaction came in two waves. First, there was anger.

Then, there was an inescapable onus to act.

Suresh and her teammates began looking into collegiate teams and found that several of those teams had “really unhealthy and dangerous perspectives on consent.” They founded Athletes Against Assault (AAA), with the initial goal in March of 2021 being to create a tangible athleticrelated consequence for perpetrators of sexual assault — specifically, to prevent alleged perpetrators from playing or practicing. She quickly realized, however, that the school and district’s legal obligations as well as the specific process of Title IX reporting and holding people to account meant that such a consequence would be nearly impossible. She decided instead to shift her focus towards

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education through Advisory.

Associate Superintendent of Students and Special Services Trudy Gross’ goal upon the resurgence of the #MeToo movement was to improve education around the topic. She has been contending with Title IX legislation and other district requirements regarding the process of sexual harassment and assualt reporting and training since 2017, and has been involved in creating and updating the investigation process in order to make it more specific.

S i n c e t h e n , G r o s s explains that changes to the Title IX process and the dissemination of information regarding it have all been studentadvocacy driven.

Gross was aware of an asynchronous sexual assault lesson that had been assigned to students in 2020, and upon the resurgence of the movement, she experienced a massive influx of students who wanted to update it. She began working with representative from AAA and Project Awareness, Action and Reform

(AAR), which is “a coalition of FUHSD students devoted to taking action in regards to the issues of sexual assault, harassment and rape” to create a more robust lesson on sexual harrassment and assault. Gross commends the student representatives who she worked with for their grit and determination in sticking with the lengthy process for the past year.

“We see this in society in general — sometimes people get really passionate about something, and then it kind of fades because it’s not the topic of the moment,” Gross said.

“But I’m really proud of these students. They have been very involved all the way through — we’ve had meetings every couple of months and when we were working on the lesson, we were meeting every couple weeks. And I know that not all of them are seniors, so I know there will be students who will carry forward to next year and we’ll see what kind of additional progress and nuances we can make.”

The fading of involvement was one issue that senior Rachel Wiley,

SCAN FOR THE ADVISORY LESSON

president of Girls Empowerment think that it’s going to take easily four Project (GEP) encountered. One years to be able to say that the impact year ago, Wiley and her leadership there was super, super tangible.” team identified a need for and set a A year after starting their changegoal to create a safe community for making journeys, those systemic, marginalized groups — specifically social and emotional barriers women — to share their experiences have largely put Wiley and Suresh and discuss methods to spark change. in different places than they’d Over the past year, however, Wiley initially imagined. After the surge of has found it necessary to “change participation in March of 2021, Wiley the level of ambition we were going had hoped for much more student for just because the response wasn’t participation and subsequent change as we hoped,” which she attributes in the community, as opposed to the partially to the fading prominence of “steep drop off” that she observed this the movement and subsequent lack of year. Nevertheless, Wiley believes that participation, and partially to student for participating members, GEP has apprehension. been able to create an engaging and “I think a lot of students are scared educational environment. to get involved in an activist club,” Gross adds that though progress Wiley said. “Just hearing the [words] can be slow, it is nevertheless evident.

‘Girls Empowerment Project,’ I see She recalls receiving a great deal of students cringe a little and turn away. positive feedback on the Advisory So I think it’s important to destigmatize lesson, especially on the scenarios that clubs of that nature. ” were included in the lessons. Suresh The final advisory lesson and video and Wiley have similarly seen or heard that Suresh of positive impacts made alongside EVEN IF WE DON’T REACH of the efforts that other AAA, AAR various student WHAT THE GOAL IS and Student and teacher BEFORE YOU GRADUATE, Equity Task groups have taken IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT Force members, in the past year, WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS with the support such as in the of teachers and Title IX posters on NOT IMPORTANT. administrators, the wall, or from ASSOCIATE the is something productive that Suresh discussions that SUPERINTENDENT believes had the were sparked TRUDY GROSS in potential to make Advisory a real impact, classrooms that which Gross echoes. Gross also chose to really delve into the content. emphasizes the effort that goes into Gross has also seen these positive making content like this, including the impacts echo in conversations and scripting, filming, editing, drafting of training sessions with teachers and scenarios and other work behind the staff. This progress, albeit slow, is scenes that lengthens the process in what Gross believes encapsulates ways that those not intimately involved the purpose of social movements in a in the process don’t always see. She school context. stresses the importance of students “Social movements really are just sticking with a cause even if the informing those systems,” Gross said. change they are working to implement “Schools can be a system, and it’s good may not appear within their own high to continually look at, ‘Just because school tenure, a lesson that Suresh we’ve done this forever doesn’t mean has reconciled with over the past year. we couldn’t do it differently.’ The work “I’m graduating this year, but I’m that you are doing is important, even if hopeful that in the next few years, we don’t reach what the goal is before the freshmen that come in next year you graduate, doesn’t mean that what [and] the year after have a better you’re doing is not important and environment [and feel] the impact that won’t lead to that goal being achieved we’re making,” Suresh said. “But I do or met over time.”

GOALS athletes AGAINST ASSAULT Increase education and awareness about SH/SA through an Advisory lesson.

Expand the organization to include athletes outside of field hockey.

Create a contract for all MV athletes to sign that includes clauses about SH/SA

GIRLS EMPOWERMENT PROJECT Work on streamlining the Title IX reporting process for survivors Establish the club on campus and promote awareness about it Destigmatize joining a club focused on social justice and increase membership

TITLE IX REPORTING Improve the asynchronous lesson on consent used in 2020 Keep website up-to-date on Title IX reporting processes and increase awareness about it Update the FAQs about Title IX reporting on the website

FEATURES | APRIL 2022

23

MENTAL HEALTH

PHOTO | ANGELA ZHANG

Covering how student wellness has changed and been addressed at MVHS in recent years

BY ISHAANI DAYAL AND JANNAH SHERIFF

J

unior Vani Putheti hasn’t always a lot and there’s a lot less stigma. I’ve been open about her mental health, talked openly about mental health with which she says mental health people in my class[es] who I’m not “tanked” during the COVID-19 lockdown super close with, but it’s just such a and she was diagnosed for the first universal struggle that I think I can talk time with depression, anxiety and body to anyone about it with little to no fear dysmorphia. She began therapy in first of judgment.”

Since the opening of in-person semester of her sophomore year, after which she cycled through multiple school, several clubs and initiatives with the goal of promoting therapists until she mental health awareness found the right fit. reopened or begun.

As a result, Putheti YOU KNOW THE Advisory lessons from has seen significant JOKE ABOUT progress in her mental THERAPY, HOW MANY the fall of 2020 have continued, to practice health over the last THERAPISTS DOES social emotional learning six months, enough to IT TAKE TO CHANGE and address issues urge other teenagers of importance to the who need help to A LIGHTBULB? ONE, also consider therapy.

BUT THE LUGHTBULB community.

Clubs like Bring She often shares HAS TO WANT TO Change 2 Mind and her experiences with CHANGE. Random Acts of Kindness others, and finds that also allow students space the conversation to focus on mental health surrounding mental challenges at MVHS. health at MVHS has SCHOOL BASED Bring Change 2 Mind recently become THERAPIST hosted a Furry Friends more free-flowing, RICHARD PRINZ event in December to especially posthelp students de-stress pandemic.

“People who may not have been as before finals week by petting dogs on familiar with mental health problems the Rally Court stage. Meanwhile, in the have been forced to experience or classroom, English teacher Vennessa confront their own mental health Nava has hosted yoga sessions for her challenges [during quarantine],” students at the beginning of class to Putheti said. “So I think the attitudes implement mindfulness, and AP Physics towards mental health have shifted 1 teacher Sushma Bana organizes Fun

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Fridays for students to take a break.

Bring Change 2 Mind President and senior Aishwarya Manoj describes experiencing difficulties transitioning back to in person learning, like many other clubs. Despite this, Manoj sees a real benefit from providing students a space to share and learn about mental health.

“For members that really come out of their shell and push themselves to take part in our discussions, they tend to be the ones that keep coming back,” Manoj said. “Just the fact that people are attending is enough, and if they can take something from that and you can help them and encourage them to keep coming and learning more, then that’s good.”

School-based therapist Richard Prinz has been working at MVHS for 20 years, but was initially hired as a “student advocate,” a title which was only recently changed to “school-based therapist.” According to Prinz, the initial title was meant to be less intimidating to students, and the change indicates reduced stigma surrounding seeking help. Like Putheti, he notices increasing conversation surrounding mental health and an increase in students seeking help.

Prinz believes the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) task force at MVHS and the accompanying Advisory lessons have been effectiive. However, Putheti

G

feels a disconnect between the support offered to students and the help that students actually need. She views advisory lessons on mental health as a “band-aid” solution.

“When we already have so much stress from school and other factors, to address it in this almost superficial way doesn’t seem like a very meaningful approach,” Putheti said. “Especially when we had an Advisory that took away one of our tutorials during finals week. That was pretty ironic because that made us all more stressed.”

Putheti places more importance in easing the workload of classes to combat mental health, while Prinz has a different approach.

“My wish is that, like Physical Education, we had two years required for mental health,” Prinz said. “I wish it was in the curriculum. Then we could know that everyone is getting training in social emotional intelligence, everyone is getting the tools.”

Meanwhile, Manoj hopes to see a mental health panel established in a

similar style to the GSA information “It’s not always that a student panel presented to freshmen in 2019. initiates therapy, so that’s an obstacle Like Prinz, she wants mental health to if somebody doesn’t want to change,” be incorporated into curriculum to clear Prinz said. “You know the joke about up misinformation on the topic. therapy in California, how many “Because therapists does it people don’t take to change a take mental lightbulb? It only health issues takes one, but the very seriously, lightbulb has to want they don’t take to change.” the study of Putheti also mental health believes a huge step issues very in coping with mental s e r i o u s l y , ” believe the mental health health struggles Manoj said. movement has progressed slightly can be opening “A lot of up to others, and or greatly people think wants to normalize that they’ve *According to a survey of 106 people awareness oWf b e c o m e mental health issues. experts, even if they might not be a “Treating [mental health] takes a lot psychologist, but act like they are just of time and it’s really not linear,” Putheti because they maybe read an article said. “Sometimes it comes in waves online.” and it fluctuates, there’s highs and lows.

Prinz points out another obstacle: Depression can wax and wane over trying to help students who may not time, but it is possible to overcome it in want to be helped. the long run.”

61%

of MVHS students

(Left) English teacher Vennessa Nava’s students participate in a yoga session during class.

(Below) Bring Change 2 Mind Club hosts a Furry Friends event before finals week where students could pet dogs on the Rally Court stage.

PHOTO||ISHAANI ISHAANIDAYAL DAYAL PHOTO

FEATURES | APRIL 2022

25

LGBTQ RIGHTS

Students share their thoughts about relevant sexuality and gender identity issues

BY TARYN LAM

Senior Geeta Karlcut waves the pride flag on Nov. 11, National Coming Out Day. PHOTO | SHIVANI MADHAN

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J

unior and GSA president Annika Lee vividly recalls seeing the antiqueer vandalism on the walls of the gender neutral restroom behind the library on Tuesday, March 8. Upon viewing the toilet seat covers shoved into the toilet and the graffiti tags on the wall, she felt both disgusted and “disappointed that [they] would have to use a gendered restroom.”

“When [vandalism] happens, [trans students] no longer have [a] neutral environment to use the bathroom,” Lee said. “By making the gender neutral bathroom unusable, it forces trans people into a really unsafe and potentially violent environment.”

Sophomore Neil Mhamunkar agrees with Lee’s views and simultaneously emphasizes the importance of “leaving gender neutral restrooms as safe bathrooms and not hangout spots.” In addition to the blatant acts of transphobia displayed through the vandalism, Lee speaks out about the casual homophobia she often experiences, such as people “misgendering [them]” or using the word “gay” as an insult. “[Using slurs] comes from a place of ignorance or willful ignorance,” Lee said. “At some level, [people] have to understand that it’s wrong, but they continue to use it anyway. It’s just so ingrained in their vernacular that they feel like they can’t change it, but I don’t think that should be an excuse at all.”

Lee hopes that the district will be able to implement LGBTQ Advisory lessons in its curriculum in order to better educate MVHS staff members and students. Lee believes that Advisory is an important first step in spreading awareness.

“I think starting the conversations is the biggest thing to do right now,” Lee said. “Once we start talking about how transphobia and homophobia still exist on Monta Vista’s campus, then we can start working to find solutions to dismantle them.”

On the other hand, Mhamunkar “doesn’t think Advisory is very helpful [when] talking about LGBTQ issues.”

Nevertheless, Mhamunkar believes that MVHS can still supplement its advisories with experiences and knowledge from alternate sources that

span beyond the FUHSD community. but not surprised” by the bill itself, “I think that the best thing would because of Florida’s conservative be to get someone who has a major population. For instance, Henry has in gender studies [to talk during friends in Southern states who are Advisory],” Mhamunkar said. “Getting unable to get surgery or hormone someone who is very educated on the therapy, whereas in California, he has topic, rather than a Biology teacher, to access to these resources through his talk about [LGBTQ] issues would be health insurance. Henry believes that better because then [students] can “[this] bill is just another way of trying ask them questions.” to act like the [LGBTQ] community Skylar Henry, a sophomore at De doesn’t exist or act like it’s not valid.”

Anza College, majors in sociology Henry attributes the surge in antiand specializes in women and gender queer legislation to the election studies. He currently is involved in of Trump in 2016, and Lee agrees.

De Anza’s Women Gender Sexuality She also believes that conservative Center, which hosts events and lawmakers are using Trump’s election discussion groups where students as a springboard when drafting anticome together queer bills. to talk about the “I think there’s this group’s feelings THIS IS JUST whole buildup [where] about gender ANOTHER it’s suddenly OK for identity, sexuality EXAMPLE OF people to be outright and the current homophobic and HETEROSEXUAL, political climate. transphobic, partially “In my experience, CISGENDER in part due to Trump’s I don’t have a lot election in 2016, where of LGBTQ friends PEOPLE TRYING he was very actively that I’m close to, TO ‘PROTECT queerphobic,” Lee so having a group THEIR OWN.’ said. “Now people are of students at my kind of capitalizing off school that I can of that and continuing talk to is nice to to push for more antihave,” Henry said. DE ANZA SOPHOMORE trans and anti-queer “I’ve been so lucky SKYLAR HENRY legislation.” to have schools that With tensions have been really supportive of me brewing throughout various states, being transgender, but [then] you look Lee emphasizes the fact that “queer at states like Florida who are passing activism will continue” and claims that [anti-queer] laws and realize that kids “the queer community will continue to there don’t have that [same support].” make sure that these bills are removed Henry references the “Don’t Say and more anti-queer legislation don’t Gay Bill,” which Florida Republican go through.” Henry agrees with Lee Senator Ron DeSantis signed on and believes that the community March 28, which sparked outrage needs to unite now, more than ever. within the LGBTQ community. The bill “California has always been pretty bans “classroom instruction by school good about being in solidarity with personnel or third parties on sexual people of the LGBTQ [community],” orientation or gender identity” in Henry said. “But because other states kindergarten through third grade, and are doing the opposite of that, it just goes into effect July 1. gives [Californians] a reason to keep “This [bill] is just another example of doing more [for the community]. A lot heterosexual, cisgender people trying of people are feeling really defeated to ‘protect their own,’” Henry said. and discouraged [so] we need to work “When really, they’re not protecting extra hard to make sure that students themselves, they’re just harming [the feel safe.”

LGBTQ community].”

While the bill impacts many in the LGBTQ community, Henry is “sad, FEATURES | APRIL 2022

27

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ARTS & ENT

ARTS AND ENT | APRIL 2022

29

FUELING A FANDOM Taking a look at students at MVHS who create content for fandoms

BY SONIA VERMA Exploring culture through writing updates her fanfictions regularly, fanfiction she doesn’t interact often with other Sophomore Pratha Joshi’s first members of the fandom through fanfiction was one she wrote in middle fandom social media pages. school: a series of one-shots featuring However, she does find people Minecraft roleplay YouTuber Aphmau. within the fandom community Some of her earlier works featured interesting for their diverse takes on characters from DC, Marvel and the characters and plot points within a “Percy Jackson” book series. Joshi piece of media. Joshi also says initially wrote t h a t more short and s h e linear stories gets but gradually evolved her writing into more nuanced plotlines and valuable c h a r a c t e r feedback analysis. from fellow consider themselves to be part Joshi hadn’t of a fandom fans in the realized writing c o m m e n t *According to a survey of 140 people fanfiction was section of her a joy of hers fanfictions. until she started writing two to three Writing fanfiction, according thousand word chapters, adding to to Joshi, has also been valuable her fanfiction in daily increments. for growing her knowledge about Currently, her longest and most cultural practices around the world. popular fanfiction has 291,211 words She is currently writing fanfiction for with 171,883 views on the fanfiction “Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation,” site Archive of Our Own (AO3) and a Chinese web novel. over 310,000 views on self-publishing As someone who was not initially forum Wattpad. familiar with Not only do Chinese culture fans read her or mythology, work, but her she had to do immediate and research to extended family make specific also read her scenes within fanfiction. her fanfiction “[My parents accurate to are] proud of the culture this,” Joshi said. who are part of a fandom of the novel “They’ll brag to create fan content they’re based people. They’ll *According to a survey of 140 people on.

Overall, [say], ‘Pratha’s the cultural writing a book.’ exposure Joshi And then I’ll come in and [say] ‘It’s a has gained is her most valuable fanfic,’ and then they’ll [say] ‘Whatever! takeaway from writing fanfiction.

It has [a hundred thousand] views!’”

“I don’t like writing half-assed Joshi’s favorite part about writing stuff — I always do research for any fanfiction is the comments she gets of my [fanfics] because it’s important from her readers. Although she to me for it to be as accurate as

47%

of MVHS students

45%

of MVHS students

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

STEPH WU | USED WITH PERMISSION

Senior Max Hu poses in his recent Vampire Miku cosplay, which he wore on Halloween 2022.

possible,” Joshi said. “I’ve had people tell me [where] in my [fanfiction] the research is kind of obvious to see that I’ve done it. I’ll have people praising me for [the] efforts that I put into my [fanfiction], so I think the response I get is my favorite part.”

IA

Vampire Miku, a virtual Japanese pop an enjoyable way to improve herself star, and a character from the manga as well as get involved in her fandom. series “Dumbell.”

She values the sense of community Although Hu doesn’t make his fandoms have given her through their own cosplays from scratch, he does interaction with her fanart, by liking mention that cosplays or commenting require budgeting on social media WHEN YOU’RE ALSO skills as the different posts.

Buildling confidence with cosplay components of putting Alongside DOING IT FROM Senior Max Hu cosplayed for the first together a cosplay improving her [THE ARTIST’S] time during finals week of his freshman can be expensive. art skills, Li has PERSPECTIVE, YOU year, to the surprise of his peers. He Finding the middle also noticed that CAN APPRECIATE recalls that while he wasn’t very vocal ground between his being a content EVERYBODY’S about it, the positive reaction from his expectations for his creator within classmates made it one of his most cosplay and the limit a fandom has WORK THAT MUCH memorable moments at school. of his budget has been given her an SENIOR The character Hu was cosplaying a balancing act for Hu. understanding of SYLVIA LI as Cloud Strife, a character from His own high how much work the video game “Final Fantasy VII.” standards for the goes into fanart.

Although Hu believes the cosplay quality and appearance of his cosplay “I think something that I’ve heard to be “mediocre,” he enjoyed the have also been a challenge for him as [in] online discourse is that people experience and decided to continue he doesn’t want to disappoint people. take fanart for granted sometimes, cosplaying throughout high school at However, over time he has realized or [always] expect it to exist,” Li said. certain times. that the joy he finds in cosplay trumps “But then when you’re also doing it Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his fear of judgment. from [the artist’s] perspective, you however, Hu’s plans were set back “It’s helped me be more confident can appreciate everybody’s work that during his sophomore and junior as I’m able to display myself as the much more.” years. Now as a senior, Hu is ready to characters I’m cosplaying as and do Li isn’t as active on her Instagram pick up where he left off. He plans for these very ‘out there’ things,” Hu art account as she used to be at the his next cosplay to be a character from said. “Building up that confidence to beginning of high school, but she the video game “Arknights,”, although actually cosplay has helped me be still draws fanart for her personal he isn’t quite sure which character. more confident in my identity and what enjoyment. Currently, Li draws fanart “The best part is actually putting I do in general outside of cosplaying.” from the video game “Genshin on the costume and going out Impact.” Even though she doesn’t there [and] cosplaying,” Finding a family through play the game anymore, she still feels ILLUSTRATIO NB YS Hu said. “It’s really fanart that she’s an active member of the YL V nerve-racking, Senior Sylvia Li community through her art. [but] the payoff started her journey Just as her fanart keeps her is all worth it as a fan artist by engaged with the Genshin Impact because of all participating in fandom, Li believes that fan artists are the months of a “Pokemon” integral to fan engagement within a preparation.” themed Uniqlo fandom.

Hu likes T-shirt design “There [are] fandoms that are still to cosplay contest in middle alive because their fan artists are still characters school.

Initially creating content for them, which I think that have starting off by is important because some of these clothing based on watching TV shows communities are really important to everyday fashion and reading books people,” Li said. “[By] keeping them and finds himself and graphic novels she alive, people have a place [where] gravitating towards enjoyed, her interest bloomed they can feel at home.” characters with cute aesthetics or into something more as she started qualities he admires, such as strength. participating in art prompts and He has noticed that cosplayers he sees contests within fan communities. on social media don’t stick to a singular “I would draw something and post piece of media for too long, preferring it online,” Li said. “Even if nobody saw to jump around various fandoms. Hu it, I thought it’d be cool to contribute to himself has cosplayed characters from the fanart community.” unrelated pieces of media, including Li finds that drawing fanart has been LI

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ARTS & ENT | APRIL 2022

31

UNLIKELY FANS

How MVHS students deal with being minorities in fanbases of popular media

BY ADITYA SHUKLA

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unior Kailey Daugherty’s first experience gaming with voice chat was when she was 12. Playing the popular multiplayer video game “Overwatch,” Daugherty was often the only girl on her team. Experiencing sexist comments on her voice and gender, she was asked out on a date and was warned of getting sexually assaulted if she didn’t date one of the voice chatters. While initially a shock to Daugherty, this event was one of many various sexist experiences that she would encounter when playing video games.

“It’s gotten to a point where I just acknowledge that [sexism is] going to happen,” Daugherty said. “It’s just a normal thing in society even though it shouldn’t be. There’s also this push that I have of me trying to fit into that type of demographic. Even with my friends, I feel like I have to be more like them and do less ‘girly’ things so I don’t get any hate or judgment from that.”

The world of online gaming has been historically composed of male audiences, with over 60% of all gamers being men. This disparity becomes especially apparent in online shooter games like “Overwatch” and “Valorant,” where 74% of gamers identify themselves as male. This disparity is something Daugherty cites as being a factor in her experiences feeling like an outsider, noting that this lack of female representation affects the way men talk to women. “[A female gamer tag] or a more feminine voice [are] typically looked down upon,” Daugherty said. “I just think like-minded people just like to look at that and [harass people].”

This discrimination is based on cultural norms in other entertainment communities, especially showcased in music genres like rap. According to a study by the University of Berkeley, a majority of rap’s mainstream base is composed of men and the lyrics are often considered to be geared towards

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PHOTO | ADITYA SHUKLA male perspectives and values, but barrier to [listening] to a group,” Wong for senior Malavika Vutukuru, it’s just said. “If you listen to a girl group you another part of her casual listening might be seen as a [pervert]. I feel like experience. it’s a cool thing for me to be a fan of Citing her music taste as diverse, — I might be a bit unique, I guess, for Vutukuru expands on rap’s appeal. my gender stereotype in society. But According to an article by the Radio and at the end of the day, it’s something Television business I like listening to so report, rap music, I’m gonna do what I initially maleJUST BE AS CAUTIOUS like to do.” dominated, has Looking to AS YOU CAN AND begun to increase the future, both UNDERSTAND THAT in popularity with Vukuturu and [SEXISM IS] GONNA women.

Wong find that the HAPPEN. “I guess the growing popularity archetype is more of their favorite JUNIOR genres people who are signals KAILEY DAUGHERTY a breakdown of outgoing, more on the popular end,” these gendered Vutukuru said. “That’s usually the stereotypes, as this rise can reach people that I would expect to listen to more diverse audiences.

But rap, but I feel like it’s also something Daugherty cautions for new female that a lot of people listen to. You don’t gamers to be careful and safe when expect it, but a lot of people really like dealing with online voice chats. rap, especially recently.”

“It’s sad to say, but I would honestly On the other hand, the tell someone like you should be stereotypically female-dominated careful because these things are so genre K-Pop has found appeal from normalized,” Daugherty said. “They junior Kyle Wong, who describes will happen to you. You have to take himself as a casual listener. Wong it [with] a grain of salt and just be as finds a unique aspect to K-Pop’s boy cautious as you can and understand and girl bands. that things are gonna happen, even “[Gender identity] might be just a though they shouldn’t.”

PHOTO LICENSED UNDER CC 4.0 INTERNATIONAL

STAN CULTURE

Investigating student perspectives on the K-Pop fan community

BY LANCE TONG AND LILLIAN WANG

I

n November of 2000, Eminem released a song about an unhinged fan who, after writing several letters to his favorite rapper and receiving no response, drives his car off a cliff. The title of the track, “Stan,” has evolved to become an official definition in the Oxford Dictionary, meaning “an overzealous or obsessive fan.”

Despite the origins of the term, many online communities of fans self-identifying as “stans” have formed around music, TV shows, books and video games. Since then, K-Pop has become one of the most prominent of these groups through the enthusiasm of the genre’s fans and the establishment of clubs like the Korean Club and its Dance Crew.

Sophomore Lemon Liu, who has been a K-Pop fan for three years, explains that many K-Pop stans are closely invested in their favorite artists’ lives, following them on different platforms or buying their merchandise and albums.

“Some of them use it as a coping mechanism or a way to fill some gaps in their lives, which are all fine,” Liu said. “But then if it gets to a point where you’re stalking them, that would be a problem.”

Stan culture has been accused of

encouraging toxicity and harassment, just follow the music and it makes including extreme hate and death them happy. That’s kind of enough. threats towards others both within and You don’t have to do everything in outside the community. Junior Shirin your power to get [an idol’s] attention.”

Haldar, a fan who creates dancing Haldar thinks that “stan” can be and rapping content related to K-Pop, used in popular culture as a broader recounts being hesitant to post on term for any person who is more than platforms such as a casual fan and YOU DON’T HAVE Instagram after wants to express seeing such drama. their genuine TO DO EVERYTHING Stan culture is enjoyment.

IN YOUR POWER often denounced “I think just be TO GET [AN IDOL’S] as unhealthy for careful when you ATTENTION.” the fans as well, as are a fan,” Haldar SENIOR said. “Try not most stan-celebrity EDGAR TSAI to get into toxic relationships are heavily one-sided. environments and Although some stans may develop a just try to make sure K-Pop doesn’t friendly attachment to their favorite take over your life.” artists, others’ obsessive behavior Liu encourages stans to set healthy can reach levels of illegality like boundaries with online personas to stalking and doxxing, the act of prevent their interests from becoming publishing personal information such draining. They stress the importance as addresses or phone numbers. of having “another personality other Tsai affirms that unhealthy stan than liking K-Pop” and respecting the behavior causes problems within privacy of K-Pop idols. the industry, referencing a recent “I don’t want this to consume situation in which a K-Pop group was most of my life because I have other disbanded due to its contract running things to do,” Liu said. “But then it’s a out, prompting fans to show up at the great source of comfort and a coping group’s office to protest. mechanism as well. And I think that’s a “[Some stans] do crazy stuff, like it’s healthy way to look at it.” not healthy,” Tsai said. “[Casual fans] ARTS & ENT | APRIL 2022

33

REIMAGINING LIT

Examining the impact of teaching through more modern, accessible means

BY DEVIN GUPTA AND SHIVANI VERMA

J

unior AJ Jiang hates the World Literature text “Lord of the Flies”

by William Golding. According to them, the book has “no redeeming qualities,” and was instead “unrelatable” and “annoying.” The book, along with “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, led Jiang to realize that without relatable literature for students to analyze, the class became “useless.”

Building contemporary, more accessible media into literature classes is something that Fremont High School teacher Melisa Lu is quite familiar with. Because English was not her first language, she ended up picking up the language through anime. To Lu, anime is “where [her] heart is,” and as a literature teacher, she believed it only natural to include the media into her curriculum.

“I know that [students] grew up with a lot more technology than probably teachers did,” Lu said. “And so [they’re] very much attuned to the visual medium, whether that’s through social media looking at images or through animated shorts watching TikTok. The visual medium can teach a lot of the same skills you might use when analyzing written works.”

Literature teacher Randy Holaday believes that teaching through visual mediums is becoming increasingly common in more specialized English courses like Honors American Literature, AP Literature and British Literature — in British Literature, Holaday teaches his units on satire through TV shows such as “Black Mirror,” “Sherlock”and “Star Trek” to engage students critically in contemporary media, reiterated by Jiang.

“I think popular media is a really, really good way to explore common mistakes in thought that we have because this is the kind of stuff that influences our consciousness,” Jiang said. “And if you can see how the stuff that you consume is being problematic, and you start being aware of how they’re sending certain

PHOTO | SHIVANI VERMA

messages, it makes it kind of more Similarly, Holaday finds that including interesting to see that media rather multimedia in the curriculum not only than [being] like, ‘Oh, it’s problematic. intrigues the students, but also makes I’m not gonna him more excited to teach it. watch it.’”

Holaday’s “biggest dream” is being At FHS, Lu able to make video game accounts for has taught his students and, instead of having them lessons on read pages from a book, have them a n t i - r a c i s m , play a game for 20 minutes. Jiang also social justice, cultural responsiveness has their own suggested addition to and critical race theory using clips of the general curriculum — the TV show anime and animated shorts from Pixar “Bojack Horseman,” which they believe and Disney. As a literature teacher, Lu is good to analyze due to its social believes it is important to use stories to commentary and complex characters. help students learn Overall, Jiang sees how to recognize clear benefits to THE VISUAL MEDIUM oppression and integrating casual, CAN TEACH A LOT resist it in their informal media such as OF THE SAME SKILLS everyday life. For TV shows, video games example, she’s and modern films into YOU MIGHT USE shown the 2003 literature classes.

WHEN ANALYZING version of “Kino’s “We’re all WRITTEN WORKS. Journey” in her surrounded by a bunch classes to teach media just because LITERATURE of about tribalism of the Internet that’s TEACHER constantly influencing and illustrate concepts about MELISA LU our value systems,” war and othering.

Jiang said. “It would In response to her unconventional be very useful for us to learn how to teaching method, Lu has seen students critically consume that instead of just show “delight, excitement, happiness letting [ourselves] get easily sucked into [and] pleasure.” these echo chambers.”

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

SPORTS ATHLETE OF THE MONTH CARA CONSTANT

BY MICHELLE CHEN

S

ophomore Cara Constant recalls picking up softball at age six, largely due to the influence of her sister, who had played softball before.

After playing recreationally for two years and then transitioning to “semi” travel ball, Constant began playing for competitive travel teams at 11.

Constant plays outfield on her travel team, but plays as a shortstop and pitches for the MVHS softball team — something she hadn’t done since she was 10.

“I stopped pitching because it was really stressful when I was younger, but what helped me get through this year and last year was that I was doing it for my team,” Constant said. “They needed me more to pitch than play a different position, and I wanted us to be the most successful we could be.”

According to Constant, softball is a part of her identity, but it has been “more about who [she] plays with instead of the sport itself.” Although frequent practices and tournaments often take away time for her social life, Constant has met some of her best friends through softball. As a sophomore on her second year on the Varsity team, she looks forward to the upcoming seasons at MVHS. “The high school season is more about fun and being part of a team,” Constant said. “Our team has bonded really well, and there’s no drama or anything. I hope that’ll keep happening, and I hope we can keep getting better and working and having fun.”

3

BATTING TRIPLES

0.529 2

SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

YEARS ON VARSITY

*from the 2021-2022 season

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

35

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

The team conducts a mound visit with two outs in the inning during a nonleague game against Fremont High School on Tuesday, March 15. Although MVHS led 1-0 at the end of the second inning, FHS was able to overtake them and MVHS ultimately lost 11-5.

Senior Tara Suresh bats against Lynbrook High School on Thursday, March 24. MVHS defeated Lynbrook High School in a 16-2 blowout and led 9-0 at the end of the first inning.

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

Freshman Kayla Kampp throws a ball to the pitcher. On Wednesday, March 16, the team lost against Lincoln High School 11-1.

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Sophomore Yotaro Sato pitches the ball during the second inning of the game against Saratoga High School on March 24. MVHS lost this game 13-1.

After failing to get the out, senior Benjamin Chang picks up the ball and throws it back to the pitcher in the home non-conference game against Oak Grove High School, which MVHS lost 7-0.

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Freshman Mikey Owings is unable to get a hit during the third inning of the game against Saratoga High School.

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

SPORTS | APRIL 2022

37

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Freshman Davina Huang swims the team’s butterfly leg of the individual medley relay at a swim meet against Los Gatos High School on March 25. Huang’s time was 2:12 and she won first place.

Freshman Petros Kougiouris competes in a relay next to swimmers from Los Gatos High School in a meet on March 25. Kougiouris felt particularly proud of the relay team, as they made “a lot of personal records.”

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PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Senior Ryan Hong leaps off the diving board, participating in the “senior spoof” game on Senior Night on April 8. Hong felt satisfied with his performance at the meet, and he got two personal best times in the 50 free and the 500 free.

EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022 PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

Freshman Darren Lin placed third in Boys Frosh-Soph Long Jump with a distance of 16 feet and 8 inches, earning one point for MVHS. Lin also placed first in the Frosh-Soph triple jump.

PHOTO | MICHELLE ZHENG

Sophomore Alice Ross throws discus for the Varsity Girls team, placing second with a throwing distance of 91 feet and adding three points to the overall score for MVHS against Saratoga High School.

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

Junior Jasmine Varma sprints towards the finish line in the 4x400 meter relay race while her teammates cheer her on. Varma also competed in the 100 meter Junior Varsity race in the track meet against Wilcox High School and placed fifth.

SPORTS | APRIL 2022

39

PHOTO | MICHELLE ZHENG

Sophomore Daphne Huang rushes to save the birdie during her Varsity One Mixed Doubles against Milpitas High School on Tuesday, April 5 with her partner junior Lance Fuchia, who is not present in the photo.

PHOTO | MICHELLE ZHENG

PHOTO | MICHELLE ZHENG

Juniors Maharshi Mandapati and Rithwik Nukala compete in their Varsity Two Boys Doubles match against Gunn High School. Mandapati and Nukala won this match 2-1.

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

Freshmen Eric Tang and Riddhi Shedge prepare to receive a serve in their JV Three Mixed Doubles match against Gunn High School on Tuesday, March 29. Tang and Shedge won the game with an overall score of 2-0, securing the two sets with the respective scores of 21-10 and 22-20.

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

Senior Kyle Huang leaps forward to return the tennis ball to his opponents from Saratoga High School, alongside his doubles partner senior Ishaan Gupta.

Senior Ajay Senthilkumar returns a tennis ball at his singles match on Tuesday, March 22 against Saratoga High School. Senthilkumar won his match, and the team won 4-3 overall.

PHOTO | AASHNA PATEL

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

Junior and captain Rohin Inani serves the ball at a doubles match against Saratoga High School on Friday, March 25. Inani and junior Sameer Maheshwari lost both of their matches 4-6.

SPORTS | APRIL 2022

41

PHOTO | MICHELLE ZHENG

PHOTO | MICHELLE ZHENG

Senior Lance Tong tips the ball in the game against Cupertino High School. The team attributed its 3-0 win to maintaining a focused mindset and consistent playing style.

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Senior and outside hitter Rishi Dasari sets the ball for junior and middle blocker Jesse Li to hit. The Matadors won their first league game against Homestead High School 3-0, starting their season off strong.

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EL ESTOQUE | APRIL 2022

Junior Jesse Li and sophomore Elijah Kang leap to block a ball. The team won its game against Homestead High School with scores of 25-17, 25-13 and 29-27 in three sets.

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Sophomore Yanwei Zhou takes his second shot of the second hole in the team’s match against Saratoga High School on Monday, March 28, which they won 186-192.

G

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Freshman Ethan Lien takes his initial shot on the third hole of the team’s match against Saratoga High School.

Senior Parth Thakre makes a putt in the second hole of the team’s match against Saratoga High School on March 28.

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Freshman Gerad Lee takes a shot to start off a hole. In its match against Gunn High School on March 15, MVHS won 192-229.

SPORTS | APRIL 2022

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PHOTO | KRISH DEV

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

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