MONTA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL VOLUME 57 ISSUE 1
OCTOBER 2026
38 A NEW HUDDLE Flag Football program debuts new JV team for the 2026-27 season
LETTER FROM THE 21840 McClellan Rd. Cupertino, CA 95014 elestoque.org mv.el.estoque@gmail.com Editors-in-Chief: Jonah Chang, Radhika Dharmapurikar, Meghna Dixit, Sana Karkhanis, Zaid Naqvi, Aprameya Rupanagunta Head of Design:
EDITORS PHOTO | MELODY LIN
Angela Poon Head of Graphics: Grace Lin Visuals Editor: Elizabeth Yang News Editor: Grishma Jain Features Editors: Maahi Dev, Suryansh Gupta, Lora Lee, Emma Ma Opinion Editors: Shreejay Arja, Fiona Chen, Olivia Zhang Entertainment Editors: Emmy Harimoto, Alexandra Qiu Sports Editors: Nylah Gehani, Leo Lee, Ritik Shenoy Staff Writers: Chloe Ahn, Shania Amjadi, Ryan Bao, Jiaying Bathen, Avnika Choudhury, Eva Huang, Nitika Karandikar, Mihira Kancherla, Anish Khinvasara, Styliani (Stella) Kougiouris, Annika Kumar, Jolena Lai, Josiah Lim, Avery Lo, Erin Liu, Lucas Liu, Aanya Padhi, Alex Perrault, Helena Poon, Alice Tie, Kai Tsuchida, Genevieve To, Rachel Wang, Ziqian (Leo) Wang, Dasha Young, Kaiyu Zhang Advisers: Vennessa Nava, Julia Satterthwaite, MJE Mission Statement: El Estoque will accurately inform our community through well-researched and in-depth accounts of stories of the student body and staff, local news and developments and taboo topics prevalent in and near the MVHS realm. By investigating a variety of voices and credible perspectives, we aim to remain unbiased and foster active discussion, effect positive change and spread awareness of timely and relevant content. As a trustworthy, consistent 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 one another, 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 of reporters with a strong passion for our work and journalism as a whole.
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With the autumn wind marking the beginning of the school year, we each experience our own firsts: our first time navigating the bustling lunch line, our first supplemental essay or maybe our first test returned with a curve we all prayed for. Perhaps most importantly, our first jalapeno cheese bagel. Yet, while we await some firsts with anticipation, others caught us off-guard. Our News section explains the new tardy policy, encouraging us to be more punctual, while also diving into updates on new club communication practices — reshaping our school culture. While some of these changes will require adjustment, others invite us to pause and think. Our Opinion section examines controversial topics in the education system. Of course, these changes go beyond the classroom. Our flag football program debuted its JV team for the 2026-27 season. In “A New Huddle,” our Sports section explores what the team hopes to achieve this season. We also welcome fresh faces across campus. In “New to Cupertino,” we introduce new students settling into our community. We would like to dedicate this issue to the Class of 2030: to your first tardy, your first test and all the other firsts awaiting you at MVHS. We hope you embrace the unfamiliar and with it, yourselves.
Jonah Chang
Radhika Dharmapurikar
Meghna Dixit
REPORTING COVER PHOTO | FIONA CHEN COVER DESIGN | MEGHNA DIXIT
02 EL ESTOQUE | OCTOBER 2026
Sana Karkhanis
Zaid Naqvi
Aprameya Rupanagunta
IN THIS ISSUE NEWS
OCTOBER 2026
PHOTO | ELIZABETH YANG
Communication crackdown 04 Inside the Black Box 06 Being late doesn’t fly 08 Social scandal 10
FEATURES Treble makers 1 2 Intern insights 1 4 Y-Green? 1 6 New to Cupertino 18
OPINION 06
Curbed communications Recalculating readiness What’s on the agenda? Poisoning the well Talking my way out Confirm all
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INSIDE THE BLACK BOX
PHOTO COURTESY OF HURSH SHAH
PHOTO | APRAMEYA RUPANAGUNTA
ARTS & ENT Real views or reel views? 30 What’s your emoji? 32 GLAM guide 33
SPORTS 16
Two sports, one rhythm 34 Learning a new play 36 A new huddle 38
INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING A
STORY TIP?
Y-GREEN?
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A NEW HUDDLE
PHOTO | JIAYING BATHEN
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LEARNING A NEW PLAY
OCTOBER 2026
03
LET’S HEAR WHAT CLUB OFFICERS HAVE TO SAY...
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WE HAD TO COLLECT EMAILS FROM ALL OF OUR MEMBERS AND MOVE OUR RESOURCES, WHICH WAS A TEDIOUS TASK.
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THE COMMUNICATION POLICY DOESN’T REALLY ALLOW KEEPING SCHOOL AND PERSONAL INFORMATION SEPARATE. MODEL U.N. PRESIDENT SENIOR SHREYA RAO
DECA VP OF MARKETING JUNIOR LAKSHYA GARG
COMMUNICATION CRACKDOWN Newly emphasized policies require clubs to use school-approved communication platforms and stop following students on social media BY GRISHMA JAIN AND AANYA PADHI
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IF CLUB LEADERS WERE IN THIS DISCUSSION, WE COULD HAVE WORKED TO FIND A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE OR HAD MORE TIME TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGE. LA PLUMA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SENIOR LISA FAN
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IT’S BEEN MORE DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE WITH OFFICERS; HOWEVER WE’VE MADE THE BEST OF THE SCHOOL EMAIL. MOCK TRIAL PRESIDENT SENIOR ANOUSHKA SAMPTUR
VOLUME 57
NEWS
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VHS administrators anthe same organizational structure. controversial,” Nguyen said. “So this nounced reinforced club “Discord is a history of our knowl- is a way just to protect our clubs, policies for the 2026-27 edge,” Zhang protect our school year, including stricter require- said. “We can advisers and ments for online communication, easily ask queshopefully adduring its Club Council meeting on tions like ‘Oh, vocate for safe Sept. 2. The policies require clubs to what software social media use school-approved platforms like program did we use.” Minga or Google Chat for all club use two years For MVRT, communication and limit social media ago, three years Zhang says interactions with individual students ago?’ ‘What the restrictions don’t think the club communication could affect the to promote student safety and overwent wrong with sight of school-sponsored activities, it?’ All of those policy will address concerns of team’s outaccording to Assistant Principal answers are re- cyberbullying reach efforts. Anthony Nguyen. Failure to comply corded there, According to a survey of 168 people The team uses with these rules results in indefinite and everyone Instagram to disbandment of the club. has access to it. It’s an open database connect with other robotics teams, Leadership adviser Kenneth Gan for us.” organizations and alumni as part of says that while the communication However, Nguyen says Discord its emphasis on STEM outreach. policy is not new at MVHS this year, it is not district-sponsored, citing the “Instagram is one crucial way we is being enforced as part of a broadChildren’s Internet Protection Act as establish ourselves in the commuer district-wide effort to streamline of- part of the district’s rationale for renity,” Zhang said. “It’s a way that we ficial school communication to keep stricting Discord on student WiFi. He keep in contact with our alumni that it within district-supported platforms, also raises concerns about students we rely on a lot.” including Minga and Gmail. interacting with adult mentors and While many clubs raise concerns “We are working on streamlinalumni. about how the policies could neging and protecting students when it “When the government funds us, atively impact their clubs, Gan says comes to clubs and official school they require all public schools and the policies were developed through communication,” Gan said. “That libraries using specific federal funds discussions among administrators includes telling clubs to use only to block obscene and harmful interand input from other schools. school-approved services and comnet content,” Nguyen said. “Discord, “These policies were discussed munication methods to make sure unfortunately, is one of those things. in collaboration with admin and adthat all club and school communiIt is not district-monitored — we do visers and I solicited input from other cation — whether that be between not pay for it, and we don’t support schools as well,” Gan said. “This is students and students, advisers or it. We want to try our best to protect the work of multiple different groups adults, teachers and students — is all students, advisers and coaches as of people, again, with the goal of in an approved program.” much as possible.” keeping our student body safe.” For clubs that rely on frequent The policies also restrict offiNguyen says the policies are to correspondence, switching platforms cial club accounts from following establish consistent procedures for requires changing how they collabo- individual students, even though school activities and that adminisrate with their teams. Senior and Ro- students are allowed to follow them. trators are not actively monitoring botics Team President Anna Zhang This prevents many clubs from using students’ conversations on approved says MVRT previously used a Discord this strategy to garner attention on platforms. server with more than 100 channels their social media profiles. Nguyen “I want to make sure that we to organize says this restriction build good habits moving forward,” engineerintended to make Nguyen said. “This has been around SCAN FOR MORE isit easier ing, outreach for advisers for a while and I’m here to make sure and operato oversee the club’s that all of our students are safe. It tions groups. social media interacreally is to protect all of our kids.” Zhang says tions. the 130-member team now plans to “We just don’t want to run into a use mass emails and Google Chat, situation where clubs get into trouble but feels neither provides them with following someone that might be
67%
of MVHS students
COVERAGE
NEWS | OCTOBER 2026
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INSIDE THE BLACK BOX The F2 building is set to finish its modernization project in early 2027
BY MIHIRA KANCHERLA AND APRAMEYA RUPANAGUNTA
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VHS’ F2 building, more commonly known as the Black Box, has been under renovation since June of 2025. The Black Box is a space dedicated to the MVHS Drama Department and is typically used for daily class activities and to showcase different drama productions. According to Principal Ben Clausnitzer, the modernization project is expected to be completed in early 2027, potentially allowing MVHS drama students to utilize the space before the academic year ends. Clausnitzer explains that the renovation plans will transform the Black Box into a two-story building with specialized areas for different drama classes, including an upper floor with a separate space for the stagecraft class, a new tech booth and additional equipment. The new Black Box will also include more space for changing rooms, costume design and storage. He also adds that the Black Box will have new, built-in seating, explaining that before the modernization, the Drama Department had to move audience risers into the Black Box for every play. Senior and Advanced Drama Honors student Juju Ling emphasizes the Black Box’s importance to the Drama Department after participating in the program for all four years of high school. According to Ling, the Black Box offers a more compact stage than the auditorium, seating 40 to 50 people.
They explain that most of the Drama and the F1, F3 and F4 buildings, as Department’s main shows take place well as the quad — taking place over in the Black Box, making the space’s the past few years. He also distinabsence especially significant. As a guishes between renovating tradiresult of the construction, the Drama tional academic buildings and spaces Department relocated first-semester reserved for the arts, including productions and regular drama class- theater, explaining that the latter can es to the auditorium and other classrequire additional costs and effort. rooms. According to Drama teacher “Quite frankly, we spend more Arcadia Conrad, the Black Box gives dollars for those more unique spacstudents a space to work on innovaes,” Clausnitzer said. “But there’s that tive set designs and improve acting reality to the uniqueness of those techniques. spaces, and there’s a reality to MVHS “While perand FUHSD forming all the wanting those time in an auditospaces to be real rium is wonderspaces where ful because you students can feel can serve a large IT’S MOSTLY ABOUT proud of and audience, black A SENSE OF HOME. where students boxes really allow can engage in students to push THEY JUST FEEL A the arts in the themselves as de- SENSE OF SAFETY AND way that they signers and percan thrive.” formers because CAMARDERIE THAT Despite shiftthey are working THEY GET TO BE WITH ing classrooms, in a flexible space Conrad believes that allows for a THEIR COMMUNITY. MVHS has been more immersive accommodating MVHS DRAMA TEACHER performance exand supportive in perience,” ConARCADIA CONRAD providing alterrad said. “It’s also native spaces for mostly about a sense of home for the Drama Department. Ling shares our advanced and honor students that the transition to the new rooms because, as they have been here for posed the challenge of sharing space several years, they just feel a sense with band and orchestra, both of of safety and camaraderie that they which also practice in the auditorium. get to be with their community.” Still, as a senior, Ling points out that Clausnitzer adds that revamping the construction and a new space the Black Box is part of a larger semake her last year in drama even ries of modernization efforts at MVHS more special. — with renovations in the academic “It’s definitely been interesting,”
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Ling said. “We left the space thinking, ‘This entire place is getting ruined anyway, so let’s just put paint on the walls and draw cats on the walls and do whatever.’ But to go through all these challenges and changes this year and see something new blossom out of it — I think that’s very cool and beautiful.” As the project’s expected completion date nears in early 2027, both Conrad and Ling are looking forward to having a new space for the department. Conrad explains that a centralized location for the Drama Department will allow her work and the operations behind drama to be cohesive and efficient. She also points out the importance of having updated technology, believing that a renovated space further inspires students’ creativity. “Students are going to get a chance to make their own space,” Conrad said. “They’re going to be able to imagine new possibilities for themselves in their own work, and the overall kind of hyped parasympathetic nervous system action that’s happening right now, just because they don’t feel like they have home, is gonna be relaxed and they will be happy to have that space back.”
PHOTO | ELIZABETH YANG
Drama students pose with former Drama Department lead Hannah Gould with paint on the floors and walls of the old Black Box, added by students during their last production, “Antigone,” in the space.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN CLAUSNITZER
The F2 modernization renderings reveal plans for specialized areas for each Drama section, including for stagecraft and costume design. GRAPHICS | CANVA.COM PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN CLAUSNITZER
Renderings of the renovated F2 building depict the new built-in seating being implemented, as well as layouts of the main stage area.
NEWS | OCTOBER 2026
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SOCIAL SCANDAL New restrictions on Instagram and Facebook due to a multistate lawsuit involving Meta address the impact of social media platforms on young users
ILLUSTRATION | GRISHMA JAIN
BY GRISHMA JAIN AND JOSIAH LIM
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eta — the parent company of For Senior Attorney at Social much these changes will affect teens’ Instagram and Facebook — Media Victims Law Center Laura Mar- behavior. reached a quez-Garrett, the “The two-hour daily time limit, multistate settlefocus on platform I don’t think that will affect many ment on Aug. 26, design is central to people,” Le said. “Most people show ending a major their law firm’s work. themselves as adults who are 18, so lawsuit. The suit INSTAGRAM’S Marquez-Garrett it doesn’t even matter to them. Same involved attorneys A DRUG. THEY says the organizathing for the prompts after 15, 60, general from 47 tion focuses on how 90 minutes — I don’t think anyone’s U.S. states, includ- TALK ABOUT addictive features going to care. They’ll just find it aning California, and KIDS NOT BEING such as notifications noying, to be honest. If you see that, multiple U.S. terriand algorithms you’ll just dismiss it.” tories, with $18 bil- ABLE TO SLEEP AT encourage users to While students like Le queslion in payments. NIGHT AND HOW remain on platforms. tion whether these restrictions will This decision was Marquez-Garrett change their habits, Joshi says the a culmination of THEY’RE THE ONES says the internal settlement does not address what he years of litiga- CAUSING THE company docusees as the central issue: the algotion alleging that ments obtained rithm design itself. Meta’s platforms HARM. BUT THEY through litigation “You can’t just touch on the issue were designed DO IT ANYWAY. have played an imof people spending too much time in ways that kept portant role in those on these platforms if you’re not going SENIOR ATTORNEY AT cases. teens hooked to to affect how the algorithm is engiits platforms, con“In their own neered,” Joshi said. “That is the main SOCIAL MEDIA VICTIMS tributing to mental they root of the issue. That is what proLAW CENTER documents, and physical harm. refer to themselves vokes your dopamine. They’ve just LAURA MARQUEZ-GARRETT The agreeas pushers,” Mar- done something really obsolete after ment puts new quez-Garrett said. this $18 billion lawsuit, where they restrictions on users under 18 on In- “Instagram’s a drug. They talk about can quickly turn around, get profits stagram and Facebook, including a kids not being able to sleep at night while still promoting that they did default two-hour daily limit, overnight and how something to proaccess restrictions, school-hour notifi- they’re the mote safety when cation limits, hidden likes and an op- ones causit really does nothtion for a non-personalized feed. ing the harm. ing at all.” Plaintiffs — including attorneys And they do it Furthermore, general from California, Colorado, anyway. They the multistate Kentucky and New Jersey — argued talk about lawsuit is not the that Meta knew its social media plathow they’re only legal action forms harms teenagers, citing the alpushing kids don’t think time limit taken against gorithms that generate feeds. Sophto groomers. Meta. New Mexico reminders will useful omore Aarush Joshi agrees, saying Accounts that and Florida filed personalized feeds are a routine Meta has iden- According to a survey of 168 people separate lawsuits part of teen social media use, as he tified as peoagainst Meta in spends roughly three to four hours a ple sexually abusing children, and August of this year. For Marquez-Garday on Instagram and YouTube. instead of taking them down, they’re rett, these separate cases show that “I go with whatever my feed is,” sending them kids’ data.” the settlement is only a small part Joshi said. “Overall, it’s enjoyable. Meta has disputed allegations of a larger fight against how social There’s definitely the addictive side that its platforms are responsible media platforms are designed and of it, and I do see that happening to for the harm alleged in the lawsuits, regulated. me quite a lot adding that its new “This is not the end of the fight,” on platforms mandatory safety Marquez-Garrett said. “They’re SCAN FOR MORE features for young like YouTube, still harming kids. They’re going to where I don’t users will help teens keep harming kids. There are a lot feel the want develop healthier of things that still need to be fixed. to actually social media habits. We’ve been fighting this for years, stop and concentrate on work until I However, sophomore Anderson Le and we’re going to fight it for many finish that specific video.” has different expectations for how more years to come.”
59%
of MVHS students
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NEWS | OCTOBER 2026
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BEING LATE The administration institutes a new late arrival policy for the 2026-27 school year
BY MEGHNA DIXIT AND AANYA PADHI “
et to class on time, you lazy jerks,” said U.S. History and AP Government teacher Benjamin Recktenwald. As a teacher who primarily works with seniors, Recktenwald condemns the common excuse he hears for being tardy: “Well, I just can’t get there on time.” “I find it frustrating when kids are like, ‘Traffic was bad,’” Recktenwald said. “Unless you’re brand new to MVHS, you know traffic in this area is terrible every morning — that’s not an excuse. Now, if you say, ‘My cat vomited on my little sister and I had to help her clean up, and then the car had a flat tire,’ that’s an excuse I can live with.” To address chronic lateness, MVHS is adding a monthly protocol to its existing procedures for the 202627 school year. Previously, teachers followed protocols depending on the number of unexcused tardies a student had during the semester. The new policy, implemented across FUHSD, has
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administrators intervene when stu- circumstance,” Dwivedi said. “I would dents accumulate more than 10 unex- find it hard to believe that a student cused tardies in a month. This count who was late because of carelessresets each month: if a student con- ness would be late 20 times in two tinues to exceed months. Maybe a 10 tardies, it may student’s parents result in a site deare constantly out tention, while a for work at that time, third month may WE TRY TO or they don’t have warrant Saturday a ride. If you’re late school, which APPROACH THE that many times, it’s lasts around four CONVERSATION likely, in large part, hours at Fremont out of the student’s BY FIRST High School. control.” Senior So- UNDERSTANDING To combat this ham Dwivedi, issue, Clausnitzer who first heard THE STUDENT says the school emabout the policy EXPERIENCE AND phasizes conversafrom his peers tions with students. earlier this school WHAT’S GOING ON. He explains the year, feels it may PRINCIPAL administration plans inequitably target to help students BEN CLAUSNITZER those with legitiwith extenuating mate reasons for being late. While he circumstances, like unreliable transagrees the policy may motivate stu- portation, before consequences. dents who simply lack initiative to get “We’re trying to take a very to class, he cautions against immedi- reasonable approach here at MVHS,” ate penalization due to other underly- Clausnitzer said. “We try to approach ing factors he feels the administra- the conversation by first undertion should consider. standing the student experience and “The poliwhat’s going on.” cy seems fairly Clausnitzer adds that the policy reasonable, only counts for unexcused absences, but I guess not excused. According to Attenthe only dance Technician Hadiya Key, a tardy way that a can be excused if a student is coming student would from any office with documented be constantly proof. Students who come 30 minlate is if they utes or more late are considered had a pretty truant, according to Key. extenuating Recktenwald says unexcused tardies became an issue during second semester last year, specifically in his 4th period where about 24 of his 32 seniors were tardy. He explains
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ILLUSTRATION | LUCAS LIU
DOESN’T fly that he previously emailed parents policy will help students take acwhen students repeatedly arrived countability, stressing the importance late, which was only effective for a of punctuality in high school espeshort period of time until students cially. started to be tardy again. He explains “At the end of the day, you still that because habithave to get ual tardies are hard up and go to to break, following school, no through with consematter what the quences is crucial. case may be,” YOU THINK YOU “I started sending Key said. “High CAN COME TO emails out to parents school is here to every single day, sayteach you how WORK EVERY DAY ing, ‘This is ridiculous. to be a responLATE? THAT’S NOT You guys need to talk sible adult beto your students, this cause afterward, GONNA FLY. is insane,’” Recktenyou go to work. wald said. “It would ATTENDANCE TECHNICIAN You think you be a mass email to all HADIYA KEY can come into the parents, even the work every day parents with kids who were on time. late? That’s not gonna fly.” I’m like, ‘Have your kids put pressure Recktenwald reaffirms Key’s on the kids who don’t show up to perspective, drawing from his own class on time. This has to stop.’” experience working at a fast food Key agrees with Recktenwald, joint while studying at San Jose State saying that from her experience, “it University. He had received a warndoesn’t be making no sense how ing from his manager for arriving late tardy these kids be.” She hopes this repeatedly, from which he learned
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the importance of punctuality for the first time. “My boss said, ‘If you’re late one more time, you’re fired,’” Recktenwald said. “It wasn’t that big of a deal, but I was using that money to pay for college. It’s a shock when you hear the words, ‘Or you’re fired.’ You get all sweaty and blushing. I remember the look on her face, like, ‘Good, maybe you’ll show up on time.’” While some students may have developed the habit of tardiness, Clausnitzer still emphasizes maintaining equity when assessing each student’s case to foster a welcoming environment for all students, regardless of rationale for lateness. “This is where human beings have to be involved,” Clausnitzer said. “This requires trying to break apart or understand the student experience to see if this is a situation of a student who just needs to get to class on time, or if there is something else that’s interfering that we need to support and treat in a different way.”
SEMESTER POLICY
monthly POLICY
1-2 Tardies: STUDENT-TEACHER DIALOGUE
10+ TARDIES RECORDED. COUNTER RESETS EVERY MONTH
3-6 Tardies: STUDENT-TEACHER DIALOGUE, NOTIFIES PARENTS, MAY BE ASSIGNED CLASSROOM DETENTION
MONTH 1: STUDENT, PARENTGUARDIAN, ADMINISTRATOR CONFERENCE
7 Tardies: PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE
MONTH 2: CONFERENCE, SITE DETENTION MAY BE ASSIGNED
10 Tardies: TEACHER REFERRAL TO ADMINISTRATION, SATURDAY DETENTION MAY BE ASSIGNED
MONTH 3: CONFERENCE, SATURDAY SCHOOL MAY BE ASSIGNED NEWS | OCTOBER 2026
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Treble MAKER MVHS’ jazz band explores their interest in improvisational music
BY LUCAS LIU
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VOLUME 57 he curtain shuffles open as that you have to play — you need crashing symbols and blaring to follow all of the key signatures trumpets reverberate through- and the rhythm,” Jain said. “But for out the stage. Sudimprovisation, you denly, the symdon’t really need phony of sound a set rhythm or becomes a serene anything to follow. silence as all the It’s something you IT’S A FEELING OF well-rehearsed make up. So it rhythm cuts off. GRATIFYING FEAR. really teaches you Then, one at a time, how to think on the YOU’RE HAVING the instruments spot, listening to start to build upon A GREAT TIME your surroundings each other, graduand listening to BECAUSE YOU’RE ally filling the void others.” with jazz. Accord- TAKING ALL THE MVHS senior ing to jazz band and jazz band KNOWLEDGE AND director Hector Tormember Petros res, it is this adven- SKILLS YOU KNOW Mizkyan joined in ture-seeking thrill of as a way to TO SAY SOMETHING 2024 creating something explore his passion new on the spot that ELOQUENTLY IN for improvisation. leads many to pick According to Torres, THE MOMENT.” up a love for jazz. the idea of taking JAZZ BAND DIRECTOR a framework and “It’s a feeling of gratifying fear,” TorHECTOR TORRES expanding upon res said. “So you’re it in a unique way having a great time with a band allowed because you’re taking all the knowlmusicians further creative freedom. edge and skills you know, and trying “I was already interested in imto say something eloquently in the provising because improvisation’s a moment, but again, you are now then big part of a jazz band, like soloing,” speaking your mind freely in front of Mizkyan said. “In my free time, I would a large crowd of people.” always improvise music on the piano. The MVHS Lynbrook jazz band, inSo I just decided to try a jazz band to cluding students from both Lynbrook get to do that on different types of inand MV, has been led by Torres since struments, which I got to do on tromthe 2025 school year. It was originalbone my freshman year and on trumly also planned to happen in 2024 pet my sophomore and junior year.” but was canceled due to a lack of Torres explains that improvisainterest. However, the band has slow- tion gives the musicians the liberty ly been establishing itself as another to create music and lets them use option for music lovers on campus. their music theory and imagination. Unlike classical music, according to According to Mizkyan, improvisation Torres, jazz’s allure is rooted in its also affects the way a band interacts, unique method of playing: improwhich makes teamwork an important visation, the act of making music part of a jazz band. up on the spot. Senior and MVHS “Everyone in the jazz band is Jazz band member Jenine Jain finds trying to connect to bring a piece to improvisation to be her favorite part life,” Mizkyan said. “Every time it’s of jazz. played, the aspect of improvisation “Whenever you learn in music is not the same, so the players have classes, you have a fixed set of music to kind of be on their toes and watch
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FEATURES and listen for what’s going on, which is not as prevalent in different types of bands where there is not as much improvisation.” Torres also believes in the importance of intertwining life into the band. Through analyzing famous jazz musicians and how jazz intertwined with their lives, he hopes to help students also use jazz to teach students lessons on life. “I learned how to have stage presence,” Mizkyan said. “Because to play something interesting you have to be confident — you have to get the audience feeling what you’re feeling. You gotta make sure you project your idea.” Beyond the technical complexities and the history of jazz, Torres says it also gives students an outlet to network with people outside their grade level and meet others who share similar interests. “My favorite part is just hearing what you guys have to say, because I’m still a very young teacher,” Torres said. “I’m 23, but working as much as I do, hearing my students live for the first time every day is very fun, because there are little things that I don’t even think about worrying, or there are things that you guys go through that I don’t understand, and it helps recontextualize my life.”
FEATURES | OCTOBER 2026
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Counseling interns Nou Vang and Hope Takahashi work under mentors to grow BY RADHIKA DHARMAPURIKAR
INTERN
PHOTO | RADHIKA DHARMAPURIKAR
HOPE TAKAHASHI
NOU VANG
ILLUSTRATION | GRACE LIN
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INSIGHTS
he counseling o!ce is alight with laughter — questions and quick replies make their way from door to door as the counseling team works through another school day. The sparkling tinsel lining each door sways with the whirl of students weaving their way in and out of their counselor’s o!ce. However, in the back of the counselors’ building is a new addition: a bright paper sign with a drawn arrow pointing into a room that reads “MS. VANG & MS. TAKAHASHI,” MVHS’ counseling interns. For the 26-27 school year, Nou Vang and Hope Takahashi are counseling interns, working with their
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counselor mentors Belinda Olson and Clay Stiver, respectively. Both assist the counseling team with their everyday tasks, such as working with students, learning in the process by taking notes and listening in on meetings. Vang will be acting as an intern for the school year, while Takahashi will only be in the o!ce for the first semester, having also served on the counseling team last academic year during second semester. For Vang, the path that brought her to MVHS was fairly non-linear. She began her career at Treasure Island Job Corps as a trade school recruiter, before relocating to Santa Clara County to work as a program
adviser — recruiting teachers and administrative staff. Yet, returning to a high school atmosphere was always in the back of Vang’s mind, and her desire to help students pursue higher education is what motivated her to join the Santa Clara County of Education’s program, School Counsel Residency, which is in partnership with UMass Global. Vang is a part of the first cohort, and the program works with different districts and partners their counseling interns with a mentor, whom they then shadow and work with. Currently, Vang is excited by the shadowing opportunity to work under Olson.
“As a resident intern, I just see work with you, not against you.’” “I love how the parents are very what she does,” Vang said. “I sit in her As a part of both of their proinvolved in the child’s education,” student or parent meetings. I also had grams, School Counsel Residency Vang said. “That’s something that I my first meeting with a student yes- and the SJSU program, mentors are unfortunately didn’t have growing terday, so exciting! I have not been in required to have scheduled, sit-down up. From an Asian American backhigh school for over 10 years. So com- conversations with their mentees. ground too, I know that mental health ing back, I feel like I’m right at home. I Throughout these sessions, as well is very hard to talk about. I want to miss the atmosphere of working with as in meetings or presentations, be someone that students still come students.” both Stiver and Olson have noticed just to talk to me, and hopefully I can Conversely, Takahashi’s path- the interns growing into their roles. find them the resources they need, way to becoming a counseling intern Stiver, specifically, notes Takahashi’s academic issues or anything.” looked di!erent, ambition and willTakahashi agrees, highlighting as she grew up in ingness to help in that she opted to work with high the Fremont Union whatever way she school students rather than middle School District and can. school or college students because graduated from IT’S IMPORTANT “She really of their motivation. Similar to Vang, MVHS in 2019. wants to be a part she wants to pursue a career as a Takahashi went FOR THEM TO of things,” Stiver school counselor, and hopes to be through De Anza SEE THERE’S STILL said. “She wants to someone who can help students College’s transfer get involved. She’ll build the train tracks to their dream program and later WARMTH, RAPPORT take a risk with a career. From her own experience at received her bach- AND CARE FOR question or in a MVHS, she remembers seeing her elor’s in PsycholoPLC meeting. She’s classmates end up with careers they gy and Education EACH OTHER not afraid to jump weren’t satisfied with, and aims to Justice and Democ- OUTSIDE OF WORK. in and give feedmitigate that. racy from UC Sanback or say some“I saw quite a few of my friends SCHOOL COUNSELOR thing. This week ta Cruz. Both her ending up in high-salary careers degrees prepared that they didn’t have an interest in,” BELINDA OLSON is kind of her first her for her eventuweek of attackTakahashi said. “I felt like if someal master’s program at San Jose State ing the one-on-one meetings with body was there to help them, they University, where she is currently a students, and she’s asking questions could have chosen an appropriate part of their counseling and guidance that are appropriate and make sense job they really did enjoy. I felt that Mr. program, which requires a minimum for the students she’s meeting with Stiver was the person who helped of 200 hours at an intern site. and the topics they’re discussing.” me through high school to make sure During her time at MVHS, TakaWhile Takahashi has grown up that it was enjoyable.” hashi used the counseling resources in the school district, Vang was born Both Olson and Stiver commend substantially and kept in touch with in Thailand and raised in Stockholm, the interns for their passion. Olson her counselor, Stiver, even after grad- where she was a part of the IB pro- has noticed Vang contributing to uation. With Stiver’s recommendagram that group meetings and tion, she returned as an intern in the gave her the di!erSCAN FOR MORE observed spring of last year and will complete access to ent styles of both the program’s required hours this higher edinterns, from where year in the fall. This semester, she ucation. they sit in the counhas readily embraced the role of a She was a seling office to their school counselor, having meetings first-generation college student and communication with students. Olson with students to go over courses went to San Francisco State Univer- says they feel like a part of the counand letting them know about their sity for her master’s program. She seling family, and feels rewarded by resources. recognizes that MVHS students have all the work they do. “I’m having so much fun,” Takaa certain drive when it comes to their “It’s like having younger siblings,” hashi said. “Really building that education, and admires how parents Olson said. “Our team, we do a lot of connection of saying, ‘Hey, you have are willing to contribute to conversa- caring for each other. It’s important, five adults, plus you have the whole tions about students’ academic suc- especially for a team like this where office sta!. Everybody who is an cess. She also hopes that students we’re so proficient, for them to see adult is here to support you, and they come into the office and discuss that there’s still warmth and care for really don’t want to see you struggle. things beyond academics, such as each other outside of the work.” We want to do everything we can to mental health.
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COVERAGE
FEATURES | OCTOBER 2026
15
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VHS alum ‘25 and freshman at the University of California, Santa Barbara Hursh Shah, CEO of Edviro, pitched his energy management startup to potential investors for 30 minutes. Then he did it again. And again. Each pitch was directed toward a new audience of potential investors. As the clock ticked with every pitch, he grew frustrated and exhausted; nevertheless, he saw the experience as an opportunity to grow through the unique feedback and perspectives of others. Co-founded by Shah and UCSB freshman Tanuj Siripurapu, Edviro is an AI system that helps buildings save money and time by managing their electricity use. It detects broken equipment and helps facilities and data centers operate more sustainably. Before starting Edviro, Shah attended MVHS starting from the middle of sophomore year after transferring from Adlai. E Stevenson High School. He explains the grading system and teacher difficulty were considerably easier at his old school, which made MVHS’s learning environment significantly harsher. “The hardships I faced are also a product of my own mistakes because I had never known how to study before moving here,” Shah said. “To be honest, I’d never studied a day in my life. But coming to MVHS, you can’t not study at all, and so I had to learn that skill.” Despite these initial hardships, Shah adds MVHS motivated him
to become more ambitious while he knew all the answers from the get also fostering his competitive spirit. go, but he wanted to wrestle with the His ambition was further cultivated problem and see how creatively he through clubs and classes such as can come up with solutions.” debate and Interdisciplinary ReUnder Gupta’s mentorship his search and Project Design. Shah senior year, Shah worked with facilicredits IRPD teacher Kavita Gupta ties managers to compile roughly 10 for inspiring him to start working on years’ worth of utility bills from five energy management. FUHSD schools into a public ener“I hadn’t done any formal com- gy dashboard. After graduating from mercial startups and that wasn’t my high school, he began addressing intention necessarily,” Shah said. “As gaps, such as unorganized bills — that I worked more in the space with Ms. lead to inaccurate energy reports, and Gupta, I got more into facilities man- started Edviro with Siripurapu. agement and enSiripurapu ergy management. first met Shah at I saw there’s a lot UCSB’s freshman of opportunity in orientation, where PROBLEMS DON’T these fields.” they discovered Gupta says that STUMP HURSH. I they were both along with Shah’s from the Bay Area. ability to stand out EVEN TEND TO SAY They quickly bondand follow his pas- THAT PROBLEMS ed over shared sion, he thinks outinterests in fields side the box when EXCITE HIM. like philosophy, faced with a chaleconomics, physIRPD TEACHER lenge, regardless ics and coding. He KAVITA GUPTA of the magnitude. explains that Shah She explains that brought the crazy challenges will always occur in life, so ideas while he grounded them. pushing through them without being “What stood out to me was that intimidated is critical for success. he was very interested in learning “He is a creative thinker, an a lot of different things, and being innovator,” Gupta said. “Problems a generalist,” Siripurapu said. “We don’t stump him. I even tend to say would always have interesting conthat problems excite him. His first versations because both of us always answer, generally, is not no. I worked had something new and would never on three big projects with him and all always be stuck on one topic.” three were pretty daunting. It’s easy Shah and Siripurapu were initially for a high schooler to say, ‘I don’t rejected from joining Y Combithink I can do it’ and I’m not sure if nator, a startup accelerator,
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- green?
Shah and co-founder Tanuj Siripurapu discuss their path to acceptance BY SURYANSH GUPTA AND JIAYING BATHEN
16 EL ESTOQUE | OCTOBER 2026
PHOTO COURTSEY OF HURSH SHAH
MVHS alum ‘25 and University of California, Santa Barbara freshman Hursh Shah and UCSB freshman Tanuj Siripurapu present their energy management startup, Edviro, to potential investors, partners and fellow entrepreneurs at Y Combinator.
after disagreeing with a YC partner’s proposed feedback. Nevertheless, the two were persistent in going to office hours and implementing the changes required and received the opportunity to join. Shah says the
experience revealed that coachability is essential alongside firm beliefs in yourself. “We believe that we’re going to succeed no matter what,” Siripurapu said. “So even if we don’t get into Y Combinator, it’s not a big deal. We can succeed some other way, and that’s the thought process that doesn’t let us get stopped by any hardship.” After a company’s acceptance to Y Combinator, it receives a pre-seed investment of $500,000, Siripurapu explains. They then enter a threemonth “batch” period focused on growth, developing products, identifying customers and building sales. “All you should do is build your product, talk to customers, eat, exercise, sleep, repeat. That’s all you should do,” Siripurapu said. “It doesn’t matter if you need to fly across the world to talk to a custom-
GRAPHICS | JIA BATHEN
er. You get on a plane, you treat it like an Uber, you fly to Germany, talk to your customer, and come back and get back to work.” Rather than pursuing internships, Shah spent his time coding for Edviro and figuring out the market space. He viewed the startup as “high-risk” because if it failed he fell behind his peers. However, he believed that taking the risk was necessary to be successful. “I think a startup is about trusting yourself and trusting that you can make the right things happen because there’s no set formula for how you do it,” Shah said. “You have to try to believe in yourself. And if you’re really passionate about the idea, then you’re going to just go for it.”
FEATURES | OCTOBER 2026
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NEW TO CUPERTINO Students reflect on their experiences after recently moving to MVHS BY MAAHI DEV AND JOLENA LAI SANVI UPADHAYAY
When sophomore Sanvi Upadhayay stepped onto MVHS’s campus, it looked more like a college campus than a high school. She had just moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Cupertino due to her family’s work and the area’s reputable education system. The increased academic di!culty had felt both daunting and inviting to her, as she prepared to face the newfound pressures. “At my old school, academics were taken seriously, but probably not as much as it is here,” Upadhayay said. “I’ve heard a lot of stuff about MVHS before coming here, that it’s a rigorous school and there’s going to be a lot of competition. After my first few weeks, I don’t really think there’s a lot of difference, except that people here are challenging themselves continuously.” Upadhayay was pleasantly surprised by the school pride she witnessed at the Welcome Back Rally. She explains that the show of community subverted her expectations of MVHS student life. Seeing the gym filled with excitement made her want to involve herself in clubs and explore other social activities available at school. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to
18 EL ESTOQUE | OCTOBER 2026
fit in and that I’d probably have to change schools,” Upadhayay said. “But in contrast to that, I’ve seen a lot of people continuously helping others. I didn’t think the school would focus on socializing and other events. I thought it was just academic.” Upadhayay says she finds the pressure at MVHS to be beneficial to how she approaches school academically. She explains that she feels
supported by her friends and teachers to challenge herself and catch up to her peers. “Everyone here keeps pushing themselves, like the sky’s the limit,” Upadhayay said. “I’m just trying to be a better version of myself every day at school, at home, with amazing friends and teachers who keep pushing us.”
Sanvi and her friends pose together after the Welcome Back Rally.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SANVI UPADHAYAY
CASSANDRA CHOY
Junior Cassandra Choy turned the handle of the familiar doorknob of her grandparents home in Cupertino, bought 30 years ago. Her family had only recently decided to move, attracted by the Bay’s reputable education system. Despite academic advantages, Choy says she enjoys the freedom to choose comfortable outfits compared to her uniform in Hong Kong, made of material “so thick she could hardly breathe in it.” “Our winter uniform made us look like cockroaches,” Choy said. “Our P.E. uniform was somehow even worse. It was an eyesore, the pants are thick and uncomfortable. There’s no stretch at all, the fabric was too tight. Here at school, I toss on a T-shirt and pants because I can’t be bothered. As long as I’m comfortable, it doesn’t matter.” Beyond the dress code, Choy finds the workload at here to be tolerable, even a relief. Over the last year, she cruised through college classes during an online school program. Before that, she attended a top-ranked school in Hong Kong, packing her schedule with extracurriculars and averaging three hours of sleep, which was self-imposed. Despite less work here, she hears more academic talk. “I do notice that at my old school we weren’t super serious,” Choy said. “We wouldn’t make our whole lives about studying and getting into a good school: we still had fun and everything.
Cassandra and her friends from Hong Kong pose in pictures.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CASSANDRA CHOY
But here, I feel a lot of people would be like ‘Oh my God, my SAT score came out!’ You still know how to have fun, obviously, but I hear the talk about academics a lot more.” Choy finds the students here welcoming, and says it’s easier to open up. She’s so far met friends through her classes and looks forward to meeting more. “I was really introverted in Hong Kong, but I think that’s just because of the atmosphere,” Choy said. “Here I talk a lot and then wonder, ‘How do I manage to talk so much here?’ Since I’ve found people I know, I already kind of feel a sense of belonging.”
CAMBRIA KANNAN
As senior Cambria Kannan scrolled through the breakdown of academics of schools near her family’s new home in Cupertino, her eyes immediately fixated upon an overwhelming concern. Although MVHS was closer and more convenient, she knew its STEM classes drew more interest, and the large emphasis on academics was more intimidating than Homestead High School’s statistics. After 12 years living in Farmington, Connecticut, Kannan moved to San Diego for four months before relocating to Cupertino earlier this year. After her unsuccessful attempt to transfer to HHS, she enrolled at MVHS, wary of academic culture. “It was definitely a shock to me when I went into my calculus class and physics class and they were
ILLUSTRATIONS | GRACE LIN
mostly filled with sophomores,” Kannan said. “That was pretty crazy to me, and I saw how, especially here, all the students are very disciplined and very focused on college.” Though Kannan shares that the academic gap between her other MVHS students initially created feelings of isolation, they faded once Kannan found friends through joining Girls Flag Football. She believes being part of a welcoming team has introduced her to school events and her new social life. Kannan finds her new friendships to be free of unhealthy comparisons. “I thought that the students may be very competitive and maybe toxic,” Kannan said. “I thought they might only be academically focused, and since I might not be at their level, they might turn away from me. But then actually experiencing MVHS and seeing how the students are here, I realized that they mostly separate their academic life from their social life, which is good.” Despite her initial concerns about MVHS’s competitive atmosphere, Kannan acknowledges that the rigorous academic environment also comes with positive flipsides. She notes that the lack of pressure at her old school left her feeling less motivated academically. “I’m glad that I moved here,” Kannan said. “Seeing the standard here, the e!ort that students put in, and seeing my friends do it, it makes me want to do more.” FEATURES | OCTOBER 2026
19
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CURBED COMMUNICATION Restricting social media platforms does not equate eliminating cyberbullying
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VHS’s new enforcement of restrictions on club communication is grounded in an obligation towards student safety. A school responsible for minors has both an ethical duty, and in relevant circumstances, a legal responsibility to protect students from harassment and other forms of misconduct. The execution, however, deserves much reconsideration. Instructions from Leadership Adviser Kenneth Gan stated that official club communication, including exchanges between officers, must occur through platforms such as Google Chat, Gmail or Minga, all district-approved apps that can be monitored. This recent change forced student clubs to relocate from external apps, including Slack and Discord. Instagram accounts may continue to publish posts, but cannot communicate through DMS. Those that continue using unauthorized communication platforms have been warned that doing so may result in disbandment. For many clubs, this transition dismantles systems they had built over several years. In the past, competition clubs with hundreds of members utilized channels on Discord and Slack. Publications used channels to separate drafts, edits and announcements. Leadership teams from clubs were able to conveniently inherit documents accumulated by members who preceded them. Although Google Chat is capable of sending messages, it is far from the organizational equivalent; rather, it is one single active chat. A club should not need dozens of disconnected group chats to imitate a setup it had previously, nor should a student looking for a deadline have to excavate a stream of messages to recover in-
formation. Furthermore, pushing stu- tor periodically, with an established dents to assimilate to a platform they procedure for escalating incidents to are unfamiliar with is ineffective for administrators. Students should know time-sensitive updates. During a field what constitites reportable behavior trip, a message telling 150 students and be fully aware of consequences to meet downstairs in five minutes involved. is only effective if the students see No inconvenience, whether that it within the time. Especially on apps be transferring decades of material students are not adjusted to using or adapting hundreds to 40 Google daily, a system as such is only as ef- Chats, outweighs student safety, but fective as the likelihood that users that is not the comparison at hand. If will actually use it. the district is going to impose policy These troubles on clubs in the name of preventing might be defensible cyberbullying, then the policy should if they produced tandirectly target cyberbullying in a gible improvement in manner that doesn’t compromise student safety. Howanything else. MVHS administrators ever, that may not be need to distinguish the difference the case, which is exactly where the between regulating harmful conduct policy warrants scrutiny. and restricting platforms that offer In the attempts to make student the most functionality. After all, the communication safer, the district mis- end goal is to make these platforms takes the platform for the cause of safer and more transparent, and the such actions. A student intent on ha- current policy that terminates the rassing a classmate does not require locations where cyberbullying could Slack or Discord to do so. Neither potentially occur is not an adequate platform sanctions these behaviors, approach to this problem. so eliminating the SCAN FOR MORE platforms themselves doesn’t remove any interpersonal conflicts or biases. These problematic behaviors, as a result, will just relocate to other social media, making the policy inherently pointless. Allowing every club to choose their communication system will make oversight difficult, and administrators cannot realistically monitor hundreds of group chats on their own. Therefore, each platform should already be required to have an adviser, preservation of all records and clear mechanisms for reporting misconduct. Club advisers should serve as the ILLUSTRATION | FIONA CHEN first layer of supervision and moni-
COVERAGE
OPINION | OCTOBER 2026
21
RECALCULATING READINESS UC faculty and students weigh in on whether the SAT and ACT should make a BY NITIKA KARANDIKAR AND OLIVIA ZHANG
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ment, believing that prep schools and n May of 2020, the University of sions requirements do not provide enough information to accurately tutoring can certainly influence SAT California Board of Regents — a assess students’ readiness, statperformance. 27 member board assigned by the ing: “Over the past five years, we “They’ve had so many kinds of State of California, came to the unanihave seen a widening divergence studies about how if you have more mous decision to go test-blind, meanin mathematical preparation levels money or you live in a more affluent ing that it wouldn’t look at standardwithin the same neighborhood, then you do better on ized tests during classroom. This the SAT,” Yu said. “Just because you the admissions trend indicates have money to take tests and you process. But as that current addon’t have to go work after school, new, concerning missions practices you can actually go and study for it.” statistics emerge, do not provide a Horner-Jones also acknowledgthe UCs have sufficiently reliable es that test scores reflect different started to debate check on mathestudent circumstances, with lower whether or not this matical readiness average scores among lower-income was the right decifor STEM majors’.”” and underrepresented students. For sion. However, MVHS alum and UCLA sophomore A November the letter’s scale Sunny Yao, however, those dispari2025 report from doesn’t necessarily ties do not necessarily make the SAT University of Calreflect a consenuniquely inequitable. ifornia San Diego sus on the role “There’s going to be inequity showed more than of the SAT. UCSD in the college application process, a 20-fold increase MVHS ALUMNI graduate student regardless of whether it’s testing or in freshmen reSUNNY YAO Hart Horner-Jones, not,” Yao said. “Removing standardquiring math rewho had spent the summer surveying ized testing from the application mediation compared to five years ago, signers and non-signers of the letter, process isn’t going to do anything, from 0.5% of the incoming class in found that support for the SAT itself is because I feel like the application 2020 to nearly 12% in 2025. At Uninot actually universal among signatoprocess is already inherently inequiversity of California Berkeley, at least ries. table.” 20% of first-semester Calculus stu“I think a lot of these people who In 2014, the same UCSD report dents who took a diagnostic exam besigned the letter found that a tween fall 2021 and fall 2023 showed don’t hold the quarter of the major preparation deficits. Rising conSAT in very high students placed cerns over math readiness among UC regard,” Hornin remedial students have reignited the debate on er-Jones said. math earned a how universities should measure stu“You’ll find peo4.0 GPA in high dents’ academics, and the role stanple who genuschool math. dardized testing could play. inely think that Yu believes This pressure builds as over getting rid of the 3,000 UC faculty members sign an are in favor of reinstating the SAT that with heavy SAT was the right grade inflation open letter urging the return of stanAccording to KQED decision in 2020 in most high dardized testing, including both SATs and is the better schools, it and ACTs in admissions, specifically decision now. So this letter is partly has become increasingly difficult to for STEM majors. The members inabout reasserting faculty autonomy.” gauge a student’s academic potential cluded seven out of nine math branch UCs initially stopped requiring from their GPA. heads, 73 STEM department chairs standardized testing due to concerns “After they got rid of the stanand five Nobel Laureates. Many of about inequities in access to test dardized testing, having straight A’s these signers had originally opposed preparation. AP Stats and Algebra 2 doesn’t mean anything anymore,” Yu the board’s decision in the first place. Trig teacher Terry Yu shares that sentisaid. “If you don’t have something The letter argued that current admis-
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THERE’S GOING TO BE INEQUALITY IN THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS, WHETHER IT’S TESTING OR NOT.
12%
of UC faculty
22 EL ESTOQUE | OCTOBER 2026
VOLUME 57 standardized, then you’re just going to have to basically take a best guess like, ‘Does this 4.5 mean something, or does that 4.5 mean something?’” With standardized test scores no longer an aspect of the admissions process, a greater weight is placed on transcripts to represent students’ academic preparation. Horner-Jones argues that as GPAs climb, the transcript loses the ability to distinguish applicants from one another. “GPAs have increased, which means that they compress, because they can only get so high,” Horner-Jones said. “At some point the grades get so high, that they just all push up to the top end and become the same grade, and so potentially there’s a loss of information.” Yao believes that having standardized testing is necessary in order to provide an objective point of comparison. He is among those who are concerned about math readiness in universities, especially within his peers, since he can see the effects around campus. “Because of the sheer number of applicants that the UC system receives every year, I don’t think it’s feasible that everything can be fact-checked,” Yao said. “So having standardized testing be a part of the application is good, just to have an objective thing that you can look at to quantify something.” While a GPA can provide one aspect of student performance, Yao’s argument brings in the question of whether it is enough on its own. A 2023 College Board study of more than 220,000 first-year students at 171 four-year institutions found that SAT scores meaningfully predict more than a high school GPA alone can, especially in STEM majors. For those majors specifically, combining SAT scores with a high school GPA improved predictions of first-year GPAs by 38% over using the GPA alone. Still, a standardized measure can provide additional information without
OPINION capturing everything that determines a student’s ability to succeed. Although junior Akshatha Arunkumar took the SAT, she doesn’t think that they’re enough to profile a student. “What the SAT measures doesn’t represent a student’s ability overall,” Arunkumar said. “Doing well in the SAT doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll succeed in college or succeed in life. So I think when colleges look at your extracurriculars, letters of recommendation or awards, that’s a much better factor.” Although standardized testing may provide admissions officers with another common point of comparison among students, Horner-Jones believes that no single metric can capture everything that determines a student’s potential. “Nothing can predict the future,” Horner-Jones said. “Potential isn’t a thing that’s observable. It’s something that doesn’t exist — it exists in the future. There’s no way to measure a student’s potential. The future is basically unknowable, especially in a rapidly changing world, especially for a kid whose brain is still growing.”
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | OLIVIA ZHANG
OPINION | OCTOBER 2026
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WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA? Concerns over political bias in the classroom overlook students’ ability to evaluate differing viewpoints and form opinions of their own
BY SHREEJAY ARJA AND LEO (ZIQIAN) WANG
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lollowing President Donald “A lot of the time people may use Trump’s win in the 2016 election, derogatory terms when addressing AP Macroeconomics and Govthese situations, and that’s a big ernment teacher Pete Pelkey said a aspect of why people feel uncomstudent in his government class befortable,” Hyder said. “Other times, gan wearing a MAGA hat to school. people may feel guilty for homophoOver the course of a week, Pelkey bia or racism because they’ve been says the student tauntingly pointed at racist before. But I think this feeling it repeatedly, but they were only met of discomfort, or being uncomfortwith indifference. able, is a result of either experiencing “Am I MAGA?” Pelkey said. “No. racism or being the racist.” Do I care that he To Hyder, doesn’t believe what how comfortI believe? No. After a able students week, the hat disapfeel during peared. He was try- NO PARTY HAS A discussions ing to incite me to get can also be mad at him, but I didn’t MONOPOLY ON impacted by care because he’s en- GOOD IDEAS AND their previous titled to be MAGA.” experiences in For Pelkey, stu- THAT’S WHY WE the classroom. dents’ self-expres- HAVE POLITICAL She described sion doesn’t require how her middle confrontation, but in DEBATES. school teachother classrooms,AP GOVERNMENT TEACHER er’s attitude varying attitudes from PETE PELKEY on politics has teachers and students negatively imalike raise concerns about whether pacted her learning experience students can openly share opinions “The only time my learning that conflict with the community’s was impacted by teachers’ political dominant view. A Pew Research Cen- opinions was in seventh grade when ter study found 21% of U.S. teens felt I had a very discriminatory teacher,” uncomfortable discussing racism and Hyder said. “I didn’t want to go to racial inequality, and 33% of students her class because she clearly felt similarly when discussing gender wasn’t open to people being and sexual orientation in classrooms. of different ethnicities or A 2021 study by Paula McAvoy religions or just having and Gregory McAvoy found that the different political views. way teachers structure classroom It’s really important discussions on political events also that when teachers affects how comfortable students feel express their views, about sharing their opinions. Sophothey also need to be more Jenna Hyder believes students’ open and not say discomfort may stem from their guilt anything harmful of previously being homophobic or to their sturacist. dents.”
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24 EL ESTOQUE | OCTOBER 2026
Concerns over how teachers’ political viewpoints shape the classroom aren’t limited to students. In fact, another Pew Research Center study found that about half of U.S. adults believe the country’s public K-12 education system is going in the wrong direction, and among those, more than half argue that teachers bringing their political and social views to the classroom is a major contributor. Freshman Literature and Honors American Literature teacher Derek Lu argues that one would be “hard-pressed” to find a teacher who can remain completely neutral, and such concerns underestimate students’ ability to form their own opinions. “Those are all parts of my identity that can’t really be left at the door when I enter the classroom, and so the way I approach a text, the way I engage
ILLUSTRATION | OLIVIA ZHANG
with students are all shaped by my they actually believe for themselves. upbringing, my identities, and it’s “If students haven’t thought going to be different for each teachabout political opinions, once they er,” Lu said. “I teach high schoolers — reach the voting age, they might you’re all 14 and up, so you have the just inherit their parents’ view, which brain cells and the capacity to take may just pass on infinitely without what I’m saying and engage with them ever rethinking whether that’s it offline on your own time through what they actually believe in,” Mulky various sources, and then form your said. “Having political discussions in own opinion.” school allows students to be able to Sophomore Hruday Mulky agrees search for thoughts themselves so with Hyder that political discussions they can choose a view that fits best.” can have a positive impact by helpHowever, according to Mulky, ing students start students havdeveloping their ing their own own perspectives discussions at a young age. doesn’t mean He describes every political how, when these conversation discussions do is appropriate. happen, both He cautions sides continue to that discussion feel somewhat or very uncomfortable elaborate their can result in discussing topics related to sexual views, and the coercion when orientation or gender in class, according teacher generstudents are to Pew Research Center ally doesn’t get pressured tooffended or try According to a survey of 1,453 people ward a predeto diminish the termined conother person’s opinion. These dis- clusion rather than being presented cussions can expose students to a with different perspectives. wider range of political views, which “I would want the freedom in turn helps them question inherited to write about what I actually rebeliefs from family and decide what searched and what I believe in,” Mulky said. “If a teacher ever had that particular biased view, it would be naturally difficult to put that aside while reading a paper. It is one of the harder parts of being a teacher, really, to remove all bias that you could have ever possibly had.” While Mulky believes the teachers’ biases are difficult to eliminate, Pelkey approaches this issue by openly acknowledging his bias to the class. He emphasizes that acknowledging biases not only introduces students to more perspectives but also allows students to recognize that no single viewpoint is flawless. “One of the first things I do is I tell them I’m a PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | OLIVIA ZHANG libertarian
33%
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and I give them a reading that tells them that I’m full of caca and that libertarians are stupid,” Pelkey said. “In economics, I always say there’s a market basket of ideas and most of those ideas are bad. No party has a monopoly on good ideas, and that’s why we have political debates. Maybe we come up with a few good ideas that are going to last in society and that’s how we advance.” For Lu, he believes political topics belong in the classroom when they contribute to a student’s understanding of real-world issues. He also says discussions of controversial issues require a strong foundation, such as building classroom norms, so students can learn to respectfully disagree with ideas and not people. Lu believes students need the opportunity to examine controversial issues before they can fully understand them. “These past five years have really been a boiling point over so many ‘controversial issues,’” Lu said. “Everything from books about racism and slavery to books about queer history and queer characters being banned in states all across the country. It’s really the work of activist teachers and librarians who are holding the line, saying, ‘This is not a political issue. This is about humanity. It’s about empathy. It’s about raising the next generation of students who are equipped with viewpoints that reflect the diversity of America.’”
OPINION | OCTOBER 2026
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POISONING THE WELL Students need to reconsider their prior assumptions about teachers BY JONAH CHANG AND ALEXANDRA PERRAULT
ILLUSTRATION | ALEXANDRA PERRAULT AND OLIVIA ZHANG
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very February, students careful- from negativity bias; sentiment analon word-of-mouth observations — ly plan and select their courses ysis, which measures the frequency does not reliably assess difficulty, for the upcoming school year, of negative words such as “angry” since students have not yet engaged considering their unique schedule and “confusing,” revealed far more with their teachers or their class demands and preferred course rigor pessimism on RMP than on an actual policies. while optimizing for their future goals. school campus. All of these factors negatively Word-of-mouth plays a large role in Likewise, students can exaggeraffect students’ ability to engage with schedule decisions for students, with ate word-of-mouth rumors, and they teachers, something that is especially those who have previously taken should not be treated as definitive. crucial in high school. When students courses commenting on course qual- Popular comments such as “the tests avoid approaching supposedly strict ity — including how are easy” teachers for help, this skill goes much homework is are entirely underdeveloped. An unwillingness given and how hard subjective. to engage creates a poorer relationtests are. One freThe claim ship between students and teachers, quently mentioned that a class reinforcing a negative individual factor is teachers: is “boring” experience in the class while constudents deliberate is likely tinually perpetuating untrustworthy over who might teach not univerdiscourse. certain courses in sal; some While thinking critically about the coming year and frequently hear about teacher’s students rumors, noticing patterns and using who was most chal- teaching styles from their friends prefer lecthem to prepare can help students, lenging in the past. According to a survey of 168 people tures over problems arise when they hyperBecause this reading and fixate on community opinion over informal discourse is so common, note-taking, and others may be more trusting their own judgment. Rather students often enter classes with pre- genuinely interested in a certain than basing expectations of course conceived opinions on the teacher, subject. difficulty on a teacher’s reputation, ranging from positive descriptors — This issue is amplified when students should focus on factors understanding, lenient, “Easy A” — to students begin to factor these judg- within their control, including preparnegative descriptors including harsh, ments into their schedule building. In ing for course material and allocating strict and variations of “GPA killer.” a survey of MVHS 168 students, 87% time for studying, along with summer Knowing a teacher’s personal reported frequently hearing about preparation or visiting teachers’ tutostyle isn’t inherently bad. Students teachers from other students; an ad- rial hours during the school year. should plan their time and come ditional 50% of Ultimately, prepared for rigorous coursework, students recall students have and teachers often play a role in this. participating in different learning However, the problem stems from conversations styles and preferoverweighing a teacher’s impact about teachers ences that shape and making assumptions rather than themselves. their experiences planning for the actual difficulty. This Beyond avoidwith teachers. creates a perception bias that ultiing certain Students need to mately limits students’ flexibility and courses in early reconsider how willingness to approach class with an schedule build- often participate in conversations preconceived open mind. ing, students about teacher’s teaching styles notions about Reputations that students peroften drop or teachers shape According to a survey of 168 people ceive and spread often aren’t enchange classtheir attitudes tirely accurate, and false rumors can es to evade certain teachers, which and separate those ideas from other spread easily. Websites such as “Rate counselors attempt to limit by deny- factors to build a school community my teacher” and “Rate my professor” ing such course change requests. that emphasizes individual judgments play a major role: students often turn Preconceived notions about and experiences. to these peer-resource sites to set teachers also give students unnecexpectations. However, review posts essary stress about classes before are completely anonymous, allowing they begin. While students may feel anyone to share unverifiable critinervous about advanced courses becism. Research from the Journal of cause of larger workloads and more Higher Education Theory and Praccomplex topics, factoring teachers tice has shown that these sites suffer into this equation — especially based
87%
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OPINION | OCTOBER 2026
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TALKING MY WAY OUT How overcoming my fear of social interaction pushed me out of my shell BY EMMA MA
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ometimes, all it takes is a room full of strangers to make me 13 again, clinging to my mom at an ice cream social for Tech Trek, my upcoming summer camp. I’d always envied my mom’s natural extroversion, the way she thrived in social situations. Meanwhile, I looked on helplessly, all attempts at conversation dying in my throat. Even when someone asked me a question, trying to draw me in, the words that tumbled out were rushed and incoherent. I never used to be scared of social interaction. I spent every recess of third grade rattling on about all my interests to my teacher because I didn’t know what it meant to be awkward yet. The unspoken norms for conversations — when to speak, how much to say, when to stop — were distant and irrelevant in my 9-year-old mind. But the older I got, the more daunting it became to strike up conversations, especially with adults. While everyone else seemed to inherently understand social nuances I was missing, I became more conscious of the way I spoke, all flailing limbs, awkward smiles and rambling overexplanations. Small talk, in particular, was the worst. It became my least favorite type of conversation, an apparently meaningless exchange that left me desperately fishing for words after the initial “How are you?” For years, I
blamed it all on my innate introversion, feeling content and safe in my self-assigned role as a follower. That didn’t change until this summer, when I returned to Tech Trek as a counselor, only to find myself back in the social settings that had given me anxiety. In the class I was assigned to, an adult volunteer and I were the only non-campers besides the teacher, sitting idly in the back. The first day of class, I fought an internal battle over whether to start a conversation. I desperately wanted to talk to her, because volunteers like her always seemed to have a wealth of experiences to share. Besides, I’d always loved to get to know people. I just had to get over the initial hurdle. Still, I hesitated. I had no idea how to approach her, but I told myself to treat her like a peer. Years of making friends in school had made me less anxious around people my age. Only people I felt the need to impress intimidated me. What would I say to her if she was just another camper? The next day, I worked up the courage to talk to her about the activity we were doing in class, even as my words stumbled over one another clumsily. Initially, the conversation was what I expected, mundane and stilted, and I was already ready to
retreat to the guaranteed safety of silence. But I forced myself to stay engaged, and to my surprised relief, the small talk that I once viewed as a polite necessity gradually opened up into an authentic exchange. Over the next five days, I learned more about her than I could have imagined — it turned out that she’d been part of the first graduating class of MVHS. I would have missed this meaningful connection entirely if I hadn’t struck up a conversation. NOTHING I may nevTO FEAR er be the most natural at social interaction, but at camp, I finally recognized that I could get over my fear of it. Over the years, I had unconsciously picked up subtleties and mannerisms. It got easier every time, especially as I learned to think and pause before I spoke. It turns out that even social butterflies like my mom weren’t born that way. I spent so long treating conversational ability as something that you either lacked or possessed, when in reality, you could train it like any other skill. Though it took me longer to get there, my growing comfort with it has helped me gain insights and discover opportunities that I never would have otherwise. Even now, I feel a shadow of those familiar nerves in my stomach when I initiate a conversation. But they’re no longer crippling, and because of this newfound ease, my words come more naturally too. That self-conscious 13-year-old who was too scared to say a word at a social event would be proud. ILLUSTR
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EMMA M
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GRAPHICS | OPENMOJI LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA 4.0
CONFIRM ALL
What began as 11 friends became 1,292 ‘friends’ BY LEO (ZIQIAN) WANG
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even of the 12 of us made it to our third reunion at Windy Hill in Portola Valley this August. At the trailhead, they questioned if I knew the 1,000+ people who follow me on Instagram. “Maybe half,” I guessed. “Challenge me.” Eyes closed, they picked four names and asked me to say just one true thing about each person. I got zero. Two summers ago, I graduated from a private middle school with only 12 students in my grade. Because it was so small, our main friendships were with each other. Only two months had passed since graduation when we called for our first “reunion.” Soon, our paths would diverge again: 12 students to 11 schools, some out of state. As we overstayed our first reunion and it was time to go, three of my friends suggested we get Instagram. “No pressure, you don’t need to get it if you don’t already use it,” they said. But they were all I had. Opening Instagram, I was shocked by how little I knew about my friends’ daily lives. Viral dances. Books they were obsessed with. Fanart sketches. Beach days. Locking in at the library. For months, I was extremely particular about who was following me. I started with three followers. After seven months, I accumulated 25 followers I truly wanted to stay in touch with after school, while my friends had 200+, leaving me conflicted over what defines my self-worth: the follower count everyone can see or the quality of friendship only I care about. One afternoon after literature class, I was walking to the lunch line
when one of my groupmates waved and asked me to confirm their follow request. I spontaneously replied, “Yes, of course,” before I had the chance to process it carefully through my usual criteria. That weekend, I convinced myself that one day we might be friends, that I simply forgot some people, or that they would be sad if I ghosted their request. I knew I made up every reason on the spot. The reality is that I wanted the follower count to look comparable to my friends’ so they wouldn’t perceive me as antisocial or as an unapBY proachable outDEFAULT sider. I made an “instagreement” with myself. To tap “Manage,” “Select All,” then “Confirm” all the following requests, or what I mentally simplify as “Confirm All,” I decided to never post anything, and that my growing follower count would do me no harm. As I keep widening my follower count, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep track of who were real friends and who was just a
tenuous “connection” to boost my self-worth. Three, 25, 1,292. All 1,292 followers sat in the circle, but the number couldn’t tell my closest friends from someone I had met once, or from my summer camp classmate’s business competition partners. Instagram compressed us into snapshots: museums, beaches, ice creams and smiling faces. On our hike, I knew the unsettling things happening at their school, the tests they stressed over that turned out alright, the inside jokes no one else understood and the melancholy we shared whenever another reunion had to end. Along the way, 11 friends I came to Instagram to keep close with disappeared into a crowd of 1,292 people I barely knew. I won’t remove anyone who follows me currently, but I’m done letting the number grow just because accepting every request feels “respectful” and validates my self-worth. “Confirm All” never builds any real connection, instead it only makes the connection I value harder to find.
ILLUSTRATION | LEO (ZIQIAN) WANG
OPINION | OCTOBER 2026
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change the quotation pica
s w e i V l Rea Or
? s w e i V l Ree The popularization of hiking on social media has transformed the hiking experience BY RYAN BAO AND EVA HUANG
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iking has officially become America’s most popular outdoor recreation activity. Over the summer, Yosemite National Park reached a staggering 2.59 million visitors, an almost 10% increase from the previous year. Similarly, as of May 2026, Yellowstone National Park recorded 773,653 recreational visits, a 19% increase from 2021. This sudden surge in popularity largely stems from the rapid rise of hiking content on social media platforms. Short-form media has allowed creators to deliver curated clips of scenic viewpoints to a broader audience, ushering in a new generation of hiking enthusiasts. Popular hiking trails such as Diamond Head in Hawaii have always been exceptionally crowded, drawing over one million visitors per year. In response to this surge in popularity, Diamond Head added a reservation system, reducing daily visitors from 6,000 to just 3,000. Large crowds detract from the enjoyment of hiking, according to math teacher Melinda Gaul, who has been hiking since childhood. “Even at Diamond Head, I decided not to go all the way to the top because there were a lot of people,”
Gaul said. “To me, hiking is supposed In recent months, issues of to be about connecting with nature trail etiquette in Yosemite National and not with people. So if it gets that Park have made headlines. These crowded, I just won’t go.” incidents occurred when hikers left Overcrowding leads to poor trail stickers and used toilet paper along etiquette, which causes issues such some of Yosemite’s most popular as littering and accidents on trails. trails. These events sparked public Sophomore Oliver Perrault, who outrage and have prompted park ofregularly hikes ficials to issue urgent with his family pleas to the public and has hiked to respect Leave No the Presidential Trace ethics. In order Traverse trail in to mitigate harm to New Hampshire’s HIKING IS SUPPOSED the environment and White Mountains, TO BE ABOUT ensure the safety of noticed that large the public, Gaul engroups on trails CONNECTING WITH courages people to can lead to lapses NATURE AND NOT educate themselves in trail etiquette. on proper trail eti“I’ve seen WITH PEOPLE. SO quette beforehand. a lot of rowdy IF IT GETS THAT “There’s some groups come hiking etiquette, through when I’m CROWDED, I JUST such as how you hiking, and that WON’T GO.” need to say passing ruins the immeron your left, wait until MATH TEACHER the person acknowlsion in nature,” MELINDA GAUL edges, and then let Perrault said. “You might have them stop if they a group of teenage boys that’ll come need to,” Gaul said. “People need to through, and they’ll be really loud. It’s stop and let the person go by, espedisrupting nature and the environ- cially when there’s this many people.” ment.” Although social media has
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brought crowds, some believe it can “I think hiking is really just about also play a positive role. Social me- enjoying nature,” Zhao said. “Nowadia platforms have made hiking more days everybody is on their screens all visible to teenagers, the time, and introducing many to it’s really easy hiking who otherwise to get caught would not have disup watching covered the interest. your phone Gaul notes that the and then have community-build12 hours pass. ing aspect of social So going hiking media can benefit believe less crowded national is important individuals, especial- parks create a more rewarding because you ly beginners. Social experience get to be out in media networks such nature and see According to a survey conducted by Intrepid Travel as Facebook hiking the greenery groups create communities by facil- and other things that you don’t get to itating the exchange of information see at home.” about trails. Gaul notes that hiking Although social media-driven with others, especially those with ex- enthusiasm for hiking can bring probperience, contributes to both safety lems, these can be limited by followand enjoyment. ing hiking etiquette and implement“It’d be great if you could go with ing park regulations on crowd sizes. at least one other person or even a group of people who are interested in hiking,” Gaul said. “It’s always nice if you know someone who’s been hiking for a while. I would encourage people to get out there and always try shorter trails first, as well as taking a look at the description of the trails ahead of time.” Another benefit of the social media-fueled rise in hiking is that it has encouraged many teenagers to get out in nature. These days, immersion in electronic devices is linked to According to the San Francisco Chronicle numerous negative effects. Spending time in nature directly counteracts these adverse psychological and behavioral effects. Sophomore Chloe Zhao enjoys hiking as a way to peacefully connect with nature. According to the Harvard Review of Psychiatry, doing so encourages mindfulness, a practice that is becoming increasingly rare in modern society. While a major motivation for hiking is physical exercise, it also improves one’s state of mind, as exposure to nature leads to relaxation and a sense of well-being.
65% of Americans
Social media sites that host hiking communities encourage individuals to practice mindful behavior on trails. These online communities help foster an optimal environment for teenage hikers to take the first step. “You don’t have to do anything crazy to start,” Perrault said. “Legitimately, you could just put on some shoes and start walking in the back. We live in a really good area with all kinds of environments. If you want to go in the forest and see the redwoods, you could go to the redwoods. Or if you just want to go out back and take a walk, you can go and take a walk. You really don’t need anything special.”
3,000+ regional hiking trails in the Bay Area
GRAPHICS | ALEXANDRA QIU
ARTS & ENT | OCTOBER 2026
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WHAT’S YOUR EMOJI?
Staff and students describe their personal connections to their most-used emojis BY SANA KARKHANIS AND ANGELA POON
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he New York Times recently released statistics on global emoji usage in 2025. El Estoque aimed to learn what the most popular emojis among the MVHS population are.
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ANIRUD SAINARAYANAN When the Face with Bags Under Eyes Emoji was released in 2024, senior Anirud Sainarayanan was immediately fond of its expression, using it to convey exhaustion or disappointment. Another emoji Sainarayanan uses is the Grinning Face Emoji to express happiness, because he believes it reflects his own cheerful personality. Additionally, he finds it easy to use in multiple contexts. “The smiley face was one of the first emojis that showed up on iMessages,” Sainarayanan said. “So, for example, when people would wish me Happy Birthday, I would need
an emoji to quickly use. I would just click the smiley one, and then it just became a staple.” Sainarayanan’s hears from his friends that he overuses emojis, but believes he doesn’t use them conventionally. He explains that although he occasionally follows Gen Z trends, he still picks different emojis depending on the situation. “Sometimes people use the peace symbol and the laughing emoji when they think something’s sarcastically funny,” Sainarayanan said. “So when those trends came along, I participated, but I wasn’t a really avid user of those emojis.”
MV’S TOP 3 EMOJIS:
33% of MV 12% of MV 9% of MV
According to a survey of 152 people JESSICA KAUFMAN Literature teacher Jessica GRAPHICS | OPENMOJI GRAPHICS LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA 4.0 Kaufman taps open a text with her mom, typing a joke before adding the Face with Rolling Eyes emoji. Since Kaufman said. “My mother-in-law she uses a lot of sarcastic humor, communicates witWh emojis — she Kaufman finds herself using this emo- loves them. So she just puts a string ji often, since she believes sarcasm is of them together, and then I have to difficult to understand via texting. go home and ask my husband what “I do think emojis are key to un- his mom meant.” derstanding tone SCAN FOR MORE JOSIE GAN in text because tone is the bigSince the gest misunderbeginning of standing with freshman year, text that we have,” Kaufman said. sophomore Josie Gan has particular“If I ever think there’s going to be ly enjoyed using the Cat with Tears something misunderstood poten- of Joy Emoji because its unserious tially in my text, I throw in whatever nature can relieve possible tension in appropriate emoji needs to go there a conversation. While Gan uses the to make sure my tone is understood.” emoji sparingly, she still sees emoji Kaufman believes emojis can usage as important to modern lanadd new value to texts, but finds guage because it helps set the tone that older and younger generafor conversations. tions tend to use emojis differ“It expresses more than just ently. However, Kaufman notes words in a text,” Gan said. “For examthat her mother-in-law, an avid ple, when you text something, it can emoji user, is an exception. be taken out of context or be taken “I also think that using emojis differently without the use of emojis.” is somewhat of a personal thing,”
COVERAGE
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GLAM GUIDE
Students and staff share how makeup products shape their confidence
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BY AVNIKA CHOUDHURY AND ALEXANDRA QIU LAKSHMI KANJIRAKKAI UNNI Junior Lakshmi Kanjirakkai Unni purchased the Shiseido Eyelash Curler after seeing positive reviews praising its design online. While Kanjirakkai Unni speaks to the lash curler’s impact on her mood, stating that “a good lash day is a good day overall.” She notes that while she got into cosmetics partly due to social pressure, others may have different reasons for using makeup.
“A lot of people use makeup to cover up insecurities,” Kanjirakkai Unni said. “But then also just to express themselves, so I think that it’s important to know that you know makeup can be used for cosmetic reasons and just because you want to have fun, and it’s not mutually exclusive. People shouldn’t be made fun of for wanting to use makeup or anything like that, especially when you’re young and impressionable.”
ELVA TANG
MELISSA CLARK
Senior Elva Tang uses the NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer Pot, her first makeup item, in order to cover up acne scars. She purchased the product after hearing positive reviews on social media regarding its high-coverage and non-comedogenic formula, meaning it is designed not to clog pores. As someone who does her makeup often, Tang feels dependent on her routine at times. “I think makeup allows people to feel more confident about themselves, and pretty privilege is definitely a thing,” Tang said. “I notice a considerable difference when I wear makeup versus when I’m not wearing makeup, and how people treat me. On the other hand, if you start wearing makeup, I feel like you can’t stop wearing makeup anymore because people will notice the difference and then they’ll treat you differently based on whether you’re wearing makeup or not.”
FM EL After being introduced to PH IS SA the bareMinerals BAREPRO 24HR Skin Perfecting Powder Foundation by her sister, English teacher Melissa Clark uses the powder foundation for its smooth finish and long lasting effect, stating that it “glides on well.” To Clark, makeup is about enhancing existing facial features rather than covering up insecurities. “Once you’re completely done putting on your makeup, just seeing how your face looks and just seeing that transformation feels really great,” Clark said. “It’s less about using these products to make your face or your body look a certain way, but feeling proud or happy about the reflection you see in the mirror and being like, ‘Wow, I look so nice with makeup today.’”
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H R E N Y O , THM S T SPOR Sopho m playing ore Summer C golf an d danc ui juggles ing
BY SHANIA AMJADI AND NYLAH GEHANI
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fter a full school day, sophomore Summer Cui jets off to a two-hour-long MVHS Golf Team practice. After golf practice, she heads home to eat briefly. With no time to waste, Cui heads to her competitive dance studio, where she pours every last ounce of energy into ballet, jazz and hip hop routines.
34 EL ESTOQUE | OCTOBER 2026
Finally, at around 9:45, she arrives home and completes homework for the next day. Introduced to the sport by her father, Cui has been playing golf since she was in sixth grade – around three years after she started competitively dancing. Between the two sports, Cui does not have time to participate on the school team for both — with dance being a year-round and demanding time commitment. This is her second year participating on the MVHS Varsity Girls Golf Team while simultaneously competing in dance outside of school. Cui explains that it can be a battle against time to fit everything into one day. According to Cui, every minute she procrastinates is a minute of lost sleep. Despite the work load, sophomore and golf teammate Adriana Chen notes that she never fails to show up as a teammate and athlete. “Summer is a fantastic teammate,” Chen said, “Whenever she comes to practice, she’s really enthusiastic and she’s great to talk to. And I think, given the amount of time she spends on sports, she always has a really great attitude when it comes to golf. Overall, it’s just really fun to play golf with her.” Cui says that her teammates are a big reason why she loves playing sports so much. She believes the amount of time spent on dance and golf would be much more mentally draining without her teammates. Specifically for dance, Cui explains that she has forged bonds deeper
VOLUME 57 improving her score felt good, Cui says she’s simply focused on doing her best. Cui believes if she gives it everything she has, that’s a win in itself. “Last year we went to CCS and further, which was good bonding,” Cui said. “Just practicing before and asking each other how the match went afterward was fun. We were all just trying our best as a team. That trip was a fun memory.” Gan explains that Cui’s energy is carried throughout practices and matches, even their opponents from Mountain View High School requested to play against Cui in a recent match. “Even though they weren’t necessarily matched appropriately for skill level, one of the girls really wanted to play against her,” Gan said. “That is really a testament to who Summer is. She has a bright and fun personality, not only for our team but also the opposing teams as well.” Although being more competitive, Cui has always felt connected to dance, which is why she views it as a hobby. Meanwhile golf began as something her father told her to do. Cui emphasizes that her father’s encouragement guided her to gradually love the sport and find golf as something she could connect with alongside dance. “I’m someone who’s not very expressive with my words,” Cui said. “But whenever I dance, I feel I can express myself in my own form. Even if it’s a competitive dance, I can always interpret the dance at my own level so I can express myself.”
IllUSTRATIONS | ERIN LIU
than just forced proximity on the stage. “Our connection started during rehearsals,” Cui said. “Then we got to know each other better, since we were spending so much time together. Eventually we started hanging out more and went on short trips. We went to Santa Cruz this year, purely for fun, and that was really nice.” While golf and dance are distinct sports, Cui sees some commonality in the mindset she brings to both. Cui says golf relies more on an overall team score based on individual players’ scores, while dance can be influenced by judges’ preferences for individuals and the whole team overall. Yet, both require athletes to approach their sport with confidence and a positive perspective. Cui explains that she begins to notice differences between the two when dance is in peak season, often finding it more competitive and taxing than golf. According to the Girls Golf Varsity Coach Ken Gan, regardless of the pressure she feels while competing in both sports, Cui maintains an optimistic attitude. “She understands both the competitive side of golf, but also the mental side of golf,” Gan said, “Her ability to really work through any potential problems on the course is something that she’s been working on, and staying positive and forgetting the bad shots, moving forward.” Although Cui did not enjoy golf at first, her fondness for it gradually grew. Cui says that when she started, she wasn’t as good, but as she made progress and got better scores, she felt more accomplished. Yet, though
SPORTS
SPORTS | OCTOBER 2026
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LEARNING A NEW PLAY
After losing 18 seniors, the Matadors work to build the football program and have the most amount of freshmen on the team in 25 years BY NYLAH GEHANI AND HELENA POON
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ver the course of 10 football seasons, Head Football Coach Ceazar Agront has witnessed every moment of the Matadors’ journey. From concussions to ACL tears, Agront has seen many athletes avoid the sport out of concern that it may hinder their ability to excel academically or cause further health problems in their future. Ending the 2025 season with 18 seniors on a 28-player roster heightened Agront’s concerns. The Matadors already had an unusually small number of players, and the loss of upperclassmen, according to Agront, would leave the team inexperienced. Despite these challenges, Agront
wants to keep building the program and show the community what being a Matador on the football team means to him. “Monta Vista has grown on me, and I want to continue to help out the community here,” Agront said. “Last year was supposed to be my last year. But the numbers were still dying, and so they asked us to stay and help out. So I said yeah, but we gotta do it differently.” The Matadors are competing as a hybrid team this season – alternating between JV and varsity games – primarily because they lack enough play-
PHOTO | NYLAH GEHANI
ers with sufficient experience to field a full, permanent varsity roster while staying out of an official league. Additionally, they built a schedule with four games this season, only two being at home. Agront explains that instead of just focusing on winning, he strives to make the team feel like a place of belonging for all athletes this season. He also plans to develop the skills of its underclassmen. Senior and quarterback Shreyas Rajalingari, who has played football all four years at MVHS, has always viewed the team as a close-knit community, which is one reason he has continued returning to the program. “I joined football because my
The Matadors take a knee for junior and running back Aaryan Saha, who suffered a series of cramps during the start of the third quarter of their senior night game against Lynbrook High School.
36 EL ESTOQUE | OCTOBER 2026
PHOTO | JIAYING BATHEN
SENIORS
JUNIORS
NUMBER OF PLAYERS IN EACH GRADE
SOPHOMORES
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or not. The age gap between the rest of the players and me also made it harder to connect.” Rajalingari sees this new mindset of belonging and balance allowing the freshman to feel more welcome, rather than a pressure to be the best on the team. He believes this will be a rebuilding year that will result in a stronger team for the future. Rajalingari hopes this new approach will encourage the younger players to stay on the team and enjoy both the community and the game. “The season has taught me that commitment is a very important part of anything you do,” Rajalingari said. “If you’re not committed, then you won’t perform your best or be incentivized to perform your best. This team has shown me that I shouldn’t shy away from things just because they get hard. I have to stay committed, especially when it’s something you love, and this team is unlike anything that you will do here at MVHS.”
FRESHMEN
friends got me into it,” Rajalingari outside during freshman orientation said. “It gives you a sense of family in order to recruit some people there. that you don’t really get in any other That really helped because we actuway at this school. Especially since ally got over 15 guys from that alone.” football is a very intense sport, you With the influx of younger really bond together with your teamplayers, Agront believes the team mates. That’s a really unique experidynamic has shifted, noticing that the ence for me.” upperclassmen Senior and forhave realized the mer varsity middle necessity of the linebacker Ethan Lin younger players. agrees, emphasizPreviously, acIT GIVES YOU A ing the sport’s incording to Agront, tensity. Lin says he SENSE OF FAMILY there was a hiand his teammates erarchy because THAT YOU DON’T would often wake the upperclassup the morning after REALLY GET IN ANY men had more exa game with bruises than the OTHER WAY AT THIS perience all over their bodunderclassmen. ies. Although Lin SCHOOL. Now, in contrast says he eventually to the pecking SENIOR order that he has got used to it, a maSHREYAS RAJALINGARI witnessed since jor injury led him to step away from the he played high team after his sophomore year. school football, Agront sees the team “I suffered a pretty serious con- understands it has to work together cussion, where I blacked out in my to become stronger. freshman year,” Lin said. “There was al“These older guys are going to ways a concern with health, especial- instill in the culture that it’s not about ly surrounding my cognitive abilities. the win or loss — it’s about taking Sophomore year, I didn’t feel my skills care of the person next to you,” were being best utilized on the team. Agront said. “Be the person to teach Also, especially if I suffered a second him. If he needs something, you have concussion, it would really affect me that mentality to give him the shirt exponentially. It didn’t seem worth it.” off your back. The older ones show With the lack of players, Agront them how to do it. And we all do it and the rest of the team have been together.” working on outreach efforts to recruit According to Lin, the team culfreshmen and new players who can ture two years ago was very different help build more foundational skills. from what it is now. Lin said that During Link Crew’s freshman orien- during his sophomore year, while tation, Agront spoke about how the playing on varsity, he was lucky to team is centered on balance and be- even have a locker in the varsity longing. He believes his speech reso- locker room – and even then, it was nated with the Class of 2030, who he in the very corner of the room since says form the largest freshman group he was the only underclassman at on the football team in 25 years, the time. When they had team dinbringing the total player count up to ners, he could only get food after the 50 including the returning athletes. As upperclassmen had already served a seasoned team member, Rajalingari themselves. took part in the recruiting process. “I often found myself competing “The upperclassmen did a rewith the upperclassmen,” Lin said. ally good job of recruiting younger “That competition prevented the players,” Rajalingari said. “That really ability for the brotherhood to really showed some resilience from us. We form. I always felt like I had to guard set up some booths across the gym my position, whether I was starting
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37
Flag football debuts new JV team for the 2026-27 season BY ZAID NAQVI AND ALICE TIE
T
hree years ago, MVHS inaugurated the first girls’ flag football team in FUHSD. Now, with new players picking up the sport, the squad is entering a new chapter with the debut of its first junior varsity team for the 2026-27 season. Varsity captain and sophomore Rishika Kothari joined the program as a freshman after playing the sport in elementary school. Since then, she has seen interest in flag football grow not only at MVHS, but throughout the district as well. “Even from last year to this year, there are way more people on the team and more schools in the district are gaining flag football teams,” Kothari said. “I definitely see the numbers increasing in the future, especially at MVHS where we’ve seen a pretty big spike. People are starting to gain more interest.” Kothari believes that the addition of the JV team will help address persistent challenges from last season. With fewer players competing
38 EL ESTOQUE | OCTOBER 2026
for spots on the roster, players will spend less time on the sidelines and gain more experience on the field. Furthermore, she explains that dividing the roster into two teams based on skill level allows players to receive exposure to similar competitive levels and an environment that provides more attention to individuals. “We sort of had a JV team with
a few players, but they didn’t play many games because no other teams in the league had a JV team,” Kothari said. “This meant we had most players on one team, which made it really hard for them to develop their skills when they’re not playing. Now that we have a well-established JV team, every player on both teams can have the opportunity to learn how the
Varsity and JV pose together after a 40-0 win. Photo courtesy of Nylah Gehani
game works, and they can develop even more.” Head Coach David Sciplin, who Kothari remembers leads both varsity and JV, notes that that she was initially scared of the additional playing time is espe- her first season on the team because cially crucial for players entering the it was a new experience, especially program with limited experience. being with older and developed However, he explains that coaches players. Over time, she grew must first begin with teaching the fun- increasingly poised and began damentals of the sport and then work to more frequently express her their way up to harder concepts as the opinion and thoughts on what to season progresses. Sciplin notes that improve and her knowledge about without prior knowledge, players may the game before being named struggle to grasp the game early on, captain. For new JV players, she underpreparing them for scrimmages offers the same advice: to make their and games. presence felt. “Most girls “The biggest that play flag footlesson I learned is ball for the first just to be confident time have never even if you make caught or held a WHY SHOULD WE a mistake,” Kothari football before,” said. “Forget it and Sciplin said. “We TREAT THE GIRLS go to the next play. have to teach the ANY DIFFERENTLY? Be a goldfish. That’s basics — like how something I think to catch, how to is really important HEAD COACH because they have throw, how to run DAVID SCIPLIN such bad memories. certain plays — and make sure So you should forget they understand the terminology. If about it and move on to the next you don’t understand the basics, you play.” can’t excel at the advanced aspects Sciplin says the school’s athletic of flag football. For example, we have department continues to work hard a basic set of plays that we run, but to expand the program by advertising I may say certain words like audible a variety of sports to eighth graders where the play changes, so you have and other athletes at MVHS. Sciplin to understand the terminology.” finds that equal opportunity plays Although varsity and JV compete a huge role in forming support for as separate teams, the two groups the sport and hopes that Girl’s Flag continue to practice alongside each Football will continue to garner attenother. Sciplin says this setup gives tion and shape the future for all high younger or less experienced players school sports. a way to learn from returning team “I hear from parents that they members, allowing the program to wish they would have had flag footbe collaborative. Sophomore and JV ball as a program in schools when captain Jade Trevizo agrees with Scitheir children were younger,” Sciplin plin, highlighting how close connecsaid. ”It just allows girls to be comtion brings the two teams together, petitive the same way the boys are. like a family. Why should we treat the girls any “Varsity always cheers for JV, and differently? Give them the same kind in the same way, the JV team always of sports opportunity that the boys cheers for varsity,” Trevizo said. “It’s have, and they love it.” a very good way to build long-lasting relationships because then you get to really know everyone as a person beyond flag football.”
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SPORTS | OCTOBER 2026
39
CROSSWORD
BY RADHIKA DHARMAPURIKAR
ACROSS
1 PIN requester 4 “Yeah, right!” 8 “__ Killer” (pg. 26-27) 11 When doubled, a dance 12 Latin wings 13 Philip of “Kung Fu” 14 Stick-to-it-iveness 16 Sign of August 17 HHS Publication 18 Vampire’s curfew 19 National negotiator: abbr. 20 Alien-seeking org. 22 Country album? 24 Do some research 28 Court worker, for short 30 Prestigious Atlanta university 31 Nick Miller’s silent friend on “New Girl” 33 Fictional half-ogre humanoid race 34 Company that reached multistate settlement (pg. 8-9) 37 Deposit o!shore, maybe 39 Actress de Armas 40 Largest food delivery company in the U.S. 41 Rave music genre 42 French weapon 43 “Good” in Japanese 44 Opposite of NNW 45 “Star Wars” princess 46 Private American aerospace company: abbr.
DOWN
1 Substituted for 2 HBO Max medical drama set in Pennsylvania 3 Unit of a legion 4 South American rodent 5 Somersaults 6 Who introduced Cui to golf (pg. 34-35) 7 Mystery writer Josephine 8 Fancy party 9 “That was close!”
10 Auth. unknown 15 City that Upadhayay moved from (pg. 18-19) 18 ___ Head hiking trail (pg. 30-31) 21 Golf peg 23 Frat. counterpart 25 Summertime 26 Encourages 27 Like a costly victory 29 In abundance 32 Tennis star Osaka 34 Fannie ___ (securities) 35 Wraps up 36 Get under control 38 Waste product in urine 40 Indian lentil dish
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