Volume 53, Issue 5, April 14, 2023

elESTOQUE

APRIL 2023

34 AND THE OSCAR GOES TO ...

Examining how international films are becoming more popular in America

VOLUME 53

ISSUE 5

21840 McClellan Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014 elestoque.org

mv.el.estoque@gmail.com

elESTOQUE LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Editors-in-Chief:

Krish Dev, Anna Jerolimov

Managing Editors:

Melody Cui, Gauri Manoj, Kripa Mayureshwar, Mira Wagner

Design Editors:

Mikaylah Du, Sophia Ma

Graphics Editor: Sonia Verma

Copy Editors:

Minjae Kang, April Wang, Brandon Xu

Website Editors:

Yash Thapiyal, Vincent Zhao

Visuals Editor: Aditya Shukla

News Editors:

Lauren Chuu, Mihir Vishwarupe, Lillian Wang, Angela Zhang

Feature Editors:

Taryn Lam, Aashna Patel, Irene Tang, Stephanie Zhang

Opinion Editors:

Meggie Chen, Tvisha Gupta, Sarah Liu, Jisha Rajala

Entertainment Editors:

Nameek Chowdhury, Avni Gandhi, Jiya Singh, Aashi Venkat

Sports Editors:

Crystal Cheng, Kathryn Foo, Kalyani

Puthenpurayil, Michelle Zheng

Staff Writers:

Chiran Arumugam, Anika Bhandarkar, Samika

Bhatkar, Ananya Chaudhary, Sagnik Nag

Chowdhury, Jason Chu, Abha Dash, Arjun Dhruv, Lily Jiang, Pranati Kotamraju, Manas Kottakota, Jami Lim, Sameer Maheshwari, Megha Mummaneni, Riya Murthy, Aidan Ruan, Trisha Sannappanavar, Dahlia Schilling, Darpan Singh, Alan Tai, Eshika Tiwari, Alyssa Yang, Alex Zhang, Eric Zhou

Adviser:

Julia Satterthwaite, MJE

Mission Statement:

El Estoque will accurately inform our community through well-researched, unbiased and in-depth accounts of the student body and staff, news and developments and taboo topics prevalent in and near MVHS. Investigating various voices and credible perspectives, we hope to foster active discussion, effect positive change and spread awareness of timely, relevant content. As a trustworthy and reliable source of information, we strive to be accountable, adaptable and ready to correct and address our mistakes. Constantly striving for improvement, we will uphold integrity and ethics to be respectful and empathetic to our sources and our readers. We will exercise our press freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment and California Ed Code 48907 while maintaining a community passionate about our work and journalism as a whole.

With our time as editors-in-chief of El Estoque coming to a close, we’ve been reflecting on what the last three years of student journalism have taught us. We’ve discovered the value of sitting down and connecting with sources, face-toface. We’ve learned how to come together and collaborate to create exemplary work, and how to provide both compliments and criticism in a way that upholds our publication’s standards of excellence. And, most importantly, we’ve come to understand the extent of the immense power that we hold as journalists: the power to use our platform to effect positive change.

In our last cycle as editors, we decided, fittingly, to focus our Features package on a topic that is especially relevant to the MVHS community: immigration. In Cupertino, where immigrants compose a majority of our population, the experience of being an immigrant is inextricably tied to the identities of people in our community. We heard from those who’ve had to adapt as high schoolers in a new country, those who sacrificed stable lives to pursue the American Dream and those who were significantly affected by stringent immigration policies. Our choice to cover the nuances of immigration encapsulates the most important lesson we’ve learned as journalists: that we are uniquely positioned to illuminate people’s stories, and that specifically, we have the responsibility of amplifying the authentic voices of people in our community.

To fulfill this duty, we immerse ourselves in the lives and experiences of others through thorough interviewing, researching and reporting. We are driven by a desire to make a difference, and by giving people a platform to share their experiences, we are able to invoke change by embracing what characterizes humanity — empathy. We believe in the power of journalism to showcase the richness of the human experience, and we strive to do justice to each person whose story we are entrusted to tell.

Soon, we will hand over the reins to a new team of dedicated, talented and passionate editors who we are confident will uphold El Estoque’s legacy and pave the path for future reporters to continue informing the MVHS community for decades to come. Although it’s bittersweet that our time as editors-in-chief has come to an end, we are beyond grateful to have had this privilege and opportunity to serve our community. Truly — it’s been an honor.

PHOTO BY SOMEONE | USED WITH PERMISSION

PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

PHOTO | MICHELLE ZHENG

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

TAKE OUR MARCH NEWS QUIZ

Test your knowledge of key events last month

BY KRISH DEV AND LILLIAN WANG

Culture 1

Which activity was hosted by Japanese Honor Society on the first day of Culture Week?

FUHSD 2

What incident led to early releases at all five FUHSD schools on March 14?

Capitol 6

Which Republican politician was called upon to testify for the Jan. 6 investigation?

5

Game

Who was the leading Republican candidate during the California recall election?

Students and staff played what sport against each other on Thursday, March 23?

7

Event

Who was the leading Republican candidate during the California recall election?

The City of Cupertino hosted which event featuring the Parks and Recreation team?

Project 8

A meeting was held for what city project at the Cupertino Community Hall?

Oil 3

What is the name of the Alaska oil drilling project approved by the Biden administration?

France 4

What is Emmanuel Macron’s proposed new retirement age in France?

10

Open Mic

Which club held an Open Mic event with Vertigo, Lynbrook High School’s literary magazine?

Sports 9

What sport had its senior night against Santa Clara High School on March 23?

Who was the leading Republican candidate during the California recall election?

Oigami;

Power outage; 3) Willow; 4) 64;

Soccer; 6) Mike Pence; 7) Summer Jobs Fair; 8) Vallco Parkway Project; 9) Track; 10) La Pluma

BY TRISHA SANNAPPANAVAR AND VINCENT ZHAO

The Student Life Commission tackles inactive clubs by creating consequences, allowing new clubs to be created. According to junior Aya Abdelrahman, Student Life has been working towards a policy to encourage clubs to submit meeting minutes regularly after recognizing that many scheduled meetings were not occurring

“Submitting your meeting minutes is required,” Abdelrahman said. “So we wanted to [figure] out a way [to put a stop to it] and have a consequence for those who haven’t submitted without totally disbanding them right away.”

47%

of MVHS students

think there should be more club regulation.

“We talked to all the advisors of the clubs who haven’t submitted any [minutes] and asked them, ‘What’s going on? Has your club been meeting?’” Abdelrahman said. “We sent out emails to some of those clubs [letting them know that they] haven’t submitted any meeting minutes all year, and if you don’t submit [the] next one you’re gone.” Advisor of WiSTEM Club and Biology teacher Lora Lerner said through an email that the initial policy could have effectively eliminated inactive clubs, although she does not believe clubs should be required to have a certain number of members.

that club size should not be a factor in determining which clubs to disband. She believes it is helpful that Student Life is making more of an effort to make sure that current clubs are meeting regularly.

“If Student Life is concerned that certain clubs are inactive, they should be actively emailing these clubs and also making sure they stay on top of it, including maybe a strike system,” Burji said. “Keeping advisors involved [could also] help encourage clubs to take more of an initiative.”

Despite the rejection of their proposed policy, Abdelrahman says Student Life will continue to use the simplified version while discussing other potential solutions with clubs and their advisors.

The proposed policy would put clubs on probation when they fail to complete meeting minutes for two consecutive meetings or gain two strikes. The club would be emailed a contract by Student Life to be signed by the end of the month, acknowledging that if they failed to meet at least twice with a minimum of 10 members present and submit minutes for each meeting, it would be disbanded.

The proposal was rejected by leadership due to disagreements over its execution, not all members were able to commit time to check up on club meetings during lunch. Abdelrahman says Student Life has followed through, by more strictly enforcing the guidelines in the Club Rulebook to accomplish the goals of the proposed policy.

“WiSTEM has a small membership [and] only occasionally are there [over 10] members at a meeting, but I think that they have worked to create a community for those members,” Lerner said. “Some students are intimidated or just not interested in the very large clubs where their experience might be more impersonal.”

Astronomy Club President and sophomore Aarna Burji agrees with Lerner’s sentiment

“[Clubs] should be self-regulating,” Abdelrahman said. “[Our policy] is just a happy medium to [warn them] about having to submit [their] meeting minutes without fully disbanding all the clubs that would have been

*According to a survey of (148) people

PHOTO | MICHELLE ZHENG

STAYING IN THE LOOP

rincipal Ben Clausnitzer released a statement on March 2 informing the MVHS community about a student’s use of the N-word and the negative impact of hateful language. The email is one example of how Clausnitzer continuously informs students, parents and sta as part of a school-wide shift toward transparency.

MVHS is currently in year two of a six-year action plan with provisions aimed at increasing communication between administrators and the school community. This plan involves conducting student and parent surveys, sharing resources for mindfulness and posting School Site Council and PTSA meeting minutes on the school website. Outside of the plan, weekly emails and incident notifications are also continuously sent out to the school community.

Assistant Principal Nico Flores highlights the importance of staying

transparent about important events, especially incidents on campus. He believes that sharing this information along with workshops and antiracism resources encourages greater proactiveness from the community to address harmful behavior.

“We’ve discovered that the best way to [share information] is twofold,” Flores said. “If it deals with students, connecting with them [and] having that transparent conversation about what’s happening at school [regarding] the consequences [is important]. But the bigger level is to make sure that the [whole] community knows [what’s happening]. If we can bring awareness to what’s happening, especially if it’s something that’s inappropriate, the hope is that the families start to talk about action.”

To ensure the school administration is notified of incidents on campus, MVHS has implemented a form on its

website to report them. Flores says that custodians are also on the lookout for incidents — obtaining information about reported events is ultimately a community e ort. He acknowledges that while communicating knowledge of these occurrences leaves out names due to protections around student privacy, communicating the situation and the school’s stance sends a message that certain behaviors are not tolerated.

College and Career Advisor Rogelio Calderon agrees with this sentiment, saying that a culture of transparency at MVHS fosters a positive community and that Clausnitzer’s approach to incidents stands out from those of other schools he has been at.

“[Clausnitzer] gets that information out to the folks in our community relatively quickly, and I think that’s something that I haven’t seen previously [at other] sites,” Calderon

said. “Situations [like the N-word incident] and that dialogue [are] uncomfortable conversations. When we can get that out in a timely manner, with resources [too], I appreciate that.”

Similarly, MVHS has also made strides to collect input and ensure that school goals, as well as responses to incidents, are transparent and in line with community feedback.

In February, Clausnitzer hosted in-person reflection sessions to discuss school goals openly with the MVHS community and receive feedback. He believes that collecting student input and staying transparent about the school’s actions is crucial to making improvements in the school.

“We’re not trying to hide anything,” Clausnitzer said. “We’re looking to be responsive, and in [the N-word] situation, when we think about education, oftentimes we say it in the context of ‘your voice is important to us,’ but it’s also important that you feel yourself seen both in the classroom and outside the classroom here at Monta Vista. It would be really powerful for us as a school to collect that kind of information from our students [and] use the data to turn around and improve.”

The impacts of regular communication unrelated to incidents also contribute to fostering a positive school environment. Calderon says that there has been clear messaging to sta around issues like declining enrollment, and communication with Clausnitzer is accessible to sta . Moreover, Calderon also notes that Clausnitzer’s “MV Good News” notifications, which highlight the accomplishments of the school community, have been a part of the

shift toward transparency.

“I know our principal [is] transparent to talk if there’s any pertaining issues, and it doesn’t have to [always] be negative,” Calderon said. “It could be anything positive, [like] our Girls Basketball team and our [other] sports [teams] having a phenomenal season. Things like commemorating student achievements really promote transparency.” With various types of information constantly communicated, Flores believes being able to be transparent with the entire community allows the administration to communicate news clearly — from students and parents to the administration and teachers.

“If we’re going to make a school successful, we have to partner together,” Flores said. “[And] that comes with really clear and

transparent communication whether [that’s] students [or] administrators, community members, teachers or whoever [else] it is, we’ll be better served and in a better place to serve.”

As MVHS continues to follow its sixyear action plan and take other steps to increase transparency, Clausnitzer recognizes that MVHS still has room for improvement, such as in educating students about unacceptable speech and supporting disadvantaged students. Ultimately, Clausnitzer believes that clear communication within the community is an important step toward continuous improvement in transparency.

“We should recognize we’re not perfect,” Clausnitzer said. “But we should also recognize [that] our goal is to get better in di erent places. I think that honesty and transparency allows us to have an honest conversation. Monta Vista is an incredible, wonderful place. In the context of continuous improvement, [it] all starts with honesty and transparency.”

Clausnitzer in his o ce working on tasks and sending out emails.

a new language, a new world

새로운 언어 ,新世

Examining initiatives in place at MVHS to help English Language learners

BY MELODY CUI AND ANGELA ZHANG

Freshman Subin Ko moved from Korea to Cupertino in December of 2022. After taking an English placement exam, he was classified as an English Language Learner and enrolled in English Language Development 2, Sheltered Literature and Writing and Sheltered Biology at MVHS.

“I think the hardest part is the language because they are all using English but I don’t know many words because I am still [learning] English,” Ko said. “So I have

difficulty when, for example, we do a project [and] I have to search [up] the [definitions of] words. It takes two times [as long] as other [students].”

In MVHS, 31% of students do not speak English as their native language. Among these, 31 students will be enrolled in ELD 2 or ELD 3 next year. ELD teacher

Ellie Brown has been altering her curriculum to address this achievement gap based on feedback and discussion with other ELD teachers.

comfortable and adapt to this environment of the city,” Ko said.

Most of these sheltered classes correspond to the freshman and sophomore year curriculum since they are usually taken in tandem with the two ELD classes, and students typically move up to general classes and leave ELD in their junior and senior year.

31% of MVHS students

do not speak English as their native language

*According to a survey of 154 people

MVHS offers ELD 2 and ELD 3, which follow a curriculum Brown and other ELD teachers from around the district curate when they meet each semester. Students usually pair their ELD course with sheltered classes — structured classes that focus around a specific subject such as history or biology, but are taught at a slower pace and with appropriate scaffolds that help students learn the same materials as a student in a general class — as a part of their core studies. For the 2023-24 school year, 14 students enrolled in Biology Sheltered and 24 students enrolled in Literature and Writing Sheltered, which are two of the 11 sheltered courses offered at MVHS.

“Sheltered classes really help me to be really, really

Brown has seen her ELD students face struggles ranging from trying to adapt to English to adjusting to living in a new country. One pressing challenge for Brown is ensuring that her students are receiving the necessary support they need in all their classes to succeed, as they have to learn new subjects while both juggling a new language and dealing with MVHS’s competitive academic environment.

Senior Nicole Ni, who moved to the United States from Hong Kong in seventh grade, moved out of sheltered and ELD classes during junior year.

“If [ELD students] want to be academically more competitive, they have to work a lot harder to study English and also writing,” Ni said. It was a little bit challenging for me [to transition out of ELD]. Teachers give

lectures at a different pace so it was hard for me to adjust to AP programs.”

Brown has been working to remedy the achievement gap by working with other ELD teachers as well as future teachers of ELL students. For instance, teachers are notified when their student is classified as an ELL but has moved out of ELD.

Brown believes that teachers who teach former ELD students can accommodate them by implementing scaffolds such as sentence frames to help them “kickstart their ideas so they can better access the content or express themselves clearly” and front-load materials such as difficult but essential vocabulary to give them more time to prepare.

Junior Lemon Liu believes that not only teachers but also students play an important role in supporting ELD students, as while teachers can provide academic support, other students can provide empathy. Although Liu was never an ELD student at MVHS, her experience moving to the United States in middle school allowed her to empathize with current ELD students.

When she joined the Interdisciplinary Research and Project Design elective at MVHS, Liu decided to host a pre-course selection event for ELD students to help them adjust to MVHS’s academic environment after ELD and sheltered classes. During this event, Liu went over different course pathways ELD students can take, provided resources for time management and invited seniors who already went through the ELD program to give advice.

“I think it was really well

received considering that a lot more people showed up than I expected,” Liu said. “I was pretty happy that even after the event, people reached out to me on Instagram to personally thank me [about] how helpful it was for them.”

Apart from academics, both Ni and Ko mentioned that one of the most significant challenges they faced was adapting to the new social environment and making friends with English native speakers.

“In the first two years [of high school], 90% of my friends were also kids who didn’t speak English,” Ni said. “I didn’t really have the nerve to talk to [English] native speakers because we [were] not in the same classes. My friends and I realized that a lot of us don’t really have a broad social sphere, which means that our socializing with other students was limited.”

In order to create a community for international students, Ni and her friends revived the Global Friendship Club in the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, after the club’s disbandment during the COVID-19 pandemic. In GFC, students such as Ko have the opportunity to socialize, discuss current events and watch presentations on how to excel academically.

“When you don’t speak a language and when you don’t know some people, it’s really hard to focus on anything,” Ni said. “[I hope] this club gives more exposure to [ELD

students], a minority of [the school], and also to have our school to be more united.”

Expanding on the community formed through GFC, Brown describes the overall ELD community as very close-knit and resilient.

“I feel like my ELD students in general really band together and they have a close sense of community in my ELD classes,” Brown said. “I also know that my students want to move through ELD, because moving out of ELD means that they have successfully mastered some more English, and I see that determination not only in my ELD class, but in their other classes as well. They want to do well.”

ELD TEACHER ELLIE BROWN

“I FEEL LIKE MY ELD STUDENTS IN GENERAL REALLY BAND TOGETHER AND HAVE A CLOSE SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

High School Planning & College Admissions Counseling

Summer Plans & Extracurricular Activities: Prioritize and stand out on your college apps!

High School & College Admissions Planning: Covering entire academic profile for grade 8 - 12

Admissions Insight for Rising Seniors: College Tours, College List Building, College Essays, Scholarships, CommonApp, Waitlist & Appeals

ACT July Boot Camp: July 10 - July 21 (10 days)

Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm

SAT July Boot Camp: July 17 - July 28 (10 days)

Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

PHOTO | AASHNA PATEL

PHOTO | KALYANI PUTHENPURAYIL

PHOTO | LAUREN CHUU

IDENTITY BILL DEPORTATION CONTROL

FOREIGNER ECONOMY ABIDING FOREIGN

ISSUES GREEN CARD

ETHNIC INTERNATIONAL

NATURALIZATION OVERSEAS BUBBLE AMNESTY

ILLEGAL ALIEN BEYOND BORDERS ILLEGAL

PROSPERITY GREENCARD MINORITIES

BORDERS BEYOND BORDERS SIGN ISSUE

CITIZENSHIP CONSERVATIVES CONGRESS

VISA OFFICER ENFORCEMENT IMMIGRATE

LIVE LAWS VOTERS JOB PROBLEM WORK

GANGS DEPORTATIONS SKY EMIGRATION

AMERICA NEW TRANSPORTATION HOMELAND

OVERHAUL POLICY HELP FENCE SETTLE CARE

PEOPLE HUMANITARIAN MULTICULTURALISM

GOVERNMENT JOBS REFUGEE NATIONAL

SECURITY IMMIGRATION HEARINGS CHILDREN

THE STORIES OF IMMIGRANTS IN THE MVHS COMMUNITY

ENTRY SECURITY UNDOCUMENTED CUSTOMS

BY CHIRAN ARUMUGAM, KRISH DEV, ANNA JEROLIMOV, DARPAN SINGH, IRENE TANG, ALYSSA YANG AND STEPHANIE ZHANG

SERIOUS CLANGUAGE ILLEGAL ALIEN IMMIGRANT

DEPARTMENT CARD

PASSPORT REFORM

MAKING AMERICA HOME

Exploring how high school immigrants adapt to the United States

BY KRISH DEV

In the summer of 1988, school-based therapist Akiko Chung flew halfway around the world from Japan to go to high school in the U.S. Armed only with her student visa and a limited understanding of English, Chung had to adapt to a new country without parental guidance. Over the next three years, she moved between private schools in California, Oklahoma and Tennessee, all while trying to make sense of a culture that was entirely new to her. Despite the many cultural and linguistic barriers she faced, Chung believes she succeeded because of the support from those around her.

“I didn’t speak any English [and] I learned by coming here and being in an immersion classroom,” Chung said. “I met amazing friends who were very patient with my English and who really

helped me with my education. So on the flip side, because of my lack of skill, there was a lot of support I got.”

Like Chung, freshman Minsi Zong moved to the U.S. by herself in 2022. After arriving at SFO from Shanghai, Zong met up with her mom and went to Las Vegas, where she found it difficult to make friends due to a lack of Chinese students and cultural differences. Moving to Cupertino at the start of 2023 has been a welcome change for Zong, who says it feels more like home.

To combat his boredom, De La Torre has become involved in the MVHS community by joining clubs such as the Spanish Honor Society and Basketball Club, attending ELD events and joining the Track and Field team.

14%

were born outside the U.S.

“In Las Vegas, I feel like I can’t fit in with the majority of people there — less than 10% are Asian — and so I didn’t have a lot of friends,” Zong said. “But when I moved to Cupertino, I felt like it was really like China because some people spoke Chinese and students cared more about studies. I think that was nice.”

*According to a survey of 153 people

Senior Valentino De La Torre, who moved to Cupertino from Zacatecas, Mexico last year, agrees with Zong, finding MVHS to be welcoming but extremely focused on academics, subverting his expectations of attending high school in the U.S.

“I was thinking that [attending] Monta Vista was going to be everything fun,” De La Torre said. “I thought there would be a lot of parties and [that it would be] crazier than in Mexico, but it is not. In my personal experience, living here is a little bit more boring because [MVHS students] focus on school or work.”

Although De La Torre says he has not yet formed strong connections in every activity he has tried, he appreciates the welcoming environment of MVHS. Throughout his time at MVHS, De La Torre says he made new friends and now spends less time on FaceTime calls with his old friends in Zacatecas. When Chung moved in the late 80s, FaceTime was not an option — in fact, the only way she could communicate with family and friends in Japan was through letters, each taking one week to deliver. Acknowledging that she felt homesick and often cried when reminiscing about home, Chung says she went to others for help — something she recommends to anyone feeling out of place.

“Don’t be afraid to seek out support,” Chung said. “I mean, [asking for help] got me through my journey here, and I think people are often afraid to seek help. I want them to know that it’s OK and everybody’s here to help them to get through anything.”

of MVHS students

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

THROUGH GENERATIONS

Exploring how community members’ cultural identities have changed over generations

BY ALYSSA YANG AND STEPHANIE ZHANG

Junior Danica Novotny doesn’t expect anyone to look at her and think that her family immigrated from outside the United States. Still, Novotny — a thirdgeneration immigrant — believes that her heritage has greatly shaped who she is. Novotny’s maternal grandparents immigrated from Hong Kong, while her paternal grandparents immigrated first from Czechia to Canada, and later to the U.S. in search of better opportunities.

families. In contrast, MVHS parent Cynthia Kim initially came to the United States only intending to study abroad for a year in high school, not to immigrate.

parents and grandparents.

PARENT

Kim’s father was an astrophysicist and had received a year-long international research grant at UC Berkeley. The grant was later extended, and Kim stayed to attend college, which required Kim to assimilate into an American lifestyle, she admits that her high school years remain “the hardest years of [her] entire life.”

“Every generation, we lose a lot of traditions and customs,” Malik said. “I would say I’m in between [Indian and American] because I was born here. … I’m a mix between doing mostly American things while still trying to maintain some connections to my Indian heritage.”

Likewise, Kim notes that the decades she’s spent in the U.S. have transformed her cultural identity into something different from that of her parents, who traveled back to Asia and remain Chinese citizens.

Although both of Novotny’s parents were born and raised in the U.S., they have remained close with her grandparents. As a result, many of her grandparents’ superstitions have impacted how Novotny lives. For instance, Novotny says the maternal side of her family avoids the number four, as in Mandarin, it sounds similar to the word “death” and is thought to bring bad fortune.

Similarly, junior Sidhant Malik, whose parents immigrated from India, says that his parents’ faith still holds a fairly strong impact on his family’s lifestyle. Some traditions and customs are foundational in his day-to-day life, such as going to temples. Others influence how his family handles loved ones passing away and holidays or special events.

Both Malik and Novotny say their families immigrated to the U.S. in search of better educational and work opportunities for them and their

“[As an immigrant], you don’t want to be considered foreign, right?” Kim said. “You want to assimilate into your new setting as quickly as possible. But I dressed wrong. I spoke wrong. Everything felt wrong. I kept in touch with my junior high school friends through snail mail, and I feel that it’s truly those connections that kept me [whole]. It’s really your friendships and your family that thread you to your past and to your culture.”

To remain connected to her cultural roots in Hong Kong, Novotny spent eight years learning Mandarin. Despite never visiting the countries her grandparents immigrated from, Novotny says she’s never felt disconnected from others who share her heritage.

“[The difference between us has] not been significant at all,” Novotny said. “I still feel connected to my culture and my background.”

In contrast, despite Malik’s efforts to maintain his relationship with his heritage by praying and following his parents’ lead at special events and gatherings, he feels that his cultural identity has changed from that of his

“Nowadays, there are moments where I talk to my mom, and she [says], ‘That thought is just so American,’” Kim said. “I have to remind her [that] … how I look, perhaps even some of the foundational ideas of who I am [and] what my culture is, were formed in the years when I was in China. But how I think, how I process information, how I acquire my knowledge, those were all in the years when I [was] in the U.S.”

IT’S YOUR FRIENDSHIPS AND FAMILY THAT THREAD YOU TO YOUR CULTURE. CYNTHIA KIM

Kim, dressed in cultural attire, poses before attending a Chinese New Year celebration at UC Berkeley.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CYNTHIA KIM | USED WITH PERMISSION

THE AMERICAN DREAM

BY ANNA JEROLIMOV AND IRENE TANG

Cupertino is a community built on immigration, an amalgamation of people from different backgrounds and places all drawn to Cupertino because of their desire for a better life. In this story, we examine the immigration journeys of three MVHS parents — learning what they decided to sacrifice and what they stood to gain.

TONG ZHANG

Before MVHS parent Tong Zhang decided to immigrate to the United States, she was faced with the decision of either accepting a faculty position at Tsinghua University, where she was getting her master’s degree at the time, or pursuing her PhD in the U.S. To others, taking the faculty position seemed like the obvious choice — she would be guaranteed a life of success and stability — but Zhang wasn’t so sure. She felt that by staying in China, she could envision her whole life laid out ahead of her, and she felt like she was relinquishing her only chance to experience a new world. With that in mind, she began the long and arduous process of chasing her dream of living in the U.S.

The first step was to be admitted to a PhD program in the U.S. Zhang

knew she wouldn’t be able to afford to study in the U.S. unless she received a full scholarship. In addition to submitting applications to a variety of colleges, she also cold emailed professors and told them about her research as a student in China in hopes that someone would both say yes and provide her with a scholarship. After many emails, the University of Southern California responded to her with an opportunity to study there for free, provided that she worked as both a teacher’s assistant and research assistant. She accepted.

Zhang then had to find a way to physically travel to the U.S. Other than the process of getting a student visa requiring her to collect stamps from several different Chinese embassies, she also had to buy a plane ticket, which, at the time, cost five thousand dollars — equal to 10 months of her salary in China at the time. It was a costly decision, but Zhang ultimately decided to take it, and after a long

and nauseating (it was her first time on a plane) flight with two layovers, Zhang landed in the Los Angeles International Airport with 200 dollars in her pocket.

Zhang remembers facing multiple culture shocks after landing in the U.S. The first time she entered her dorm at USC, she immediately called her mom to gush about the plush red carpets in her bedroom — she had never lived in a room with carpet before. She also remembers being shocked by her friends buying bunches of bananas at the supermarket: in China, they only ever bought one banana at a time, and only as a special treat when someone were sick.

Ultimately, Zhang says that other than not being able to visit her mother in China for Chinese New Year before she passed away, she has very few regrets regarding her decision to come to the U.S. Although she sometimes wonders about the alternate life she could’ve had in China, she says coming to the U.S. allowed her to both experience a new world and give her two daughters the opportunity to grow up in a more stable country.

“I just could not have any expectations,” Zhang said. “I think [the new] generation is much luckier than my generation. Back then, there was no, ‘Oh, I want to be a journalist or a lawyer or a doctor or whatever.’ Now, [my daughters] are here, and they received a good education, and they have those options.”

PARENT

I HAD NEVER LIVED IN A ROOM WITH CARPET BEFORE.

TONG ZHANG

PHOTO COURTESY OF TONG ZHANG

Zhang graduates from the University of Southern California.

MANOJ JAYADEVAN

The most distinctive thing that MVHS parent Manoj Jayadevan can recall from his first day in the United States is the speed of the taxi that picked him up. It was going 70 miles per hour — faster than the cars in India could go, because the taxis in the U.S. didn’t have to navigate the same crowded streets as those in India.

Jayadevan decided to immigrate from India to the U.S. in 2001 in pursuit of better job opportunities. He was interested in electrical engineering and wanted to begin working with nuclear reactors, which he couldn’t do at his current job — choosing to move to the U.S. was simply a matter of expanding his career options.

After landing in San Francisco (alone, because his family was planning to join him three months

later) in anticipation of his new job in Sunnyvale, Jayadevan had to find a way to make 300 dollars last for two weeks, which was when he would receive his first paycheck.

Jayadevan remembers finding it initially difficult to adapt to the U.S. He didn’t know what he was experiencing when he found himself extremely sleepy in the days after the flight, because he had never heard of jet lag before. He ate chicken nuggets every day for the first six weeks — not only because

they were inexpensive, but also because of the convenience of being able to simply order a “Number Six” at McDonald’s. He didn’t get a haircut for the first few months, because having slightly overgrown hair was preferable to not having enough money to buy food. And, he remembers experiencing miniature culture shocks, like learning that unlike in India, in the U.S., people left a lot of room between each other when standing in lines — a lesson he learned after being told that he was “breathing down somebody’s neck” the first time he went to the bank.

PARENT

Overall, Jayadevan believes that immigrating was “probably the best decision he ever made.” Although he misses the liveliness and connectedness of the people in India — the quiet suburb of Cupertino just doesn’t have the same festivals, dancing and ease of connecting with family and friends nearby — he finds moving to the U.S. allowed him to get out of his comfort zone and embrace new perspectives.

“I wouldn’t change anything,” Jayadevan said. “I think what happened to me in my younger years shaped me to where I am now. If I were to just stay back in India, my viewpoint of the world would have been very limited. [Immigrating] opened my eyes massively. Coming to America, I started meeting people from all parts of the world. It’s very diverse. It shapes your thinking — you take good things from all cultures.”

I THINK I’VE GROWN AS A PERSON. IT’S OPENED MY EYES MASSIVELY.

MANOJ JAYADEVAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF MANOJ JAYADEVAN

Jayadevan smiles for a photo during his first visit to Disneyland, where he was told that it was the happiest place on Earth.

TIFFANY DAUGHERTY

It was late at night when MVHS parent Tiffany Daugherty’s flight landed in America, ending her long journey to the United States. Daugherty describes her childhood growing up in Vietnam as happy and carefree, living among a tight knit community. However, Daugherty’s happy childhood took a turn during the Vietnam War, when her family of 10 faced imminent danger. Because her father was a colonel in the South Vietnam military, there were times when the military of the North invaded, targeting families of high rank.

The immigration process for Daugherty’s family was relatively easy, as they were children of the war. After being sponsored by a family member in San Jose, Daugherty and her eight

siblings were able to attend school. Before arriving in the U.S., Daugherty pictured America as a country filled with white picket fences, green grass and a friendly community. To her dismay, not only was there no green grass and white picket fences, but she also faced bullying and discrimination, where other kids made fun of her for being placed in ESL classes.

said. “If I didn’t have to go through the bullying, I probably wouldn’t be where I’m at, because that taught me to stand up for myself. What happened when I was growing up here, it just got me to the point where I will not let people [walk over me].”

Now, Daugherty has lived in the Bay Area for almost 47 years. She says the Vietnamese community offers a feeling of belonging where her family is part of the culture, and would not think of moving anywhere else. Despite all the hardships she faced in the U.S., Daugherty says that she is most proud of her family.

PARENT

Due to her identity, Daugherty didn’t fully feel accepted as an American until college. To her, the college experience was different because of the lack of bullying and cliques. Because there wasn’t a select group of friends that she had to hang out with every single day, she felt that she was able to grow more independent and resilient.

“I think if anything, [immigrating here] made me stronger,” Daugherty

“The most successful moment is when I [had] my children,” Daugherty said. “Everything else is secondary because they’re my life. I feel that’s like above everything. I think what happened to me in my younger years shaped me up to where I’m at right now. I’m very content where I’m at — I have a good job, good family, good morals [and] a lot of good great friends. I appreciate everything that I have, and I think if I didn’t have that when I was younger, I wouldn’t appreciate a lot of the things that I would now.”

MADE ME STRONGER. [IT] TAUGHT ME TO STAND UP FOR MYSELF.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIFFANY DAUGHERTY Daugherty (front center in yellow) poses for a photo in 1979 with her family of ten and a priest of the Catholic group that sponsored them after they sought refuge in Japan.

THE VISA VOYAGE

Exploring the journeys MVHS community members endure to obtain visas

BY CHIRAN ARUMUGAM AND DARPAN SINGH

Three days. Three days were all that senior Aditihi Girish was given to pack “13 years of [her] life” into 12 suitcases and leave for the United States. Although her family had been anticipating this move for a couple weeks after her dad made a transfer request, the suddenness was overwhelming.

“I expected [the move] to be [in] a week or two,” Girish said. “You had to start everything from scratch, like buying a fork and a spoon, stuff like that, or finding a house for rent. It’s all hard stuff.”

Similarly, MVHS parent Ritu Maheshwari immigrated to the U.S. with her husband in August of 2001 on an H-4 Visa. When Maheshwari first

aftermath of 9/11 made it more difficult for her to obtain a work permit.

“People were losing resolve, leaving here and there, and [it was] very hard to find a sponsor [for] my H-1 Visa, so I started volunteer work in Mission College and some startups to get in touch with the technology [industry],” Maheshwari said.

Meanwhile, Girish is currently a dependent on her father’s visa and has plans to pursue an F-1 Visa once she goes to college.

her elementary school was much smoother since she immigrated at a younger age.

“When I first moved, I was not very aware of what was happening just because my parents were handling it,” Misra said. “But as I grew up, I definitely became more aware of the immigration system and I realized how complex it is and also just how arbitrary some of the rules are.”

10% of MVHS students are seeking US Citizenship

*According to a survey of 133 people

however, notes that due to family responsibilities in addition to the job market following 9/11, it took her about five years to secure an H-1 Visa and

“There was a lot of uncertainty when my husband was on his H-4 Visa, and I didn’t have a job and the economy was bad in 2002 and 2003, so for any decision, it took a long time to finalize,” Maheshwari said. “Even for renting or buying a house, [we weren’t sure] about buying something because we didn’t know if we could stay long or not because we might be forced to leave the country.”

MVHS Alum ‘21 Oishee Misra immigrated to the U.S. from Bangalore, India in February of 2013 when she was 10 years old, and started school halfway through fourth grade at Garden Gate Elementary School. Unlike Girish and Maheshwari, Misra’s experience with moving to

After being in the U.S. for over 10 years, Misra and her family have not received permanent resident status or citizenship yet. Like Maheshwari, Misra believes that the road to gain citizenship in the United States is a long and difficult process that can impact daily life.

“If my parents want to switch jobs, there’s an added level of complexity to that because not only do they have to find a new job, their employer also has to be willing to sponsor an H-1B Visa, and that’s a very complicated process,” Misra said.

Furthermore, Misra says there are many restrictions enforced on immigrants as part of U.S. policy. For one, she and her family were not able to travel out of the country, her last trip to India being her dad’s first time back after seven years. When Misra started her senior year of high school, the college application process unveiled a whole new problem of applying to schools as an international student.

“I remember being very stressed out about [the college application process] because for the UCs I could apply as a California resident, and I could pay in-state tuition, but for a lot of the private schools, I had to apply as an international student because I

don’t have citizenship,” Misra said.

Girish also recalls the financial aid application process being difficult, stating that “it was hard to estimate the total cost [of tuition]” and forcing her to call the financial aid office for most schools she applied to. While navigating the college application process as an immigrant, Misra also considered how it may affect job prospects after her undergraduate education. Misra remembers deciding between several majors in college because she had to balance what she actually enjoyed learning with what would give her the most job opportunities.

“I needed to start thinking about what I’m going to do after college and if I don’t have citizenship by then, I also will need my employer to sponsor an H-1B Visa, and that just makes things more complicated,” Misra said. “I would assume that kind of deters people from my application and it feels unfair and unnecessary.”

She notes that this was a common problem among many of the international students that she knew and that a lot of them would even apply for postgraduate education solely to stay in the country for longer. Misra believes that the current U.S. immigration policy has many consequences for both migrants and legal immigrants.

“I don’t think this country treats [immigrants] well because a lot of documents refer to them as ‘aliens,’ and why are we still using that word?” Misra said. “I think that’s kind of dehumanizing: starting from the

rhetoric to also the horrible treatment of migrants at the border with the family separation, I feel like they’re just used as political pawns.”

Maheshwari, however, felt like she could understand both sides of the debate on immigration policy in the United States. She says each year, the immigration situation is changing based on the number of people coming from different countries, and that the ongoing discussion of immigration policy is bound to change.

“Now, since I’m a U.S. citizen, sometimes I think, ‘Oh yeah, a lot of people are coming and that might be challenging for my son to get a job,’ but if the situation changes, we don’t know the government’s perspective [on immigration],” Maheshwari said.

Misra agrees with Maheshwari’s reflections on the challenges of immigration. She acknowledges the ongoing debate around U.S. immigration policy, noting how the process can be lengthy and complicated, and even those who have been in the country for many years may still face uncertainty about their citizenship status.

“Immigration is a very, very complex thing, and it’s a very complex debate with a lot of nuance,” Misra said. “I’m hesitant to say, ‘Oh, if we fix ABC, then the whole problem will be fixed,’ but I think the U.S. immigration system is in need of serious reform. I think the main thing to keep in mind is that these are real people with real lives who need to be treated [as such], not like political pawns. At the end of the day, America is a country of immigrants — immigrants have built this country.”

SENIORADITHIGIRISH

“AMERICA IS A COUNTRY OF IMMIGRANTS — IMMIGRANTS HAVE BUILT THIS COUNTRY.”

OISHEE MISRA

PHOTO | DARPAN SINGH

IT’S THE SAME

PEOPLE

Recently at the Oscars, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” won seven Oscars from 11 nominations, a historic achievement

that hasn’t been seen in over a decade. With a star-studded, mainly Asian cast, it’s been lauded as a landmark for Asian representation in

media, and rightfully so. In fact, the movie industry has seen explosive growth for Asian American Pacific Islander representation in the past

Recycling actors reveals the lack of Asian representation in the entertainment industry

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | MEGGIE CHEN

PHOTO | A24

OPINION

few years, with a report finding that it has nearly doubled from 6.1% in 2020 to 11% in 2021. In light of this growth, “Everything Everywhere All at Once’s” Oscars seems to be conclusive evidence of the Asian representation people have been seeking for years.

However, despite all its positives, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” brings to light a key issue within this increased Asian media presence – the appearance of recycled actors. The movie’s titular character, Evelyn, is played by martial arts legend Michelle Yeoh. She is undoubtedly one of, if not the most recognizable Asian actor in Hollywood, with major roles in not only EEAAO, but also movies like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “ShangChi.” But what becomes obvious when her discography is closely examined is her appearance in almost all of the prominent movies that have touted Asian representation as a selling point in the past couple of years.

The biggest issue with recycled actors is, ironically, the very problem it often seeks to solve: diversity. By recasting the same Asian actors over and over, audiences are presented with the appearance of only a few people of color, which arguably tokenizes the character once again. Media diversity is defined as being concerned with representing all social groups and avoiding stereotypes. If the same actor plays the role of an Asian character in the multitude of TV shows that follow, it limits the idea of what an Asian character can look or act like.

the “big three” races: either Chinese, Korean or Japanese. Asia consists of 48 countries — not to mention the multiple ethnic groups found within each one — including, but not limited to, countries like Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. Many of these countries are already chronically underrepresented, whether it be in academic fields like STEM, or in this case, visual media. A poll of MVHS students found that on average, students only know 15 of thte 48 countries, even when our demographic is majority Asian. That’s only 30%, a number that belies how little representation these movies actually have, when that diversity is most needed.

STAFF EDITORIAL

OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE EDITORIAL BOARD

was the lack of brown representation despite the story being set in Singapore, a place known for its multicultural communities. The closest Southeast Asia has come to mainstream media in recent years is Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” which combined a multitude of Southeast Asian cultures into a singular, fictional one. In doing so, it wasn’t able to provide anything more than a shallow, surface level awareness, and failed to acknowledge the rich and complex cultures of the countries it tried to represent.

The most apparent reason is that the movie industry has always had, and continues to have, a history of colorism. Black female characters are often played by a lighter skinned Black woman who fits Eurocentric beauty standards.

15/48

countries in Asia

is the average number a MVHS student can name.

*According to a survey of 50 people

Not only that, but the most commonly seen Asian actors, such as Sandra Oh or Awkwafina, are almost always East Asian and one of

Bollywood movies tend to avoid darker skin tones in favor of Indian actors with a paler complexion. These connections make it impossible to ignore the fact that East Asians, the ones who are typically cast in the industry, typically have lighter skin color, while Southeast Asians typically have darker skin. Even Michelle Yeoh, who is ethnically Malaysian and thus Southeast Asian, has a paler skin tone, one that is palatable to Hollywood. This phenomenon becomes extremely obvious in some of the most popular movies with Asian representation. One of the biggest complaints about “Crazy Rich Asians”

It’s easy to fall into the mindset that any representation is good representation. And to a certain extent, that’s true. But just because it’s true doesn’t mean it’s the best solution — we shouldn’t settle for having the bare minimum in representation. Asia covers such a wide diaspora of people that is extremely difficult to properly represent in visual media, and near impossible when the same actors are cast over and over again.

All this isn’t to say that EEAO did not deserve its accolades or that Michelle Yeoh was a bad casting choice. The representation that is present in it is vital, and it is unrealistic to expect representation to be perfect in every instance. Rather, it’s a call to be more aware of the deficits that the industry faces, so that they can be corrected in the future. Make the effort to watch movies that have diverse Asian American Pacific Islander representation. Educate yourself on the different ethnicities in Asia.

And who knows, maybe there is some version of EEAAO in some universe where Evelyn is Indonesian or Filipino. After all, if Evelyn can have hot dog fingers and do Kung-Fu with solely her pinkies in some universes, there’s bound to be one where she’s brown too.

A GLIMPSE INTO THE REAL WORLD

Exploring the differences between jobs and internships

BY DAHLIA SCHILLING AND MIRA WAGNER

One of senior Gwyneth To’s favorite memories from serving as an activities assistant at a nursing home was celebrating a senior resident’s 101st birthday. During the festivities, To recalls hearing about the resident’s experience serving in the Coast Guard and writing an award winning novel. Although initially taking the position for the high salary and as a way to contribute to college and her senior trip, To says she has gained much more than money from the experience.

Like To, sophomore Adriana

Hernandez plans to use the money she receives from the retail job she applied for to support her future college tuition. Hernandez also notes that the communication skills she developed through customer service are something she finds to be essential for any high schooler.

“Even if it's just one job that you do, I really think that everyone should have a first job, especially before they go to college,” Hernandez said. “I think it teaches a lot of life and people skills that you can’t get in other places. And, it teaches compassion and empathy.”

While senior Iona Xia agrees that jobs help one learn interpersonal skills, the value of money

and independence, she prioritized internships throughout her high school experience. Xia says internships help students more thoroughly understand a specific field through research — something she believes a job couldn’t offer.

SOPHOMORE

Senior Jyotishko Koley also prioritized internships throughout high school, acting as a volunteer in a veterinary clinic. He, like Xia, found the real life experience invaluable and something not offered through employment.

“I think the internship was more beneficial because [in] high school the jobs will really be entry level. You won't really get professional career experience necessarily,” Koley said. “ I think just taking the opportunity to get exposed to possible long term careers, even if it's for no pay – I feel like that's really valuable right now.”

In contrast, To, who has had both a job and an internship as an Alzheimer’s researcher, has found that because her job and internship were in related fields, she had beneficial experiences from both. For example, To mentions that through her

‘‘ [JOBS] TEACHES A LOT OF LIFE AND PEOPLE SKILLS YOU CAN'T GET IN OTHERE PLACES. AND THEY TEACH COMPASSION AND EMPATHY.

ADRIANA HERNANDEZ

internship, she was able to learn skills related to writing research papers. From her job, she was able to learn bedside manners and skills — both related to her future field of medical study, geriatrics.

“I think jobs are also a really great way to learn what you want to do,” To said. “Try and get a job that's partially aligned with the field you're interested in, and then it'll really help you explore your options, as well as help you confirm whether or not you like your future job.”

However,

in part around focusing on studies and also on appearances for college applications. However, Koley finds this mindset only strongly applicable to MVHS, mentioning that in other areas jobs are the standard, rather than internships.

90% of MVHS students find that internships look better on college appllications

*According to a survey of 137 people

To says assuming a part time job in fields less related to one's future field of study might be better suited for summers or the second semester of senior year, when college application season has either not begun or ended.

Both Koley and Xia also mention this college-oriented perspective on obtaining jobs, focusing on obtaining internships up until their senior years before looking for jobs afterward. Their reasoning revolved

Hernandez agrees with how the collegecentric mindset at MVHS diminishes the priority of high school employment. She attributes this to her perception of MVHS’ location being largely middle-upper class, saying because needing money is not the driving force, students are less likely to search for employment. However, regardless of the reasoning for either partaking in a job or internship, she says both are valuable experiences and positive for college and beyond.

“An internship that shows a specific interest in a career field I think would be a bit better but I think jobs are equally as valuable,” Hernandez said. “As long as you explain what it is or

why you chose to do a job whether it's like helping your family or trying to accomplish something, it's worth it.”

Xia feels similarly, placing emphasis on joy and fulfillment. She also notes that it is important to focus on discovery, rather than worry excessively about the immediate future.

“I think you should do whatever makes you happy,” Xia said. “At the end of the day having a job versus an internship won’t really matter in the long run. It's about exploring for your future career and being open to new experiences. That’s what matters.”

Reasons MVHS students are employed

*According to a survey of 43 MVHS students

THE WEIGHT OF TITLE IX

Examining the process and emotional turmoil of reporting sexual assault at MVHS

BY TVISHA GUPTA AND JAMI LIM

Content warning: This story contains descriptions of sexual assault.

The student source in this story is anonymous due to safety reasons and will be referred to as Student A.

It may start as an intimate moment, a reciprocation of affection between two individuals. Other times, the victim is thrust straight into it, a shock they weren’t ever prepared for. Ultimately, the outcome is the same: the feeling of perpetual helplessness, of being destroyed emotionally and physically, of personal violation beyond imagination.

“He started doing what he was doing and making sexual contact with me without asking me,” Student A said. “At first, you kind of sit there in shock, but then I realized what was happening, and I quite physically tried to move away. I tried to turn around and put my hands up, and he literally, like physically, restrained me from trying to get away.”

Sexual harassment is defined as uninvited sexual conduct, such as sexual advances, verbal harassment and unsolicited sharing of sexual material. Sexual assault includes sexual actions performed intentionally without consent through coercion or forceful measures. Both are included under the federal civil rights law, Title IX, which protects individuals in educational settings from sexual misconduct and sex-based discrimination. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), 66% of child sexual abuse victims are between 12 and 17 years old, and 57,329 children were victims of sexual abuse in 2016 alone.

procedures to report sexual assault include providing a written account of the event, any supporting evidence and witness perspectives in a report filed to the police. An investigation commences once law enforcement decides the evidence is sufficient to proceed with pursuing charges against the offender. FUHSD’s Title IX & Gender Equity page defines sexual harassment under Title IX as a list of conducts which, when experienced by a victim, can be reported in a formal complaint. Any person can file a formal complaint to Title IX coordinator Trudy Gross on behalf of a victim and expect prompt investigation provided by the district. According to Assistant Principal Nico Flores, MVHS offers a student safety report — an online form that promises confidentiality and a further response from administration.

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

One of the first steps in the reporting process is to involve legal enforcement, and an officer will typically question a victim about the exact events. This process, known as Trauma-Informed Victim Interviewing, is a key step in the investigation, as it helps establish the facts and circumstances of the reported sexual assault. However, the invasive nature of the questions, regardless of precautions taken to reduce their impact, can cause victims to relive their trauma and experience emotional distress.

“A few of them were exact. Not just exact placement of hands or body or whatever, but like, ‘how many, how much pressure?’ That was the part that was really hard to deal with.”

Penalty for sexual assault in California is determined by the Determinate Sentencing Law, which

In the state of California, standard

“It was really a terrible process because you have to sit there with somebody you don’t know at all and they ask you all these really invasive questions about every single detail of what happened,” Student A said.

MVHS enforces penalties depending on the severity of assault cases. Most measures are put in place to create a comfortable environment for the victim post-assault, such as changing the perpetrator’s class schedules to distance them from the victim or even moving them to a different school. Flores believes the priority course of action from the district is not organizing justice but rather ensuring the victim’s safety from their offender.

“A lot of times we hear, ‘We don’t want them to get in trouble, we want them to stop,’” Flores said. “The

For Student A, the final decisions of their case made them feel as though the MVHS administration had “failed survivors of sexual assault.”

“In the end, they sent [me] an email that said he’s been removed from the class that you share,” Student A said. “And additionally, another teacher that we shared with the science class, he’s no longer allowed to be in the tutorial of that teacher to reduce the chance of [me] running into him. When you’re a survivor of something, you want to know if your perpetrator is being held accountable at all. Moving him out of my class is like someone getting an elective changed.”

One of the primary reasons that sexual offense cases may not see much action on them is a lack of evidence. According to RAINN, only 13 out of every 1,000 cases of rape are referred to a prosecutor, and only seven of those on average lead to a conviction. A lack of evidence may lead to difficulty proving the case or identifying the offender.

“When the reporting process was happening, they kept talking about the fact that there were no witnesses or no evidence, but who [is] going around sexually assaulting people while there are witnesses and evidence around?” Student A said. “Everything that falls under sexual assault, and that isn’t explicit rape, how else is someone going to get evidence of that?”

According to RAINN, those who have experienced sexual violence are at increased risk for psychological, emotional and physical effects, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.

“It happened within the last few weeks of junior year, and the remainder of that year was absolute hell for me,” Student A said. “After what he had done, it kind of warped my entire perception, like he’s going to

come out and get me if I do something about this. I would have to leave during the classes and have panic attacks in the bathroom.”

In an attempt to increase awareness about sexual harassment and assault, Lurie has developed a lesson on recognizing and combating sexual misconduct and, more recently, a session addressing student rights under Title IX. The lesson urges students to reach out in the case of sexual misconduct and emphasizes the district’s commitment to responding to allegations. Lurie continues efforts to expand community-wide recognition and conversation around the topic of Title IX and reporting sexual assault, including the distribution of advisory newsletters to parents accessible in multiple languages.

Student A encourages victims to report their experiences regardless of the emotional difficulty and the potentiality of not getting or hearing about the desired outcome, for even the smallest of changes in a schedule or class environment can make the coping process easier.

“For those going through the same experience, one thing that my friends told me that really helped me was just reinforcing that it’s not your fault,” Student A said. “Sometimes people say that it’s because of what clothes I was wearing, because I didn’t explicitly say no, because beforehand, I had feelings for him. So maybe he thought he could just do whatever, but those are obviously not the case. It’s still not your fault.”

‘‘ IT KIND OF WARPED MY PERCEPTION, LIKE HE’S GONNA COME OUT AND GET ME IF I DO SOMETHING.

STUDENT A

PHOTO

| TVISHA GUPTA

FACING FINANCIAL AID

Exploring the stigma around applying for financial aid in Silicon Valley

BY MEGHA MUMMANENI AND

Home to burgeoning tech companies, Silicon Valley is often perceived by outsiders as an affluent region. The cost of housing and inflation, however, can negate the high salaries earned by parents. In fact, Silicon Valley has the highest housing costs in the U.S. As Bay Area students submit their college applications, many are faced with the question of whether or not they should apply for financial aid.

Junior Vedavi Kavoori says the cost of tuition will be among the deciding factors when it comes to selecting which colleges to apply to and says she will not be applying for financial aid. When Kavoori and her brother — currently in college — were born, their parents started investing, which Kavoori believes should cover most of her tuition. However, if the tuition exceeds $65,000 per year, she would rather not apply, citing concerns over garnering student debt.

ERIC

ZHOU

its booming tech businesses, which causes many families to have high incomes in order to be able to live here.

“There’s a reason it’s a stereotype that we’re rich,” Kavoori said. “It’s no surprise that we have a lot of money, so applying for something with financial aid comes with the ideology that you just don’t have enough money to pay for college.”

51% of MVHS students plan on

for financial aid for college

All California seniors must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to graduate. The FAFSA is open to students of all backgrounds and acts as a gateway for students to gain access to grants and receive federal financial aid. For example, COVID-19 Emergency Grants and programs such as the Merit Scholarship and Federal Work-Study have made completing the form mandatory in order to be eligible.

necessary. Yang supports their choice since his parents are able to afford his full college tuition.

“It’s a graduation requirement to apply for financial aid, which is kind of strange because we live in a really rich area, and we don’t really need [aid] that much,” Yang said. “I’m really, really thankful that I don’t need extra money, but it’s just that I think there are other people that could benefit from it more.”

MVHS alum ‘22 Dominic Wang, who attends UC Santa Barbara, also chose not to apply for financial aid given that their parents were willing to pay. Wang agrees with Kavoori and says there is a “stigma around being poor in the Bay Area.” According to Wang, a conservative group called Turning Point USA “makes fun of people [at UCSB] who get FAFSA.”

“[Turning Point USA] reflects the attitude that a lot of people have about financial aid,” Wang said. “I think that there’s a certain amount of shame that comes with getting financial aid because that just means that you can’t pay for [tuition] on your own, and

Kavoori notes that there is a stigma around applying for aid in Silicon Valley, especially considering that it is known for

Senior Aris Yang, however, opted out — a decision his parents made, as they did not find it

applying

*According to a survey of 125 people

PHOTO | ALAN TAI

that’s supposed to mean something about your ability to work.”

Kavoori shares similar thoughts about the way some people perceive themselves and others when applying for aid. She adds that those who qualify, even in more wealthy communities, should be comfortable enough to do so.

“It’s the idea that getting help is going to make you weak, but that’s not true,” Kavoori said. “If it helps, it helps. Just take the opportunity and take advantage where you can.”

Wang says those who come from lowerincome families and have disabilities should be given priority when it comes to financial aid, especially since they believe that the price of receiving college tuition today is unjustly high.

you live,” Yang said. “So, it’s really not based off communities and where you live. It’s about your family, and what they can afford.”

Kavoori says plenty of students in Silicon Valley who are concerned about student debt are not qualified for financial aid because of their parents’ high salaries. She recognizes the pros and cons of both sides, taking into account the problems with student loan debt that around 43.5 million students faced as of 2022, regardless of their background. According to Kavoori, her family — along with many other MVHS families — barely makes it over “the barrier.”

“The pro is that money goes to kids and students who need it more than we do and who will benefit greatly from not having to have student debt and loans and a lot of the issues that come with financial aid

‘‘

JUST BECAUSE WE COME FROM MORE MONEY DOESN’T MEAN [FINANCIAL ISSUES] DON’T AFFECT US. IT JUST AFFECTS US LESS.

VEDAVI KAVOORI

STOP POLICING

Advising women to change their language contributes to conformity to masculine norms

BY SARAH LIU

It was like Grammarly with a twist. A few months ago, during my usual routine of falling into a zombie-like state while mindlessly scrolling through TikTok on a Saturday afternoon, I stumbled across a video encouraging women to erase the word sorry from their vocabulary with the help of a Google Chrome Extension: Just Not Sorry. As the name implies, the extension helps the writer reduce their use of phrases that may undermine the writer’s confidence by

underlining them in red. The creator of the extension, Tami Reiss, said her intent for her app was to help women apologize less. Now, I didn’t end up downloading the extension (probably because I was somewhat afraid that I would find red lines coloring every single one of my emails), but I did become more conscious of when and where I used the word sorry.

After a week, I found that sorry was indeed a part of my daily vocabulary, but not in the way I had expected. On

most occasions, I didn’t apologize for a failure on my part, but instead, as a way to add a polite tone to making a request. For example, when I wanted to move in front of a classmate standing in front of me, I asked, “Sorry, can you move to the side?” Through my usage of the word sorry, I was able to make a firm request without coming off as annoyed.

It’s these types of apologies that the app Just Not Sorry and other media are trying to help women eliminate

PHOTO | SARAH LIU

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | MICHELLE ZHENG

HOW WOMEN TALK

from their everyday communication. Studies show that women say sorry more often than men, but not just for its dictionary definition. When we think of the word sorry, we usually think of the word as a way to make up for a failure, but we actually use this rhetoric in various ways. We may apologize to show empathy to others or to assert ourselves without demonstrating aggression.

Recently, there has been a rise in the popularity of the idea “stop saying sorry,” which advises women on becoming more successful in the workplace by changing the way they speak. For example, there have been multiple viral TikToks and articles that provide women with a list of words to use instead of sorry. The reasoning behind this is that apologizing to be polite undermines one’s confidence and underscores one’s insecurity. Besides apologizing less, various business articles also recommend that women get rid of certain linguistic tendencies such as uptalk, the tendency to end a sentence with a rise in intonation, and vocal fry, a way of speaking that is low-pitched and is often characterized as rough, in order to seem more professional in the workplace. In fact, an article by Plos One found that young womens’ voices with vocal fry were viewed as less competent and less educated

than those without.

But the issue with these pieces of advice is that when women are told to apologize less and get rid of uptalk to talk in a deeper pitch, they are, in essence, being advised to talk more like men. In the workforce, people infer that the “masculine way” is to be forceful, unapologetic and

instead of telling women to change how they communicate, we should be changing the culture in which actions like showing empathy and saying sorry are seen as weak and undesirable. We should be creating a culture where women are respected in their professions no matter their style of speaking.

Because these biases are heavily ingrained in the minds of many, change won’t happen immediately. However, as high schoolers, we are the next generation to enter the workforce, and thus have the opportunity to make the most significant changes to this culture. Instead of telling women to apologize less, we should teach everyone that it’s OK to apologize.

While a change in language may indeed help amplify womens’ voices, it does not truly address the root problem. The problem is that the presence of women in the workforce, which includes their linguistic trends, has yet to be normalized.

Empowerment doesn’t just mean uplifting women to be confident and authoritative. It also means uplifting women to be comfortable in their own skin, in the way they dress and in the way they communicate. Ultimately, women should talk the way they feel most comfortable, whether that includes “sorry” in their vocabulary or not.

It’s time we realize that saying sorry is nothing to be sorry for.

‘‘ IT’S TIME WE REALIZE THAT SAYING SORRY IS NOTHING TO BE SORRY FOR.

'I KNOW A SPOT'

Cupertino residents share their favorite secret locations in town

BY PRANATI KOTAMRAJU AND JIYA SINGH

BMX Park

Hidden off to the side of the train tracks, covered in dust, graffiti, and mud, lies the BMX biking location where sophomore Aster Nguyen goes a few times a month. With his earbuds wired in and sketchbook in hand, Nguyen sits by the train tracks on the chairs and ladders left behind by townspeople. Nguyen loves hopping over a certain broken fence to get a view of the highway, listening

to the sounds of nature and society to destress.

“I like to go around and check the place to see what’s changed,” Nguyen said. “It’s like a scavenger hunt to see who has been there and what’s been left behind by the people in your community.”

SOPHOMORE

As a child, Nguyen first stumbled upon the barren location while on a run with his father, and immediately felt entranced by the beauty within the bumpy, dirt-filled path. Finding

anything from a stack of movies left behind to an entire wall of graffiti built along the inside of a wet tunnel in his years visiting the area, Nguyen enjoys the feeling of community established by the spot, providing a sense of comfort despite his physical solitude.

“It’s peace surrounded by chaos,” Nguyen said. “You can tell there’s a lot of things going on [at the BMX park]. It’s calm in the way that if you’re lucky enough and no one’s around, it’s very serene. [Visiting the area so often] helped me feel like a part of something in my neighborhood — it was obvious that people in my community would go there like a part of this whole little subculture.”

‘‘

IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY WOULD GO [TO THE PARK] AS PART OF THIS WHOLE SUBCULTURE.

ASTER NGUYEN

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASTER NGUYEN | USED WITH PERMISSION

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASTER NGUYEN | USED WITH PERMISSION

Despite the site's plethora of graffiti and broken materials, Nguyen enjoys finding solitude among the community chaos.

Aster Nguyen enjoys reading and sketching in the BMX park near the train tracks.

Local Kitchens

After a late night at sports practice, senior Kira Sun knows the perfect place to unwind —Local Kitchens. Sliding into a booth with her friends, and biting into hot garlic fries, feelings of warmth and comfort encompass her. Sun remembers many of her best memories in the restaurant, sitting with her friends and surrounded by laughter.

Sun found Local Kitchens on a Friday night her junior year. Sun and her friends had just finished watching a football game and were all hungry, and in urgency, they all walked into the nearest open place and discovered the micro eatery. As time passed, what was once a one time visit quickly became one of Sun’s and her friends' default places when they wanted to hang out, relax and talk.

“[My friends and I] wouldn't even get tired of [Local Kitchens] because even if we got the same thing, a lot of

Cupertino Trails

While walking to school each morning and seeking out local restaurants has contributed to his bond with the city, discovering the many trails at Rancho San Antonio in Cupertino's hills made math and computer science teacher David Greenstein truly appreciate his hometown.

Sitting on the Parks and Recreation Commission for eight years before becoming a teacher exposed Greenstein to several trails within

times, it was really good,” Sun said. “But also, if you wanted something else, you could get something else. Their menu rotates a little bit, so it's been exciting to try new things as they arrive on the menu.”

While Sun enjoys the restaurant’s food, the main reason why she holds the place dear to her is that it strengthens her relationships with her loved ones. Specifically, Sun’s favorite memory was on a late night with her best friend, and she recalls

them digging into a tub of ice cream, bonding while sharing laughs and food. She explains that the restaurant provided her with a comforting environment.

“We go there so often, the people there know us and then can greet us by name and we will just chat with them for a bit,” Sun said. “So it's definitely one of our most frequently visited spots.”

Cupertino that he never knew existed, one connecting from the local 99 Ranch Market to a small neighborhood.

“You can see the whole Bay Area from up [high on the trails],” Greenstein said. “[The trails] make me appreciate Cupertino [because] we live right next to the hills and [can] get to them within a bike ride. I can’t say that about a lot of [other] places, like San Jose or even Sunnyvale.”

Despite his 24 years living in Cupertino, Greenstein is constantly amazed by its beautiful greenery and feeling of community. With Blackberry Farm right by his house and Jollyman and Linda Vista Park nearby, Greenstein does anything from running by himself to taking strolls with his family in these lush locations, surrounded by the sounds of the creeks and wildlife among the woods. Being on the trail almost every other day has inspired Greenstein to look beyond his work to enjoy the outdoors, a mindset he feels many students should also apply.

“I think it’s really important that people connect with the trails because then they get to see Cupertino, the real Cupertino,” Greenstein said. “If you walk or bike [around Cupertino], you really get a feel for the place — the smells, the weather, feeling the terrain and going up the [signature] hills.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID GREENSTEIN| USED WITH PERMISSION

PHOTO | YASH THAPLIYAL

MVHS teacher David Greenstein’s favorite spots to hike is Rancho San Antonio, off the end of Cupertino.

One of Cupertino's local businesses located near MVHS, Local Kitchens, is senior Kira Sun's favorite place to visit.

Once a pawn a time

45% of MVHS students play chess

*According to a survey of 139 people

61% of MVHS students

have used chess.com or another online chess platform

*According to a survey of 131 people

I noticed the [chess] boom starting around winter break. I think that’s because there was really bad weather in California at the time, so many people couldn’t go outside or play sports, so they started playing lots of chess. And it just spread from there.

“ SENIOR

Chess is a really great activity to incorporate into people’s lives. And starting with chess. com is great, but I think we should definitely take it back in-person and not just online, because I feel like everything loses its touch when it’s online.

“

When playing online I find that a lot of people will feel as if they can express their emotions in any which way they want which may not always be positive, while in a real life scenario [that] would be unacceptable [and] inappropriate. BRYAN

KRISHNA NATHAN

AISHWARYA SAMPTUR

Tracking the growing popularity of chess.com at MVHS

BY MIKAYLAH DU AND RIYA MURTHY

chess.com has:

100+ million players

10 million peak active users

272.5 million monthly views

1+ billion games played in February 2023

*According to chess.com

Most Popular Chess Sites:

I’ve only recently started noticing [people playing chess at school] so it seemed a little out of the blue, but it’s nice to hear people enjoying the game that used to be somewhat stigmatized as a nerd game.

“ SENIOR

AGNES WANG

I recently met a group of people who love to play chess and it’s become extremely fun because they opened me to a whole new world that I didn’t know before. It’s a fun way to relax and de-stress [while at] MVHS.

SOPHOMORE

GANESH BATCHU

1. chess.com

272.5M monthly views

2. lichess.com

96.8M monthly views

3. chessable.com

4.4M monthly views

*According to similarweb.com

ILLUSTRATIONS | MIKAYLAH DU

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...

Examining how international films are becoming more popular in America

BY AIDAN RUAN AND AASHI VENKAT

When “Parasite” swept the Oscars in 2020, English teacher Monica Jariwala was excited to find out that it was possible for an international film to win “Best Picture” at the world’s most prestigious film award show. Later on, “Parasite” was added to the Contemporary Literature curriculum as one of the films students view.

“We’re using [‘Parasite’] in our Contemporary Film Unit because it’s so interesting,” Jariwala said. “There’s so many layers about [social] class [and] the psychology of characters when they’re put in situations that push and test their limits. There’s also really beautiful cinematography and editing. And one of the expectations for [the unit] in the past couple of years has been to really diversify, and to show students films that are different [and] more representative of our growing, diverse school body but also just the world that we live in.”

The awards show telecast has only become more inclusive and since 2020, according to Jariwala. Recently, during the 95th Oscars on March 12,

the large number of non-English speaking films nominated outside of the international film category led junior Ananya Nadathur to question the need for a “Best International Feature Film” category.

“The Oscars has grown from a Hollywood, mainly whiteonly thing, to more of a global position — global films also strive to have a part in the Oscars,” Nadathur said. “I feel like it would also be better for the awards show itself if instead of just having an international film category, they just opened up every film category to global film industries.”

According to NPR, the Oscar for the “Best International Feature Film” category has gone to a European territory 58 times since the category’s introduction in 1956, with France being nominated more times than any other country. Despite noting the downsides of this category, freshman Giljoon Lee said that the international film category brings awareness to non-English

77.6%

speaking films within a Eurocentric award show.

“In a perfect society, in a perfect world, movies are just movies, [and] there’s no need to divide them,” Lee said. “There’s so many categories for English language films: Best Director, Best Actress, Best something, something, something. For international films, it’s just one category for so many films that were released that year. So having [the ‘Best International Feature Film’] category is perhaps the best way to force a Eurocentric award show to recognize films that are not from Western [production studios].”

However, Nadathur addresses the discriminatory nature of the “Best International Feature Film,” stating how the category tends to favor European films while underselling films produced in regions outside of Europe and America. Hence, despite American films not being included, racism still plays a key role in determining which film wins.

“Our definition of international film is really iffy because, on one

4.0% from South 11.8% from Asia

MOVIES ARE JUST MOVIES. THERE’S NO NEED TO DIVIDE THEM.

FRESHMAN GILJOON LEE

from Europe

BREAKDOWN OF “BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

hand, international film is just not American-produced, but then on the other hand, non-American actors that are still white are more likely to get nominated for different awards than like nonAmerican actors who aren’t white,” Nadathur said. “So I mean, good for the film, good for their actors, but also there definitely is something to be said about non-American but still white films gaining privilege over nonAmerican, non-white films.”

Lee, Nadathur and Jariwala all note how double standards continue to push through in terms of how society receives films even past the Oscars. Lee notes how although Hollywood is still the capital of film, international films are starting to share the spotlight as Hollywood shifts its focus towards blockbuster franchises, prioritizing profit over quality of content. Lee identifies this with Marvel in particular, attributing the growth in popularity of international films to Hollywood’s decline in creativity.

“I’ve seen a lack of creativity [in] a lot of bigger Hollywood films recently,” Lee said. “When you look at the earlier Marvel films, you can tell they were genuinely creative and the writing was good and the story actually made sense for once.

But when you look at the films that they produce now, it’s OK, but the emotional connection is gone. You just don’t feel that anymore.”

Nadathur shares the same sentiment with Marvel films. However, she notes that while Western films are praised for following repetitive stereotypes, international films are often looked down upon for doing the same thing — while Marvel still has diehard fans despite its decreasing quality, international movies are often scrutinized.

“Every time a western film has a really basic plot, like a really basic romance plot, it’s considered a ‘classic’ and it gets nominated and praised for that,” Nadathur said. “But when international films — and most of my experiences, Bollywood and Tollywood films, obviously — tend to follow really cliche plot points, especially with romance or a ⁹superhero aspect [or a] violence aspect, those films are always considered cringe on social media. [There are] so many compilations of Bollywood movies being overdramatic and I feel like they’re held to [a] much higher standard.”

According to Nadathur, double standards also prevail in what genre of film is deemed trendy at a given point of time. She mainly attributes

this statement with the indie genre, stating how European films tend to be perceived as more unique, quirky and often more intellectual. On the other hand, Asian, African and Middle Eastern films are typically excluded this treatment, despite sharing similar plotlines, which Nadathur notes as problematic.

Jariwala expands on Nadathur’s point, attributing this double standard to societal racism and reinforced stereotypes. According to Jariwala, predetermined expectations for international films cause viewers to have different standards, which can be harmful because it alters the lens which is used to watch and critique these films.

“Oftentimes, as people of color, there are more hoops we have to jump through,” Jariwala said. “There’s always stereotypes. We’re combating higher expectations and oftentimes, maybe that’s not the intention, but it does feel that way ... But [I] will say even right now, I feel like things are getting better… there’s a lot of pressure on [The Academy]. And I do think that maybe it’s because of what happened last year, and maybe some criticism that’s happened in the previous years. But it was really nice this year. When I watch[ed the Oscars], I felt really proud after a long time.”

*According to a survey of 103 people

Little Adventures

Changing your routine can help combat boredom

BY SONIA VERMA

I take the scenic route home.

Even on bad days, the wild flowers lining freshly mowed lawns give me a sense of peace.

The quiet makes me feel like I’m going on my own little adventure.

so I like to change things up.

I can’t change a lot of things about life,

And changing my outlook is easier said than done. But being constantly tired is boring,

Anything can be an adventure:

Finding new flowers on the way home,

doing chores in a new way

or exploring new places in your neighborhood.

Every day is an opportunity to do something new.

One thing’s for sure: you can’t go on adventures staying still.

DRAMA QUEEN

Embracing and pursuing my ‘theater kid’ nickname

BY JIYA SINGH

You’re so dramatic!” my mother yelled as she attempted to shove me into her car. “I don’t want to go! I would rather die!”

Any fourth grader should spend their Saturday night playing with toys at home, not watching their mom’s friend’s daughter’s play. Kicking and screaming, I reluctantly sat in the car, my arms crossed and expectations low, as my mom bickered about me being a “drama queen.” Cranky, I followed my mother to a seat in the front row and prepared myself for a night of torture.

Flick. The lights went out, and the audience and I sat in the uncertainty of the pitch blackness. But as the familiar, comforting overture of “The Little Mermaid” began playing, my drowsiness disappeared and I was instantly transported to a new world where anything was possible. Mermaids could grow feet, eels could sing, fishes could fly and 9-yearold me was changed forever. An urgency swept through my body like nothing I’d ever felt before — I had to be up on that stage.

Even more desperate than my original pleas to not watch the play were my pleas for drama summer camps after experiencing “The Little Mermaid.” And when I sang in front of my elementary school as a dancing hot dog, my first ever role, everything in the world seemed right. I finally felt good at something.

Immediately, I submerged myself in my new passion. I spent hours memorizing the raps in “Hamilton” and stayed up until 3 a.m. in middle school to rewatch “Hairspray,” providing me with the unfortunate

(much deserved) nickname of “theater kid.” I could deny it all I wanted, but the sheer joy I experienced when making my eyebrows purse up or curl down for the approval of the audience spoke for itself — derogatory or not, I was a theater kid, all right.

compared to playing the hardest role of all — myself — to finally tell my computer-engineer family of my deeper desire to pursue acting seriously.

MASK OFF

I have to admit: the external praise I began receiving upon acting in school productions filled me with immense pride. After every performance, hearing variations of “You were absolutely amazing!” and “Can I get your autograph?” by everyone from my strict teachers to strangers in the hallway made me feel like a mini celebrity.

However, my years of “fame” were accompanied by a growing stress of the future. As my evenings were spent making lifelong memories at rehearsal, my classmates’ evenings were spent “preparing for their future” by competing in Science Olympiad. I was left behind, and

I couldn’t “make believe” the future wasn’t happening to stop it.

I’ve heard it all my life — passions cannot become careers. I needed to find something technological or scientific like my peers. But still, drama was pulling me in its direction the same way it had when watching my first production. I felt stuck on whether I should reach for my dreams or resort to the expected, practical option. Yet the more I thought about it, the clearer it seemed — I couldn’t give up on my life’s biggest passion for the approval of my peers. I had to simply go for it.

Playing the drunk orphanage caretaker Ms. Hannigan or the looney pirate Captain Hook were nothing

And while I’ve learned how to cry on cue, I’ve never cried more than when the decision letter for my dream drama school came in a few weeks ago. Suddenly, the Broadway posters on my walls, hours I spent recording my auditions and Lin Manuel Miranda cutout in my car didn’t seem like such an embarrassment.

dreams seem intangible — becoming an award-winning actress was mine. People can and will continue to talk about what I should do, say, and pursue. But at the end of the day, when I come home to my inner 9-year-old, I know I will be proud that I chose to chase after what I love instead of catering to others. turns out, my mother (as always) was right — I truly am a drama queen.

TRAPPED IN THE TAPE MEASURE

Ateacher was critical of her technique, sophomore Hemani Kamarshi found herself looking in the mirror. She stared at her body, a

wondering whether her body was simply “just not right” for her sport.

Freshman and ballerina Isabelle Kok finds that beauty standards that

in these sports, which include dance, figure skating and gymnastics, athletes are often pressured to be skinnier.

“Looking at your body image is unavoidable,” Lin said. “You’re always looking at yourself in the mirror while doing movements, and it’s all about the placement of your body. You’re forced to look at yourself.”

Many beauty standards emphasizing leanness are often deeply woven into the culture of their respective sports. Kamarshi notes that standards which are prevalent in India pressure her to look slimmer and to have large eyes, full lips and long eyelashes. Similarly, sophomore and rhythmic gymnast Yuzuki Ito has found that there is an expectation in gymnastics for athletes to be lean, which she traces back to the origin of the sport.

“The sport originated in Russia,” Ito said. “Coaches there are crazy strict about [their gymnasts’ weight]. I think this sport circles so much about the [idea] that [you] have to be skinny. I think that’s a toxic environment that is very normalized.”

Ito notes that while coaches in America may not be as strict about monitoring their athletes’ weight, the expectation to be skinny is still prevalent. Both her coaches and parents emphasize leanness, so her conversations with her coach often revolve around being disciplined about what she consumes.

“When you’re at a convention, you compete in a leotard that is tight on your body,” Ito said. “I’ve never ever heard anyone not talk about comparing themselves at a

convention. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen parents videotape people who are a little bit out of the range for what’s been viewed as skinny, videotape them and then post it, saying ‘How can someone let this child get this far?’ It’s disgusting.”

FRESHMAN

The media only perpetuates body image struggles since ballerinas in professional companies and those who get lead roles are usually really skinny, and Lin notes that it pressures athletes to fit that standard, despite it being unattainable. This causes ballerinas to develop insecurities with their body image and compare themselves to their peers.

Kok explains that athletes are always being

compared to their peers — they are favored by judges if they are skinnier and are often given better roles or scores.

“Whenever you’re auditioning for a role, your goal is to look as attractive as possible,” Kok said. “People who judge the auditions aren’t always focused on technique. They’re focusing on how pretty you look and how you look on stage. So if you have the kind of body that lends itself to ballet and to the standard in ballet — which is being skinny — then you get more opportunities within the dance world and you’ll be able to go further.”

Ito says coaches can sometimes worsen the pressure placed on athletes by comparing them to each other — her coaches tend to point out when one person is doing an exercise or movement better than the other. Kok also notices that coaches can have a large influence on the pressure athletes place on themselves.

‘‘ IF YOU HAVE THE KIND OF BODY THAT LENDS ITSELF TO BALLET AND TO THE [BEAUTY STANDARD], YOU’LL BE ABLE TO GO FURTHER. ISABELLE KOK

“There are teachers that constantly break you down and criticize you for how your body looks or set unreachable standards for how you should look,” Kok said. “That can cause a lot of people to grow disconnected from the sport and what made them want to join the sport in the first place. There’s so many people who have had to quit dance, or quit other sports simply because of how much pressure there was in the environment that they were in.”

Kamarshi recalls her self-perception being damaged by the pressures that have been perpetuated by her teacher and her sport. She found herself wanting to be slender, even feeling obligated to begin counting calories.

“I would wake up and look in the mirror and think, ‘Oh my god, I’m fat,’” Kamarshi said. “I would go to bed hungry because I was eating too few calories. I intentionally did that to see if I could lose weight, and I was weighing myself every two to three days.”

Ito recalls a similar experience. At one point, her body image was so distorted, she remained unsatisfied with how she looked despite “looking skin and bones from a normal perspective.”

Ito recalled losing way too much weight, experiencing a loss of focus, constantly thinking about food and always feeling cold.

becoming more and more distorted, and it genuinely destroyed my body image and my courage to be healthy.”

Lin also faces long-term impacts of beauty standards surrounding ballet — she says she still feels pressure to maintain a skinny body despite gaining weight being a natural aspect of getting older.

63% of MVHS athletes have faced body image issues in sports

*According to a survey of 95 people

“When I was younger, a lot of people would say I was really skinny,” Lin said. “So I feel a pressure to maintain that. I left ballet two years ago, but I still notice things about my body, and as I grow older, I feel pressure to maintain that image of the younger version of me that everyone labeled as the skinny one. I think it’s permanently affected me and I’ll always feel pressure to maintain that, even though it’s definitely not attainable.”

“I had a really bad eating disorder where I would limit my calorie intake to 800 every day,” Ito said. “I lost way too much weight — I was 20 pounds underweight, just below 70 pounds. And I still looked at myself and thought I wasn’t enough. In the summer it got so bad to the point where I would eat 600 calories a day with seven hours of intense training and conditioning and cardio. My idea of skinny was

explains that these standards often leave permanent impacts on athletes, which she feels as though she can’t escape from and “doesn’t think [she] ever will.” She says gymnastics has permanently distorted the way she sees herself, urging her to watch what she eats even after quitting. However, she finds that despite watching what she eats in the hopes of being satisfied with how she looks, she will never attain that satisfaction.

Lin says that ultimately, coaches should not comment on athletes’ bodies at all — even though coaches may think their comments are positive, athletes might perceive them the opposite way. She thinks that in order to combat harmful effects of beauty standards, coaches should take action by trying to include people to be lead roles even if they may not fit the beauty standards and by being mindful of how their words can affect their students. However, Kok finds that coaches may not decide to take action against traditional beauty standards.

SENIOR

“I feel like this is a personal journey that everyone has to make about whether or not they want to advocate against the standards,” Kok said. “Because although these standards are obviously harmful to everyone, you can’t be too controversial if you want to

‘‘

I FEEL A PRESSURE TO MAINTAIN THE IMAGE OF THE YOUNGER VERSION OF ME THAT EVERYONE LABELED AS THE SKINNY ONE, EVEN THOUGH IT’S NOT ATTAINABLE. LAUREN LIN

GYM CULTURE STATS

BY SAMIKA BHATKAR, KATHRYN FOO AND SOPHIA MA

How many times do you work out per week?

*According to a survey of 129 students

Where do you go to work out?

at another location at Crunch Fitness Gym at the weight training room

How long do your workouts last?

39% 61%

37% work out for 30 mins - 1 hour

*According to a survey of 175 students

12% work out for

What is your favorite part of the body to work out?

What is your favorite kind of exercise?

Arms

18%

*According to a survey of 82 students Legs

Chest Other 35%

Other

9% 28%

Cables & Machines

11% 8% Free Weights

GOING TO the GYM

Observing MVHS students first experiences with the gym and how it’s affected them

BY SAMIKA BHATKAR, KATHRYN FOO AND SOPHIA MA

ARNAV JAdhAV

Content warning: This article contains mentions of suicide.

Growing up overweight, those around junior Arnav Jadhav bullied him, going so far as to tell him to commit suicide. The bullying, the dissatisfaction with how he looked, and the need for change in his image had brought Jadhav to the gym.

“I was always kind of an outcast,” Jadhav said. “I’ve been bullied all my life because I was overweight, so then, one day, I was like ‘I’ve had enough’ and I just started lifting.”

From there, he found that he enjoyed lifting weights, which motivated him to go to the gym consistently. There, he poured commitment into the hobby, curating a workout plan and ultimately improving his abilities that went on to better other aspects of his life.

“I go to the gym [because] I’m trying to achieve the best version of myself that there can be,” Jadhav said. “Going to the gym not only helps you build a better physique, it also helps you build consistency and discipline.”

The gym has since become a catalyst for change in Jadhav’s body image. Lifting weights regularly, he has seen the work that he put into the gym translate not just into losing weight and having a defined physique, but also a stronger mentality.

“The people who used to bully me, they don’t bother me anymore [because] I’m bigger than them,” Jadhav said.

As he continues to go to the gym, he reflects on the person he used to be and the growth he has achieved,

which further motivates him to go to the gym.

“Every time I look in the mirror I see a glimpse of my old self and I’m just like, ‘That’s not good,’” Jadhav said. “I keep on going because I want to fully change myself.”

CHERYL TSAI

Two years ago, sophomore Cheryl Tsai dislocated her knee and was in physical therapy for six months, where she was initially introduced to weightlifting.

Tsai did not have any prior experience going to the gym, but she signed up for P.E. Weight Training to stay healthy. Initially, Tsai found herself as a beginner to the equipment and routines her teacher introduced.

“I found at the beginning, I wasn’t quite used to working out as heavily or working those muscles specifically,” Tsai said. “I learned it’s pretty good to squeeze stressed muscles because it helps build them up so you can lift heavier things.”

In the first semester, Tsai focused on getting used to the machines and workouts, while in the second semester, she created workouts that catered to her goals. Achieving these goals have become her favorite moments from the class.

“When I first squatted my body weight, I was like, ‘Wow, I’m stronger than I expected,’” Tsai said.

Although Tsai finds that some people take weight training to build and target specific parts of their bodies, for her, weight training is about

JUNIOR

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I’M TRYING TO ACHIEVE THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF THAT THERE CAN BE. ARNAV JAdhAV

setting health goals she can achieve and accomplish.

“The accomplishment I feel afterward is when I’m really tired [from working out],” Tsai said. “When you’ve been so burnt out from school and you’ve working out, it just clears your mind, and it makes you feel happier.”

Since taking Weight Training, Tsai found how her view of being “fit” changed and how it might look different for everyone else.

“Being exposed to the gym has opened up a whole area of exercises that I wouldn’t have considered doing before playing a traditional sport,” Tsai said. “To me, ‘healthy’ means that you’re able to do all the physical activities that you like and push yourself.”

CLARA FAN

During the first week of summer, sophomore and Varsity basketball player Clara Fan’s plans were put on hold as she sustained a broken ankle on her left leg. Fan started going to the gym to recover and prepare for basketball season.

“My goal going into the gym was to get both of my legs to the same strength,” Fan said. “I wanted to get back to the place where I could go full out with my sports because I wouldn’t want to immerse myself right into that situation.”

Along with recovering, Fan found herself at the gym more frequently because of her friends. From a simple invitation to work out from one of her closest friends, Fan found the social aspect of the experience fun.

After getting back from her injury, the next part of Fan’s gym journey took place in the school gym. With the rest of the Varsity Girls Basketball Team, Fan hit the gym for preseason training to target specific muscle groups that would strengthen her for the season.

Fan found the experience to be a positive way for the team to bond and improve themselves. The team’s competitive spirit and trying something new together fostered a helpful environment and created fun memories.

“When I used to go with my basketball team, we’d go on the pull up knock knob notches in the gym,” Fan said. “We’d have handling competitions. We’d call out our teammates and say, ‘Hey, competition.’”

Although Fan was scared to come into the basketball season after sustaining an injury, the experience from being at the gym had renewed her confidence.

“Going to the gym strengthened me when I needed it the most,” Fan said. “Mentally, I realized it gave me confidence coming off a huge injury. I was getting stronger again [and] that made me more confident going into my sports like, ‘Yeah, I’m ready for it and I can take this on.’”

With basketball season over, Fan does not find herself at the gym as much, but still carries what she’s learned from her preseason experience and going to the gym with her friends.

“I’m just pushing myself to be better because when using the gym machines, there’s numbers associated with how much you’re pushing or pulling,” Fan said. “It’s good to drive yourself to improve and only compare your PRs or scores to yourself. Going to the gym is an outlet from school or whatever drama is going on.”

CARRYING THE BAT

CARRYING THE BAT

Exploring how the MVHS community is involved in the world’s second largest sport — cricket

BY KALYANI PUTHENPURAYIL

CChetnaa, you got on the team!”

One day in early 2021, senior Chetnaa Prasad heard her dad’s loud voice at 4 a.m., and still in bed, she opened her eyes wondering why she was being woken up so early. Her initial daze and confusion wore off within seconds, and her dad’s words started making more sense — he had received the roster for USA Women’s National and Women's National Under 19 Training groups through an email, and Prasad’s name was on both.

For Prasad, this was a sigh of relief. All the hard work she had put into cricket since starting

in 2016 seemed to have paid off and the six to seven months she had spent going through the tedious selection process, had come to an end.

“I was grateful because you never really know what the selectors are thinking,” Prasad said. “After [being selected], I had much more of a vision of what I wanted to do because [being on the team] was the first milestone for [me]. [Now,] I can be a professional in this sport, tour the world and go places with different teams and play for different franchises.”

Prasad’s brother was motivated to join a local academy after the 2015 Cricket World Cup, and Prasad followed in his footsteps a year later Prasad played a lot of sports before cricket and first participated in street cricket with her neighbors at the age of 10, an unofficial setup that can she says be adopted by anyone interested in playing.

Like Prasad, MVHS parent Anand Nadathur played many sports during his childhood with the neighborhood children, cricket being most popular. With a group of approximately 10 children ranging from age five to late teens, they would separate into two teams and play in front of their houses.

“I started playing when I was in first or second grade,” Nadathur said. “[Every kid] in that neighborhood [was] part of the team. My brother was playing and then when I was ready to hold the bat, I started to play. Nobody taught me how to hold the bat, I just saw him do [it] and I also did [it].”

Nadathur keeps up with professional cricket games, particularly the Indian Men’s and Women’s Cricket teams’. Junior Omkar Kulkarni also follows the Indian Cricket teams and has been watching since he saw a Men’s India vs. Pakistan game in 2009 when he was three.

“I enjoyed the style of gameplay and the aggressiveness that the players had and the game itself and that’s how I got into it,” Kulkarni said. “I always wanted to do something in sports [and] I found cricket to be the perfect sport to pursue and enjoy. I got interested as soon as I saw it and it was never like ‘I’ll give it a shot,’ it was like ‘I want to do that.’ It’s like a natural instinct.”

Contrary to Men’s Cricket, Prasad says that Women’s Cricket is not as popular and she has come a long way since the start of her cricket career — in her earlier teams, her coaches made her play in the outfield away from the actual gameplay. However, motivated to become involved in bowling and batting, she put in effort to improve and

CRICKET CLUB

For junior Krishna Nathan, a cricket bat and a ball are staple items that he brings to school every day, regardless of whether he plays or not. When Nathan joined the Cricket Club, which meets every Friday at the lower field, he was interested in playing with his friends as well as watching others play. With cricket being a new club, he hopes that more people will join and try out the sport.

PHOTOS | KALYANI PUTHENPURAYIL

earned herself chances to do that, and says it was not because she was not good enough but because she was a girl that she was underestimated and not given the opportunity to bat and bowl in the beginning. As part of the national team, Prasad meets up with her teammates three to five times a year for tournaments, and has played internationally in Mexico, Zimbabwe and Trinidad and Tobago.

“I've learned so much since I got into the national team two years ago, but it's not a one and done deal,” Prasad said. “You still have to keep working hard even after you make the national team because you can always be dropped. You have to keep upping your skill, you have to keep being good at what you do, you have to keep winning games from the team, and that's really what matters.”

and put different spins on the ball. The differing interests held by her and her coach made her question if she could continue with the sport, especially as she was getting tired from doing the same thing over and over again. However, she realized that she needed to figure out what she wanted to do and find enjoyment in that, instead of doing what others wanted her to do. Questioning why she wanted to continue cricket helped her find a reason to keep pursuing the sport and overcome this internal battle.

JUNIOR OMKAR KULKARNI

In addition to the national team, Kulkarni says that more opportunities are becoming available for those who want to pursue a professional career in cricket, such as participating in the Major and Minor Cricket Leagues. Despite the increasing scope for cricket careers, Kulkarni finds that as a high school student, he is not able to commit as much time to the sport as he used to be able to back in elementary and middle school.

Another obstacle that cricket presents is burnout, which Prasad says is inevitable. At one point, she had to bowl a lot and was confined to a couple of techniques, which was the opposite of what she wanted to do — she wanted to try new throws

“A lot of people take things so seriously when they play sports, [but] I really like playing sports because it's fun,” Prasad said. “During that [time], there were so many people around me who were instilling in my subconscious that I should be doing this for performance, numbers or stats. I want to win games for my team because I like winning [and] at the end of the day, I just want to have fun doing what I do.”

For Kulkarni, cricket has not only presented playing opportunities but coaching ones as well. Recently, he coached some children at the Cupertino Library cricket field, and saw how the cricket

CRICKET CLUB

Junior Omkar Kulkarni, the Vice President of the Cricket club, decided to start this club with senior Akshay Sahai, a friend and former teammate, after seeing those around him taking an interest in cricket.

“We were shocked that our school has a big cricket base, so we decided to create a platform for everyone to gather and talk about cricket, practice, and play with a team,” Kulkarni said. “It’s the first year, so there’s a lot of work to do, but I would say we’re off to a decent start.”

knowledge he had learned from those who were more experienced than him when he was younger allowed him to get better. Now, he teaches children who are newer to the sport. Kulkarni finds that cricket has allowed him to make great memories and gain a multitude of experiences.

“I started off playing when I was nine [and] I’m still friends with those [teammates] ‘til this day because we just had a lot of great experiences on the field,” Kulkarni said. “It’s really exciting and it helps provide a sense of community that other programs might not necessarily provide. Although it’s not part of the school sports programs, I hope that cricket grows to be [more] recognized and [one] that people can pursue and be part of.”

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I HOPE THAT CRICKET GROWS TO BE [MORE] RECOGNIZED AND [ONE] THAT PEOPLE CAN PURSUE AND BE PART OF.

FANTASY FANATICS

Looking into fantasy sports and its influence on MVHS students

BY KRIPA MAYURESHWAR AND BRANDON XU

Journalism teachers across the country play in a fantasy baseball league together, one of them being Palo Alto High School Journalism teacher Rod Satterthwaite. Over a decade ago, one of Satterthwaite’s friends asked him to join a fantasy sports league. Unfamiliar with fantasy sports but interested in following and occasionally playing sports, Satterthwaite found he enjoyed staying in touch with distant peers through the hobby and has continued playing since.

“[Fantasy sports has] created a chance to connect with those people and get to know them a little bit better,” Satterthwaite said. “And then when I see them, which is usually at journalism conventions, it’s an icebreaker too — ‘I don’t really know you that well, so I’m not sure [what] I’m going to talk to you about. Oh, let’s talk about our fantasy baseball league.’”

Senior Jaebeum Cho also feels that playing fantasy sports has given him the opportunity to “make conversation out of nothing” with others and become closer with them. He recalls calling fellow senior Jeremiah Moli while he was at work and convincing him to make a trade, which Moli came to greatly regret,

causing Moli to “go through the five stages of grief.”

Cho is part of a fantasy sports group chat with his friends where they send each other sports related news, and it is his main source of updates about sports news and player injuries. Cho plays fantasy basketball, soccer, hockey and baseball, and has been playing for just over a year, after being introduced to it by his friends.

On the other hand, Satterthwaite gains information about sports from his son and from watching sports on TV. He says fantasy sports have renewed not know anything about, like ‘Who’s the third string utility player for the Texas Rangers?’ — no one cares,” Satterthwaite said. “But if you’re playing fantasy sports and

you need a utility player, you want to know those things. It’s just created [a] search for knowledge that people didn’t really care about before, but now [they] do care about [it] because they have these teams that they’re a part of.”

On the other hand, junior Anay Putty, who was also introduced to fantasy sports by his friends, does not believe that fantasy sports have affected his knowledge of sports. Putty finds information on players through a fantasy league website, which has information such as player injuries or suspensions. However, he says that his familiarity with sports has not changed much since he started playing fantasy sports due to already having extensive knowledge on soccer and football.

Cho also follows some of the fantasy sports he plays but says that for sports like hockey and baseball, which he is not as enthusiastic about, he “just looks at the numbers.” Though he enjoys following and playing soccer and basketball, he says that one of his main incentives for continuing to play is initiating punishments for being in last place or forfeiting and being rewarded for winning.

“For the basketball league, [the punishment] was getting a buzz cut, but [I doubt anyone will] follow through,” Cho said. “For the hockey league, the punishment was that [the person in] last place has to buy dinner for everyone.”

In Cho’s hockey league, the winner is granted the ability to make everyone else do something they don’t want to. According to Cho, if he won, he would want to send everyone in the

“[Fantasy sports has] made people more likely to watch players ... It’s created [a] search for knowledge that people didn’t care about before.”

JOURNALISM TEACHER ROD SATTERTHWAITE

league to different high schools for a day, similar to FUHSD’s IDC Exchange program.

In Satterthwaite’s league, small monetary awards are involved depending on rank and money required to join the league. However, Satterthwaite does not view money as an important part of his fantasy sports experience.

“I say that from a place of privilege, but the baseball league is $40 to join, and the Football League was $20 to join, so it’s not very much money, and the money really has nothing to do with it,” Satterthwaite said. “It’s more like bragging rights to win. I think in our baseball league, the winner gets $350, but money isn’t the motivator to do it.”

Apart from competing in the league, Satterthwaite’s main purpose in playing is the personal bonds he creates and maintains with other members. The winner of his league receives the Casey Cup, a trophy named in honor of one of Satterthwaite’s friends, a Journalism teacher who passed away in 2022 due to COVID-19. Satterthwaite recalls that being in a league with him was one of his most memorable experiences in playing fantasy sports.

“[Casey] was sort of the elder statesman of the group,” Satterthwaite said. “He had been teaching and advising journalism the longest, and he was just a super kind, generous human being. Having this Casey Cup in his honor, I think is a good way to memorialize him and it’s just a reminder, just keep him in the forefront of our minds.”

Putty says that besides being a way to connect with others, fantasy sports is also “a better experience for sports lovers,” due to the unique perspective it brings towards sports. He states playing fantasy sports makes him feel more involved in the sports he

“It’s kind of like you’re managing your own team,” Putty said. “You’re like a coach of the players that sports experience [of] having to be a manager or coach.”

Putty believes that because of this new experience, fantasy sports will be played by even more people in the future. Satterthwaite agrees that fantasy sports could become more popular over time, especially due to people being able to earn money from it. He also references the variety of fantasy sports made available by media companies.

“I hear a lot more people now talking about fantasy sports leagues than I’ve ever heard before, and now almost every sports organization and even media companies have leagues,” Satterthwaite said. “Yahoo has its own sort of sports leagues in pretty much every sport, so now even in lesser known sports, you can do fantasy golf, and you can

do fantasy volleyball. It’s good to see there’s women’s fantasy sports now too. It seems to be growing, and I would imagine it will continue to grow.”

13% of MVHS Students have played fantasy Sports

ACcording to a survey of 124 people

| KRIPA MAYURESHWAR

“It’s kind of like you’re managing your own team. You’re like a coach of the players you pick.”

JUNIOR ANAY PUTTY

PHOTO | AASHNA PATEL

PHOTO | SOPHIA MA