Volume 43, Issue 4, December 17, 2012 by El Estoque

page 5

The ambiguity of cheating

page 20

Holiday Planner

page 38

Youngest players on varsity

Monta Vista High School Issue 4, Volume XLIII elestoque.org December 17, 2012

elESTOQUE FINDING OUR

ESCAPES

Whether stress comes from school, work or anywhere else, we all find ways to clear the mind. Special Report, Page 29.

elESTOQUE

Contents OPINION 15 staff editorial Guilty until proven innocent? Why the school’s approach to handling cheating incidents needs to change

news 4 Disconnect on dishonesty Teachers and students hold differing views on cheating

10 Forming new clubs

Examining the impact of Club Commission’s policies

12 COLUMN: Little Lessons

16 club commission

Leinient policies allow for a growing number of inactive clubs on campus

18 pulse Exploring the effects a person’s medium of escape has on his or her persona

18 BOTTOM LINE Athletes recruited to prestigious universities deserve equal respect Students with seasonal illnesses must stay home for good of others

19 column: The Deep End

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 20 Man’s best friend

Students have relationships with surprising household pets

22 Holiday in the Bay

A calendar of events to attend this winter break

25 COLUMN: Family matters 26 COLUMN: 17 Going on 71 special report 30 Escape network The Internet gains popularity as a method of escape

34 No more a Matador Students unhappy with the MVHS environment go elsewhere

37 Keeping it real Being practical about the distinction between relaxing and escaping

sports 38 Youngest and the best The youngest athletes on varsity teams describe their experiences

42 The winning moment

Senior athletes on being recruited for college sports

41 Boarding breakdown

A beginner’s winter sports guide to snowboarding

47 Sportsflash

A recap of both boys and girls soccer teams and wrestling

EL ESTOQUE

el ESTOQUE 21840 McClellan Road Cupertino, CA 95014 mv.el.estoque@gmail.com Editors-in-Chief: Cynthia Mao, Anushka Patil Managing Editors: Smitha Gundavajhala, Patrick Xie, Amelia Yang Copy Editors: Daniel Fernandez, Forest Liao Webmaster: Karen Feng Photo Editors: Margaret Lin, Catherine Lockwood News Editors: Rachel Beyda, Amrutha Dorai, Athira Penghat Sports Editors: Carissa Chan, Karen Feng, Atharva Fulay Entertainment Editors: Yimeng Han, Gisella Joma, Yashashree Pisolkar Opinion Editors: Simran Devidasani, Mihir Patil, Bryan Wang Special Report Editors: Mihir Joshi, Jennifer Lee, Morahd Shawki Design Editor: Alexandria Poh Business Editors: Albert Qiu, Varsha Venkat Public Relations Editors: Ankita Tejwani, Angela Wang Staff Writers: Anjali Bhat, Shriya Bhindwale, Anupama Cemballi, Nathan Desai, Ashley Ding, Soumya Kurnool, Yuna Lee, Steven Lim, Shannon Lin, Alaina Lui, Shuyi Qi, Namrata Ramani, Ruba Shaik, Christopher Song, Eva Spitzen, Robert Sulgit, Joyce Varma, Neesha Venktatesan Adviser: Michelle Balmeo Credits Some images in this publication were taken from the stock photography website sxc.hu. Mission Statement El Estoque is an open forum created for and by students of Monta Vista High School. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the journalism staff and not of Monta Vista High School or the Fremont Union High School District. The staff seeks to recognize individuals, events, and ideas and bring news to the MVHS community in a manner that is professional, unbiased, and thorough in order to effectively serve our readers. We strive to report accurately, and we will correct any significant error. If you believe such an error has been made, please contact us. Letters of any length should be submitted via email or mail. They may be edited for length or accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion. We also reserve the right to reject advertising due to space limitations or decision of the Editorial Board that content of the advertisement conflicts with the mission of the publication.

DECEMBER 17, 2012

These are our

ESCAPE ACTS

veryone has had one of these experiences: You’re sitting in your English class and your teacher is lecturing about diction, but it’s all background noise. Nothing is moving in your peripheral vision; you haven’t blinked in ages. You’re not quite sure what you’re thinking about. That’s when when you realize you’ve been staring down the person across the room from you for the past 20 minutes. When you get over the awkwardness of the situation, questions arise: What exactly happened there? How was it that you were seeing what was in front of you without really seeing it all? If you weren’t conscious of your thoughts, does that mean your brain has really shut off for a few moments? Can you will your brain to turn off? (You can’t. Try thinking about nothing — truly nothing. Just try it.) When we zone out, we find ourselves blissfully unaware of our surroundings, but also of our responsibilities, our obligations and our stresses. We escape — even if it’s only until the person you’ve been staring at sinks LETTER FROM awkwardly into their chair to hide — and though it seems spontaneous, there is actual science relating to attention spans and cognition that explains the phenomenon. You’ll find those statistics and explanations throughout our Special Report, beginning on page 29. But while mental escape is often involuntary and uncontrollable, we can also actively seek it. The more the current world becomes overwhelming, the more we want to leave it. Some turn to art and music; others bury themselves in their work. Seniors Forest Liao and Smitha Gundavajhala look at those who turn to Internet communities, like fandoms and

Tumblr, on page 30. We frequently call these escapes — particularly those like Internet and TV — “wastes” of time. But it’s common knowledge that being a workaholic even, isn’t healthy: Our bodies will make it clear that we need a break. That said, it’s easy to justify a four-hour YouTube marathon under the premise of relaxation and health. But if we can adequately distinguish between anxiety and simple laziness, then are we really wasting time? After all, rest is a requirement to function, and as junior Molly Vora mentions in senior Anupama Cemballi’s article “Escape to Nowhere” on page 35, sometimes your body will take an escape, whether you choose to give it one or not. Oftentimes, we hesitate to allow ourselves to have fun and go to dances, rallies or other school events. Yet, the evening finds us web-hopping. Whether or not we Cynthia actively seek it, escape will find us in some & way, at some time. We Anushka deny ourselves sleep, but pay for it in other ways. When the sleep THE EDITORS debt catches up, don’t be afraid to dream. Go along for the ride. Escape is inescapable. After all, you might as well feel happy and rested at the end of the detour for all the time spent away from work. Ultimately, deciding how long to zone out during a block period lecture, or how long to push ourselves to study in one night requires a defined list of priorities. Regardless of what’s more important — keeping your physical and mental health in check, or reaching higher and higher levels of academic success — there’s a balance that is up to us to find.

MAO

PATIL

c.mao@elestoque.org | a.patil@elestoque.org

Correction: The photo on page 30 of the November 19 issue was taken by Catherine Lockwood.

NEWS

DEFINE THE LINE Disconnect in priorities between students and teachers keeps cheating alive by Yuna Lee and Steven Lim

he answer key was online, and the What’s the problem? The district defines cheating as including, students knew it. In order to hold students accountable for but not limited to, “looking at someone else’s They copied the answers — not academic honesty in his class, math teacher work product or knowingly allowing someone everyone, but enough for AP Biology teacher Jon Stark asks his students to sign a test to look at one’s work product during an exam, Renee Fallon to notice test, or quiz.” What also falls something was amiss. in this category includes Students need to “Some person went “using any kind of ‘cheat understand the goal of online, found the answers notes’ during an exam, test, doing an assignment and told their friends,” or quiz,” as well as “copying said junior Connie Guan, a any work assigned to be isn’t to have the answers student in one of Fallon’s done independently or letting written on the paper, classes. “All these people others copy one’s work.” but to work through the who copied the answer Despite this seemingly percent of students believe material, to understand sheet were wrong, so clear-cut definition, students teachers should explain the it, to find the answers Fallon was able to tell still cheat. definition of cheating more on your own. that the answers were According to the Journal clearly — French teacher Sarah Finck wrong and [realized] all of Economic Education, this these people had the same enigma is not one unique wrong answers.” to MVHS. Students and percent of students According to several teachers across the board sources, Fallon addressed see eye to eye when it comes believe teachers the class after she to the more obvious forms are relatively strict became aware that some of cheating — copying in regard to their students had cheated on tests, plagiarizing research cheating policies the worksheet that was papers, using cheat sheets assigned. She later spoke — but this consensus to those who had allegedly dissolves when seemingly cheated. less serious forms of cheat \’chēt\ percent of students For many years now, cheating are brought into verb believe teachers according to senior question. Is collaborating Athreya Alur, who took on homework cheating? 1. Act dishonestly or unfairly in order and students have the class last year, AP What about studying to gain an advantage, esp. in a game differing definitions Biology students have from old tests not or examination: “She cheats at cards.” of cheating used online answer keys provided by the teacher? 2. Deceive or trick. as “resources.” Fallon Using online translators? Merriam-Webster Dictionary and AP Biology teacher While 24 percent Pamela Chow declined to of students thought Some teachers — especially science teachers — tend comment on the incident. a student copying to be very strict. For math teachers, I think cheating on “Honestly, I felt bad homework from tests is really significant, but they generally don’t really for a lot of the current another student does care about homework. I’ve seen it happen almost in students [who were caught not count as cheating, cheating],” Alur said. “I’m out of a separate front of their faces, but they don’t really care. not encouraging cheating survey taken by — senior Ardavan Farahvash or anything, but [the 60 teachers, only answer key] was valuable three percent of when you forgot to do your homework.” security agreement that disallows the sharing teachers agreed. However, students An El Estoque survey of 458 students of information about tests or quizzes. AP are less conflicted about the use of revealed that 76 percent of students feel Biology classes have a similar policy requiring online translators for homework that teachers are relatively strict in regard to students to sign each test and quiz. All of this than teachers. While 51 percent of enforcing their cheating policies. Yet, cheating goes beyond the various green sheets students teachers think students using online and parents sign at the beginning of each year. translators for homework counts as within the student body persists.

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EL ESTOQUE

NEWS cheating, 72 percent of students think similarly. Cheating is heavily dependent on teachers’ individual perceptions of cheating, which begs the question: When are you really cheating? How to combat it In addition to the test security agreement, Stark has tried to implement disincentives, such as the inclusion of all his classes in his curving process. “If you help someone who’s in a later period, it will hurt you because they’ll have better performances and they’ll get better grades,” Stark explained. “I used to find that if I gave the same test, I had a steady improvement from one period to the next. And now I don’t see that anymore.” French teacher Sarah Finck utilizes different strategies. Important writing assignments are done in class to prevent the use of language translators, and folders are put up as visual barriers during tests.

“I’ve found very few students actually being malicious, but they felt [cheating] was a better solution than writing their own work on the paper,” Finck said. Having had conversations with students who cheated, Finck feels that students usually understand what they did wrong. So the question remains: why do they do it? The priority dilemma “The biggest concern students seem to have is whether they’re going to get caught,” Stark said. “That shows the character issue right there. That shouldn’t be concern number one. Concern number one should be, ‘This is wrong. I shouldn’t be doing it.’” In this sense, what may be an ethical issue in teachers’ eyes may simply be a matter of organizing priorities for students. MVHS’ competitive environment and students’ motivation to earn excellent grades, junior Samarth Dua believes, leads to cheating — students will do whatever it takes. When the

Does copying homework answers from an answer key count as cheating? Students Teachers

Yes 69% Yes 90%

Does letting a student copy your homework count as cheating? Students Teachers

Yes 97%

Responses to cheating Stark expresses no sympathy toward cheaters. According to him, students are afraid of consequences and lack the initiative to engage in an active dialogue with teachers. As a result, teachers are often times left unaware of their students’ situations, and the communication gap between both sides continued on page 6

Does using an online language translator count as cheating? Students Teachers

No 72% No 49%

Does submitting an older sibling’s work as your own count as cheating? Students

Yes 72%

pressure on students becomes so great that they have to turn to cheating, the end result becomes more important than the process of getting there. “Copying someone’s homework — who wouldn’t know that’s wrong?” Stark said. “I think anyone who claims they didn’t know it was improper is dishonest and is lying. People try to make that kind of excuse, but give me a break — it’s just not credible.”

Teachers

Yes 95% Yes 100% *The student data was collected from a survey of 458 respondents. *The teacher data was collected from a survey of 60 respondents.

DECEMBER 17, 2012

NEWS remains an issue. of Honor. The student receives a zero on the For Stark, cheating does not prepare assignment, a referral written by Stark, and students for the real world. Students who the reduction of their semester grade by one cheat may find themselves stuck in a career full letter. without knowing how to properly perform. While students like Dua believe that “It’s not a model for how people have to cheating is unacceptable, they tend to favor work in life,” Stark said. “And [high school] different methods of dealing with it. The initial is all about punishment, prepar ing Dua suggested, “Copying someone’s people for should not be homework — who wouldn’t grand things so severe; and know that’s wrong? I think in the future. if cheating It saddens me occurs again, anyone who claims they very much to consequences didn’t know it was improper see it.” should be harsher. [is] dishonest and is lying. W h e n Senior Ardavan People try to make that it comes to Fa r a hva sh dealing with kind of excuse, but give echoed Dua, c h e a t i n g h ig h l ig h t i ng me a break — it’s just not incidents, Stark the importance credible.” maintains a of students’ strict policy — math teacher Jon Stark futures and the from the first significant impact offense, as that referrals and he believes that being lenient with the first negative comments on secondary school offense only invites further cheating in the reports have on students. future. Similarly, regardless of the severity of “Everyone, even teachers, have made such the action, all incidents of cheating are treated mistakes in their lives,” Farahvash said. “I the same way by the district’s Academic Code don’t think a single mistake should impact a

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student’s future that much. As long as it’s just a single mistake, it’s okay.” Bridging the gap In regards to the future, Finck believes more teacher-student conversations would facilitate a better understanding of cheating. Rules are usually laid out at the beginning of the year by teachers and are addressed again when problems arise. An increase in communication would help with reducing cheating, Farahvash believes, but students need to understand the wrongness of cheating for change to occur. Teachers like Stark and Finck continue to help students achieve their goals. In the end, both sides are working toward the same goals, but sometimes have different ways of going about getting there. “One of the things we should be producing here is not just people with great GPA’s, but people with honestly earned great GPA’s,” Stark said.

y.lee@elestoque.org | s.lim@elestoque.org

EL ESTOQUE

NEWS

CLUB SECURITY

by Shuyi Qi and Albert Qiu

With many similar clubs on campus and more awaiting review, how does Club Commission decide which to accept and reject?

The application process Online application

4 Club Commission voters

“I

have no idea.” That was junior Warren Shen’s response when asked how the Technology Student Association — which Shen founded and serves as the president of — was approved by Club Commission this year, even though it was rejected last year. While there is an established process for reviewing club applications, accepting and rejecting clubs essentially comes down to a case by case basis. According to Club Commission, choosing clubs is all a matter of circumstance; for some clubs, the deciding factor is their potential for long term success while for others, it’s a question of their similarity to other clubs on campus. With a total of 90 clubs on campus — not to mention an even greater amount of applicants — how exactly does Club Commission decide which clubs to accept and reject? s.qi@elestoque.org | a.qiu@elestoque.org

According to Club Commission,

the ideal club must: Two votes against, two votes for

1. Spark interest in the student body 2. Not be too similar to any other clubs on campus Three or more votes of approval

3. Have serious potential for longterm success 4. Have a purpose not so specific that it would attract little interest

Fewer than two votes of approval

Club Commission voters meet with club applicants to negotiate

Club Accepted Applicants request a repeal meeting

Club Rejected

EL ESTOQUE

What sets them apart

With 90 clubs on campus, there are bound to be similarities. Some of the biggest divisions include business, volunteer and modern language clubs. Here are their shared traits and differences. Is an international club Focuses on primarily business related activities Includes international conferences Mostly geared toward businesss

Encourage students to pursue business related activities

Have study sessions for preparing for competitions

What they have in common

Similar competitions format Have competitions that take place around the nation

Have similar officer team structure: Competitions branch Executive branch Technology branch Public relations branch

Technology Student Association Is a national club

Besides business, also focuses on various other activities (i.e. fashion design, architectural renovation and biotechnology) Focuses on STEM competitions

Recreational: members watch movies, make crafts and eat Chinese food Membership open to anybody

CHINESE CLUB What they have in common

Point system for attendance and tutoring Geared toward competing at national competitions DECEMBER 17, 2012

Biggest fundraiser is International Night Active membership requires at least 16 volunteer hours per year

INTERACT

OCTAGON

What they have in common

Both funded by international clubs

Focuses on cancer research

Biggest fundraiser is Cure Cancer Cafe Active membership requires at least 10 volunteer hours per year

What sets them apart

Members tutor Chinese 1 and 2 students

What sets them apart

Membership open to students in Chinese 3 and above

Focuses on different international causes every year

Similar volunteer activities

Chinese focus

CHS Chinese Honor Society

What sets them apart

Mostly geared toward technical careers

What sets them apart

TSA

DECA

careers

NEWS

LITTLE LESSONS

Nathan Desai

When childhood expires

The Twinkie died, Elmo cried — we’re not on Sesame Street anymore

don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the world any struggles to begin with. It isn’t like the is supposed to end. A zombie apocalypse demographic of fat Americans has decreased isn’t quite what the Mayans predicted, but in the past few months. If anything, their that seems to be the popular belief right now. market has grown recently. Yet the market was revived as soon as So how are we going to protect ourselves? the news broke. The value of Twinkies has I guess I’ll be fine because I don’t have a brain in the first place. But what about skyrocketed, with some people auctioning the you guys? Are you going to make a shelter? product for up to $5,000 on eBay. Regardless, my childhood Are you going to has now been ruined, and live on an island? Why don’t you act I could have gone the rest I’m not the only one. Both the Elmo debacle and the Hostess like Tallahassee in of my life without Elmo or tragedy have blown up “Zombieland” and search for the sacred Twinkies and I wouldn’t online. The week of Hostess’ “Twinkies” cream-filled treasure have noticed a thing. bankruptcy, received more Google known as the However, I got angry be- searches than the conflict Twinkie? Because we can’t. cause part of my child- between Israel and Hamas. Yet these two events On Nov. 16, hood was threatened. show that everyone is Hostess filed for still attached to their bankruptcy due to the childhood. When company’s inability something that you grew up with is to reach an agreement with the Bakers’ Union. By Nov. 21, the makers of Twinkies and threatened to be taken away, you tend to get angry and upset, even if there is no Wonder Bread went out of business. And if that didn’t strike a blow right in the longer an emotional attachment. It’s hard to lose something from your childhood childhood, I’m sure this next story will. A day before Hostess went out of business, because it is a time full of good memories Kevin Clash quit his job. He had been accused and experiences. I could have gone the rest of statutory rape and the controversy led to his resignation. The accuser first sued Clash, of my life without Elmo or then recanted his lawsuit and then retracted Twinkies, and I wouldn’t his recantation. Simply put, this man couldn’t have noticed a thing. decide whether to sue Clash or not, but eventually decided to go through with it. But why do you care? Who is this Clash guy? Why can’t I think of a third rhetorical question? Because Kevin Clash was the voice of Elmo. Do you hear that? That’s the sound of your childhood dying. When I was a kid, I would tune in to “Sesame Street” just to watch the red muppet, as he was the heart and soul of the show. (Insert inappropriate, overused and unpublishable “Tickle Me Elmo” joke.) You have to think that this is just one huge conspiracy by Mitt Romney to get Elmo’s best friend Big Bird off the air. However, I am equally confused by the Hostess case. How did they go out of business? The upcoming zombie apocalypse sure didn’t encourage anyone to buy their Amrutha Dorai and Margaret Lin | El Estoque Photo Illustration products. But the company shouldn’t have had

BES T

However, I got angry because part of my childhood was threatened. It’s almost like my childhood is something that will always be a part of me. Despite how old I get, I will always have a connection to the days when I was younger. And since part of my childhood has now been taken away, it’s only natural for me to get angry. Or maybe I got pissed because there’s no way we will be prepared for the impending zombie apocalypse. n. desai@elestoque.org

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Guilty

until proven innocent

OPINION

Our school system has taught us one thing, but has done the opposite

Alexandria Poh | El Estoque Photo Illustration

It’s just a homework assignment, but it’s and any students suspected of having been rather difficult. You’re running out of time involved in the “tweak” are now marked before your third period, and the answer as cheaters. But if the domain provided to key you found online is open on a computer, you by your own teacher contains helpful staring at you, tempting you to use it. Unable resources, why would using them be a crime? to take it any longer you take the answers In contrast, all AP Chemistry teachers and scribble them on your homework. include the answer keys in the very There are two possible ways this worksheet that is assigned. Students in that story can end. The first, if you are in AP class can pull up the key that is offered to Biology, results in an academic code them and copy the answers word-for-word, violation, and a drop in your letter grade. without any consequences for their actions. The second, if you are in AP Chemistry, There is a fine line when it comes to results in full credit on the assignment. defining cheating, but it is obvious that It was common knowledge that a tweak copying answers word for word is an abuse of in the URL of science teachers Pam Chow’s resources. There have been cases of cheating and Renee Fallon’s joint in both AP Chemistry website could uncover the and AP Biology, but answer keys from previous AP Chemistry students years. Even though these have been able to keys were not directly linked escape the consequence on the main page from u n s c a t h e d . the AP Biology website, It’s important to they were on a teacher note that answers in controlled website, and both AP Biology and it was completely within AP Chemistry were OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE easily available to the rights of the students to use that information. students; AP Chemistry EDITORIAL BOARD Plus, students used students can access the these keys to supplement answers right from the the reinforcement of what they learned document, and while the AP Biology homework in class, and rarely did students ever answers were not provided, students were blindly copy the keys word-for-word. able to see them on the teachers’ website. This is the first year that Chow and So when the standard for homework Fallon have been made aware of this issue assignments changes from class to class,

STAFF

EDITORIAL

DECEMBER 17, 2012

how are students supposed to know what is acceptable? Such inequity ensures that instead of these policies eliminating cheating altogether, students take advantage of the teachers who are indifferent to students referring to answer keys, which may have severe repercussions in other classes. And when the consequences for such an infraction are so high, why does one teacher get to decide whether or not a student has cheated? In essence, that teacher becomes the judge, jury and executioner; no other people are consulted, and there is little room for students to defend themselves. To prevent this, there may be only one solution: make homework optional. The whole premise of the concept of homework is to reinforce what we learned in school, but if students choose to abuse their resources, then the fundamental purpose of homework is lost. But if homework were optional, students would do it on their own time and use it as a valuable way to study. If this policy of optional homework is not reinforced, a student’s academic record can be scarred for the rest of his or her academic career, just because of one wrong call. So when such a doubt is present in a plethora of incidents, the benefit of the doubt must be given to the student. It is commonly said that we would rather let 100 guilty people go free than punish one innocent person. And it is about time we realized that our schools are not exceptions to that moral code. 15

OPINION

PULSE extends the conversation from El Estoque to you, the student body, concerning the current issues of the day. El Estoque Illustrations | Bryan Wang, Alexandria Poh, Shuyi Qi, Atharva Fulay

Escapism is simply a part of living a balanced life. After all, how do you define escapism? It’s taking time off from the obligations and stress of life to do what you personally enjoy. Unfortunately, this is precisely why escapism has a negative connotation. We all face pressure from teachers, parents, and our own ambitions that cause us to feel guilty about doing activities that don’t seem to contribute to our foreseeable futures. How often do you feel good about escaping? This is why we need to recognize that it is necessary and worthwhile to put aside some time every day for stress-relieving activities because they fundamentally shape our worldview and interactions with others. El Estoque interviewed three students to elaborate about their escapes and each person drew candid evaluations of their perceived impact. Some revelations were self-reprimanding, but ultimately people were able to pinpoint the far-reaching benefits of their escapes.

the bottom line

Motivated athletes get a deserved head start in the college application race by Namrata Ramani

As seniors anticipate college acceptance letters, a few have already secured admission in top universities through sports recruitment. However, students look down on those who are guaranteed spots in distinguished universities based on pure athletic talent. Senior Kevin Su, who was recruited by the University of Pennsylvania for swimming, clearly earned his way into the school. His record for 200 yard freestyle, just 58 hundredths of a second away from the world 16

record time. As MVHS students, we value academic achievement but we often fail to recognize alternate forms of achievement. When an athlete invests years of his or her life into a sport, he or she is not doing it to build up his college resume but rather to pursue personal goals. Achievements in sports are actually no different that those in academics; both require immense focus, determination and effort. And both can land you in college.

It is understandable that students undergoing the tedious process of applying to college are envious of those guaranteed admission, but they should consider all of an athlete’s records, games and tournaments as a testimony for their “application.” If someone is sought after by an excellent college for sports, he or she deserves equal praise as anyone who is admitted for academic merit. n.ramani@elestoque.org EL ESTOQUE

Idealism Whenever senior Sharlena Tien chooses to open herself up by talking about her love of anime, peers often tear her down with their judgements. “People have many prejudices when it comes to anime [because they] think it’s dumb or because the characters are not real, but the truth is that many animes are really well thought out and can have a lot of symbolism and depth,” she said. Loneliness, pain and sadness are all prevalent themes that highlight the good and the ugly in human relationships. Tien cites this as a main component for her interest in anime as they allow her to see the different ways characters deal with their emotions. In addition, the characters with tragic background stories become the heroes at the end thereby accentuating an idealistic tone. Anime has an unique ability to incorporate difficult problems into a romantic world of hard-working heroes which allows people to derive hope and motivation for everyday life. Escaping to other worlds helps alleviate the pessimism so present in life today. The heroes in anime, however unrealistic they may seem, serve as role models who perform heroic acts that escapists perceive as tangible and use for motivation. Even though the people may not be real, their experiences reflect those of reality.

Personality “I don’t even remember how I was before,” junior Kaholi Kyonami said, a little bit surprised at herself. Kiyonami can’t remember her life before NBC comedy shows and the “weirder” parts of Tumblr, where she says a text post merely consisting of the word “Hello” spelled incorrectly can get 10000 responses.“People on websites like Tumblr are pretty strange, so when they put out their opinions, it affects you as a person, and you feel a deeper understanding of people where you want to be like that. It’s kind of [peer] pressure in a way,” Kiyonami said. Her sense of humor and personality have been significantly influenced by sources like Tumblr. Kiyonami acknowledges that many people are “peer pressured” by internet personalities. Because people frequently browse and talk about this material, sharing jokes and memes like “Fight me IRL, do you even lift?,” their internet influences inevitably become a part of their personalities. For the vast majority who frequent good sites, this influence serves to make them more interesting, informed people.

Perspective Senior Kumar Veeravel has done robotics since freshman year, as an escape from school. “It’s just like more complex Legos,” he says, smiling. In fact, he originally joined because of his childhood interest in Legos, as well as the misconception that he would be building fearsome battle bots. Although robotics is stressful and time-consuming during build season, especially since Veeravel has taken on more leadership roles, he comes back every year. Why? Veeravel shares a random thought he had recently; like many students, Veeravel has trouble waking up in the morning, yet he noticed that he wakes up if a light is turned on. He instinctively designed a machine that would turn his light on at a certain time, much like an alarm clock. Robotics has changed Veeravel’s perception of the world , as our escapes often do; as we get more and more engrossed in an activity, we start seeing how it connects to our lives. That sense of discovery is rewarding to Veeravel and the rest of us.

Coming to school sick is not as productive as previously thought by Ruba Shaik

A sick student’s sneeze can spray a barrage of germs up to three feet, and the cold viruses within it can survive for up to three days on inanimate objects like desks, textbooks and computers. In short, it’s a bad idea to come to school sick. And yet, we all do it because students feel that missing a day is completely out of the question. There’s simply too much that goes on in school, and often times students find themselves making up work weeks after their illnesses. But blaming DECEMBER 17, 2012

our school’s notorious workload is hardly the solution to this unsanitary practice. In reality, the problem begins and ends with us. It’s a self-inflicted cycle. When students come to school sick they are less productive and take twice as long to recover when they refuse to take a day off. This cyclic process is only heightened due to the infectious nature of colds. Statistics have proven that more than 50 percent of the expected yearly colds are contracted

from school. By eliminating the sick from school, it will not only create a higher percent of attendance but will also help to stop the spreading of sickness. The logic is simple: the fewer students that come to school sick, the fewer students will become sick. Stopping this increasingly prevalent practice requires collective effort, but if it keeps us healthy in the process, it’s worth a shot. r.shaik@elestoque.org

OPINION

Commission impossible Club Commission’s process for admitting new clubs should be tightened by Daniel Fernandez and Simran Devidasani

Shuyi Qi | El Estoque Photo Illustration

here are over 85 clubs on campus, and their roles are all converging. According to Club Commission, its duties consist of organizing and monitoring clubs. However, Club Commissioner Tiffany Nguyen said that 70 percent of clubs collapse after their first year due to a lack of interest. That interest would be strengthened if clubs were held accountable. For that to happen, Club Commission needs to keep a closer watch on clubs in the formative stages. The application for clubs is ambiguous and cannot adequately predict a club’s success. Questions such as “What interest does your club fill?” and “What differentiates your club from other similar groups on campus?”, while covering basic details, are too broad and obscure the reason for creating the club, which would help Club Commission distinguish clubs. Thus, along with questions of intent, applications should contain questions of background, as one might find on a job application. In fact, maintaining 18

a club is similar to maintaining a job, and Club Commission should take its cues from the hiring process in order to make sure clubs are qualified. The club application should ask what led the student to start the club and what similar activities the student was involved in previously. This will provide more insight as to a club’s goals, something concrete for Club Commission to monitor. After receiving the application, Club Commission discusses the clubs’ responses and then compares them to other clubs on campus — or rather, they compare the applications. The comparison process rarely leaves the discussion phase, however; if Club Commission were to follow up with the clubs, it would see that the clubs’ energy, interest and dedication to their founding goals has waned. Finally in the current system,

Club Commission makes its decision by vote. In order to for a club to be approved, three of four Club Commission members must vote in its favor. If not, the club can apply for an appeals process, in which they meet with the commission and negotiate the club’s validity. While the process may appear to be solid, due to the constant change in clubs and Club Commission policies, there are many loopholes. Because so many clubs change, it’s difficult to assess the needs of each club on campus. In an effort to create a better balance of clubs, Club Commission needs to be more stringent in the acceptance process. Club Commission can do this by not accepting too many clubs of similar interest. They say that the passing of clubs is based off of the changing circumstances, which is why clubs like

70 percent of MV clubs die off during their first few years

Technology Student Association get rejected one year and then passed the next. Even if there is a difference in intent between these clubs, as between the Science National Honor Society and the Math and Science Club, many of them effectively do the same things. Regardless of how their mission statements may differ, a lot of these clubs are similar, with only minor differences. Each club’s potential is wasted because there are five other clubs draining resources, members and money. Club Commission is expected to be the safeguard of quality. Enforcing standards will allow clubs to improve in order to earn their place on campus. With its current leniency, clubs have no idea of the standards to which they are being held. The commission’s duty is to stay involved in clubs and know when things are going wrong. Once standards are established, the clubs will follow suit. d.fernandez@elestoque.org s.devidasani@elestoque.org EL ESTOQUE

THE DEEP END

Forest Liao

The best leap of all-time

Time travel media raises pressing questions about how this column will end

Margaret Lin & Forest Liao | El Estoque Photo Illustration

o I watched “The Girl who Leapt Through Time.” It’s this slick little anime flick about a girl who leaps through time. Like literally leaps. How often no one does anything when she lands head over heels makes me seriously question the Japanese mindset. But, then again, Americans don’t stage an intervention when other people are being, well, American, so I guess I shouldn’t question it. The girl’s fruitless attempts to predict the future reminded me of more mindless television. When I was younger, I wasted my youth watching shows such as “Teen Titans.” (I still waste my youth today, but it’s too depressing to think about it in the present tense.) In one episode where the heroes had to fight a time traveler. He kept going on about DECEMBER 17, 2012

how he knew he was predetermined to win, it till the end of your pathetic life.) So, if faced with a prick, what could the but of course he failed miserably. The final message of the episode was that nothing is machine do? It could either become the written in stone and can’t be conquered with singularity and take over humankind, or it the powers of friendship and love and a team could hide its answers from pricks. Here’s an of television executives or something like that. example for the second option: The machine This angered me. Sure the Teen Titans had knows you’ll pick red, but doesn’t tell you changed a written part of history, but that because it knows you’ll pick blue if it does. didn’t mean some greater, unwritten version Now, because you can’t actively defy the of predetermination machine, it will always hadn’t predicted be correct. I would never be able to that they would You could argue that invest in the amazingly change those events. the machine wouldn’t Nothing had been even consider different reliable bank known as the proven. Nothing. paths, because it would California State Lottery. So I wondered only know the one true if you could access version of events, but if that greater version of predestination. But the red-card/blue-card scenario ever cropped not through intuition or fortune-telling or any up, thinking along those lines would possibly of that bullcrap. No, I had a different form of help us understand the machine’s “choices.” bullcrap in mind: brute force. Without having But you could say that if too many events to time travel, could you build a machine that were like the “red-card, blue-card” scenario, knew so much about the universe that it could the machine would be useless in that it would predict exactly what was going to happen? never be able to tell us anything. So I figured The machine would have so much information I’d take the machine out of the equation and that it would know what would happen down predict things myself. I may not have been as to the atom. It would understand chaos that we perfect as a machine, but there were a couple wouldn’t be able to wrap our minds around. of things I knew well enough to be able to For one thing it meant I would never generally predict their movements. be able to invest in the amazingly reliable In fact, one of these things was a person. bank known as the California State Lottery My brother: What are you doing in here? because of course all the numbers would Me: Aha! I knew you’d say that. I’ve hid and already be predicted and known by everyone. taken notes on everything you do! And you could go crazy thinking about how My brother: Why? this affected free will. Me: So I can win the lottery. But what about paradoxes? For example, My brother: ...Know what I’m doing next? say you have to pick between a red and a Me: Yeah! You’re gonna— wow that’s a blue card. If the machine says you’ll pick blue, really strange weapon. then you decide to defy it and pick red, and As I removed the corkscrews from my vice versa. Because you actively work against body, I pondered how I could be so horribly the machine’s predictions, it can never know wrong. I’d known my brother my whole life. which card you will pick. And because the How could I not know his violent tendencies world isn’t some fantasy novel where events inside and out? Then I realized something. conspire to force you to pick with the machine, With such an amazing inventor for a brother, it will never know which card you will pick. I would never need the lottery. I could mooch (To give an example of an inane fantasy off his billions until the day I died. And who scenario that would never really happen, say could ever know the machinations of such a the machine says you’ll pick blue, but you go complex mind? He was like the freest bird that to pick red. Your mother bursts in saying that could never be caged. If only one man could you’ve won the lottery. You put your hand on be so unpredictable, how could you ever know the table to steady yourself before fainting the path of the entire universe? from the shock. Upon awakening, you see the Besides, I knew this was how this column blue card in your hand and realize you dragged was going to end anyway. it off of the table. Renouncing your rebel ways, f.liao@elestoque.org you build a shrine to the machine and worship 19

A&E

ENTER THE WILD SIDE Students share stories about their unconventional pets

PICK A PET

Cozy up inside or run outside?

START HERE

to share? How doDo youyou feellike about sharing?

Sharing is caring

Cocoa sounds good

YES How do you feel about school?

MEH Hands off my stuff!

It’s raining cats and dogs (and fish) According to our survey of 427 students, 77 percent of pet owners have at least one of the three animals. To shed light on the brave souls who venture out into the world of unconventional pet-owning, we interviewed students who were willing to share stories about their unique — and equally cute — pets.

Chicken boy

ophomore Jeremy Wang loves chickens — raising them, that is. “Two years ago, I saw one of my friends [had] chickens in their backyard,” he said, explaining why he chose to keep livestock as pets. “I don’t like the food system that we have today and the [inhumane] way they raise chickens for eggs … I also help the environment and [get] free eggs from the backyard, [so] why not?” Wang’s parents and younger sister were initially unsure about the new addition to their family, but ultimately supported his choice to raise chickens in their backyard. However, a bigger problem arose: he needed to get the family dog to accept the four chickens he brought home. “I was scared that my dog would eat [my chickens]. So I got them and [tried] to introduce them slowly,” Wang said. “My dog started shivering and walking up to them, and [a] chicken pecked his nose. So now my dog is scared of chickens forever. Once my chickens tried to step into the house, and my dog went crazy and just barked the loudest bark, and started screeching and running towards them. They have this mutual understanding of the limits.” Since Wang began raising the chickens, they’ve gifted him with companionship as well as fresh eggs. The chickens follow him around and allow him to pat their heads and “fly” them (chickens can fly short distances if thrown). Now, the whole family has bonded with the new pets. “My sister has separate names for them,” Wang said. “I don’t like to name my chickens ... I think that’s a little bit weird. But I can [tell them Want to read about students who apart]. There’s a pecking order, and own snakes and horses? Visit also the shades of their coats are a elestoque.org little bit different, even though they’re the same breed. Chickens have personalities.”

I like to shake my wings

by Yimeng Han and Varsha Venkat

Want to crawl back home... Go fetch!

I’m drowning in work

Chicken dance or belly dance? Slither on over

Leaping lizards

or people who can’t own large and furry pets, geckos might be a good alternative. “Our landlady doesn’t allow dogs or cats,” junior Volodymyr Kolychev said. “But I’d rather have a gecko because [they are] quiet and not annoying.” Kolychev currently owns two geckos, a nocturnal leopard gecko — considered to be more of a starter pet — and a more energetic house gecko. Both are kept in terrariums and don’t require much attention; however, they may yearn for freedom if given the opportunity. “My house gecko escaped once, and my leopard gecko also tried to escape once,” he said. “And that’s when we found out [my leopard gecko] actually made noises. [It] screams.” Overall, Kolychev recommends geckos as worthwhile pets to keep. Their quiet nature and few needs are only an added benefit.

DECEMBER 17, 2012

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FAMILY MATTERS

Carissa Chan

Shuyi Qi | El Estoque Photo Illustration

Christmas on Placer Spring Ct. In which my family attempts to win a nonexistent Christmas lights contest

very year, my neighborhood has a contest: The family that decorates their house first for the winter season is the winner. And nearly every year, my family wins. Actually, the contest only exists in my family members’ minds. But that doesn’t stop them from treating it like it’s the most important thing on the planet. My father, for example, loves sneaking around at night to ensure that no one starts decorating before Thanksgiving, according to community policies. Last Christmas, for the first time in over 20 years, we weren’t the first; another neighbor beat us, unwittingly incurring my family’s wrath. Losing the imaginary contest sent my family into distress. My brother, who studies cognitive science, explained that we were going through the Kübler-Ross five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Though from what I saw, I don’t think they ever moved past the second stage. So just three days after Thanksgiving this year, still bitter about the loss, my father dragged out the bins with all our Christmas decorations. Attempting to persuade him would be a waste of time, so I agreed to help with lights. As we unwound the six $1 strings of bulbs, my mother stepped on one, causing the whole strand to go dark. My sister picked up the strand, examining the shattered bulb. She apparently forgot about the electric current still running through the wire, because she touched her finger to the filament. She claims she heard a zapping noise. “That hurts!” she shrieked. “What did you think?” my brother said matter-of-factly. “It’s electricity. Of course it’s going to hurt.” She hit him on the head with a cobweb-covered broom. After that altercation, my sister seemed to recover. She eyed my father, now on the roof attached to a piece of fraying string — “safety rope,” he insisted — as the only thing that would catch him should he slip and fall. “Can I come up?” my sister said. “No,” my father said. “You’ll do something dumb and kill yourself.” He then proceeded to dance on the roof. You’ve just been Frabjousted My sister, though, was understandably dejected after getting electrocuted and then prohibited from climbing on top of our house. So I took pity on her, which was the first of many mistakes. “Want to do something to make you feel better?” I asked.

DECEMBER 17, 2012

She considered this for a moment. “Yes,” she decided. “I want to Frabjoust.” “What is that?” “You know, Frabjous Day,” she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “From ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ It’ll get us into the Christmas spirit.” Frabjous Day has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas spirit, but I saw a way to avoid extra work. “If I, uh, Frabjoust with you, can I not get you a Christmas present?” “Sure. Your Christmas presents are no good anyway.” The next ten minutes were spent in the street, twirling, leaping and shouting, “O Frabjous Day! I’m going to Frabjoust you! You’ve just been Frabjousted!” while neighbors stared through windows. My public embarrassment was, according to my sister, one of the best Christmas presents ever. I should have gone with the $1 off Jamba Juice coupon. Losers for another year When we finally finished decorating, our house did look quite nice. Neighbors stopped by with compliments: “How bright!” “Your lights are much more colorful than the ones at the end of the street!” The end of the street? Realization registered on my family’s faces. We weren’t the first. My father marched out the door, squinted at the end of the court and scowled. “Cheaters!” he hissed. “They put those up before Thanksgiving!” After careful thinking, we decided that those neighbors had probably decorated for Diwali, the festival of lights, on Nov. 13. At least my mother, brother, sister and I came to that conclusion. My father came to the conclusion that our neighbors had pulled off an elaborate heist that includes pretending to be Indian and using Diwali as an excuse to hang up lights early. This is my last year living at home. Next year, when I return home from college for Thanksgiving, I don’t think my family will welcome me with a dinner of turkey and mashed potatoes. I can see it already — after the customary hellos and look-how-tall-you’ve-gottens, my father will place a hammer and strings of Christmas lights in my hand and say, “Let’s get to work! We can’t lose to those schmucks this year!” Anything to win an imaginary competition, right? c.chan@elestoque.org 23

A&E

ALL YULE NEED FOR THE HOLIDAYS Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

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This holiday season, you don’t have to be Alice to journey to Wonderland. Experience holiday spectaculars and exhibits at California’s Great America in Santa Clara before Jan. 1. Bring along friends and family to view the county’s most versatile event, Global Winter Wonderland. View light and laser shows, acrobatic performances, magic shows and magic lanterns, or pose with Santa. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, don’t forget to enjoy the roller coasters and other park attractions as well. Visit globalwonderland.org for tickets.

The latest film adaptation of “Les Misérables” finally hits theaters this winter. The British musical drama film, which features a superstar ensemble cast (including Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter) portrays French society in the 19th century. While the film does not release in other countries until after New Year’s, there’s no need to be miserable: you can watch it at AMC 16 Cupertino on Christmas morning.

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EL ESTOQUE

Follow this guide for ten ways to celebrate the holiday season in the Bay Visit elestoque.org for a map of these events

by Anjali Bhat and Yashashree Pisolkar

dnesday

Thursday

Friday

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Kwanzaa culture

“Habari gani,” a traditional Kwanzaa greeting, means “what is the news” in Swahili. So what is the news? r, the annual Kwanzaa celebration at Bay Area Discovery Museum ito features a free concert by the renowned jazz drummer E.W. ght. The museum offers free admission as exciting Kwanzaa festivities. of all cultures are encouraged to learn more about the Africann holiday through concerts, shows, displays and interactive exhibits.

Amazing grace

Saturday

Start with art

The world-famous Moscow Ballet will return to the Bay to perform the Great Russian Nutcracker in the Flint Center at De Anza College. In addition to company dancers, the show also features students from the Saratoga School of Dance and combines both foreign talent and local youth. The dancers, music and acting are sure to add up to theatrical performance for everyone to enjoy –– visit ticketmaster. org for tickets.

After 5 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month, the San Jose Museum of Art allows visitors to embrace local culture for a reduced admission price of only $5. Enjoy this event with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and live music from the Dinwiddie Duet, Trace Elementary Choir and the American Harp Society. Escape the bustle of the holiday season with a peaceful stroll through the galleries.

City lights Times Square may be the place to celebrate New Year’s Eve, but San Francisco's Union Street is where you want to be for Christmas. Through Dec. 22, enjoy the Fantasy of Lights display between Van Ness and Steiner Street across from Fillmore Street. Take in the light and holiday decorations amidst the city’s Victorian shops and restaurants while jugglers, Santa’s reindeer and magicians roam the streets alongside you and your family. Don't forget to pose for photos!

y.pisolkar@elestoque.org | a.bhat@elestoque.org DECEMBER 17, 2012

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD WOMEN

Sleepaholics anonymous

Children, no all-nighters or else -love, your granny

veryone knows that besides the cutthroat duel between FBLA and DECA, the only fights that occur at MVHS are over who sleeps the least because, of course, everyone swoons over the sleepless. I, on the other hand, have always prided myself on getting at least six hours of sleep a day. So what if I’ve missed out on the most hip teenage life experiences by sleeping? So what if I was the only kid in geek camp last summer who didn’t stay up all night, who missed the ultimate frisbee game at 2 a.m., the runs to get PMT and the beautiful sunrise where everyone bonded ... At least I woke up fresh in the morning and didn’t look like I was twice run over by a bulldozer. I decided to pull an all-nighter and allow myself to be twice run over by a bulldozer because according to the souls who have transcended the realm of high school, all-nighters become a fact of life in college. Luckily, I had the audacity to cook up some tricks to stay conscious. Tip #1: Owl eyes I opened my eyes as wide as I could for as long as I could—a sight sure to scare the socks off of any reasonable citizen. I even went to the extent of measuring my eye—at full “eyespan,” I can open my eyes 2.5 cm. In any case, after just a minute, my eyes were burning more fiercely than Taco Bell’s “fire sauce.” Ouch.

Soumya Kurnool

Tip #2: Nyan Cats Went to nyan.cat and watched the poptart cat dance across the screen. For some reason, this is one of the few mainstream things that I can relate to; one time, I even jammed to the cat for 5,000 seconds. But before long, the crazy cat lulled me to sleep as well. At that point, I should have tried blaring some screamo music — a friend suggested “I set my friends on fire” by Aiden — but I didn’t want to have my sleepy neighbors and parents after me with pitchforks, so I wisely deferred. Tip #3: Freak out After a while of sitting around on the couch alone, while the rest of my family was snoring soundly, I started to feel paranoid. I heard creaking coming from the stairs and freaked out, thinking that a burglar was in the house and developed a plan to nab the burglar which included a full body tackle and flying kick that I mastered in the PE 9 Self-Defense Unit. And for some reason, I also thought of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” What if there was a dead man hidden beneath my floor boards? And before I knew it paranoia lapsed into snoozing—at 2:50 a.m., my eyes had drooped 7/8 of the way down. Mission failed. Mission debrief Now that I have tried (and failed) to pull an all-nighter, it is time for me to put on my granny gear and preach to you. I can say with certainty that the whole idea of all-nighters is hogwash. Just get at least six hours of sleep! If you want, boast about scoring 5,000,000,000 on Doodle Jump — I’ll congratulate you. But if you tell me that you’ve pulled an all-nighter, you’ll have quite a grouchy 71-year-old to deal with. s.kurnool@elestoque.org

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SPECIAL REPORT

In a

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8 minutes and 20 seconds*

Escape the average high school student

Stops paying Attention *

minutes into A Lecture

Whether stressors come from home or school, seeking sanctuary plays a large role in student life

SPECIAL REPORT

HIT ESCAPE Size of the Internet offers similar yet distinct avenues of exploration for each individual by Smitha Gundavajhala and Forest Liao

eople browse the Internet to escape the world, an ironic notion considering that the internet is where people are most connected. However, the escape that social media sites provide is one of a different kind — one that allows interaction without ever needing to see the face on the other side. For many, the Internet is an open slate on which to share their thoughts, opinions and even art. Fans unleashed One of the Internet’s strengths is its ability to link others through their common interests. Nowhere is that more clear than in “fandom,” which, according to senior Ellen Do is an online community of people who share interest in a particular creative work. The fandom can encapsulate any medium; in fact, one of Do’s favorite fandoms revolves around “Vocaloid,” an artificial voice synthesizer from Japan used to create music. Although not well-known in the United States, in Japan virtual singers such as Hatsune Miku sell out concerts, despite the fact that they are on a screen and are part of an anime, or a type of Japanese cartoon. Along with “Dr. Who,” a British television show, Ellen’s fandom’s consist of media she

believes relatively obscure here in MVHS. “I don’t really know what kind of stuff people at school like,” she said. “I know people don’t really like ‘Dr. Who’ or anime, and I can find a lot of people who like those on the internet.” But on the Internet Do has no problem locating others who like the same things she

According to a study by in “Cyberpsychology, Behavior, Social Networking,” those who feel disconnected are drawn to Facebook. In addition, Facebook allows users to craft their own online personas through the number of “Facebook friends” and profile pictures.

does. “It’s nice finding other people that like the same things you do,” she said. “You can come together and see what kind of theories people come up with, and what kind of art and stories they can make from the show.” Do usually posts her own art and has discussions on popular blogging site Tumblr. She also frequents DeviantArt, an art-sharing site, and usually receives good feedback.

Senior Ellen Do

“It’s nice finding other people that like the same things you do.” 30

But there’s a dark side to fandom, too. “Shipping,” pairing two characters romantically from any particular work, is usually harmless on its own. However, unorthodox pairings in writing and art can become offensive or even obscene. But Do doesn’t let that cut into her enjoyment, choosing to focus on the positive aspects of the community. “For every fandom there will always be a bad side,” Do said. “It’s just a matter P. Sheldon of staying away from it.” Organizing the tumble in your head Junior Anika Ullah also uses Tumblr, but in a different way: to write. For her, a private journal or blog simply would not do. She likes being held accountable for her writing and appreciates that with an audience of peers, she cannot completely let go. “I always found writing to be cathartic because for me personally, I always feel like whenever I write anything I always have to learn more about myself — things that I never knew,” she said. “If you have a huge jumble in your head, for me personally, writing really helps with that. I guess in that way Tumblr is like an escape for me, where I can write it all out.” Ullah focuses mostly on writing and

Junior Anika Ullah

“Whenever I write anything I always have to learn more about myself.” EL ESTOQUE

*According to a study from UC Berkeley, the average student loses focus 20 minutes into a lecture. *According to a study from UC Santa Barbara, the human mind only sometimes realizes it’s wandering. *According to a study from University of North Carolina, students’ minds wandered 5.4 times, or every 8.33 minutes, in a 45-minute lecture.

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In a survey of 405 respondents, students identified where they tend to spend time on the Internet. The logos of the top nine sites are displayed; the size of each balloon corresponds to the popularity of the site.

A research paper published by Paula Alexandra Silva and Alan Dix from Lancaster University claims that Youtube’s accessibility and ease of use is its main selling point. The Journal of Research in Personality’s paper breaks down the fantasy fulfillment element of Tumblr’s approach. Essentially, Tumblr fulfills its users’ yearnings.

generates original content regularly, writing about her life, her beliefs and things that she has seen. She is part of a minority on Tumblr: one whose primary activity isn’t reblogging. posts. In fact, Ullah finds that simply reblogging isn’t necessarily the best form of self-expression and prefers to post more original content. When others do the same, she enjoys being able to read their work and thoughts. According to Ullah, Tumblr provides a platform that actually facilitates both writing and creative exchange. “It doesn’t really matter if it’s from my friends or from someone I don’t know,” she said. “Writing is just an objective thing that I can appreciate, no matter who it’s from.” Free internet discourse Senior Calley Wang frequents a site with an even more open forum: Reddit, the self-proclaimed “front page of the Internet.” The site originally began as a place to post links to news articles, but it has since grown into much more, becoming the go-to place to see what’s trending on the web. Top links are voted up to the “front page,” and different “subreddits,” or communities within Reddit, allow those with shared interests to post relevant content for other users like Wang to see and comment on. The sheer number of users on Reddit and their differences is something Wang feels cannot be replicated at MVHS — he feels that the stories and

Senior Calley Wang

“There’s a lot of racist, sexist, homophobic talk on the Internet ... [but] at the end of the day, it’s people posting on the Internet, and it’s people saying those things.” DECEMBER 17, 2012

SPECIAL REPORT Christopher Song | El Estoque Illustration

How wasteful is the internet?

Scale of 1-10

In a survey of 429 students, respondents rated how wasteful they felt Web surfing was on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being not wasteful at all and 10 being very wasteful.

Percentage of responses experiences shared on Reddit are what makes it special. “At our school usually it’s not as diverse,” he said. “And there are people all over the world on Reddit.” Because Wang sometimes takes part in the varied discourse this allows, he’s come to appreciate the freedom Internet anonymity allows. But he does believe this freedom can become out of hand. “There’s a lot of racist, sexist, homophobic talk on the Internet,” Wang said. “And people just let it slide because, well, ‘It’s just the

Internet,’ or ‘It’s just a joke.’ But I don’t really buy that because at the end of the day, it’s people posting on the Internet, and it’s people saying those things.” He also feels that this derivative negativity can extend to the posts themselves, even if it isn’t in an offensive way. One example are “advice animals,” a meme in which text is superimposed on humorous pictures. Usually, the same images are used again and again, with different variations of one theme. “It totally takes out the creativity of putting out original content with original humor,”

Wang said. “Why be original when you can just take a penguin and put some words on it?” But despite its drawbacks, Wang enjoys how Reddit, and the Internet as a whole, is constantly changing. “The Internet can be updated in real time so you can keep up with all the latest developments,” he said. “And also, you can search the Internet and all the possibilities and all the content that’s out there. Whatever you’re looking for, you can probably find it.” s.gundavajhala@elestoque.org | f.liao@elestoque.org

One of the most prominent features of Gmail is its online chatting feature. A 1996 study by Roberts, Smith and Pollack found that users grow addicted to online chat activity because people are naturally drawn toward basic socializing, and therefore Gmail is able to take that human need online.

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Escape to nowhere The distinction between relaxation and escapism

by Anupama Cemballi

tudent Advocate Richard Prinz remembers his mother as a workaholic. She looked after his grandparents, was a teacher and took care of the house, but she could never stand to be alone. “At 98, she’s gotten a little better at it, but she never worked on that,” Prinz said. “She always had to go to the neighbor’s house when my dad went out. And there are other things, like being afraid of lightning and thunder. She wouldn’t want to sit down and face her fears — that’s kind of escapism to me.” Prinz feels defining escapism is difficult because it depends on the individual’s perspective, motivation and attitude. “Escapism is when you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing. [You’re] being very conscious, mindful that you’re watching TV just to numb out, to totally forget things,” Prinz said. “It may look like you’re escaping, but we don’t really know what’s going on in your mind.”

For Prinz’s mother, constantly being strength. Her busy schedule forced her to learn occupied allowed her to not have to overcome to divide up her time efficiently in order to be her fears. She’s still afraid of being alone. able to finish all of her work. Some forms of escapism can have even more Even though Vora no longer does gymnastics, harmful effects. Prinz explains that addictive she continues to make use of her perfected forms of escapism can stunt emotional and work ethic to accommodate her busy schedule. social growth — for example, those that She manages to finish all her work and still get resort to playing seven hours of video games, sleep every day. FUN FACT: When you’re stressed, Therefore, she cutting or drinking never work to fix there is less activity in your doesn’t feel the the issue, so there to escape. reflective brain, and more in the need is no social and In fact, lower, reactive part. emotional growth. Vora’s strong neurologist Judy Willis These people are work ethic has isolating themselves led her to argue from everyone else strongly against by constantly escaping away. escapism, as she believes it simply postpones As a rhythmic gymnast, junior Molly Vora and compounds the problem. She is careful to spent 20 hours a week for nine years on the note, however, that there is a distinct difference sport before she injured her back and was between escapism and relaxation. forced to discontinue competing. Practicing “Relaxing is when you’re like, ‘Okay, I’m gymnastics not only strengthened Vora’s tired and I just can’t focus, I can’t work; I need continued on page 35 physical capabilities but also her mental

Margaret Lin | El Estoque

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Student Advocate Richard Prinz points to the white board in his office, which is filled with positive messages from students. DECEMBER 17, 2012

EFFICIENT STUDYING Junior Molly Vora looks through one of her supplementary AP U.S. History books during lunch on Dec. 7 in preparation for finals. 35

SPECIAL REPORT

Think outside the bubble

Students seek out-of-state and alternative education to diverge path from current environment by Ashley Ding and Mihir Joshi

ost teenagers escape everyday life through simple activities like listening to music and playing video games. They represent the concept of escapism as how it is normally perceived — a temporary reprieve from reality. However, in relation to the college application process some students take the concept of escapism to another level. Rather than being temporarily removed from reality through the lyrics of a song or the gameplay in a video game, some students choose to physically escape their surroundings by applying to out of state schools.

Escape to out-of-state For Senior Vasanth Thiruvadi, one of the reasons why he is applying to out of state schools is to escape the bubble of the Bay Area. According to Thiruvadi, the culture and demographics are distinct from those of the East Coast, with Asians representing a large proportion of residents here and not so much on the other side of the country. “When I leave this bubble it’s going to be different,” Thiruvadi said. “I’m going to have to leave it anyways at one point in my life, so I might as well do it in college so I can learn at the same time.” The statistics of college bound seniors certainly prove Thiruvadi’s argument. There was a significant increase of 12 percent in students choosing to attend a school outside

of California in the past two years. On the other hand, the number of students attending a University of California, California State Universities, and California Private Colleges have remained at a relatively constant rate of around 38 percent, eight percent and 11 percent respectively.

as choosing from over one hundred subjects. He can study anything from anthropology and film production — as long as he fulfills his requirement of an American Literature and American History course. Other students, like junior Jackie Do, joined the middle college program to figure out their career path. Escape to middle college “I thought that being able to take different Another way students find refuge from classes that weren’t offered at high schools MVHS’ environment is would enable me through programs such to really explore as middle college. The different fields,” Do You’re exposed to an program offered at De said. environment where no Anza College provides Another aspect the opportunity for that some find one is pushing you. students who don’t like appealing about the teaching methods the middle college Middle college is a and programs at MVHS is that choice. High school isn’t. environment a chance to fulfill their it is a much less junior Jackie Do desires on a local competitive culture. college campus. Students at middle For junior Rohan Pai, college don’t find working on group projects and doing “busy themselves pitted against one another and work” for some of his classes at MVHS didn’t approach their workload as per their selfwork for him. Consequently, he enrolled in his motivation. first quarter of middle college in September “You’re exposed to an environment where 2012. no one is pushing you,” Do said. “Middle “I don’t like group projects and prefer college is a choice. High school isn’t.” learning through lectures,” Pai said. In addition, De Anza provides a.ding@elestoque.org | m.joshi@elestoque.org opportunities that MVHS can’t give him, such

continued from page 35 to take a break,“ Vora said. “Versus [escapism]: neurologist Judy Willis states that in high-stress ‘I have so much work, I’m stressed; let me situations, people’s brains rewire themselves watch five hours of TV to make my problem to survival mode. so only if you take the time worse.” to relax, While will you FUN FACT: In a recent study conducted Vora does be able to not escape, solve the by Larry Rosen, Ph. D., 300 middle school, she does problem high school, and university students were take the y o u ’ r e given 15 minutes to study in their natural time to facing. r e l a x , Pr inz environment. On average, the students lost because b e lieves focus within three minutes. s h e that when b elieves people like everyone gets exhausted and burns-out. Vora don’t escape, it’s because they know In a May 2012 article from Edutopia, that they need to take care of themselves in

order to function well. They take the time to relax, but they also don’t allow themselves to get distracted. “I know people who don’t escape,” Prinz said. “In fact, if there’s a problem, they want to get into it; they want to figure it out. They’re very aware of impermanence and death. [Life] is a very precious opportunity, so they don’t want to waste it, because being a human is very unusual. If you look at all the life forms, it’s quite a special opportunity...that shortness of time and motivations wants them to be of benefit to others.”

a.cemballi@elestoque.org 36

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SPORTS

the

YOUNG ones

Athletes share experiences of being the younger players on varsity sports teams alongside upperclassmen by Carissa Chan and Atharva Fulay with photography by Margaret Lin

reshman Monica Polgar knows what it’s like to be the youngest. She is the only freshman out of the 19 players on the girls varsity soccer team. With varsity athletic teams dominated mainly by upperclassmen, younger players who make these rosters often play with teammates a few years older than them. El Estoque sat down with three athletes — a freshman, sophomore and junior — who share their experiences as the youngest players on their teams.

New face on veteran team Polgar was given the option to play her first year on JV, but she chose to join the varsity team. According to her, many MVHS soccer players are part of club teams, which raises the level of commitment and competition on the school varsity team. Eleven of the 19 varisty girls soccer players are seniors, and of the nine returning players, eight are seniors. Because the team already has an established goalie, Polgar, who plays keeper on her club team, will play forward. The transition, she says, takes time and work and she has had to put in extra effort. “I always have to prove myself because I am the only freshman … so that I feel like I’m worthy to be on the varsity team,” Polgar said. “I definitely feel like I am a little step behind because they are used to it. They’ve been playing for a while and they are more relaxed on the field.” The team has accepted her and she fits in well, Polgar says, but still, it will take time to become accustomed to playing with 38

new teammates, many of whom have already been playing soccer together for years. “I sometimes want to call for the ball, but I don’t know who to call. I think I am less comfortable to say things to the team,” Polgar said. “It does make me a little more nervous to say somebody’s name because I am not sure if it is their actual name.” ‘Team puppy’ On what would soon become one of the most important days in his high school football career, sophomore Amol Pande was late to practice. One of the old coaches … made me run,” Pande said. “He was like, ‘Oh, you’re kind of fast. You’re kind of big. You want to try to practice with [varsity] and see if you like it?’” Shortly after, Pande was placed on the varsity roster. In the MVHS football program, players generally spend two years on JV before moving up to varsity for their junior and senior seasons. Pande joined the varsity squad one year earlier than most. The transition of going from JV to varsity took time. As the youngest player on a team of otherwise juniors and seniors, Pande says he struggled with both the physical and social

aspects of playing with peers older than him as well as leaving his other sophomore friends behind on JV. “I was used to being one of the bigger kids on JV. Then I moved up to varsity and it became all about technique. It was so much more mental at the varsity level,” Pande said. “A lot of people told people that I didn’t really deserve [to be on varsity]. Upperclassmen definitely treated me differently. Some of them liked me; some of them hated me. And the coaches definitely treated me differently. I was the team puppy.” According to Pande, age is a major factor in varsity selection for football; he sees many players weight train intensively between sophomore and junior years. Thus, being a sophomore put him at a physical disadvantage as he was not as large as many of the other football players in the league. Because of this, Pande focuses on the speed aspect of the game instead. “[A younger player] would either be EL ESTOQUE

SPORTS

OUT ON THE FIELD From left to right: Freshman Monica Polgar, soccer; sophomore Amol Pande, football; junior Ramana Keerthi, basketball. All three have been the youngest members of varsity teams. extremely developed or extremely fast ... because the moment you go up to the varsity level, the game gets faster and it just gets so much weirder,” Pande said. “A sophomore, for example, hasn’t developed as much as a junior. Kids hit a lot harder after their junior year.” Height hype Standing at 6-foot-3, junior Ramana Keerthi is one of the tallest players on the varsity basketball team. And he believes that this, in part, helped him land a spot on the varsity roster as a sophomore last year. Like Polgar, Keerthi was given the decision to choose between JV and varsity, but he decided to join varsity because he believed that playing on a more skilled and experienced team would help him in the future. Though he did not expect to have a role as a starter, he did end up getting playing time in most of the DECEMBER 17, 2012

games of the season. According to Keerthi, the underclassmen on the basketball team — there are usually only one or two — are usually the taller players. For example, class of 2010 alumnus Krish Rangarajan, was a 6-foot-6, four-year varsity member; current seniors Cory Low and David Lai, who both moved up to the varsity team as sophomores, are 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-3 respectively. Teammates the same age as Keerthi from his freshman year stayed on JV, but Keerthi said that they still supported him throughout the season. “My friends were appreciative of [me making the team],” Keerthi said. “They would come support me in some games and it wouldn’t seem that different that we were on different teams because we would just share our experiences.”

Looking back on his sophomore year, Keerthi now sees the main changes between JV and varsity. From his observations, there are significant differences in the sizes — the heights, in particular — of younger and older players which raises the level of competition. According to Keerthi, the intensity of the game is notched up in varsity and younger players must step up their game to keep up with players older than them. “The speed of the game is really different,” Keerthi said. “On JV, the pace of the game is slower and there wouldn’t be that many fast breaks. But on varsity, there are teams that just shoot the ball and we need to run back on defense.”

c.chan@elestoque.org | a.fulay@elestoque.org 39

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msomm via Flickr | Creative Commons by-nc

December 17, 2012

SPORTS

Recruited, committed

Student athletes commit to colleges of their choice in advance by Neesha Venkatesan and Soumya Kurnool

Margaret Lin | El Estoque Photo Illustration

y this time, many seniors have submitted their college applications and have begun the countdown to acceptances in March and April. A number of student athletes, however, including seniors swimmer Kevin Su and fencer Stephanie Wang, have been spared the suspense.

Flexible in and out of the pool Su might have been accepted months in advance to UPenn, but he went through the same tedious application process that everyone else faced. However, unlike everyone else, he was able to initiate talks with the swimming team’s assistant coach Marc Christian and get an appointment with the head coach Mike Schnur during the summer of his junior year. Yet his first meeting with the head coach didn’t run as smoothly as he would have liked. “I was told that I could meet the head coach before class one day,” Su said. “I was supposed to meet him at 8 a.m. at his office the next day. The night before, I got ready—I put five alarms on my new cellphone. I slept early. I decided what to wear. And then I woke up the next day at 8:30 a.m. because my cell phone ran out of battery overnight.” The first thought that came to Su’s mind was an expletive, and he was also quite worried about leaving a bad impression on the head coach. Luckily, however, the coach didn’t mind and invited him to a meeting over lunch another day. “[While meeting with him], I wanted to make sure I wasn’t eating like a pig in front of him,” Su said, laughing. This meeting changed a lot of things for Su — not only did Su get inspired to apply to the Wharton Business School and forge a relationship with the head coach, but he was

also introduced to the Philly cheesesteak, totally happy.” Swimming has defined Su for over half which he has had a soft spot for ever since. Su eventually received an invitation from of his life. Ever since freshman year, he has the coach during the school year to visit been steadily improving. With the De Anza UPenn and check out the team for a recruiting Cupertino Aquatics club swim team, Su trip from Sep. 14-16, where he shadowed a competed at prestigious meets including the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational this summer, freshman at the school. During the trip, Su was especially struck by where he was able to swim in the Olympic the unity of the elite Division I team, as well Trials pool, and the Speedo Junior National as the fun that they were able to have together Championships at Stanford in 2011. His fast as a community, as opposed to the Columbia times, including his best in the 200 freestyle — an impressive 1:39.95 — were what set him University team that he visited as well. “The Columbia coach did not care about apart from the rest of the prospective student the student athletes and athletes UPenn was considering. Su plans to study at the reputed kind of just set us out on our own and didn’t talk Having the freedom Wharton School of Business at UPenn to take advantage of the to us the whole trip,” of what I want to Su said. “The UPenn do really excited flexibility that the school and its coaches ... were really me about UPenn swim team offers, all the while gaining useful business experience caring and had individual [and its team]. and a liberal arts background. talks with all of us ... All senior Kevin Su the team members were “Having the freedom of what I want to do really excited me about really happy.” After a weekend of hanging out with the UPenn [and its team],” Su said. “In the end, swim team, getting a beautiful view from the I chose UPenn because of the great balance top floor of the Wharton building, and eating of everything — an unmatched business more cheesesteaks, Su was told that he was a education, the great team, the awesome coaches, and the lively campus. I’m so grateful top choice to be guaranteed early admission. Su applied early decision and in just three to have both the opportunity of learning at weeks, he got a letter in the mail congratulating an Ivy League school and competing for a Division 1 team.” him on getting accepted. And of course, there will be cheesesteaks. “The letter made it official,” Su said. “[Though] I already knew I was in, I was continued on page 44

SPORTS continued from page 43 A refined approach Like Su, Wang was interested in playing a sport for her future college. But instead of swimming, she committed to Stanford University for fencing. “Before fencing she tried a lot of other sports … around age 11, we had her try fencing in a summer camp and I could feel that she liked it.” Vivian Xiao, Wang’s mother said. For the past six years, Wang has devoted countless hours training for a sport she loves at the Cardinal Fencing Club at Stanford University. Wang always knew that Stanford University was her first choice and kept in close contact with the coaches of the fencing team for the past two years. “The whole time I’ve been at Cardinal [Fencing Club], practicing with my coach, I realized that this is what I want to be doing for my college life,” Wang said. “This is the coach I want to be with and this is the routine I want in college.” Photo used with permission of Stephanie Wang The co-head coach of the Stanford fencing team, George Pogosov, was Wang’s coach, FENCING FINESSE Wielding a sabre, senior Stephanie Wang fences against an opponent at the who helped her build a relationship with the Cardinal Fencing Club at Stanford University. She will join the school’s fencing team in the fall. other head coach, Lisa Milgram. In June, Wang received the opportunity to talk to Milgram, Besides the fact that Stanford University and that conversation ultimately led to her to matches, allowing her more touches. “I use a lot of blade work, like [I] catch has been at the top of her college list, Wang developing a connection with both coaches peoples’ blades … I also tap people on the says that she prefers the freedom and lenience and to her being accepted into Stanford. “When I received the letter I was crying hands … more of the sneaky moves,” Wang in Stanford that is not provided in other East and incredibly happy, and I was on the phone said. “It’s kind of more of a mind game when Coast schools she visited. “I like that Stanford allows me to choose I play.” with my mom, and she was W a n g ’ s a major during my sophomore year, so I crying, too,” Wang said. approach to will have more time to explore and test out Wang was invited to fence The whole time I’ve been at fencing allowed different majors,” Wang said. for Stanford in part because Cardinal ... I realized that Wang is thrilled to start her fencing journey her to place in of her success in national and ... this is the coach I want several major at Stanford University this coming fall. She worldwide tournaments. Her to be with and this is the t o u r n a m e n t s hopes to make the NCAA finals, be on the fencing technique is a factor that in her previous All-American team and ultimately take the has allowed her to win many routine I want in college.” senior Stephanie Wang fencing season. Stanford fencing team to the next level during of her matches throughout her She initially her undergraduate years. fencing career. “I’m excited to fence with the [aspiring] placed 15th “I’m a detail oriented type of person which shows in the finesse in in the Division I Cup in Kansas City, Mo. in Olympians and also for the range of choices I December 2011 and ended her season in late will have,” Wang said. “And just being around fencing,” Wang said. Wang uses her precision to refine her January 2012 with a 29th place finish in the great people.” fencing technique, using a defensive approach Cadet World Cup in London, England. Her against her opponents. According to Wang, high place finishes made Wang an attractive s.kurnool@elestoque.org this is what she tends to fall back on during candidate for Stanford’s fencing team. n.venkatesan@elestoque.org

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SPORTS FLASH An update on Matador athletic teams

by Atharva Fulay and Robert Sulgit

The winter sports season recently started with boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer and wrestling. The soccer teams have been playing on the newly renovated upper and lower fields, made of artificial turf. The two soccer teams will host a total of 22 matches on the new field with 12 regular season games.

Photo used with permission of Baris Demirlioglu

Photo used with permission of Emily Batsford

Top right, midfielder senior Jacob Feit maneuvers his way past a Westmoor High School defender on Nov. 30. The Matadors tied the preseason game with a score of 1-1 with a goal by sophomore Marco Schwiebert; senior Baris Demirlioglu was named the most valuable player of the match. The varsity boys soccer team has 20 players on the roster this season, led by captains Demirlioglu and senior Bobak Ohadi and coached by science teacher Pooya Hajjarian. The Matadors have a 1-21 record on the road, but have yet to play a home game. The regular season for the team begins on Jan. 4 and the first regular season home game, which will be played on the newly opened field, will be held on Jan. 7 against Palo Alto High School. DECEMBER 17, 2012

Bottom left, the varsity wrestling team celebrates winning the First Fault Line Duals tournament in Larkspur, CA on Dec. 2. The team, which entered in 14 weight classes, won the tournament 5-0 with more points than any of the five other schools participating. The Matadors defeated Archbishop Hanna, Casa Grande and Archbishop Riordan High Schools 52-15, 51-30 and 36-33 respectively and pulled out a 65-15 victory against Northgate High School 65-15 to qualify for the finals. The team won the final match against Benicia High School 44-33 to take first place in the tournament. This was the first tournament of the season for the Matadors, who look to send wrestlers to CCS again and continue their success from last season.

Mihir Joshi | El Estoque

Bottom right, senior Malvika Mecker dribbles the ball past Prospect High School defenders on Nov. 30. The 19-player varsity girls soccer team is experienced this year with 11 seniors, and are led by head coach Alan Kute. The Matadors began their preseason with a 3-0-2 record, defeating Leigh High School 3-0, tying Valley Christian and Scotts Valley High Schools 1-1 and winning 1-0 against Fremont and Prospect High Schools. The teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regular season is scheduled to start on Dec. 15. The team will be hosting 14 home games on the new turf field at MVHS, vying for another spot in CCS for the third year in a row. a.fulay@elestoque.org | r.sulgit@elestoque.org 47

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