Volume 49, Issue 4, Dec. 18, 2018

Volume XLIX Issue IV Monta Vista High School

December 2018

elESTOQUE FEATURES 19 The stories we carry

NEWS 8

OPINION 16

A&E 25

SPORTS 34

Looking into former U.S. Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil’s time at MVHS

Reflecting on some of the worst incidents throughout 2018

Celebrating the not-so-snowy holiday season

MVHS athletes’ relationship with marijuana

NEWS

A&E

OPINION

8 8

ODD BEGINNINGS How MVHS shaped former U.S. Chief Data Scientist D.J. Patil

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WORST OF 2018

From election meddling to devastating natural disasters, 2018 has been a year full of negative events

SWITCHING ROLES DESCRIBE A Teachers shadow SIGNIFICANT students for a day CHALLENGE...

The problems AS THE SMOKE with college essay SETTLES prompts

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Students and staff reflect on the aftermath of the California fires

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ELVES IN ACTION Students in clubs give back to the community during holiday season

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11

ON THE HUNT

We should all strive to be aware of the people around us and their stories

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CHERISHING CHRISTMAS Comparing holiday traditions across time

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SPORTS

25

34

‘TIS THE SEASON

HIGH TIMES

GIFT GIVING GAMES

RISING TO GREATNESS

Celebrating the holidays

Putting a fun twist on gift exchanges during the hoiday season

26

The influence of marijuana on athletes

Athletes’ thoughts on getting pulled up to varsity

HAPPY HANUKKAH GROWING TOGETHER Jewish students and

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teachers reflect on their experiences with Hanukkah

Players reflect on their long-term teammates

A WHITE CHRISTMAS

OUT OF TIME

28

The lack of snow leaves some students feeling blue over the holidays

30

DEAR HOME

A letter to my beacons of warmth

31

The lack of tennis I’ve played in recent months

38

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH EE recognizes basketball player Akshay Gopalkrishnan

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IN THIS ISSUE 19 2

FEATURES Vibrant stories

This issue, we decided to interview and write fratures on ten randomly-selected MVHS students

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS T

he role of a journalist is often overlooked. We publish numerous stories and offer them up as the news to our school and local community.

Our readers learn about people and unique stories they wouldn’t have learned about otherwise. But what we often don’t share as journalists is that we don’t search far to find those unique stories.

Since we first joined El Estoque, we’ve worked hard to hone our skills as storytellers. But with this responsibility comes an understanding — everyone has a story worth telling. It doesn’t matter how popular they are or how involved they are in the activities at school because everyone has a unique story that’s theirs alone. Whether it’s about your relationship with your sisters or about your struggle to prepare for a half marathon, we know your story is worth hearing.

Starting on page 19, reporters Claire Chang, Helen Chao, Katerina Pappas, Rucha Soman, Jai Uparkar and Claire Wen explore the unique stories of 10 randomly-selected MVHS students.

But what we implore our peers and readers to do is not be journalists, but to develop that same instinct to seek the stories of others. Our conversations at school revolve around the present, topped with our worries about the future.

If you spent a day on the MVHS campus listening to the things that students talk about, you might hear things like “What time did you go to sleep?” and “What were the questions on the stats quiz?” Sure, this is a generalization, but MVHS students talk an awful lot about school, and while our time here at MVHS is a small part of each of our stories, there is so much more to us than just school.

A story doesn’t need to be communicated through a formal 30-minute interview or in front of a reporter with a notepad — we can all find a way to share our story with the world.

So next time you have a conversation with someone, we urge you all to think more like a journalist. Ask those questions, have that interesting conversation and get to know someone on a more personal level. Curiosity is what drives us forward as a community, because at the end of the day, we can all be listeners and hear other people’s stories. And we can all be storytellers because we all have our own story.

Rana Aghababazadeh

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Roshan Fernandez

STORYTIME: NOVEMBER ISSUE For the cover of our November issue, we purchased a lottery ticket. The plan was to take the photo, and then toss it out.

But we were shocked to find that the ticket we paid $5 for won us $50. Luck really is our fickle friend.

elESTOQUE 21840 McClellan Road Cupertino, CA 95014 mv.el.estoque@gmail.com

Editors-in-chief: Rana Aghababazadeh, Roshan Fernandez Managing editors: Helen Chao, Ruth Feng, Gauri Kaushik Copy editors: Charlotte Chui, Robert Liu, Claire Wen News editors: Sunjin Chang, Lakshanyaa Ganesh, Jasmine Lee, Andrea Perng Sports editors: Ankit Gupta, Rajas Habbu, Sreya Kumar, Anish Vasudevan Entertainment editors: Alyssa Hui, Hannah Lee, Jahan Razavi, Emily Xia Opinion editors: Zara Iqbal, Stuti Upadhyay, Brian Xu, Claire Yang Features editors: Claire Chang, Shuvi Jha, Swara Tewari, Jai Uparkar Beats editors: Oishee Misra, Chelsea Wong Design editor: Sara Entezar Business manager: Zara Iqbal PR editor: Sunjin Chang Graphics editor: Sarah Young Visuals editors: Justine Ha, Rajas Habbu, Herman Saini, Rucha Soman Web editor: Collin Qian Staff writers: Ayah Ali-Ahmad, Tyler Cho, Shivani Gupta, Elena Khan, Laasya Koduru, Tina Low, Iman Malik, Tabitha Mendez, Kamyar Moradi, Brandon Ng, Flora Peng, Dhruvika Randad, Keshav Taneja, Katerina Pappas, Ishani Singh, Julia Yang, Annie Zhang Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite 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 MVHS 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.

COVER ILLUSTRATION | SARA ENTEZAR

EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

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SWITCHING ROLES

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n Tuesday, Nov. 27, four teachers walked in the footsteps of MVHS students as an alternative to their traditional teacher evaluation: Chinese teacher Zoey Liu, science teacher Lora Lerner, math teacher Sushma Bana and literature teacher Vanessa Otto. For the duration of the entire day of the alternative evaluation, they followed the life of a student.

A few years ago, Assistant Principal Nico Flores and the assistant principals at that time, consisting of now principal Ben Clausnitzer, decided to provide an option for teachers to experience the school-day through the eyes of their students. “[Through the debrief] we found out that there’s a lot of positive things that come from it,” Flores said. “When we find positive outcomes along with positive strategies to implement to build relationships and to better teaching, we’re all for it.”

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

BY SUNJIN CHANG AND ROBERT LIU

Teachers shadow students for a day for an alternative evaluation

This is not the only alternative evaluation option available for teachers. Some teachers choose to participate in analyzing mastery grading while others choose to have an administrator provide feedback as they try to implement specific, new strategies into their classroom.

The course registration process was the same for the teachers as they are for students: they were asked which grade and classes they wanted to join for the day, and the administration developed a schedule for them. However, one requirement was to have the teachers take all seven classes throughout the day.

“We want them to feel why we are advocating for kids not to take seven classes,” Flores said.

Liu was responsible for following sophomore Brian Xu. Not only did she follow him throughout his classes, but she also

spent brunch and lunch with him and his friends. Liu reflects on her experience as a valuable learning opportunity; she recounts the different teaching strategies she learned from observing other classes.

“All the teachers were very professional, very enthusiastic [and] they put so much effort and thoughts into making the class engaging for the students,” Liu said. “The way they decorate the environment, the way they talk to the students, how they set up the classroom and how they set up the culture of the class. [Teachers] want to make the learning environment safe, friendly and engaging for students.”

During her day as a student, Liu witnessed how different teachers implemented non-academic activities into their class period to shift students’ concentration away from solely academics. There were other teachers who decorated the room with encouraging, motivational quotes. However, the most significant teaching method that caught Liu’s attention was the ambient music welcoming students into the classroom and accompanying them as they participated in different activities.

“The World Core [class] blasted music when the students came into the classroom, so it feels fun, joyful and relaxed when you come in,” Liu said.

“Having students engaged in class and feeling relaxed [is] the best way to have students destress in the class.”

For Liu, observing examples of exemplary teaching from other teachers was just as valuable as familiarization with the amount of stress students experience.

Liu is not sure how to implement some of the different teaching styles in her own classroom immediately, but she has already decided that some small changes can quickly improve her students’ attitude when coming into her own classroom.

“The journalism class, the teacher had students basically teach the class by themselves; students take attendance, students do the agenda, students do the presentation, students lead the discussion,” Liu said. “I don’t know if our students are fully ready for that, but I like the idea of giving the control to students, letting them run the class.”

While Liu followed an actual sophomore, biology teacher Lora Lerner had a typical freshman schedule built for her. Walking into all the classes surrounded by students, Lerner mentions the look of surprise that filled the faces of students.

“They’d look at me a little funny, but actually mostly positive,” Lerner said. “I had to ask a lot of students for help, and mostly they were able to help and interact with me.”

Lerner’s school day started with the suicide prevention assembly during her Literature and Writing class, followed

with a biology exam. As a biology teacher instead having to use student restrooms, herself, she reflects on this experience as park their vehicles in the student parking helpful for fellow biology teachers and lot and eat in the student cafeteria. students. While she accepts that she may A week after the teachers had completed not have received a perfect score, Lerner their experience, the four teachers who focuses more on the fact that she was conducted their alternative evaluations able to assess and critique other teacher’s sat down with the administration team exams and possibly clear confusion, to debrief. One of the topics was on the believing that the feedback that comes music teachers played before, during and with an outside perspective is extremely after class. Another topic was the idea of helpful among teachers. providing students with natural breaks “When I was taking the test, I was during long class periods.

Wwriting a bunch “As teachers, of little notes they were used about things,” to talking all the Lerner said. time, and when “That’s actually they couldn’t talk helpful for us as they thought it THE MORE THAT WE teachers. I think was challenging,” CAN HAVE OUR STAFF having that outside Flores said.

FIGURE OUT HOW IT perspective on “Realizing that what we do is human beings, FEELS TO BE A STUDENT, super helpful.” whether it’s IT’S REALLY VALUABLE Lerner treated student or FOR EVERYONE. THE the day as less teachers, they’re of an evaluation all the same, BEST WAY TO BUILD and more as an like to talk and EMPATHY IS TO PUT opportunity to interact.”

YOURSELF IN ANOTHER learn and develop Teachers and PERSON’S POSITION. as a teacher. She adm inis t r ator s believes that also discussed embracing a the pros ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL NICO positive growth and cons of FLORES mindset of stressful student learning and schedules, accepting insights and whether to grow as a or not seating teacher rather a r r a ng e m e n t s than focusing on the fact that she’s being should be arranged in groups that judged is extremely helpful. encouraged student discussion or rows.

“I think it’s an effective way to help “[We learned to] make sure we’re teachers grow,” Lerner said. “The fact really incorporating student needs along that it’s an alternative evaluation is kind with curricular needs,” Flores said. “It’s a of a separate issue; I’m not sure how much delicate balance and sometimes curricular it evaluates me as a teacher. The idea is needs need to take a step back so that we that I will apply what I did to my own can really address the student needs.” practice, and by that, I would potentially During their debrief meeting, all the grow as a teacher, so then in that sense, teachers agreed on their exhaustion at the it’s helping me to grow. Doing something end of the day. The teachers commented different perhaps allows me to grow in a on how their day stopped at 3:30 p.m. different way.” and they didn’t have to go home and do The alternative evaluation provided homework or participate in extracurricular Lerner with an opportunity to observe activities. This served as a reminder that different classrooms and gain exposure to student days don’t end at 3:30pm. new ideas.

Ultimately, Flores is satisfied with “I never would have thought about it the outcome of the alternative teacher if I just stayed in my own room all the evaluations and hopes to see this tradition time,” Lerner said. “Just getting out there continue in the future. He believes and seeing some different lives, different teachers will be able to take the lessons places, different people doing different they had learned from the experience and things, I think, that to me, in the end, is implement them into their classrooms. the biggest benefit of this.”

“The more that we can have our staff Throughout the day, teachers figure out how it feels to be a student, it’s participating in the evaluation were really valuable for everyone,” Flores said. expected to fully immerse themselves in “The best way to build empathy is to put the life of a student; they were restricted yourself in another person’s position.” e from traditional faculty privileges such as staff parking and reserved bathroons,

NEWS | DECEMBER 2018

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AS THE SMOKE SETTLES

MVHS students and staff reflect on the aftermath of the Northern California wildfires

BY LAKSHANYAA GANESH

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n Nov. 8, chemistry and AVID teacher Elizabeth McCracken’s daughter Samara McCracken and her boyfriend were two of thousands of people affected by one of the deadliest wildfires in California history: Camp Fire.

While Samara and her boyfriend Kevin live in Quincy, Calif., and weren’t in severe danger, Kevin’s family lived in Paradise before their house burned down in the fires. Many of their friends and family have reached out in support, as those of over 14,000 victims have, according to Cal Fire.

“My first reaction was ‘Is everyone safe?’ and ‘What do we need to do to make sure everyone’s safe and taken care of?’”

McCracken said. “Since then, I’ve been trying to give support in terms of emotional support and material support, and I’ve been trying to reach out to schools to see if my students could do something.”

Kevin’s family, like many of the other Camp Fire victims, were left with nothing in the aftermath, and Red Cross is one of many organizations that is helping them.

MVHS’ Red Cross Club has been making efforts to help victims of the California wildfires by focusing on monetary donations.

According to senior and club president Anusikha Halder, Red Cross has asked for monetary donations as opposed to holding fundraisers for people to donate specific items such as canned food or other items, so the victims are able to decide how to use the money as needed. “[We] just really hope that money helps [the victims] get the necessary supplies and helps them find a better place to live,” Halder said. “They’re in a really uncomfortable position, so we wanted to hold a fundraiser that would help alleviate that.”

After gathering $204.11 from donation

6 EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

boxes placed in every English classroom, at large were ever directly and majorly they will send the money to MVHS impacted by a wildfire similar to Camp administration, who ensures all of it gets Fire, both Halder and Rapport stress the donated to the National and California Red importance of families being adequately Cross centers. Those centers then give the prepared. According to Halder, the Santa money to the affected families as well as Clara County Fire Department engineered a help fund temporary shelters in high schools nationally recognized, three-part fire safety or similar public areas that can provide safe campaign called “Ready, Set, Go.” spaces for those who had to evacuate.

The “Ready” component emphasizes The Santa Clara Fire Department the importance of maintaining a defensible also contributed to space for homes in order fighting the wildfires, to prevent wildfires and specifically Camp brush fires from igniting Fire. According to and spreading.

Louisa Rapport, the “Keeping your property information specialist clear of flammable and spokeswoman vegetation, making sure for the Santa Clara your home is built with fire Fire Department, the resistant materials things departments in the like that are probably the county had to file most important things requests in order to people can do to prevent SENIOR ANUSIKHA HALDER help fight fires through wildfires from spreading,” the California Mutual Rapport said.

Aid System. Through The “Set” component this system, which allows fire departments involves creating a wildfire action plan with throughout California to communicate and family and friends, compiling an emergency provide aid as necessary, the Santa Clara safety kit and forming solid communication Fire Department was able to send out a plans with those around you. The final “Go” strike team, composed of five fire engines step details the important evacuation steps and a battalion chief who led the firefighters that people must take if necessary. into the fire.

According to Halder, Red Cross also has “We always want to make sure that no many fire safety and prevention measures put matter what we’re sending out of [the] county, in place, including the “Sound the Alarm” we can still maintain the same response activity, where members of Red Cross help that we would normally have locally so we install smoke detectors into households in don’t send out more resources than we can the Bay Area. afford to send out,” Rapport said. “[At the “So many people are really grateful,” site of Camp Fire], we had people supporting Halder said. “I know people have been everything from communications to public absolutely devastated by the fires, so I hope information to mapping people there.”

Red Cross helps people like that [in areas If Cupertino or Santa Clara County that Camp Fire has affected].” e

I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATED BY THE FIRES, SO I HOPE RED CROSS HELPS PEOPLE LIKE THAT.

ELVES IN ACTION Students in clubs give back to the community during the holiday season

BY JULIA YANG AND SARAH YOUNG

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hile the malls bustle with people buying presents, the radio stations blare Christmas music and lights twinkle from their perches on houses, some members of the MVHS community spend this holiday season giving back. Ohana and Octagon have partnered with local organizations to volunteer and bring holiday cheer.

MVHS financial specialist Calvin Wong describes how the volunteer clubs on campus must get their event proposals approved by the school district first before taking action. Clubs may choose to initiate any event, but if the organization they are working with is not already on the list of approved ones which is overseen by the district, clubs must submit a request through ASB to have the district review it. Doing so protects the students and verifies that they’re working with reputable groups.

Wong also views students taking initiative in volunteering in a positive light, and believes that when students find ways to give back to the community, they are ultimately helping not only the community but themselves as well.

“It just makes this a better place and helps serve needs that people can help meet,” Wong said. “And it does also create a passion for certain students that they find something that they really love to do, which always is a good thing.”

82% 315 out of 383 students said they gave back to the community this year

Sophomore Udbhav Venkataraman, a member of Ohana, sees the giving season as a time to bring joy to others.

“A lot of times, in this area especially, we try to do things if there’s a benefit to ourselves whether it’s college applications, getting into a summer program or getting into an internship,” Venkataraman said. “But this is more, it’s still kind of a selfish thing because it makes me feel good, but at the same time it makes other people feel good and that’s what [the giving season] is.”

In Ohana, during the first week of December, Venkataraman and other members of the club invite MVHS students to holiday festivities where students can relax and make holiday-themed crafts.

During one of their meetings, they made hot cocoa and snowflakes for students to take home, but Venkataraman thinks that beyond giving these kinds of gifts, simply enjoying people’s company was the most important aspect of the event.

While Venkataraman thinks the giving season is important, he also believes that giving back to the community shouldn’t be limited to just a holiday or season; instead, it should be promoted year round.

Venkataraman believes that every person is where they are in life because somebody else was willing to give, and it is their responsibility to give back.

The act of giving back to the community outside the giving season is commonly practiced by many Octagon members, particularly at an event called Breakfast with Friends which takes place every Sunday morning at the Mountain View Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Student volunteers help make and serve breakfast to those who are less fortunate.

Junior and Octagon member Aditi Mukkara, helps out with this event as well as Octagon’s annual Cure Cancer Cafe, both of which Mukkari finds meaningful.

“We don’t realize all the time how fortunate we are,” Mukkara said. “[When] you help these e people who are way less fortunate than you and who are so happy that they got breakfast or a toy for Christmas – it’s really eye opening.”

For Octagon officer and senior

Tiffany Chen, giving back to the community means participating in events like these as well as family bonding and spending time with people Chen doesn’t normally see.

“It’s just immersing yourself with your relatives and sharing a lot of love and discussing how they’re doing,” Chen said. “Especially with college coming up, I know that [I’ll] only be more busy, so for me, I’m just trying to give away as much love as possible.”

Alongside spreading holiday cheer and spending time with family, Chen thinks it’s important to promote these activities at school, especially because she believes that students typically associate school with the academic competition and stress.

“I like that so many clubs have taken this initiative,” Chen said. “I think that’s a really excellent way and I’m really glad that MVHS has so many clubs available to so many people that are dedicated towards giving back to other people [and] giving back to the community.”

This year, Chen initiated the attendance of the club at the Mountain View tree lighting event that took place on Dec. 3 and is one of the many events Octagon holds during the Christmas season. There was live holiday music and refreshments at the event, and guests also had the opportunity to get their pictures taken with Santa; the Octagon members and some volunteers from the National Honors Society helped facilitate the event and ensure safety.

“It’s just another way to interact with the community because we can be piled up in just extracurriculars and schoolwork,” Chen said.

“And I think participating in these more festive volunteering events [is] not only fun, but you get into the Christmas spirit, and you’re helping a pretty good cause for the holidays.”

In addition to the tree lighting event, Octagon also holds events during the season like gift-wrapping, toy drives and volunteering at homeless shelters. Mukkara, as well as the other Octagon members, find experiences like these very valuable.

“It’s a lot of fun, it’s very festive and it feels rewarding at the end, especially in some of the events [where] you’re helping people and you see their reaction right there,” Mukkari said. “And you can’t really get that kind of happiness from doing something else.” e

NEWS | DECEMBER 2018 7

ODD BEGINNINGS Peculiar experiences at MVHS shaped former U.S. Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil

BY RUTH FENG

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nly two people have ever skateboarded in the White House: Tony Hawk and DJ Patil. Although Patil often skateboarded down Pennsylvania Avenue with gusto, he walks into the Quinlan Community Center with composure. His casual attire reminds the crowd that he is one of them. He places his metallic briefcase on the ground and begins to greet the hosts and prepare for his presentation titled “Let’s talk education: DJ Patil.”

Dhanurjay “DJ” Patil was appointed by former President Barack Obama as the first U.S. Chief Data Scientist in Feb. 2015. His task was to apply data science to sectors of healthcare, national security and cancer research. His tenure ended when the Obama administration left the White House and he has since worked at Devoted Health, a medicare insurance company. Working for the Obama administration was not Patil’s first job at the White House. After 9/11, Patil went into federal service under the George W. Bush administration and worked to identify external threats.

Patil grew up in Cupertino in a lower middle class family of Indian immigrants, attending Regnart Elementary School, Kennedy Middle School and then graduating from MVHS in 1992. On Nov. 17, he returned to Cupertino to speak about his journey from almost failing high school to being briefed in the situation room alongside the country’s most prominent leaders.

MATADOR DAYS

Dhanurjay “DJ” Patil in his 1992 senior photo 8

EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

PHOTO | EL VALEDOR

Patil attended high school during the early days of Silicon Valley. In his speech, he referred to his father as “one of the grandfathers” of Silicon Valley. Throughout high school, Patil mainly focused on social responsibility. He tried to find solutions to the seemingly trivial problems he faced in everyday life. He remembers walking home with a cardboard box of pipettes and ring stands and thinking, “What the hell am I going to do with this?”

Patil’s physics teacher Barbara Minetti gave this to him with no instructions, except to return it to her by the end of the year. Patil thought about what he could do with the equipment — and his eyes found his camera.

As a photographer for both El Estoque and El Valedor in high school, he spent many hours following subjects and developing his photos using a digital single-lens reflex

Many times, making decisions was not camera (DSLR). DSLRs were invented in THE WHITE HOUSE 1975, and when Patil was using them in high As the Chief Data Scientist in the White easy and came at a cost. Patil had seen a school in the late 80s, they were still tedious House, he focused on gun violence issues, lot of travesties while working in the White to use. The top ISO was 1600 and the fastest particularly officer-involved shootings House, and felt a lot of uncertainty when shutter speed was a thousandth of a second. such as Ferguson. He was in touch with he had to make decisions to help mend a He recalls that the only way to capture a the Chief of Police and Texas officials five divided nation.

“It’s very tough when you watch a water drop falling was to be in a pitch-black days after five police officers were killed room and have the flash go off at the exact moment the drop hit the surface.

With the help of his box of physics “IF ONE DAY YOU SAID TO ME ‘THESE LESSONS ARE GOING TO CRITICALLY materials, Patil decided to rewire the IMPORTANT BECAUSE ONE DAY YOU’RE GOING TO BE AT THE WHITE HOUSE,’ flash so that he would be able to capture a drop of water without these preexisting I WOULD HAVE [SAID] ‘WHATEVER.’ BUT THOSE SMALL THINGS ARE BIG.” complications. Looking back, he believes that what Minetti did was one of the most DJ PATIL influential things that a teacher could have done for him.

“She had the insight to be like, ‘I don’t in the 2016 Dallas police brutality protest, country starting to come apart,” Patil said. know what to do with this kid, so why don’t in what he describes as “one of the most “By the time a decision gets to the White I just give him the equipment to allow him to intense meetings between officers, police House, there’s no good answer. [However] be really interesting,’” Patil said. chiefs, civic activists, mayors and the White there is a way to figure out, how do you carry the country forward to a better Patil had an unconventional high school House.” answer?” experience. When asked how he would In one meeting to discuss describe his high school self, policing and criminal justice, Patil hesitantly offered a slew Patil sat with a number of of phrases: figuring it out, odd, police chiefs and the Black nonlinear. Finally, he settled Lives Matter team in the on the word: “quixotic.”

Cordell Hull room. He began Originating from the Spanish the meeting by talking about folklore Don Quixote, the history of the room – “quixotic” means ‘foolishly Cordell Hull, the Secretary impractical especially in the of State at the end of World pursuit of ideals’ (MerriamWar II, and the courage it webster.com). required to move forward “I felt a lot of pressure with the Marshall Plan, a – absolutely,” Patil said. “I deeply unpopular plan at the think what I did though was time. When it comes down to I opted out of the traditional it, Patil says, everyone wants measuring stick.” the same basic things and The MVHS competition rather than looking at their culture and academic pressure differences, they can make was prevalent when Patil PHOTO | WHITE HOUSE ARCHIVES great progress when they was in high school. The look at their commonalities expectations for students to DJ Patil stands fourth from the left in the Oval Office to celebrate Diwali in and figure out what they can be accepted into prestigious 2016. Photo used under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. collectively accomplish. universities was undeniable, as “If you’re sitting around was the pressure to enroll in that table and you’re sitting AP classes. Unlike today, Patil in the same chairs, what’s had to test into the AP classes your commitment to the he wanted to take. One of country and are we doing the few classes he ended the maximum thing we can up qualifying for was AP to make this world a better U.S. History. Patil recalls the place for our kids and our valuable lessons about how to kids’ kids?” Patil said. think about the government This meeting was where and ideas from history he Patil, along with police chiefs learned while taking the class, and the Black Lives Matter as well as their importance team, instituted reforms on later on.

PHOTO | RUTH FENG policing as well as criminal “If one day you said to me justice that cover more than ‘these lessons are going to 94 million Americans today. critically important because one day you’re going to be PHOTO | RUTH FENG at the White House,’ I would Continue reading on the have [said] ‘whatever,’” Patil next page. said. “But those small things Surrounded by curious parents and FUHSD high school students in the Quinlan center, Patil answers questions about his path to success. are big.”

NEWS | DECEMBER 2018

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EPILOGUE

“Sometimes you just have Patil is now in a Facebook group with to take it a little step back and most of the people he went to MVHS with. appreciate what we have. Just He can barely recognize anyone because listen and be in the moment,” no one looks the same as they did in high Patil said. “High school should school, but he feels happy that everyone not be painful. Find your tribe.” found their passion in life.

When told about MVHS’ gun “The most amazing thing about it is the control walkout in March 2018, people who were looked down upon [in he was satisfied. During his time high school]… they all have cool stuff that in the White House, his colleague they’ve done,” Patil said. “They all have was responsible for calling the exciting, interesting lives and it’s just so parents of every child killed in awesome to see them have blossomed into Sandy Hook. A look back to the PHOTO | RUTH FENG something cool.”

Conn. shooting on Dec. 14, 2012 In high school, Patil chose not to worry reveals chaos in the White House Patil (left) talks with Cupertino Library board member about fitting into a certain mold, but spent and nationwide mourning.

Henry Sang during his presentation at the Quinlan center. time finding out who he wanted to be. He “I was there during Sandy was on the diving, swimming and wrestling Hook. Now it’s all a blur,” Patil some MVHS students team and created didn’t walk out in fear of a petition to start receiving a suspension, he “THE THING THAT I’M MOST PROUD OF IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW IS HOW a MVHS boys he would proudly take volleyball team.

YOUR GENERATION IS RESPONDING. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THE GLAMOROUS said the suspension. He believes “We learn a WHITE HOUSE. IF ANYTHING, IT’S YOUR IMPACT THAT IS OFTEN FAR GREATER. that the youth is the future lot about who of this country, and that we are through YOU DON’T HAVE TO ACCEPT THE WORLD THAT WE’RE GIVING YOU.” they have the most impact sports,” Patil on the world around them.

DJ PATIL said. “The two “The thing that I’m pieces of advice most proud of in the I tell people is country right now is how always be in excellent physical shape and be said. “My friend is the one that called every your generation is responding,” Patil said. in excellent mental shape.” parent after the shootings. And I don’t know “It doesn’t have to be the glamorous White Patil also encourages students to notice how she did it. I just don’t know how she House. If anything, it’s your impact that is their surroundings and be appreciative of did it.” often far greater. You don’t have to accept the what they have. Patil would often lie on the If Patil were a high school student now, world that we’re giving you.” e bleachers by the football field and stare at he wouldn’t think twice about walking the blue sky.

Additional reporting by Iman Malik. out for gun control. Upon learning that

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

Word counts and essay prompts pose problems to college applicants

BY RANA AGHABABAZADEH

T

he activities we participate in and the grades we receive may show a lot about our interests and academic abilities. But to differentiate between applicants that may share the same extracurriculars and numbers, many colleges and universities require essays as a way to learn about students beyond their résumé line items. The University of California (UC) admissions officers claim that the purpose of the personal insight questions is about “getting to know you better — your life experience, interests, ambitions and inspirations.”

But for some students, not every prompt provides an opportunity to showcase themselves. The problems many students have with these prompts include the broadness of the questions as well as the limited word count.

Senior Elysha Tsai has heard from former seniors applying to college that UC admissions officers prefer that students be more direct when communicating their personalities through the essays, especially when comparing to other schools that seek more artistic and stylistic writing. Tsai heard similar advice on a visit at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Answering the more direct questions on the UC application came as a struggle for senior Ryan Rennels as he felt the prompts didn’t necessarily apply to him. Even with the broader question that simply asks students what would make them “stand out as a strong candidate for admissions”, the instructions for formatting were vague compared to other prompts.

“Even then, [that question] was hard

ILLUSTRATION | RANA AGHABABAZADEH

because it lacked structure compared to the other prompts which were specific and heavily structured,” Rennels said.

Tsai also struggled to answer certain questions on the Common Application. She admits that all prompts are difficult to answer to an extent, but suggests that in order to answer questions that are not as applicable, students should attempt to show they’re putting in effort by spending time with diction and syntax and making intentional choices. This method can extend to other types of questions, such as supplementals that ask why students are interested in a particular school.

“They’re really looking to see if the applicant is really knowledgeable about the campus,” Tsai said. “You don’t actually have to visit the campus or anything, even though that’s ideal. If they know that you’re interested enough, and you want to go to this school enough that you’re putting enough time to research, I think that’s good for that essay.”

Rennels notes that though the UC application prompts didn’t necessarily apply to him, the four prompts allowed him to show different parts of himself, while the Common Application only asks one broad question. Some of these Common Application prompts ask for specific accomplishments or major life events.

Senior Morgan Mayhew believes that prompts asking about accomplishments

UC PROMPT #4:

OPINION

DESCRIBE A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE...

don’t accurately depict what the applicant will be like as a post-high school student, suggesting that students often do activities in high school simply to boost their college applications. Instead, she believes colleges should consider students’ future aspirations.

Beyond the open-ended questions, the word count can also be a contributing factor to the struggle of answering college essay prompts. The Common Application essays allows a maximum of 650 words, and the UC application allows 350 for each of the four essays. Both Rennels and Tsai feel that 350 is a sufficient number of words that would allow applicants to showcase themselves but also not take too much time for officers to read. Tsai says the lengthier Common Application may cause applicants to grow repetitive or rambly in their writing.

In addition, writers may accidentally edit out essential parts of their essays.

“Especially with the college tutors and the essay editors, sometimes they edit your words so that it’s ideal for the school,” Tsai said. “But it also takes away your voice in some sense. So as you learn about which parts to edit out, you also might edit out some of your identity.”

The way the prompts are administered might not allow every applicant to accurately and thoroughly showcase themselves to admissions offices, reinforcing the notion that impressing colleges is a challenge.

“I feel like it’s impossible for [the admissions offices] to know everything I want them to know about me as a person just through those essays,” Rennels said.

“I hope they get like a bit of my personality and sort of the reason and determination for applying for a certain major.” e

OPINION | DECEMBER 2018 11

MAKE OR BREAK How the school district’s calendar is built

BY LAASYA KODURU AND BRIAN XU

B

y Thursday, Nov. 15, smoke from Camp Fire had reached Cupertino and elevated its air quality index above 200. Air quality tracking websites such as AirNow.gov consider an index above 200 “very unhealthy.” That afternoon, Instagram and Facebook were flooded by MVHS students with drafts of emails addressed to FUHSD, links to air quality tracking websites and petitions, all in the hopes of swaying FUHSD administrators to cancel school due to the poor air quality.

Meanwhile, the FUHSD officials were pondering how to respond to the poor air

conditions. Superintendent Polly Bove called each superintendent in the county and contacted the Santa Clara County Public Health Department for advice on how to handle the situation. An outpour of student and parent emails urged her to cancel school the next day, but the county public health department gave clear instructions to keep schools open, leaving district officials little choice in the matter. Behind a deceivingly simple goal of ensuring student safety, FUHSD officials were juggling the matters of student safety at home, parents’ schedules and state-mandated instructional hours

that forced the possibility of extending the school year. “[The Santa Clara Public Health Department] said ‘keep [students] indoors, limit [their] exertion’ but it wasn’t really like ‘you should close,’” deputy superintendent Graham Clark said. “So if we take that authority on ourself and close, then unfortunately, we’re probably going to have to make that day up. That’s the bottom line.

The background in De Anza is, colleges don’t have to make the days up, so when they close, it’s just a day off.”

The decision-making behind cancelling a day of school is just one instance of the district’s many scheduling considerations each year. Some may overlook the amount of work that goes into creating the school calendar, which requires intricate negotiations between FUHSD and the Fremont Education Association teacher union. The two groups have maneuvered numerous state instructional requirements, arriving at a calendar which has changed very little over the past 10 years.

“We want to balance the first semester and the second semester as much as possible,” assistant superintendent Tom Avvakumovits said. “Several years ago, we made the decision to end first semester at the Christmas holiday break. But to make it perfectly the same amount of time [as second semester] would have started school even earlier, in August, so we had to balance that and we didn’t quite go to what a university system is like.”

With a general guideline for the start and end of the school year, FUHSD then maps out a schedule to meet the state-mandated requirements of 180 student school days and 64,800 instructional minutes each year.

The state of California mandates 64,800 planned instructional minutes for all students each school year. Brunch and tutorial periods are defined as instructional minutes, but lunch periods and special activities such as graduation practice do not count towards the requirement.

FUHSD aims to balance the first and second semester calendar as evenly as possible, with a goal of 90 school days in each semester. This occasionally leads to years in which school starts a week or two earlier, depending on holidays in the school year.

12

EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

The Fremont Education Association and FUHSD must come to a consensus when drafting a calendar each year. The calendar is just one part of a negotation with the teacher union regarding working hours.

Instructional minutes are defined strictly wouldn’t have normally talked to and you and do not include lunch periods or special know things about people that you wouldn’t events like senior graduation practice. necessarily know and I really enjoyed that.”

Beyond scheduling 180 school days for Aside from the negotiating members from students, the district decided to have five the FEA and FUHSD, the district’s students staff development days each year, three and teachers have little direct say when occuring a week before school starts. determining the school calendar, especially In the past, staff development days where breaks are placed throughout the year. have been geared toward specific topics. As a result, teachers or students occasionally This school year, MVHS staff development have differing opinions about breaks in the focused on providing school calendar. teachers with an “In first semester, you understanding of how to get a two and a half day implement Response to break for Thanksgiving Intervention strategies and then you go straight in their classrooms and into a two week break Professional Learning for Winter,” sophomore Communities. A panel David Lin said. “It’s kind of teachers also shared of nice, but I feel like we how they improved might need to split the classroom culture by breaks up half and half so building relationships with that there’s more time to students.

Additionally, relax in between weeks two staff development of school.” days in late December and Sophomore Joshua early June give teachers DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT Ho agrees, suggesting an extra opportunity to that three days should be GRAHAM CLARK grade final exams, another moved from December consideration FUHSD break to Thanksgiving has taken to balance the complex calendar. break in order to make it a full week off.

English teacher Jessica Kaufman explains Kaufman shares a similar view, believing that the benefit of the timeliness of these staff while the second semester is well balanced learning days. in terms of breaks, the first semester can be “I think staff learning is something that difficult to push through. is useful and necessary,” Kaufman said.

“I like all of the breaks,” Kaufman said.

“At the beginning of the school year, we “I don’t mind having just four days off for actually got to know each other as a staff a Thanksgiving but I feel like there should be little better on a personal level and that was a week off in October. It’s a really, really really cool. It changed the tone of the staff long haul for students and staff to get to the here. So now, going through the year, you’d end of first semester without a break; it’s see people and you’d talk to people that you mentally exhausting.”

On the other hand, some students believe breaks in the MVHS calendar are well-placed and sufficient. Senior Peter Heydinger does not have strong feelings regarding the school calendar, noting that he would prefer a longer Thanksgiving break and a shorter December break but is fine with the current schedule.

Some teachers have similar viewpoints as well. Math teacher Katie Collins isn’t too concerned about having long breaks to make the school year smoother.

“The way I figure it is, the extra days that are off through the year, the more days I have to work through June,” Collins said.

“The sooner I can get out for the summer, the happier I am just because nobody wants to be stuck in the classroom in June.”

While there are a few points of disagreement with the 2018-19 MVHS calendar, many students acknowledge that FUHSD has crafted a carefully balanced schedule and is continuing to take and incorporate feedback from the community.

For instance, a few years ago, the calendar placed first semester finals after December break, but the district decided to change it to the current calendar after receiving input from students that the breaks were spent studying rather than relaxing.

“I think it’s a dynamic process every year,” Clark said. “The calendar is a little bit different, but we try to match the instructional needs of students, which is really what it’s based on. The schedule is [mainly] based on the instructional time we want to give to get students started so they can get ready for their exams later.” e

FUHSD has scheduled 180 school days for students, with an additional 5 staff development days. If a school day is to be cancelled without approval from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, the day must be made up in the future to avoid legal conflicts.

FUHSD plans the district calendar to maximise as much class time as possible before students’ AP exam testing weeks. The dates may vary between years, so FUHSD adjusts its schedules slightly to allow for the most preparation time before the exams.

I THINK IT’S A DYNAMIC PROCESS EVERY YEAR. THE CALENDAR IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT WE TRY TO MATCH THE INSTRUCTIONAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT IT’S BASED ON.

In the past, the FUHSD calendar placed first semester finals after Christmas break.

However, many students responded with complaints that the break was spent studying for finals and led to excessive stress, so the FUHSD adapted the calendar so that finals week occurred before Christmas break.

OPINION | DECEMBER 2018

13

Enjoy knowing your peers like we do It’s not easy being journalists: the role requires ordinary students to embark on peculiar expeditions, searching for the hidden gems we dub newsworthy pitches. A newsworthy pitch is a story idea virtuous enough to present to the public, serving as a badge of the publication’s integrity. Not all published pieces can pride themselves in being newsworthy, as any publication will admit, but the pitches which entice even the goddess Aergia (the Greek God of laziness) to indulge in the untold stories of the public — those are what make the art of journalism fruitful.

The search for a newsworthy pitch can be long and tedious. “We need a short, junior male who is allergic to broccoli.” The hunt is unmatched, and, after two weeks and 14 suggestions, it turns out to be futile (shocker, we know). Other times, the search doesn’t extend much longer than a single Facebook message or email request, with replies shooting down inquiries to investigate before there even begins a chance to load our investigative weaponry. The gunfight, sometimes, is short lived.

But for us journalists, the chase is the thrill behind the art. To seek a OPINION OF THE newsworthy pitch is to seek the perfectly EDITORIAL fitted individual. To most, this entails an interview with the president of FBLA or with the alumnus who volunteers to train the Speech and Debate Club. And don’t get us wrong, those individuals surely possess the storytelling potential of the great Homer, but there are only so many unique ways to articulate a story about the same individual.

We’ve adapted a different approach. Did you know the kid who sits behind you in class knows how to make bread without a recipe?

Or that the girl in your chemistry class just recently immigrated to the U.S.? Or that your best friend especially values Christmas? At first, we didn’t know either.

What starts as a “My friend knows…” molds into a “I heard that…” which evolves into a “Did you know…” which resonates as a “You will not believe…” and finally lands at the forefront of a young journalist, eager to seek out those individuals who, beyond the diffident participation of the classroom, silently carry some of the most idiosyncratic experiences with them. It’s up to us to

transfigure those experiences into the words that grace our website, magazine and social media accounts.

The path for a newsworthy individual to catch our attention isn’t always complex: simple eavesdropping may just be the largest source of newsworthy pitches. Sure it may be invasive, but that’s the beauty of journalism! Be it on the way to class, or while waiting in line at Quickly or even just seated in your Algebra class, quietly listening in on other people’s conversations will provide you with information you would never have otherwise acquired, and sometimes, even invite you into the conversation. Wait, you scootered two miles to school today? Tell us more.

However, getting those prized pitches requires digging.

Disclaimer: this entails sparking conversation with the quiet kid in the corner, but don’t let that scare you away. (They’re probably more afraid of you than you are of them). In fact, we’ve come to learn that the quietest voices carry some of the most colorful stories, subtly revealing an assemblage of untold experiences that have long awaited their feature on the screen (or page). The dig may seem EL ESTOQUE big intimidating, and honestly, sometimes it is.

BOARD What seems like loose dirt can be a rocky plain that, sending an unwarranted shock with one hit of the pickaxe, is shut down with a “Stop talking to me.” But you’ve seen the movie “Holes.” Keep digging, Stanley — the real treasure awaits.

It’s not easy being journalists, but it sure is exhilarating. If richness were weighed in knowledge, journalists may just be the most affluent bunch of curious minds on the planet. The wealth is not exclusive, let it be known, and with just a bit of investigating, eavesdropping and digging, the knowledge can be found.

On a campus renowned for its obnoxiously studious crowd, we can ensure that the reputations of those same students go beyond the shallow conversations of the classroom. Trust those who do this for a living: a little bit of curiosity will transport a conversation once fixated on drab sleep schedules and test scores to an unprecedented thrill of running a half-marathon or indulging in metal music. We promise, there are enough stories out there for the both of us to do a bit of exploring. Welcome to the world of journalism. e

STAFF EDITORIAL

14 EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

CHERISHING CHRISTMAS Comparing holiday traditions now to those of previous years

BY EMILY XIA

T

here’s no holiday like Christmas.

Sure, Halloween, Thanksgiving and New Year’s all have their perks, but Christmas is the only one that has had a noticeable impact on my life.

As a young child, as soon as December came around, I would be prancing in my living room listening to “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (classics, if you ask me), sipping peppermint hot chocolate topped with a light sprinkle of marshmallows.

The weeks leading up to Christmas were filled with excitement. I loved pestering my dad to put up warm lights lining our rooftops, and decorating the Christmas tree was always my favorite part. I was too short to place the star on top of our 9-foot fake tree, but I was perfectly content with embellishing the bottom four layers with shiny glass bulbs and intricately-carved wooden shapes.

Santa was an icon to me. I spent my Christmas Eve writing an endearing letter to him, wishing for a stuffed dog or begging him to protect me from cavities. I baked cookies from premade cookie dough and set out a glass of milk along with my letter.

I would sleep fitfully, eagerly awaiting the next morning.

At the crack of dawn, I’d run downstairs to be met by piles of perfectly-wrapped presents under the tree, an empty plate with only crumbs remaining and a response to the letter I had written the night before. It wasn’t until I was 11 when I realized that my brother had eaten my cookies every year and my mom had been

responding to my letters. I was horrified and locked myself in my room for hours, unable to fathom the betrayal. Now, however, I’ve learned to appreciate the humor my mom attempts to add as she pretends to embody fictional characters.

Christmas meant the world to me for over 10 years. But now, as a high schooler, I can see my enthusiasm diminishing, and it’s saddening to see.

Replacing holiday dinners with frantic cramming for finals.

Sleeping in on Christmas morning to compensate for constant sleep deprivation. Losing my supposedly ubreakable belief in Rudolph and Santa, characters I had nearly worshipped in the past.

I hate to admit it. Slowly but surely, Christmas is losing its magic.

It’s challenging to accept that I’m losing this part of my identity, that in a lot of ways, Dec. 25 is like any other day. I wish that I could go back in time and experience everything as a 10-year-old again, because the same traditions don’t have the same meaning anymore.

Not everything has completely changed.

I still go to Target to buy gifts, and putting up the Christmas tree is still a highlight of my year. As an ornament collector, my tree has gotten more crowded with new

ornaments every December — my favorite one being a wooden carving of a mouse playing a small piano with sheet music of Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.” I still bother my dad until he puts up the Christmas lights, and even though I don’t believe in Santa anymore, I still bake cookies and write a letter, just to preserve tradition. Oh, and I’m still very obsessed with peppermint.

On the other hand, there’s been a lot of changes, but not necessarily in a negative way.

Winter break means seeing my brother come home from college, and even EMILY XIA though I know my letter isn’t being read by some jolly old man from the North Pole, the responses that my brother and mom come up with never fail to make me laugh. And of course, being 5’ 7”, I can proudly stand on a stool and firmly place the golden star on the tip of the tree.

I’m always afraid to try new things, to abandon habits that I know offer me solace and bring me joy. Christmas was a source of stability for so many years, and I couldn’t bear to see it fade away.

When I say that my shell is my comfort zone, I’m not solely referring to selfconfidence or social ability. My tendency to hide in safety extends over every habit I have, no matter how insignificant it is.

Any small change could spell out trouble for my ingrained habits, and even though I know change can also lead to improvement, it’s a constant struggle to wave goodbye to tradition that I’ve held onto for weeks, months or, in this case, years.

Although it can be frightening for meaningful tradition to be uprooted, maybe it’s better to just sit back and let it happen. It’s boring to hang onto old thought processes when they’re very clearly expired.

New traditions sprout up and they become the new norm until they are altered once again, keeping our lives fresh and exciting.

Though Christmas itself isn’t the same, I can still confidently say one thing.

There’s still no holiday like Christmas. e

COMING OUT OF MY SHELL

ILLUSTRATION | EMILY XIA

OPINION | DECEMBER 2018

15

WORST OF

2 0 1 8

BY STUTI UPADHYAY

PHOTO| USEMBASSY.GOV

ELECTION MEDDLING Although the presidential election occurred in 2016, 2018 has been a year when controversy regarding election meddling, specifically on social media platforms like Facebook, has become an increasingly apparent issue.

According to the New York Times, the Russians were able to reach almost 130 million people by the end of 2017 through Facebook alone and attempted to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign to help President Donald Trump’s. The U.S. government has led investigations to discover the extent of Russia’s involvement in U.S. affairs, most notably a special counsel investigation led by FBI director Rob Muller. In February 2018, six American intelligence organizations agreed that Russians had interfered with the 2016 election, and as of June 2018, 11 Trump officials admitted to working with the Russians.

Still, many people do not believe that the Russian government played any role in the democratic decisions of the United States.

Others, however, like junior Arvind Jagdish, do not agree.

“Pesonally I think that there’s way too much evidence of Russian interference [to deny that it ever happened],” Jagdish said.

“If you think about the Mueller probe and the fact that so many people have been caught trying to hide something, if there really [wasn’t] anything, then why would they go to so much trouble to hide it?”

According to Jagdish, the idea that another country can influence America and its democratic process is frightening since it highlights flaws in the electoral process.

“It makes me realize that it doesn’t really matter what we want sometimes,” Jagdish said. “It’s scary thinking that what’s in the best interest of America isn’t actually what’s happening.”

MASS SHOOTINGS As of Dec. 1, 2018, the United States has seen 325 mass shootings this year, as defined by a shooting in which four or more people are injured or killed. Ranging from a school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. (Feb. 14) to a local shooting in Thousands Oaks (Nov. 7), these tragedies have claimed countless lives and devastated families. Because of the frequency of mass shootings, most are not even publicized on national news.

The large number of mass shootings in the past three years has fueled a heated debate between those who support guncontrol laws and those who align themselves as Second Amendment supporters. President Donald Trump, a firm resistor against strong gun-control laws, believes the answer to controlling these weapons lies in solutions like arming teachers.

Gun-control enthusiasts, on the other hand, typically believe the issue will not be resolved until guns are regulated tightly. For sophomore Victor Li, the continuous and large magnitude of shootings is discouraging.

“I don’t think the government is doing enough to address them,” Li said. “I’m not saying that we should completely ban guns, but I ... just think the government should pay more attention to the things that are happening and take more actions to prevent these shootings from happening.”

Especially since Cupertino is a highrisk area for shootings, fitting the typical environment for shootings as a high-pressure, affluent, suburban area, Li feels significantly less safe.

“Obviously, [shootings lead to] kids [losing their lives],” Li said. “But it also puts other kids into stress that they may be shot anytime, and it interferes with their education and emotional well-being.”

PHOTO | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

PHOTO | FLICKR

BRETT KAVANAUGH On July 9, 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh, often described as a radical conservative, to take over for Anthony Kennedy as a Supreme Court Justice. On July 30, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford sent a letter to the top Democrat in the Senate explaining that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school. When the story came to light, Kavanaugh denied ever assaulting anyone.

Kavanaugh and Ford both testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which Kavanaugh was markedly angry, accusatory and firmly biased against Democrats. He was also accused by several members of the Senate of providing a false testimony and misleading answers.

For senior Mythili Ketavarapu, these facts alone prove that Kavanaugh should not have been sworn into the Supreme Court. “[He] wasn’t treating the court with the respect that I think the establishment should deserve, especially if you’re going to be a Supreme Court Justice,” Ketavarapu said.

“This isn’t even a matter of prosecuting him for the case, it was the matter of whether or not he should be deciding other people’s futures, and just to be on the safe side, the answer should have been no.”

On the other hand, senior Prabhat Jandhyala believes that there was nothing wrong with Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

“I might not like him as a person,” Jandhyala said. “[But] nothing was wrong with the way he was appointed. He wasn’t proven to [have commited] a crime; therefore, he should be appointed as a justice.”

Despite public uproar, Kavanaugh was sworn in as a SCJ, with a 50-48 vote.

His confirmation secured a conservative majority on the Supreme Court and according to Ketavarapu, will undoubtedly affect some of modern day society’s most controversial topics, such as LGBT rights and abortion.

NATURAL DISASTERS In the past year, the world has witnessed a wide variety of natural disasters, events that have affected millions of people across the globe. These disasters have ranged from Indonesia’s tsunamis to India’s floods to California’s wildfires. These catastrophes even took on rarer forms, such as Guatemala’s volcanic eruption and Pakistan’s heat waves.

Regardless of the type of natural disaster, freshmen Rachel Wiley believes the effects are equally disheartening, especially because there is little anyone can do to stop the damage.

“People are dying and families are being separated, but I’m not entirely sure how we can prevent such hardships in the future,” Wiley said.

According to Wiley, the biggest thing people can do is try to mitigate the negative effects of these catastrophes and lend a helping hand, citing Empower Florida, a nonprofit trying to raise money for Hurricane Michael disaster relief, as an example.

Many experts have attributed the increasing frequency and erraticism of natural disasters to climate change, a concept that many powerful people, including President Donald Trump, do not agree with.

Wiley believes the first step towards any sort of change is acknowledging that climate change is a problem and raising awareness about the issue to your friends and family.

No matter the cause, freshman Aryaa Pathak believes that different people and places have dealt with the disasters in various ways, and the goal should be to react to these disasters in as much of a efficient and safe manner as possible.

“Of course these natural disasters can’t be stopped,” Pathak said. “But it’s how [the issues] are handled is what keeps our society safe or unsafe.”

PHOTO | PEXELS.COM

PHOTO | FLICKR

JAMAL KHASHOGGI Another negative event from 2018 was the brutal assassination of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a well-known critic of the Saudi government and monthly columnist for the Washington Post.

On Oct. 2., Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Turkey, Istanbul to get a document needed to marry his fiancée. He never came out.

On Oct. 20, it was reported that Khashoggi died in the consulate after being apparently tortured, suffocated, mutilated, injected with a sleeping drug and dismembered with a bone saw. As the truth about Khashoggi’s murder came out, the general public reacted in outrage, demanding Saudi Arabia be punished. Senior Nitin Subramaniam echoes this sentiment.

“I would say that the fact that he is a journalist makes his death even more important to address,” Subramaniam says.

“He’s there for reporting and providing news. Without journalists, we wouldn’t be able to understand what’s going on in all parts of the world.”

However, according to Subramaniam, the U.S., specifically President Trump, isn’t dealing with the issue appropriately.

“The way the U.S. handled the incident overall isn’t ... showing any justice towards [Khasshogi] and his family,” Subramaniam said. “It kind of shows that [Trump]’s in it for the money. He doesn’t want to ruin relations with Saudi Arabia, which shouldn’t be the priority over the death of a journalist.”

While junior Aryan Kashyap agrees that Khasshogi’s death was a tragedy, he also sees the value in taking a less harsh approach to Saudi Arabia.

“There [was a lot of confusion] about whether his death [was] affiliated with Saudi [with Saudi Arabia] helps America economically significantly, and it’s a lot to throw away.” e

OPINION | DECEMBER 2018 17

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FEATURES

ILLUST RATION |

vibrant stories

This issue, we selected 10 students from a list of everyone at MVHS using a random number generator. From a no-recipe bread bake-off to running a half-marathon, and from a love for the TV show “The Voice” to missing siblings away at college, we discovered the unique stories that make the students at MVHS who they are.

FEATURES | DECEMBER 2018

21

She was used to it. The silence as she came back home — it was normal. Her oldest sister, Rachel, left home for college five years ago, and her other sister, Michelle, left last year.

One day after school, freshman Emily Stolzman found herself in her basement, at the keyboard her sister used to always play. Her fingers skimmed over the familiar keys as she played random improvised pieces that came to her mind as she sang. This soon became a regular habit for Stolzman, as it distracted her from the loneliness.

“I find satisfaction playing the piano while singing,” Stolzman said. “You can just see the chords run on a paper and you just play it and you sing along with it.”

Even though she and her sisters are eight and four years apart, they are still close. Her sister Rachel played more of a parental role in her life, while she had a closer relationship with Michelle, as she remembered they would play with stuffed animals and made up a “land” where those stuffed animals would live.

“There’s actually a big difference between when [my sister is] home and when she’s not,” Stolzman said. “I realize when she comes back after being gone for a while, I have so many things to tell her that I’ve just bottled up in my mind.”

soteria li

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

BY Jai Uparkar

By Claire Chang

emily stolzman

Ginger chicken. French fries. Soup.

These are the foods freshman Soteria Li grew up with and came to love: the foods her grandmother would cook after Li came home from school and finished her homework. But now, her grandmother lives an ocean away.

Li was raised by her grandmother — as her mother was often busy working — for 12 years until she and her family immigrated to the U.S. from China three years ago. Li’s father believed that the U.S. would provide a less intensive school environment for Li, and Li is all smiles when describing how much she loves MVHS and Cupertino. Yet, she also recounts the hard transition.

“I was struggling,” Li said. “I cried a lot.”

Of all her friends and family back in China, Li misses her grandmother the most, who she sees over FaceTime less frequently than she’d like, due to her school workload. “[My grandmother] is 100 percent important,” Li said. “She wanted to provide the best things for me. There’s a phrase in China: if your grandparents had one dollar, they would give one dollar to you. Even though that’s all they have, they will provide it for you. That’s what my grandma’s like.”

The importance of her grandmother throughout her childhood and how her grandmother doted on her has influenced Li’s future plans.

Li wants to become a children’s physician, to care for children and be kind to them in the same way her grandmother was to her. And, if Li becomes a mother and grandmother herself, she plans to do the same things her grandmother did for her.

“I have a lot to do: cook the best for my child, and play with them when they are small,” Li said. “I think if I had a child, I would be so happy. They are really pure.”

Every week, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, sophomore Arya Das watches the TV show “The Voice,” a singing competition hosted by NBC. A singer herself, Das first started watching the show last year after a few clips appeared in her YouTube recommended section. She was hooked and immediately watched every single episode.

According to Das, “The Voice” is “alluring” because each singer’s voice is very distinct, and the contestants are easily distinguishable from one another. Das takes what she likes from every audition or performance and incorporates it into her singing, thus “molding” her own unique voice.

“I try to emulate the [singer] so then it kind of stays with me,” Das said. “If one singer can do runs really well, and I tried to emulate that over and over then I can get better at runs.”

Once, when she was at a sleepover with her friends, she watched a clip where one of the contestants who had four judges vying for her in the beginning was eliminated instead of a contestant who hadn’t been as favored.

“I started freaking out and also had just watched a horror movie,” Das said. “So everyone’s like, what happened? And [when they heard] it was ‘The Voice’ they’re like, ‘Oh, okay.’”

Das may be passionate about “The Voice,” but she herself doesn’t want to participate on the show. She isn’t interested in a music career and considers singing a hobby.

“Every time I hear a song, like a performance that I like, I just go around my house singing like that over and over and my brother gets really really annoyed,” Das said.

BY helen chao

shriniketh narayana

arya das

By Claire chang

Walking into F111 during sixth period in December, senior Shriniketh Narayana can be found singing Christmas carols alongside other members of MVHS Variations. For Narayana, who joined men’s choir as a sophomore, the class gives him much needed time to destress each day.

“Singing is relaxing,” Narayana said. “Music in general is just relaxing. Being part of choir takes my mind off of everything I’m worried about … I could not cope [with school] without stuff like this.”

Yet, Narayana didn’t fully realize his love for singing until eighth grade. He started listening to a lot more music, and found himself singing along to songs alone. His brother introduced him to Queen, a popular rock band from the 1980s, and when asked what kind of music he likes to listen to, the answer is immediate.

“Metal. Power metal, symphonic metal,” Narayana said. “It’s energetic, and if it isn’t energetic, it’s emotional.”

How singing along to Queen and power metal led him to singing Christmas carols with Variations, Narayana doesn’t know. But he stresses that while the type of music he sings in choir is very different from the type of music he loves listening to at home, choir goes beyond just the type of song and music he performs.

“I enjoy singing for the sake of singing on its own, rather than just the music I listen to,” Narayana said. “And it helps me appreciate music more as a whole. If I sing only the music I listen to, I’m not going to get a whole picture: I’m forced to listen to more stuff and sing about it.”

He adds, almost as an afterthought, the genre he’s learned to love through choir.

“Classical.”

PHOTOS | ANISH VASUDEVAN

FEATURES | DECEMBER 2018

21

lauren tsai

BY HELEN CHAO

Empty.

That’s how sophomore and JV quarterback Simon Leoffler would describe the home bleachers as he threw the football down the field — but it wasn’t much of a surprise. According to Leoffler, MVHS football has a reputation for losing; no school wanted to see its team lose, so few students went to games. As a result, a lack of expectation for the football team began to grow. But this year, the JV football team went undefeated, 10-0.

Leoffler believes the drastic improvement stemmed from the desire of the coaches and players to prove their classmates and community wrong.

“Something that [the coaches and players are] trying to do is to really change the culture of MVHS football,” Leoffler said. “Football is, I think, underrated now. I think especially with this undefeated JV team, it’s heading [in] the right direction because JV … that’s like the foundation [for the future varsity team].”

For Leoffler, achieving this goal meant practicing harder. Throughout the summer, both JV and Varsity teams held practices Monday to Thursday, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Leoffler remembers that one day at practice one of his teammate ran so hard that he threw up, but then immediately re-joined the practice. In addition to these school-held practices, Leoffler would go to the park with his dad, who is his coach, and run drills.

Leoffler is determined to get MVHS football the respect it deserves and is driven to win every single game there is.

“I’m always going to think that we’re going to go 10-0 — you have to have that mindset,” Leoffler said.

“You can’t think that you’re gonna go 8-2 because you can’t have an expectation of losing to win. So for next year 10-0. It’s going to be the goal.”

Inspired by a Youtube video from the “Try Guys,” senior Lauren Tsai, her younger brother and older sister faced off in a bread baking competition — without a single recipe. They picked up basic ingredients, such as water, flour, salt and yeast at Costco and decided to wing the whole thing from there. Tsai’s younger brother went first, adding in about three cups of water. The mixture turned out too soupy, so he was forced to restart and use half the amount of water as before but with extra flour.

“It came out and it looked more like a cake than like a bread,” Tsai said. “And we cut into it, and [there were] no [bubbles] or air pockets or whatever inside.”

However, Tsai remembers that the taste wasn’t too bad, though it didn’t taste like bread. She believes her bread was the most “bread-like,” yet lacked in terms of flavor, while her sister’s bread was entirely too salty and dense. To activate the proteins in bread, which lends it the signature chewy texture, one has to roughly knead and massage the bread. However, Tsai’s sister had been too careful when she was making the bread.

“Obviously for most edible, my brother’s was actually best,” Tsai said. “And then mine and then my sister’s because my [sister’s] was just really dense and salty.”

They later offered the bread to their parents. Their mom declined, but their dad was excited by the event and sampled a bit of each. Overall, the process took an entire afternoon, as resting the dough and letting it rise took up a significant amount of time. Although Tsai and her siblings had to clean up all the flour over the kitchen, cooking activities such as these are often how Tsai and her siblings spend quality time together. It’s been harder for them as the years have gone by, but the three siblings still try to maintain their bond.

“My sister’s now in college so it’s kind of hard to [get together],” Tsai said.

“But we FaceTime her every weekend and me and my brother are really close.”

BY JAI UPARKAR

simon loeffler

PHOTOS | ANISH VASUDEVAN

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

andrew golonka

BY RUCHA SOMAN

BY CLAIRE WEN He walked on stage with nervous anticipation, seconds away from beginning his piano performance. Suddenly, he realized that he had forgotten what piece he was supposed to play. He stood there for a minute, trying to remember, until gradually, the music came to him again.

Although sophomore Andrew Golonka was 9 years old during this piano recital, his interest in piano first began at a younger age.

“I was probably, like five years old,” Golonka said. “It was Christmas. I got a toy piano. That inspired me to listen [to and] play [it] and then that started getting me to learn. A couple months later, I got a [real] piano, and my mom hired a music teacher. My music teacher started teaching me, and here I am now.”

Six years later, Golonka is still passionate about music and has expanded his interest to other instruments, like the trombone and tuba, after taking the band elective in middle school.

“I played trombone [in band] up to seventh grade, until my teacher ran out [of] tuba [players],” Golonka said. “So she recommended me to turn into a tuba. So I tried out as a tuba [player], [and] made it to advanced band. It inspired me to continue with this instrument until now.”

Golonka plays the tuba in the MVHS marching band, but doesn’t have many other musical extracurriculars. However, he still enjoys it.

“I’ve been learning music most of my life already,” Golonka said. “And I’m hoping that [it] can bring me somewhere in the future.”

ananya rajagopal

One conversation with her dad completely changed her life. Two years ago, junior Ananya Rajagopal’s dad announced that he had signed her up to run a half marathon in April. At first, she didn’t want to run it at all, thinking that 13 miles was too intimidating. However, in January, after she started training, she realized that she enjoyed running and her experience became one of her biggest accomplishments.

“I was definitely reluctant at first, because running a [half marathon] sounded scary and at the time,” Rajagopal said. “I was definitely not in shape.”

To train, Rajagopal and her dad used to wake up at 4:45 a.m. a couple days a week to get in a run before school. Her love for running didn’t blossom the day she started training, but it grew to the point where she could say she had found a new hobby. Her first step into running was adjusting her mentality.

“I think for the first half it’s just about getting through that distance,” Rajagopal said. “If you can run or walk or crawl 13.1 miles, you’re incredible.

Your [finish] time isn’t important. It was my first time running, and I was just getting used to the idea of running for that long.”

To continue her passion, Rajagopal joined the MVHS cross country and track and field teams. After her first seasons she only had one goal over the summer: improving.

“I ran another half [marathon] over the summer, and for that one my approach was a little different,” Rajagopal said. “My long runs were always a few extra miles.”

Rajagopal continues to run cross country and track and hopes to finish a full marathon in the near future. She is unsure whether she’ll continue in college. Although running makes her happy and she considers joining the MVHS teams as one of her greatest decisions, there is still one task that Rajagopal despises.

“I know this sounds odd but I totally understand that I’m cool running nine miles or some crazy 400 sprint repeats,” Rajagopal said. “But I hate walking to school.”

FEATURES | DECEMBER 2018

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She tries to cosplay every Friday, if possible. But it depends on the weather. This year is better than last, though, as she has more outfits available for different weather conditions.

Inspecting her closet, she has a number of options to choose from.

Some of her past costumes includes specific characters, such as Baymax from “Big Hero 6” or Anna from “Frozen.” She also has many outfits that are more generalized, like schoolgirl or maid outfits so that she can change them up with different wigs and accessories.

Inspired by MVHS alumnus Olive Wu ‘16, senior Emily Wong began publicly cosplaying her sophomore year. However, she was first introduced to anime when she was only a toddler by her older sister, whose favorite anime is “Cardcaptor Sakura.” Her interest continued to grow, and she has watched and read many other anime shows and manga, one of her favorites being “Fairy Tale.” “‘Fairy Tale’ has been a very long anime, and I’ve been following it since fourth grade,” Wong said. “I stopped last year because they said it was ending. I cried so hard. I’m like, my favorite anime is ending. A lot of people don’t like it, but it’s really about when you grew up with this anime, you don’t care if it’s horrible. It’s your thing.”

Besides cosplaying as anime or Disney characters, Wong is also into Lolita fashion, a subculture from Japan influenced by Victorian and Edwardian clothing, with a focus on portraying cuteness. Many of her teachers and classmates are accustomed to her cosplaying and compliment her outfits, but in public, people generally just stare, unless she’s at an anime cafe or a convention. “[Conventions are] somewhere you can just be yourself truly, and just enjoy what you love and are passionate about. Because everyone there is the same,” Wong said. “They love anime, they love manga, they love gaming. And if you’re a huge nerd or anything, no one shames you for it. They join you.”

kellie mccuistion

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

BY CLAIRE WEN

emily wong

PHOTOS | ANISH VASUDEVAN

BY Katerina PAPPAS As the end of the year rolls around, Halloween and Thanksgiving pass by, leaving space for junior Kellie McCuistion’s favorite holiday — Christmas. The first week of December is usually when the festivities start for the McCuistion family. They buy a Christmas tree, hang up stockings and decorate the outside of her house in preparation for the holiday.

When the labor of decorating is over, her family moves on to actual holiday celebrations. Instead of only celebrating on Christmas Day, her family starts off on the night before with dinner and a movie or two. In addition, she receives a present that night, a pair of pajamas. All of this is in order to get the family prepared for the next day, which starts at 8 a.m.

She is always the first to wake up, and her brother soon follows. The last to wake up are her parents, who sit with them on their bed, opening stockings before anything else.

For her family, the day is about being together: eating together, opening presents together and sitting by the fire together. Her favorite Christmas was when there was a new addition to the family, a pure Havanese puppy named Amber.

“We have this door to our family room, and I opened [it] a little bit and I saw a cage and I instantly wanted to cry,” McCuistion said. “But I didn’t. I was so in shock. I didn’t actually think that Santa was gonna give me a puppy. It was amazing; she’s the best.”

The desire to have a new dog started the year she was nine and realized that her first dog, Dusty, a Havanese Maltese mix, was getting older along with her. She asked for another dog so Dusty wouldn’t be lonely. She looked online for puppies on sale in the area and stumbled upon one she liked, and while she didn’t receive the dog she initially asked for, the idea of having another dog was good enough.

“I got older, Dusty got older and I got more mature and understand that she was really lonely because we would always leave the house,” McCuistion said. “So, I just love the idea of another dog. Not only for our family and the purpose of having a dog [but so] they’re not lonely.”

A&E

PHOTO | ALYSSA HUI

A & E | DECEMBER 2018

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Putting a fun twist on gift exchanges during the holiday season

BY ALYSSA HUI AND GAURI KAUSHIK

H

is number was called and he went up to the pile of wrapped presents.

They were all different sizes ranging from envelopes to big boxes. All eyes were on him as he tried to decide which present to choose.

Each year, junior Kelvin Lee’s family holds a White Elephant party, in which they invite friends and family to participate in the gift exchange. The party always has a theme around which the movies, food and presents are centered. For example, Lee’s favorite gift from the party is a customized toilet paper roll with President Donald Trump’s face on it, as their party’s theme in this past year was a “presidential” holiday party. He thought the gift was interesting and funny, but admitted that he had no use for it.

The holiday season is often defined by traditions — many families keep to their own customs, such as decorating their houses, counting down the days with an advent calendar or making traditional Christmas dinners. The tradition of giving gifts on Christmas day has been long established, but some prefer to add entertaining twists with gift giving games, such as Secret Santa or White Elephant exchanges.

Ever since English teacher David Clarke became the head of the English department in 2011, the department has been holding an annual Secret Santa gift exchange.

According to English teacher Vanessa Otto, the tradition began when Clarke had all the teachers sign up for different committees within the department, one of which was a social team. “[The social team] involves social events like holiday potlucks and having cards circulate throughout the department for donations and signatures whenever someone’s getting married or having a baby and kind of the social aspect of being part of a [professional learning community],” Otto said.

Otto credits Terry Anderson, another teacher who moved away in 2016, with implementing the gift exchange as a part of the social team’s efforts. Since Anderson’s departure, Otto has taken up organizing the gift exchange. Every year before Thanksgiving break, she sends out an email with a form to write down a wish list for those who want to participate. Then, the teachers leave small gifts in each other’s classrooms throughout the month of December, ending in a holiday potluck where they listen to

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KELVIN LEE

holiday music, eat food and exchange gifts However, Lee likes White Elephant to reveal the Secret Santas. compared to a Secret Santa exchange Otto’s favorite gift from the exchange because of the sense of uncertainty and luck was a small figurine of Charles Dickens that surrounding the gift you recieve. You can Clarke gave her last year, although she also steal or trade gifts, and the order in which likes the two posters of Elizabeth and Darcy people choose gifts is based on what number from “Pride and Prejudice” with quotes they happen to draw. from the book that hangs on the wall of her “It’s really fun because you just don’t classroom, given to her by English teacher know what you’re going to get and if you do Randal Holaday. get something you want, you don’t know if “I definitely think it adds to the it’s going to get taken or anything like that,” camaraderie of the department, especially Lee said. “There’s just a really fun thrill to during a stressful time like finals week or it.” we’re up in our ears with essays,” Otto Regardless of this slight sense of said. “It’s nice to check in with each other competitiveness, the party is ultimately a and have a good time and be way for Lee and his family thoughtful about our individual to enjoy the holidays with interests and show that in our other families. gift-giving.”

“Every year we invite at Like the English department, least one family different,” the El Valedor Yearbook staff Lee said, “It’s really just also holds its own version of something we do to hang Secret Santa, a gift exchange out and get together with they call “Incognito Amigo.” friends that we don’t see According to editor-in-chief and that often.” senior Vanessa Lau, the staff uses Like Lee, Lau also an online Secret Santa generator emphasizes the way these called drawnames.com, where gift giving games allows they are able to record their wish ENGLISH TEACHER the Yearbook staff to lists and assign out “Incognito VANESSA OTTO come together and get to Amigos.” Lau says one of the know each other more. nice aspects about using such The tradition allows staff a website is that you can see what other members to interact in a way that may not people have put on their wishlist. be possible during class, when they’re busy “I feel like you get to know people a working on pages. lot based on what they want,” Lau said.

“Basically this forces people to get to “You get to see what people like and their know each other,” Lau said. “It brings personalities are reflected in what they people together.” e want.”

I DEFINITELY THINK IT ADDS TO THE CAMARADERIE OF THE DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY DURING A STRESSFUL TIME LIKE FINALS WEEK

White Elephant Each participant brings a wrapped gift to the party. The gifts are grouped in one area and each person draws a number, which determines the order they pick a gift in. The first person chooses any gift they want, opening it in front of the group, and so on.

Participants can customize the games with rules, such as stealing and swapping gifts.

ILLUSTRATION | TYLER CHO

Secret Santa Everyone gets assigned to be another participant’s Secret Santa. This can be chosen by picking names out of a hat or using a Secret Santa generator. The job of the Secret Santa is to get their assigned person gifts. This can be small gifts over a period of time or a large gift on the day of the party. After receiving their gifts, participants can try to guess the identity of their Secret Santa.

ILLUSTRATION | GAURI KAUSHIK

Hot Potato The participants all bring a wrapped gift to the party and then gather in a circle when it’s time to play the game. A gift will be put in the circle and passed around the circle until the timer ends or the music stops. Whoever is holding the gift keeps it and leaves the circle. The game continues with the rest of the gifts until everyone has a gift.

ILLUSTRATION | GAURI KAUSHIK

Cheers Exchange Each participant brings a wrapped gift. The gifts are then handed out to differene people and the host gives directions to the guests. For example, they could say, “If you have put up your Christmas tree...” Those who fit the criteria will stand up and exchange gifts with others who also fit the criteria. After someone has traded their gift, they no longer have to stand up. This goes on until everybody has had a chance to exchange their gift.

The Numbers Game

ILLUSTRATION | ALYSSA HUI

As each person arrives with their present, the host will label the present with a number and give the participant a slip of paper with the same number. The guest will then write an unusual fact about them and place the paper in a hat, while the presents are collected for later. After everyone arrives, the host will pick a paper from the hat and read out the fact. Whoever guesses who the fact is about first gets the gift and can no longer guess for the rest of the game. This goes on until the facts run out and everyone has a gift.

ILLUSTRATION | ALYSSA HUI

A&E | DECEMBER 2018

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Jewish students and teachers reflect on their experiences with Hanukkah

BY KAMYAR MORADI AND JAHAN RAZAVI

T

he young Jewish boy cannot help but contain his excitement for his favorite time of year. He grabs his mother’s CD player, and plays all his favorite Hanukkah songs that his family has been listening to for years.

He notices a box filled with little square prisms nearby, and calls his two older brothers over to see who can spin these playful objects the longest. With dreidels scattered all around the living room floor, a familiar scent fills the air, and the boy quickly rises to his feet and darts to the living room, where he is greeted with a fresh batch of soft, pillowy delights filled with jelly.

From the eve of the 25th day of Kislev, the Jewish counterpart of November and December, and for eight days afterwards, the Jewish population celebrates Hanukkah. According to CNN, Hanukkah is meant to commemorate the reclaiming of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The menorah in the temple burned for eight days. To celebrate Hanukkah, one lights the menorah, or “hanukkiyah,” by placing a candle in a slot for each night.

For junior Dan Sachs, Hanukkah is a way to get together with friends and family. Sachs claims that the most important part for him during this time of year is maximizing the time he spends around the people he cares for most.

“It’s a pretty small tradition, and it’s not very religious,” Sachs said. “It’s a lot more [of] a celebration [of] being together, celebration of light, celebration of how fortunate we are, especially how it falls generally between November and December each year. It’s during the Thanksgiving to Christmas time, when everyone is very cheerful.”

There is not just one way to celebrate Hanukkah. Sachs describes some of his own family’s traditions, and how he and his family always manage to find the time for the holiday.

“I celebrate Hanukkah with my family, generally at home, or at our friends’ houses,” Sachs said. “There are eight nights of Hanukkah, so some days, especially if it’s a school night, we just stay at home, quickly light the candles, recite some blessings, sing some songs and then get back to our general routine.”

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Much like Sachs, junior Guy Lavi has been celebrating Hanukkah for his entire life. Lavi describes one of his fondest memories from when he was a just a boy.

“One of the years, my mom made homemade jelly doughnuts,” Lavi said. “And one year, I was really hungry, and I ate like a whole dozen of them, I would say. Yeah, that’s one of my favorite memories.”

Over the years, Lavi has begun to recognize more about the Jewish culture, which has stuck with him throughout his life. Lavi shares his newfound appreciation for Hanukkah, and why he believes it is important for him and his family to carry on this tradition.

“I feel like when I was younger, the holidays were just, more fun, just like games,” Lavi said.

“But now I understand the meaning behind them. And I put that into the perspective during a celebration. It’s not just like, ‘Oh yay, I get like a jelly doughnut. I get like to play with dreidels.’ Now I understand why you the light the candles, and why you use jelly doughnuts and all that stuff.”

Not only does Lavi better understand the significance behind Hanukkah, but he says he has loyalty towards his culture. Lavi has a special place in his heart for celebrating such a pivotal part of his heritage.

“Like two years ago, we went to Portland, and it was during Hanukkah, so we brought the menorah and it was freezing cold outside and I didn’t want the candle to go, so I go out, so I stood and protected the candle, while my parents and stuff were just inside the hotel,” Lavi said. “So I guess, it’s become a part of me and I take pride in it.”

A common theme for both Sachs and Lavi is the eating fried foods.

PHOTO | JAHAN RAZAVI

Spanish teacher knows Hebrew, he can participate in Molly Guadiamos the singing. shares many of the “There’s some cool stuff we do,” same sentiments for Sachs said. “Sometimes when there’s these treats, like latkes and jelly enough people we can do canon. So one doughnuts, as her holiday celebration group [sings] one part, the other group centers more around these Jewish is the another part and then it builds on cultural delicacies. top of each other. That can be fun.”

“Once or twice during that On the other hand, junior Uriel week, we’ll get together with Kaminitz doesn’t think of himself as friends and have a bigger too committed to Hanukkah, and does party and the big highlight not share the same passion for the is eating latkes, fried potato holiday like Sachs and Lavi. pancakes,” Guadiamos “There’s a chance I’ll probably said. “The tradition is stop celebrating it, since I won’t be eating fried foods because too dedicated to it,” Kaminitz said. the idea was that there was “Especially if, for example, a Jewish a miracle when the rebels man or woman marries someone that were holding out and that’s not Jewish, there’s a chance that not allowed to celebrate or if the person is not really committed practice their religion had to Hanukkah, that they’re gonna stop taken their celebrating it. That might temple.” happen with me, but it’s W h i l e not really an important [HANUKKAH Hanukkah holiday to me. I can see IS] GETTING may have myself not celebrating TOGETHER WITH clout among it.” the majority of However, Sachs and FAMILY AND Americans, it is Lavi differing FRIENDS, AND THE opinionshave actually one of the on the future of NICE THING IS more minor holidays the holiday compared to THAT IT’S SPREAD Kaminitz. For Sachs, the for the Jewish population, behind has a nostalgic OUT INSTEAD OF holiday Passover and Kwanzaa. meaning that would BEING CRAMMED therefore lead to his “I think it’s one of the INTO ONE NIGHT. continued celebration. less religious holidays for Jewish people,” Sachs said.

“Hanukkah is a SPANISH TEACHER “It’s a lot more cultural, celebration that I’ve MOLLY GUADIAMOS and because of that every grown up with, and I will family does it a little do it for as long as I can,” differently. My parents Sachs said. “There’s no have been using the same card with the real reason why I would stop. It’s just blessings for many years, so we just do a holiday that [has] a lot of memories, it off of that standard.” especially because it involves singing To go along with Sachs, Guadiamos and lighting candles and I remember also celebrates Hanukkah in a more doing that with my siblings, even before subdued way. She treats its as more of I could actually light the candles, they a minor holiday, with a focus on family. helped me guide my hand and light the “[Hanukkah is] getting together with match and everything.” e family and friends, and the nice thing is that it’s spread out instead of being crammed into one night,” Guadiamos said.

During Hanukkah, many people also sing to express their gratitude.

There are two types os son: religious and historical. For Sachs, because he

A & E | DECEMBER 2018

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Cupertino’s lack of snow leaves some students feeling blue over the holiday season

BY ISHANI SINGH AND ANNIE ZHANG

C

rouched into place, sophomore Katrina Poulter and her sister wait in anticipation for their father to exit the library. With their noses frozen red, the sisters prepare for an ambush, armed with 50 delicately molded snowballs.

As the door of the library opens, Poulter and her sister attack, pelting their father head to toe with frozen ammo. Christmas, spent commemorating with snowy festivities and holiday spirit, are seldom seen in snowless Cupertino.

Poulter spent her Christmas week in Lake Tahoe at Incline Village. Devoting Christmas to snow-filled pastimes from exuberant snowball fights to skiing through crooked slopes, Poulter decidedly favors a colder setting coupled with hearty Christmas spirit.

“I think [Christmas is] more enjoyable with snow because it gives a sense of comfort when you’re inside a log cabin with a fire going,” Poulter said. “It gives a sense of fun when you’re outside playing in the snow because it’s something that everyone likes to do since we don’t see snow too often.”

Living in New Jersey until moving to Cupertino in 2010, senior Ananya Saxena agrees with such a sentiment. Similarly for Saxena, Christmas festivities in the snowy East Coast affirmed her sense of community and spir it, w h i c h was lost

amongst Cupertino’s snowless Christmases.

Reminiscent, Saxena draws upon nostalgic recollections from the East Coast.

“You get more of the general vibe of holiday cheer just because it’s colder and snowing, but then also [it’s that] people decorate their houses and put the lights up and do all this themed stuff around the end of Thanksgiving or the beginning of December,” Saxena said. “Our fire department did this thing where they would send out a fire truck with a Santa dressed up in it to different neighborhoods, and he would throw out these little candy canes.”

With a prominent absence of snow in Cupertino, a number of local residents vacate to snowy cities for Christmas. For Poulter, Christmas’s alluring spirit dissipates without the presence of snow. Poulter also believes that snow’s presence redefines the joyous features of Christmas, as it serves as a definite stress reliever.

“A lot of times, we don’t have time to do things we want to do because of the stress and pressure school often puts on you,” Poulter said. “When there’s snow, i t just brings out this excit ement and this

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ANNIE ZHANG

56%

30

of students have experienced a white Christmas *According to a survey of 382 students

EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

playfulness that a lot of people forget because of all the stress they have.”

Contrary to Saxena and Poulter, history teacher Scott Victorine believes that though snow harbors Christmas festivity, it is an inconvenience.

Additionally, Victorine states that he would occasionally visit snowy locations such as Lake Tahoe, but would dislike dealing with snow on a regular basis. “[Snow] is pretty for a white Christmas and it looks nice,” Victorine said. “I don’t know if I would want to live [with it] and have to shovel snow and deal with that.

Snow does lend itself to feelings of winter and the holidays; people tend to think of those things. [Winter] would be more festive with snow.”

Saxena also believes snow is a key facet of Christmas.

“The weather is definitely a factor in [the holiday spirit],” Saxena said. “Out here, if you look, you can’t tell that it’s [winter] because in general it’s sunny and relatively warm; it’s a different vibe. But I think specifically in Cupertino, where people are focused more on practicality, [no one really wants to] decorate their entire house f o r two months and then take it d o w n .e

68%

of students would rather spend Christmas in a place that snows *According to a survey of 383 students

PHOTO | ROSHAN FERNANDEZ

DEAR HOME A letter to my beacons of warmth

BY LAKSHANYAA GANESH

I

’ve always had trouble defining you.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines you as “one’s place of residence,” but I’m not entirely sure if I trust the dictionary on that one. The old adage “home is where the heart is” isn’t entirely convincing either, as that implies that there’s only one place where you can exist. In fact, the main thing I’ve struggled with when it comes to you is this concept of singularity, as well as the stereotype that you had to be a place or a tangible thing I could put my finger on.

The reality is, despite having lived in two different countries and three different states, I’ve never fully felt comfortable calling any of those places “home.” I was too young to remember India or Ohio enough to even be able to connect the idea of you to either of them, and even though I grew up in North Carolina for the most part, there’s something off and almost bitter-tasting about calling NC by your name. Not because I have some sort of terrible history with the state but just

because I don’t have a particular affinity for the moody weather and sometimes even moodier people. Even after living here for a year and a couple months, the novelty of California hasn’t worn off enough for me to call it “home.”

A “house” isn’t something I equate you with either. Within those two countries and three states, I’ve lost count of how many houses I’ve lived in.

Though the memor ies in those h o u s e s LAKSHANYAA GANESH will stay with me, the summer nights my brother and I would race each other down the streets in front of our house barefoot, or the way the snow left watermarks on the balcony of our apartment for months, there was always this underlying, uncomfortable sense that we were just going to have to move out of them again, so what was the point of getting attached? There was never any sense of permanence in the houses I lived in, permanence that I always had thought you required.

Despite not exactly knowing who you were or what you meant to me, I’ve constantly found myself longing for you. I think in the back of my mind, you were always this beacon

of security and warmth that I felt I was missing out on. It’s taken a while for me to realize that I do have you — it’s just that I can’t find you in any one singular place.

Some things don’t have to check every box on the list I made in my head to fit a solid description of you.

For me, you’re tucked in my father’s sweaters and my mother’s hugs, bringing me a bizarre combination of serenity complimented w i t h ov e r w h el m i ng joy. You echo in my brother’s laugh after I make a really bad Marvel pun, and you’re stuck between the old fries and broken souvenirs from cherished road trips in our family Honda Odyssey. You hide behind the pictures of pretty skies and wide-eyed puppies my best friend texts me, between every “I miss you, I love you, come to NC soon.”

You hide in the strings of my guitar, and you creep along the keys of my piano.

I wrap myself in you every year after finals with a cup of hot chocolate and a season of “Grey’s Anatomy,” all cued up and ready to binge. You’re sandwiched in every hug my friends give me, every kind word and every person who offers a shoulder to rest on. I could go on, but ultimately I find you in everything in my life that brings me peace, being my own personal beacon of security and warmth. I guess that, in a way, home really is where the heart is, only my heart is ripped in a million pieces, scattered all over the world.

But, that’s just me. Everyone has their own personal definition of you, and for the thousands of people whose houses burned down because of the wildfires that ran rampant all over Northern California, maybe you burned with them. If that’s the case, I really hope you find your way to them again. For everyone who, like me, at times feel a little lost, I hope you can help them fill the holes you leave behind. I’ve learned to be OK with not having a solid definition of you, and even though you leave me a lot, I’ve learned e to find you in unconventional ways.

LOVE, LAKSHANYAA

EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018 31

MVHS athletes share their experiences getting pulled up to varsity

BY RAJAS HABBU

At MVHS, varsity players are associated with upperclassmen like juniors and seniors, but sometimes teams use junior varsity players to their advantage. Some players get pulled up to play for their varsity team as early as sophomore year, and with a young player on the roster, their potential and their ability to improve increases drastically.

setting and slowly realized that he was part of something more than a team.

“I knew all the juniors pretty well,” Hodgkins said. “The seniors accepted me into the locker room and they were all kind and made me a part of the team.”

Hodgkins explained that he never felt the pressure of being on varsity. He always tried to play his best and believes that one of the main reasons he was able to succeed was because of the support he received from his teammates.

“Just from the practices, I was able to tell that [the level of play] was a lot more competitive and fast,” Hodgkins said. “On varsity, everyone is much faster and physical and on JV it was a lot more slow.”

SOPHOMORE SKYLAR PLOSHAY

A

s she strode onto the field to play her first-ever varsity soccer game, her walk slowed and nervousness stained her mind. She made her way to the coach and explained her concern, but was quickly reassured that she was going to be fine. She knew she had the skill to play, but she did not know if she would be able to show it.

Sophomore Skylar Ploshay was pulled up to play for the MVHS girls varsity soccer team during her freshman year, before the regular season has started. She was surrounded by girls who had years of experience. “[The varsity games] were really hard because [players] have to keep track of everyone on the field and how they are playing,” Ploshay said. “You have to know how fast this person is, how well this person can kick the ball whereas in JV it was much easier to figure out.”

Ploshay explained how her time on the team during her freshman year helped her become a better player this year because she had one year of experience under her belt. She found it easier to adapt and play well in tough situations.

“I went into games knowing what to expect, knowing how to do certain things,” Ploshay said. “Going into games, I am not freaking out and I know what to expect

SOPHOMORE HENRY HODGKINS

W

hen sophomore Henry Hodgkins first set foot in the boys varsity football locker room, he was welcomed by the smell of worn-out, tired and sweaty football players. Now a part of the varsity team, he knew that he would have to adapt to the heightened level of play, and that started with adjusting to the atmosphere in the locker room. Being pulled up halfway through the season ,he had to familiarize himself with the

SPORTS

RISING GREATNESS

JUNIOR JOCELYN CHANG

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R ST LU

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t was a fastbreak, she ran up the court constantly looking back, observing what her teammates were doing with the ball. As she neared the end of the court, she quickly noticed the ball coming to her.

Realizing she was wide open, she caught the ball and went up for a shot. The ball seemed to travel in slow motion as it made its way to its basket. She missed, and even though she was not taken out of the game, this memory stuck with her for the rest of the season.

Junior Jocelyn Chang shares her experience playing on the MVHS girls varsity basketball team as a junior and the difference of competitiveness from JV to varsity. Being unfamiliar with the differences in skill level, adapting was a struggle that she had to overcome throughout the season.

“Every time we would mess up, the coach would take us out so we never wanted to mess up,” Chang said. “The problem is if you [are] on the court for a long time, it would always be your fault for something wrong that happened on the court.”

Being a JV player for two years prior to varsity, Chang was accustomed to playing at a slower pace. Once she became a member of the varsity team, competitiveness and pressure slowly started to become a prominent factor in every game.

“Varsity is definitely more of a big deal, so more people come watch,” Chang said. “Varsity was a bit more terrifying because when I messed up, I would get penalized and there was a point where I [even] thought about not playing.” e

SPORTS | DECEMBER 2018

33

HIGH TIMES

34

EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ROSHAN FERNANDEZ

Playing high: How marijuana influences sports

BY ROSHAN FERNANDEZ AND ANISH VASUDEVAN

H

e was playing shockingly well. It was surprising to him because he had just smoked marijuana, forgetting that he had practice later in the day. He had made the decision to attend practice anyway, and he dominated every time he got the ball.

After practice had finished, he reflected on his performance, concluding that it had been amazing. Or so he thought.

“I thought I was [a professional player], and then apparently after practice, [a teammate] tells me that coach went up to him and [said] ‘Why is [he] not running?’ So apparently, I was sitting in the same spot and just looking around and passing the ball whenever it came to me. So apparently I was not playing great even though I perceived it as amazing,” he said. “You feel [like you’re playing better] in the moment but afterwards you realize that you actually didn’t play as well as you could have.”

According to this anonymous athlete, who will be referred to as Logan in order to protect his identity, this false perception of one’s performance is an effect of marijuana. The substance has a significant presence in sports, as players may use it for reasons ranging from healing wounds to relieving pressure. According to the FUHSD Code of Conduct, “use of illegal substances including tobacco, alcohol and drugs” will result in a “loss of eligibility” for participation in sports. Despite this, according to a survey of 34 MVHS students who say they’ve smoked marijuana before, 19 students admit they performed physical activity such as exercising or playing a sport while high.

For another anonymous athlete, who will be referred as Shane, marijuana is particularly helpful for pain relief or recovery after participating in physically taxing sports.

“After sophomore year I realized that [weed] really helps in terms of contact sports,” Shane said. “I have to go all out so I get kind of hurt after practice and after games. Using marijuana or something with THC is super relieving.”

However, another anonymous athlete, who will be referred to as Gary, explains that marijuana allowed him more control over his ability when he smoked before certain practices or games last year. According to Gary, he was able to play better because he felt more collected.

“

“I felt like I didn’t get tired as easily … you just feel more calm,” Gary said.

“Especially when you’re in difficult oneon-one situations with the [opposing team] or if [I] get a little nervous and panicky, it just really calmed me down so I could play more calm and composed.”

Dr. Anna Lembke, a Stanford doctor who specializes in addiction disorders, explains that this calming effect is commonly associated with marijuana use. However, she emphasizes that becoming dependent on marijuana can be very detrimental.

“It’s certainly true that for many people, in the short term, weed can help reduce anxiety,” Lembke said. “All drugs in the immediate short term make people feel better — the problem is for long term cumulative effects or the effects after the drugs wear off when people have their ‘come-down.’”

Gary says that there are some benefits of smoking — like feeling more calm — but he doesn’t rely on marijuana to perform well. To him, the sport is too important to risk losing his opportunity to play because of drugs. “[This sport] has been a part of my life since I was two. It’s just the most profound thing in my life by far — nothing can even compare to it,” Gary said. “I don’t want to jeopardize it with something that could potentially hurt me in the long run while I’m playing, who knows — something bad could happen while I’m playing.”

Gary also attributed this fear of using weed to stories he has heard from some of his peers about their negative experiences with the drug. Lembke explains that there is evidence that marijuana affects cognition, motivation and could cause more fatigue. As a result, Gary is very cautious about when he gets high.

“I’ve heard stories of people who pass out while playing due to exhaustion, like especially on marijuana,” Gary said.

“Definitely if there was a very serious practice or very serious game I would

“

“

WHEN YOU’RE HIGH YOU FIDGET AND DO RANDOM THINGS BECAUSE YOU DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO SOMETIMES. IT’S JUST EXTREMELY AMUSING ... PLAYING HIGH IS MUCH, MUCH MORE FUN. ANONYMOUS ATHLETE

not even dream doing it, even [on] the day of the game or the practice.”

Similar to Gary, Shane has also experimented with weed and felt its effects on his game play. He finds that sometimes weed can have a negative effect on his physical abilities.

“Sometimes if I’m super high, I can be super focused because of the adrenaline rush,” Shane said. “However, I’ve never played a game high but I’ve gone to a couple practices high. One time it was okay and one time it wasn’t a good [experience].”

Shane feels that one’s decision to use marijuana while playing depends on the nature of the sport or the position the player has on the team. He explains that some sports require attentive focus on the opponent, which can be hard to do while under the influence. However, he feels that if the person has a position on a team that is as not significant, being under the influence is okay.

While some teenage athletes acknowledge the benefits of marijuana, it is still banned from many professional sports leagues. Despite this, Shane believes NFL players specifically should be allowed to use weed because of its help in relieving stress.

“A lot of NFL athletes play games high because [they are] playing in a crowd that big and their well-being [is]

THE REASON THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE USE DRUGS IS THAT THEY FEEL LIKE IT SOLVES A PROBLEM. BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT IN THE LONG-TERM, IT’S JUST MAKING MORE PROBLEMS. ADDICTION SPECIALIST DR. ANNA LEMBKE

on the line,” Shane said. “Your wellbeing, income, family all [depend] on how well you play on the field, if you mess up it’s all gone. That’s a lot of pressure, so a lot of them smoke weed just to help with the pressure.”

Although some professional players may choose to use marijuana, Lembke warns of the heightened risk of addiction for teenagers like Gary, Shane or Logan. She says that starting to use weed as a teenager increases the chance of becoming addicted into adulthood, because the brain wires itself to become dependent on weed for dopamine release. She encourages teens to seek help, as well as finding other coping strategies aside from marijuana.

“The reason that a lot of people use drugs is that they feel like it solves a problem, and in the short-term it is solving a problem for them,” Lembke said. “But the problem is that in the longterm, it’s just making more problems.”

At the end of the day, Gary and Logan both say their motivations for smoking are purely for enjoyment. They both agree that playing can be made more exciting by using marijuana.

“Sometimes I don’t care enough to put my full effort into a game, so that’s why I play high,” Logan said. “I [get to] enjoy playing [the game] rather than getting pissed at the team, which would happen otherwise.”

Gary adds that he enjoys playing recreational sports high — with his friends, it’s one of the most enjoyable activities to do after smoking. For him, it also comes down to pleasure and satisfaction.

“I don’t know, it’s just something about having [a] ball, like when you’re high you fidget and just do random things because you don’t really know what to do sometimes, so just having a ball … it’s just extremely amusing,” Gary said. “[Playing high is] much, much more fun.” e

SPORTS | DECEMBER 2018

35

GROWING TOGETHER

P

Players reflect on their long-term teammates

BY OISHEE MISRA AND CHELSEA WONG

S

even years. Four boys. Five years. Two girls.

Senior Nikhil Bapat has been playing volleyball alongside the same three people since the beginning of sixth grade. The Kennedy Middle School boys volleyball team was where Bapat met current MVHS seniors Kevin Mathew, Gautham Dasari and Rajas Habbu. They didn’t know it at the time, but according to Bapat, this bond would carry on for the next seven years and shape them as both players and individuals.

“Obviously we’ve gotten a lot better since [sixth grade] and we’ve grown together in terms of how we play,” Bapat said. “Since we’ve been playing together for so long, our styles kind of complement each other well to develop that way.”

Senior Kevin Mathew, one of the four, agrees. He says that their friendship has strengthened over the course of seven years and believes that this is one of the main reasons why their teamwork is so strong.

“The first time we played together was in sixth grade,” Mathew said. “So from then on, our on-court and off-court relationship has just gotten stronger and stronger. By now, it’s like we’re best friends on and off the court.”

Similarly, sophomore Viveka Ramanathan began playing soccer

36

EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

at the age of five. Initially it was an effort from her parents to make her more social, but little did she know that her soccer experience would allow her to create a steady friendship with a fellow teammate — MVHS sophomore Sidney Chan. Now, they are really good friends, and are even referred to as ‘the dynamic duo’ by the rest of their teammates.

Being half of a ‘dynamic duo’ also helped Ramanathan become more at ease with her team, which initially was difficult.

“Having one person who I’m close to and know their style of play [is helpful],” Ramanathan said. “It also helped me because I know that’s one less person that I have to bond to and gel with. The rest of the team is also easier to get to know when you have a friend there with you because you always have them if you need backup, but you can also open yourself up to the team.”

Bapat says that because his teammates have stuck with him for so long, they have played an integral role in terms of his overall experience and performance.

“It definitely helps [to have a bond],” Bapat said. “To know people standing next to you not just as a teammate, but also personally and be able to trust each other — it’s just a lot easier when you’re really good friends.”

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF KEVIN MATHEW

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF VIVEKA RAMANATHAN

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF CATHIE LIN

PHOTO | ANISH VASUDEVAN

(Far left) Seniors Gautham Dasari, Kevin Mathew and Rajas Habbu warmup before a home game. (Top left) Juniors Viveka Ramanathan and Sidney Chan pose after picture day. (Top right) Seniors Rajas Habbu and Kevin Mathew pose after winning the middle school league championship. (Bottom) Senior Nikhil Bapat embraces Junior Matthew Yang after defeating Bellarmine College Prepatory.

In addition, both Ramanathan and Mathew explain that having close bonds with teammates allows them to grow as players, as well as off the court.

“Definitely in practice and games, we’re always telling each other how we can be better and a lot of coaches are gonna say ‘coaches should coach’ and ‘players should play’, but when a player can give you feedback that helps you get better, then that’s always a good thing to have,” Mathew said. “Having teammates around that I’m close to allows us to push each other more and as a result, I think I’ve gotten more assertive over the last few years.”

Ramanathan stated that teams tend to have intricate relationships among players because otherwise, the whole team may fall apart.

There is a certain kind of gel needed to hold the team together, and having close friends further helps this happen.

“You need to know each other [and] you need to know what they’re thinking on the field in order to move forward,” Ramanathan said. “Definitely knowing Sidney, I think has improved both of our styles of play. We know what we are thinking, where the ball is going and we know how to play and each other’s style of play.”

Not only do Bapat and his teammates impact each other’s playing styles, but he says they retain this same bond off the court as well.

For instance, they often hangout and watch games together.

Ramanathan adds that gaining a close friendship as a result of playing her sport has definitely had a positive impact on her life, especially proving helpful for dealing with the stress of high school.

“Having her as a friend definitely impacted me because she’s helped me through a lot of stuff,” Ramanathan said. “I know that I can always have her as a shoulder if I need one.”

Bapat says that improved team chemistry is the main benefit from attachments with their teammates. Matthew agrees, and says that the most important aspect of being close to teammates is knowing how each teammate will respond to specific situations.

For example, if they know that a teammate becomes really amped up when a game is on the line, then they act accordingly, whereas if they know a teammate tends to shy away in that situation, they change their behavior towards them. “[The team chemistry] would probably be different [without these bonds],” Bapat said. “I don’t know if it would affect the way we play, necessarily. But it’s an intangible thing between plays, we just feel more comfortable on the court.” e

SPORTS | DECEMBER 2018

37

OUT OF TIME Reflecting on the lack of tennis I’ve played in recent months

I

hadn’t played tennis in four weeks and I didn’t even realize it. I hadn’t gone to the court or even picked up my racket.

For a player who would practice for three hours everyday on the weekdays and even more on the weekends, the sudden lack of tennis in my life is strange. I never made the decision to stop playing tennis — it just sort of happened. I had other things to worry about: school, SATs and finals. It’s my junior year and although I expected myself to spend less time on sports, I didn’t expect myself to completely neglect the sport which was a huge part of my life.

But I let it happen. I let MVHS take over my life.

In a school where all I would hear in the hallways were talks about tests, Scho ollo op and grades, it became clear that I had new priorities now — tennis was not one of them.

I had dedicated most of my life to the sport, and it wasn’t right to give it all up for the satisfaction of seeing a column of A’s on my transcript. When I played tennis regularly, I gave up on going to other people’s birthdays so many times that I stopped getting invitations, because they knew I wouldn’t be able to go.

I gave up hanging out with my friends just to get an extra hour of practice on the court. I would leave sleepovers early in the morning to go to my lesson.

I gave up most of my summer to play eight hours a day and be a ballkid for some of the greatest tennis players in the world, in

order to become better — to improve. And although I didn’t enjoy those sacrifices at the time, I miss them now.

When I stopped playing, it felt as if I was throwing all of those years of hard work out the window, like they meant nothing to me.

The years I spent developing and structuring my game were gone. It’s as if I’ve disresp e c ted every person who helped me become t h e player I am to day: my dad, m y coaches and my teammates.

I miss getting up early on the weekends just to grab the best tennis court before the dads came to play their weekly tennis matches. I miss traveling to tournaments and seeing my friends. I miss having to groan when the coaches would tell us to run liners. But most of all I miss the competitiveness of the sport and the

PHOTO | ROSHAN FERNANDEZ

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EL ESTOQUE | DECEMBER 2018

perseverance I had when playing.

The funny thing is, when I was in middle school and elementary school I watched the presence of many older kids at my tennis clinic fade away because of school. I made a promise to myself never to become one of them. I would not let school take over my life and leave behind a passion that meant so much to me.

But here I am now, a junior at MVHS with finals, the letter A and the number 1600 JAI UPARKAR d o m i n a t i ng my thoughts.

But I shouldn’t blame MVHS for taking tennis away from me. After all, I’m the one who allowed it to happen. I let MVHS make tennis a lower priority than it should be.

I feel this guilt most days, but even worse on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays — the days I used to spend at tennis clinic. However, even though I complain about these things, I’ve done nothing about it. I made no attempt to finish homework at the library during brunch to carve out more time for practice in my schedule. No attempt to at least maintain my fitness routine.

This is probably the most bittersweet lesson I’ve learned on the court so far. As I realize now how far school has taken me away from my passion, I plan to get back on the court soon. .But I advise all of you not to be consumed by MVHS — don’t let it take over your life. Pursue your passions you spent years cultivating. Giving it all up simply isn’t worth it.

I’ve realized that I shouldn’t care about the letter grades I see on SchoolLoop or a percentage on a test, because they’ll vanish by the time finals are over, but tennis is something that will always be there.

Unlike school, my progress in tennis doesn’t reset after five months — it’s something I’m constantly improving and developing. The joy I get from playing tennis is not the same feeling as seeing an A on my transcript. I need to get my joy back. e

LESSONS FROM THE COURT

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH AKSHAY GOPALKRISHNAN

BY TYLER CHO

S

236 31 12 POINTS TOTAL

ince being introduced to basketball at a YMCA club at the age of six, the sport has played a major role in senior Akshay Gopalkrishnan’s life.

After switching from a National Junior Basketball team to a more competitive Amateur Athletic Union team in fifth grade, his zeal for basketball molded him into a captain and shooting guard for the MVHS team. Gopalkrishnan says that his parents inspired him to pursue this passion after encouraging him to find a hobby outside of school.

One of Gopalkrishnan’s greatest accomplishments was competing in the Adidas Gauntlet, where his team was sponsored by Adidas and seen by many Division I college coaches. His most memorable moment on the MVHS team is defeating Lynbrook HS in a close away game after having lost to them by 25 points previously.

ASSISTS

STEALS

*2017 and 2018 seasons PHOTO | ANISH VASUDEVAN

SPORTS | DECEMBER 2018

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