Volume 49, Issue 8, May 22, 2019

Volume XLIX Issue VIII Monta Vista High School

elESTOQUE May 2019

FEATURES 19 Class of 2019 reflects on the end of its time at MVHS

NEWS 5 A look into the new leadership changes in the drama department

OPINION 14 Discussing the positive aspects of affirmative action

A&E 34 Best pop culture of 2018-2019 according to MVHS students

SPORTS 38 How boys volleyball overcame immense expectations

CW

C O N T E N T S 2

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

5 8 10 13 14 16 19 20 23 24 26 28 29 30 31 33 34 36

NEWS

NEXT IN THE SPOTLIGHT SKIPPING INTO RETIREMENT PURPLE PRIDE

OPINION

PAINFUL PARTINGS SHORT END OF THE STICK EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN

FEATURES

WE ARE IN THE ENDGAME

WITH YOU UNTIL THE END FIGHT OF OUR LIVES

TURNING BACK TIME GET ME THE NUMBERS NO MAN’S LAND THE LITTLE FISH

MY FATHER’S SMILE

SEEING PAST CYNICISM

A&E

NEVERENDING LISTS BEST OF 2018-2019 DEAR GOODBYES

SPORTS

38 BACK TO BACK 42 A YEAR IN REVIEW 45 A WARRIOR’S FAITH 46 ATHLETE OF THE MONTH: JEREMY WU

2

PURPLE PRIDE

20

10

WITH YOU UNTIL THE END

A YEAR IN REVIEW

24 TURNING BACK TIME BACK TO BACK 38

42

EL ESTOQUE MAY 2019

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

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

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Tip 1. The upstairs D building bathrooms are the cleanest.

Tip 2. The vending machine is always overpriced.

Tip 3. Make sure to make a lot of senior friends early on.

When we first entered high school, we didn’t completely understand the implications behind Tip 3, nor did we dare to take on the challenge of becoming close to upperclassmen. Seniors were in an alternate world, one that we could not even dream of entering as freshmen.

They would tower over us, not only with their height, but also with their large personalities, and we would subconsciously avoid eye contact as they passed us in the hallways. We watched them only from the sidelines before games, appreciating their athletic achievements with limited interactions off the field.

Then came sophomore year. We adjusted to the MVHS life, settled in with our respective friend groups, joined clubs and eventually met some upperclassmen in our classes or activities. But most importantly, some of us learned the importance about Tip 3.

We would walk into class after lunch and see the Panda Express to-go boxes and the refreshing boba drinks. All we could do at the time was salivate, trying not to make it too obvious that we were jealous. Just two more years, we would tell ourselves – we wouldn’t dare to ask for a bite. To our surprise, they extended their hands, offering us a sip of their drink or a ride to their next lunch trip. And instantly, the barriers that had discouraged us from approaching the intimidating upperclassmen were broken.

They say time flies, and before we knew it, we were upperclassmen ourselves.

We had overcome most of our high school fears, but were burdened with the new challenge of planning our futures. What courses should we take? What is a good SAT score? How do we distinguish ourselves from every other MVHS student? Every time we heard seniors talk about their college applications, we couldn’t help but feel more confused. Junior year was coming to an end, and soon it would be our turn.

So we did what we could: we scheduled counselor appointments, discussed with our friends and conducted dozens of Google searches. But the most meaningful actions in a school where the student to counselor ratio is 558:1 were the late night Messenger conversations with our senior friends – yes, friends – and the priceless advice they would offer.

They didn’t have to offer us that advice. Seniors have every right to feel superior – it’s part of a high school tradition that every class eventually gets to experience. Despite this option, they chose to build relationships with us and answer each and every one of our redundant questions.

Maybe it is because of these bonds we formed (or maybe because of the free rides to lunch), but we can’t help but feel a sense of warmth whenever we see the college decision announcements pop up on our Facebook feeds, or the diverse college apparel that decorates the senior student body.

So before we say goodbye and send the seniors off to the next chapters in their lives, we would like to thank them one last time.

Thank you, class of 2019. We hope to carry on your legacy.

COVER PHOTO | ANISH VASUDEVAN

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

Hannah Lee

Anish Vasudevan

NEXT IN THE SPOTLIGHT English teacher Hannah Gould named new drama teacher

BY GAURI KAUSHIK AND JAI UPARKAR

PHOTO | GAURI KAUSHIK

A

s sophomore Naomi Yin filed into the black box theater along with her fellow drama st udent s dur ing t utor ial on May 10, her jaw dropped in sur pr ise when she was met not only by their long-ter m substit ute teacher Jeff rey Adams, but also by P r incipal Ben Clausnit zer and her World Literat ure teacher Hannah Gould.

“T hat’s my English teacher,” she exclaimed to a f r iend in sur pr ise as they stood facing Clausnit zer and Gould.

Clausnit zer went on to for mally int roduce Gould as the new drama teacher for the 2019-20 scho ol year.

Gould will be t ak ing over the four per iods of drama nex t year, while also teaching one per iod of Honors A mer ican Literat ure, a course she’s been teaching for three years.

According to junior Rachel Millar, the drama depar tment has seen numerous changes over the past t wo years, with three different drama teachers coming and going.

“T his depar tment hasn’t had st abilit y for a long time,” Millar said. “So it’s f r ust rating and upset ting to have another change of course, regardless of the person.”

W hen for mer drama teacher Sara Capule went on mater nit y leave in

Januar y 2018, Adams stepped in as the long-ter m sub, a position he has now held for nearly a year and a half, because Capule decided to ex tend her mater nit y leave for the 2018-19 school year, to spend more time with her son.

W hile Capule will ret ur n to teaching in the fall, she will be teaching English at Ly nbrook HS. “My pr ior ities were changed — they had to because all of a sudden there was a child in the mix,” Capule said. “A nd theater at a school is really demanding. I decided that it was best for me to t ake a step away f rom theater in a school for now.”

W hen Capule decided not to ret ur n, it left a drama opening at M V HS. Unlike Yin, Millar’s reac tion to the news wasn’t one of sur pr ise, as she says she and some of her fellow drama st udent s had suspec ted that Gould would be their new teacher. Instead, Millar was upset to see Adams, a teacher she had developed a relationship with, leave.

“I think we definitely have an at t achment to Mr. Adams, especially because he is such a seasoned ac tor,” Millar said. “He has a lot of exper ience in commercial and live theater and musicals and so that’s really rare, to have someone so in the indust r y be

“FEEL

I KNOW HOW IT CAN

W HEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DON’T HAVE

THE POWER TO MAKE CHANGE. ~ ENGLISH TEACHER HANNAH GOULD

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

willing to and enjoy teaching drama at a public school.”

Despite her unhappiness with having to say goodbye to Adams, Millar underst ands that this change is something that can’t be helped.

“At the moment, we’re not so happy, just because we have an at t achment to him. It’s definitely not an ideal sit uation r ight now, and at the moment, we’re work ing on voicing our opinion, because at the moment, we don’t feel heard by the dist r ic t,” Millar said. “It’s hard because we recognize that dist r ic t is not the issue, admin is not the issue, st aff is not the issue. It’s just, it’s a hard system. A ll in all, we love Mr. Adams, and we hope that he get s a really good job that he deser ves.”

W hile Gould is ex t remely excited to t ake on drama, she underst ands the sentiment s of the st udent s. She and Capule explain that the feeling of powerlessness is common among teachers too while the dist r ic t may ask for teacher input, it rarely fac tors into their final decision in the end. Capule point s to the bell schedule change as an example a decision that was ultimately the dist r ic t’s to make.

“I k now how hard it is to lose a teacher that you feel really close with and I k now how it can feel when you feel like you don’t have power to make that change,” Gould said. “I k now that’s a really, really impor t ant par t of this t ransition pro cess.”

W hile Adams declined to be inter viewed for this stor y, he w rote in an email: “I leave the [M V HS] communit y with a heav y but f ull hear t; I t r ust the Drama st udent s are in good hands and I wish Ms. Gould all the best.”

English depar tment lead David Clarke explains that one silver lining in the change is that no cur rent M V HS English teachers would be displaced or let go, as the school was overst affed.

According to the collec tive bargaining agreement with the Fremont Education A sso ciation Union, this usually means that the person of lowest senior it y in the overst affed depar tment is moved to a different school with openings or is no longer employed by the dist r ic t, a sit uation which M V HS hasn’t had to deal with in many years.

“Now, whether someone was going to lose their job in the dist r ic t, it didn’t look like that was going to happen,” Clarke said. “It looked like someone would have to move.”

Gould chose to move into the available position in the drama depar tment due to her for mer theater background, since the job holds the same credentials as English

“Ever yone who was involved was really think ing about st udent wellbeing.

We wanted to make sure that [the news] was delivered in a mindf ul way,” Gould said. “T here’s so much dedication and passion in that depar tment. I really admired how ser iously they to ok it.”

Because the English depar tment at M V HS was facing a sit uation in which it seemed to be overst affed, Capule, who had wanted to move into the English depar tment, was offered a position at Ly nbro ok HS. W hile she is open to teaching drama in the f ut ure, as a new mom, the commitment that drama demanded put ting on t wo annual produc tions and being in charge of light s, sound, cost umes, direc ting, f unding and marketing, on top of the work that comes with her role as a teacher wouldn’t give her the time she needed for herself and her son.

W hen she first became a teacher, Gould was offered the choice bet ween a position at Independence HS as a f ulltime drama teacher and at M V HS as a f ull-time English teacher. She wanted to teach at M V HS, so she chose to come in as an English teacher, but she has been speak ing to Capule about get ting involved in the drama depar tment since the beginning of her time at the scho ol.

Because she was still lear ning how to teach in her first t wo years here, she was hesit ant to involve herself in the depar tment, but when the position became available and the English depar tment was overst affed, she decided to apply.

“I was sor t of waiting for the r ight time even though it seems k ind of sudden at this point,” Gould said. “It just seemed to work out in a lot of ways to just sor t of dive into the oppor t unit y now.”

Gould had been involved in drama since element ar y scho ol, at tending Lincoln HS, a per for ming ar t s magnet school, and continuing to par ticipate in st udent shows and play w r iting in college at Bar nard. She continues to be a par t of the theater communit y by going to play w r ight festivals and seeing produc tions often. “[I go to] just ever y where I can soak up theater to see what’s going on in the communit y,” Gould said.

In preparation for her new role nex t school year, Gould has been work ing with Capule and lo ok ing into summer courses and work shops that will help her improve her direc ting, exper ience in tech theater and her k nowledge of voice, rhy thm and body. One of these will have her t raveling to New York to lear n f rom Broadway professionals.

W hile she has some level of exper ience in most aspec t s of theater, Gould has

“

[THEATER] FILLS ME WITH A

JOY AND AN EXCITEMENT THAT VERY FEW, MAYBE NO OTHER THINGS IN THE WORLD DO. ~ ENGLISH TEACHER HANNAH GOULD

recently st ar ted work ing on the video produc tion board for a show called “Silent Sk y” in order to lear n about tech theater, an oppor t unit y she credit s Capule for helping her get.

Capule has t aken on a large role in helping Gould with the t ransition. Her biggest advice for Gould is to keep a st udent-fo cused depar tment.

“A lways look at it that way, that it is a collaboration with the k ids and they ow n the work that they’re doing as much as you do, and figur ing that out together,” Capule said.

Gould has already t aken steps to t ake the advice into account, ask ing her new st udent s for musical suggestions and having them share what their goals are for nex t year, both for drama and out side. T his desire to be involved in st udent s’ lives out siede of drama is something the st udent s have grow n at t ached to with Adams.

“He was so incredibly suppor tive of each person individually, and that’s something that I’ve never seen f rom a teacher,” Millar said. “He’s always there to suppor t ever y st udent whether it’s ment al health or issues at home or just st age f r ight.”

Gould want s to help create that environment in her new position, as

she credit s her ow n theater exper ience for helping her develop her ow n morals, st reng ths and sk ills that have helped her in her adult life. W hile she remains excited about ever y aspec t of her new position, including the abilit y to collaborate with st udent s and f ur ther explore her passion for theater, she also look s for ward to encouraging and foster ing her st udent s to develop their ow n beliefs and sk ills through drama.

For Capule, witnessing this development is what she will miss the most as she leaves the drama depar tment.

“T he grow th that I would see in st udent s in that realm … it just made me feel like the work that I was doing was really mak ing an impac t,” Capule said. “So I think that is the gift that I was given by doing this job.”

Despite the challenges that she recognizes will come with her new role, including an increased time commitment and the st r uggles of the t ransition, Gould is look ing for ward to the upcoming school year.

“I love being involved in theater in any way possible,” Gould said. “It fills me with a joy and an excitement that ver y few, maybe no other things in the world do.” e

NEWS | MAY 2019

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

PHOTO | JAI UPARKAR

SKIPPING INTO RETIREMENT Math teacher Skip Mueller reflects on his time at MVHS and his retirement plans

BY ISHANI SINGH AND JAI UPARKAR

T

here were two things math teacher Skip Mueller never wanted to become: a salesman or a teacher. He ended up working in sales engineering for 17 years after graduating college with a civil engineering degree, which was dependent on the local economy. Soon after semiconductor companies moved away, Mueller needed to make a career change.

“I remember one guy telling me that if you’re really young, a lot of people want to go save the world and go work in some inner ALUNUS city school and his advice was when … you’re older, that may not be the best idea,” Mueller said. “MVHS is in some ways, a pretty easy way to teach because the students are obviously high achievers.”

Mueller was hired by FUHSD in 2001 and visited each of the schools before making a choice. He came into the tours not wanting to work at MVHS and Lynbrook HS due to their competitive nature. But in the end, his first choice was MVHS because he really liked his soon-to-be colleagues.

“Even though you’re in the classroom with students all the time, one of the things in my working life before becoming a teacher that I decided for myself, and I think it’s pretty universally true is a lot of the satisfaction you get out of your job is the people you’re working with,” Mueller said.

Math teacher Martin Jennings is one of Mueller’s colleagues and close friends, who mentored Mueller. In Mueller’s initial years as a Pre-Calculus teacher, he shared a classroom with Jennings and mentions that he would follow whatever Jennings did.

According to Jennings, the pair work well together and their friendship inside

the classroom evolved outside too, as they have visited Lake Tahoe together with their families and watched Stanford athletic events together. Jennings adds that Mueller hugely impacted the math department.

“He’s always a positive guy,” Jennings said. “So when there’s something that needs to be done, if he’s able to help, he’ll help ... he’s always wanting to do more than his share.”

Mueller is going to miss many of his PETER KIM colleagues after his 18-year stay at MVHS and mentions that he will especially miss his lunch group which would often play fantasy football together. Though he hopes to still stay in touch with the friends he has made at MVHS, he does have some retirement plans too. He wants to resume some outdoor activities he used to do like biking, hiking and backpacking. However, there is one thing that Mueller has planned for a long time: the Army-Navy football game, a college rivalry game between the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) and the U.S. Naval Academy.

Mueller has been coordinating the logistics of attending the game with MVHS alumnus Peter Kim, who attends USMA and was previously Mueller’s student and on his baseball team. Even though Kim graduated three years ago, they still keep in touch and went out to lunch during winter break.

“When I tried out for the baseball team he definitely took me under his wing,” Kim said. “He was very patient with me and gave me opportunities to step up. In terms of [the] classroom, he was a great teacher who really cares about his students.

IT WAS NOT JUST A CLASS AND ABOUT MATERIAL, WE TALKED ABOUT LIFE EXPERIENCES.

PHOTO | JAI UPARKAR

It was not just a class and about material, we talked about life experiences and a lot of other more important things that when you’re in high school you don’t really appreciate but afterwards you realize is more important.”

Kim mentions that one of his favorite memories with Mueller was when math teacher Colin Anderson and Mueller hosted the 2015 SNL. This experience was one of Mueller’s most memorable one as well.

“I was working with students in a whole different way, and I was involved in more skits and you have students that are your directors,” Mueller said. “So the tables are starting to turn and some of the students are sometimes a little shy about ordering around the teachers. But I said, ‘Now you’re the the boss here, so you tell me.’ It was a lot of fun.”

Similarly, Mueller’s favorite part of coaching the MVHS baseball team for 12 years was interacting with students outside the classroom. Being in the dugout and overhearing goofy conversations allowed him to see students in a different light.

But as Mueller explained, life changes.

He was getting older and so were his kids.

He wanted to be able to enjoy certain aspects of life before waiting too long. He was toying with the idea of retirement for a while and would re-evaluate his decision every year, but the idea was set into stone at the end of first semester. He talked with math teacher Jon Stark, who retired last year about upcoming retirement. “[The students] kept me young in some ways, it’s just the interface being around students that are energetic,” Mueller said.

“One thing I enjoyed about the teaching experience [is that] it allows you [me] to do some things I never imagined doing.” e

PHOTO | HELEN CHAO

PHOTO COURTESY | DIANE GOULARTE

NEWS | MAY 2019

9

PURPLE PRIDE MVHS takes steps to get rid of gender binaries in graduation gowns and senior portraits

BY ALYSSA HUI

F

or the past 50 years, the graduation ceremony held on the football field was characterized by alternating rows of purple and white gowns — purple generally for the males and white for the females. However, this year, all students, male or female, will be donning purple in order to eliminate the impacts of a gender binary at the ceremony.

Principal Ben Clausnitzer explains that this change has been a long time coming. The other four schools in the district have already made a change to a single color gown for graduation, and MVHS was the last.

“In the context of just trying to think about, ‘does gender need to be a decision when talking about graduation gowns?’” Clausnitzer said. “I think people went to a place of trying to say, ‘we are a class ... let’s show unity and not have gender [be] a decision [in] what gown color I wear. Let’s all wear one color and have it be the primary color of the school.’”

Co-president of Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) and junior Maya Tate recalls some of her friends’ struggles in picking out the appropriate color gown to match their gender identity. For one of her friends, they were non binary, but still had to choose one color.

“It caused a bit of internal strife with kids like that, so I’m really glad that we’re all wearing the same color,” Tate said. “I personally think that it looks better to have us all in purple because purple and gold is really nice.”

Junior Anushka Keskar feels the same, explaining that she doesn’t see the point of separating the gown color based on gender.

“It kinda seems silly to just distribute a color based on gender, so I think everybody wearing purple gowns is a good thing,” Keskar said. “It’s more uniform and also equal.”

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

Although he agrees that the change is that don’t reflect their identities. She also a step in the right direction, junior Surya explains that a single option might make it Ramesh feels that they should keep the safer for students who aren’t out yet, as they purple and white gowns and just allow won’t have to conform to a specific gender students to choose what color they want to or be exposed. wear, which is the current system.

“It’s safer and it’s easier and it’s frankly “I feel like the aesthetic of white and more convenient to have everyone wearing purple looks really cool,” Ramesh said. the same thing, still a really nice looking “I think it’s cool that when you look from garment, but it frees people from the fear of above the stands, you see a sea of purple having to choose or the discomfort of having and white.” to look at a picture However, Ramesh of themselves in understands that it’s hard an outfit they don’t to change the stigma that feel comfortable in,” girls wear white while boys Tate said. wear purple.

Tate explains Not only are changes that Clausnitzer being made to the is reaching out graduation gowns, but of students are glad for to other schools GSA is also working with the change to all purple while Martinez Clausnitzer and assistant is in contact with principal Michael Martinez graduation gowns the photography to change the senior *According to a survey of 354 MVHS students organization, portrait options. As of right Prestige Portraits, to now, there are two options see if anybody has when taking senior portraits: a tux, which is done anything like this and get a sense of generally considered more masculine, and an the options. She is also trying to get a feel off the shoulder drape, which is considered for what people think through surveying more feminine. These two options are very students and come up with ideas for what black and white, and many students don’t to wear. relate to either.

“I hope it’ll set a precedent for casual The two proposes are to either add more gender neutrality because it’ll be pretty options to what they already offer or change big the first year we implement it, but after the outfits completely to only caps and that, to every new class of freshmen, it’ll gowns for all seniors in an effort to get rid of seem really low key, it’ll just be normal,” gender binaries.

Tate said. “That sort of sense of normalcy According to Tate, there are many around neutrality is something that we really students who are transgender, queer or want to encourage, not just in this school but nonconforming who end up wearing clothes in the other schools in the district because

28%

none of them have done anything like this and then schools across the state.”

Although she thinks there may be some pushback with those who want to keep the traditional way of doing things, Tate hopes that if they make the new options formal enough, and they fight and push for the change, they can make it happen.

Keskar also thinks that these changes will allow for more freedom of expression instead of restricting students.

“For MVHS, I don’t think it would make a difference because I feel like this campus is really accepting of how people choose to express themselves,” Keskar said. “Obviously it will have a positive impact for people who weren’t allowed to express themselves through their fashion choices before, but I don’t think it will make that much of a difference in the school community.”

GSA is also working on implementing more gender neutral restrooms throughout the school and possibly even a gender neutral locker room. However, Tate explains that it’s a much larger process.

Clausnitzer hopes that the community will react positively to these changes in including all students. He also thinks that these changes will help make the school more inclusive overall.

“There’s those types of conversations, which certainly include this concept of inclusivity, not specific to just gender, but this idea that all students are feeling safe, they’re feeling valued, they’re feeling a sense of belonging, on this campus,” Clausnitzer said. “Hopefully, over some amount of time, I would hope more and more students feel that way.” e

PHOTO | SCOTT DERUITER

MVHS alumna Rupali Sujan, class of 2018, walked towards the upper field to take her seat in the sea of graduates, donning a white gown, during last year’s graduation.

NEWS | MAY 2019

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

OPINION

PAINFUL PARTINGS A final message from your neighborhood tortoise

I

’m bad at a lot of things.

During first period, I tried to drink water from my open-mouthed water bottle, and somehow managed to drip water onto my shirt, my lecture notes and my lab partner. Needless to say, he wasn’t very excited.

During lunch, I attempted to eat a delicious serving of my mom’s fried rice.

By the time I had finished, there was a pile of rice on the floor, because apparently the distance from the thermos to my mouth is too much for my clumsy hand to handle.

During passing period, I kept stepping on my friend’s poor feet and pushing us towards the left because I am incapable of walking in a straight line like a normal human being.

To be frank, I’m a mess. I’m insecure, indecisive, self-deprecating, awkward, unfocused and a crybaby.

And that’s where you came into my life, dear reader.

Nine months ago, I first met you — an incoming junior, eager to begin a new chapter of my high school career. That’s when I first lovingly started to place tortoises into the design of my thin magazine page, and when I decided that I would broadcast all of my faults to the public.

I’m not sure when it exactly happened, but recently I’ve become known as the “turtle girl” to strangers who recognize me in the hallway. It’s tortoise, by the way. But no matter. I guess “tortoise girl” doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Now I suppose that being compared to a slow-moving, vegetable-eating reptile is not exactly the most flattering thing in the world, but I’ve grown

ILLUS

T RAT

fond of these often overlooked animals.

They give me strength and allow me to make unexpected connections with others. In fact, after writing “Tissue Turmoil,” I was called out of my fourth period class by student advocate Richard Prinz just so he could tell me how much he enjoyed my story. I discovered that with my e m o t i o n a l v ulnerabilit y, I could create inter personal relationships I had never previously t h o u g h t imaginable.

EMILY XIA Putting my life on paper, knowing that my friends, teachers and random people I see on the C building stairs would see and critique everything about me — I must have been either enormously courageous or truly insane. To this day, I’m not exactly sure which category I fall into.

I had spent my entire life running away, unable to confront my insecurities. I waited inside my shell, knowing that as soon as I left, I would be attacked and ridiculed. But writing my column forced me to come faceto-face with my problems, to look at them and decide if I wanted to accept them or change them.

Rather than sitting on the sidelines of life, I pushed myself to get on the stupidly-unfair field and play.

I cried from stress, yelled out of frustration and procrastinated way too much, but one way or another, I got through every difficult week, every hard time and every emotional rollercoaster. By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be done with junior year of high school.

And I don’t admit this that often, but I’m so proud of myself, and I hope that you are too. Because even if you’re disappointed by your circumstances or didn’t perform as well as you hoped this year, you made it to where you are today — and gosh darn, that’s an achievement.

The journey isn’t over — far from it.

Although I’ve continuously confronted my emotions and mistakes this year, there’s still a long way to go. Trust me, I’m still godawful at plenty of things, and one of them just happens to be saying goodbye.

But that’s the challenge, right? Doing things you’re not comfortable with and becoming a better person because of it.

I’m out of my shell and reaching for more. I’ll cherish my tortoise drawings and the lessons I’ve learned, and I hope you will too.

Thanks for ev e r y t h i ng.

See ya! e

COMING OUT OF MY SHELL

ION | EM

ILY X IA

OPINION | MAY 2019

13

SHORT END OF THE STICK Navigating the purpose of race-based college admission policies 14

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

ILLUSTRATION | OISHEE MISRA, ANDREA PERNG, SARAH YOUNG. ANNIE ZHANG

A

ffirmative Action (AA) is a is not intended to make easy lives even easier. vehemently debated policy — both It is meant to lift those less privileged than us to a milestone for supporters and a our level; it is meant to even the playing field, grievance for opposers. Over the granting a chance for minority groupings with past couple of years, news relating to college less privilege to go to college. As it currently admissions has been largely dominated by the stands, college is one of the most significant notorious Harvard lawsuit involving its alleged ways to ensure that all people have access to discrimination against Asian applicants. the same career opportunities.

Discussion surrounding the case has often A myth shrouding AA is the fact that been centered around AA as a nationwide the 30-year-old policy isn’t as effective in policy, requiring that college admissions modern society because the playing field has officers accept a certain number of applicants been leveled — but this is simply a crutch to of underrepresented minorities like Latinx or dismiss AA by affluent communities. The turf blacks. Many students, MVHS’ own being no is far from equal: African-American and white exception, have u ne mpl oy me nt voiced opposition rate discrepancies to this policy, have been in gear asserting that it for more than allows colleges four decades.

OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE to admit less At an annual EDITORIAL BOARD qualified students rate of 6.6%, black and “take up” the spot of more qualified unemployment rates are more than double that students simply because of their race. of white employment rates (3.2%). According But these preconceived arguments are often to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in January made without an understanding of why AA 2019, Hispanic unemployment rates dropped was implemented in the first place. Students from 4.9% to 4.3%. With these rifts prevalent at MVHS can ostentatiously argue that they in minority groupings, AA is another support deserve a spot at an Ivy League college, more for these communities. While it is not an so than, say, a black student with a lower GPA instantaneous cure to societal oppression, AA or SAT score. Because we live in an area largely allows many to pursue the American Dream dominated by wealth and privilege, we are — to become something from nothing. granted an abundance of oppurtunities that To oppose AA because it does not leads us to think that we deserve out spots at personally benefit us betrays an elitism that prestigous universities. . With such wealth and excludes underrepresented minorities and privilege comes plentiful resources that we classes from the lives that many of us are born may take for granted, like private tutors, prep into. Just because we aren’t presented with books and off-campus classes. such racial privilege doesn’t mean we have the With that in mind, it’s important to right to rebuff AA — it is a second chance for understand that because we boast such underrepresented minorities that have been privilege, AA is not for us to drone on about. It systematically and historically oppressed. It’s

STAFF EDITORIAL

true that the majority of the MVHS student population is not white, and that means that we don’t possess the same amount of privilege that white people have, but it’s undeniable that many east Asians and Indians have at least some form of advantage over, say, black and Latinx students.

We may complain about not getting into Yale, for example, after grinding test prep and extracurriculars for years, but we should be appreciative of the fact that we can afford to spend our time on Speech and Debate rather than working long hours just to make ends meet. We will complain about scoring messily on the SAT after countless rounds of test taking preparations, but we should be grateful at the least for the plethora of accessible resources that are presented to us, in comparison to low income households. At the end of the day, AA is less a policy that “takes” spots away from people and more one policy that gives others the opportunities we take for granted.

In our MVHS bubble, we may be enraged at the prospect of Affirmative Action.

But understanding AA in the eyes of less prosperous communities is important in order to become less ignorant of the world around us. We have to realize that the only thing we have to lose from a rejection due to AA is ego deflation. Our futures are not entirely closed off — we have options like state schools and transferring to four-year universities after going to community college. For those who AA is trying to uplift, rejection from college is a direct denial of their future. Their options are much, much more limited than ours — we need to take this fact into consideration before we ridicule Affirmative Action. Just because it doesn’t profit us in the college admissions game doesn’t mean that it should go away. e

62% 50% of MVHS students believe that those that benefit from Affirmative Action deserve their place in college, according to a survey of 305 students

of MVHS students believe that Affirmative Action positively impacts the college admissions process, according to a survey of 310 students

OPINION | MAY 2019

15

EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN We need to stop pitting women against each other

BY LAKSHANYAA GANESH

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

PHOTO | SREYA KUMAR

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IN A WORLD WHERE SO MUCH PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN THE WAY OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS, WE NEED TO EMBRACE A CULTURE OF TRUE, AUTHENTIC EMPOWERMENT.

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he rise of the 21st century has made way for a generation that is more aware, sensitive and progressive in relation to issues that have been plaguing our country for years — more specifically, in support of women’s rights and ways of empowerment. Women’s employment rates and college graduation rates are at an all time high, according to U.S. News and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and we have slowly but surely climbed the rungs of success, with a record number of 102 women in Congress, according to the Pew Research Center. The feminist movement has grown over the years, especially in pop culture and media, and brought with it widespread messages of empowerment and inclusivity.

That’s not to say pop culture and revered feminist icons don’t perpetuate messages of internalized misogyny. In her 2010 album “Speak Now,” Taylor Swift reflected on a past relationship that she says was “stolen” from her in the song “Better than Revenge.”

The song features lyrics such as “She’s not a saint / And she’s not what you think / She’s an actress, / She’s better known / For the things that she does / On the mattress.”

She attacks the other woman’s promiscuity and sexual choices, which does nothing but perpetuate archaic ideals and hurts both the women. Taylor later apologized for the lyrics, saying “I was 18 when I wrote that. That’s the age you are when you think someone can actually take your boyfriend. Then you grow up and realize no one can take someone from you if they don’t want to leave,” according to Rolling Stones reporter Brittany Spanos.

She has since become an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and female empowerment, including suing a radio DJ for one dollar for sexual misconduct in order to make a statement. She has also sympathized with women participating in the #MeToo movement, learning from her mistakes and overcoming her internalized misogyny.

Slut-shaming sentiments still remain in the media and in pop culture, however, particularly in the arena of females in rap.

The recent feuds between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj only perpetuate the narrative

of women putting down other women in the entertainment industry.

As Vox reporter Alex Abad-Santos pointed out, “when it comes to the mainstream consumption of female-driven hip-hop, there seems to exist an irrational paradigm that reads like a crooked fairy tale: There can only ever be one dominant female rapper of the moment.” Feuds between male artists and rappers, such as the conflicts between Drake and Meek Mill, aren’t as publicized or glorified, and it seems as if audiences are more likely to pit women over men against each other.

Competition in any industry is healthy. It drives progress and pushes people to achieve to the best of their ability. This competition becomes unhealthy, however, when those competing step on each other in order to rise to the top. The trope of girls competing and putting each other down just to “win” a man over is seething with prevalence in films and other forms of media.

The Bechdel test, a test popularized by Alison Bechdel’s comic “Dykes to Watch Out for,” is a test which sees whether films and TV shows follow three simple criteria: they feature at least two women, who talk to each other, about something other than a man. The trope of women “competing” for a man is even more prevalent, and many of our favorite movies don’t pass this simple test. Even in beloved movies such as “Mean Girls,” this trope of women putting each other down and slut-shaming other women in a “Burn Book” pervades the movie. Though at the end, the heartwarming message of acceptance and kindness is made, it’s still somewhat undercut by the unsettling womanizing themes prevalent throughout the movie.

The portrayal of women putting down other women in media is just a microcosm of this hate in the real world. We’ve all been victim to internalized misogyny. We hear or even make snide comments ourselves about how one girl’s dress is just a little too short, her top a little too tight. We hear girls talk about how they’re “not like other girls,” how they only hang out with guys because guys cause less drama. We weaponize the

sexuality of other women, throwing around the word “slut” as a slur, a bad thing, when in reality a woman has every right to be as sexual or as modest as she wants to. While the male equivalent to this slur is “stud,” praises men for being sexually active., rather than chastising them.

Over the years, we’ve slowly but surely become more aware of our own personal biases and internalized prejudices.

Campaigns such as social media influencer Lilly Singh’s Girl Love reflect positive messages of women supporting women.

Singh, in her video series of the same name, features women of high stature, such as Bebe Rexha, Michelle Obama and Sabrina Carpenter, sharing stories of empowerment and supporting other women.

She donates proceeds from her campaign to underprivileged girls in Kenya so they can receive an education.

Messages of positive girl empowerment are starting to show up in pop culture as well, through songs such as “Most Girls” by Hailee Steinfeld, that denounces the “I’m not like most girls” trope, “SLUT” by Bea Miller, reclaiming the insulting slur by claiming the word to be an acronym to stand for “sweet little unforgettable thing” and more.

Through supporting people, campaigns and messages such as these, we can work towards breaking down the toxic culture of tearing other women down.

In a world where so much progress has been made in the way of women’s rights, we need to embrace a culture of true, actual empowerment. This internalization may be a product of our environment, but we need to be aware of the problem in order to fix it. We face enough blatant sexism from men in the workplace, in the classroom and online. If we want to further the progress our country has already made to tackle issues of sexism, women must band together. We need to stop tearing each other down, stop supporting media that perpetuates messages of women stepping on other women to be successful and stop weaponizing another woman’s sexuality: We still have a ways to go to achieve TRUE, authentic empowerment. e

OPINION | MAY 2019

17

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF TRAGEDY Combatting our society’s aversion of silver linings

BY OISHEE MISRA

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n Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” the famous French cathedral is described as one that gazes at people “with only tranquility and benevolence.”

To Parisians, Notre Dame is more than merely a cathedral — it represents a brimming well of pride and nationalism. Yet with the tragedy on April 15, when the cathedral was engulfed by flames, it seems as though these previously uplifting connotations came crashing down with the cathedral spire. In the hands of social media, this singular tragedy manifested into a million others as people mourned its loss or expressed anger at the overflow of donations going towards its restoration.

In the weeks following this event, this burnt edifice has been subject to an abundance of cynical convictions. This reaction isn’t surprising, though. It is human nature to confront tragedy with dismay — with sympathy, empathy, even anger. Yet it is also important to recognize that not every tragedy is shrouded with gloom.

Notre Dame’s destruction can be viewed in a positive light as well. Instead of being portrayed as losing the pinnacle of French architecture, it is important to acknowledge that surprisingly little of the cathedral is from when it was first built in the 12th Century. The walls, spires, woodwork and religious art of the cathedral — the physical structure — is not the source of French pride, but rather its artful symbolism of Paris is the reason their affection.

In Japanese culture, for instance, it is tradition to destroy and rebuild the Ise shrine in Mie Prefecture, an important cultural building, every 20 years. This tradition has been ongoing for the last 1,300 years; the restoration process is supposed to symbolize that this shrine is eternal. A similar lens can be taken for Notre Dame, because this tragedy might resemble a blessing in disguise.

When rebuilt, it will no doubt bring forth a sense of solidarity among the French people and draw in a slew of new visitors.

Especially for Parisians, whose city has seen a spike in terrorist attacks as well as violent protests during recent years, perhaps this will bring forth a sense of peace and restoration, while simultaneously dissipating

some of the negativity that has been spurred by the fire.

Not unlike Notre Dame, MVHS is no stranger to manifestations of negativity.

Although it is an overstatement to call student stress a tragedy, our tendency to foster negativity shares an uncanny resemblance with the reactions to the Notre Dame tragedy. Especially at this stressful time of year, with AP testing and finals in full swing, students find much to complain about.

We are unable to grasp the notion of positivity because we often neglect our privilege.

AP testing and finals are stressful, but we are lucky to receive an education and opportunities that allow us to delve deeply into subject areas we care about. In contrast to the state average of 62%, 97% of MVHS students pass one or more AP exams throughout high school.

It doesn’t necessarily have to take the destruction of a monument for us to find

WHEN WE BEGIN TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE SILVER LININGS ON CAMPUS, IT CAN BE EASIER TO FIND THEM.

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positivity — it can be found in simple things. It can be pre-calculus teacher Sushma Bana passing out bouncy balls in all of her classes to remind her students that they can and will bounce back. It can be full, instead of half-hearted, engagement in the District Wellness Week that MVHS leadership recently hosted. And it can be awareness of one’s mental and physical well-being because as hard it may be to believe, people are more important than 5s on AP tests.

When we begin to engage in activities that promote silver linings on campus, it can be easier to find them. The burning down of Notre Dame was a tragedy. Dealing with stress is not a tragedy, but it does hold weight. Tragedies are commonplace, and it is easy to get wrapped up in negative thoughts, feelings and actions, but that does nothing but manifest despair and worsen the situation. Our society’s neglect of silver linings has left us in a place where combating negativity has come to a standstill, yet Notre Dame’s hidden blessing in disguise serves as a simple lesson — to see the bright side of tragedies and the promise of hope for the future. e

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ILLUSTRATION | OISHEE MISRA

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ooking back, the path for the Class of 2019 was never an easy one. As seniors, they experienced a heartbreaking loss in the Homecoming rally to the Class of 2020. They watched as the teachers who had become their mentors retired, their once constant presence gone in the blink of an eye.

But despite the hardships they endured throughout their time at MVHS, the Class of 2019 refused to give

up. Through all of their lows, the seniors kept their heads high and found the will to keep on fighting.

From their three consecutive Powderpuff victories to imaginative rally posters and performances, they showed the strength of their determination and spirit, and the seniors’ unwavering resilience brought them to the finish line this year.

FEATURES | MAY 2019

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WI T H Y OU UN T IL T HE END

Seniors and teachers reflect on the bonds they’ve formed through extracurricular activities

BY CLAIRE WEN AND BRIAN XU

PHOTO | CLAIRE WEN

“I feel like teachers really do have that — Hi, Mr. Shelton!”

It’s a Wednesday afternoon, 10 minutes after school has ended, when Yearbook Editor in chief Vanessa Lau spots Yearbook adviser Jay Shelton walking toward his car, cutting off mid-sentence to yell the greeting across the staff parking lot.

“Hi! Is that your interview?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t say anything weird!”

“I’ll try not to,” Lau calls back teasingly.

The friendly banter ends as Shelton gets into his car and Lau returns to the interview. Like Lau, through their years in high school, many students have developed close relationships with teachers beyond the scope of a typical classroom, especially through activities such as yearbook, robotics or drama.

There are over 600 seniors graduating this year. Each student will leave their legacy through the connections they’ve built over the years, whether it be with teachers, coaches or friends. Although they are leaving this school, they will have a lasting impact on the people they have joked with playfully, ranted to in frustration, supported and cared for, through the irreplaceable memories they have created here.

YEARS OF MEMORIES Rows of computers line the desks and colorful posters adorn the walls of room A103. The cozy room is home to dozens of students who meet during seventh period each day, taking photographs, writing profiles or designing spreads for El Valedor. Each day, amid the chaos, two figures keep everything in check: Shelton and Lau. Over her three years on the yearbook staff, Lau has forged a close relationship with Shelton. By the end of Lau’s sophomore year, Shelton viewed her as one of yearbook’s strongest workers.

Lau was appointed editor in chief her senior year, leading her peers with a style in direct contrast to Shelton’s.

“I have to be loud,” Shelton said. “I can’t let things go. I have

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

IN MY 23 YEARBOOKS, I’D PUT HER AMONG THE BEST. to bring everything up and I’m just impressed the way she can be subdued and reflective. She doesn’t get excited like I do. She doesn’t get angry at them like I do. But everything is taken care of.”

According to Shelton, Lau laid a solid foundation for El Valedor this year through creating a secure environment for all students. At the end of each day, Lau is the last student to leave the room; she will wait anywhere from five minutes to half an hour for every other student to leave before she packs up. Though past editor in chiefs have gained the trust of their peers, Shelton shares that Lau is a rare editor who has had no students “[go] to war with her” or reject her opinions.

But beyond establishing trust with her peers, Lau has built a strong bond with Shelton. Shelton describes their relationship as one of coworkers or coparents, since Lau is mature enough that Shelton has never had to intervene with her leadership. As Lau rarely asks for help with personal problems, she is grateful that Shelton often checks up on her proactively.

“It’s just the idea of having a teacher really believing in my abilities, because there’s very few teachers I feel that I have really connected with, and he’s one of them,” Lau said. “So I think it’s just the idea that there’s someone there for me, that’s really nice … It’s just that constant presence he has in the back of my mind, like ‘Okay, I have someone watching over me.’”

Shelton routinely checks to makes sure Lau is doing OK, pulling her aside to share songs from his playlist or engage in conversations ranging from Marvel and DC movies to college life to managing the yearbook. In turn, Lau makes a point to take care of as much of the yearbook as she can, keeping a calm demeanor and notifying Shelton of problems only when absolutely necessary.

“I’ve had wonderful editors before, but in my 23 yearbooks, I’d put her among the best at high, high growth,” Shelton said. “That’s saying a lot — they’ve gone on to do a lot of great things. But as a person I find her so interesting.”

LOVING THE CRAFT When Monta Vista Robotics Team (MVRT) president Andy Ding joined the team his freshman year, his first impression of advisor Ted Shinta was that he was “to the point.” Initially, most of their interactions consisted of Shinta telling his students to put tools back in the right places.

But in his next few years as part of MVRT, Ding got to know Shinta on a closer level by learning about his past military career and working with him in robotics. By his senior year, Ding became the MVRT president and worked alongside Shinta to lead a club of around 140 students. Shinta describes their roles not as student and teacher, but as leaders in a company, with Ding assuming the position of CEO and Shinta acting as a board member and supervisor.

“He’s smart — Andy’s very smart,” Shinta said. “And he’s polite, and he’s a hard working guy. In robotics, there’s a lot to learn that is apart from school. A lot of what they do is stuff that people do in industry, so he’s stepped up and learned how to do all that.”

As most of the officer team was graduating last year, Ding had to step up to his job as president without much experience. Even so, Shinta describes him as being a “pretty clear choice” for being president.

Shinta appreciates the fact that he is upfront and doesn’t try to conceal anything. He feels that often, as a teacher working with students, they aren’t always straightforward.

“But in working with Andy, I’ve really seen that he is really upfront and keeps me informed,” Shinta said. “It’s important for the student to take the initiative because I’m pretty busy. And so I might not even know what’s happening if I’m not even being informed by whoever the president is.”

From his “deadpan humor” to his calm demeanor when dealing with obstacles during build season, Ding’s unique qualities are valued by Shinta and his peers. Shinta admires Ding’s honesty above all; whenever Shinta checks with Ding about his next steps for the club, Ding never tries to sugarcoat the truth.

“I like Andy — I really do like him,” Shinta said. “And I think he’s going to do well, once [he] leave[s] school and go[es] to college and go[es] into the workplace, because he has the kind of personality that’s easy to work with, and is hardworking, honest and bright.”

I LIKE ANDY — I REALLY DO LIKE HIM. AND I THINK HE’S GOING TO DO WELL.

FEATURES | MAY 2019 PHOTO | BRIAN XU

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PHOTO | CLAIRE WEN

WHATEVER SCHOOL ENDS UP GETTING ANDY ... THEY’RE GOING TO BE A LUCKY, LUCKY PROGRAM. PLAYING THE ROLE When drama teacher Jeffrey Adams first came to MVHS in the 2017-18 school year, he didn’t know much about the drama program. He was filling in for Sara Capule while she was on maternity leave, and one of the first students he met was drama student Andy Chen, a stage manager for the musical “Urinetown.”

“He’s been my go-to guy for a lot of stuff, whether it’s as a TA or coming into the department not really knowing a lot about how the system works,” Adams said. “He had the answers for everything. So if I have something I need, he finds a way to make it happen.”

Chen is only a student in Adams’ seventh period Advanced Drama class, but is an official TA for his third period as well an honorary TA for his fifth, in which Chen voluntary helps out during his free period. He also often eats lunch and hangs out before or after school in Adams’ office, even when no one else is in the black box theater. Within a year, the two have formed a close bond.

“Since he first arrived, I always kind of talked to him daily, whether it’s about working drama or just personal life,” Chen said.

“He’s the type of teacher where you can literally go to him for anything: personal problems, school problems, just talk to him.

He’s really open. He’s not scary at all.”

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Adams is also appreciative of the support Chen provides, as he is good at reading emotions. When Adams is having a rough day, Chen shows up to rehearsal with a warm cup of coffee for him without being asked. The two also share a similar sense of humor, with Chen occasionally sending Adams an email with memes.

“He brings his own Andy sarcasm and wit to all of his characters,” Adams said. “I think he gets off task quite a bit in the rehearsal room, which I always find funny and appreciate. But yeah, he always brings his unique sense of humor to every role. He does have a pretty [cool] Mr. Wong impression if you ever want to ask him about that.”

The two often see each other outside the school day as well. Chen admires Adams’ acting skills, who is a working actor over the summers.

Chen would go with his friends to watch Adams’ performances, in theaters as far as San Francisco and talk to him about his performances afterwards. Additionally, Chen takes vocal lessons with Adams’ wife after school.

“I value his leadership as a student, but also value his friendship, as well,” Adams said. “[He]’ll be missed next year for sure. I think people appreciate Andy for who he is. He’s very true to himself … Whatever school ends up getting Andy and his sense of humor, they’re going to be a lucky, lucky program.” e

fight of our lives

As the year ends, seniors share their personal highs and lows during their years at MVHS

BY SUNJIN CHANG AND HELEN CHAO HIGH: Chen was able to improve her time management during senior year especially and was able to attend more rallies and dances. Additionally, Chen also found teachers and guidance counselors especially helpful, particularly during the college application process, as she always had someone to talk to.

LOW: As a junior, Chen had to figure out how to balance her heavy club involvement, such as Octagon and Science National Honor Society, schoolwork and varsity golf, and she gradually realized that five to six hours of sleep everyday for a whole year wasn’t going to cut it.

Animesh Agrawal “It took a while but I found a sense of community.”

HIGH: Having been in drama for four years, Halder has become more confident in her interests while forming close friendships with the people around her. Recently she was in charge of marketing for the musical, “Into the Woods.”

LOW: In the beginning, Halder struggled to fit into the typical STEM mold at MVHS, which was an unreasonable expectation for her.

However, she has been able to discover what she thinks is best for her: being a storyteller.

VIVEK KAMARSHI “Sophomore year was an emotional rollercoaster.”

TIFFANY CHEN “Senior year was the most supportive [year] I’ve had throughout high school.”

HIGH: Agrawal was a part of the planning team for the MVHS DECA Boot Camp this year. The boot camp was designed to help members of DECA learn more about the club and get to know the team. This year recorded the highest number of event attendees.

LOW: Agrawal had his Eagle Scout project for Boy Scouts rejected. The purpose of his project was to restore broken wheelchairs to better service senior citizens. The project was initially rejected for its lack of a long-lasting impact. However, Agrawal was able to appeal the decision. After thorough evaluation from the entire counsel, his project was accepted.

ANUSIKHA HALDER “Just trying really hard to fit into a role that didn’t suit me.”

HIGH: Kamarshi participated in the California State Science Fair and won Project of the Year for his accomplishments. His research was based on using fruit flies as a model for Parkinson’s disease and checking out how their gut bacteria reacted.

LOW: As a sophomore and club officer, Kamarshi had a disagreement with his club about which of two tournaments to attend, although they eventually decided to attend the tournament he wanted. While he believed he handled the situation well, Kamarshi had his officer position withdrawn the following year. He realized that “clubs are political, and I guess you gotta pick your battles.”

FEATURES | MAY 2019

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turning back time Seniors revisit their elementary schools

BY RANA AGHABABAZADEH AND RUTH FENG

PHOTO | RANA AGHABABAZADEH

STEVENS CREEK: KNOCKOUT AND GOLD RUSH DAY When seniors Mythili Ketavarapu and Samantha Chan were in fifth grade, the entire “Hunger Games” franchise was banned on campus. Any books related to the series were to be removed from all classrooms due to their gory nature and were deemed unsuitable for the naive eyes of elementary schoolers. According to Ketavarapu, “The Hunger Games” was only one example of the many things banned at Stevens Creek Elementary school A memorable, but later banned basketball game was Knockout. Though a soccer player at heart, Ketavarapu enjoyed the competitive nature of the game. For Chan, her recess was spent doing cartwheels on the grass with her best friend.

Chan admits that a lot of her time in elementary school revolved

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Walkathons, times tables and “NO SHARING FOOD!” — these things remind us of elementary school, the simple and blissful days when when our biggest worry was getting to the other side of the monkey bars. We’ve come a long way since then, but the friends and memories we created have remained with us. We decided to revisit three nearby elementary schools with former Lincoln, Stevens Creek and Regnart students who are now about to graduate. around a single friend, but that over the years, she’s become less reserved and more outgoing. Eventually cutting ties with the friend in question, Chan met Ketavarapu through mutual soccer friends. The two went on to become close friends in middle school and high school.

Certain activities stuck out to the pair. In third grade, it was animal-related activities such as dissecting owl pellets, caring for crayfish and wiping snail slime off their hands. In fourth grade, it was Gold Rush Day. Ketavarapu remembers panning for “gold,” which was, in reality, golden spray-painted rock that was used as a form of currency.

She also remembers dressing in her best pink cowboy boots to suit the day’s theme.

Other popular school events included the annual Walkathon and Halloween themed Pumpkin Panic, a family event with bounce houses, slides, a cake walk, a dunk-a-teacher booth and raffles. Chan remembers walking through the haunted house created by fifth

grade teacher Mr. Blaker, who happened to be Ketavarapu’s favorite teacher at Stevens Creek. Blaker was known for his microphone, his bald head and the smell of coffee in his classroom.

“I really liked Mr. Blaker,” Ketavarapu said. “I liked his teaching attitude. He was funny, and something about his microphone made him seem untouchable. He was just so far away.”

Ketavarapu recalls another teacher, Ms. Vidunas, who left an impact on her in elementary school, particularly as she was going through the Human Growth and Development unit.

“She scared me and I didn’t even have her,” Ketavarapu said. “Sex ed was terrifying.

She was slapping pads on the walls, saying, ‘This is what you will be using.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m not going to wear a diaper.’”

LINCOLN: BANNED SPORTS AND WATERY PIZZA In the days of elementary school, it was hard for students to socialize or interact in a way other than playing sports during recess and lunch, according to senior Rohan Angajala. It came as a bummer when an overwhelming number of injuries due to recess and lunch activities prompted the administration to ban all sports.

Along with a cut-off from one of his few forms of interaction with others, Angajala also made the mistake of buying the watery school pizza, causing him to throw up on the playground in front of everyone. Angajala still cringes at the thought.

For Angajala, the style of continuous classes in elementary school allowed him and his peers to explore their interests.

Weekly art and music classes were a part of this exposure. Even students who had never attended a music class before could be seen at the piano attempting to play. Angajala credits this to the encouragement students received from teachers and the supporting PHOTO | RUTH FENG

environment, contrasting many students’ attitudes in high school.

“In high school, if a kid doesn’t like art, he doesn’t touch it at all,” Angajala said.

“If a kid just likes computer science, he just does computer science and nothing else.”

And so in high school, when initially struggling to succeed in all areas of his coursework, Angajala found a passion in political activism.

Now, as a high schooler, there are days when Angajala finds himself kicking through the tanbark of the playgrounds at Lincoln. After the occasional tough day at MVHS, he finds solace by visiting his former school next door, reminiscing on an easier life as well as his struggles back then.

“I’m in disbelief that I even found [elementary school] to be a struggle,” Angajala said. “It reminds me that even what I’m going through right now will be just seen as something silly in the future and that it’s all just part of life.”

PHOTO | RUTH FENG

REGNART: MONKEY BARS AND MUSICALS Looking at the play structure in front of them, seniors Mahima Kumar and Maddie Yung remember a time when everything seemed gigantic. The bars, which they once couldn’t reach, are now at their chest. The lookout structure that could once fit four of their friends is now barely big enough for one person. For them, elementary school was the time when they tried tricks on the monkey bars, went on memorable field trips and performed in historical musicals.

In third grade at Regnart Elementary School, Kumar and Yung both had Mrs. Gadepally, who required students to give weekly speeches. This seemed like a daunting task at the time, but they have now come to realize how important Gadepally’s class was — especially the way she treated her students.

“She’s gotten crazy kids, but she still treats them with the same respect as she gives adults,” Yung said.

Looking back, Yung says these third grade weekly speeches are probably what ignited her speech anxiety — she never got full score on them, but she is still grateful for the experience. Yung and Kumar still visit Mrs. Gadepally whenever they can.

Two years later in fifth grade, Kumar and Yung explored their theatrical side by acting in a musical about the Revolutionary War. “[The musical] was the highlight of my entire school career,” Yung said. “I wasn’t at the point where I was scared of acting in

front of people. I was Benjamin Franklin and I think I choreographed a song for us and I wore a wig.”

As Kumar and Yung look back, they can’t help but laugh at the memories they shared.

Kumar believes that their friend group is luckier than most because she, Yung and a few other friends from their Regnart days are still close to this day.

Looking ahead at going to college, Yung is staying close to home while Kumar is leaving the familiar environment to go to Los Angeles. She relates this feeling of “end” to a concept that English teacher David Clarke is teaching in AP Literature called the “detachment phase.”

“Either consciously or unconsciously, I feel like I’ve been going through [the detachment phase] where [...] I just don’t feel the same connection to certain things at school as I did maybe a year ago or even a few months ago because now it’s solidified that May 1 has passed. I know I’m leaving, so my brain is trying to make that easier on me.”

In the last month of high school, Kumar prioritizes spending time with her friends over working on schoolwork.

“I’m just going to spend time on being with my friends before we are all over the country,” Kumar said. “Just so that I have good memories of my last bit of high school.” e

FEATURES | MAY 2019

25

62.9 %

have never been in a relationship in high school

63.8 %

would not attend MVHS again

% 86.6 are content with their choice of college/university

get me the

El Estoque’s year-end Senior Sta

BY CLAIRE CHANG AN

% 64 are staying in California for college or work next year

4%

have had sex on campus 26

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

65.7 %

felt depressed during their senior year

% 64 were somewhat happy with their experiences with MVHS teachers

22.9 %

% 40.2 have never been to a party during high school

weren’t sober at least once during their school year

73.7 % have fallen asleep in class 50.3 %

e numbers Stats reveal the opinions of 2019

had a job during high school

G AND SARA ENTEZAR

FROM A SURVEY OF 175 SENIORS

73%

like their senior class

9.7 %

have smoked or vaped on campus ILLUSTRATIONS | SARA ENTEZAR

FEATURES | MAY 2019

27

no man’s land

Why I decided to go to a women’s college

BY GAURI KAUSHIK

E

very time I’ve opened Facebook in the past few weeks, my feed has been overwhelmed by a barrage of status updates — my classmates informing their friends and family what schools they will be attending for the next four years.

While my Instagram bio has changed to include a small “mhc ‘23,” my account remains void of pictures of the beautiful campus where I’ll be next fall or me sporting the grey hoodie I enthusiastically bought even before I committed. The profile on my Facebook page doesn’t show “Going to Mount Holyoke College” — in fact, I don’t think most of my extended family even know that I have committed to a college.

It’s not that I’m not excited about where I’ve decided to go. To my best friends, I haven’t stopped talking about the horseback riding classes I’m taking or the Harry Potter fanatic group that uses my soon-to-be home as a stand-in for their North American wizarding school. It’s not even because most people have never heard the name of my college. It’s because I’ve decided to go to a women’s college.

“You’re going to turn gay,” my friends have jokingly told me (something which one, sounds homophobic and two, completely inaccurate).“You’ll be deprived of boys.”

“That’s not what the real world will be like, how are you going to learn how to deal with men?” “Anyone who goes to an all-girls school is just a little off.”

When I was thinking about what college to commit to, making my pros and cons lists and scheduling visits, I didn’t think I’d want to go to a women’s college. Yes, Mount Holyoke has a better English program. Yes, it has more opportunities and a wider variety of classes. Yes, my mom’s tireless research has shown me the advantages of going to a women’s college — more than 20% of women in Congress graduated from a women’s college, even though only 2% of college-educated women in the U.S. go to a women’s college, according to Forbes. But it was a women’s college, and no one I knew attended a women’s college.

Over spring break, I visited Mount Holyoke.

In the middle-of-nowhere Massachusetts, I found a place that genuinely felt like home. I was surrounded with strong young women who are truly passionate about what they are doing. For me, it was an environment like no other. As I sat in the airport waiting for the return flight, after

28

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

battling with myself for three days, I realized that, after three and a half years in high school during which I thought I had grown more comfortable with myself, the only thing holding me back from committing was what other people would think of me and my decision.

Clearly, I hadn’t really learned to be comfortable with myself if I wasn’t ready to make a choice that would only be beneficial to my future. I had tried to convince myself for three and a half years that I didn’t care what my classmates thought of me, that I’d finally outgrown the stage of needing my peers’ approval, but it was still holding me back from being able to fully commit.

I opened my laptop and committed before boarding the flight.

Yet, even now, although I’m more than excited to join Mount Holyoke in the fall, I’m forced to repeatedly explain my decision and defend the choices I’ve made for my future. I’ve learned to spew out the names of successful women’s college graduates and statistics about women in leadership. But in reality? I chose to go to a women’s college

PHOTO | RANA AGHABABAZADEH

because if I’ve learned anything from MVHS, I’ve learned about myself. I know where I will thrive, and it happens to be at a women’s college. I’ve chosen to become a part of that 2% of women because I’ve come to understand that what other people think about my choices doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, those decisions won’t affect them — they’ll affect me.

Saying that I don’t care about what people think of me isn’t realistic. I’m always going to want to be liked and accepted by my peers. It’s always going to be a factor in my decisions, but it should never be the main factor, or even a large factor.

Now, when it’s almost time for me to leave MVHS and venture onto this path that I’ve begun to carve out for myself, I know that I’ll be able to look back at my decisions and see that they weren’t influenced by anyone other than myself. My decisions are my own — they define me, and they will define my life. They do not reflect who other people think I should be, they reflect who I am, and who I am becoming. e

tHE lITTLE FISH

How Persian New Year has shaped my identity

BY RANA AGHABABAZADEH

T

o strangers, I’m “white.” To many of my MVHS friends, I’m “Indian.”

To the College Board, I’m a “nonEuropean white.” To me, I’m just

me.

At a school with an 85% minority population, a population primarily composed of East and South Asians, I often struggled to remember my roots.

Instead, I would give in to the cultures that surrounded me, reluctant to identify with my ethnic background and heritage.

Only occasionally did I feel pride in being Persian. Each year during the weeks leading up to Persian New Year (yes, we have our own New Year on the first day of spring), my family and I take part in a series of customs. One of these activities translates directly from Farsi into “shaking the house.” It’s analogous to “Spring cleaning,” and involves emptying out and restacking the shelves, vacuuming every inch of the floor and dusting behind the 400-lb piano.

On the Tuesday before each New Year, I convene with my family and friends and jump over flames sprouting two to three feet high from aluminium foil pans. I always enjoy boasting about this due to its dangerous and reckless nature.

One of the most notable parts of these festivities is the “haft-seen,” a table assembled for New Years with various items representing life. These include an apple, painted eggs, vinegar, a Quran, gold coins, grass, a mirror and the premise of this column — goldfish.

My family gets its goldfish from the singular Persian market in the South Bay Area, Rose Market. Each time I step into the threshold of the market, I’m overwhelmed by the aroma of Persian cuisine and the chattering of Farsi. Squeezed between two Japanese restaurants off of De Anza Boulevard, the market has an undeniable power to transport its customers to the fine markets of Iran, and immerse them in a small community of Persians.

During the weeks leading up to New Years, the market invests in a large tank of a few hundred goldfish. For the last 12 years, the three to four fish we’ve bought each year ended up floating lifeless at the surface of a vase within a few days. We’d vary the brand of flakes we fed them and the source of the water they lived in, but nothing seemed to work for the little fish we kept on our haftseen. It was ironic that we’d repeatedly end up killing what was meant to represent life.

PHOTO | ANISH VASUDEVAN

But things changed when my family started to buy water from Glacier refill stations outside our local Rite Aid in an attempt to be more eco-friendly. When we first changed the water, I could almost see the tiny black eyes of the little guy (or girl, no one knows honestly) widen with exhilaration. Maybe, just maybe, this water would suffice.

We were down to our last fish for the New Year, and I, hopeful that the fish would finally survive this time, would run to the “haft-seen” every morning to check up on the vase. And each time, over the course of the past two years, I’ve seen the fish gliding through the waters of its bowl — alive.

Initially, I thought the survival of the little fish was in our hands, dependent on the type of flakes and water we provided. But the fresh Glacier water didn’t sustain any other fish that came after. Now I credit the fish’s survival to itself, its victory against all odds.

And though the little fish may lack conceivable intelligence, it has certainly taught me a few things.

For starters, I’ve learned to survive.

During my four years at MVHS, I’ve swum in unfamiliar waters and tasted bitter flakes.

But I don’t just see the little fish that survived among hundreds. I see a little fish who found its own way, persisted and discovered its own definition of success.

What frightened me above all during my

first year at MVHS was finding the right environment for myself. It took several club meetings and an El Estoque application to discover where I felt most comfortable, where I felt I could succeed and where I eventually did.

Persian New Year has also reminded me to embrace my culture, my roots and myself, regardless of the environment I may be in. It’s showed me the importance of celebrating all walks of life and to represent myself and my true identity. I find joy in sharing what I do during Persian New Year with others and meeting others in this small community of Persians in the Bay Area.

Wherever I may be in the future, and in whatever surroundings, my Persian culture will always remain with me.

This extends not only to my cultural identity but also to the person I am everyday. MVHS students are comparatively subtle and calm, but I’m not. I’m loud, occasionally obnoxious and easily amused — and everyone knows it.

But from this little fish, I’ve learned that that’s OK. I’ve learned to not conform to my surroundings for the sake of fitting in. I’ve become my own unique little fish, and I will survive exactly as the person I wish to be. e

FEATURES | MAY 2019

31

my father’s smile My ability to overcome obstacles

BY RAJAS HABBU

1

0:26 p.m., March 12, 2007. My sister and I were ushered into my aunt’s house. I turned back to see my mother and father driving away. My sister grabbed me by the shoulders and assured me that everything was going to be fine. I looked at her as I would look at my mother; she stared at me, eyes wide open as if trying to hypnotize me into believing her. I was in first grade and she was in fifth, but I knew she was giving me false hope. Nothing was going to be the same again.

The next day my aunt received a call from my mother, and I was able to make out a couple words in Marathi, “He is in the hospital.” The tears pricked at my eyes again, but I suppressed them. It was hard to believe my father was in the hospital, but I was extremely late for school and had to finish my breakfast.

It was around this time that I developed my interest in volleyball. I liked it because of the excitement and the rush that it offered, but truly it was to get my mind off of my personal family problems. I needed something in my life that would help me forget, albeit temporarily. I never played to

PHOTO | RANA AGHABABAZADEH

30 EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

one day become a state champion; I played so I would never have to remember the pain I had endured as a child. Over the years I was able to deal with pain better, but as I got older, I realized the reason I put in so much effort was because I was still covering up that painful time from my past.

A couple of years ago, I realized my focus was off. I was making the mistake of not enjoying the sport, and my sole motivation to play was tied to the darker times in my life.

It was hard to think about happy moments in the sport when the sole reason I started playing volleyball was to forget the bad moments, but I tried and eventually found the joy in playing again.

In 2017, my team was qualifying for the national championship in a division I always wanted to play in. I remember the final point and how estatic the team was. I turned to the right and saw my team rushing to the court to hug and congratulate those of us on the court — but my eyes were stuck elsewhere. I kept looking at my father, and his soft, pure smile. I could tell from his grin that he was not exaggerating, and he was beaming with honest-to-goodness pride.

If there is anything that I can do to keep that smile on his face, I will do it.

Despite the health problems that my father endured, he still continues to come to every one of my games, manage a law firm and take care of my family, including a daughter attending college on the other side of the country. He is more than just my father; he is my role model.

May 26, 2018. I was playing the hardest match of my life, the Division 1 NorCal Championship. With every point and rally, the pressure of winning increased, and gradually I became anxious. I took a deep breath. I took a sip of water. Nothing helped me calm down. I then glanced at my father, and I saw his smile once again.

The same smile I had seen 11 years ago.

The night before he left for the hospital was once again replaying in my mind. I remember before he dropped us off he told me, “Don’t worry, it’s nothing.” His voice and his words was on constant repeat in my head throughout the game.

The game started to wind down and we were down 13-10 in the tiebreaker set.

I looked at my father with those words still playing in my head. I was lost in my thoughts, tears starting to form in my eyes, and I felt a sudden urge to fall on my knees and cry. My teammate awoke me from my daydream and I knew there was no option to lose — I had to win it for him. I wanted to see that smile again. I was not going to disappoint him. I made it my responsibility to help win the game.

The score was 16-15 in the fifth set and we were one point away from becoming Division 1 NorCal champions. As soon as the last ball dropped on the other side of their court, I felt a rush of adrenaline and a sense of accomplishment. I had made my father proud.

Every day I wake up, I realize that everything I do is because of my father. I do it to see his smile. It is hard to admit that your father may not be with you your entire life, but it was a thought that I had to accept for myself a very long time ago.

Life’s not about the pain and the suffering; it’s about the fight and the reward that you get for fighting. Life is a struggle and if you do not hold it back, it will never show you mercy. All my life I have fought and conquered, but never do I admit to my successes. Regardless of what it may be, I fight to see my biggest reward — my father’s smile. e

seeing past cynicism Bitterness and negativity held me back from living my high school years to the fullest

BY ANDREA PERNG

I

f you’ve been friends with me at virtually any point in my high school career, chances are you’ve heard me rant about one thing or another. I’m a very opinionated person about pretty much everything: personal drama, academics, politics — you name it, I probably have something to say about it, good or bad. (Mostly bad.) But now that I’m a senior about to graduate and head to college, I feel like I have to reflect on what I’ve really done since 2015, when I first walked into MVHS as a budding freshman. What impact have I really made on the school? What will people remember me for? What will I remember?

Will I look back upon these four years with fond nostalgia or with bitterness?

After mulling over those questions for most of senior year, I think I’ve come to a conclusion: I’ve spent most of my high school years in anger. I woke up each morning angry that I had to go to school on such little sleep.

I went to classes angry about how harshly certain teachers graded or how much I hated a certain class. A good amount of my conversations even with my own friends were centered around what I happened to be angry about at the time. I didn’t like my high school years, and I don’t think that I can change that now, but I also can’t help but think that if I had been more positive, I would’ve had a much better experience.

In some instances, it was as if I refused to see the bright side of things and instead actively searched for problems to complain about. I believed (and still believe) that the school administration handled a few situations in less than ideal ways, so in my mind they became incompetent at everything. I personally didn’t think that Leadership’s de-stressing events did much to actually combat the stress epidemic at MVHS, so in my mind any further attempts at doing so became misguided and ineffective. I had a few bad run-ins with classmates

that would claw their way to the top, so in my mind everyone in my classes was out to get me somehow and I should always be on my guard.

My own cynicism prevented me from being passionate about anything school-related, like dances and Homecoming games, and I would be lying if I said that I don’t regret that. I’m not going to pretend that going to football games, for example, is really necessary for a positive high school experience, but I’m also not going to pretend that I would not have have had fun had I gone to a few. I might have found that I loved jumping around to loud music with a group of friends or loudly cheering for the Matadors at a Helmet Game. I also might have found that I hate all of that, but at least I would have tried. It’s because I rejected having a positive attitude about anything school-related that I didn’t, and as a result I can’t help but feel that maybe my years were lacking now that I’m about to graduate.

But wallowing in what-ifs won’t help me any more. What I can do instead is hope that my underclassmen friends can find it in themselves to seek a little bit of positivity. If my interactions with said underclassmen are anything to go by, they are starting to share

some of my cynicism, and that’s scary to me.

It’s impossible to leave MVHS (or any high school for that matter) without a mixture of good and bad memories, but I want other students to leave feeling at least like they lived their high school years to the best of their ability. I hope people can reach out of the comfort zone of cynicism and negativity, and try things they may not want to try. It’s easy to stay home and play video games rather than dress up for prom, but I find a lot of people knocking it before they try it, myself included.

So what I really want to say in the end is this: don’t drown yourself in hate and negativity before you can even give positivity a chance. Anger might be easier than happiness, but don’t be so set on making high school the worst years of your life to the extent that you avoid everything that might make them better.

Make sure that you make the most of your youth, and that you leave with no regrets. You have more freedom in your teenage years than you know. Don’t waste it. e

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | RANA AGHABABAZADEH

FEATURES | MAY 2019

31

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MVHS students discuss their goals for the summer and before graduation

BY ANISH VASUDEVAN AND SARAH YOUNG

M

any MVHS students have little time to pursue fun activities, go on trips or engage in non-academic endeavors to break away from their tedious schedule. Some students create bucket lists with activities that they want to pursue before the next chapter of their lives.

Many seniors having little time left before the start of college, begin considering what they want to do before fall rolls around.

Senior Manasa Ganesh hopes to cross off as many activitiesand events on her bucket list as she can before she moves to Texas for college in September.

“I want to do glass blowing, paint a ukulele, decorate a room, drive to Santa Cruz, get a new hobby,” Ganesh said. “I wanted to see the coral reefs before it dies.

[Also], I’m getting a tattoo, buying a lottery ticket, dyeing my hair and going to a concert, getting an ear piercing and then overcoming my fear of zombies.”

While Ganesh hopes to check off most of the items before college starts in the fall, she also set a deadline for her bucket list of 19 things to be completed by the end of 2019. Currently, Ganesh is in the process of fulfilling one of her items on her bucket list: painting a ukulele. While it’s yet to be finished, Ganesh continues to work on her ukulele in the Woodshop room at school and hopes to paint it to meet her deadline.

Ganesh has played other people’s ukuleles before and wants to paint Van Gogh’s Starry Night on hers.

So far on the list, Ganesh has conquered her fear of zombies by watching horror flicks, engaged in a new hobby of bullet journaling and purchased a lottery ticket the day she turned 18. Many of the items on Ganesh’s list are small actions she wants to complete now while she has time.

ILLUSTRATION | SARAH YOUNG

While not a senior yet, junior Sonia Singh also has a bucket list, which, contrary to Ganesh’s, is filled with experiences and trips she wants to complete with her friends rather than new hobbies. As an avid fan of Saturday Night Live, making the trip to New York and going to a live show is on the top of Singh’s list.

“I’ve been a fan since I was a little kid and my parents played it,” Singh said. “I watch it every week and I know all the cast members extremely well and I want to somehow get tickets and watch it live.”

Another integral part of Singh’s list are the activities she hopes to do with her father before heading off the college.

“I want to learn how to fly a plane because my dad has always wanted to do that, but he didn’t have the opportunity,” Singh said.

“He wanted to join the Indian Air Force but couldn’t because of back problems, so they didn’t let him join … I guess I’m trying to fulfill that for him and also flying just seems really cool.”

Even though Singh plans to fulfill the items on her list in the coming years, she explains that not planning ahead and making spontaneous decisions on trips or doing new activities also has its benefits.

“I’ve started to realize more recently that there’s a lot of benefits to the ‘go with the flow’ mentality, since planning sometimes ruins the event because I would be planning too much and not having [an enjoyable]

A&E

NEVERENDING LISTS

experience,” Singh said. “If I didn’t hit something on my bucket list, I wouldn’t be terribly disappointed.

I wouldn’t cry if I didn’t go to Comicon. It’s a way for me to remember the things I wanted to do when I was younger and see if I can try to fulfill that later in my life. It’s almost a way to connect with my younger self.”

Junior Audrey Cui has also created a bucket list to complete before graduation and is still adding to it. At the very top of her list is singing karaoke with her firends.

“My friends and I have a lot of songs that we enjoy, like ‘My Heart Goes On’ [and] ‘I Want It That Way,’” Cui said. “[They’re], mostly pop songs [that] were popular when we were in middle school, because it reminds us of our earlier childhood.”

With senior year ending and summer just around the corner, junior Anna Kolesov has also started making bucket lists, one for over the summer, and the other for before graduation. Kolesov’s list includes activities that she wants to do with her family members, friends and some on her own.

“For this summer I have some Russian books I want to read which translates to my life bucket list because I want to speak Russian better,” Kolesov said. “Also, on my life bucket list is skydiving and going on a trip with all of my friends to Europe and then maybe going to Bora Bora.”

Kolesov has multiple bucket lists in order to organize her ideas into logical time frames, as well as remember to do the things she wants to do.

“It gives you something to look forward to because when you get older you get into this routine of having a job and family life and you can’t really do a lot of fun stuff,” Kolesov said. “But if you have a bucket list there’s something you can works towards and completing something on your bucket list can make life more exciting.” e

A & E | MAY 2019

33

BEST BEST OF OF 2 2

BY JAHAN RAZAVI AND

ITH OU T

MO DIF ICA T IO N

From music to films to memes, this past school year has been filled with a variety of new content that have had a profound influence on the lives of those at MVHS. Here are the results from a survey of 300 students.

1. Doing the Woah

2. “Sucker”

2. Fortnite Dances

Panic! At the Disco The Jonas Brothers

AL

3. “Middle Child”

J. Cole

According to Rolling Stone, in Jan. 2019, “High Hopes” comfortably sat at number four in the Billboard ranking, making it the biggest hit made by Panic! At the Disco.

34

DANCE DANCE

1. “High Hopes”

LP

HO T

OS M

AD EA VA I

LA

BL E

FO RR

EU SE W

SONG SONG

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

3. Bust Down

2018-2019 2018-2019

AND EMILY XIA

d

As stated in The Wrap, “Avengers: Endgame” made history, making $1.2 billion in its first weekend.

MEME MEME

MOVIE MOVIE

1. Flexing Airpods

1. “Avengers: Endgame”

2. Avengers memes

2. “Crazy Rich Asians”

3. Aw sh*t here we

Into the 3. “Spider-Man: Spider-Verse”

go again

Forbes estimates that Apple has made $22 to $26 million on airpods since their release in Dec. 13, 2016.

A&E | MAY 2019

35

DEAR GOODBYES, A letter to a bittersweet friend

I

haven’t always been good at accepting you into my life. You get a pretty bad rep, and I guess for a good reason: nobody likes change. It’s your best friend that always seems to be close on your heels, and fending you off means that I get to fend change off too; I get to relish in the way things are for just a little longer.

I remember the first time you made your way into my life. You were thick and heavy in the air for my last day of second grade when I had to say goodbye to my favorite teachers and hug my best friends for the last time. All I knew at the time was that we were moving away, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to see them again. I really didn’t like you, and I remember my 7-year-old self stumbling my way through those goodbyes, not being able to find the right words to convey how much I loved my friends and how much I was going to miss them.

Looking back, I don’t think I entirely understood what your presence in my life meant, I just had a bad feeling things LAKSHANYAA GANESH were about to be different. You bring a really painful twinge in my gut, and it’s taken a while to get used to.

As the years went on, you danced in and out of my life as I went through friends and interests and dreams. You quickly became a constant in my life, and we warmed up to each other.

That’s not to say I’m not an emotional wreck everytime you come around and I have to wish yet another person or place goodbye again (what can I say, I’m just a bag of emotions), and that’s not to say we haven’t had our falling outs; we were at a real low point in our relationship when I had to move across the country again after freshman year.

I wanted to fight you off, to cling on to what I had before just a little longer. I had friends. I had a life, I didn’t want you getting in the way of that and messing everything up.

But chapters have to come to a close and years have to end. As the air starts to smell sweeter and feel lighter and I trade in my sweaters for shorts, you slowly make your way into my life again. You have to be with me as I see my senior friends off to college and I start thinking about applying to colleges myself. You have to be with me as I read my last book for English and take my last biology test, and I think hardest of all, you have to be with me as I say goodbye to this chapter of my life.

I could scream and cry and stomp my feet in indignance again, but I think this time, I want to welcome you into my life with open arms. Closure is healing, closure is healthy and closure is only possible if you’re with me. Having gone through my fair share of failed friendships and lost interests, I’ve found comfort in closure, and I’ve had to say goodbye a lot. Through even the most painful goodbyes, however, I’ve realized that the one person I have never and will never have to say goodbye to is myself.

Your presence in my life has helped me realize that the only person I will always have by my side, the one and only constant I will ever have is myself.

You’ve helped me realize that if I’m going to have to live with myself my entire life, I’m going to have to learn how to be OK with being myself, and I’ve eventually grown into my skin.

So, if you’re OK with it, I’m prepared to welcome the end of another year and another chapter with you by my side.

I’m prepared to walk hand in hand with you not only through this ending, but through the ending of my high school career and onwards. I’m sure we’ll have our occasional mishaps and slip ups, and I know for a fact that some of the times you’ll have to be in my life will be a lot more painful than others.

I just hope that you continue to be gentle with me and help me grow as a person like you always have, and for that, I thank you. I need you. I love you.e

LOVE, LAKSHANYAA

ILLUSTRATION | OISHEE MISRA

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

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PHOTO | ROSHAN FERNANDEZ

BY ROSHAN FERNANDEZ AND KAMYAR MORADI

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elief — that’s w h a t Coach Paul Chiu felt last year when the boys volleyball team took home its first major c h a m p i o n s h i p.

He says it was delightful to watch everyone celebrate the NorCal Championship — the parents, the athletes, the community all rejoicing in the heat of the moment.

But beyond those emotions, he could rest easy, at least for the moment, now that he had accomplished what he had set out to do as a coach at MVHS. “It was a relief that we finally got to the top of the mountain,” Chiu said. “We got the monkey off my back and off the school’s back.”

The lead up to last year’s iconic championship victory began three months earlier at the Best of the West Tournament in San Diego, where the team finished in second place after losing in the final. The result was unexpected, according to senior and captain Gautham Dasari, but this performance set forth the momentum that carried them throughout the season and into the team’s NorCal championship.

“We beat the number one team in the nation, and then everyone’s like, ‘Who’s this team in purple?’

They were all shocked. No one [had] ever heard of us,” Dasari said. “[This year] we’re getting the recognition — it’s a great feeling. People know that we put in the work, and we’re a team that

SPORTS

A YEAR AGO THE BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM WON NORCALS, THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE ACHIEVEMENT, AND WITH THAT, THE BAR FOR THIS SEASON WAS SET — ANYTHING SHORT OF A NORCAL CHAMPIONSHIP WOULD BE A DISAPPOINTMENT. WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP IS HARD, BUT REPEATING ONE — THAT’S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY.

deserves to be talked about as one of the are getting themselves into as the best in the country.” match begins. In that sense, the Naturally after last season’s triumphant team has been playing under this performance, the team had high expectations pressure for so many years that for Best of the West this year in March — they’ve learned to ignore it. they believed it would, once again, set the “We’re used to that up here rhythm for what they foresaw as another — we were an underdog and a big surprise NorCal winning down in SoCal season. However, but up here, we’re the team suffered the top dog,” Chiu three defeats said. “Last year in six matches we lost to Saratoga in an overall HS and if you saw dis app oint ing their celebration tournament. afterwards you The losses would think they were difficult to had just won CCS or handle because, something, so these as seniors Ryan guys are used to it Tagawa and Rithvik because the teams Madhdhipatla we play up here describe it, the team understand who we expected to have an are and want to beat undefeated season. us. The pressure of Dasari’s main focus being a top dog — this season has the boys are familiar been winning CCS, with that.” a feat the team was The pressure unable to achieve doesn’t change, last season after according to Chiu, losing in the final to regardless of Bellarmine College whether MVHS is Preparatory. Senior the underdog or the and captain Kevin favorite. Although Mathew admits that it may feel like the only way to truly the Matadors are succeed this season the team to beat, is to win NorCals.

Dasari explains Chiu adds that for that this belief also the last four years, contributes to a lack the expectations he of discipline from sets for his team opponents. have been nothing “Other teams COACH PAUL CHIU, short of winning are playing like, ON LAST SEASON’S both CCS and okay, ‘We have to CHAMPIONSHIP NorCals.

There’s get past MVHS.’ no doubt that the We have this target pressure — both from the outside and from on our back, and when another team plays the athletes themselves — is immense. us, they just play like they have nothing to Yet according to Chiu, pressure is lose. So they’ll go out swinging like crazy,” something the team has thrived under for a Dasari said. “They’re just hoping that we good part of the past decade. He says that make the mistakes, and they’re just playing every volleyball team in the area knows like they have nothing to lose, and hoping exactly who MVHS is and exactly what they that we help them by losing the game.”

“

IT WAS A RELIEF THAT WE FINALLY GOT TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. WE GOT THE MONKEY OFF MY BACK AND THE SCHOOL'S BACK.

Seniors Nikhil Bapat (right) and Gautham Dasari (left) embrace after winning CCS for the first time in program history. The victory over Bellarmine CP came after three consecutive CCS losses to BCP, most recently when BCP beat MVHS in the 2018 final.

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SPORTS | MAY 2019

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Even though MVHS is a “targeted that it will come away with a team,” solid fundamentals and simple, victory. Realistically, according straightforward, volleyball allow the team to Mathew and Dasari, the to continuously find success. Chiu sees his team has a switch which can be team in the same light as that of the New flipped on when the opponent England Patriots. He explained how the is more talented and the game is Matadors’ multi-year run of rock-solid close. success, while also managing a revolving “Sometimes we do have to rely door of new players, is a direct resemblance on that [flip of a switch], which is of the six-time Super Bowl champions. the issue,” Dasari said. “If we’re “There’s a culture we’ve built up over the playing a not-so-great team, we years, I can take sometimes tend a lot of credit to play down to but the kids, their level.” once they come To combat here they buy the occasional into the system, m o n o t o n y so to speak, that Mathew they’re all home mentioned, Chiu grown, and has introduced we do creative numerous new drills things but there’s over the past couple a consistent seasons to keep attention to practices productive detail,” Chiu but also enjoyable. said. “I tell these One example is a guys it’s the little drill which Chiu calls things that when “don’t drop the baby” you do well, it where two teams play adds up to team against each other, but success.” each team also has a In order for the designated ball which team to succeed, it is called the “baby.” is less about what The teams have to try the opponent to score a point while has in store for simultaneously passing that game and around the “baby” — more about what if one player has the the Matadors “baby” and the ball do on their half comes towards him, he of the court. has to pass the “baby” Dasari explains in order to manage the that the team incoming ball. rarely watches “It’s pretty chaotic, film or creates but it’s also volleyball a specialized IQ where you’ve got to game plan for develop a strategy to a particular pass the baby around opponent which at the same time,” Chiu they are playing. said. “It teaches you “For example, how to play when you’re [against] Harker under a lot of mental HS, we know stress — to think about they tip, so we not dropping the baby.” shift up,” Dasari It’s moments like SENIOR RYAN TAGAWA ON said. “[But] we these that have made COACH PAUL CHIU never do anything this season unlike any that’s that drastic of a change. [Coach Chiu] other, according to both Madhdhipatla and knows in the way that he organizes our Tagawa. They described this year’s squad lineups, he knows that if we just play how we as something special, admitting that they always play, if we play consistent and clean would “always take one for the homies.” volleyball, we should be fine.”

“Every time we walk into the gym Mathew admits that ideally, the team it’s [about] more than just volleyball,” plays at its best against every possible Madhdhipatla said. “It’s about our opponent — but in reality, that isn’t the teammates.” case. Doing the same thing over and over can Madhdhipatla adds that this year, the grow mundane sometimes, and against some team feels more tightly knit, allowing for a less talented teams, MVHS has confidence more calm vibe both at practice and in games.

“

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COACH BASICALLY SAID, ‘IF YOU WAIT FOR ANYONE TO DO YOUR WORK, YOU’RE [SCREWED]. I DON’T WANT ANY OF YOU GUYS TO BE A BUM […] WHO WINS THE LOTTERY.’

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

Dasari’s dad, Ajith Dasari, who attends nearly every game, says that this group of boys knows exactly where their priorities are, and Chiu instilled the appropriate team culture years ago. While it would be easy for star players to take over for MVHS and make this an individual show, Ajith says that is not the case with this group of players. Proof of this is in the team’s newly added bench celebrations, something Ajith admits he has never seen before this season.

“Most of the time, whenever there is a kill or whenever they get a point, I look at

PHOTO | ROSHAN FERNANDEZ

(From left to right) Seniors Ryan Tagawa, Kevin Mathew, Gautham Dasari, Nikhil Bapat and Rajas Habbu celebrate a point during their senior night victory over Harker HS. The team secured an undefeated league season with a 16-0 league record, winning 48 sets and losing only seven.

the bench because they are so exciting to watch,” Ajith said. “I see all the camaraderie and rapport the guys have, that they are truly supporting the team. That is very impressive, when you have a team of all 18 people screaming.”

Players like Tagawa believe it’s the hard work that has allowed this team to live up to expectations. It’s hard work that lets the players ignore the pressures, from themselves, from the opponents and from

the surrounding community. While Dasari, Madhdhipatla, Mathew, Tagawa and the other returners enjoy reminiscing about last season’s triumphs, they know that if they want to return to the top of that mountain and relive the championship feeling, they will have to work for it.

Hard work is something Chiu has always preached to his players — Tagawa and Madhdhipatla recall a moment from their sophomore year which encapsulates

everything about this team’s mentality, success and ability to live up to expectations.

“So we were having some trouble setting up the net and coach pulled all of us aside… and he basically said ‘If you wait for anyone to do your work, you’re [screwed].’ He said ‘I don’t want any of you guys to be a bum […] who wins the lottery,’” Tagawa said.

“Coach has always had that mindset where you always have to put in the work, and you can’t be waiting on other teams to catch up.” e

SPORTS | MAY 2019

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A YEAR IN REVIEW Sophomore Zara Fung warms up by rallying with her teammates before a match against Saratoga. MVHS girls tennis qualified for CCS after beating Gunn HS 5-2.

BY RUCHA SOMAN

Junior Neha Balusu dribbles in front of senior Gianna John during a field hockey game against Cupertino. The team lost 5-0. The team ended the season without a win.

PHOTO | BRANDON NG

PHOTO | SREYA KUMAR

Senior Manu Kondapaneni goes up for a layup between two Lynbrook HS defenders. The boys basketball team won this game known as the Battle for DeAnza Boulevard 66-57. The team ended fifth in the league with a 4-8 record.

PHOTO | ANKIT GUPTA

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Senior Cheto Vasquez escapes Cupertino HS defensive lineman in the annual Helmet Game.

MVHS lost this game for the third year in a row with the score of 42-15. The team ended fourth in the league.

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

Junior Silpa Ajjarapu dribbles past a Fremont HS defender. The Matadors lost this game 5753. The girls basketball team placed fourth in its league with a 5-7 record.

PHOTO | SREYA KUMAR

PHOTO | CHARLOTTE CHUI

MVHS girls swim team competes in the last home meet against Los Altos.

Juniors Alice Chen and Bianca Youngyouth and seniors Mei Matsumoto, Roderick Huang, Virginie Qian, Isabella Guadiamos and Anna Lee qualified for states this season with Lee placing 10th in 200 freestyle and Qian placing 14th in 200 in individual medley.

PHOTO | TYLER CHO

Senior Andrew Wu hits the birdie in a match against Palo Alto during senior night.

Badminton remains undefeated for the last two seasons.

PHOTO | ROSHAN FERNANDEZ

SPORTS MAY 2019

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A WARRIOR’S FAITH Why I believed in the Warriors ability to win even after Kevin Durant’s injury

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PHOTO | CR E A T

IV E CO MMON S

ike many other students during this period of time — filled with early finals and standardized tests — I was extremely stressed: watching the Golden State Warriors play the Rockets in the NBA Western Conference Semifinals, that is. I was sitting in a black leather armchair situated in the corner of my living room, spectating Game 5 of the series on an illegal link from Reddit, when Kevin Durant (KD) pulled his right calf with two minutes left in the third quarter.

Im me diately I received a text message from my friend, “The Warriors are going to lose, if not this game then the series or the Conference Finals.”

His statement reflected the immediate loss of faith in his favorite team and shocked me because he was diehard Warriors fan.

Even though the Warriors had lost KD to an injury, they still had Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston who were all a part of the 2015 Warrior Championship team and the core five who won a championship without KD. It wasn’t just his lack of faith which shocked me, it was also everyone else’s on social media, including game analysts who echoed similar sentiments.

However, unlike many others, I felt that the Warriors would win this game and eventually the series. Undoubtedly, the series had become harder to win without KD, whom the Warriors have been leaning on the entire postseason (KD averaged 34.2 points).

Undoubtedly, Curry had gone cold most of postseason as he dislocated his left middle finger, missed a wide open dunk and several layups during crucial moments of Game 4 and was shooting only 40.3% from the field.

But my faith in the Warriors wasn’t an example of overconfidence turned into stupidity, but rather my trust in players like Thompson and Curry, who were more than capable of rising to the occasion. The moment KD was injured I knew that the Warriors, or more importantly Curry and Thompson, had to step up and were going to execute under immense pressure. I had a feeling that the world would see old Curry return, JAI UPARKAR the back to back two-time MVP, and also see the old Warriors team return, who played faster with better ball movement and who didn’t have the luxury of relying on KD at clutch moments.

And they did return.

Not only did they manage to win Game 5, but they were also able to win Game 6 on the road.

Curry, who was scoreless in the first half of Game 6, dominated in the second half by dropping 31 points and Thompson drilled key threes during the last minutes of the fourth quarter with a grand total of 27 points.

My faith in the Warriors was deeply rooted with my previous knowledge of their team dynamic and experience with watching them since the sixth grade.

This unwavering confidence stems from one of my own lessons off the tennis court: self belief. For a long time, I had barely any confidence walking into a match. No matter how much I practiced or how high I was ranked, I always doubted myself. More often than not, it was my lack of confidence which lead to my downfall rather than lack

of practice or poor execution. If I couldn’t believe in myself, then how could I expect my parents or coach to?

But as time went on, I realized the key to success was not only dependent on practice and hard work, but also just as dependent on confidence. We allow our insecurities and doubts to easily overtake our self confidence, which ultimately leads to us questioning our own limits and c ap abilit ie s.

That doubt is understandable — the brain is wired to focus on negativity and our shortcomings, but we often forget that we also do a lot of things right.

Similarly, people forgot that with Curry and no KD, the Warriors had a 88% chance of winning while with KD and no Curry the Warriors had a 61% of winning. People forgot that even without KD, one of the best players in the NBA, the Warriors still had: Curry — a two time MVP; Thompson and Livingston — three-time NBA champions; Iguodala — finals MVP; Green — a threetime NBA All-Star.

Many people were quick to write off the Warriors because of KD’s injury, but I encourage you guys not to do that to yourself or anyone else just because things didn’t go as planned, as it did with the Warriors. My last and final lesson from the court, should apply to all of you, whether you’re an athlete or not. Having faith in yourself and your capabilities is one of the greatest tools you can have. But having confidence in yourself, doesn’t mean you won’t fail. You will. But those failures are minor setbacks, and they shouldn’t cause you give up. Keeping that faith in times of failure can only make you better, and if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. e

LESSONS FROM THE COURT

SPORTS | MAY 2019

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2019

BY STUTI UPADHYAY

s a child, junior Jeremy Wu was extremely athletic, trying out various teams sports.

Wu found some sports, such as baseball, extremely boring. Yet in other sports, like basketball and hockey, Wu struggled to perform well. Finally, in fourth grade, Wu decided to try an individual sport, and to him, the first sport that came to mind was tennis. Since fourth grade, Wu has excelled at tennis, entering high school and playing on the MVHS varsity team since freshman year.

Currently, Wu plays singles one for MVHS, typically given to the best player on the team.

Coming off last year’s season, in which the team placed seventh among the top 16 teams in the nation, Wu admits that there is a large amount of pressure on him and the rest of the team to perform at a high level again.

Nonetheless, Wu believes that the pressure has enabled him to perform by pushing him out of his comfort zone, and explains that he is playing well (much better than he personally expected) this season.

As a whole, tennis has helped Wu relax and enjoy himself regardless of what type of stress and challenges he is facing off the court. In the future, Wu hopes to play college tennis at Carnegie Mellon University.

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ATHLETE OF THE MONTH JEREMY WU This is where you write your caption.

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SPORTS | MAY 2019

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