Volume 49, Issue 3, Nov. 21, 2018

Volume XLIX Issue III Monta Vista High School

elESTOQUE NEWS 6

OPINION 12

A&E 28

SPORTS 34

Celebrities use social media to raise awareness for elections

The varying party culture at South Bay Area high schools

Discovering the ins and outs of thrift shopping

The role of mental well-being in MVHS athletics

FEATURES 17 Luck in our lives

NEWS

8 4

DEMOCRACY THROUGH A SCREEN

12

WE KNOW HOW TO PARTY

RIDING THE LOCAL FORGIVING FAILURE WAVE Self-perception How the Nov. 6 local election and measures fare with MVHS students and staff

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A CHANGE IN U.S. MVHS provides insight on the Nov. 6 election

RISING VOICES

8

10

in the midst of personal hardships

14

The benefits and struggles of being a minority

BEST OF LUCK; YOU’LL NEED IT

16

When it all boils down to it, luck is our eternal determinant

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POP SOME TAGS

34

THE MENTAL GAME

The role of mental wellbeing in sports

KICKIN’ IT WITH KID STRENGTH IN NUMBERS KUZA

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A MINORITY’S POINT OF VIEW

SPORTS

Thrift shopping serves as a cheaper alternative to conventional shopping

The varying party culture at South Bay Area high schools

The effect of political bias in media on elections

The impact of student involvement in the political arena

A&E

OPINION

25

Senior Brian Lee describes his rapping career

PENNE FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

The world of pasta may be more complex than people think

26

A WHIFF OF...

Choosing a signature scent

27 30

DEAR MUSIC, A letter to my biggest supporter

31

FEATURES JACKPOT

STARTING YOUNG How MVHS athletes started coaching youth around the city

37 38

Reflecting on the victorious girls tennis season

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

39

EE recognizes field hockey player Heather Migdal as athlete of the month

17

MVHS students and experts examine luck and how it influences their lives 2

33

THE DREAM TEAM

THANKSGIVING TWISTS Four ways to redefine classic dinner dishes

The significance of jersey numbers

32

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS S

o often we are told to be grateful that we live in Cupertino, a place filled with opportunity and privilege. We’ve all heard stories that everyone here was “lucky enough” to buy a home in the South Bay Area, notorious for its high market prices. Some say it was hard work that allowed so many of our parents to immigrate to America and support such successful lives. But what is it really that allows us to attend one of the top schools in the country?

Luck is a fickle friend. For many of us, it means guessing correctly on a multiple choice test we forgot to study for, or winning a game against the best team in the league. However, it can also mean forgetting about a big project, or not looking both ways before driving out of a parking lot. On page 22, reporter Helen Chao explores the impact of ignoring bad luck and learning to appreciate good luck.

This balance of bad and good luck became obvious when we bought a lottery ticket for the cover of this magazine. And after we took the photo, a group of us huddled around as we scratched numbers off one by one. It didn’t matter that we knew our bad luck was about to overshadow the good luck. It didn’t matter that our chances of winning something were practically zero. There was something captivating about that moment — the thrill that luck could just maybe make you instantly rich. On page 23, reporter Claire Wen unravels that thrill as she takes a closer look at luck’s impact on games.

For some, luck is about being in the right place at the right time, or remembering to put on that lucky necklace before you take the SAT. For others, luck is nonexistent. On pages 18 and 19, reporters Katerina Pappas and Jai Uparkar find out what luck means to people, if anything at all.

On the contrary, there are those who take the meaning of luck to heart, drawing connections, or lack thereof, between their religious views and luck. On pages 20 and 21, reporters Claire Chang and Rucha Soman examine this relationship through Christianity, Islam and Hinduism.

On a larger scale, celebrities who live lavishly also have to confront luck. In her speech at the 2013 Governors Award, actress Angelina Jolie spoke of the reality of her success and how her situation helped her to gain the international prowess she has today. Essentially, Jolie attributed part of her successes to pure luck — she happened to be born into certain circumstances that allowed her to thrive.

“Across the world, [there is] a woman just like me, with the same abilities, and the same desires, same work ethic and love for her family, who would most likely make better films, and better speeches. Only she sits in a refugee camp, and she has no voice. I don’t know why this is my life, and that’s hers.”

Regardless our level of success, we are quick to blame or credit luck. Whether it be getting into our dream college or a bird pooping on our head, everything can be traced back to luck. Whether we were born into opportunity or we earned it ourselves, luck likely played a role. So whether it be good or bad, our lives are inevitably shaped by the work of our fickle friend.

Rana Aghababazadeh

Roshan Fernandez

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

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

Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the journalism staff and not of Monta Vista High School or the Fremont Union High School District. The staff seeks to recognize individuals, events and ideas and bring news to the MVHS community in a manner that is professional, unbiased and thorough in order to effectively serve our readers. We strive to report accurately, and we will correct any significant error. If you believe such an error has been made, please contact us. Letters of any length should be submitted via email or mail. They may be edited for length or accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion. We also reserve the right to reject advertising due to space limitations or decision of the Editorial Board that content of the advertisement conflicts with the mission of the publication.

COVER ILLUSTRATION | SARA ENTEZAR

EL ESTOWUE | NOVEMBER 2018

3

THE MIDTER EL

NEWS

ERM ELECTIONS

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | SARAH YOUNG

DEMOCRACY THROUGH A SCREEN How political bias in media influences elections

PHOTO | RUTH FENG

BY RUTH FENG AND LAKSHANYAA GANESH

IT’S JUST THEM EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT, JUST LIKE IN THE FIRST AMENDMENT YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPRESS YOURSELF

T

aylor Swift superfan senior Risha Baxi was having a normal Monday morning on Oct. 29 until her friend sent her a text message ending with a string of exclamation points. Swift had reposted a picture of Baxi’s parents on her Instagram story.

The previous day, her parents had headed to the polls to cast their votes for the local, state and federal elections. Later that night, Baxi took a picture which her dad posted to Instagram and listed the reasons why he voted. Little did she know, this post would be noticed and reposted by @taylorswift for 112 million followers.

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As the upcoming midterm with different political parties elections were approaching, and views, and you’re turning many candidates campaigned to off a significant part of your encourage the general public to demographic by talking about vote. However, in recent years, politics and siding with one side or unexpected sources of political the other.” persuasion have become far more Government teacher Eric Otto prominent than before. Many also mentions how voters need to celebrities, including Taylor Swift, take the biases and what they see have publicized their views on on social media with a grain of their social platforms in order to salt. With the incidents of Russian persuade their audience to vote hackers in the 2016 election, for particular he believes social candidates. media can have a On Oct. 7, considerable effect Taylor Swift took to on elections.

Instagram to share “What we see her views and beliefs with Facebook in on the candidates 2016 is that social of the U.S. media definitely has midterm elections, a great influence on specifically those who gets elected in in her home state this country,” Otto of Tennessee. She SENIOR RISHA BAXI said.

“However, expressed her I think the big distaste for candidate Marsha question that comes out of that Blackburn, citing that she has been is whether those elections end up discriminatory against minority being fair as a result of that social groups. Her decision to break her media presence.” silence and voice her political Another aspect of media, opinions was met with controversy. news television, can also heavily U.S. President Donald Trump influence voters. Fox News is said in a press release, “I like owned by Republican media mogul Taylor’s music about 25 percent Rupert Murdoch, while MSNBC is less now.” led by liberal-leaning media mogul Baxi recalls a period of time Phil Griffin. during Swift’s silence when white Whether well-received or supremacist groups assumed she not, celebrities using their large was a neo-Nazi. Now that Swift has platforms in order to persuade publicized her political views, Baxi their audience to vote one way or believes Swift shouldn’t be given another has an impact. According backlash for not speaking out. to Kamari Guthrie, the director “Because somebody chooses of communications for Vote.org, not to publicize their political voter turnout both in Tennessee views does not make them a far and nationwide spiked immensely, left person or a far right person,” coinciding with the end of voter Baxi said. “It’s just them exercising registration , and Parasuram wasn’t their right, just like in the First surprised.

Amendment you have a right to “You’d think that with some express yourself.” celebrities it wouldn’t have as large Some, however, are critical of an effect because their audience is celebrities getting political, such as [presumably] really young and not junior Anjana Parasuram. old enough to vote,” Parasuram “I have to doubt their business said. “But you realize that the tactics when they do that,” issues they speak about can reach Parasuram said. “Their market is a lot of other people outside their [probably] split between people audience.” e

EL ESTOQUE | NOVEMBER 2018

THE LOCAL WAVE How the Nov. 6 local election and measures fare with MVHS students and staff

BY JULIA YANG

I

n the months leading up to the November to people,” Pelkey said. “They got to get out midterm elections, flyers and signs to the people and talk to the people and find could be seen throughout Santa Clara out what it is we want.”

County promoting various candidates Although Pelkey was not consistently and measures. On Nov. 6, residents voted familiar with the measures that would appear on these candidates and measures in the on the official ballot and local election. Government planned to study each one and AP Economics teacher the weekend before the Pete Pelkey, who voted, election, a measure that he believes that local elections long had high interest in is carry more importance and Measure CC. influence than people think.

Measure CC, a $275 “Local elections is where million school bond, is a a voter has the most power measure that was placed because one vote can sway on the official ballot in a local election whereas it’s the local election that has very unlikely that one vote been heavily mentioned would change a presidential GOVERNMENT AND AP and promoted on the election,” Pelkey said. “We MVHS campus as well ECONOMICS TEACHER as throughout the entire should all vote, because the local stuff is actually the PETE PELKEY Fremont Union High most important.”

School District.

The Pelkey has noticed that measure would allow local elections have a lower voter turnout FUHSD to resume the work that had been compared to larger-scaled elections such as started under Measures B and K in improving state and presidential elections. A study from and modernizing facilities of all five high Portland State University has found that school campuses, which are each at least 50 voter turnout in 10 of America’s 30 largest years old. cities such as Los Angeles or New York was Junior Rachel Millar, though not yet less than 15 percent in recent years. Local old enough to vote, is a prominent student elections can be swung by a small number figure involved with Measure CC, with her of motivated voters, and Pelkey sees this as name and her support stated on a pamphlet something that is hard to change because promoting the measure.

Americans as a whole are not good voters “At MVHS, we just got a lot of upgrading in terms of participation. However, Pelkey done like our gym, but some of our believes that the Nov. 6 election is different. classrooms, you’ll walk in and there’ll just be “This is going to be an anomaly election water stains on the ceilings or missing tiles in that so many people have already voted or the carpet’s ripped so I just think that it for this election, but that’s because we would be nice to get those fixed especially have some severe issues this time,” Pelkey if we have the funding,” Millar said. “So [the said. “We have a president who’s splitting pamphlet] was basically just to promote it to America apart.” the school board and ask for more funding As for his own stance and participation for it.” in the local election, Pelkey plans to vote From there, assistant principal Mike for the Cupertino City Council candidates White asked Millar if the issue addressed in who he personally knows and trusts. He Measure CC was one she felt strongly about believes that candidates must have certain and wanted to promote. After agreeing, characteristics to qualify to become a mayor Millar had her name officially put on the or councillor. measure. Pelkey also described the money“First off they have to be very personable, related impact the measure would have on they have to be honest and straightforward the FUHSD staff members.

LOCAL ELECTIONS IS WHERE A VOTER HAS THE MOST POWER BECAUSE ONE VOTE CAN SWAY A LOCAL ELECTION.

“The defacto of [the measure] is that my raises are based on that, because money is shifted from the general fund into the school teachers’ portion of the general fund,” Pelkey said. “So for me, that’s a good deal even though I have to pay the interest from the bonds.”

Senior Rohan Sreedhar, also not old enough to vote, is in favor of the measure as well, as he believes the school campuses are old and need the funding to make improvements. However, the issue that he is most passionate about is the one involving Senate Bill 35 and specifically its impacts on Cupertino. SB 35 is a law that demands California cities to build more housing or risk temporarily losing control of some of their permitting and entitlements processes.

Sreedhar believes that in general, SB 35 is a good law, but not in terms of Cupertino.

“Vallco’s gonna be more of a retail space [under SB 35] and if you look at the SB 35 plan that Sand Hill Property Company used to get around the city government, that plan actually brings in more jobs than it does housing,” Sreedhar said. “It sort of worsens our congestion problem, and I would vote against that plan if I had the chance.”

This is also the reasoning behind why Sreedhar holds support for the reelection of Darcy Paul, who is the current mayor of Cupertino. For Sreedhar, Millar and Pelkey, they believe that voting and overall involvement in the local election is important. Even for students who are not yet old enough to vote, it is still important to be aware of local elections for their future’s sake, whether it be with the processes within the election or the measures involved.

“We’re aware of some issues especially through social media, but it’s always like when we can’t vote, leave it up to the adults,” Millar said. “Although I’m not completely up to date [on these issues] myself, it’s important to keep yourself aware so you kind of know your stance as soon as you can vote, so if you have issues you want to fix, you can fix them.” e

NEWS | NOVEMBER 2018

7

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ANDREA PERNG

A CHANGE IN U.S. The 2018 midterm elections in the eyes of the MVHS community

W

BY SUNJIN CHANG AND SARAH YOUNG

ith the midterm elections wrapping up, candidate flyers are tossed into recycle bins, lawn signs pulled from yards and proposition ads no longer pop up on computer screens. This year, a section of the ballot not only included national propositions but also had a list of candidates running to represent the state of California.

Along with propositions there were also state and local bonds in the vote. Bonds are a specific type of proposition in which the government is looking to borrow money and requires Public Consent. There are also two kinds of propositions: referendum and initiative. Referendums are started by the state government, and either by law or

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EL ESTOQUE | NOVEMBER 2018

choice voters decide yes or no on the subject at hand. An initiative is a law suggested by a constituent that gained enough traction to be put on the ballot.

Government teacher Ben Recktenwald has seen the gradual increase in interest from California’s younger voters since the 2016 presidential election, when President Donald Trump turned the tables by winning the electoral college though he had lost the popular vote and became the 45th president of the United States.

According to Recktenwald, he believes that many Democrats have been motivated to participate in state affairs in hopes of refuting Donald Trump’s ideals which contradicts public opinion that California

citizens would be discouraged to vote after the election of Trump.

Recktenwald is able to see this trend of increasing interest in state affairs through his students, specifically in his AP Government and Politics classes. Though he connects their interest in politics as a result of them choosing an advanced class, he is glad that students are still being educated and showing an interest in politics. However, in Recktenwald’s regular Government class, while there are still obviously students who are taking the class to meet graduation requirements, he acknowledges that there are some students who are as involved and interested in politics as those in the AP class.

“It’s interesting that students seem to be

90% of students have never voted before 90% of students didn’t vote in the midterm elections think students are 75% ofnotstudents involved in politics PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | SARAH YOUNG

more interested in the personalities [of the candidates rather] than the issues, which again is a trend that American voters have, American voters vote more on personality than they do on issues,” Recktenwald said.

MVHS Politics club was created by a collection of students volunteering in political campaigns in order to raise awareness and increase student involvement in political organizations. If students become involved in the issue, they’ll call in some panelists and record and publish a panel discussion. In addition, recently club members have been trying to go to political conventions and events.

For senior and co-president Adamya Srivastava, student involvement in politics and voting is important, especially since it concerns their future. He believes that with lawmakers creating policies for communities on a daily basis and with the chance that they are given to voice their opinions, students should take the chance to voice their opinions to shape their future.

“My reasoning to be interested in politics is because everyone else is the laws that are made say that our future employers are invested in politics,” Srivastava said.

“There’s almost no reason for students like us to not be interested in politics because that’s what’s going to influence our lives down the road and is currently doing so.”

Senior and co-president of MVHS Politics Club Amit Chandramouly’s involvement in politics stems from his interests in international relations as well as environmental science.

“I’m really fascinated by how the landscape of an entire country can change based on how the people are feeling and how political events impact the people whether it’s domestically or internationally and really the implications of actions,” Chandramouly said. “The weight that comes in making the right decisions that politicians are facing day in and day out is something that fascinates

the students are up on current events and me to no end.”

For Recktenwald, acting as a functioning know what’s going on,” Recktenwald said. member of democracy means doing more “I love it when students are opinionated, than just voting. It also means getting especially about politics [because] that’s involved in the community and staying probably going to translate to an active voter in the future.” informed on current events.

Recktenwald identifies some of the “There’s all kinds of things you can do to participate in our society democratically problems regarding the voting systems. but voting is a huge part of it,” Recktenwald With the elections held on a Tuesday, many said. “Being in a democratic society can citizens struggle to take the time out of their start with voting but it doesn’t end with day to vote when they’re preoccupied by work. Srivastava agrees voting.” with this as students Despite seeing a growing are also in school and increase in youth voting and are unable to vote until political interest, Rectenwald after school. has noticed that Americans However, Srivastava have grown increasingly urges citizens to unaware of what their vote research the topics on could entail for the country. the ballot so that they Recktenwald believes that a can accurately advocate common problem may stem for their rights. from active voters in our “I’d certainly society who aren’t informed recommend looking as much as they should be. up what your local They may think too lightly of laws are to be able to their voices in politics, and GOVERNMENT TEACHER vote and voice your Recktenwald wants to prevent BEN RECKTENWALD opinions because some the future generations from of these laws are rather making careless mistakes by making sure both he and his students are restrictive and I think it’s best that you cast your vote,” Srivastava said. well educated on what they’re voting for.

In an effort to get his students involved Chandramouly believes that ultimately the in politics, he always has students partake in future of America lies in the hands of the ballot presentations where they analyze the voters and having informed voters could ideas behind the ballot and then follow the positively impact their future. money trail to identify the true intentions “I really think that this is important to behind the proposed idea. Recktenwald educate the younger generation as to strongly believes that following the money making choices that will affect the future will allow for students to find the unfiltered and help them shape their own future,” tenants of the proposition based on the Chandramouly said. “[Because they] have a organizations or people who invest in the hand in graphing the next few generations idea. Recktenwald strongly suggests that and the next few decades.” e informed students should vote as soon as they turn 18.

“One thing I try to do is that no matter what class I’m teaching, I always make sure

I LOVE IT WHEN STUDENTS ARE OPINIONATED, ESPECIALLY ABOUT POLITICS [BECAUSE] THAT’S PROBABLY GOING TO TRANSLATE TO AN ACTIVE VOTER IN THE FUTURE.

NEWS | NOVEMBER 2018

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RISING VOICES The impact of student involvement in the political arena

BY ROBERT LIU

F

or many Americans, the recent midterm election provided an opportunity to wield their rights and make their voices heard. Even though citizens must be 18 to vote, MV students argue that the current youth, empowered through social media and other rapid information exchanges, has the potential to bring great benefit to the political scene.

History teacher Bonnie Belshe is enthusiastic in encouraging student involvement in politics, and uses her history classes as an opportunity to educate and empower students. She believes that student involvement in the political arena is vital, and a society without adequate youth involvement could lead to an imbalance in voting constituents.

“We have to consider that we’re looking at generational tyranny if we don’t have the voice of younger generations involved,” Belshe said. “Last year, for all of my U.S. History classes, one of my students came in and presented to all of my classes, and we helped get everyone who’s eligible to register to vote to preregister for that.”

Belshe believes that staying politically informed is a responsibility of a student rather than a detriment.

“You should not just go in and blindly vote on what you’re looking at,” Belshe said.

“That’s part of the

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EL ESTOQUE | NOVEMBER 2018

responsibility that we have as citizen experience as an intern at both the San constituents in a democracy, is to do our Francisco Democratic Party and the Asian part and our role with doing the research Law Alliance, Ximen advocates for students and being prepared.” to at least acknowledge the field of politics.

Sophomore Justin Feng, who “It’s something society was unaware of the midterm really needs,” Ximen said. elections at first, does not see “Especially [at] MVHS, any reason to jump in on the fad. it’s easy to just do your “What election? I’m not own school work and pay aware of this,” Feng said. attention to yourself, but “Personally, I’m not involved it’s important to know in any political ideas because what’s going on in politics I think that politics are a huge because it does have a waste of time.” large influence on us.”

In addition, Feng believes Belshe also advocates students lack experience and are the various opportunities not informed enough to make exist for students to HISTORY TEACHER that educated decisions. In fact, he gain political experience BONNIE BELSHE predicts that an enfranchised and knowledge. She youth could harm the country by believes increased youth making rash decisions. involvement can create a positive feedback “I think there’s a reason why the voting loop by encouraging political involvement age is 18 years,” Feng said. “Youth don’t as a culture, thus leading to even more youth have the mental capacity to understand political involvement. the complex political issues at “Whether that’s volunteering for hand right now. All the information campaigns, doing phone banking, working that currently our youth is focused at polling places, these are all ways in on is what they hear from their which I think we really need more teenagers liberal echo chamber: f rom involved,” Belshe said. “That way there the media, from becomes a culture of the expectation of school and from voting and being involved.” their teachers.

But even with the plethora of These people resources and opportunities, Feng are making believes students should focus uninfor me d their primary priorities of being decisions and a student and leave adult matters they will hurt to adults. the country “The youth are involved too by actively much in politics,” Feng said. “I think youth shouldn’t be focused on adult par ticipating issues, but rather, on their schooling, in political having fun and enjoying their childhood.” movements.”

Belshe disagrees, believing adults Senior Melinda can only do so much to increase youth Ximen, however, involvement in politics, and it is up to sees value in the students themselves to take the initiative youth and their in sharing their beliefs and increasing participation in involvement in the political field through politics, believing voting and related work experience. that it is crucial “[As] adults, we can help give the venue, for politicians to but [it is] really for letting student leaders acknowledge the have the place,” Belshe said. “I certainly try perspectives of and show my passion for politics and my this significant passion for voting, but we also really need sect of society. to hear from students, because you listen As an active to your peers a lot more than you listen to participant in anyone else.” e politics with

[AS] ADULTS, WE CAN HELP GIVE THE VENUE, BUT [IT IS] REALLY FOR LETTING STUDENT LEADERS HAVE THE PLACE.

OPINION

FORGIVING FAILURES Discussing self-perception in the midst of personal hardships

BY EMILY XIA

I

look at the clock.

2:35 a.m.

How could I let this happen again? It seems like every morning I tell myself that I can go to sleep earlier and get more work done, but I get home, procrastinate and suddenly it’s 2:00 a.m. And I still have two classes’ worth of homework to do.

When I was in elementary and middle school, I would always pride myself on being proactive and responsible. I did well without much effort, completed all of my homework without a second thought and still managed to sleep before midnight. I thought that my work ethic was impeccable.

Procrastination –– I didn’t even know the meaning of the word.

I genuinely enjoyed coming to school and learning. Even throughout freshman and sophomore year of high school, although work was slowly becoming more challenging, I still kept my spirits high.

Coming into junior year, I didn’t think much would change. I heard time and time again that junior year would be an uphill battle, that everyone went into junior year hopeful and came out a shell of their former selves, completely void of life and energy. I knew the workload would be tougher, but I trusted that because I was a good student, everything would still run smoothly. In fact, I was excited for the first day of school.

Things quickly went downhill. I started doing all of my homework the day before it was due. I no longer worked on homework due the next day during my free sixth period; rather, I worked on homework due the next period. I felt like I was floating through my classes — I would complete all the homework and assignments, but I never truly felt like I understood the material. Even my favorite classes became a burden, and I could feel myself becoming lazy. The more work I had, the less I wanted to do it.

Once I started falling behind, it was impossible to catch up.

I blamed all of this on myself. There was no one else I could pin my shortcomings on.

There were other students taking harder classes, and they seemed to be fine. I hated that I was losing sleep. I hated that I couldn’t

be productive. I hated that I was always on the verge of a mental breakdown.

But most of all, I detested that I had lost my passion.

My love of learning, my desire to meet new people, my motivation to work. Where did it all go? I could never measure up. I thought I was a failure.

A few days ago, I was talking to one of my friends, and she could immediately see that something was off.

“Is something wrong?”

I told her that I was drowning. Drowning because I had a lab due the next day, drowning because a quiz in calculus meant hours of studying concepts I couldn’t grasp, drowning because I wasn’t doing as EMILY XIA well as I wanted in literature. Drowning because of how disorganized I’d become, how I had lost all of my motivation, how I was just tired of everything and hated myself for feeling that way.

Surprisingly, she completely understood how I felt. My friend who seemed so energetic and full of life, one of the smartest people I knew, told me that she knew exactly what I was feeling and that everyone went through it.

“I think you just need to forgive yourself.”

I hadn’t realized it, but I had been putting myself down. I had to forgive myself. I had set unreasonably high standards for myself, and when I didn’t reach them, I im me diat ely p eg ge d myself as a failure.

It’s extremely difficult to change your perception of yourself, to know that

COMING OUT OF MY SHELL

failing doesn’t make you a failure.

Honestly, I haven’t come close to doing it successfully.

I’m not trying to tell you to “have a growth mindset” or that “when there’s a will there’s a way.”

As much as both of these are true, without experiencing hardship, it’s impossible to relate to these cliché phrases. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been pelted with inspirational jargon that I never truly believed in myself.

I’m simply saying that sometime or another, things are going to spin out of control — it’s natural. Work is already difficult enough on its own, and putting yourself down only makes it worse.

I’m still experiencing everything I mentioned earlier: the procrastination, the lack of motivation, the cluelessness. I know that I still have a ways to go and that it’s only going to get harder. If I’m going to continue, I have to start somewhere.

It’s okay to be a mess sometimes.

I haven’t reached all my goals, but it’s completely okay. I’m hanging in there, and I’m giving it my all.

I forgive myself. e

ION T RAT ILLUS

Y X IA | EMIL

OPINION | NOVEMBER 2018

11

hen Fremont HS junior Ashley Henry entered a small home in East San Jose, she found herself in a room packed with students, dozens of them intoxicated and slumped over couches. With the smell of weed and alcohol in the air, a voice pierced her ears and she turned to find the party host cussing and shrieking at the students around her.

Deciding she had seen enough, Henry and her friends snuck out of the party and headed home.

A few miles away, MVHS freshman Lauren Ruckstuhl had just returned home after exploring her neighborhood with several friends. Ruckstuhl arranged a triangular formation of solo cups filled with Fanta. For the remainder of her informal party, she played cup pong with her friends, but unlike the party Henry had attended, there was not a single whiff of alcohol in the house, and not an ounce of weed.

Whether schools are located within a few miles or several cities apart, party culture takes on vastly different meanings across various groups of students. Some schools, such as Los Gatos HS, feature frequent, wild parties as opposed to schools like MVHS which have only a few a year, according to an anonymous LGHS senior, who will be referred to as Kenton in order to protect his identity. Regardless of the school, party culture is undoubtedly a factor that shapes the student body.

Kenton shares that each weekend, two to three parties are hosted by LGHS students.

These parties can range from small gettogethers or kickbacks to full-on parties with around 400 students. Kenton estimates that more than half the student body of LGHS has attended at least one major party throughout high school. He acknowledges that LGHS tends to have a more prevalent

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PHOTO USED UNDER PEXELS LICENSE.

party culture than many other schools in the Bay Area and that this culture is partially related to the psychographics at his school.

“In our area, a lot of kids see their parents drinking, smoking [cigarettes] and stuff like that,” Kenton said. “Partying [has also run] deep in our school’s culture ever since it was founded, in 1908. People in our area are kind of notorious for having money, and since kids have money and free time, that just adds up to party time. [In] my knowledge [of] the past, [for] 30 years Los Gatos has been a party-heavy school.”

Less than 10 miles away, Archbishop Mitty HS sophomore Addison Cosgrove attends parties once or twice a month.

Cosgrove believes the atmosphere of a party depends entirely on the group of people hosting it, and for her, AMHS parties definitely have room for improvement.

“I went to this one girl’s going away party,” Cosgrove said. “She was like, ‘Oh, it’s going to be a rager.’ Her parents were

there. A snow cone machine showed up. Are you kidding me?”

However, according to Cosgrove, the spirit and intensity of parties varies between grades. She recalls hearing about a simple freshman birthday party that escalated into something more. “[The host’s] mom was there, and she was letting people drink and stuff, as freshmen,” Cosgrove said. “And then someone had sex on the couch and like I was like ‘Are you f---ing kidding me’? I was like ‘this is [a] birthday party!’ The mom was there!”

Ruckstuhl believes that MVHS parties are, in a word, safe. Parties are usually only hosted around holidays or events such as Homecoming, and Ruckstuhl says she does not consume any drugs or alcohol.

But at schools with more vibrant party cultures, students are accustomed to

The varying party culture at South Bay Area high schools

culture at his school. According to Kenton, high schoolers should not be smoking and drinking at their age, as overconsumption could affect brain development as well as lead to other addictions.

Beyond the health impacts of party activities, Cosgrove believes it is logistically dangerous to engage in reckless behavior at parties. Cosgrove is especially sensitive because she attends a private school, which may lead to greater potential punishments if students are caught misbehaving.

“If somebody takes a video of something you do at a party, and they send it in, you’re screwed,” Cosgrove said. “Like, oh my God. You have to be so careful. Most people aren’t because they trust their friends, but I don’t really trust anybody because everybody’s so fake.”

bringing alcohol to parties. Kenton often reminds classmates to bring marijuana and liquor, emphasizing that they should “bring enough to share with others.” Although Kenton’s classmates are willing to bring these substances, his parents do not approve. However, they prefer to be present at parties to keep track of what’s going on and provide help in case someone gets seriously intoxicated.

“My parents weren’t encouraging,” Kenton said. “Everyone knows that there’s going to be a party, there’s going to be hard liquor, there’s going to be weed and stuff like that. But I made a lot of promises to my parents regarding the amount of alcohol that was going to be present.”

The presence of drugs and alcohol can have impacts beyond temporary enjoyment at parties. In 2002, LGHS student Eric Quesada met a tragic death after a drunk driving accident. In order to provide a safe means for students to get home without driving

intoxicated, a program was put in place, and according to Kenton, there hasn’t been a fatality due to driving under the influence since. The program, SafeRides, a non-profit organization funded by Community Against Substance Abuse (CASA), provides rides for students after parties in a completely confidential manner.

Kenton shares that some students dislike the party culture at LGHS, believing it a risk to student safety. Despite the occasional backlash that Kenton hears, he continues to engage in the school’s party culture. For him, parties are an easy way for a large group of students to socially bond outside school.

“At [LGHS], I’ve just seen that parties bring people together and don’t really have a negative effect on other people,” Kenton said. “Come to a party, stay completely sober, and you’ll see how much fun it is.”

Although Kenton and his classmates from LGHS consider partying the norm, Kenton does point out the dangers of party

In addition, Cosgrove has witnessed several parties get shut down by the police. She explains that she often receives invitations to parties from her friends only to have the same friend message her a few hours later telling her the party was shut down. Kenton also notes that word of mouth spreads quickly when cops are nearby.

According to him, police are informed by neighbors that find the party a noise disturbance. Cosgrove is sympathetic to those who notify police of noisy parties.

“They throw [parties] in neighborhoods and their parties go until 11, people want to sleep,” Cosgrove said. “They play music so loud and people do stupid things. Like, they may get drunk and do stupid stuff in the street. People don’t want to see that.”

Kenton believes that regardless of how students engage in partying, party culture will continue to thrive across high schools.

“The party culture kind of draws you in,” Kenton said. “One of your friends starts doing it, then another friend, then all your friends are kind of drawn in, then you’re the only one out. At the end of the day, it’s not really peer pressure that gets you to do it, it’s just that your own curiosity just draws you in to see what actually goes on at these parties, that makes your friends excited.” e

OPINION | NOVEMBER 2018

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A MINORITY’S POINT OF VIEW Students and teachers discuss being in the minority or majority in the Bay Area

BY LAASYA KODURU AND STUTI UPADHYAY

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enior Jade Tsao is passionate about connecting with her African-American culture. She reads books about black history and heritage, participates in protests and movements like Black Lives Matter and loves to talk to her dad about her culture. Ethnically, Tsao has been a minority in her community for most of her life. And although she believes being a minority is difficult, it has made her more passionate about her culture.

According to Monta Vista’s 2017-18 school profile, MVHS is 83 percent Asian.

And as with any majority, it can be easy to forget the voices of the minorities in a given population.

Tsao moved from MVHS to Dougherty Valley HS in San Ramon the summer before her junior year, and she recalls that it was difficult. Tsao’s father is Nigerian, and her mother is half Chinese and half Korean.

She admits that there were few people she could relate to from her African-American side, but of those few people whom she could, she felt an instant connection. Tsao explains that being ethnically different from people around her often meant that they didn’t quite understand certain parts of her culture.

“Sometimes you feel misunderstood, and… you can’t really change the way things are because it’s just the way things are,” Tsao said. “Then sometimes you feel like people just stereotype you and put you in a box and put you in a label.”

Tsao believes it can be intimidating to be different when everyone else seems so similar, especially because it is often easier to identify and connect with people who share similar experiences.

According to Tsao, people often underestimate how hard it can be for people in the minoritiy to integrate into a

completely different community.

“You have to push harder to get certain things because high school can be cliquey, even at DVHS, even at MVHS,” Tsao said.

“It’s like, you see groups where a majority of the people are one racial group. And they stick together. So if you think about it, it’s harder for [a] minority to walk in.”

English teacher Elly Brown echoes a similar sentiment about the difficulties people in the minority face while connecting with others. Brown transitioned from teaching at San Benito HS in Hollister, Calif. to MVHS two years ago. One of the biggest changes Brown experienced was the differences in culture of both schools.

According to Brown, whereas SBHS is a smaller, less academicallydriven school with a 65 percent Latino and Hispanic population, MVHS is a much larger, grade-focused school with a 83 percent Asian population.

Because her mom is from Mexico, as a child, Brown grew up SENIOR JADE speaking Spanish and in-tune with Mexican culture, which led to a very comfortable and familiar environment at SBHS. “I had a different connection, I think, with students at that school because I was able to speak with some of their parents in Spanish, or connect with them on a cultural level that I haven’t been able to as much here at Monta Vista,” Brown said.

She explains that being in the minority also means that you may not understand the culture of your community members that well, something that became more apparent to her after she moved from SBHS to MVHS. “I don’t have as much knowledge about different cultural holidays or events that students participate in. That’s something that I’m learning still,” Brown said. “So I can’t really relate because I haven’t had those experiences and it’s not that I don’t connect with my students, it’s just that maybe on a cultural level, I’m still learning about them and learning about their cultures.”

Similar to Brown and Tsao, history teacher David Hartford faced a difficult time moving to the

SOMETIMES YOU FEEL MISUNDERSTOOD, AND IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN’T REALLY CHANGE THE WAY THINGS ARE...

SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE PEOPLE JUST STEREOPTYPE YOU AND PUT YOU IN A BOX...

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EL ESTOQUE | NOVEMBER 2018

Bay Area, as it took him time to adapt to the new environment. Raised in a small town in rural Michigan, Hartford developed close connections with those in his vicinity, his family members or relatives. For him, moving to California was a big change socially and emotionally, especially since there is more diversity in California.

“The biggest thing for me was that the political and ideological differences were very stark for me,” Hartford said.

“In rural Michigan, everyone in my family was stringent, religious, conservative and Evangelical conservatives. That is kind of what I grew up in and I traveled a lot before moving to California, and I had built this diversity into my own ideology, but being able to have so much diversity in one location is truly amazing.”

While senior Adamya Srivastava, who moved from Texas to Cupertino in the summer of 2016, agrees with Hartford on the advantages TSAO of diversity, he also explains that cultural similarities can help create a shared foundation when meeting new people for the first time, whereas those in the minority often have to try harder to acclimate to the people around them.

“Personally, I found that if you share a demographic with someone, you probably have a few common bonds or you have a few common experiences in family, culture and work ethic that you may not necessarily find [with others] because it’s like a shared background,” Srivastava said. “And this supersedes state lines. I instantly found many people, people like those I knew in Texas were Asian in [MVHS], so that made the transition easier getting to know people.”

Even though adjusting to a new environment with more diversity can be difficult, Hartford believes lots of diversity in one area can have its advantages. “[In Michigan], we didn’t have that kind of diversity but it kind of opens up so many different options — ideological viewpoints, even restaurants and food and things to do,” Hartford said.

“Having that massive amount of people all

in one location really opens up possibilities for many different communities.”

Tsao agrees, adding that being a minority is a unique opportunity to gain a new understanding of different people, comparing it to a bridge between two different cultures.

Often times, Tsao would educate her friends as to what being a minority is like or what her black culture entails, hopefully imprinting a lasting understanding on them.

“Some of my friends, I remember that they would say things like you’re only half black […] but that wouldn’t really resonate with me because that’s not my identity,” Tsao said. “I’m not only half this, only half that — I’m a whole person.”

Brown believes people in the minority can not only help broaden the views of those around them but also broaden their own views during a transition, as she did after coming to MVHS. After leaving her old teaching environment and becoming the new teacher on the block, Brown explains that she gained a new perspective as to how newcomers and minorities feel.

“It helps me be a little bit more empathetic to those people who maybe are new and are [the] minority,” Brown said. “And it encourages me to be a little more thoughtful and considerate of where they are and how they’re feeling.”

Srivastava agrees, remembering when he moved to Texas from India. As a newcomer in America and a foreigner to certain American customs, Srivastava’s position as a minority helped him adapt to his new life. “[As someone in the minority], you can have a critical eye and make sure you’re looking to adopt the best behaviors and work ethics of different kinds of people around you,” Srivastava said. “When I first moved to Texas, I don’t know a lot about Americans in general, so as a minority, I made sure to pay attention to what people did — how they spoke, what their idioms were.”

Overall, Tsao believes she has learned countless things from being in the minority.

And even if it is difficult, she encourages other minorities to find their own path by making their voices heard and defining their own identity despite the challenges.

“You’re different and being different is always going to catch people’s attention.

You might as well use that to your benefit,” Tsao said. “If anything[…] share your experience with people if they ask, or if it comes up in conversation. Don’t be afraid to […] challenge some people’s ideas of what they may think your minority groups are like how they might stereotype your minority group. Every time you may speak up, it may not change a […] person’s view. But one day you will speak up and you will say the right thing and somebody will gain something and learn something from that.” e

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History teacher David Hartford with his mom on the farm he grew up in rural Michigan. Hartford moved away from Michigan eight years ago, and misses his family back home.

Senior Adamya Srivastava poses with his friends after winning an award in freshmen year at his school in Houston, Texas.

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History teacher David Hartford in front of a scenic landscape in Michigan. After moving to the Bay Area, Hartford was surprised at the fast pace of life.

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Senior Jade Tsao poses with her friends in Dougherty Valley High School. Tsao attended MVHS until the summer after her sophomore year.

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Before teaching at MVHS, English teacher Elly Brown worked at San Benito High School, a high school in Hollister with a large Latino population.

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Although Srivastava has moved from India to Texas to California, he believes people all around the world are united through common goals.

4 5 6 OPINION | NOVEMBER 2018

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BEST OF LUCK! When it all boils down to it, luck is our eternal determinant

H

ard work beats talent when talent fails to Friend and fellow NBA player Kobe Bryant acknowledged work hard, right? It’s a narrative which O’Neal’s “natural talent” at O’Neal’s Jersey Retirement Americans, pioneers of the American dream event, stirring the public to perceive the comment as an and frontiersmen of the working class have attack on O’Neal’s successes. praised for centuries, sailing towards the “You are the most gifted physical specimen I’ve ever light that bears the blood, sweat and tears of seen play this game,” Bryant said. “Size and agility. And those who yearn for greatness. just natural talent.”

But yearning for greatness doesn’t cut it nowadays.

A backhanded compliment, according to the public.

The drops of sweat that trickle down your forehead have However, Bryant wasn’t lying. been matched by millions, billions before, and frankly, “The implication is quite clear,” Bleacher Report wrote the bow down to hard work is simply a psychological regarding the comment. “O’Neal had the physical tools to relief for humans, desperate to provide rationale for be among the most dominant ever without really learning success. With a natural inclination to understand, the finer nuances of the sport that guys like Larry Bird analyze and provide reason for an outcome, we have and Bryant spent decades trying to master.” repeatedly undermined the Does that make O’Neal’s natural implications of plain luck. successes in the league any Luck, simply put, refers to less impressive? Unfortunately, the successes or failures that are this is how we are expected to brought upon oneself by chance, perceive sports, and anything OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE null of one’s own actions. Is luck else in life, for that matter.

EDITORIAL BOARD another word for coincidence?

With a predilection to adhere Opportunity? Privilege? Well, not to the epitome of American exactly. Luck, observably, is a much more intangible, values—that being hardwork as the root to all success— inexplicably simmered-down facet of life that resides at what wasn’t achieved through back-ache or tired knees is the root of all successes. overwritten by critics claiming ‘unfair advantage.’

Such a concept has never been more unpopular. In Fed to believe that success results purely from strong her article, “Why We Need Answers,” psychology effort is a figment of human reverie, a disacknowledgement writer Maria Konnikova delves into the psychological of the millions of athletes, artists, inventors, musicians, inclination to understand. businessmen and businesswomen who persevere through “The human mind is incredibly averse to uncertainty extreme efforts to succeed, but simply lack the talent, or and ambiguity,” Konnikova writes. “From an early inherent luck, to do so. age, we respond to uncertainty or lack of clarity by With inherent luck, or a fleeting moment of it, spontaneously generating plausible explanations.” opportunities unfasten in a swing of unforeseeable Konnikova continues by addressing the term events which the fantasization of ‘hard work’ couldn’t “cognitive closure,” or the natural desire to eliminate imagine matching. Yes, hard work is an critical dimension ambiguity and create definite conclusions. This cognitive of success, but nonpareil to being taller than average, or closure is what demonizes innate abilities, a resort for born in a nurturing home, or winning that lottery ticket. critics to undermine luck as a facet of success.

Acknowledging luck for what it is has barely sprouted Retired American basketball player Shaquille O’Neal its baby teeth in our society, but it’s about time we learn has found himself at the mountaintop of such criticism, to chew the reality. e as his inherent physique trounces all others in the league.

STAFF EDITORIAL

OPINION | NOVEMBER 2018

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ION | IMA N MA LIK

FEATURES FEATURES | NOVEMBER FEATURES | NOVEMBER 20182018 17

MVHS students and experts examine luck and how it influences their lives

BY KATERINA PAPPAS & JAI UPARKAR praining her wrist and ankle, getting a concussion and running her car over her own foot was all it took for senior Amanda Wilson to believe in luck.

There was one thing in common with in all these unfortunate mishaps: Wilson was not wearing her lucky necklace and ring.

calm, and sometimes it blows in gusts, and sometimes it comes from directions that you didn’t even imagine.”

There is something predestined about the concept of luck, but that moment when a person examines their luck builds up.

Small details build and overlap to create this WHAT IS LUCK? instance where even the unexpected occurs.

Luck is defined by the Oxford dictionary Like Pritchard, senior Sean Crofut as “the success or failure apparently brought believes in luck and describes it as a series by chance rather than of random coincidences. through one’s own actions.”

He defines luck with an I'VE REALIZED, However, many have formed anecdote regarding a their own definitions of “SpongeBob” episode.

BY WATCHING luck and opinions on the “SpongeBob opens all SO LONG, THAT existence of luck through the packs but doesn’t get LUCK IS RARELY the cards he wants,” Crofut personal experiences and religious beliefs. said. “Patrick opened the A LIGHTNING Duncan Pritchard, a last one [and] he gets that STRIKE, Chancellor’s professor of card. For me, that’s luck.”

ISOLATED AND philosophy at the University Like Crofut, sophomore DRAMATIC. IT'S of California, Irvine and Eesha Ramkumar is able the author of “Epistemic to define her idea of luck MUCH MORE Luck” explains that there with a personal experience LIKE THE WIND, are various definitions about — but she herself does not BLOWING luck. He defines luck as an believe in luck. Through her event that could have easily personal experiences, she CONSTANTLY. had another outcome that has concluded that being DR. TINA SEELIG didn’t occur. lucky simply means being “My own view is that in the right place at the right an event is lucky when it could have very time. It was through studying and taking easily not happened — i.e., not much would tests that she realized the outcome was a need to have happened for it not to occur,” direct reflection of her work ethic.

Pritchard wrote in an email. “So if you’re “I believe that you work for whatever you lucky not to have been hit by a sniper’s get. Like studying for a test, I don’t believe bullet, that’s because you very easily could that you will just do well; you can’t solely have been (e.g., the bullet just needed to be a rely on luck,” Ramkumar said. “I feel like few inches to the left).” luck is just false hope. So, by working harder, The idea that luck is an event solely you do better.” brought by the high probability of something Luck isn’t a simple term; there are many not happening portrays the sentiment as aspects that come into play when someone a quick instance with not much finds themselves in an unexplainable build up. Dr. Tina Seelig, a position.

Some would give faculty director of the Stanford credit to Technology Ventures Program their luck and Ph.D. from Stanford inste ad University Medical School in of other Neuroscience, explains in her u n d e r l y i ng TED talk “How to catch luck” f a c t o r s .To that this way of thinking isn’t many, life entirely accurate. isn’t completely “I’ve realized, by watching predeter mined, so long, that luck is rarely a and Seelig lightning strike, isolated and backs this idea dramatic. It’s much more like up in her TED the wind, blowing constantly,” Talk as well.

Seelig says. “Sometimes it’s “ N o w ,

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EL ESTOQUE | NOVEMBER 2018

you might say, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky.’ But of course I was lucky, but that luck resulted from a series of small risks I took, starting with saying hello. And anyone can do this, no matter where you are in your life, no matter where you are in the world,” Seelig said.

Like Ramkumar, freshman Rishi Desai believes that luck does not exist and that people should not solely rely on luck for good things to happen. Disregarding luck as a possible force behind an event, Desai believes that it is a person’s individual actions and proactive decisions that lead to a certain outcome; in his view, there is no such thing as a random coincidence.

“Your actions either benefit or doesn’t benefit you,” Desai said.

“I don’t believe in luck because it doesn’t happen that often and luck is not something that just happens. You can’t depend on luck; it all matters on what you do.”

With these varying opinions on luck, Pritchard notes that luck is often confused with other related notions such as chance or fortune.

Both fortune and chance are very similar to luck: being fortunate often means that you create your own luck while chance is the objective reality of random outcomes in the real world.

According to Arts Journal, luck is chance viewed through the spectacles of good or bad fortune.

“Something that is down to chance might make it lucky, but it might not. So perhaps there’s a small chance that the plane might crash, but that doesn’t by itself make it lucky that you aren’t in a plane crash—it depends on whether this is something that could easily occur,” Pritchard wrote. “Fortune is another. I’m fortunate to be born in a wealthy country with good health and so forth. We might loosely say that I’m lucky, but we’re not using the word in the same way— I couldn’t have easily been born in another country. The right term to use is, I

think, that I’m fortunate.”

EXPERIENCES WITH LUCK

luck come into play when students decide whether they believe in luck or not.

Wilson, however, considers herself not EXAMINING THE OTHER SIDE fortunate, but lucky. Her luck stems from While most MVHS students are steadfast her two pieces of jewelry - a necklace and in their beliefs regarding luck, they do a ring. Wilson has found herself vulnerable acknowledge the other perspective and to countless amounts of injuries over the provide insight as to why others may or may summer when she was not wearing her not believe in luck. Some may not believe in lucky ring and necklace. luck because they believe She is now accustomed to that everything happens regularly wearing these for a reason, similar to WHEN PEOPLE pieces of jewelry to avoid destiny. According to a ARE GOING bad luck. She found that survey of 362 students, 55 whenever she has worn the percent believed in destiny.

THROUGH BAD two, she was never on the Ramkumar believes TIMES AND receiving end of bad luck. that others may believe in SUFFERING ITS She received her luck to have hope during HELPFUL FOR lucky silver necklace moments of sufferings and from her grandmother THEM TO BELIEVE hardships. It’s a way for at the age of four when them to keep persevering IN DESTINY she was a flower girl at a through strife. Patibanda BECAUSE THEY wedding. The necklace is mentions that this same dear to her as it holds an FIND MEANING IN idea could be applied to emotional connection to destiny.

THE SUFFERING her grandmother. The ring, “I do think when people which she received one year are going through like bad SHREYA PATIBANDA ago, has her birthstone, times and suffering it’s Alexandrite, in it. helpful for them to believe “I’ve had a lot of in destiny because they injuries and all of them have happened find meaning in the suffering,” Patibanda when I wasn’t wearing them,” Wilson said. “They think that whatever suffering said. “Over the summer, all the times they’ve gone through … happened for a I didn’t wear it, I sprained my wrist reason.” and then I sprained my ankle, and While luck and destiny may seem then I ran over my other leg with similar at first, they are inherently my car. I got a concussion too. But I different. According to Patibanda, whenever I wear it, I have amazing people believe in luck when luck.” something is unexplainable Wilson is one of many who while destiny means believe in lucky objects. According to that there is a reason a survey of 368 students, 28 percent for everything. have good luck charms.

In some Crofut also has been graced with cases, religion the misfortunes and fortunes of random appears to be chance but believes that overall he is a influencing lucky. factor.

For “Where I was born [is lucky] first of all,” e x a m p l e , Crofut said. “This society is very high up, C r o f u t we are like the top 1 percent rich people and m e n t i o n s then also being able to be here is just lucky that people for me.” who do not Although Crofut considers his life to be believe in luck overall lucky, junior Shreya Patibanda recalls often want to how she has had bursts of luck throughout structure the her life. She credits luck to the many times events of their in her life when she asks for something and life to the idea that then it happens without an explanation. everything happens She recalls one day, when she lived on for a reason, usually the East Coast where school was out for the influenced by religion. day due to the snow. That one day she had Ramkumar, as stated off from school had her asking for more, and previously does not believe in luck, mentions to her luck she got another day off, and four the concept of karma, a Hindu and Buddhist more following soon after. belief that all actions have accompanying These experiences with a stroke of consequences, does not influence her idea

of luck. She thinks that this philosophy is a mechanism used to control others to do good things. From a survey of 245 religious students, 51 percent believe that their religion affects their idea of karma. Karma can be seen as the product of an individual’s actions in life and luck can be seen as the the interaction of karmas.

Patibanda, who is also a Hindu, does not believe in karma, because she does not believe in the importance of morals. She feels that an action that may seem right to one person might be wrong to another, emphasizing how morals differ from person to person, and therefore karma cannot exist.

She mentions an idea from “Inherit the Wind,” a movie depicting the Scopes Trial, to show that morals are constantly changing.

“This teacher is teaching evolution to the students,” Patibanda said. “You’re not allowed to do that because it’s against Christian beliefs, which is that the universe was created in seven days; and that was a humongous issue. It’s surprising to us now, because — isn’t it obvious evolution is true? That shows an example of how morals change over time.”

The idea of luck is interconnected with many other beliefs within religion, personal definitions of destiny and chance, and morals which seem to dictate a person’s view of luck. Whether they believe in luck or not, MVHS students have defined it with their own experiences and beliefs.

Luck comes in all kinds of aspects in a person’s life, whether it is good or bad luck. Like all other subjects in the world, luck isn’t simple, sometimes there needs to be a push.

“So, yes, sometimes people were born into terrible circumstances, and sometimes, luck is a lightning bolt that hits us with something wonderful or something terrible,” Seelig said. “But the winds of luck are always there, and if you’re willing to take some risks, if you’re willing to really go out and show appreciation and w i l l i ng to really look at ideas, even if they’re crazy, through the lens of possibilities, you can build a bigger and bigger sail to catch the winds of luck.” e

FEATURES | NOVEMBER 2018 19

The relationship between luck and religion

BY CLAIRE CHANG AND RUCHA SOMAN

S

haking before a big test, sophomore Anand Kathardekar clasps his hands together and prays. In his mind, he goes through everything he’s grateful for, and reminds himself not to worry. If he doesn’t do well, Kathardekar tells himself, he just has to work harder.

Thank you, God, he thinks. While praying before a test can be linked to faith and the desire to do well, Kathardekar reaffirms that what he does isn’t particularly religious.

“It’s not super specific to Hinduism, it’s kind of just praying in general,” Kathardekar said. “Praying has nothing to do with luck, I feel like it more has to do with calming yourself down and things like that.”

Junior Arvind Jagdish agrees with this as he believes that it helps calm him down when he’s nervous about his grade. He thinks that it is a common thing to do regardless if the student it religious or not, however, he takes

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the religious route with his praying.

“Whatever to calm myself, sometimes it’s just thinking about what I want and asking God like ‘yo help me out’ and if not there’s a couple things my mom taught me how to do so I just do those” Jagdish said. “Just a couple of mini prayers, things like that.”

The phenomenon of praying before tests, and appealing to a higher power to help boost performance, reveals the connection between religion and luck, and the concept of karma.

According to the Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University, karma, a concept of Hinduism, is the view that good deeds, words and thoughts lead to beneficial effects, while bad deeds, words and thoughts lead to future consequences. These effects don’t have to be realized immediately, and may manifest in another life. Karma is an idea

that junior Varsha Subramanyam, as a Hindu, believes in strongly.

“The main thing I know about Hinduism is karma, and that your actions do have consequences,” Subramanyam said. “In that way I think that it’s not related to luck because everything is calculated and what you do is reflected in how you’re being treated by the world. [It’s] calculated in the way you can choose how the world treats you, by doing good, so in that way there is no luck.”

Karma is one of the bedrock beliefs of Hinduism, and for Subramanyam, that means that luck doesn’t exist. In her eyes, things happen because of past actions, which rules out luck as a factor in life . Her view on luck makes it difficult for Subramanyam to understand why people pray before big events or tests. She thinks that in this case, faith is being misused.

“I know [that for] a lot of people, their God and I say: ‘Why did you do this?’ I’m religion is something that they use for not afraid of coming to God and praying and comfort,” Subramanyam said. “But in seeking out answers on the internet, or in [praying before tests], it’s being used as the Bible [to figure] out why certain things ‘God might be able to help me so I’m going happen, what is a potential greater plan and to [pray] for selfish purposes and not as a seeing how everything correlates,” Lee said. form of faith.’”

“If something bad happens, I might be upset However, religion can be interpreted about it but I know that that just means I in different ways. Subramanyam’s view of have a different direction, and that I can max Hinduism in relation to luck contrasts that out my life in a different sense.” of Jagdish’s. While Jagdish, a Hindu, believes In Lee’s view of Christianity, everything in karma, he also believes that luck factors happens for a reason, which means that luck into success and is impossible. This is in achievements. contrast with senior “[Karma] just Afrah Ali’s Islamic view makes sense,” of luck as she believes Jagdish said. “It just that luck has a direct makes sense to me correlation with religion. [that] everybody “I think that good gets what’s coming deeds and following to them. [But] some religion closely provides people are handed you with luck and good more than they things happening to deserve. There can you, which are basically JUNIOR ARVIND JAGDISH be a chance that known as blessings,” Ali something bad said. “If you do follow happens and there can be a chance that Islam, pray five times a day and read the something good happens. Nobody is ever Quran, more things will work out for you.” successful without luck, every time they’re While Ali believes in luck under Islam, successful it’s hard work met with a little bit her view of praying for good luck before big of luck.” tests first requires a relationship with God, Karma and luck, and the effect that faith where He helps you put in effort to perform has on them, varies based on religion, and well and show your commitment to doing so.

Jagdish’s Hindu interpretation of karma and “You can’t just pray five times a day to luck differs from the Christian view. Junior God [so] you’ll do well on the next test,” Yoanna Lee, an officer of Roots Christian Ali said. “It’s a commitment between you Club, says that within the Christian faith, putting in effort and God helping you put in karma is close to nonexistent. It might, she that effort instead of you just relying on God says, even go against what they believe. to get that good grade.”

Lee says that once you connect your The phenomenon of praying before actions with God, and blame them on Him, tests for good luck is related to the deeper you lose an objective view of the Christian connection between certain religions and faith. She emphasizes that it’s not about their relationship with luck and karma. Lee what happens to you, it’s how you respond maintains that praying before a test does and grow from it. not mean that you do well, because simply “We believe in something that’s grace, asking God for a good grade is not going to and for us that’s more important than your get you that grade. words or your actions in this world,” Lee She believes that people should not pray said. “We don’t think your actions determine for their test to go well, do badly and then a certain outcome, and in that sense we don’t blame it on God. There is another aspect, believe in karma. We believe that everyone is she argues, where you have to put in the equally horrible and equally good in every work and study — echoing Ali’s belief about sense of the word. You could go either way.” the issue as well.

The idea of grace Lee mentions is a “If I was God, who cares about a stupid principle in direct contrast with karma. test?” Lee said. “If I was God, I care that According to her, grace balances the positive you do well, I care that you do all these and negative of everyone and doesn’t things and I love you, but c’mon. I’m not connect to past actions. Lee says that another gonna let you abuse my power for a test. large part of the lack of karma or luck in the [Praying] is something you can do, and it’s Christian faith is that Christians believe that not necessarily bad … but it’s not something God has a specific plan for everyone, and that should determine your judgement or will guide them through certain things. how you perceive God.” e “When something bad happens I come to

[KARMA] JUST MAKES SENSE ... IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO ME [THAT] EVERYBODY GETS WHAT'S COMING TO THEM. BUT NOBODY IS EVER SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT LUCK.

SWASTIKA In Sanskrit, the word “Swastika” means “good luck” and “well being.” According to Ancient Origins, a right-hand swastika is considered a positive symbol, representing the Hindu god Vishnu and the Sun, while a left-hand swastika is considered negative, as a symbol of the goddess Kali and magic. The left-hand swastika was also adopted by Hitler as a symbol of the German Nazi party. The swastika is also considered a symbol of luck, prosperity, abundance and eternity in Buddhism.

GOLDEN FISH The Golden Fishes is one of the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism.

The two fish stand for the sacred rivers of India, the Ganges and Yamuna, which symbolize the lunar and solar channels and carry the alternating rhythms of breath.

According to Religion Facts, the symbol has come to represent courage and freedom, along with the luck and fortune that the color gold is supposed to bring.

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM CHRISTOPHER FLYNN PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION (LICENSEJ.NUMBER)

FEATURES | NOVEMBER 2018

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Teachers and students share perspectives on appreciating good luck

BY HELEN CHAO ut of all the places in the world, strongly to something that’s negative than assistant principal secretary Tricia to reacting, struggling, [to something] that’s positive, just in general,” Jones said. “So I Palomino happened to meet her future husband at Toys “R” Us. think we’re tuned to see the dangers in life a little bit more strongly, and more emotionally, They were fresh out of high school and maybe, then we are the positives. So it’s working their first jobs at the toy store. Now, always like we’re the two are married and are leaning [and] settled down with two kids.

Palomino doesn’t know WHAT MORE DO focusing on the if the encounter was simply YOU NEED TO GET negative.”

Sophomore meant to be, but she does

BY IF YOU'VE GOT .A Brooke Young believe there was a stroke of COMFORTABLE PLACE has a very clear luck involved. As far as the TO LIVE AND FOOD IN memory of amount of bad or good luck in her life, she considers it a mix YOUR STOMACH AND personal bad luck. of both. Like a rollercoaster, CLOTHES TO WEAR? Her math teacher collected sometimes bad things will AND PEOPLE [WHO] typically homework at the happen one after another, LOVE YOU? end of the unit, but all of a sudden wonderful so his class would things will be right around PRINCIPAL SECRETARY have around a the corner, such as the birth TRICIA PALOMINO month to complete of her children. She tries to all the homework divert her attention from the h e roller coaster dips — the unluckiness — in assigned each day. Unfortunately, once checked the day’s her life to what she is thankful for, such as a homework out of the blue, roof over her head and food in her stomach. and this happened to “What more do you need to get by if be the only day Young you’ve got a comfortable place to live and had decided not to food in your stomach and clothes to wear?

And people [who] love you?” Palomino said. do her homework.

The girl next to her, Biology teacher Kyle Jones thinks similarly of his own situation. He’s not who typically never the necessarily ‘unfathomably lucky’ in the completed sense of having significant miracles, such day’s homework, as ‘a major financial break,’ but emphasizes had finished it for once, a rare event. that he’s already in a very fortunate position simply because he lives in the U.S. However, “She was like, ‘I Jones suggests that humans often focus much more on the unluckiness in their lives don’t know why [I rather than the lucky moments. From an did my homework], evolutionary perspective, he believes this makes sense.

“Your survival is probably more dependent on you reacting

ILLUST R

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are you guys proud of me? I did my homework today,’” Young said. “And right [on the day] our teacher [happened to]check it, she did her homework. And so I was like ‘Why, why did this happen to me?’ Because that was the one day I didn’t do it.”

Echoing Jones’ observation, Young admits that instances of bad luck stand out to her very clearly, such as when her sister tripped down the stairs and hurt her leg the day before the MVHS tennis team had their CCS tournament. However, Young believes the reason behind this negative thinking isn’t necessarily evolution but because people often take good luck for granted.

“We don’t really see what we have at the moment,” Young said. “We only see that bad stuff that happens.”

As a way to avoid this kind of mindset, Palomino recommends people take a step back and focus on the bigger picture, thus acknowledging all the lucky and fortunate things in their lives. They will most likely find that the good really does outweigh the bad.

“You can choose to just move forward from it,” Palomino said. “You can let yourself feel what you need to, but then make the choice to move forward and focus on the good things in your life, rather than the negative things.”

Similarly, rather than focusing on one’s lack of luck, Jones believes it’s important to utilize one’s luck to help those who are unlucky. He advises students to focus on the fortunate situation they may have been born with and compare t h e i r situations to that of the entire world — for Jones, living in Cupertino is already the top 0.1 percent of “luckiness” in terms of location.

“In the sense of the [fortunate] situation I was [born] into, I had no control over it,” Jones said. “I got lucky, right? Everyone starts out at different levels of luck. Life isn’t fair.” e

WEW

Examining the impact luck plays on games

BY CLAIRE WEN atching as the die spirals through the top players based on the performance of like that, but I think the winners are usually the air, the player holds his breath, the teams. going to be the ones who put the most time crosses his fingers, hoping for the “Since we’re putting in money, we all have into their research.” number that Jennings sees the benefits of analyzing a decent amount of football will win the game. It the statistics behind a situation when knowledge,” Kumar said.

I DON'T THINK LUCK lands and bounces, playing games such as cards, but realizes “And I think most of us do HAS A LOT TO DO [our research]. So there’s a that it may once, twice, three not always be practical to be WITH BETS. IF YOU lot behind drafting players: extended to everyday uses. times. He releases his JUST LOOK AT you look at analysis online, breath and uncrosses “Even though I like math, it does take his fingers, still waiting, THE PROBABILITY you watch games. It’s not work and desire to keep track of statistics hoping, when finally [and] probabilities in your head and figure OF THINGS, AND just luck.” daring to take a peek for out,” Jennings said. “And when Although he feels that THEN YOU MAKE during the season, the stuff that lucky outcome. you’re playing friendly games, the games YOUR CHOICES people who do the best move too fast for some of that. But for the However, as much as BASED ON THOSE are the ones that put time professionals, there are no time limits. They it may be hoped for at times, according to math C A L C U L A T I O N S , into researching, he admits just take as much time as they need to weigh teacher Martin Jennings, YOU SHOULD BE that there are still certain what they want to do.” luck does not actually Guo, too, emphasizes the importance to the game where ABLE TO BET elements mathematically exist in luck has a more prominent of weighing the options before making a PRETTY WELL. games of chance, from influence. For example, decision in these types of games. rolling dice to playing “Generally, when you bet for higher JUNIOR BRANDON GUO there are events that the cards. Instead, he says, stakes, you want to be able to win more,” player has no control over. the results are based on “There’s some things, Guo said. “Even if it’s at a lower probability. the probability of winning and balancing the like injuries, you can’t predict,” Kumar said. And you have to really understand when payoff with the probability.

“You can’t predict if the field goal kicker you have to bet more and when you can bet “It’s called weighted probability, so you misses his field goal. Earlier this year, I lost less.” consider the size of the pot with your chance the game because a field goal kicker, [who] However, he acknowledges that simply of winning and go from there,” Jennings 90 percent of the time is going to make their analyzing the situation isn’t foolproof. said. “Statistics is simply looking at the past field goal, missed and that cost me the game. Despite taking into account how likely he is and what’s already happened. And that may So, to win before making a decision, Guo has there’s be trying to project what the future holds l i t t l e suffered a number of losses as well. based on what the past. So luck? No, not things “I definitely remember the times I lose really part of the mix.” more often,” Guo said. “And I can’t Junior Brandon Guo, who sometimes say I win more than I lose. I think I bets with his friends on various topics, from can safely say I win the times I’m academic results to card games to the results supposed to win, and that just of sports games, agrees on the lack of impact comes down to luck has on determining the outcomes. the roll of the “I think a lot of people think that betting dice.” e is a lot of luck-based, like, for example, if I lose this one game, I should win the next game or something,” Guo said. “And this kind of attitude is pretty dangerous and makes you a very bad better. I don’t think luck has a lot to do with bets. If you just look at the probability of things, and then you make your choices based on those calculations, you should be able to bet pretty well.”

Junior Rohit Kumar also feels that luck has little influence on games, even those that would typically be seen as based on chance. He participates in fantasy football, where he and his friends each pool $10 in August every year and draft players onto teams. At the end of the year, the money is split and distributed among PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | CLAIRE WEN

FEATURES | NOVEMBER 2018

23

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Senior Brian Lee describes his rapping career

BY ANNIE ZHANG

I

special because it’s a very raw type of expressing yourself,” Lee said. “It’s a raw art form because the culture of hip hop is to be rebellious. The kind of rebelliousness is still there, but it’s also like more freedom. I see it as a art form where I can express myself through music, through playing instruments or making beats. I can put emotion into that.”

According to Lee, his number one “rule” is to be honest and rap with utmost sincerity; he doesn’t write lyrics with references to abstract themes he doesn’t believe in. Lee writes whatever he feels strongly about.

Lee also doesn’t conform to one distinctive rapping style, constantly broadening his expertise. He likes to present differing “flows” and approaches, as well as “show off” his prowess through versatility.

A part of this versatility is his incorporation of SCAN FOR comedic wordplay in his rap lyrics.

FURTHER “If we’re talking rap or just writing, COVERAGE about I like to rap clever lines,” Lee said. “I use a lot of metaphors, double entendres. For me, that’s just kind of the fun part I guess. Saying something that can mean a totally [different] thing if you look at it from a different perspective.”

Additionally, Lee was also attracted to film production and reckoned he ought to combine two of his passions into one by creating music videos.

With the assistance of senior Chetan Mokkapati and Baker, the three planned every shot; every scene onset is “prepared and planned.”

Additionally, Mokkapati and Baker’s endless support and “creative influence” in the making of Lee’s music video alongside with other numerous projects fueled Lee’s progression.

“I’ve been his friend since 8th grade a n d I’ve seen him

grow to be in this stage in his life to see how much he’d have to overcome,” Mokkapati said.

“It makes me very proud to see the attention and how much support he’s getting now because of how much hard work he’s put in.”

On Sept. 26, 2018, Lee released his music video “K.O.,” with Mokkapati and Baker’s support, under the name of “Kid Kuza.”

With an accumulation of more than 1,500 views, the film illustrates Lee in scenes of contrasting locations: alleyways, deserts and public centers.

“I felt [definitely relieved.] I set deadlines for myself and pressured myself into doing which is a good thing,” Lee said. “I felt [just excited]; I put in a lot of work and I learned a lot in a month before I finished it. I was excited to show people.”

Presently, Lee is applying to college as a film major; college offers Lee a multitude of musical opportunities. Lee considers the possibiliof a rapping profession in the near future.

“Ideally, I just keep working on music so I’m performing more – try to get more connections,” Lee said. “Eventually I’ll get to a point where I’ll have a solid body of work and I’ll be able to present that to people: this is what I represent. That way it’ll be easier for people to share that. And that’ll help me grow as a musician.” e PHOTO ILLUSTRATION| ANNIE ZHANG

t’s been a while — a few hours in actuality — and the ear-splitting raps have not ceased. A multitude of people crowd around a booming speaker in Union Square Park, N.Y., otherwise known as the notorious “cypher” rap circles that gather weekly. The crowd thunders and the park reverberates as a rapper spits his verses. The crowd is accepting. The crowd is cutthroat. Senior Brian Lee, shrouded in fear, stepped up to rap after hours of idly loitering among the crowd, anticipating his grab at the spotlight. His nerves gradually wained as he rapped energetically, electrifying the audience.

Lee, otherwise known by his stage name “Kid Kuza,” initiated his rapping career at the end of his sophomore year. Though questioned countlessly for the derivation of his stage name, Lee has no anecdote or descriptive story behind the name. He just likes the sound of the letter ‘K’.

At the beginning, Lee didn’t consider rapping seriously and freestyled with his friends. Fast forward to a year later and Lee now regularly engages in music production.

“At the beginning, [rapping] was more self-driven because it’s just this new art form and I wanted to take part of,” Lee said. “I just wanted to get better. Eventually when I started listening to more hip hop music, I started to take inspiration from actual rappers and producers.”

As one of the first supporters of Lee’s profession, senior Thomas Baker, a student of Bellarmine College Preparatory addresses that New York was a prime “turning point” for Lee’s career that wasn’t “set in stone.”

“New York, what it did for him is that he came to realize that what he’s doing is actually amazing. So when he came back, he took that same energy. He had from New York that same confidence that he had and he brought it back. He’s like, ‘this is what I want to do. I’m going to redefine myself.’”

One of the first famed rappers Lee drew inspiration from was an American rapper known as “Logic.”

As Lee progressively started to appreciate “older” hip hop cultures and produce his own music, he began to register the artistic facet of rapping.

“How I see rapping is that it’s poetry combined with music, which makes it

A&E

KICKIN’ IT WITH KID KUZA

A & E | NOVEMBER 2018

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PENNE FOR YOUR THOUGHTS The world of pasta may be more complex than people think

BY JAHAN RAZAVI

M

any can just name a handful, like “penne,” “spaghetti” and “linguine.” But the world of pasta is far more intricate. The various shapes, in addition to being elaborate, each holding a hidden geometry.

“Pasta,” the Italian word for paste, is a dish that has been around for over two millennia. According to the International Pasta Organization, the first type of pasta, made of barley flour, was adopted by the Greeks from the natives of Naples. Later, the Roman emperor Cicero described his affection for “Laganum” and “laganas” (the precursor to modern-day lasagna).

The two principal types of pasta are “pasta fresca” (fresh pasta) and “pasta secca” (dried pasta). According to Edward Garrubbo, a chef and member of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, Italian law requires all “pasta fresca” to be made with a certain percentage of acidity and humidity.

Often, these types of pasta are given a twist by adding spinach, tomato paste or squid ink.

According to Pasta Fits, pasta has numerous health benefits, such as a low glycemic index and high folic acid levels.

“Pasta secca,” on the other hand, goes through a certain process for production. Pasta is pushed through a die-plate (a plate with holes in it) and cut. To qualify as Italian pasta, according to Garrubbo, the pasta must be dried for

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50 hours in a copper container and in open air. Non-Italian pasta is made much more quickly, with the pasta being dried in a hot steel container.

The different names of pasta all have their own meanings, while their suffixes describe their size. For example, “capellini” (angel hair) is a combination of “capelli” (hair) and “-ini” (small). On the other hand, “rigatoni” (a larger tubular pasta) is a combination of “rigato” (ridged) and “-oni” (large). There are other suffixes, according to Italy Magazine, such as “-otti” (largish) and “-occi” (poorly made).

Other forms of pasta, like “tortellini,” “ravioli” and “manicotti,” are stuffed with meat and cheese and covered in sauce.

“Ravioli,” a more well-known dish, comes from the word “riavvolgere” (to wrap).

According to the restaurant Cucina Toscana, “ravioli” is made by spreading dough, placing the contents inside and wrapping it.

However, this can be difficult as the dough can dry out rapidly.

Today, there are an estimated 350 different types of pasta, according to Italy Magazine. These range in shapes and sizes, but they were all designed to hold the most sauce possible. According to Garrubbo, the rule to follow for pasta is to pair thicker pasta with thicker sauce (e.g. rigatoni with marinara), compared to light pasta with light sauce (e.g. capellini with olive oil).

Countries across the world have pasta as part of their food culture, from Spain to Greece to Uruguay. At MVHS, out of a survey of 378 students, 355 said that they liked pasta. Out of 373 students, 153 preferred long pasta, such as “spaghetti,” “linguine” or “capellini.”

For the past centuries, pasta has spread from China and Greece to all over the world.

Different cultures add their own twists, an aspect that makes this staple so widespread.

After all, a healthy food that can be modified in so many ways doesn’t occur too often. e

PHOTO | PIXNIO.COM

TUBE PASTAS Tube pastas like penne and rigatoni are often used in pasta salads or in thick sauces.

Longer tubes, such as penne, are served with sauce, while wider tubes, such as cannelloni, are baked. The ridges on the outside help to SOURCE | FOODSUBS.COM contain sauce.

PHOTO | FLICKR

STUFFED PASTAS Stuffed pastas like ravioli and tortellini were once a way to get rid of leftovers by wrapping them in a sheet of dough. They’re served with light sauce. SOURCE | FOODSUBS.COM

PHOTO | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

ROD PASTAS This sort of pasta is harder to eat, since it requires twirling around a fork. Pastas like spaghetti are often served with a thicker sauce. Additionally, this type is best eaten soon after preparation. SOURCE | FOODSUBS.COM

PHOTO | JAHAN RAZAVI

A whiff of...

Choosing a signature scent

BY GAURI KAUSHIK

F

rom floral and refreshing to sweet and cozy, scents come in a large range of undertones and notes. Choosing a fragrance, whether it be perfume, cologne or scented lotion, takes into account much more than an individual’s preference — body chemistry also plays a role in what fragrances will suit an individual. One’s chemical composition can drastically alter the way a scent smells on someone as compared to the way it smells in the bottle. The unique mix of hormones and pheromones, which are chemicals released by our bodies, can diminish or exaggerate certain scents, which is why many take the time to find their own signature scents.

Flowers Senior Clara Shen gravitates towards what she describes as “calming scents” that aren’t overwhelming. Because of this, she prefers light, floral fragrances over sweet ones. In addition to using perfumes, Shen also likes to diffuse scents like peppermint and lavender throughout her bedroom.

According to Mayo Clinic, breathing in and using essential oils and scents on your body can help improve anxiety, depression, relieve stress and improve sleep quality. These scents are also proven to help alleviate pain caused by certain illnesses, and lavender in particular has been linked to lowered blood pressure and better quality of life.

“My room gets kind of clogged sometimes, and it’s nice to just have a calming scent to make it more fresh and relaxing,” Shen said.

Vanilla Sophomore Sydney Hirai prefers sweet smells, specifically the Victoria’s Secret Pink fragrances. Although she doesn’t have a favorite among the brand, she likes that the fragrance isn’t overwhelming and reaches for it at least once a week. According to Harper’s Bazaar, Gourmand perfumes, or synthetic edible fragrance notes like vanilla, chocolate and caramel, are among the highest selling scents in the industry. With scents that range anywhere from sugar-cinnamon candles to cupcake scented body mist, vanilla notes can provide a warm, comforting and relaxing effect for some, according to the Social Issues Research Centre.

“I feel like other scents are too strong for me, so it’s like a nice sweet smell that’s pleasant and not overbearing,” Hirai said.

Earth Senior Ansh Shrivastava’s affinity towards cologne is something that he’s known for among his football teammates. After every game, he reaches for the bottle of cologne he keeps in his car or locker, usually one from Kenneth Cole or Gucci, his favorite brands. Cologne often includes earthy and wood notes like musk, amber, sandalwood and cedarwood. According to the Telegraph, earthy scents are exaggerated by certain male hormones like androsterone, and are often subconsciously associated with masculinity.

“It’s just like, why not care about your appearance? If someone cares about how they smell, just like personal hygiene,” Shrivastava said. “Other people have commented, but it’s mainly just for me.”

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS | GAURI KAUSHIK

POP SOME TAGS Thrift shopping serves as a cheaper alternative to conventional shopping

BY ALYSSA HUI AND KAMYAR MORADI

lthough she doesn’t go thrift shopping as often anymore, English teacher Hannah Gould has been buying items from thrift stores since she was in high school. She originally started to shop at these stores after taking inspiration from her dance teachers, who shopped there regularly. According to Gould, they were costume designers who had great senses of style and bought a majority of their clothes at thrift stores.

“They always just had these amazing outfits,” Gould said. “I was very impressed by their style and that was kind of the ethos of the dance studio, so I started going there as well, and I realized that there were just a ton of really cool things [that] were cheap.”

Senior Mia Yang also took inspiration to thrift from someone who she looks up to: her mom. Yang recalls spending hours at thrift stores with her mom when she was younger. However, recently, she started thrifting because her friends also found fashionable pieces of clothing at the stores.

Yang’s interest in thrifting was further intensified when she discovered Depop, a shopping app that allows shoppers to buy and sell different items, like clothing and makeup. This allowed her to make some money as well. Yang was even able to sell a jacket that she bought for $10 at a thrift store for $30.

“I had gone thrifting before, but I never went with the intention to sell—it was always looking for my own things,” Yang said. “But I went and I found a couple things that, although were really cool, I wouldn’t wear them, but based on what I saw was popular and easily sold on Depop, I would look for things like that and it worked really well.”

While both Yang and Gould started thrift shopping after being influenced from people in their lives, junior Sophia Powell started thrifting when she could no longer find items of clothing that appealed to her in conventional shops.

“It’s honestly a cheaper alternative to just buying clothes in general,” Powell said.

“Although our mall is really big, and there’s a lot of stores, I didn’t necessarily find stuff that I really liked. So I found some really good thrift stores, and [was able to find] some stuff that I like.”

A

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PHOTO | ALYSSA HUI

PHOTO | A LYSSA HUI

Powell generally shops more at thrift be a downside and recommends washing great,” Gould said. “So sometimes you get stores than conventional stores, explaining anything purchased at a thrift store before that and you think it’s fine at first, and then that she hasn’t gone to the mall in over a wearing it. you’re like, ‘Oh, actually, I don’t actually “It’s cool that you don’t know where they want to wear this anymore.’” year to shop for clothes. In fact, she wears at least one or two thrifted items a day came from, like they have a history, but you Regardless, Gould still finds thrifting to since a majority of her wardrobe consists of don’t know where they came from,” Yang be valuable as it can help the environment said. “You don’t know who wore it so you since it is reusing and recycling clothing that clothing she has found at thrift stores.

“I definitely lean towards thrifting more definitely have to wash everything before has already been made. than just conventional shopping because you [wear] it because not only might it have “Instead of people deciding that they obviously you save a lot more money,” been sitting [in the store] for a long time, but don’t want something, and then having it be Powell said. “I like to recycle my clothing you don’t know where it’s been, who’s tried put in the trash or just sitting in their closet, it on.” too, so I will even donate my clothes.” you’re recycling,” Gould said. “It’s fewer Another downside to thrift shopping is products being made, fewer waste, and On the other hand, Yang finds more of a balance between buying clothes from that the items found may not be in great they’re cheaper than clothes that you would traditional retail stores and thrift shops, as condition with holes or strange smells, typically buy in a regular store.” according to Gould. she has a different focus in each location.

Gould also enjoys the vintage aspect of “Sometimes the clothes can be worn clothes from thrift stores, since many pieces “I definitely mix [thrift shopping] in with conventional shopping because when out. I’ve definitely bought things from thrift were in style during different eras of fashion.

I go thrifting, it’s to find cool pieces or stores before that have holes in them or “I always liked that your clothes are they seem fine at first, but unique and you’re not wearing like the same comfortable things, but if I go to the mall, then they start to fall thing that everyone else is,” Gould said. usually I’m looking for something very apart quickly specific or something very trendy,” Yang “It’s something that was made and was or maybe said. in in style, like 15 years ago, and now it’s t h e y Although Gould used to thrift shop for fashionable again, and no one else has it.” d o n ’ t clothes more when she was younger, she According to Yang, this also allows s m e l l still buys furniture and items for her home thrift shoppers to branch out of their style, t h a t at thrift stores. finding and choosing styles that they may “More recently I’ve not normally buy at a conventional store. stopped buying as many Leopard Print Leotard “You’ll find vintage clothing or clothes from there from Goodwill clothing they don’t make any more, like because now that I’m what I’m wearing now,” Yang said. “I older, I feel like I need to get clothes think it was like a dancer’s leotard, that are a little more well made,” not a shirt, but it was cool so I bought Gould said. “I still buy a lot of it. Clothing you normally wouldn’t furniture and houseware stuff from buy otherwise, like I found ski pants [thrift stores] and a lot of that stuff to wear just normally because they is really amazing.” were cute, but if I go shopping at the Gould explains that the variety mall, I’m not going to think ‘Hey let me Brandy Melville Shirt get a pair of ski pants.’” of items readily available in thrift from Crossroads stores is what constantly draws Although unique, stylish clothing her to thrifting. The hodgepodge can be found at thrift stores, Yang, of items is intriguing to her as Powell and Gould all recommend going to everything is different, random and thrift stores that are larger and have variety more unique, since the items sold because sometimes you have to really come from donations. sift through all the items in order to find “There’s just a nice variety, but something that you like and is in the right it’s not like a variety that is decided size. Because of this, Gould explains that if by some authority figure in fashion you want to go thrift shopping, you can’t be like you would find at a department looking for something specific or have a lot store,” Gould said. “Someone didn’t of expectations for what you want to find.

Levi 505 Jeans decide what’s there. It’s just an “You need to go to look for things from Depop authentic variety of what exists in that are striking and interesting and your the world. It’s just more interesting.” size,” Gould said. “But beyond that, if you While Gould finds the variety of have parameters, then you’re going to be items in the store appealing, Yang disappointed.” describes that there is something Since it does take a while to find clothes about reusing and recycling at a thrift store, Powell feels very fortunate clothes that interests her. whenever she finds something that stands “It’s always cool to me that I’m out and that she likes. getting clothing that somebody “I feel lucky, extremely lucky. Especially else has worn because it has a if it’s like a clothing brand that I would history to it,” Yang said. “You normally shop at a conventional store,” don’t know who wore [it], Powell said. “A lot of stores are usually where it came from, where it’s organized by t-shirts, pants, but sometimes gone. So I think in that aspect, like it’s not organized by color and size. So that’s pretty cool too.” you really have to dig through, so once you Despite this, Yang also find a really good piece, [one that] you’ve acknowledges that this can been waiting for, it feels really good.” e

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PHOTO | CREATIVE COMMONS

THANKSGIVING TWISTS

Four ways to redefine classic dinner dishes

BY ISHANI SINGH

FRIED MAC N’ CHEESE BALLS Mac and cheese is a Thanksgiving necessity, especially when catering to children. Try this unconventional and exciting new recipe for mac and cheese to add a fun, youthful touch to your meal.

Ingredients: 1 pound elbow macaroni 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk, warmed, plus 2 tablespoons for egg wash 1 pound grated Cheddar 1 pound grated smoked Gouda Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs 3 cups seasoned bread crumbs Vegetable oil, for frying Marinara or Alfredo sauce, to serve PHOTO | JAHAN RAZAVI

Directions:

1. Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan at medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the butter and stir it with a whisk. Cook for about 2 minutes. Whisk the warmed milk into the flour mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Remove heat, add the cheeses and stir until melted smoothly.

Season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese sauce into macaroni. Pour the mac and cheese into a shallow pan and refrigerate until cold.

3. Shape the refrigerated mac and cheese into small balls and place them onto a waxed paper-lined tray. Freeze the balls overnight.

4. Beat the eggs and 2 tablespoons milk together to form an egg wash. Pour it into a shallow bowl. Put the bread crumbs into another bowl. Remove the mac and cheese balls from the freezer. Dip the frozen balls into the egg wash then into the bread crumbs. Freeze the balls until ready to fry.

5. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 F and fry the mac and cheese balls until they are golden brown and center is hot (this will take around 5

CINNAMON APPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE Everyone needs something sweet to offset the savory flavors of the other dishes.

Try this new variation of cranberry sauce that will leave you wanting more.

Ingredients: 5 cups fresh cranberries (washed and drained) ¾ cup apple cider 2 cups diced apples 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar ½ teaspoon allspice ½ teaspoon cinnamon Directions: 1. Combine ingredients in a large pot.

2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat medium. Stir frequently.

3.Simmer for 15 minutes, cool and serve.

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BARBECUE TURKEY WINGS Thanksgiving turkey is a classic, but why stick to the same old presentation? Try this new take on a traditional Thanksgiving delicacy.

Ingredients: Turkey4 pounds turkey wings, separated 1 tablespoon canola oil Salt and pepper to taste Barbecue Sauce½ cup organic ketchup 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon molasses 1 teaspoon cayenne ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika 1 clove garlic, minced ½ teaspoon salt Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 375 F; spread the turkey parts onto a baking sheet and drizzle canola oil on them. Then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes.

EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2018

PHOTO | CREATIVE COMMONS

Sauce: 1. Mix all ingredients together then set aside.

When the turkey comes out of the oven after 45 minutes, brush the sauce on the turkey, then place back in the oven for 25 minutes.

Take the wings out and turn over, then brush that side with sauce. Bake for another 25 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced.

PHOTO | CREATIVE COMMONS

DEAR MUSIC, A letter to my biggest supporter

BY LAKSHANYAA GANESH

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distinctly remember sitting on a piano of you that I was exposed to were songs that bench for the very first time, my shoes my parents listened to. After I met people barely reaching the ground. My teacher who were passionate about you in a way that patiently taught me what numbers to inspired me endlessly, I started finding types name each of my fingers and how to poise of you that I personally enjoyed. I’d spend them over the keys just right. I was almost hours scrolling through YouTube and Amazon scared to start pressing the keys, scared that Music, listening to so many different albums the piano would eat me whole. I stabbed at from artists that I’d never heard of, only the C key tentatively with my index finger, because I was so excited to be passionate and jumped at the dark and full sound it about you with other people. I started made. It took awhile for me to finally coax carrying a pair of headphones with me every you out of the black and white keys. day and would turn to you when I needed At first, you’d only show up in small advice, inspiration, motivation or comfort. fragments at a time. My fingers would You became my confidante, an entity I slowly but surely dance over the keys for the could turn to whenever I needed anything. first few measures I’ve always of a song, and I’d been the type get so excited. But to keep to inevitably, one of myself, and my fingers would you were stumble onto the the thing I wrong key and you’d needed when promptly disappear I wanted to back inside the be alone but LAKSHANYAA GANESH monstrosity of my didn’t want to teacher’s piano. be lonely.

I made it a goal to keep you alive around Since then, we’ve only grown stronger me and play for as long as I could. At first, together. You’ve been with me through I only made it through a couple lines, but pianos, violins, ukuleles, guitars, two eventually I made my way up to an entire states and countless unfortunate haircuts. song. I didn’t stop trying to keep you alive Of course, that isn’t to say that we never for another eight years. get frustrated with each other. This past You weren’t just a part of my life when summer, I got a guitar in hopes of coaxing I was sitting at the piano bench, though. out the prettiest version of you that I know.

You’ve been my best friend for as long The guitar is, to this day, my favorite as I can remember. Maybe this is just my instrument I’ve played, but sometimes imagination playing tricks on me, but I you get mad at me and recede into swear I still remember bopping along to old the strings. Especially when I try Indian songs with my parents while we’d to play things like barre chords, drive to the beach every summer in the there’s less of you that comes years before elementary school. You were a out of the strings, and more constant presence in my house at any given scratching and screeching time, with my mom playing an assortment of and other ugly noises.

Indian music that I still listen to to this day, Regardless, you’ve and my dad playing a bizarre combination of been my very best friend.

Eminem, John Mayer and Sting.

Sometimes, you comfort me In middle school, I wanted to explore a in ways people can’t, and I different side of you. I joined my school’s can’t thank you enough. You orchestra and started learning how to play know me better than anyone violin. You were frustrating and stubborn, else, and for that, I thank you. but eventually I learned how to coax you I need you. I love you. out of those strings too. The version of

you that came out of the violin didn’t quite Love, Lakshanyaa e ignite the same spark that my piano did, but nonetheless, I stuck with the violin for another three years.

In eighth grade, our relationship shifted completely. Before that year, the only parts

LOVE, LAKSHANYAA

PHOTO | LAKSHAN YAA GANESH

A & E | NOVEMBER 2018

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MVHS athletes reflect on the significance of their jersey numbers

BY TYLER CHO

S

he sprinted out the door, balancing a half-eaten bowl of oatmeal in one hand while she tried to tie back her hair. Her unzipped soccer bag swung around, revealing the mess of wrinkled clothes, shin guards and power bars inside.

Clambering into the back seat her car, she set the oatmeal aside as she reached into her bag to start changing. As she tugged on her skyblue jersey, she leaned over to pull out her shorts when it hit her. She groaned quietly, finally realizing that she had grabbed her older brother’s bag during her crazed rush out of the house.

The jersey didn’t fit, the shirt hanging loosely off her small 6-yearold frame, the shorts sagging around her skinny legs.

Imagining herself running around the soccer field with a jersey many times too large, the only comfort for her was the fact that she didn’t have to sit out that day since her precious jersey number was printed on the back of her brother’s jersey as well.

Sophomore Samantha Dunn says she developed an attachment to her jersey number, nine, ever since she began playing sports, starting with soccer.

Since then she has switched to volleyball, but chose to keep the number throughout her athletic career.

“Originally when I started my first sport, soccer, nine was the position number for the forward, and as a little kid everyone wants to be the forward who scores all the goals,” Dunn said. “I’ve just had it for so long that I feel like it’s part of me.”

Her number quickly increased in significance in her life. Now, Dunn tries to use the number nine whenever possible, picking it whenever given a choice and even

SPORTS

STRENGTH STRENGTH IN IN NUMBERS NUMBERS

using it as a part of her passwords at times. player threw numerous tantrums She firmly believes that her jersey number for consistently making mistakes provides her with a feeling of comfort, even throughout the day, and treated when not on the court playing volleyball. her teammates harshly when they Unlike Dunn, attempted to comfort junior William her during timeouts Liou’s jersey and when resting during breaks. changed from For Dunn, a change in nine, in his number causes her to become first year, to superstitious. Eventually, Dunn 10, and he says, she gets used to wearing often makes something other than nine, switches if but takes a while to adjust.

SOPHOMORE he deems She needs time to become ne c e s s a r y. accustomed to the new number, SAMANTHA DUNN Liou prefers and may not be fully mentally the number present when playing during 10 on the court, but the number the adjustment period. he wears ultimately doesn’t “I just feel more comfortable when I’m matter much to him. in my jersey with my number,” Dunn said.

“As an athlete there are “It’s a superstitious thing, where I feel like if a lot of superstitions that I don’t have my number then I’m not going come into play,” Liou to play the way I normally do. If I’m assigned said. “Some people feel a number, then I try to think of a way that like they perform better it connects to nine. Then I eventually feel if they have their lucky more comfortable.” number or something.

Sophomore Alvin Tian also recognizes Me personally, it’s that most athletes are more comfortable number 10, it looks nice in the jersey number they have played in on the jersey. It’s not extensively, saying that players generally as obnoxious as the acclimate after wearing the same number for number one but it’s a while. This feeling of comfort, he claims, still like looks nice.” can give players improved confidence, luck Dunn agrees or zeal for their sport. with Liou, “In baseball specifically, when people recalling past are batting, their team will call out their games in which number in support,” Tian said. “Some not having people definitely carry a sense of pride from the right their numbers. [Not having the right number] number has decreases morale because a lot of the game affected her is mental. You feel less inclination to do well t e a m m a t e s ’ and won’t try as hard, and then blame it on p e r f o r m a n c e. the fact that you don’t have your number.”

In one case Apart from making athletes feel lucky, at a regional Liou believes that a jersey is an extension of tournament, one of one’s own name. In most of Liou’s volleyball her teammates had matches, his opponents don’t know him by forgotten the right name and instead identify him through his color jersey at number, constantly scouting him out as a the hotel she was potential threat and marking his position on staying at and had the court due to his central role on the team to swap jerseys as a setter. with another “When you’re on the court, your number player. According is like your name,” Liou said. “People aren’t ILLUSTRATION | TYLER CHO to Dunn, wearing defined by their actual names on the court, the wrong number they’re defined by their numbers. So picking PHOTOS COURTESY OF agitated the player your numbers is like picking your name, it SAMANTHA DUNN, EL ESTOQUE, WILLIAM LIOU so much that the represents a bit of who you are.” e

I’VE JUST HAD [MY JERSEY NUMBER] FOR SO LONG THAT I FEEL LIKE IT’S PART OF ME.

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The role of mental well-being in sports

BY ROSHAN FERNANDEZ AND RAJAS HABBU

Coaches tend to emphasize the physical aspect of their sport, whether that means making sure their players minimize injuries or put in maximum effort at practice. But what about the mental aspect?

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ROSHAN FERNANDEZ

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EL ESTOQUE | NOVEMBER 2018

F

or senior Akshay Gopalkrishnan, “I just feel like the coaches don’t quite the mental well-being of his players through basketball has always been about his understand, let’s say you’re skipping open communication.

“You do not need to tell me the details of physical status. His coaches stress practice or games for studying, homework, the importance of staying in shape, tests. They don’t care, they say you should [the situation], but I need to know what is avoiding injuries and being able to perform finish that on your own time, do that before going on so I can be your support,” Hajjarian at his fullest potential during games. But, practice or after. I try not to let it affect me said. “I did not want [my players] to be like Gopalkrishnan admits, there is a whole on the field, but just afterwards I have a lot ‘this is so scary, oh my God, I got to tell coach about this.’ I wanted them to be like other side to athletics –– the mental side. more stress,” Chan said.

“I think [coaches The added stress is the ‘this is one of my advocates, he is a support tend to] prioritize your main reason why Chan system for me.’”

THE COACHES Since Hajjarian is also a teacher at physical well-being decided to quit playing club DON’T QUITE over mental well-being, soccer at the end of her junior MVHS, he has an understanding of the UNDERSTAND; LET’S because it’s just easier Although she originally competitive environment that students have SAY YOU’RE SKIPPING year. [for them] to teach started eight years ago in to experience every day which allowed him PRACTICE OR GAMES order to relieve stress in her to adjust the way that he coached. Like that,” Gopalkrishnan FOR STUDYING, said. life, it took too much of a toll Hajjarian, English teacher Sara Borelli — the HOMEWORK, TESTS. For Dr. Sally Broder, on her well-being and was no girls varsity basketball coach –– feels that I TRY NOT TO LET a practicing sports longer gratifying. She has, the athletic culture at MVHS allows for more IT AFFECT ME ON psychologist in the continued to play emphasis to be placed on players’ mental THE FIELD, BUT JUST however, Bay Area, her job is to for MVHS, which she finds well-being.

AFTERWARDS I HAVE A more relaxing.

“I think because we’re not a powerhouse teach patients exactly LOT MORE STRESS. what Gopalkrishnan Chan believes that stress like [Archbishop Mitty HS], we don’t have explained –– how to is added when something that ‘we just have to win, we just have to SENIOR SAMMY CHAN live a healthy mental feels like a commitment, or win at all costs’ attitude as coaches,” Borelli life. She stresses the a job. Chan explained how said. “It’s more like ‘let’s build community.’ importance of focusing much club soccer felt like a So I think a majority of the coaches do have on the positives in order to help her patients job and strayed away from what was really that mentality of also thinking of the wellbeing of kids.” feel good about themselves. Through various important –– having fun.

Borelli adds that if given the opportunity, techniques, including breathing, meditation “But high school soccer definitely helps and creative visualization, Broder increases me relieve stress, because I’m more with my MVHS athletes would definitely benefit her patients’ awareness so that they can friends from school and I’m closer to them, from a sports psychologist like Broder, improve their mental well-being while so I don’t feel like it’s a chore, I feel like I’m mainly because that would boost the player’s recovering from injuries. just hanging out with them,” Chan said. self-esteem and change their mindset. She “People get themselves really amped up “Club is just more commitment, I’d say, and explains that she has noticed a decrease in and worried about the outcome,” Broder it’s just a lot more competitive, and you have athletes’ confidence as a whole.

“It used to be like ‘I’m going to work said. “One of the things I’ll do with them to travel more, so it takes a lot more of your just as hard as everyone else to get on their is help them notice their thoughts and help time.” them focus on the positive outcomes, and a Similarly, Gopalkrishnan views high level,’ versus a mentality like ‘well they’re better than me so [there’s no lot of creative visualization. So we’ll visualize school sports as a point],’” Borelli said. “I think them doing their sport, and visualize them stress reliever and succeeding. So if it was running a race, you not a burden. He says BECAUSE WE’RE NOT a sports psychologist would definitely come into play in that sort of run it mentally first.” it allows him to free A POWERHOUSE regard … rebuilding that selfGopalkrishnan explains that he has himself from all the LIKE [ARCHBISHOP experienced this mentality of ‘worrying over aspects of everyday MITTY HS], WE DON’T confidence to be better –– you the outcome,’ mainly during competitive life that he worries HAVE THAT ‘WE JUST can be just as good, you’ve just got to work a little harder.” club basketball. He says the coaches there about.

HAVE TO WINAT ALL Broder explains the place little emphasis on the mental well“I know for a lot of COSTS’ ATTITUDE AS being of their players, because in order to student athletes that COACHES. SO I THINK importance of communication between coaches and players, maintain such a high level of play, teams have a lot of practices A MAJORITY OF something that both Borelli focus more on competition. and have to do a [US] DO HAVE THAT “It’s competitive, and especially since a bunch of school work MENTALITY OF ALSO and Hajjarian emphasized. She says that positivity is the key to lot of the players on my team want to play and they’re stressed,” THINKING OF THE college basketball, it is always [this mentality Gopalkrishnan said.

WELL-BEING OF KIDS. increase mental well-being.

“There’s a formula, it’s like that you have to] ‘suck it up –– you’re here “I don’t see it like COACH SARA BORELLI for each negative or critical for a reason and you [have] to perform,’” that. I get to spend thing you say to someone you Gopalkrishnan said. “There is a little more two hours doing what want to have six positive things pressure added because there is not much I love, and I may have room for error and if you make a mistake more homework but that is a sacrifice I am that you talk about because kids […] will pick up way more of the negative things,” then you get subbed out. To constantly think willing to make.” about that is hard.”

Though Gopalkrishnan was not Broder said. “While the coach wants to pull Senior Sammy Chan experienced similar overwhelmed by the balance between school out the very best from someone they want struggles to Gopalkrishnan –– she never and sports, former boys soccer coach Pooya the person to enjoy the sport, [they need to] really felt that any of her coaches understood Hajjarian understands that MVHS athletes make sure that they’re making it fun.”

Physiologically, Broder explains that what she was going through in terms of struggle with achieving this balance. As a mental well-being. coach from 2011 and 2014, he prioritized exercise releases adrenaline and endorphins,

(continue reading on the next page)

SPORTS | NOVEMBER 2018

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chemicals that elevate the athlete’s mood and act as a natural antidepressant. She says these chemicals are good for the brain as well as self-esteem. She does, however, emphasize that this must be taken with caution, because a lack of balance within a team or a sport can nullify these benefits.

“When there’s too much emphasis on perfection and winning and not enough balanced emphasis on getting the full experience of getting closer to your teammates and the life experience of the enjoyment of sports, then [sports] can be super stressful,” Broder said.

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EL ESTOQUE | NOVEMBER 2018

Though winning is an obvious part of sports, Broder says athletes should also focus on the way they sport makes them feel –– after all, the reason they play is because they enjoy it. Broder mentioned that athletes are encouraged to change their overall mindset so that it is easier for them to focus on the positives of life and not the negatives.

“Rather than focusing so much on ‘winning,’ it’s when they’re enjoying what they’re doing that they’re a lot more

likely to be good at it,” Broder said. “Instead of focusing on what you are nervous about, focus on your goal, focus on already being there.”

To Gopalkrishnan, it’s that enjoyment of the game itself that will help improve an athlete’s mental well-being.

“When I play basketball, I just forget everything, especially school, and I just focus on [the game],” Gopalkrishnan said.

“It helps free myself from all my schoolwork and I think that improves my mental health as well as my physical health –– the process of getting in shape and becoming stronger makes me feel more confident in myself.” e

STARTING YOUNG How MVHS athletes started coaching youth around the city

BY OISHEE MISRA AND ANISH VASUDEVAN

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atch point. Junior Evan Yu bounced the ball up and down, closing his eyes and letting his muscle memory take over. He bounced the ball once.

Twice. Thrice. Six times. He visualized the outcome of the point and the strokes he had to make to win the game. Picturing the fundamental strokes he taught one of his students the night before, he proceeded to serve the ball. Just as Yu envisioned, he won the point.

Similar to Yu, certain MVHS students find coaching others beneficial to improving their own skills in the sports they play. Yu was first approached about coaching while playing local tournaments at locations like De Anza College and Memorial Park. The more he played, the more people watched –– including his soon to be students.

“At first I didn’t think about [coaching] but people were asking me to coach them,” Yu said. “I would go to tournaments and there would be young kids and their parents there watching me. They asked to play with me later and they said they would pay me so I agreed.”

Contrary to Yu, sophomore Kira Israni initially coached youth soccer because she wanted to earn some pocket money.

Eventually, her initial intent gradually morphed into more as a result of other consequent factors.

“Coaching helped [me] with stress relief and it was just something to relax and get out there and have fun,” Israni said. “Just watching kids play soccer, and also playing soccer with them –– [coaching] was really fun.”

Israni connects her success in coaching to her passion for the game; she began playing soccer at the age of four, and recalls having the urge to play all the time. The passion s t u c k with her

throughout her childhood and into her teens, and she notices that similar passion mirrored within the younger kids, which was what initially led her to coaching kindergarteners during the summer. “[Soccer] has been an amazing thing in my life, and I’ve always loved to play,” Israni said. “[The kids I coached] were really excited to play soccer, and they really wanted to, not really learn — because obviously they were really little — but like play it and actually do stuff.”

However, for some athletes, coaching is not a choice they make but a requirement.

Sophomore Pallavi Srinivas has been doing taekwondo since the age of five, and one of her requirements SOPHOMORE KIRA entails having to be a volunteer coach.

She says that everyone has to coach at least 30 classes before being eligible to test into the black belt, which is the highest and most prestigious ranking.

“They probably have this rule so you can learn from other mistakes that the kids make,” Srinivas said. “And the instructors are also there to help you out with your skills.”

Srinivas consistently manages to keep the kids engaged and working hard, regardless of her not having as much experience as some of the older coaches.

“The kids are more engaged when someone [who] coaches them is younger because they can kind of relate more,” Srinivas said. “While those that are older don’t really get how the kids work, but since we are closer in age, we do.”

Unlike Srinivas, Yu embraces what he learned from older coaches and tries to mimic his past coaches in his classes.

Throughout his life Yu has participated in tennis classes and learned certain ways coaches are able to keep their kids attentive and engaged. He tries to model classes after his old coaches and his ultimate goal is to try and make it a comfortable environment where kids can grow and learn.

“I try to be patient with the kids and answer their question [just like my coach was with me], so I think that’s why they

listen to me,” Yu said. “I try to make it a fun atmosphere so they are engaged and ready to learn.”

Similar to Srinivas, junior Samer Awad found the minimal age difference an advantage while coaching. Awad, who plays for the school’s varsity water polo team, had an experience this season where he stepped up to coach the junior varsity team. Awad explained that since he had played with some of the kids on the team the previous season, he was able to establish a connection with them.

“There was just this whole change in dynamic,” Awad said.

“I could tell that the kids started to play differently and I guess I had a more personal connection with them than the coach did at that time and we ended up winning that tournament.”

Awad explained that his style of coaching was much more laid ISRANI back, which allowed to players to respond easier since they felt comfortable with him coaching.

“I know that some of the coaches can seem a little authoritative but if it’s like a student talking to another student, it felt like the kids understood me more,” Awad said. “[I] wasn’t really someone controlling them on what to do but rather telling them instead of bossing them around.”

For Israni, she feels that coaching can have an impact on a child regardless of the age difference between the player and coach.

She recalls one of her favorite moments of coaching, one that involved an intense soccer scrimmage among a swarm of five-year olds. Even though it was a hot summer day, all of the young players shoved and pushed each other, wanting to kick the ball. As she supervised, she noticed a little boy who kept attempting to kick the ball but repeatedly got shoved out of the way and run over.

Eventually, he burst into tears. To try and appease him, Israni stopped the scrimmage and let him do a free kick all by himself. That was all it took for a smile to light up his face.

“I’ve seen how other kids play and how soccer has an impact on them,” Israni said.

“I thought it was really cute that [the kids] wanted to play soccer so badly. It reminded me of a younger me.” e

COACHING HELPED [ME] WITH STRESS RELIEF AND IT WAS JUST SOMETHING TO RELAX AND GET OUT THERE AND HAVE FUN

SPORTS | NOVEMBER 2018

37

THE DREAM TEAM Reflecting on the victorious MVHS girls tennis season

BY JAI UPARKAR

I

’ve always played for one reason — myself. Tennis is an individual sport, so all the sacrifices I put into the sport were only for myself. This year, I realized playing on a team meant that I was playing for my teammates, representing my school — not for a ranking or a trophy. This was the first time I truly felt like I was playing for a team.

Of my three years on the MVHS tennis team, I had never before felt as if I were playing for the school or for my team. This year was special – it really was. Our team had bonded over 13-hour car rides in a cramped white van where we would put deodorant up to the vent in order to get rid of the concentrate smells. We window-shopped at Urban Outfitters and went on boba runs after almost every match and these experiences made our team one; there were no longer any small cliques that had formed.

Our team learned how to grow, laugh and cry together through our wins and losses.

We only lost one league match this year — only one. Believe it or not, after losing our undefeated streak on our senior night, we were never sad about the loss; our team

38

EL ESTOQUE | NOVEMBER 2018

never focused on winning or setting records, what was important was to play our best and make the team proud. We were crowned league champions in one of the hardest leagues in the country.

We earned our number one spot in the league this year.

Players like Rhea Rai, Cynthia Hom and Brooke Young were dependable for a win for every single match. Players like Leslie Ligier, Bianca Young, Sue Kim and Anushka Vijay played each match like it was their last.

Players like Zara Fung and Mukta Uparkar were able to pull off terrific comebacks and win game-deciding matches for the team.

Players like Aditi Kotha, Meera Bambroo and Jocelyn Tseng kept the team spirit going, giving motivational speeches and pep talks before every game.

Our team understood the meaning of grit: to fight to your very last breath. We learned what it meant to win and what it meant to

lose. Our team traveled to San Diego as well as Stanford University and played the toughest teams from Southern California.

This was our year to win. This was the perfect opportunity to win.

But it was stolen. The day before the Central Coast Section quarter-final match, one of our players quit the team. Three months of practices and matches to all of a sudden leaving our team without JAI UPARKAR giving a reason why.

It upset us due to the disrespect the player displayed not only to us but to the school, the school that we had played for three long months.

However, what I realized from the unfortunate ending is that playing for a team is a privilege. Playing a certain position on the line up does not define a player and should not have an affect on a player’s ability to play for the team. When you play for a team, you are representing your school, a team full of players, not an individual. When you play for a team, there are certain responsibilitiesn expected from every member.

But we kept our heads held high, and reminded ourselves that we could win regardless. We realized the only thing we had to do was to play our best for ourselves and not for a CCS or a NorCal championship. Unfortunately, we lost in a third set deciding match by only two games.

Our team was in tears after CCS. But we were also angry, furious, that someone was able to walk away from this talented team with nothing more than a text message.

We lost our CCS quarter-final match in a three-set deciding match, but when we lost, no one blames any player for losing their match and no one was sad because we lost.

We knew this match was snatched away from our fingertips and there was nothing we could do about it. We knew that this year was our time to bring the trophy home. e

LESSONS FROM THE COURT

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH HEATHER MIGDAL

BY CHELSEA WONG

S

92 60

INTERCEPTIONS

tarting out as a soccer player in middle school, senior Heather Migdal transitioned from soccer to field hockey her freshman year. An older friend encouraged her to give it a try. Interested, she tried out for the team her first year and eventually started playing for the MVHS team and for San Jose Fly Field Hockey Club. One of her favorite plays was during the senior night game against Homestead HS where she was able to stop the ball from an opponent, run down the field dodging another player and then pass to a teammate and cut up for another pass. After being a captain on both junior varsity and varsity field hockey, she not only became an outstanding leader, but also an integral part of the team’s success.

TACKLES *2018 season PHOTO | ANISH VASUDEVAN

SPORTS | NOVEMBER 2018

39

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