Volume 50, Issue 1, September 27, 2019

NEWS 5 Exploring multiple facets of MVHS culture in honor of its 50th anniversary

OPINION 12

F E AT U R E S 1 9

A&E 27

SPORTS 34

Why we shouldn’t be afraid of jumping on the bandwagon

Reflecting on different relationships in the MVHS community

A look into the new Popeyes chicken sandwich

JV football unable to field a team for the 2019-20 season

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 34 35 38 39

NEWS

THE YEAR OF GOLD — Celebrating MVHS’ 50th anniversary IMMIGRATION — How moving to the U.S. affects MVHS families SILICON VALLEY — Majoring in arts vs. STEM fields SUCCESS — The roads taken to bring dreams to reality ATYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL — MVHS differs from a “normal” experience ESCAPE CULTURE — Using substances to relieve academic stress

OPINION THE RACE TO PRESIDENCY — How we perceive Andrew Yang CROSS POLLINATING CULTURE — Western usage of “Namaste” ALL ABOARD — We shouldn’t be shamed for enjoying trends VOL1: AIRPODS — A staff writer’s thoughts on airpods REPUTATIONS: POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT — Student engagement

FEATURES

PUT A RING ON IT­— Relationships in the MVHS community MARRIAGE BEFORE LOVE — Arranged marriages and dating trends TYING THE KNOT — Teachers’ perspectives on marriage SUMMER LOVIN’ — The value of brief summer flings THE FIRST RISK — A staff writer’s journey in becoming a braver person

A&E

THE END OF SPIDERMAN — The future of Spider-Man STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES — Four creations to make with roses DRAWN DEAD — Death of 2D animation in movies ONLY EARS — Podcasts serve as audio entertainment SOLD OUT — Reactions to the Popeyes chicken sandwich

SPORTS

DEFINING SUCCESS — Measuring achievement aside from wins OUT OF ACTION — JV football unable to field a team this season RUNNING OUT OF TIME — Declining numbers in football ATHLETE OF THE MONTH — Volleyball player Anusha Pothineni EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

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

Editors-in-chief: Hannah Lee, Anish Vasudevan Managing editors: Alyssa Hui, Shuvi Jha, Swara Tewari, Stuti Upadhyay, Emily Xia Copy editors: Zara Iqbal, Robert Liu News editors: Tina Low, Jai Uparkar Sports editors: Justine Ha, Tabitha Mendez, Rucha Soman Entertainment editors: Ayah Ali-Ahmad, Charlotte Chui, Shivani Gupta Opinion editors: Lakshanyaa Ganesh, Sreya Kumar, Jasmine Lee, Oishee Misra Feature editors: Tyler Cho, Iman Malik, Claire Wen, Brian Xu Beats editor: Annie Zhang Graphics editors: Claire Yang, Sarah Young Visuals editor: Tabitha Mendez Staff writers: Michelle Chen, Sophia Chen, Ishaani Dayal, Anushka De, Aditi Dixit, Devin Gupta, Anoop Iyer, Jayanti Jha, Rachel Jiang, Vivian Jiang, Elena Khan, Jefferson Le, Andie Liu, Jacqueline Liu, Tanish Mendki, Nivedita Menon, Shreshta Ranganathan, Anjali Singh, Neysa Singh, Leanna Sun, Lance Tong, Alyssa Umino, Sean Yagi Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite

Mission Statement El Estoque is an open forum created for and by students of Monta Vista High School.

The staff of El Estoque seeks to recognize individuals, events and ideas and bring news to the Monta Vista community in a manner that is professional, unbiased and thorough in order to effectively serve our readers. We strive to report accurately and 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 e-mail or mail. They become the sole property of El Estoque and can be edited for length, clarity or accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion.

El Estoque also reserves the right to reject advertising due to space limitations or decision of the Editorial Board that content of the advertisement conflicts with the mission of the publication.

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS SSR? Does that stand for silent sustained reading or something?

Senior year began as a blur. Like always, we attended an all-too-familiar Running of the Bulls at an unbearable time in the morning and greeted old classmates and new teachers on the first day of school.

But something was different this year. The moment we stepped onto campus, we were slapped across the face with a long list of tasks. All of a sudden, we were forced to be adults — to fill out grownup forms, memorize our social security number and most importantly, to reflect on our past three years at MVHS. To make matters worse, we were suddenly asked to stand out when all this time we had struggled to fit in.

And that’s when the life crisis began. The fact that what we wrote on our college applications had the ability to quite literally shape our futures instilled fear. We began to question the decisions (or lack of decisions) we made, regret our minimal campus involvement and contemplate the relationships we had developed with teachers.

Did we do enough during our time?

But in the midst of this initial stress, the Facebook invitations to the 50 Year Celebration and the familiar class chant at the Welcome Back Rally served as reminders that we have the privilege of being part of something incredibly special — not to mention that we’ll be the only class to have this unique opportunity.

We are the 50th graduating class from MVHS. We are the class of 2020.

It’s incredible that we’re able to end our high school years with these extraordinary titles. There won’t be another Golden Anniversary, nor will there be another class with repeating numbers — at least until 2121, although 2121 is not nearly as cool as 2020 (you can’t have 21/21 vision, can you?).

With this distinction comes a responsibility, however. Just like the grandeur that is associated with this honor, we hope to live up to our special title by becoming a graduating class of seniors that leaves an impact — whether that’s with our different personalities, notable achievements or unforgettable stories, only time will tell. But there is no doubt in our minds that the class of 2020 lives up to title of being the 50th graduating class in this golden year.

COVER PHOTO | ANISH VASUDEVAN COVER ILLUSTRATION | HANNAH LEE

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

Hannah Lee

Anish Vasudevan

Exploring multiple facets of MVHS culture in honor of its 50th anniversary

NEWS

THE YEAR OF

GRAPHIC | CLAIRE YANG

BY JAYANTI JHA, SHUVI JHA, JEFFERSON LE, TINA LOW, JAI UPARKAR, CLAIRE YANG

NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2019

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IMMIGRATION

GRAPHIC | CLAIRE YANG

A

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ccording to Bay Area Census, in 1970, Caucasians comprised 96.4% of the population in Cupertino. As of 2019, 67% of Wresidents come from Asian backgrounds and 86% of MVHS students have parents who immigrated to the U.S., according to a survey of 296 students.

Senior Jiani Tian’s parents moved to Cupertino from Chongqing, China when Tian was in the third grade. To them, Silicon Valley offered a better education for their children.

“My parents really didn’t like the Chinese way of educating kids because they felt like it was really strict,” Tian said. “You would memorize and then just regurgitate the information on the test. They felt like me coming to America would expose me to a lot more opportunities.”

Tian’s parents’ hopes of moving to the Bay Area for a more in-depth education system were shared by Alissa Tran, a mother of three. Tran’s family moved to the U.S. to escape the Vietnam War in the 1970s and lived in Reno, NV, before moving to Cupertino. “[We] parents want the best for our children and work really hard to put our kids through a good school and give them the best opportunities available,” Tran said.

The idea that the Bay Area is a place of opportunity is also what attracted Sofia Barboza, a mother of a MVHS alumni.

Coming from Peru, she wanted to provide a different environment for her children.

The idea of the American Dream is what motivated Barboza to immigrate to the U.S. in 2001.

Barboza believes the U.S. not only offers opportunities for youth, but also for immigrants like her. After settling in Cupertino, she began her own bilingual daycare, Mi Escuelita.

“I can stay up till 12 a.m., 1 a.m., because when you do something you love, you don’t get tired,” Barboza said. “To have this opportunity to have a job and earn money, it’s a blessing because you can work towards any career you want.”

Similarly, English teacher Monica Jariwala believes that the U.S. fosters the freedom to choose a career through determination and that Silicon Valley is a prime example of this notion.

“I feel like the American Dream is ‘I want to do something. I want to study.

I want to pursue this,’” Jariwala said. “I don’t think it’s the traditional, 50s one where it’s a white picket fence, two and a half children. But I do think that it’s, ‘Hey, we have opportunity.’”

Tian is thankful for the U.S.’s emphasis on this variety of opportunities that allow her to follow her passion of law in the future. However, she believes this notion doesn’t extend to all fields.

“You can pursue higher education for law, which I’m happy about, but parts of America have made me realize that certain fields are closed off to me, like politics,” Tian said. “I don’t think as a Chinese woman - I would make it very far, just because of the lack of representation and how everyone’s a white man — but definitely the U.S. is working on that.”

According to Tian, the type of competition fostered by Silicon Valley heavily influences how students — especially those from immigrant parents — study and pressure themselves.

“Knowing that my parents’ main motivation of coming here was for me to receive a good education, it definitely puts an extra layer of pressure on me to perform better than my peers so that I feel like the move from China to America was worth it in a way for my parents,” Tian said.

SILICON VALLEY AND PRIVILEGE

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, MVHS boasts a strong STEM curriculum and provides students with access to various tech-related opportunities. For senior Sarang Desphande, this proximity to technology is one of the reasons why most students in the Bay Area gravitate towards STEM. According to a survey of 283 students, 56% of MVHS students plan to pursue a career in STEM. However, sophomore Charvi Talla is pursuing a different path.

Although her father is one of the

of MVHS students have parents who immigrated to the U.S *According to a survey of 296 students

main tech executives at computer gaming company Nvidia, Talla has no inclination to major in STEM fields. Her interests lie in the areas of interior and exterior design, having designed her house’s home theater. “[My dad] doesn’t really push me into working into STEM,” Talla said. “He just wants me to make sure that I know what path I’m taking.

Similarly, junior Pearl Raina is interested in the arts. Having attended the Otis Art Institute summer program, Raina sees herself becoming an animator. Although she recognizes that the pay is relatively low, her goal isn’t just to make money — it’s to cultivate her passion.

“At the end of the day, passion is more important because I know that if I was stuck doing something for the rest of my life, and I really hated it ... I know that I would feel miserable,” Raina said. “And that would affect your money because I think if you love your job, anything can come from it, you know?”

According to Burning Glass Technologies, the average entry level salary for a STEM job is $47,856, and the average

“IF I WAS DOING SOMETHING FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, AND I REALLY HATED IT ... I KNOW THAT I WOULD FEEL MISERABLE.”

entry level salary in humanities is $37,424.

However, this financial edge is not the reason why Desphande is attracted to the field. As a child, he had always performed better in STEM classes; this interest was further cultivated through classes and summer programs, another factor that he believes might contribute to students’ desire to pursue STEM. “When I was growing up in elementary school and middle school, it would be a lot easier to find an after school math program or a science summer camp than it would be for leadership of some other soft skills,” Deshpande said.

Talla credits Silicon Valley’s early focus on STEM to the large immigrant population. To her, since most parents work in STEM, their children grow up familiar with this field and are more likely to pursue it as their career.

“I think it’s harder to explore your interests than just following what everyone else does,” Talla said. “I just think that everyone follows what everyone else is doing here, and that’s towards the STEM career which ends up [earning more] money.”

Still, Desphande says soft skills contribute to an individual’s personal development, which is why Desphande nurtures students’ leadership abilities through his nonprofit, Budding Leaders.

“I just think for a person to be a good person, so to say, you need a variety of skills,” Desphande said. “It can’t just be [STEM] and I wanted to develop [soft skills] at a young age.” e

NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2019

07

SUCCESS

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Over the past 50 years, MVHS has developed its own culture, affecting students in all aspects of their academic and social lives. Sophomore Sophia Liu’s definition of MVHS culture revolves around a drive for success.

“MV culture is definitely competitive,” Liu said. “It’s like a giant rat race to me.

Everyone is competing for one common goal, which is to get into a good college, because they believe that a good college will lead them to a good career.”

For Liu, success has created an often restrictive environment for personal growth and a lack of empathy among students.

“To MV students, [success is] more of a quantitative thing, getting all As, winning their sports match, qualifying for states,” Liu said. “That’s why some of them, although they seem nice, they care about their own goals only.”

An anonymous student, who will be referred to as Oliver to preserve his identity, believes that excess competition is detrimental to MVHS students.

“Students tend to focus more on more trivial things,” Oliver said. “There’s a lot of competition between the students … [which] often turns very toxic. People are always trying to one up each other. People are always trying to find a way to demean other people to try to prove to someone that they’re better than someone else.”

For Oliver, a significant part of MVHS culture is using academic values to determine success. He notices that quantitative numbers and grades are used to fuel competition among students.

“To MV students, I think success is more defined in what college you get into, what’s your GPA and what your test scores [are]. [There is a] very, very limited

if

scope of what they can consider very successful,” Oliver said. “I think that’s sort of contributes to all the toxicity especially if you consider that in a class, which is roughly 600 to 800 people. I think it was only 60 people who had a 4.0. That is just enough motivation for people to s--- on each other, and just continuously one up each other.”

Constantly pushed to be more academically successful than their peers, Oliver feels that MVHS students resort to cheating as a result of this pressure of MVHS culture.

“Just walk around campus … you can literally see people copying off each other’s homework, you can see people asking for help, when it’s not really help when they’re just asking,” Oliver said. “They’re just flat out asking for answers, or what the questions were on the test. It’s really stupid that MV pretends they uphold this academic code of honesty when literally right underneath their noses, every kid is cheating.”

History teacher Bonnie Belshe believes that cheating is not necessarily synonymous with success for students. However, in her 16 years of teaching at MV, she has noticed that the idea of success instilled in MV students is caused by a need for perfection.

“I would say that [a student’s] idea of success puts so much pressure on them that [it] may lead to cheating,” Belshe said. “I think they’re so tied up in striving for perfection without thinking about the process that goes along with that. It’s okay

to not get everything right away, it’s okay to have to work through it. Cheating might seem like an easy way out to only get the end goal of what a grade looks like on the paper or on your report card.”

Oliver believes teachers can deter cheating by changing tests each period.

“MV literally promotes the whole cheating environment,” Oliver said. “They use like absurd metrics to deter it, they try to make tests more absurdly difficult. The more difficult you make the test, the more ridiculous and off the curriculum you make the test, the more students actually have to resort to cheating, because just learning the damn material isn’t f---ing sufficient.”

Oliver’s take on why students have to cheat is what he sees as a final resort displays students’ need to succeed — often through any means possible. He finds that MVHS students’ unrealistic views on success make it difficult to feel accomplished.

“You need to wake the f--- up,” he said.

“If you want to be successful using the metrics of success determined by the MV culture, you need to cheat. Period. Unless you’re a very exceptional, very exceptional student.”

You want to be successful using the metrics ... determined by MVHS, . Period.”

EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

of MVHS students believe they do not have a “typical” High school experience.. *According to a survey of 300 students

ATYPICAL EXPERIENCE

The idea of success, whether it be inside the classroom or out, constantly pushes some MVHS students to focus their attention on academics. As a result, this academically-centered environment can lead students to have an atypical high school experience. “Regular” high school activities like Friday night football games and parties are replaced with tutoring and extra ACT and SAT classes.

Parent of two MVHS students Kristen Verdi, who grew up in Massachusetts, describes her high school experience as “normal.” Students at her school rarely received tutoring for standardized tests.

Although she credits MVHS’ competitive environment with pushing students to perform their best academically, she also believes that this aspect makes it difficult for teenagers to have the stereotypical high school experience.

“I think the amount of homework and just a pressure to succeed and actually do things are beyond what a normal high school kid would do,” Verdi said. “It’s always that pressure to produce.”

For senior Madeleine Clark, who moved from Idaho during her sophomore year, adjusting to the competitive environment at MVHS wasn’t difficult. She describes herself as very academically motivated even to the point where she was teased for studying too much at her old school.

When she came to MVHS, she realized her academic motivation was the norm, which made her feel more comfortable.

“It gives people a more realistic worldview, and it teaches them to persevere more, but at the same time … it makes people overly focused on grades,” Clark said. “They gain perspective that they’re not the best, but they lose the perspective that there’s other things than trying to be the top student.”

Regardless of her own opinion, Clark believes that the definition of a normal high school experience is different for everyone.

The ability of individual students to balance a stressful academic career with a social life ranges on a spectrum.

While sophomore Arnav Rathee acknowledges that he does not prioritize his social life as much, he does describe other students as social. For him, MVHS has a balance of stress and other activities.

“There’s not a whole lot that I would say focuses more on studying, working and things like that,” Rathee said. “[Students] are also really big on doing extracurriculars — they enjoy doing sports, volunteering and also when it comes to socializing, it’s occasionally a game of one upsmanship.”

Rathee also expresses that certain sports like badminton and basketball are popular — an indicator of life outside academics.

He, like Clark and Verdi, believes that there are two sides of MVHS culture: competition can either be motivating or detrimental.

Although the competitive atmosphere pushes students to do their best, it also can cause depression and anxiety among students who aren’t able to perform as well. As a parent, Verdi has experienced both the ups and downs of MVHS. One of the biggest ways she learned to help her children adapt was by being supportive.

“Growing up is hard no matter what generation you are … [and] just trying to be a supportive parent [helps],” Verdi said.

“I think the constant pressure is hard for kids because you’re still growing ... I feel like there’s not a lot of patience for failure.

It’s always: you must succeed, you must get the top grade and I feel like that’s hard on kids, that’s hard on their psyche.”

Based on her experience, Verdi believes that having a social life teaches kids important life skills. As a parent, she emphasizes the importance of being wellrounded to her own kids.

“It lays the foundation for your life and just by making friends you learn how to socialize properly,” Verdi said. “If you’re playing sports or volunteering and doing things in the community, it’s just kind of getting an understanding of what is success.

Is it really just making money and being a VP [vice president] of some corporation, or is it really just being happy with what you do and contributing to society?”

NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2019

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ESCAPE CULTURE *Names that start with M are false names to protect the anonymous sources.

ILLUSTRATION | CLAIRE YANG

She could feel the tears pricking her eyes. Before they have a chance to escape, she shoves an electronic cigarette in her mouth and takes a deep breath. Better.

For senior Mabel, vaping serves as a distraction from school and stress. Since her tumultuous 10th year, she has become primarily dependent on substances such as nicotine and alcohol to keep herself levelheaded amid the academic stress.

Mabel was caught off guard when she was greeted by an unexpected amount of schoolwork her sophomore year. When she began facing issues with her family and friends later on in the school year, compounding her stress from school, she tried vaping for the first time.

“I was like, ‘I just need something to distract me,’” Mabel said. “So it wasn’t really like, ‘How can I feel better?’ because I know I’m going to feel better.”

Junior Mila also began vaping and drinking during her sophomore year die tp finding it difficult to adjust to the workload.

“Sophomore year hit me like a truck,” Mila said. “It was my first chance to take honors classes, so I took [Chemistry] Honors and [Algebra 2/Trigonometry]

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

… Moving from geometry and [biology] to [those classes] was such an immense amount of stress.”

Like Mila, Mabel would occasionally vape when school started to overwhelm her. But as junior year rolled around, she found herself picking up an e-cigarette more often, eventually reaching the point where she would vape every day — even before her doctor’s appointment, which led to a series of complications.

Following the incident at the doctor’s, Mabel realized her vaping was getting out of hand and began controlling her nicotine use. However, it wasn’t until the summer of 2019, when she had a marijuanainduced panic attack after taking cannabis edibles, that she significantly reduced her vaping. Since then, she’s relied more on alcohol, which not only gives her a sense of unrestricted freedom, but is also more manageable as she dislikes drinking alone. “[Alcohol] makes you feel like this whole other person,” Mabel said. “You can do whatever you want, say whatever you want.

You can just be like, ‘Oh, I was drunk.’ …

It’s just like, you don’t have a filter. So it’s way different [from] weed.”

On the other hand, Mila tends to step away from partying and using substances when she’s particularly stressed about her academics. For Mila, doing well in school and paving a bright future for herself is her number one priority, and she says MVHS is adequately preparing her for college.

While she admits that substances are very effective in relieving stress and feel good in the moment, she doesn’t want her academics to be affected by her use of weed and alcohol.

“I think that there is a time and place for everything,” Mila said. “I think that a moderate amount of drugs is okay, because you shouldn’t deprive yourself of the things that are good in life. But a lot of people do it really often and do it at school, [and] I don’t think that’s a place and time you should do it because school is a place where we should

learn and focus on improving ourselves.”

Similarly, Mabel believes that there should be equal importance placed on studying and de-stressing, and she is still working on finding that balance in her life. In fact, she thinks that students who maintain high grades while using substances demonstrate stronger time management skills.

“I know people who literally do [cocaine] and have 3.9 GPAs,” Mabel said. “That’s so impressive, especially since [people] think if [someone does] hard-a-- drugs … [they’re] a crackhead, or [they’re] going to be a loser for life or be homeless. But that’s not how it works. Some people who are really smart just get into the wrong things.”

Mabel feels that she got into “the wrong thing at the wrong time, and for the wrong reasons.” She regrets having started smoking e-cigarettes, acknowledging that she has already done damage to her body and sent herself down the road of addiction.

“If I could, I would go back to the first time I smoked … and say no, because I think I lost track of a lot of things,” Mabel said. “Especially now, I still don’t have a solid coping mechanism besides smoking or drinking. I still need to find that way that makes me feel happy. But if I hadn’t started [smoking and drinking], I feel like I would have been way closer to finding that rather than still, you know, doing this.”

According to PhD in school psychology and research scientist at New York University Noelle Leonard, it isn’t uncommon for students to resort to drugs, alcohol and other substances to deal with stress, especially as they begin thinking about college. However, she states that there may be undesirable consequences for high schoolers like Mabel in the future.

“In the research literature, people who use alcohol or marijuana or other drugs for stress as opposed to socially are more likely to have problems later,” Leonard said in a phone interview. “The problems later on in life, in college, tend to be substance abuse

problems.”

Even so, Leonard emphasizes that substance use often indicates underlying struggles, and the issue can’t be resolved by simply cutting out the substances entirely.

“I don’t think you can just stop,” Leonard said. “I think the main thing is just finding out what’s going on with them. Are they really stressed? What are they really stressed about? Does this help them, or are there other things [that can help], like exercise or other activities that are not substance related?”

Mabel hasn’t had much success in replacing nicotine, marijuana and alcohol with healthier alternatives, but she hopes that her peers can respect that her coping mechanisms differ from theirs, and that they do not reflect her character as a whole.

“Every single school has stress,” Mabel said. “And I don’t know if it’s because [of] the people, but [students at other schools are] way less judgmental. They’re way more open about how you deal with things and not everything is related to school.

Everyone has different ways of coping, and it just happens to be that [vaping and drinking] work the best for [me], even though that shouldn’t be how you cope with things.” e

NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2019

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

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People should avoid biased judgement of political candidates based on their appearances

BY SREYA KUMAR AND RACHEL JIANG

W G

hile Andrew Yang isn’t the first and only Asian American to run for president, something about him is raising eyebrows among conservatives and liberals alike: his policy for a universal basic income. The 2020 democratic debates also mark a rather historic moment, with three Asian American candidates — Yang, Tulsi Gabbard and Kamala Harris.

The Asian American voice is becoming increasingly prominent in present day America, with more individuals running for office at the city, state and national level. Pew Research Center charts have proved the trend; before 2014, less than 3% of the voter population consisted of Asian American individuals, but these numbers rose to 3.5% in the 2018 midterm elections. There has also been a rise in Asian American and Pacific Islanders running for Congress, with 32 candidates in 2018, compared to just 10 in 2010.

As more Asian Americans get involved with politics, it seems like Yang is using the numbers to his advantage. A former technology entrepreneur, Yang is the CEO of an 11 million dollar test prep company, and true to his brand, he strives to face Donald Trump as the “Asian man who likes math.”

In addition, he spreads his influence on social media platforms primarily

OPINION

UN

THE RACE TO PRESIDENCY

used by Asian consumers like WeChat. minority groups are being supported as Yang proudly embraces his ethnicity and they represent America’s diversity. heritage to create a sense of familiarity with Fortunately, women, LGBTQ+ and his audience — and it works. A significant ethnically diverse candidates are becoming amount of funding comes from Asian more visible in politics. Mayor Pete American donors: more than $119,000.

Buttigieg joined the presidential race as He qualified for the September openly homosexual and Elizabeth Warren Democratic Debates and moves forward rises as a strong female opponent. They with his slogan “Make America Think all deserve a voice in this country to stand Harder.” In ways, Yang has inspired an up for their community and be heard by all entire population to vote — as miraculous citizens, as in the past their appearance and as this sounds, it presents a downside: beliefs have stunted them from entering many will vote for Yang simply because he the political realm. is Asian American.

After decades of fighting through Throughout history, people have anti-immigration laws and being forced demonstrated a tendency to vote for to accept certain roles in society, the candidates simply due to their race 2020 presidential rather than elections have given policies. The Pew rise to many minorit Research Center SCAN FOR MORE candidates and confirms that many Americans COVERAGE during President are beginning to Barack Obama’s pay attention to p r e s i d e n c y, what they have to African American say and stand for. votes shot up. In 2012, the numbers This election marks one of the best times peaked at 66.6% of the community voting in history, when minorities have the chance in the election. to become the most influential figure in People should educate themselves America. Their voices help create a better about the ideals and values of candidates representation of the entire nation. before voting for someone who may not This is democracy is at its best. e even align with their morals. Additionally, it’s still important that candidates from

OPINION | SEPTEMBER 2019

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CROSS POLLINATING CULTURE Unpacking the controversy behind Western usage of the Indian greeting “namaste”

BY ADITI DIXIT AND ANNIE ZHANG

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

ILLUSTRATION | ADITI DIXIT, SARAH YOUNG AND ANNIE ZHANG

N

amaste, similar to “hello,” is a of the word namaste in popular media customary greeting used by Indians as a pun. One example of namaste being as a sign of respect towards elders commonly used is, “Namaste B------”, or those of a higher social status. The word frequently seen on shirts as well as yoga is derived from Sanskrit, an ancient Indo- gear. Another example is “Nama-stay In Aryan language, and translates to “I bow to Bed,” commonly used to mean “Nah Imma you.”

Stay In Bed” branded on pillowcases.

In a Western context, the salutation is Since the practice of yoga takes the exchanged as a means of closure for yoga greeting namaste out of its intended context, sessions. The direct definition of the word this can be seen as a microaggression may does not align with it’s intended translation aggravate cultural tension.

— in yoga, namaste is interpreted as a “I’m very conscious of being a white means of spiritual elevation. To English woman who practices yoga, which is easily t e a c h e r this slot of Vennessa Nava, I DON’T OWN ANY CLOTHING THAT stereotype, namaste is “a especially SAYS NAMASTE OR ANYTHING LIKE mutual kind w h e n of recognition THAT — I WOULDN’T WEAR IT. I in [the] of our shared THINK IT’S IN POOR TASTE. Western humanity.” practice In the ENGLISH TEACHER VENNESSA NAVA of yoga it 21st Century, has been namaste is often sensationalized to notions dominated by white people,” Nava said. “I of zen, peace and connectivity. As a yoga don’t own any clothing that says namaste instructor for a teacher yoga group at or anything like that — I wouldn’t wear it. I MVHS, Nava follows a nontraditional yoga think it’s in poor taste.” practice — she chooses to never use the Indian parent Janaki Burugula echoes word to initiate or seal a yoga session. a similar sentiment, believing that usage “In this space, because it’s a workplace, of the word in an American context is “ill I don’t want to have any religious overtones mannered.” She sees the branding of or undertones,” Nava said. “I conceptualize namaste puns as a “marketing gimmick” [the idea] of leading teachers through a to attract a crowd, and for consumers to yoga practice as more tending to the side possibly feel connected to Indian culture. of just relaxation … [although] some of the “I don’t think that [marketing/ conceptual underpinning might work its commercialism] is [the] proper way [to go]… way into the things I say — the queuing, [it’s like] having our deities — a Ganesh the kind of metaphors that we’re building picture on the toilet seat cover or [a] Shiva during the class.” picture,” Burugula said. “If you put a cross According to Nava, because America on the pillow case, how [would] you feel? is such a “pluralistic society,” the cross It’s the same way.” pollination of cultures edges into thorny Although Nava sees such appropriation complications — cultural appropriation as a complicated issue with nuances, and religious microaggressions. freshman Sneha Agrawal believes it to be a A prominent example of said much simpler case of ignorance. microaggression is the commercialization “I feel like if you’re doing yoga, then

you’re trying to use [the greeting] as a word of empowerment,” Agrawal said. “But if you’re putting it on a pillow for a pun, and if you don’t even know what the word means … you’re being offensive and you’re not using it right.”

Burugula sympathizes with Agrawal, echoing that the casual usage of the salutation in America has loose ties with ignorance. Though selective individuals may find the greeting as culturally inappropriate, Burugula believes that namaste is simply a “catchy word” and has no religious strings attached.

“Some people might get offended by that probably, but I don’t see any reason … unless they actually mean it and they want to demean this,” Burugula said. “I don’t think it’s in any way connected to religion.

It’s just a form of saying hello in the local way … you clap both hands and then you say namaste … [like] some kind of tradition passed down.”

Nava believes certain demographics may misinterpret what yoga means in a Western context. Nava views it as a microaggression, as it strips the interpretation of what yoga originally was, who it was for and what it was meant to accomplish.

With this in mind, Nava believes everyone can play a part in raising awareness although the gravity of the issue depends on the situation and context.

“I think there are times where you can engage in a little call out culture, and it might be tone deaf,” Nava said. “There can be other times where you just have the perfect opportunity to say something, because that person is likely to be receptive to what you have to say. I think you just have to read the situation, and be attuned to it, to know when that may or may not be appropriate.” e

OPINION | SEPTEMBER 2019

15

ALL ABOARD

Why we shouldn’t be shamed for jumping on the bandwagon

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he day has come. The release of the Popeyes chicken sandwich. Maybe we found out about it because we were scrolling through Instagram. Maybe a friend mentioned it in passing, or maybe we happened to see an advertisement for it while watching TV. Someway, somehow, this knowledge made its way into our heads, and we just have to find out for ourselves if the rumors are true — is the Popeyes sandwich the best thing ever?

It’s not rare for trends to be blown out of proportion, for lines to be stretching out the door of restaurants, for traffic to slow down because of a newly-released item.

Somi somi. 85 °C bakery. TP Tea. And of course, the current rush of the Popeyes chicken sandwich, which sold out in stores around the nation.

And more often than not, once we get that sandwich, once we get that bowl of soft serve or that cup of boba, we try a bite and well, it just wasn’t what we thought it would be. It was bland, it was too expensive or it just didn’t have that magic that we expected. Because it obviously must be magical if so many people were spending their time just to get that one item, right?

Afterwards, we sulk back to our regular lives, upset at the few dollars we lost or the time we spent, and to everyone who asks about it, we try to spare them from saving the trouble.

“It’s not worth it. It’s not even that good, and it’s so expensive.”

We have good intentions when we try to prevent others from making the same

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

“mistake” that we made, but in reality, we’re seems to have a negative connotation), we depriving others of an aspect of trends that shouldn’t feel regret or shame for wanting we fail to see for ourselves. to be a part of the hype once in a while, It’s rare that an item is actually worth the and we shouldn’t try to prevent others so-called hype that surrounds it. But when from experiencing it for themselves. we’re in the midst of trying a new item, we While we’re trying to juggle endless gain so much more than simply the product. activities, big events and people, it’s Let’s be honest: it would be way easier to go almost a blessing for the most important a few weeks later when the enthusiasm dies thing in our lives to be a sandwich, even if down. Yet the fact that we can overlook just for a fleeting moment. It reminds us logic without grave consequences makes of our childlike instincts, bringing us back the entire process fun. It’s fun to make to the days when we’d cry if our parents connections, to be united under common didn’t let us buy that toy we saw in Target. goals, even if it seems ridiculous. It’s fun That feeling of triumph to get to the to post about it on our social media, even front of the line, the anticipation of that if that gives us first bite are the label of being so small, so “basic.” That’s insignificant what makes the that we experience so forget about OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE fun, so magical. them almost EDITORIAL BOARD We focus so immediately much on the after they happen. And yet, they’re so result, on the product, that we don’t realize important. Because putting so much it’s the chase we’re really after. belief into something we haven’t even Trends bring out the spontaneity seen or tried for ourselves, being so in people, the drive to suddenly drop excited that we can’t wait another second everything without even knowing what’s — it’s a feeling that nothing can replace. happening, reorganize every priority, just So next time a new food item or other for a seemingly meaningless or random product hits mass markets, we can tell item. In our monotonous, meticulouslyourselves that it’s okay to let go, to pursue scheduled lives, perhaps we all need more that small risk. moments where we can totally deviate from Even if we’re disappointed by the truth common sense. in the end, we at least deserve to give Even if that means falling prey to the ourselves that much hope. e tempting jaws of consumerism, or being accused of joining the bandwagon (which

STAFF EDITORIAL

VOL. ONE: AIRPODS Why I believe AirPods are detrimental to society

D

ear AirPods, I cannot stand you any longer, and something needs to be done. Ever since your release in 2018, I knew that we were going to have some problems. Let’s start from the beginning.

Initially, when Apple Inc. unveiled you to the public in September 2016, I thought there was nothing to worry about. The public, for the most part, broke you down like the useless piece of technology you are. I mean, nobody in their right mind would spend $159 of their hard earned (or inherited) money on some wireless music listeners. In all honesty, I thought you and I were going to be just fine until the social media memes began to pile up.

It all started when I was browsing through my Snapchat discover stories, and I came across some rather disturbing footage of these children, not far from my own age, cutting the wires off their Apple earbuds. Keep in mind these earbuds were functioning perfectly fine, and you acquire a pair of them (for free!) with the purchase of any iPhone. Yet, these kids, especially on an account called “AirPods Ever ywhere,” decided to demonstrate their comedic genius by pretending to make their very own pair of you. Memes became so dry and over done that all I saw were videos captioned, “It smell like broke in here.”

There are no words to describe how disappointing it is to see this type of

behavior from my own high school peers generation to evaluate someone’s net worth — the way teenagers boost their own is to examine how expensive their listening financial status over some headphones devices are. You have created an invisible is mind-numbing. If I had a nickel for caste system, a hierarchy, and everyone every individual I who doesn’t saw pretending they own a pair couldn’t hear someone of you might because they had as well be AirPods lodged in their worthless. earlobes, I could make I am not more money than even going IM SICK OF Apple did off these to mention THIS S--idiotic status symbols. the fact People have the that outside nerve to belittle high KAMYAR MORADI of having schoolers who are no wires, smart with their money and perfectly happy there’s nothing that makes you special in with a standard pair of wired earbuds. comparison to your wired counterpart.

These kids don’t badger their parents to Between the two, there is no difference in go out and buy you to fit in with the latest sound quality. I would expect for a price tag trend. Yet, you made them feel inadequate, that hefty, it should offer something that as if the standard the older version did not. Although, for p r o t o c o l some reason, the one thing that makes you for this unique, also makes you so easy to lose and never find again.

It’s almost as if Apple wanted you to be wireless just so you could get lost in the deep, dark depths of one’s couch cushions long enough that they find themselves buying a brand new pair, and wasting another 159 in the process, only to find you sitting on top of their night stand where they meant to leave you the night before.

This has to stop!

In the words of the great of the great Joe Pesci, “I’m done with this guy.”

Worst regards,

Kamyar Moradi

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REPUTATIONS :

POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT Looking at MVHS students’ engagement in American politics

BY JASMINE LEE

TYPES OF ACTIVISM

NEWS SOURCE

NOT AN ACTIVIST 54% CLIMATE CHANGE 16% LGBTQ+ 11% WOMEN'S RIGHTS 10% RACE EQUALITY 2% 7% OTHERS NEWS-READING FREQUENCY

*According to a survey of 303 MVHS students

27 % *According to a survey of 302 MVHS students

*According to a survey of 293 MVHS students

25%

of students read news on various social media platforms

of students reads the news every day

POLITICAL ROLE MODEL

27%

of students have a political figure who they look up to

*According to a survey of 289 MVHS students

IDENTIFICATION OF MVHS POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT DEBATE ENGAGAMENT Liberal with a smattering of conservative

55%

Liberal, but financially conservative

23%

Liberal/Conservative balanced

10%

Others

8%

Conservative with a smattering of liberals

4%

26

%

of students watched the democratic debate on Sept. 12 *According to a survey of 344 MVHS students

*According to a survey of 268 MVHS students

OPINION | SEPTEMBER 2019

18

FEATURES

PUT A RING on it Reflecting on different relationships in the MVHS community

FEATURES | SEPTEMBER 2019

19

MARRIAGE before love The MVHS community discusses arranged marriages and dating culture

33% of students’ parents had an arranged marriage *According to a survey of 292 students

12% of students would consider having an arranged marriage *According to a survey of 291 students

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

BY MICHELLE CHEN AND BRIAN XU

I

t was a big day for sophomore Jasmita marriage first hand, and he believes that Yeruchi’s father — he would be arranged marriages not only bring two meeting the woman he hoped would partners together but also foster intimate become his future wife. connections between family members.

He was well on his way to an appointment During the process, parents on both sides with a potential spouse when he received become heavily involved in the union by an unexpected phone call from his uncle. taking responsibility in helping their child After a brief conversation, he followed his find the perfect partner. Kottakota believes uncle’s advice to make a detour and visit that in this sense, families can serve as an a different woman instead of continuing to additional source of support in helping one his original destination. As it turns out, he navigate through their marriage. made the right choice, and the two ended “You will have an entire family supporting up marrying each other six months later. you along the way, during your ups and Although there was no easy access downs,” Kottakota said. “Even when to phones or online methods of your partner [is] a very understand[ing] communication at the time, the duo still partner, sometimes you need support made efforts to see each other frequently from your extended family on both sides before their marriage. [as well]. Having that support is really key, “Within that time, and I believe that my dad had a job to go in any marriage, if FOR SOME PEOPLE, to so they were writing everything falls in IT’S JUST THE letters with one another,” place, you will have SENSIBLE CHOICE Yechuri said. “They didn’t that external support have cell phones back BECAUSE THEY DON’T as well.” then, so they were writing Sometimes, WANT TO WASTE letters. And if there was a families choose TIME TRYING TO FIND to have arranged cell phone, my dad would A HUSBAND OR WIFE. marriages simply use his office cell phone and my mom would go JUNIOR PRANAV REDDY because it is efficient. to their house [and] use Junior Pranav the cell phone that was Reddy emphasizes available there.” this point as he recounts family friends’ Despite the inconvenience in experiences with arranged marriages. communication, Yechuri’s father persisted “For some people, it’s just the sensible along an arranged marriage track due to choice because they don’t want to waste his shared beliefs with his family. Some time trying to find a husband or wife,” families view arranged marriages as a Reddy said. “I know one of my dad’s mutual agreement that is beneficial. Parent friends, she’s studying to become a lawyer.

Monaj Kottakota experienced an arranged [And] you know law school, it takes a long

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | TYLER CHO

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | TYLER CHO

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | TYLER CHO

time to become a lawyer. For her, by the time she actually finishes and gets a job and has a steady income and whatnot, she doesn’t want to go start again to find someone. So for her, it’s just easier to find a husband that way.”

Once a family chooses to pursue an arranged marriage, there are many factors that come into consideration for a potential spouse. People seeking to get married are often advertised on newspaper listings or by family and friends who boast about their acquaintances’ positive qualities and even show collections of their pictures. In India specifically, major factors that many families consider are social status and reputation, especially in the form of castes.

“A part of it is appearance, like how it is here [in America],” Reddy said. “Income really matters. In some cases, your caste is pretty important. Some people don’t want to marry outside of their castes, or they don’t want to marry into certain other castes. Some parts of it are similar to marriages [in America]. They need to be in a good family, [be] a good person, preferably have a job, all of that.”

The topic of arranged marriages has surfaced in MVHS curriculum as well.

French teacher Janissa Zahn was introduced to the topic of arranged marriages after learning about the marriage scene in many African countries. Shocked that girls were being forced to marry at young ages, she proceeded to research arranged marriages in different cultures. Eventually, Zahn compiled videos and created lessons detailing the culture of marriage in countries like India and Morocco based on

relationships in different French-speaking know all the positives and negatives.” cultures. Zahn emphasizes the difference Similarly, Yechuri believes that the fact between arranged marriages in different that her parents’ marriage was arranged areas of the world. does not affect much in their relationship; “[In] countries in Africa … you have girls she views her family just like any other. who are 13 or 14, and they’re being forced Zahn views the difference between to be married against their will,” Zahn said. arranged marriages and love marriages “Once they get married, they don’t have as a fundamental difference in culture any access to education anymore because and values. To her, neither one is right or they end up having children and they have wrong, but she believes partners enter their no one to take care of their children. So marriages with different mindsets based on [arranged marriages] can be how they got married. really, really negative. And “Marriage is first and MARRIAGE IS FIRST love comes later, and I so you see both ends of the spectrum, [which] I thought AND LOVE COMES think that’s the major was really interesting.”

LATER, AND I THINK difference,” Zahn said.

After she discussed the “In other cultures, it’s THAT’S THE MAJOR something that you work topic with her daughter DIFFERENCE. who attends MVHS, Zahn at, and the love kind of realized that arranged comes out of that. I think FRENCH TEACHER marriages were much more we become disillusioned JANISSA ZAHN prevalent than she initially with this idea of, ‘Oh, I thought. She was surprised love this person … wait a to learn that many MVHS students have minute, they’re not perfect.’ I think that’s parents who are in arranged marriages. why people are so quick to get divorced in “I was like ‘People don’t do that. That America, but [in other places], they go into doesn’t happen, what are you talking [marriage] knowing that this is something about?’” Zahn said. “And then we started that [they]’re going to work at, and there’s a looking at statistics and in India, 95% of purpose for it. And I really admire that, that marriages are arranged, but the divorce rate mindset that they can just go into it [and is really low. So then you’re thinking, ‘Well, they]’re going to make this work because maybe this isn’t all bad.’ My first reaction I think a lot of people here just give up too [was] ‘That’s horrible. You can’t tell me easily.” e who I went to marry.’ But then the second reaction [was] ‘Well, sometimes traditions have a purpose, and maybe it is a good thing.’ So I guess in the end, I’ve learned that I shouldn’t make judgments about other people’s cultures before I actually FEATURES | SEPTEMBER 2019

21

TYING the knot Exploring teachers’ perspectives on getting married

BY JACQUELEINE LIU AND IMAN MALIK

T

he plan was just to play tennis. in my house is entirely my choice. Where But eventually tennis led to I want to spend my time, where I want to dinner, dinner led to seeing a movie spend my money, and that’s a big one. It’s and a year later, math teacher Martin entirely my choice. I don’t need to consult Jennings proposed to his current wife with others. I don’t want to consult with with whom he recently celebrated his 27th others.” anniversary. Jennings understood that Belshe believes the importance of getting married was not a decision to be getting married is overly emphasized taken lightly — he proposed only when he by society. According to her, marriage was certain it was the right thing to do. is an important life milestone, but “A good guy friend of other accomplishments mine starting asking, ‘Well, MY TIME IS MY deserve equal amounts how come you don’t ask her of commemoration yet do to marry you?’” Jennings OWN. WHAT I not recieve it. said. “I said, ‘Well, I prayed WANT TO DO “We don’t see that about it and it’s not yet right.’ WHEN I WANT in the same way for So the following summer, I ‘Congratulations on your went running one morning TO DO IT, HOW I new job,’” Belshe said. and [after] sitting around WANT TO DO IT. “Right? ‘Congratulations and praying a little bit, I felt HISTORY TEACHER on getting another like it was time to ask her to degree!’ When those are BONNIE BELSHE marry [me]. And I had a lot celebrated they’re not of peace about that.” public announcements According to Jennings, in a newspaper. We see there is a certain type of fulfillment that that with engagements and marriage and marriage brings. However, he believes births. We don’t see that with other times marriage does not directly equate to that we should have a celebration, when happiness — unmarried people can seek it’s an individual celebration.” companionship through friends and family, Getting married was never a question and also have freedom that a married for Jennings. From a young age, he knew person may not have. History teacher he wanted a lifelong partner. But after a Bonnie Belshe agrees with this idea — as series of bad experiences with his college an unmarried woman, she believes that her relationships, Jennings began to focus lifestyle has many advantages. less on his dating life.

“My time is my own,” Belshe said.

“I just got at other plans and I just got “What I want to do when I want to do it, to the point where I wasn’t even interested how I want to do it. What I want to have in dating other girls,” Jennings said, “I

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

just said, ‘Oh, maybe I’ll be single.’ I had an aunt who never married and I just thought maybe I’ll be like her.”

When Jennings met his current wife, he wasn’t actively seeking out a partner. He believes that it is important to remember the magnitude of marriage.

“Being married is a big step, so it’s something that’s best thought about,” Jennings said. “To me, it’s a decision. Part of it is an emotion, but the major part is a decision to say ‘I’m going to love this person for the rest of my life.’ That’s different than society’s view of marriage, which is ‘Oh, I’m in love so let’s get married. I’m not so much in love anymore, so let’s get a divorce.’”

Marriage and family therapist Richard Prinz has a similar point of view — getting married and having children should be deliberate decisions. As a child, Prinz observed the struggles of his parents’ marriage and continued to witness many of his peers give into the societal pressure to get married. Although Prinz felt pressured as well, he chose to reject a recipe-like lifestyle and believes others should as well.

“There’s all this sort of pressure on people, you have to kind of understand that a little bit,” Prinz said. “It’s okay to be different.”

According to history teacher David Hartford, the moment when one realizes that marriage is the right decision will vary from person to person. For him, the first time he seriously considered marriage was when he played the board game Diplomacy with his current fiancé.

Hartford and his fiancé often spend time together going on hikes.

Jennings and his wife on their wedding day.

Belshe goes kayaking on a trip to Belize.

PHOTO USED WITH PERMSSION OF MARTIN JENNINGS

PHOTO USED WITH PERMSSION OF BONNIE BELSHE

PHOTO USED WITH PERMSSION OF DAVID HARTFORD

“The premise of the game is that everybody is eventually going to backstab everybody else,” Hartford said. “And a lot of times you see relationships where couples won’t backstab each other, but [my fiancé] set it up flawlessly. I didn’t see it coming. I did not think it was going to happen and she backstabbed me perfectly and she ended up winning because of it.

For me, that small daily interaction — we play board games literally almost on a daily basis — but that interaction where it was perfectly set up to stab me in the back, all I had was pure appreciation and joy for it.

Even though I lost horribly as a result, that was the point where I was like, ‘Yeah, this is it.’”

Similar to Jennings, Hartford believes in a careful approach — when he first considered proposing, he waited to make sure his feelings remained the same for several months. Hartford knew marriage was the right decision when he was certain that it wouldn’t drastically change his relationship. Additionally, Hartford’s perception of marriage is the same as it was when he was a child — he aspires to have a marriage like his grandparents’, who have been together for 65 years.

“My parents both were divorced multiple times, so my model was always my grandparents and [they] were very family oriented,” Hartford said. “I feel like a lot of my family values come from my grandparents as a result of that and I actually don’t think that’s changed since I was younger.”

Ultimately, Hartford believes that although marriage is a partnership, it is important to preserve each person’s individuality. He emphasizes the importance of communication in a relationship before and after marriage.

Like Hartford, Prinz encourages people to thoroughly consider their actions. As a married man himself, he believes that marriage has the potential to be a positive learning experience, so long as people are willing to put in the work.

“People have to be willing to change themselves,” Prinz said. “Try to understand the other person more and not just remain self-centered and think that you’re right all the time.”

Jennings also believes that communication and honesty is important in any relationship. He also stresses that marriage is much more than just a casual relationship, but rather an agreement between both people.

“Just remember that when you get married, you’re making a decision to love that person for the rest of their life and yours for better and worse,” Jennings said.

“Which means just that. It’s not when it’s not convenient for you, you decide to get a divorce. That’s how I see marriage.” e

FEATURES | SEPTEMBER 2019

23

SUMMER lovin’

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | EMILY XIA

Students weigh in on the value of brief summer flings

BY HANNAH LEE AND ISHAANI DAYAL

E

very summer, some MVHS While they are no longer dating, students leave for residential Varanasi wouldn’t have changed the summer programs, eager for a circumstances of her relationship — in fact, new opportunity to learn and a chance to she prefers entering a relationship after polish their resumes. And while exercising knowing someone for a shorter, rather than their newfound independence, some longer, period of time. students also choose to experience another “I think maybe if we had known each opportunity: summer relationships. other longer, then we would have known Freshman Akanksha Varanasi attended each other better and there would be John Hopkins’ different criteria Center for for us getting Talented Youth t o g e t h e r, ” SCAN FOR MORE (CTY) summer Varanasi said.

COVERAGE program, a “Because I’ve three week known a lot residential camp. of guys since During her stay, she developed feelings elementary school and I probably wouldn’t for someone she met, and upon finding date them because we’ve just known each out that he reciprocated her feelings, the other for too long.” two began dating during the last three Senior Jeffrey Liu takes the opposite days. When their time together came to an perspective, believing that a couple of weeks end, Varanasi decided to transition to long isn’t enough time to build a substantial distance so she could continue dating her connection. While he acknowledges boyfriend, who lives in Los Angeles. instances in which couples continue their During the summer, Varanasi made summer relationships into the school year, sure to FaceTime her boyfriend every day. he doesn’t see them going very far.

But as school began, video calls turned “When you’re in camp, you spend a lot into regular phone calls. And soon, calls of time together, but then afterwards you turned into texts. After a month, Varanasi kind of go to different places,” Liu said. ended it, finding it difficult to balance her “It’s really hard to make a long distance relationship with her other school-related [relationship] work out when you have and extracurricular commitments. known them for a short amount of time.”

20%

of MVHS students have had a summer relationship

*According to a survey of 286 students

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

Although Varanasi’s long distance relationship came to an end, she explains that the reason for ending the relationship was not a loss of interest or a lack of mutual understanding. The main issue they had was finding the time to talk everyday in the midst of their busy lives.

On the other hand, senior Jenny Chen views summer relationships as a way to establish a connection in a more laid-back manner. While Varanasi continued her relationship for a month and still believes in committing herself to any relationship, Chen leans more towards short term, nostrings-attached relationships.

This summer, Chen had two relationships, both of which were brief and casual. She did not have any specific expectations going in, nor did she have intentions of continuing either relationship.

Chen enjoyed being with someone without having to worry about everything she would in a normal relationship. “[Summer relationships are] fun,” Chen said. “Because, like, no commitment. It was nice because I was like, oh, I don’t have to worry about another b****, you know?” e

35%

*According to a survey of 271 students

of MVHS students think summer relationships are a good idea

FOR THE FIRST TIME Step one in my journey to becoming a braver person

I

don’t take risks.

If I could describe myself in one word, that word would not be brave. Maybe it would be passionate or kind or hardworking or tenacious (which is really just a fancy word for stubborn). But it would not be brave.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not quiet or shy or reserved. I raise my hand in class and I have a really obnoxious laugh. I’m pretty outgoing and I don’t have any issues talking to strangers. I don’t come across as a person who has any problems with communicating at all.

But I think “courage” is too often associated with people who appear to be extroverts. People tend to automatically assume that if you’re outgoing, you’re the type of person who likes to try new things and challenge themselves on a daily basis.

And maybe, for a lot of people that like to project themselves the same way that I do, that’s the truth.

But I don’t take risks.

I’m scared of a lot of things. I’m scared of horror movies and that notification that reads “7 missed calls - mama.” I’m insanely claustrophobic and I have an irrational fear of millions of ants crawling all over my

ano

wtnimYt waA aa.g yingne

body (based on a movie my uncle made me This year, I have decided that I want watch when I was five). to take more risks. I have decided that, I’m also scared of trying new things. I’ve every month, I am going to push myself got a host of fears surrounding what other to do one thing that scares me. Maybe I’ll people may think of things I say and do. tryout for a team even though I could end And most significantly, I am terrified that up being the worst person there. Maybe I’ll even if I put in my join a club despite best effort, I will the fact that I am never become the no longer a brightperson I strive to be. eyed freshman, or So, I don’t take finally hit up the risks. Even though gym even though BEING I’m pretty outgoing, it will probably be I never raise my glaringly obvious BRAVE hand in class unless that I don’t have I am positive I know a clue as to how the answer. I don’t ANUSHKA DE to use any of try new things; I’ve the equipment. played the piano Who knows? The since I was four years old and I’ve been world just became my extremely hostile, on the same soccer team for the past six terrifyingly brutal oyster. years. My whole life, I’ve let my fear of As for this month, what risk have I taken, not meeting the standards I set for myself you might ask? You’re reading it right now. paralyze me into sticking strictly to what I Because I made the decision, on what good know. Because the way I’ve always seen it, sense I don’t know, that there was no better there are very few things worse than giving way for me to push myself than to publicly something everything you’ve got and still declare some of my deepest fears in our not being good enough. school’s extremely coveted publication. I’ve But this year, I wanted to change that. decided that, even though I care way too much about what others think of me, I am going to talk about doing things that scare me for anyone and everyone to see.

Now, you probably won’t see me walking winner.FI into a movie theater to watch Annabelle anytime soon. And I don’t know if I’ll ever reach a point in my life where seeing a bunch of missed calls from my mom won’t send chills down my spine ­­—­­­­­­­­­­ I mean, even I’ve got my limits. But, for the first time in 5 i i my life, I’m ready to own up to the things that scare me and do something about them. I’m not saying that I’ll be scared of si fewer things at the end of this year. I’m not even saying that I’ll be scared of different fBaE at g things. I’m just saying that I’m ready to face the things that have held me back my whole life.

I mean, isn’t that what being brave is all about? e

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ILLLUSTRATION | ANUSHKA DE

FEATURES | SEPTEMBER 2019

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MARVEL'S

Sony pictures and Walt disney's battle over the future

BY ELENA KHAN

S

pider-Man gets taken out of the Marvel Universe, but this time it's not by Thanos. It's by Sony Pictures. So the future for him? It's unknown.

Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Studios have settled on the fact that Marvel will not include Spider-Man in future movies. Additionally, future solo Spider-Man movies won't be under the direction of Marvel Studios Head Kevin Feige.

According to Deadline, an online news site, the fight for Spider-Man was over money.

Though both sides made efforts to reconcile and approach a deal, monetary incentives were ultimately responsible for the disagreement. Originally, Sony Pictures kept Spider-Man’s film rights and money from the box office, while Marvel Studios kept the character and first dollar gross (a percentage of the box office revenue).Then, Disney approached Sony with a 50/50 co-financing deal between the studios regarding future Spider-Man films, but Sony turned down the offer.

Under the partnership between the two companies, Sony had film rights and some money from the box office, while Marvel was allowed to keep Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, both companies have left the agreement, leading to a wave of opinions from fans. Social media posts ranged from sadness and disbelief to funny memes and fan theories. e

“I don’t know what to think because already my two other favorites have [already] died. I’m just like, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’,” junior Kaitlyn Chan said.

A&E

Spider-man

THE END OF

“I’m a little bummed about Spider-Man leaving the Marvel Universe. I think Marvel was going in a really great direction with it, but I do understand that Sony did have a really big part of it,” science teacher Kenneth Gan said.

“Marvel connects my father’s childhood to my own. Being able to grow up with the same characters as those that my father grew up with nurtures the connection between me and my family,” freshman Leonardo Sze said.

ILLUSTRATION | OISHEE MISRA

A & E | SEPTEMBER 2019

27

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES Four creations to make with roses

BY CHARLOTTE CHUI

A

dd a rosy tint to your life by experimenting with these floral crafts and recipes. From rose jam — swirled into a bowl of creamy yogurt or spooned onto a warm lemon scone — to fragrant rose petal sachets — tucked into a closet drawer or hung in the car, here are four DIY projects to try with roses.

1 ROSE JAM

2 PRESSED BOOKMARK

Supplies: - 2 ounces rose petals - 1 1/2 cups water - 2 cups sugar - 3 tablespoons lemon juice - 1 teaspoon fruit pectin Steps: 1. In a medium saucepan, bring the rose petals and water to a simmer for 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

2. Add half of the sugar to saucepan. Stir until dissolved.

3. Add lemon juice and let simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Mix the remaining sugar and pectin in a separate bowl.

While stirring, add the sugar and pectin mixture slowly into the jam. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

SOURCE | FEASTING AT HOME

Supplies: - Fresh roses & assorted flowers - Tissues or paper towel - Parchment paper - Large book - 1 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch cardstock - School glue - Water-based sealer Steps: 1. Line book pages with tissues.

Place flower petals and plants between the pages. Weigh down the book, and wait two to three weeks until petals are completely dry.

2. Arrange pressed petals on the cardstock, then glue down.

3. Place bookmark between parchment paper, and put a book on top overnight.

4. Laminate the bookmark, or seal with water-based sealer and let dry.

3 ROSE LEMONADE Supplies: - 1 cup sugar - 2 cups water - 1/2 cup dried, food-grade rose petals - 1 cup lemon juice - Lemon slices Steps: 1. In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, water and rose petals, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves completely.

2. Remove saucepan from heat and let the rose syrup cool to room temperature.

3. Strain the rose petals from the syrup.

4. Add the rose syrup to the lemon juice and stir until thoroughly combined.

5. Add lemon slices, ice and optional rose petals to garnish.

Supplies: - Dried rose petals & optional assorted flowers or herbs - 1/4 cup rice - 5 by 2 1/2 inches of lightweight cloth - Ribbon - Needle & thread Steps: 1. Fold the rectangular cloth in half, then sew the two edges together. Turn the pouch inside out, so the seam is on the inside of the sachet.

2. Mix together dried rose petals and rice, then fill cloth pouch. Tie the opening at the top of the pouch with ribbon.

3. Once scent wears off, replace the rose petals and rice mixture.

SOURCE | THE PIONEER WOMAN

SOURCE | FOODESS

SOURCE | FELT MAGNET

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3 4

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

DRAWN DEAD The possible death of traditional animation in theaters

BY AYAH ALI-AHMAD

F

ollowing the 2009 release of one of Disney’s last 2D animation movies, “The Princess and the Frog,” Walt Disney Studios laid off a slew of handdrawn animators a few years later. Since then, over 40 digital 3D animation features have been released. With no current plan to continue where Walt Disney began in traditional animation, some animators fear its death in the industry.

Offput by the “plastic” feel of CGI or special effects films, like recent liveaction remakes of Disney movies, art teacher Jay Shelton prefers what he is most familiar with from his childhood — traditional animation. Shelton believes pre-3D animation Disney was smart with differentiating what stories fit for either animation or live-action and what could be beneficial to storytelling without having to blur the line between either.

“I absolutely love those first films, like the ‘50s Disney films,” Shelton said. “If you’re going to use 3D or CGI, make it look like CGI. I love ‘The Incredibles’ because that looks like what it is, [a 3D animation film]. You couldn’t have done that with traditional animation and it’s not trying to look like reality. It’s its own thing. These people going to see the live action [movies] for the first time [will] miss something.”

One of Shelton’s students, senior Anahita Sukhija, hopes to major in animation or illustration with a focus in design. With experience from past projects in hand-drawn animation, once making over 150 drawings for a 20-second video clip, Sukhija has grown fond of

ILLUSTRATION | SARAH YOUNG

the technique and patience necessary for all kinds of animation. For her, 2D and 3D animation are separate mediums, something incomparable to each other.

Similar to Shelton’s opinion, Sukhija believes they shouldn’t be a replacement of either.

She brings up the remakes of “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” saying Disney is losing its touch in creating unique stories and ways of telling it, which she saw in movies like “Ratatouille” or “Bambi.”

But Sukhija understands where Disney is coming from — having to produce movies continually and run a large company proves true to being a “slave” to the audience and their reliance on money.

Because of this, Sukhija believes Disney has dropped traditional animation because the audience’s expectation changing from what it was 30 years ago when “Aladdin” was released.

“Now that the generation that watched ‘Lion King’ as a kid is growing up, [they want to] make the same movie in a medium [the new generations] are familiar with,” Sukhaja said. “I think a lot of people think that 3D animation and CGI [are] just better than 2D animation because it looks cleaner.

So then, they have an audience to make the newer ‘Lion King’ for.”

Having had experience in 3D animation by attending summer camps at Stanford and learning to use 3D computer graphics software for school projects, junior Ryan Safa believes to some degree, Disney should continue to evolve their form of animating. He says, similar to the beginning of 3D animation with movies like ‘Toy Story,’ animation is ever innovativing. For Safa, that’s what excites him about the future of 3D graphics.

“They shouldn’t completely lose that sense of art [from 2D animation],” Safa said. “I think there’s always going to be some people who are going to prefer different styles of animation and appreciate that, but at the same time, a large portion of people will also be excited to see how crazy and complicated and realistic-looking animation is going to get.”

Sukhija agrees that advancements in animation have helped animators in the industry create at a much faster rate. But,

because of this change into an all digital work process, television has been touched too, and she has seen traditional cartoons change into something new. On TV networks, Sukhija says 2D animation still lives, whereas Disney has lost its chance of utilizing a medium with potential.

“I’m all for advancing in the technical side, but I also think that they shouldn’t walk out on traditional animation,” Sukhija said. “[Disney has] the skill set to create amazing movies. But they’re just reusing the same stories … I think all types of animation [are] valid and accomplish different things. If they used [2D animation still], they could tell a very different stories.” e

A & E | SEPTEMBER 2019

29

ONLY EARS

How podcasts have become a staple source of entertainment for the MVHS community

BY ANISH VASUDEVAN

A

s technology continues to advance, more platforms of entertainment have emerged and replaced older forms. Podcasts, which have been present since the late 2000s, are a popular form of entertainment. According to the New York Times, 40% of people between the ages of 12 and 24 listened to a podcast every month in 2019 and around 20 million people in the United States have tuned into at least one podcast in their life.

Senior Julian Kim equates this growth in popularity to the easy consumption of each episode. With an average runtime of 30 to 60 minutes, podcasts require less attention compared to other sources of entertainment.

“Podcasts are a lot nicer when you’re trying to drive or you’re about to sleep,” Kim said. “In the same places where you listen to music, you can listen to podcasts.

If you’re doing homework or you’re doing something like cooking or something, it’s a lot easier to listen to podcasts than [look] at the video.”

Kim explains that listening to podcasts is similar to tuning into the radio — both are audible platforms with the host narrating the story. However, Kim says podcasts allow listeners to have more freedom over the content they engage with.

“When people listen to the radio, it’s all determined by the radio broadcasters,” Kim said. “But with podcasts, it’s basically choosing exactly what you want. ” English teacher David Clarke agrees with Kim and says that when he was growing up, people would schedule their days around certain airtimes in order to tune into their favorite radio shows.

“There were three national channels: ABC, NBC and CBS and you get a couple of [local radio stations] too,” Clarke said.

“Also, when radio shows would switch over from one DJ slot to the next, they’ll have these sort of conversations, and those are some of the most entertaining things to listen to.”

According to Clarke, podcast hosts use various types of storytelling. One commonly used form is known as a panel, where one or more persons, hosts or guests focus the show on a topic of discussion.

Another form is a narrative piece where

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

the host can tell a long form story from their past, as if it’s an essay or speech. The last form is an audio story, where the host simply gets sources and is telling a straight news story about a topic, similar to stations like NPR. Clarke encourages students to listen to podcasts because he believes they help students “see the words” concerning certain topics. “This American Life” is an example of a podcast and radio show that tells long form stories and corresponds with the material in AP Literature.

Personally, Clarke listens to podcasts of all types but prefers the panel because of its conversational tone.

“It’s a particular form of interpersonal dynamic that’s going on,” Clarke said. “I like those because it’s a pretty freeform sort of medium, and they’ll have a particular subject that they’re talking about. It’s an interesting way of learning about something and in a secondhand sort of way.”

According to social studies teacher Scott Victorine, podcasts have the ability to target a niche market because they can be extremely specific. For example, Victorine, an avid Minnesota Vikings fan, keeps up with important information about his team by listening to podcasts from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Victorine says the ability for podcasts to be spread to a large market through platforms like Spotify or Apple’s Podcasts application is a large contributor to their success. This accessibility is something he believes will allow the entertainment platform to survive in the long run.

“I know people who are a generation older than me that are listening to podcasts as well,” Victorine said. “I think that storytelling is something that no matter what culture we’re from or what time period were from, it’s always been around.

It will definitely, definitely be around for a while.” e

MVHS COMMUNITY’S PODCAST PICKS ENGLISH TEACHER DAVID CLARKE The Nod podcast is a show exploring African American culture and how certain aspects of popular culture are improving of hurting how black people are perceived in society. Clarke enjoys the podcasts’ humorous discussions about the events.

SENIOR JULIAN KIM Dissect is a podcast that breaks down songs from popular albums looking at the meaning behind the lyrics and production. Kim enjoys this podcast because of its analysis on some of his favorite artists like Kanye West and Tyler the Creator.

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER SCOTT VICTORINE The Herd podcast, hosted

by Colin Cowherd, gives an analysis of the latest events in sports. Victorine explains that even though he doesn’t agree with some of Cowherd’s takes he continues to tune in.

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

Reactions to the new Popeyes chicken sandwich

BY ALYSSA HUI AND ZARA IQBAL

31

EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

O

n Aug. 12, Popeyes came out with the Popeyes chicken sandwich, it would be its first ever chicken sandwich — 15 the perfect sandwich.” days later, they sold out nationwide.

While he personally didn’t like the The sellout was sparked by a viral Twitter sandwich, Bruun commended Popeyes’ use interaction on Aug. 19 between Popeyes of social media. and rival company Chick-fil-A. “...y’all “I think it’s really smart when brands good?” a Popeyes marketing representative use social media because all [of] their responded to Chick-fil-A’s tweet about its customers are on there,” Bruun said. “And own chicken sandwich: “Bun + Chicken if they say something funny a lot of people + Pickles = all the [heart emoji] for the are going to see it and they’re going to be original.” like, ‘I should try that.’ The main reason I When senior Magnus Bruun didn’t have tried it was just because of that.” a satisfying dinner one night, he decided to However, although Bruun thought stop by Popeyes and buy the sandwich he’d it was a smart marketing strategy, he heard so much about. It was his first time believed the product was overhyped on trying Popeyes in general, and according to social media platforms like Instagram. him, Chick-fil-A’s chicken is better.

While Awad doesn’t believe the sandwich “I think it was just really bad fast food was necessarily overhyped, he admits it’s chicken, like Chick-fil-A is good but because of how much he likes the sandwich, [Popeyes] is not,” Bruun said. “Chick- concluding that everyone should try it and fil-a [has a] much, much, much better determine if the sandwich truly lives up to [sandwich] than the Popeyes sandwich. the hype.

A lot of people said that Chick-fil-A was “People love to make hype around things the second best chicken sandwich, but I that really shouldn’t matter that much,” thought it was the best.”

Awad said. “But the thing is that Chick-fil-A On the other hand, senior Samer Awad had this godly reputation of being [one of] wanted to try the new Popeyes chicken the best fast food places beforehand ... sandwich because he didn’t and then the fact that like Chick-fil-A’s sandwich to someone else is trying IF THEY PUT THE begin with. to take them down — “[The Popeyes sandwich] CHICKEN FROM people were just trying to was juicy — it has a lot of make a big deal out of it.” flavor. I loved it,” Awad said. THE CHICKOn the other hand, “It doesn’t compare to my FIL-A CHICKEN Wu agrees with Bruun, [homemade] chicken, [but] SANDWICH IN THE believing the sandwich at the same time, Popeyes overhyped because POPEYES CHICKEN ispeople does have some of the best want it just fried chicken … Beforehand, SANDWICH, to say that they have I didn’t think there was much IT WOULD BE tried it, not because to it, but afterwards, I had they actually want the THE PERFECT four sandwiches in three product, especially since SANDWICH. days — it was that good.” it sold out in just over Senior Shumi Wu also SENIOR SHUMI WU two weeks. However, he decided to try it after seeing doesn’t necessarily see posts and memes about the this as a bad thing. new sandwich. While he is a loyal Chick“I feel like this is a good type of hype,” fil-A fan, identifying his favorite parts like Wu said. “It’s not like streetwear where waffle fries and customer service, Wu can’t you’re overpaying for anything. In terms decide which sandwich he likes better of this type of hype, it’s more of just the because of the pros and cons of each. atmosphere around the sandwich. People “I feel like [Popeyes] fried chicken is way aren’t paying triple the price of the original too crunchy, but the bread is really good,” sandwich as they do with overhyped Wu said. “The bread and the pickle and the clothing.” sauce was really good, but their chicken Wu also notes that there aren’t many was not that good. If they put the chicken negative effects to the Popeyes and Chickfrom the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich in fil-A rivalry, as it just gives another option

to consumers, as well as enjoyment from the many memes that came out of it.

“Half the posts I see on Instagram, I’m pretty sure [they’re] Photoshopped, but I find it pretty funny how in these memes, fast food restaurants are just taking shots at each other, like we saw it with McDonald’s and Burger King too, and now we’re seeing it [with] Popeyes and Chick-fil-A,” Wu said.

“I find it pretty entertaining how they’re just pointing out each other’s flaws.”

Awad agrees with Wu, believing that competition among the establishments allows for more options for consumers.

“I think it’s good that fast food companies are trying something new,” Awad said. “I mean, I don’t go to McDonald’s that much, but I always hear they’re coming out with something new every month. It’s not just staying stale at the same time. But then there are other companies like In-N-Out that just have [had] the same menu for so long. I think it’s good that they’re rivaling because then that just means more good food for us.” e

A & E | SEPTEMBER 2019

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1 2

3 4 1. The F-word: Failure 2. Birthright: Exploring political autonomy 3. Friendship: A closer look at what friendship

5

can entail 4. Leaders on the field 5. Behind the controller

ELESTOQUE.ORG EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

33

Sophomore Ashley Twu takes a shot against the Wilcox Chargers. MVHS wins 12-0.

PHOTO | SREYA KUMAR

DEFINING SUCCESS How teams measure their achievements besides winning

BY SOPHIA CHEN AND RUCHA SOMAN

I

n every sport, there are winners and losers. Those who compete usually have to score the most for their team in order to prove which competitors are the victors.

However, some people view competition dferently. As a member of the field hockey team, which has suffered more losses than wins in the past two years, junior Aarushi Agrawal considers joining the team as a blessing. Rather than defining the success of her team by their wins and losses, Agrawal chooses to use improvement as an alternative measure.

“I don’t really think [the] score is that important,” Agrawal said. “But I think we have a really strong team and we’re improving a lot, which is what matters in my opinion.”

As a member of the varsity golf team, senior Calton Kong doesn’t believe that the overall team score is significant, as participating in Central Coast Section (CCS) is usually determined by a person’s average score differential as opposed to the team’s record.

“Winning barely matters in golf,” Kong said. “Unless you’re first place, it’s only

34

EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

about how you [play], not about how you reason, she measures wins in a qualitative manner, looking at it in terms of hard work finish.”

However, to English teacher and girls and contributions to the game.

“I’m very proud of what we accomplished varsity basketball coach Sara Borelli, wins and losses matter. She believes that winning as a team ... play[ing] through every game, a game can boost the team’s morale, which com[ing] together and everybody do[ing] can carry over to future games. Similarly, a their part to win,” Borelli said. “That’s the greatest feeling. loss for the team Especially when feels like a lWoss of MVHS everybody scores, to her personally. students or almost everybody “I can’t sleep believe scores. That’s the at night [when the team loses],” that effort best win for me — is when everybody does Borelli said. “I and improvement are alternative well.” just [get] a wave Both Borelli and of emotions from measurements for success in Agarwal believe that being upset, team sports. the intense work ethic being hurt, *According to a survey of 235 students of play compensates disappointed, disappointed in myself. [I] just [keep] for the results of the game, acknowledging replaying the game ... I should’ve done that the score doesn’t always reflect the this, I should’ve subbed her in, I should’ve team’s overall effort.

“Everyone just wants to try their best taken her out.”

While Borelli believes that wins and on the field,” Agrawal said. “They lay it all losses have an impact on the team, she out on the field. They want to just go there. acknowledges that sometimes the team They want to be proud of what they did.” e loses even after giving it their best. For this

47%

out of action Football coach, admin and players reflect on the JV football team being cut and the potential long term effects

BY TABITHA MENDEZ, SWARA TEWARI AND LANCE TONG

A

lthough tradition holds that no American high school experience is complete without football, sophomore and varsity football player John Masegian believes that MVHS is an exception to that cultural norm. In his eyes, football culture is dying. Masegain’s father is a MVHS alumni, and he played on the football team throught his high school career.

Comparing his father’s stories about football to his current experience on the MVHS football team, Masegain belives the priorities of the student body have shifted; football simply isn’t important to the MVHS community anymore.

“Over time, as the area has changed, people are focused on other things,” Masegian said. “In [other places in the country], football is a very big thing, communities gather to go to football games — especially in high school. [But here], I really don’t think there’s a strong sense of community.”

MVHS’ football program has been on a clear downward trend for six years, according to the head coach of the varsity team Caesar Agront. Only 13 freshmen and sophomores were interested in joining the JV team this year. This ultimately led to the JV team beinWWg cut, as at least 20 players are necessary to field a team and avoid injuries.

Agront attributes the decline in football at MVHS to the lack of exposure students have to the sport in middle school. He believes that if students were introduced to it at a younger age, the football team would have greater numbers and more experience. “[The numbers] are probably dropping because they don’t have an outlet,” Agront said.

“Like Kennedy and Lawson don’t even have flag football things going on. That’s a huge problem.

You know, it’s just like, there’s no demand for [the sport in the community], it seems.”

PHOTO |TABITHA MENDEZ

SECTION | SEPTEMBER 2019

35

Freshman Greyson Mobley, who has PHOTO | COLLIN QIAN been playing football eight years prior to joining the MVHS team, attributes MVHS’s declining interest in football to the community prioritizing academics and other extracurriculars over sports.

He believes parents also discourage their kids from playing football due to the fear of concussions and other injuries.

“It’s really rare you get a concussion — I’ve been playing for eight years and still haven’t had a concussion,” Mobley said.

“I feel like it’s mostly the parents that are afraid [of injuries] or just want their kids to focus on school and get good grades.”

Although Agront believes that cutting the JV team primarily harms the football program, he acknowledges that having freshmen and sophomores play on the varsity team does have some benefits as the less experienced players will be challenged and able to train more rigorously. “[Only having a varsity team] is like a double edged sword,” Agront said. “It’s kind of like bittersweet because not having JV provides the numbers to the varsity, so there’s a lot of sophomores that can actually play on the varsity team. There’s Freshman Greyson Mobley pushes his way towards the goal. even a few freshmen that can. But the bad area that doesn’t include football players in other fall sports. He believes that in thing is, is whenever you get rid of a JV the rallies. If when you do a kickoff rally, you promotion, it is important to uplift the program, you kill your varsity program. So should include the football team — they entire athletic department. not many teams can hold on. At [MVHS], don’t do any of that. They’ll just like make “If we’re going to think about football, I think it’d be devastating, a little announcement. I think we also want to think about other honestly.”

It takes more than just programs,” Clausnitzer said. “We want to In terms of the number [ONLY HAVING A showing up to a game think about volleyball, water polo [and] of players, Masegian VARSITY TEAM] IS or signing a piece cross country, in terms of fall sports. [As understands the need to A DOUBLE EDGED of paper that allows we think] about how can we promote combine JV with varsity for a program to get athletics, I think you also need to talk about SWORD. IT’S due to the lack of numbers. funding.” all athletics.”

“You’ve got four or five BITTERSWEET Principal Ben Despite his hesitation in promoting freshmen that joined this BECAUSE NOT Clausnitzer is football alone, Clausnitzer explains that year — last year there were HAVING JV PROVIDES open to the idea of administration has taken several implicit eight or nine freshmen implementing more measures to boost the football program, joining [the MVHS football THE NUMBERS FOR spirit-related football including administration and athletic program],” Masegian said. VARSITY, SO THERES events, such as a short director Nick Bonacorsi emailing freshmen “Our team right now has A LOT OF SOPHMORES rally during brunch and sophomore students and their parents 25 [players], so if we had a game day on the rally directly about football and promoting JV, we would basically have ON THE TEAM. court stage to draw games with t-shirts and food. Additionally, everybody playing all the Bonacorsi has three planning periods in the COACH CEAZAR AGRONT attention to football. time.”

“I don’t know if it day to dedicate to the athletic program. In Another reason that would specifically be a the past, the athletic director only had one Agront believes that football is dying out at rally in the way that MV thinks of rallies,” planning period.

MVHS is due to the administration’s lack of Clausnitzer said. “What I think MV thinks When discussing factors for the JV initiative in promoting football and keeping of rallies, they think of Welcome Back football team being cut, Clausnitzer the program alive. He believes that the Rally, what I think [Agront] is kind of talking believes it is crucial to study the national football team should play a more active role about is a sports rally. Which I think is a trend, where he has noticed football slowly in rallies and other spirit events in order to little bit different. Could [we] do something diminishing. He emphasizes that this isn’t highlight the sport on campus. on Friday, before a game, during brunch, just a MVHS problem, but one with which “[There could be a huge difference] if outdoor on the rally court stage? That all football programs have been struggling. admin got behind it, and really pushed it in could be intriguing.”

“When you talk factors, I think you the announcements,” Agront said. “This is However, Clausnitzer is hesitant to have to talk about the trend nationally, the only school out of all the schools in the promote football, without also highlighting across the state, and then certainly locally

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

about the schools that might [be having] you get a lot of people in the crowd, when similar conversations to ours,” Clausnitzer you get people that probably want to get said. “Maybe that’s partially due to the more involved with the program. My JV concussion information that went undefeated, and has come out, and people it was like almost like a I THINK THAT IF are thinking about it, that decline in interest, which might be some of it, safety WE CAN GET A is dumb.” was probably a factor.”

Masegian agrees that TITLE THIS YEAR, Agront mentions that WE CAN KEEP THIS wins and losses determine though the school does school interest in a sport provide the team with PROGRAM GOING to some extent. If the funding, the amount they AND PEOPLE WILL team has an incredible receive to provide for the WANT TO BE ON season, he believes the large team is the same football program can THE TEAM. amount that goes to smaller eventually be revived. teams, which is not enough “I think that if we can JOHN MASEGIAN to help cover all the costs. get a title this year, we can The team resorts to fundraisers to make keep this program going and people will up for additional costs such as bus rides to want to be on the team,” Masegian said. away games.

“But if people don’t have the attitude that Agront is also unsure of why there isn’t MVHS is good at football, then [they] won’t appreciation for football on campus, as the want to be on the football team. I’ll be here JV team at MVHS last year was undefeated. next year. If we don’t win a title, there will Instead of earning a greater turnout, definitely be less hype, but I definitely think participation in football has significantly we can.” e dropped since last year.

“My JV team went undefeated last year,” Agront said. “And they say that winning is a great attraction, right? When

FOOTBALL BY THE NUMBERS

50%

of students think having a strong athletic community is important

22%

think having a strong football program is important at a high school

21%

think having a strong football program is not important at a high school *According to a survey of 296 MVHS students

PHOTO | STUTI UPADHYAY

The Monta Vista offensive line gets set to snap the ball against San Jose HS. SPORTS | SEPTEMBER 2019

37

RUNNING OUT OF TIME A football player’s opinion on the declining numbers of MVHS football and the temporary loss of the JV team

BY ANISH VASUDEVAN

A

t a whopping 90 pounds, I entered test before even trying out for a sport. This the MVHS team locker room on the season, our coach made it mandatory for first day of summer, a freshly minted us to wear padding over our helmets during high schooler. I was greeted by massive every practice to soften the impact of hits football players who each introduced to the head. Additionally, all helmets are themselves and welcomed me to sit down equipped with concussion monitors that beside them. Leaving the locker room that measure the level of impact and notify the day, I knew I had found a new family— athletic trainer of a substantial hit.

MVHS football.

Still, the most important — and yet However, the program that gave me overlooked — aspect of football is the a home four years and 60 exta pounds is sense of comradery that exists within a slipping away. team. Before our Every year, first game, we have I’ve seen the JV a ritual that the team struggle to seniors share why get numbers over they play football the summer and with the younger FROM THE barely field a team members of the FIELD in August. Now, team. The reasons that struggle is are diverse: some a harsh reality; ANISH VASUDEVAN play for deceased the junior varsity family members, team is dead. This some play to is supposed to be temporary, and we are escape life’s problems, some play to prove hopefully going to have a team by week bullies or doubters that they can succeed in five. But the fact that the numbers have the game. Whatever the reason, everyone reached such low level shows how the program’s future is in danger. Following this trajectory, there could very well be no varsity team next season.

During the incoming ninth grade information night last year, our team was able to get 20-30 incoming freshmen to sign up for football. We were ready to tackle the new season. But when we followed up with them over the summer, many of them stated their parents wouldn’t allow them to play, and as a result, there are currently only five freshmen in the program.

The reason why the initial 20-30 freshmen count dwindled down to five is plain and simple: the fear of concussions permeates the game of football like an invisible disease. This word evokes a sense of fear in people and creates a stigma that playing football automatically leads to concussions, which isn’t true.

What most members of the MVHS community don’t know is that the athletic staff has taken numerous steps to ensure the safety of players. Every potential athlete at MVHS has to take a concussion baseline PHOTO | ANKIT GUPTA

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EL ESTOQUE | SEPTEMBER 2019

on the team has a purpose. And we all play for each others purposes.

Hopefully I can inspire someone at MVHS to let go of their doubts and take up football. For those students who love playing football in the backyard or at a park with friends, MVHS football is for you. For those students who are unable to convince their parents to let them play, tell them about the safety measures in place.

For any speculative parents or students afraid of concussions, know that more concussions occur in girls’ soccer than in football, according to WebMD. As I leave the program and head off to college next year, I don’t want to see my second family disappear. Football is a tradition at MVHS that has lasted 50 years, and it should continue for the next 50. In order for this to happen, mindsets need to change, and the sport needs to be given the proper acknowledgement it deserves.

Football has changed my life, and I want the same for future MVHS students. e

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH ANUSHA POTHINENI

BY STUTI UPADHYAY

Senior Anusha Pothineni was always a tall kid.

Because of this, many people would suggest she play volleyball or basketball. Inspired by her cousin who also played volleyball, Pothineni eventually followed up on these suggestions in fifth grade.

As Pothineni began devoting more time and effort to the sport, she saw huge improvements in her game and gradually fell in love with volleyball.

Especially in regards to MVHS volleyball, Pothineni loves being able to play and make memories with people she would typically never interact with if she wasn’t playing a sport.

Earlier this year, Pothineni committed to playing Division 3 volleyball at New York University (NYU) next fall. NYU had always been Pothineni’s dream school because of its focus on both academics and sports, and she is extremely excited for her future.

Pothenini also remarks, however, that the process to get into NYU was anything but easy.

Throughout junior year, Pothinini would send college coaches emails every two weeks, updating them on her academic performance or sending them new volleyball videos — a time-consuming process. However, Pothineni claims it was all worth it when she got the offer from NYU, one she accepted without a second thought.

9’ 8’’

vertical jump

NYU commit

D3 volleyball

4

year varsity player

PHOTO | JUSTINE HA

SPORTS | SEPTEMBER 2019

39

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