Volume 45, Issue 8, May 20, 2015 by El Estoque

become a c officer [el estoque] ace an exam work on qu decs win done. ning talent show get first pla in powderp MONTA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL ELESTOQUE.ORG MAY 20, 2015 ISSUE VIII, VOLUME XLV

4 6

NEWS

4 6 8

OPINION Back to the beginning

Retiring multimedia teacher reflects on musical journey

Year in review Important events from the past school year revisted

Let’s talk about sex Out of the Blue

SPECIAL REPORT

2015 made it happen How the Class of 2015 individually and collectively grew and succeeded

10 11

13 14 22 23

Graduation attire

Expecting payment for caps and gowns is illegal

College numbers game

Statistics about colleges are misleading

Adaptation to evolution Students should realize the need for change and adapt

Taking the next step On higher ground

Late start New beginnings in the final year

Reflections Students share stories of overcoming hardships

The beginning or the end?

ale Barcellos and his wife Mar ily n went f rom tour ing the count r y with their band “T he Great Wiz ard” to t ak ing their t alent s to a new field: teaching. Dale ar r ived at M V HS in 2004 equipped with f resh teaching credentials and nearly 30 years of st age exper ience, but neither had quite prepared him for the 30 young faces that would look up at him on his first day — or rather, that were asleep on the desk s in f ront of him. T he change in tempo f rom one st age to the nex t was dramatic — a high scho ol is about as far as you can get f rom a nightclub — but he adjusted. A nd a few decades later, as you’ll find

on page 4, the jolly, iconic Multimedia teacher and his wife are ready for a final change: retirement. Change is not a four-let ter word, even though sometimes it seems like one — calling something a “change” can make it seem ter r if yingly abst rac t, something that should happen rather than something that is happening. Senior Ter r y Oh, feat ured on page 22, cer t ainly didn’t premedit ate his success at M V HS’ first bodybuilding tour nament: he st ar ted “casual lifting,” gradually increasing his weight s until he changed — physically and ment ally. Change is a lot like weight lifting:

you t ake ever y thing a day at a time like Oh did, adding and subt rac ting and balancing day by day. Change isn’t t angible while you’re living it, but event ually, we shift f rom casual lifters to powerlifters. A nd in the long ter m, especially as the graduating class, you’re forced to see the change, to look back and evaluate yourself. T hat’s when you realize how much more you can lift, or how much t aller you’ve got ten or how different you look since those br ight green braces f reshman year. But in that pro cess, you also see all the change you didn’t make. A nd that’s when the regret set s in. According to a EL ESTOQUE

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

A&E

16 19

20 24 27

SPORTS

15 from 2015 Seniors share plans for futures in the arts and entertainment industries

What to do in summer

Fun activities and ideas to experiment with over break

This is my swan song She’s the man

Statistically speaking

A profile of the Class of 2015 in numbers

Fraternal paths Identical twins discuss future separation from twin

sur vey of 509 senior responses, 53 percent wished they had “t r ied harder academically,” and 61 percent wished they had “t r ied harder so cially.” It’s hard to quantif y regret, but these st atistics reveal that a major it y of seniors regret missing that bir thday par t y or not going to see that movie or sk ipping Junior P rom because hey, they had to st udy. But the numbers also show that peop le wish they had st udied more, which makes us wonder, are we going to regret our choices no mat ter which path we cho ose? A nd most impor t antly, do es any of that mat ter? If change is an event, it’s too late. But if change really is day MAY 20, 2015

36 38 39

Pause to play Seniors destress with intramural sports

Virtually the same

Contrasting sports and their video game counterparts

Everyone’s a winner Rookie of the year

What’s in your bag?

Baseball junior Matthew Hui hidden equipment

How did you #makeithappen?

Senior columns

What role did you play in the Class of 2015? El Estoque seniors reflect and impart advice

by day, something that happens rather than something that has happened, then it really isn’t. So to that 61 percent and that 53 percent of seniors, and ever yone else who might fit into that categor y, here’s today. A s cliche as that sounds, these nex t t wo week s might be your last chance to spend time with the people you grew up with in the place you grew up in. Or these nex t t wo week s might be your last chance to ace a final, to make up that quiz. It may not seem like a lot of time for more than half of seniors to suddenly become satisfied with their so cial and academic lives, but if you t ur n those t wo

Editors-in-Chief: Alina Abidi, Kristin Chang Managing Editors: Maya Murthy, Malini Ramaiyer, Sharon Tung, Vanessa Qin Copy Editor: Sanjana Murthy Webmaster: Varsha Venkat News Editors: Avni Prasad, Caitlyn Tjong Sports Editors: Pranav Iyer, Kalpana Gopalkrishnan, Aditya Pimplaskar Entertainment Editors: Neha Patchipala, Anushka Tyagi Opinion Editors: Pranav Jandhyala, Emily Zhao Special Report Editors: Trisha Kholiya, Anjana Melvin, Mingjie Zhong Beats Editors: Aditi Desai, Dylan Tsai Visuals Editor: Justin Kim Business Editors: Sarah Weinberg Staff Writers: Ashmita Chakraborty, Brandon Chin, Nathan Desai, Brian Fan, Daniel Fernandez, Rahul Iyer, Elliot Ki, Christine Liang, Rhonda Mak, Gabriella Monico, Vishal Nagar, Colin Ni, Amol Pande, Sarah Ramos, Lydia Seo, Harini Shyamsundar, Joshua Tsuei, Varsha Venkat, Jady Wei, Yifei Wu, Kathleen Yuan Adviser: Michelle Balmeo Credits Some images in this publication were taken from the stock photography website sxc.hu. Mission Statement El Estoque is an open forum created for and by students of Monta Vista High School. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the journalism staff and not of Monta Vista High School or the Fremont Union High School District. The staff seeks to recognize individuals, events, and ideas and bring news to the MVHS community in a manner that is professional, unbiased, and thorough in order to effectively serve our readers. We strive to report accurately, and we will correct any significant error. If you believe such an error has been made, please contact us. Letters of any length should be submitted via email or mail. They may be edited for length or accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion. We also reserve the right to reject advertising due to space limitations or decision of the Editorial Board that content of the advertisement conflicts with the mission of the publication.

week s into a ser ies of days, who k nows? T here might be a pur ple and gold powerlifting medal somewhere out there with your name on it. a.abidi@elestoque.org | k.chang@elestoque.org

ALINA ABIDI AND KRISTIN CHANG LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

ack to the Begin W

e met right there,” ar t and multimedia teacher Dale Barcellos said as he pointed to his living room. In that same space, decades ago, two young musicians sang their first song together. Years later they would find themselves together again, married and lounging on the patio outside. “Look at how far we’ve come,” Barcellos said with a smile. Dale and his wife Marilyn have been in sync since the moment they met. Their musical success, twin teaching careers and joint retirements were carried out in harmony. With a history spanning decades and a story captured in over 4000 photos, the idea that their relationship stemmed from an exaggeration strikes a chord. The two met when Dale’s cousin, Douglas Guilbert, spun a promising story about Marilyn to disguise his desperate need for a ride to San Jose. Dale obliged,

Family Reunion

‘86 “We were at a family funct ion. I just barely re member that it was a picture my m om took.”

but not without skepticism. “‘Oh, she loves music and she is really into guitars and loves sports cars,’ Doug told me,” Dale said. “Of course, it was total crap. He had no idea.” Regardless, Dale took his cousin to a quaint home in the middle of Campbell. There he would find that every bent truth his cousin fabricated was a hard fact. Marilyn walked out in an old sweatshirt covered in paint and torn Levi’s jeans. At 18 years old, she was an artist, a musician and the host of a sandal workshop where she would teach customers how to make sandals from leather in four hours. Later that night, he picked up his guitar and sang folk style songs by the band “Peter, Paul and Mary.” “It was magic,” Dale said. “Our voices fit together like a glove.” So began the light rock and soul band known as “The Great Wizard.” Though the band would fluctuate in size, Dale and Mar-

all american college talent show ‘68

“Marilyn was in college. We figured that was close enough. We sang a song called “Flowers on the wall”

ilyn were always at the heart — an everlasting duet. In towns across the country and occasionally upon the stage of nationally televised channels, “The Great Wizard” left a magical legacy spanning 27 years. It was all uphill from there. Fancy hotels were hollering for them months in advance. Weekends were filled with music festivals and gigs. Even the Capitol Hill White House staff was present in the audience once. But slowly the tempo of a professional musician became too swift. Dale and Marilyn eventually settled down and their other interests, namely teaching, took a greater part in their minds. When the final curtain closed at the end of their national tour, they agreed to depart their act and began a new kind of performance. Over the course of the next few years, Dale would both learn and teach as he familiarized himself with the multimedia design and earned his teaching credentials. Marilyn went to teach at West-

Touring in ‘74

“The Great Wizard with Pat Donahue, a famous musician on NPR. This was one of our last bands.”

EL ESTOQUE

Ending his career at MVHS , art and multimedia teacher Dale Barcellos tells one last story

nning

mont High School and Dale found his home at MVHS. “When I first went into teaching,” Dale said, “I said to myself, ‘You have 27 years of experience on stage. This should be easy.’” But by the first day, he realized that the job would be far from easy. Dale dreamed of the moment he would walk into MVHS’ portable four on the first day of class in 2004. Apparently, it was a dream for the students, too. They were sleeping in his class. “It suddenly dawned on me,” Dale said, “and I am going [gasp]. These kids don’t want to be here! This is not like a night club at all!” One by one, the students piled into his classroom, slumped down and drifted into lazy conversation or slumber. Dale was stunned, and it would take him four to five years to accept this kind of audience. “When I stopped giving kids grades,

BY BRANDON CHIN AND AVNI PRASAD PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION OF DALE BARCELLOS

I had to find another way to keep the kids going down the road, since I gave up my only lever of power,” Dale said. “I had to become more of an entertainer.” While some students slept, others were inspired by the man who carried a song in his heart. Dale not only served as a multimedia and art teacher, but as an adviser, a friend and confidant to his students. “He’s a different kind of teacher,” sophomore Varun Sachdeva said. “He’s very lenient and connected with the students. You can tell him anything you want to.” Dale and Marilyn tried to maintain their musical life over the course of the time, but now, as they steer close to 70 years, they find it hard to find the energy for both teaching and music. When Dale and Marilyn signed their retirement papers this year, they were sad but optimistic to return to their world of songs. Though they have no intentions of playing professionally,

the duo anticipates the familiar warmth from friends and band members they had befriended over the course of their lives. Back on the patio Dale and Marilyn reminisced of the years they spent together. All around them lies the mementos of the previous decades, from instruments to collectibles and photographs to memories. One of their greatest achievements however will not be stored in a box but within the privileged students and acquaintances of the musical duo. Dale and Marilyn will retire after the 2015 school year but their song will echo in the minds of their hundreds of previous students. As Dale began to sing “The Ballad of the Greenland Whalers,” the song that sparked their connection all those years ago, Marilyn jumps in with perfect harmony. In 49 years they have not missed a beat. And in that sense the duo will always be on tour. b.chin@elestoque.org | a.prasad@elestoque.org

sunlight basin ‘88

“The Rocky Mountains were like a character in our life.”

MAY 20, 2015

California ‘13

“It’s called the ‘Brotherhood of the Boat’ boat where some of my students would come after they graduate.”

yn ‘13 Dale and Masrbilee n wonderful.

“Teaching ha but I know I’m I love the kids, .” something else moving on to

NEWS

Implementation of Google technologies (student mail accounts and chromebooks)

“Footloose” musical

The school created and issued Google mail accounts to all students and made chromebooks available for use in the classroom. The accounts and chromebooks allow special access to resources and applications, such as Google Classroom.

Drama’s production “Footloose” was the first musical in several years and combined dance and song numbers. Neha Patchipala | El Estoque

Code Red protocol expanded to “Run, Hide, Defend”

Vallco Mall redevelopment controversy

Justin Kim | El Estoque

FUHSD implemented a more situation-oriented safety protocol to allow for apt decisions depending upon the emergency situation.

Sand Hill Property Co. purchased the land on which Vallco Mall stands to redevelop the venue as a complex of residences, stirring controversy, prompting residents to gather in a rally to express dissent.

MV Chess Club team wins national championship The chess team was named first place in the U.S. Chess Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, winning seven rounds in three days.

Boys soccer made CSS Under the leadership of new coach Patrick Lowney, the boys soccer team made CCS for the first time in 17 years.

MV Hackathon

Christine Liang | El Estoque

Mr. and Ms. Body bodybuilding tournament

Brandon Chin | El Estoque

Elia Chen | El Estoque

MVHS hosted its first bodybuilding competition on April 11. Fifteen contestants horsed around, posed, oiled themselves and showcased their physical prowess for the three titles of ‘Best Upper Body,’ ‘Best Lower Body’ and ‘Best Technique.’

MV Technovation hosted MV Hacks as a way to boost girls’ interest in technology. The competition was open to students of both genders and of all skill levels. It included guest speakers, challenges and a technology bar.

Smarter Balanced Assessment California issued a new form of digital standardized testing designed to better reflect Common Core standards and evaluate students’ college readiness for California State Universities. A practice test had been administered the year before. EL ESTOQUE

Bike accident and death of sophomore Ethan Wong A passing truck hit and killed sophomore Ethan Wong as he biked to school on the morning of Oct. 27, and the school held a candlelit vigil to commemorate a son, friend, classmate and fellow student.

Justin Kim | El Estoque

SUMMER FALL WINTER SPRING

YEAR IN

REVIEW BY CAITLYN TJONG

As the school year draws to an end and summer approaches, we look back upon 15 of its most joyful, triumphant, tragic and memorable events, the big and little things that define the 2014-2015 year and make it unforgettable. c.tjong@elestoque.org

MAY 20, 2015

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NEWS

Let’s talk about sex!

Poking the holes in an abstinence-only sexual education

t’s that time of year again — that super special time when every freshman sits down in their stone-cold seats and is told about the facts of life, the miracle of birth and also where exactly the condoms are located at CVS. Oh, Sex Ed. Where would we be without you? I realize that was meant as a rhetorical question, but I actually have an answer this time. So if any of you were wondering why you need to know about those STIs and UTIs and the differences between outercourse and intercourse, the answer is actually rather simple: chlamydia. Now, for those of us who preferred to pass the Sex Ed. quiz and retroactively remove all memory of it, chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is the most common Sexually Transmitted Infection in the U.S. It infects about one million people in the country every year. It is easily cured with antibiotics, but can cause serious reproductive and other health problems when left untreated. Currently, it’s making the rounds in a Texas school district with an abstinence-only Sex Ed. program. An abstinence-only program is, of course, one in which absolutely no education takes place because the teacher is only allowed to speak on the horrors of sexual contact and the sanctity of the female chastity. ....there’s a certain saying about Karma and what she is that is unusually appropriate in this context. The point is, that regardless of levels of shame and circles of hell, I know what a condom is. I know why I should use one every time I have sex until I have talked with my partner about exclusivity, both of us have been tested and I am using contraceptives (Thanks, Ms. Lerner). I was given 9

enough knowledge to make informed decisions about how I live my life as well as the steps I need to take in order to stay as safe as possible.

what was happening and what chlamydia is. I realized that in an abstinence-only school, that letter might have been the first time the school broached the topic of STIs, though again not in front of those actually involved. To put this in terms I’m sure we’ll all understand: “OMG, so there’s like a ton of people catching the flu, and they’re super sick. Make sure your kid doesn’t get sick!!!! Oh and btw, we’re not going to teach your kids about the flu or how they can get it or anything, because that’s just gr0ss and....like totes a job for u parents and all we can say is that people shouldn’t like... sneeze. but yeah. Flu. yeah. Baaaaaaaad!!!! Not gonna teach about it, nope, tho maybe we should talk about sneezing again. Anyways make SURE y’alls kids STAY SAFE but DONT tell them we Told YOu bc what is safety even?!?!” Sounds ridiculous? So does Vishal Nagar | El Estoque Illustration abstinence-only education. The evidence is very clear. Schools that teach students how to be safe when having do not require sex rather than just telling them not to do it are very obviously sex education in their schools the ones doing the most good. *According to the Guttmacher Institute What happened in Texas is not only believable, it’s pretty much the only possible outcome in a situation where young and horny teenagers who are sciOUT OF THE BLUE entifically proven to make poor and reckless decisions are sent out into the arms of each other without any knowledge about Clearly, that is not true for everyone else how not to contract STIs. So yes, Sex Ed. might have been “So Emin this country of ours. It’s funny, but the thing about that school district in Texas that barassing”, but apparently it could have been hit me hardest is that when officials were in- much worse. You know, we could have chlamydia. formed, they sent out a letter to parents (still not talking to the actual students!) about

56%

of states

MAYA MURTHY

m.murthy@elestoque.org

EL ESTOQUE

OPINION

To comply with California law, MVHS should provide caps and gowns free of cost to all seniors

Gradu ation, Only $ 26

t Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, California, a graduation ceremony takes place. Students wear blue caps and gowns, all in perfect uniformity. A similar scene will take place at MVHS on June 5, with purple and white caps and gowns each occupying their respective halves of the football field. However, there will be one notable difference: at the high school in Elk Grove, none of the students had to pay for their caps and gowns. The high school’s policy of providing free rentals of caps and gowns to all students who request it has spread throughout the state of California in recent months. Due to the court case Doe v California, the law that prohibits students in public schools to be charged for school fees has been strengthened. In this 2012 case the Supreme Court of California ruled that students cannot be charged any kind of educational fees. MVHS, however, is one of the schools that is not transparent in its compliance to the law. Recent activism in response to this influential case has further reinforced education code section 49010-49013, which claims that “pupil fees” are illegal in public schools. According to the law, a pupil fee is “a purchase that a pupil is required to make to obtain materials, supplies, equipment, or uniforms associated with an educational activity.” Graduation, incuding the ceremony, is considered an “educational activity.” At MVHS, seniors are required to wear their caps and gowns in order to attend graduation, which costs each senior $26. According to Calvin Wong, there is financial assistance offered to those who need it and seek it out, much like financial aid at college, but most seniors are expected to purchase their graduation attire. In essence, this policy makes caps and gowns the cost to graduate from high school. In order to comply with the law, MVHS should allow students to rent caps and gowns 10

BY GABRIELLA MONICO

Your Graduation Receipt

f o r free regardless of financial situation. This should be a transparent process that all students are aware of. Administration needs to provide a request form for the free rental of a cap and gown in the purchase packets for the garments. Either that or the school should not require caps and gowns to be worn at graduation, for that would be in violation of the law. And it’s easy to say that a graduation fee is not an issue at MVHS because it is commonly believed that students can easily afford the nominal $26 for their cap and gown. Regardless of the validity of this generalization, the principle of the matter has not been addressed. The problem is not the financial burden the fee imposes, but the fact that MVHS is technically in violation of the law. No excuse is valid enough to negate following the law because it is meant to be applied regardless of affluence. A public school is under the domain of the government and financial status does not change this. Whether a school is in South Central LA or Beverly Hills, caps and gowns should be offered to rent for free. And for that matter, all materials deemed necessary for class at a public school should be provided on a needblind basis. This includes loaning out graphing calculators for the year or providing all books required in higher level literature courses without pressuring students to purchase them themselves. As a public school if we have the means to make students’ educational experience as free of financial burdens as possible, we should take it. If students want to purchase their own materials so they can keep them for future use that’s their prerogative, but it should never be the only option for anyone. g.monico@elestoque.org

Sharon Tung | El Estoque Illustration

EL ESTOQUE

OPINION

THE

nine to twenty-eight. That’s in an attempt to avoid the devastation of not getting into a “good” college and having to attend a backup school. It’s this fear that drives acceptance rates so low. More and more students are applying to more and more colleges. But there are only so many spots available. The popularization of the Common Application, which makes it far easier to apply to different universities, has largely contributed to this problem. The U.S. World and News Report states that the efficiency and standardization of college applications has influenced students to apply to more schools. It’s a feedback loop. Students see low admissions rates in top colleges and apply to more colleges to cushion a rejection letter they predict they will get. But this just increases the applicant pool and again, lowers the admission rate. The admission rate of a certain college is not so much dictated by how selective it is or how many qualified applicants there are. Rather, it’s shaped more by the amount of applicants, applicants who are deceived by statistics. But there’s another reason. Colleges are recruiting more applicants just to reject them. David Hawkins, executive director of education content and policy at the NACAC, reports that colleges recruit and email many students with marketing techniques, then turn most of them down. This benefits colleges because their admission rates decrease, making them seem prestigious and distinguished. Washington Monthly reports that Northeastern university in Boston sends a l - most 200,000 personalized letters to high school students each year, making it seem like students are personally wanted. Nearly 50,000 students applied to Northeastern for 2,800 spots in the fall 2014 class—a ratio of 18 applicants per admittance. This factor also contributes to the feedback loop. People are swayed by college advertisements and apply to more schools. This, again, lowers the admission Sharon Tung| El Estoque Illustration

numbers

GAME College statistics can be misleading

ive percent of applicants were accepted by Stanford University last year. Compare that to seven percent in 2012 and 13 percent in 2005. This trend doesn’t only apply to Stanford — schools such as Harvard, UC Berkeley and Princeton are following suit. It has never been harder to get into the nation’s top colleges. Many think that there are more qualified high school students applying to college each year. Others believe that colleges are becoming increasingly selective. The underlying reason, however, is that the number of people applying to individual colleges is consistently expanding, making the proportion of the number admitted to the number applied smaller. With this is in mind, we should realize that admission rates don’t tell the whole story. They can be misleading. We are all aware of these record-low admission rates. What is a growing complication, however, is that students resort to applying to more colleges as a result. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling from 1990 to 2012, the percentage of students applying to seven or more colleges increased from 11

COLLEGE

ADMISSION

EL ESTOQUE

rates and repeats the cycle. So when all of these factors propel us to increase the number of colleges we apply to, we are taken advantage of. Money becomes an imminent concern. Schools profit immensely off of students who wish to apply. According to the U.S. News and World Report, the average cost of applying to a single college is about $40. If students apply to 25 colleges, they will have spent on average $1,000. Money is yet another number to consider when applying to colleges. Numbers can deceive us, so understanding what statistics really show about colleges can assist in the efficiency of college applications. When students look to quantify the educational worth of a college, they look at admission rates, average GPA and SAT, and national ranking rather than the faculty to staff ratio, the size of the campus, the amount of individual attention received from professors or internship or research opportunities. In a survey of MVHS seniors,

representing rejected and admitted students. Throughout the college application proSuddenly, we feel a glimmer of hope. We see cess, it’s important to understand your pera marvelous green dot aligned almost personal portfolio when applying to specific fectly with our own statistics. After a period colleges. Know that admission rates don’t of excitement, we add a prestigious univer- correlate with the number of qualified applisity to our college list, thinking we have a cants. Know that a green dot on Naviance chance. Some, perhaps five percent, do get doesn’t guarantee anything. in, but let’s be realistic for a minute. Most It’s important to evaluate the validity of don’t. these numbers and decisions made in reAnd even those who appear to be the sponse to them. Numbers tell many stories. most ideal applicants —students that have Let’s not let numbers take advantage of us. earned a 4.0 GPA or 2400 on the SAT, are often rejected. Even though a college’s average GPA may match up with ours, nothing is guaranteed. The numbers are not conclusive. There are so many factors involved in getting in from vs. how many grammatical mistakes you made According to Ivywise in your essay to what you wore to the interview to your race and religion and even your parents’ occupations. The truth is that no one knows the exact requirements to get into a certain college. There are certain courses of action one may take to HARVARD increase their chances of admission, but in the end, it’s essential to realize that college admissions are not a straightforward. STANFORD OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE There are 2,364 colleges in the U.S. Each of EDITORIAL BOARD them are unique, catering MASSACHUSETTS to the needs of very parINSTITUTE OF ticular sets of students. TECHNOLOGY when applying to colleges, 11 percent con- The best fit for a top student may not be the sidered internship or research opportunities, Harvards or Stanfords of the world. These six percent considered campus size and five are the kinds of details that cannot be quanpercent considered faculty to staff ratio. tified. Finding what colleges are suitable for Furthermore, applying to college is a us particularly is a long process that requires numbers game from our side as well. We attention to much more than just should use numbers as a conscience in col- numbers. lege applications and be realistic. CollegexWe are being misled by colBERKELEY press, an educational publisher, states that a leges’ statistics. But more than challenging high school curriculum, grades anything, we are misled by their and SAT or ACT scores are the top three perceived importance. We live in things colleges look at. an age of impatience, an age in which we These numbers are directly offered can harness a world of information at our through our Naviance accounts. At the begin- fingertips. It is extremely easy to assign ning of everyone’s freshman year at MVHS, numbers and ranking systems to students are given a Naviance account. Not a complicated process, but this until junior year are students required to log- often hinders personal progresUNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA in to Naviance and do an activity in which sion and evaluation. Personal rethey examine average SAT scores and GPAs search to discover the underlying of certain colleges. We’ve all done the same statistics of colleges is exthing at one point: search up Stanford, Har- tremely useful, regardless vard or any one of the nation’s top colleges of where one applies. to see how we compare. We open up the graph and we are immediately overwhelmed by an array UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN of red and green dots,

ACCEPTANCE RATES 2005 2015 5%

13%

STAFF EDITORIAL

16%

17%

27%

18%

27%

32%

63%

MAY 20, 2015

Adaptation to Evolution Students should recognize, adapt in response to necessary change BY SANJANA MURTHY

MAY 20, 2015

34%

were initially uncomfortable with the construction of the new cafeteria

were initially uncomfortable with the use of Chromebooks in class

38%

84%

were initially uncomfortable with the Smarter Balanced test

Michael Tannoia | Noun Project

That’s the number of hours we will have spent in high school by the time we graduate. In that time, we would like to think that we have made an impact, that when we leave, we will have left the school different from the way it was when we first arrived. To do so, we, as a school and as a community, should aim not only to recognize the need for change and adaptation, but also to have the proper attitude while implementing it. In this year alone, MVHS has experienced an overwhelming amount of change throughout all aspects of the school. From the opening of the new cafeteria in April 2014 to the increase in Chromebook use in literature and social studies classes in August 2014 and the continued implementation of Smarter Balanced Testing in April 2015, this year has been eventful, to say the least. Some of these changes were met with approval, while others were met with strong opposition, but that’s completely natural and should not prevent the school and its students from advocating change. A study conducted by Arizona State University states that any type of change introduced in schools is often met with resistance and is doomed to fail at first due to what is known as school culture, or the set of norms, values and beliefs that make up the persona of the school. The study observed that school administrators often fear making changes, worrying that attempting to alter the school culture will be met with opposition. It’s saddening to think that such a fear has the power to get in the way of those looking to make a change when in reality, the possibility of resistance should be the last thing on their minds. To prevent this, it is essential that we are willing to adapt in response to the environment and conditions around us. Just as populations evolve and acquire certain traits by adapting to changing circumstances, we, as a school, should also attempt to redefine ourselves, step out of our comfort zone and be open to the previously unfamiliar. Our biggest fear should be the possibility of remaining constant and un-

Joel Bryant | Noun Project

4,100.

Reactions to this year’s changes

*based on a survey of 244 people Edward Boatman | Noun Project

changing, rather than the possibility of having to make a difficult adjustment. Douglas Reeves, a nationally acclaimed education author, writes in a study that in order for a change in schools to have a positive impact, those involved need to believe that said change could have a positive effect. Without faith in the potential benefits of change, no attempt will ever find prolonged success. He also explains that school culture is not a static entity — rather, it is constantly being shaped through interactions with others and the surrounding environment, meaning that cultural change is not only favorable, but also necessary for the prosperity and growth of the school. So before complaining about how construction causes heavy traffic or how a change in standardized testing is messing up the schedule, we should first try to to consider the impact of the change with regard to its intended effects. Rather than becoming complacent and assuming that our school is fine the way it is, we need to keep an open mind, thus fostering the right environment

for change and allowing the process to occur as smoothly as possible. An essay written by professors at Princeton University titled The Role of School and Culture suggests that the purpose of high school is, essentially, to prepare students for the terrifying, and at times nightmare-inducing, “real world.” And in the real world, if anything is guaranteed, it’s that nothing ever remains constant. We need to be able to adapt to a changing culture if we are ever to adapt to a changing world. By recognizing when change is required early on and then reacting to that change in an appropriate manner, we will not only make a significant impact on the school, but also prepare ourselves for what is to come in the future. Change is important, but being willing to adapt and having the right attitude towards change is just as, and perhaps even more, valuable. We have 4,100 hours. Don’t waste any more. s.murthy@elestoque.org

OPINION

Taking the next step In light of the Baltimore riots, I reflect on my experience writing

Mingjie Zhong | El Estoque

hen I first heard the news regarding the Baltimore r iot s, I felt a distinc t sense of familiar it y. T he Ferguson r iot s last year had several underlying conditions in common with the latest example of police br utalit y. Both involved alleged police mistreatment of black suspec t s. Both resulted in a ser ies of protest s, with several individuals resor ting to violence. Both renewed discussions surrounding relations bet ween our citizens and police force. And both held the media’s at tention for a long time. Yet in one way, the situation in Baltimore is completely unlike the situation in Ferguson. W hile violence broke out in both locations to a great extent, in a legal sense the situations ended differently. In Ferguson, a grand jur y found no cause for a tr ial regarding the death of Michael Brown. In Mar yland, the distr ic t at tor ney charged six Baltimore cit y police BREAKING NEWS officers, with charges ranging from second—degree depraved hear t murder to voluntar y manslaughter. T he officers now await tr ial. It’s good to finally see those responsible for enforcing the law held accountable for break ing it. Since this is my last column, I feel a strong compulsion to retrospec t: to look back and analyze my ON HIGHER GROUND effor t s over the past year. All of my previous columns covered major geopolitical litical event s and br inging them into the event s, with bit s of personal nar rative student consciousness. I was always uninterspersed. All of my previous colder the impression that I would be dediumns covered major relevant issues at cating the major it y of my time toward the time and cr iticized gover nment and this goal. news media ac tion when it seemed inBut in this case, I was w rong. adequate. All of my previous columns, None of my political stor ies score in a sense, were exac tly what I imagined among my favor ites. T hat honor goes to jour nalism to be like when I joined in the time when I covered a professional my junior year. video game player as a spor t s w r iter. To I was always under the impression the time when I covered the losing team that I would end up cover ing major po-

POLICE IN JAIL

hopeful for a new season. To when I covered ordinar y MVHS student s and their plans for summer. All of those stor ies are my favor ites. And the reason is simple: in all of these cases, in all of these stor ies, I did something new, something exciting, something challenging. I had to inter view obviously reticent subjec t s. I had to expose sensitive infor mation. I had to do new and difficult things, and it was an incredibly rewarding lear ning exper ience. Jour nalism has ser ved as a wonder ful tool for me and societ y because it’s jour nalism that br ings at tention to stor ies like the Mar yland case, that helps keep the power ful in check when they abuse the powerless. But what makes the Mar yland case different from the cases of police br utalit y in times past is in the Mar yland case — while r ioting did ensue — the distr ic t attor ney took the initiative to punish the police officers involved. And that’s definitely a step in the r ight direc tion, something that indicates that our system is changing in a meaningful way, and we jour nalist s should commend that. But I think not enough people value another aspec t of jour nalism: as a valuable tool for explorative, hands—on lear ning. It’s helped me build my cr itical think ing sk ills, speak ing sk ills, discussion sk ills, and (hopefully) my w r iting sk ills, while cover ing issues I would have previously deemed mundane. In light of the cases I have covered, and for future abuses of power to come, I’ll need these analy tical sk ills. I’ll need those speak ing sk ills. I’ll need those discussion sk ills. Because in a world so turbulent, I’m happy I’m going to leave A111 ready for it all.

PRANAV PARTHASARATHY

p.parthasarathy@elestoque.org

EL ESTOQUE

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15 from

A&E

Seniors share their plans for the future in

SANJNA BHARADWAJ | Illustration

[Art in high school] opened up a lot of opportunities for me, and through the art department here, I got more into it and hopefully will be a visual development artist for animation companies.

BY CHRISTINE LIANG, NEHA PATCH PHOTOS BY JUSTIN KIM AND M

AKSHAY SAVALE | Acting and dancing

I don’t see myself doing a daily job like in an office or doing something very smartsy. I would rather do something in the arts that makes me happy.

LINDSY TENG | Illustration

Being around other people that did art as well inspired me to follow art and do my best. Mainly its been traditional work like painting, but I also do digital things and that’s what I plan to go into.

I’ ti in lo la

ANOOSHA BAXI | Grap

My actual major is call Communications Design, I want to do is Interacti which is designing inte software to make it us

R.J. SIU | Film

I decided to vlog every day for a year and have made it to about 600 days. Art is not very common at MVHS and to bet your whole life on pursuing that sounds crazy, but if you really believe you can do something and you are willing to go through all the people saying “Are you sure?”, then you can go far.

JANICE GHO | Music

I started piano way back in elementary school and only picked up the bass about 4 and a half years ago and I’ve been playing [it] ever since. My [proudest moment] was my last performance with NYO USA at the Walt disney concert hall in LA. The feeling of being with everybody on stage for the last time was a really great experience.

JOHNATHAN LI | Music

I will probably continue with music in college, but majoring in music in general is hard, and on top of that to be a tuba player in the music world is even harder, because in any given orchestra there’s only 1 spot open. I feel like if I say that I’m nervous, I’ll jinx myself. I’m not nervous yet. 16

ALVIN CHEONG | Singing

Before freshman year, I used to only sing in church, but after I joined choir I realized that I really liked performing. Through joining choir at Monta Vista it kind of sparked a new passion for me. EL ESTOQUE

om ‘15

LIONOR VARGAS | Fashion

The show Project Runway sparked my interest, [and] Fashion Club really helped me grow and learn and Art classes also introduced me to details of being in this field. .

re in the entertainment industry

ATCHIPALA AND ANUSHKA TYAGI ND MALINI RAMAIYER ERIC XU | Film

Freshman year I started REX Productions. We’ve been doing narrative films, music videos with local artists, competitive videos, promotional videos. My plan is to find people with resources that can help me build recognition at things like film festivals.

SCARLETT PERRY | Singing

I’m looking into recording, or maybe just getting gigs in the LA area. Also I’m interested in potentially pursuing music therapy or I’m looking into research with how music is related to helping patients with dementia.

| Graphic design

called Graphic esign, but what eractions Design interfaces and it user friendly.

ADITI SOIN | Theater

I’ve been involved with drama since freshman year and at this point, [my proudest moment was our student produced play], because this is the only play where we’re completely in charge.

MEGAN CHANDLER | Theater

I have a lot of artists in my family and it was always the norm to [be an artist]. I know that I want to put on shows, direct and work with a wide variety of artists.

NATASHA JOMA | Singing

After all of these years of wanting to [be a singer] I can’t even think of anything else that I want to do with my life. It’s a tricky thing to go into but it’s what I’ve always wanted.

SAMANTHA SHEIH | Illustration

[I decided to] pursue art as a career [when art teacher Brian] Chow invited an alumni and I was really inspired after seeing her success in illustration. I would like to be working in film or television or video games. MAY 20, 2015

c.liang@elestoque.org | n.patchipala@ elestoque.org | a.tyagi@elestoque.org

THIS IS MY SWAN SONG Advance apologies for nostalgia and dumb jokes

i! If you’re reading this, it’s probably because our eHarmony roommate questionnaire matched us and you’re trying to gauge how the next eight months with me are going to play out. (Or you’re reading this for kicks and giggles, because I have this weird interest in publishing what I write.) I think the fact that I circled around this column serves as a testament to my inability to acknowledge events that will force me to open the next door of my life. I procrastinate on rather important things, and I have two speeds for schoolwork: I’ll complete it before it’s even assigned, or I’ll never ever do it. (I have clearly mastered school.) I hope I haven’t scared you away. Sometimes new roommates come with warning labels and instructions for care, but I like to think of myself as more of a cactus: small and easy to care for, but if you get too close I’ll stab you. I’m just kidding. Kind of. I have never been able to successfully sum myself up in one word. Or one sentence, for that matter, but now I have the opportunity (real estate-wise) to fill an entire page with explanations and justification as to why I turned out the way I am today. As far as you’re concerned, my first few years of high school never happened, and I apologize in my head constantly to all of those souls that knew me during that phase. I distinctly remember feeling ridiculously awkward in my white cheerleading uniform while watching the students I thought were totally prepared for high school silently panic. Then again, I think it’s a collective feeling at this point that everyone cringes at the thought of their freshman-year self. Now an almost-freshman again, I laugh at anyone who tells me college “isn’t as scary as it seems,” because everyone who told me high school wasn’t scary was very, very wrong. Since my mom will no longer be the primary recipient of my whining and complaining next year, you’re going to hear all the things that drove me insane in high school. Here’s the thing,— when my mom habitually asks me, “How was school?” I conveniently forget all the good things — the Oreos we

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

MAY 20, 2015

ate in Stats, the brain we dissected in physio, the pretty poster we made in Leadership and the barista who gave me a discount on my drink since I see him basically every day. Instead, I tell her about all the stuff that ticked me off, made my skin crawl and motivated me to stand up and walk out of class. Because while good stuff happens every day, I will only tell her about the frustrating things since those are always on my mind. I am an inevitable product of my high school, and I feel as if I should let you know some of the quirks and foibles that come with this particular MVHS (almost) alumnus. I hope you haven’t heard this too

SARAH RAMOS SHE’S THE MAN

often, but I am obsessed with perfection to the point where I procrastinate because I’m afraid the job I do will not be perfect enough. I am programmed to get straight A’s, and I am so sorry if you find me sobbing over a B-. I’m not an athlete or a performer, so I feel proud of myself for stupid things like finishing my homework before 6 p.m. or writing a paper really fast. I hope you’re a heavy sleeper because sometimes I’ll wake up at 3 a.m. with profound ideas and write like I’m Hemingway (when I really sound like Junie B. Jones), but my bedtime is also 10 p.m. so be prepared for that. I blame my friends for many of my unexpected quirks and interests. Most of my friendships are unlikely — I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “I would never expect you guys to be friends!” Because of that, my music ranges from big band songs that are three times my age to ratchet rap music I can spit as if I didn’t grow up in one of the most sheltered cities in the country. Some of my favorite memories from MVHS happened in someone’s car, getting to know my friends a little better through my and their music tastes. I also blame my friends for altering my sense of humor into words that make absolutely no sense and deformed cartoon caricatures. Hopefully wet bread doesn’t make you throw up because I will use that against you every day.

High school was 10 years of personal growth and change compacted into, standing from the end looking back, what feels like one year. I don’t know how much I am going to evolve in the next four years, but please hang on for the ride. Some of my best friendships are the result of forced interaction, because we ended up on the same team, were assigned to work together or by chance ended up seated beside one another. I’m still friends with people I met on the first day of freshman year, and I hope that serves as a testament to how much I value my friendships. I am small (5’2 and ¼ to be precise) and have trouble putting my car into reverse because the gear is too sticky for my weak arms, but I promise if anyone gives you trouble I will fight them, no question.

And to everyone who will not be * confined to a dorm room with me next year: thank you for reading. It;s been a pleasure taking a stab at something I have always wanted to do. s.ramos@elestoque.org

A&E

Step out of your music comfort zone Expand your music taste. With summer approaching, many artists and bands will be touring the Bay Area. Go check out Taylor Swift on the Aug. 14 at the Levi’s Stadium or Maroon 5 on July 11 at the SAP Center in San Jose.

What are your plans for the summer? “I am part of ECYS (El Camino Youth Symphony) which is this youth orchestra so I’m going to spend two weeks on tour [of three cities] in Spain: Barcelona, Seville, Granada.”

SH OF A D FU ES N

Senior Kye Swen

How would you cure summer boredom? “I would probably ask my friends to hang out and get some froyo or binge watch a bunch of TV shows.”

Freshman Mayumi Tabungar

Fun in the sun Grab a couple of friends and make the drive out to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Although your voice may become hoarse from screaming on “The Giant Dipper” or “Wipeout,” it will definitely be worth the trip.

A AL NG HIP E LIA C T PA TIN HA HRIS E N C BY BY T AR

Any advice to people who are bored over the summer? “If your friends are here, you should try new restaurants that have just opened. I know there are a lot of new places that opened near 85° so I think I will go try those out.” Junior Hannah Haensel 20

n.patchipala@elestoque.org

EL ESTOQUE

Seniors carry three things to their graduation: a cap, A gown and a dream. Across the field and through the crowds, these three items are held in ceremony and celebration. Yet, when the moment is over and these items are discarded, it is humbling to know that one of the three will linger even a little while longer. The cap and the dream can be tossed into the wind â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the gown sticks like duct tape. Graduation is a moment of both elation and nostalgia. The four years spent at MV will inevitably carry some weight, and whether as shackles or a fond memory, they represent an individual experience. Class of 2015, we made it happen. MAY 20, 2015

SPECIAL

Senior year can still be a time for firsts BY BRANDON CHIN AND ELLIOT KI

Gaining on the Team: WILLIAM CHEEK

oining cross country for the first time last semester, senior William Cheek also decided to partake in Track and Field in the spring. He, like many first-time track and field participants, ran sprints. Cheek ran the 100 and 200 meter dash at most meets. As the season progressed, Cheek endured so much physical exertion that at times he was unable to move his arms following practice. But he kept going. He learned to embrace the pain to help himself become a better athlete. “The best part of track is the community built around it,” Cheek said. “The people who are willing to almost irrationally want to do something painful for an hour and half after school and have learned to support each other.”

Justin Kim | El Estoque

Working out a legacy: TERRY Oh

ith his “Pokemon” routine and robust physique, senior Terry Oh secured two of the three lightweight medals in MVHS’ first Bodybuilding Tournament on April 11. In less than 10 minutes, he very nearly managed to “Catch them all”. The time constraint on the stage, however, is a reflection of the hours spent in the gym. Oh and fellow participants ran through deadlifts, squats and other routines with grueling repetition. When they were too tired to stand, they kept going. This practice transformed Oh’s previous method of casual lifting to powerlifting and with it, a hobby into a practice. “I can’t cheat the weights,” Oh said. “They’re the only thing in my life that gives me a straightforward answer as to whether I’ve been trying my best.” Oh regrets that he did not start lifting earlier. With his swift progress he could have potentially made state and national records for his division in the United States Powerlifting Association. What he is left with by the end of the year, however, is a sense of control knowing that he has both the mental and physical fortitude for whatever obstacles lie ahead. “I used to always think, ‘I can’t do something like that. I’m not special enough,’” Oh said. “I was wrong. Everyone can amount to something great.”

Elliot Ki | El Estoque

Fashionably Late: MARIANNA DUARTE

e.ki@elestoque.org b.chin@elestoque.org

fter living in Texas for most of her life, senior Marianna Duarte took up an offer from her aunt to move to Silicon Valley to pursue her passion for business, taking the risk of starting over at MVHS. “Everything was a shock [when I moved here],” Duarte said. “The city, people and even the trees, since I lived in a desert.” With her mother’s background as an entrepreneur, her own aspirations and the promise of working with her aunt, Duarte has business potential in her past, present and future. Her recent works in Silicon Valley include assisting in a startup fashion company known as Meant4More as well as analyzing the competition in a high speed tech community. With her responsibilities as an intern, consultant and model for the various clothing her company designs, Duarte wears her new role with a pride.

Used with permission of Marianna Duarte

EL ESTOQUE

Three seniors discuss how they overcame setbacks encountered in high school

Justin Kim | El Estoque

BY SARAH WEINBERG AND JADY WEI

Justin Kim | El Estoque

Study Skills

Time Management

Janie hsiao

Chris Choy

enior Janie Hsiao struggled to keep up in her math classes starting her sophomore year. She viewed math homework as busy work because she believed that it did not pertain to her life goals. Yet, she realized that her grades and test scores would impact her future opportunities. Thus, as math classes became more challenging, becoming a source of worry and discomfort in her life. By doing homework with friends who provided both information and aspiration, Hsiao began working more effectively and efficiently, resulting in her test scores steadily increasing. She pushed herself outside of her comfort zone by placing greater emphasis on socialising with her peers, asking questions and contributing to class discussions. “I don’t know if it’s puberty or being more comfortable with my classmates,” Hsiao said, “but being in high school just allowed me to open up myself more.” By becoming a more outgoing student, Hsiao developed a better understanding of what she learned, increased her ambition and gained stronger studying skills. Hsiao reached the primary goal that she set out to accomplish; she was accepted into many colleges for which she is now academically prepared for. More importantly, she overcame her initial shyness, allowing her to become a more involved participant in MVHS. MAY 20, 2015

ompletion of homework and projects for AP classes. Preparation for standardized tests. Participation at events as an IDC representative. Senior Chris Choy first started staying up late at night in hopes of better managing his commitments. 3:00 am — done with his work, he would finally sleep. 6:00 am — he would get up. Those late nights became a part of his daily routine. This stress caused him to feel physically drained on a regular basis. Choy realized that his lack of sleep reduced his efficiency in completing work because of the regular exhaustion that he experienced. He also knew that it had the potential to negatively impact his health. Ultimately, he resolved to change his situation. Now, Choy is taking less AP classes than before. As each month progresses, he updates his calendar with upcoming homework assignments, tests and events. By doing this, Choy has been able to allocate time for all of his other obligations, including studying and spending time with family. Choy gets more sleep and has found a greater sense of balance in his life. Recently, he has placed an emphasis on having time to relax and enjoying his last semester of high school. "The most valuable lesson that MVHS has taught me is how to manage my time,” Choy said. “I think that's something that a lot of students have to learn."

Justin Kim | El Estoque

Overcoming Fears ramya satish

enior Ramya Satish never imagined herself leading an organization on campus. As a freshman, she was excited to join a breadth of clubs. However, she didn’t apply for any officer positions. “I thought that my introverted personality wasn’t suited for an officer position,” Satish said. “The idea of being in charge made me feel nervous.” Then, as a sophomore, Satish decided to challenge herself by applying to be an officer of the French Honor Society (FHS). She became secretary of FHS in her junior year, where she began to enjoy leadership. After this experience, Satish wanted to apply for President, and is now the Co-President of FHS. “I think that the leadership experience and communicating with other schools and teachers has really helped me develop as a person throughout high school,” Satish said. Satish recalls one particular incident during junior year of FHS that served as a stepping stone for her leadership development. Many members that signed up for the FHS annual debate dropped out of the event, resulting in a dearth of participants for the team. Satish filled the open slots, and in doing so, discovered her passion for debate and decided to partake in all the debates offered. s.weinberg@elestoque.org | j.wei@elestoque.org

SPECIAL

s T A T i s T i c A L L Y s P E A k i n G

How does the class of 2015 add up? * BY RHONDA MAK AND KATHLEEN YUAN

*From a survey of 509 senior responses

Do you wish you tried harder...

53%

50.6%

have been in a high school relationship

66.7%

told their parents.

61% Socially

Academically

31.8%

have lived in Cupertino their whole lives

“

I’m not gonna miss anything other than my family. senior Patrick Vin

60.7%

have pulled an all nighter.

EL ESTOQUE

“

I feel prepared for college material. But not the real world yet.

44.4% do not feel prepared

55.6% feel prepared for life after high school graduation

“

senior Tim Lee

ha v

eu s su ed a bs tan n ille ce gal

I pretty much see my whole life like what to do in college. senior Calvin Chang

know what career field they want to pursue

v a h

u o oy

80.4%

. . . ea

O BO

E FAC

h pc

am r g ta er s t n t I i tw

7 59

33% 26%

24%

senior year

junior year

Sophomore year

freshman year MAY 20, 2015

25%

R A GE R A TIN G OF S EN IO R YE

WHICH YEAR WOULD YOU RELIVE ?

*out of 10

SPECIAL

For more on twins, check out elestoque.org/ twins

ance classes. Motorcycles. Spontaneous adventures. As they grew up, twins shared many experiences and interests together. As they leave high school, however, they will face their first official separation — college. Whether going to colleges that are close to each other or going to colleges hundreds of miles apart, each twin will independently face a whole new adventure and have different expectations for the future.

BY ELIA CHEN AND YIFEI WU

JASMINE AND JOANNE LAI S

JASMINE LAI

“Once I’m in college, I’ll have to do a lot more stuff by myself, so [I’ll] probably go on less spontaneous advensenior Joanne Lai tures.”

Photo used with permission of Joanne Lai

JOANNE LAI

eniors Jasmine and Joanne Lai never expected to attend the same college. In fact, while applying, they only applied to two of the same colleges. Jasmine was attracted to the sunny atmosphere of Southern California, while Joanne wanted to experienced a new culture in Washington D.C. They both admit, however, that attending colleges on opposite sides of the country will challenge them to become more independent as they have spent their whole lives together up to this point. The longest time that they have been apart was during Kennedy Middle School’s Yosemite trip where they were placed in two separate groups.

THREE YEAR OLD JASMINE (IN WHITE) AND JOANNE (IN BLUE) LAI POSE IN FRONT OF A MIRROR. “Once I’m in college, I’ll have to do a lot more stuff by myself, so [I’ll] probably [go on] less spontaneous adventures,” Joanne said. “I take it for granted that I always have someone next me, so in college, I’ll have to plan more and I’ll have to make more friends.” Though they will attend different colleges, Joanne and Jasmine still plan to connect frequently over social media, as well as meet over breaks. They hope that they will have more topics to converse about, as they try new experiences on the different coasts. “One thing my parents are doing is already planning for breaks and how we’re going to get together because flying [Joanne] over would be a lot harder than flying me over,” Jasmine said, “[but] they just want to make sure that we can still see each other.”

EL ESTOQUE 27

BRIAN AND CHRIS CHENG O

ne week. That is the longest seniors Brian and Chris Cheng have been separated has been one week. According to Brian, the twins have shared interests and have done almost everything together, from playing video games to going to the gym to studying for classes. CHRIS CHENG “He knows me … better than anyone,” Brian said, “so I’d say that he’s my best friend.” Next year, Brian and Chris will be 35 miles apart. Brian will study nursing at San Jose State University, while Chris will study health science at the University of California Santa Cruz as he plans to become a BRIAN CHENG doctor. Although the brothers will have to adapt to life without each other in college, they look forward to having more independence and pursuing their own goals. “Not having my brother will force me to talk to more people at a party or something,” Brian said. “I won’t always be talking to him only. I’ll reach out to other people, especially for classes.” Chris agrees that he looks forward to meeting new people, but he will also miss his brother. “I will miss him being here every day,” Chris said, “because I’ve expected to see him every day up to now. But I will not miss his laziness.”

Photo used with permission of Brian Cheng

TOP: FOUR YEAR OLD BRIAN (LEFT) AND CHRIS (RIGHT) CHENG HELP THEIR PARENTS GARDEN. SIX YEAR OLD BRIAN (LEFT) AND CHRIS (RIGHT) CHENG GET READY TO SLEEP. Photo used with permission of Brian Cheng

cheryl and jenny wan college will be a new experience for both of them. “When I get to college, it’ll be a really different experience,” Jenny said, “because we used to share the same bedroom, we would always do the same activities, sports and clubs together.” Jenny has already found a roommate who shares her interest in League of Legends, and she looks forward to Photo used with permission of Cheryl Wan meeting new people. However, Jenny notes that she will feel an emptiness by her side without her twin – her best friend SIX YEAR OLD CHERYL WAN (LEFT) since birth. AND JENNY WAN (RIGHT) VISIT “I’m looking forward to the CHINA WITH THEIR PARENTS. experience, but at the same time, I’ll be really nostalgic, and I’ll miss Cheryl a lot,” Cheryl said, “[and] you feel tied down sometimes because as Jenny said family, you always have to look for each other.” Although seniors Jenny and Cheryl Wan initially planned on e.chen@elestoque.org l y.wu@elestoque.org attending the same college and rooming together, they eventually got accepted to different colleges. In college, they will be in different states, and though they plan to connect through Skype, chat and their favorite game – League of Legends – they acknowledge that Cheer team. Dance classes. League of Legends. In high school, seniors Jenny and Cheryl Wan were often associated with each other due to their similar interests and appearances. “As a twin, you don’t have your own sense of identity,”

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

JENNY WAN

CHERYL WAN

SPECIAL

HOW DID YOU

#MAKEITHAPP FOR MVHS? Follow the colored path that best describes you to figure out your high school experience

1A. NO STRONG FEELINGS The first day of MVHS was nothing special. You neither loved it, nor hated it.

BY ASHMITA CHAKRABORTY, HARINI SHYAMSUNDAR AND VARSHA VENKAT

“

“[Quad decs preparation] is more social than you’d think it is. Also, it was a chance to do something for the school that isn’t academic,” senior Vishal Patel said.

2. HOW D 1B. HATED IT

1. FIRST DAY

The first day of MVHS did not meet your expectations at all. You had a very different vision.

No one saw it comin of 2015 lost the Win seniors.W How did

The transition from a middle school to the much larger MVHS campus can be a difficult one. For some students, it means getting to meet new friends and participate in clubs. Others take it as a time to battle MVHS’ (infamous) academic competition. Regardless, the first day of school marked a new beginning for the class of 2015. How did you find your first day at MVHS?

1C. LOVED IT

The first day of MVHS was basically the best day of your life. You got all the right teachers and said all the right things.

EL ESTOQUE

THE ONE WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE

PEN

PATH C. You were the leaders and trailblazers of your class, constantly directing your fellow classmates towards success. You will never lose the pride that comes with being a member of 2015.

3C. SADDENED

Leaving MVHS is like leaving home., but you’re grateful for the love and support they’ve given you for the past four years.

THE ONE WHO

2C. TERRIBLE

MADE IT BETTER

You were shattered that hours of work and preparation had resulted in a senior year rally loss.

2A. YOU MANAGED

Although you were upset that your class lost the rally, you were happy to have been a part of it.

PATH B. You were the inquisitive thinkers and the rebellious spirits who questioned authority — sometimes. You innovated and excelled, pursuing changes and breakthroughs.

DID IT FEEL?

3B. EXCITED

You’ve never felt more ready to leave school. MVHS has prepared you to take on anything.

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ng when the class nter Rally in 2015, as it feel for you?

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“[My most memorable moment from the past four years was] taking and passing the APUSH test. It took the entire year to study and it felt really good after [I] finished it,” senior Melanie Moll said.

3. LEAVING

As the year comes to a close, seniors must reflect on leaving MVHS for good. How are you taking the news?

3A. MIXED 2B. INTERESTING

While everyone else is in shock that the class of 2015 didn’t win the rally, you’re glad to be a unique senior class.

You’re upset to leave MVHS, but equally happy to be saying goodbye. It’s conflicted.

THE ONE WHO MADE IT WORK

“

At rallies, even though the classes are all vying against each other, you feel really spirited as a school, as a whole,” senior Erin Luks said.

MAY 20, 2015

PATH A. You were among the silent supporters, the ones who stood behind your class, offering an unshakeable foundation. While you may not have been in the thick of the action, you were always there. a.chakraborty@elestoque.org | h.shyamsundar@elestoque.org | v.venkat@elestoque.org

SPECIAL

ONE MORE THING . . . xtine

GOOD BYE MVHS

I'll probably even have a long moment of introspection while i use a school bathroom for the last time.

NATHAN DESAI

HEY FRIENDS, IT’S BEEN A WHILE. I’ve missed you. We haven’t seen each other in so long. How has your year been? I’ve heard from many of you that page 11 hasn’t quite been the same this year and — though I had the power to do anything I wanted with this magazine — that’s the one thing I couldn’t do. (Oh. And the “Tall and Short” sequel. Couldn’t do that either.) So even though my brain tells me I don’t owe you all an apology, my heart says that I do. But then again, what does my heart know? Its job is to pump blood, not be my Mr. Miyagi. That’s Balmeo’s job. And it has been for four years. To her, they have been four long years of removing tape from her mouse, reading my “barely journalistic” work and being purposefully referred to as “Mom.” (I would like to remind her though that she has known me longer than she has known her own daughter, so I really don’t think that last thing is too far-fetched.) But to me, these four years were far too 30

short. Now I’m not sure if we accidentally skipped a Leap Day or something but my high school career has gone by faster than Paul Blart’s Segway. I still remember walking into A111 on my first day at MVHS, completely unaware that the glorified Lost and Found bin known as the journalism room would become my home for the next four years. Unfortunately, it’s time to move out. (This is what happens when you’re 48 months behind on your rent.) Of course, I knew this day would come. Heck, I’ve had the date of graduation marked on my calendar since freshman year. I’ve spent the last four years eagerly awaiting the big day. When you’re in the maze, you want nothing more than to get out of it. But now that I can see the exit, I don’t feel like running toward it; instead I want to turn around and start over again. (This is assuming that an axe-wielding Jack Nicholson isn’t in the maze searching for me.)

Everyone knows you can’t do that though. You can’t be like Adam Sandler in the movie “Click” and rewind your life. You also can’t be like Adam Sandler in the movie “Billy Madison” and stay in school forever. In fact, just don’t be like Adam Sandler. Ever. (Of all the little lessons I’ve taught throughout the years, this one is by far the most important.) Perhaps that’s what makes high school so special: you get your four years and that’s it. You can’t pull a Zayn Malik and call it quits early and you can’t pull a Brett Favre and come back whenever you want. It has been a year of lasts for me. I had a long moment of introspection after homecoming. I had a long moment of introspection after the last basketball game. I’ll probably even have a long moment of introspection while I use a school bathroom for the final time. For years I’ve wanted to break out, but at some point along the way I came to love it here. (Sounds a bit like Stockholm Syndrome, huh?) And you — the readers — have been there ever since I was a lowly sophomore writing about Snooki and Neil Armstrong. I’d like to believe that I’ve come a long way since then. Hopefully I’m about to go even further.

EL ESTOQUE

MISTAKES MUST BE MADE DANIEL FERNANDEZ

FEW THINGS I R R I TAT E me more than marking the wrong bubble on a Scantron test. It’s like writing four minus two equals three at the end of a complex math equation. The only difference, of course, is you get no points for showing work on the Scantron. As a freshman, I often had the misfortune of filling in the wrong bubble. In fact, it happened so often that I had an abbreviation for it when I corrected tests. SM. Silly mistake. I was also quick to mark other parts of my life as mistakes. I’m not just referring to small stuff like labeling the unit circle wrong or mixing up the steps of transcription. I mean big things, like whether I spent too much time with my family and not enough time studying. The greatest of my SMs occurred at the start of my freshman year, where in a ridiculous attempt to fit-in, I joined the JV

BECOMING THE ADULT YIFEI WU

HEARD GROWING UP, I OFTEN people comment on how my mom looked like my sister as every day after dinner we walked along the wet, humid streets in my hometown Shenzhen, that Southern city in China. We always talked, actually talked, during those walks. Granted, maybe growing up an only child in a seaside city in China is a lot different than MAY 20, 2015

football team. I was terrible. I was always one of the last to finish runs, wheezing as I crossed the finish like someo n e in the middle of an a s t h ma attack. I was often so emotionally and physically defeated that I would break down in tears. I felt like a colossal failure. My grades suffered. I struggled to fit-in. It was the worst way to begin high school. As the season ended, it became clear I would never be a star athlete. But that realization did little to curb my fear that I had made a terrible mistake. I’m aware this personal crisis is not unique. It’s one that plagues virtually every high schooler on the planet. That awkward position, where we’re forced to see our shortcomings, but cannot seem to change them. I’m not going to lie -- being bad at football did not make me a better person. My

failure certainly didn’t empower me. It did, however, present an opportunity to discover what was important to me. I would not have discovered journalism -- the thing I’m going to study in college -- had I not been terrible at football. I applied to staff at the end of my freshman year in no small part because I thought watching film was fun

growing up here — life o u t side of school s e eme d m u c h p a ler o v e r there, h o m e a n d homew o r k m a k i ng up the bulk of it. And my mom, though she hated the humid weather, insisted that we take a walk together to continue the tradition passed down from my grandfather. So, we would talk about everything, from school to television shows to, occasionally, college. But it wasn’t about what colleges she wanted me to go to, or what majors and future career paths she wanted me to take.

It was more like, “What will I do when you go off to college?” And as a kid, I would cry, just a little, about leaving her and dad and exploring the world on my own. Then my mom would pretend she didn’t mean it and hold my hand tight and divert the topic. And now, in four months, college, this once far away and intangible thing, will officially dawn on us. But in some subtle ways, things have changed between me and my mom. We have long stopped walking together at night, as my course load became heavier and as my mom started to take classes at De Anza College. Perhaps sensing the imminent separation, throughout senior year, she would call me even when I was only a couple minutes late to come home and would spy on me to see if I was spending too much time on Facebook. If I showed even the smallest signs of stress, she would become anxious, pacing in the living room and peeking into my room now and then in watchful silence. This only made our relationship more tense, as if

there really is nothing you can do in high school that ruins you. and writing about football had to be better than playing it. If given the chance to change my time in high school, I would repeat the same anguish and embarrassment caused by that single season of football. I only wish that I had spent less time worried about whether I had made the right choice. Because by obsessing over all those perceived failures, I gave myself very little time to actually make choices. Here’s the truth: even though our teachers say it all the time, and it seems so very untrue, there really is nothing you can do in high school that ruins you. That doesn’t mean we’re exempt from failure. After all, failure is often just a chance to start things on a fresh set of downs.

it would explode at any moment at the slightest hint of a spark. It wasn’t until later, after the college application process was over, that I realized that my mom was trying to hold on to me, to treasure our last couple months together. The years have taken their toll on her and have made her more sensitive to change. And it wasn’t until a couple weeks ago when I visited one college with my mom that I acutely felt her vulnerability, how she would hide behind me because of her not-so-fluent English, as I checked in at the airport and hotel, carried the bulk of the luggage and navigated us through the unfamiliar campus. On the last day of our visit, she and I rested on the grassy field in the middle of the campus, my little Cosmos for the next four years of my life, when she said, out of nowhere, “I think I am ready to let you go.” Memories flashed through my mind. I thought back to the years we’ve spent in America, how the two of us lived here while my dad worked in China,

how she asked me for support to battle the landlord when he made excuses to not fix the lights, how she asked me to help her with homework, how she asked me to go to the doctor’s office with her when her health report came out, how she leaned on me on the anniversary of grandpa’s death. I grew up. She grew vulnerable and eventually, old. And I hate to think about this. Many times I had wished that there was a secret gap in the universe, where I could remain the child, leaning on my mom, having her hold my hand, so I would not have to worry about the unforeseeable darkness ahead. But there is no going back in time. Our parents will eventually become the “kids,” while we become, or try to become, the “adults” who hold their hands and lead them forward and give them strength, just like the way they used to hold ours.

"I think i am ready to let you go."

UNPLANNED PLANNING VISHALRATHNA NAGAR

WE WOULD BE

homeless for two months. Okay, not literally homeless, but no permanent home for two months. As I approach the summer of my senior year, my dad expects me to give up the comfort of my bed and convenience of knowing where things are in my refrigerator for two months? Forget it, I can live without the bed but never the refrigerator. Of course my dad has decided what countries and cities we will be traveling to, but he plans to plan as the trip goes along. You see, my dad and mom are not spontaneous — both are people of structure and discipline, but for this trip my dad’s plan is to not have a plan because, as he explained, such an extensive adventure needs to be spontaneous. How is not having a plan for such an extensive trip even possible? Where are we going to eat? We are a family of vegetarians who eat what kids in yearbook called “bunny food.” Do we need to start eating horse and elephant meat? What about clothes? And my phone? No calls. No texts. No data. 32

It was only when my dad told me about his plans for this summer that I realized the biggest regret I would have in my life — not being spontaneous enough. By sixth grade, I had decided that I was going to become a psychiatrist. I don’t think in terms of tomorrow or a week from now, but rather in years from now. At some point in my life, I decided it would be a good idea to plan the type of house I would live in, what company I would work for, and what I would name my kids. Seriously. What was I even thinking? I was in eighth grade when the counselors came to class to give us, the incoming freshmen, our paperwork and explain the variety of classes. I remember not asking about the classes I would take the next year, but the classes I would take in my junior and senior year. Could you take both AP Biology and AP Chemistry? What about Calculus — could you do both? How many credits do you need to graduate? I hadn’t even stepped into high school and I was already interested in stepping out of it. The truth is, I am not alone in this problem.

In fact, some might say it’s a problem for the entire Class of 2015, possibly even all of MVHS. So many of us came to this school our freshman year with a plan. From the clubs that we would participate in, to the classes we would take, to what college we would attend, we had all drawn out a plan. The reality is that a majority of us changed our plan as life went forward, making more practical and reasonable decisions. When I came into high school I avoided taking any business classes or showing any effort in participating in FBLA or DECA. Now after taking a semester of Economics and considering my strengths and weaknesses I wonder if maybe I did have an interest in business, that I was blinded by my confidence to follow the path I had started on. If I had been spontaneous and switched my interest to EL ESTOQUE

business two or three years into high school I would have wasted so much time on the wrong subject. That was a risk I wasn’t willing to take at the time. Now I am. Four years later, I look back and ask myself if it was worth it. Was it worth always putting grades first? Was it worth having a plan? Was it worth giving up the things I didn’t find important at the time? Was it worth playing it safe? In my eyes it was not worth it because I always ended up putting school first rather than myself. So much of our time at Monta Vista was spent on working towards our future, on creating the best reputation and resumé possible, on creating the most appealing Linkedin profiles, and at some point we forgot to take the time to make connections with those around us. A resume is useless without the ability to communicate, to connect with others. From the day I entered high school to the day I graduate, there is not a single person that I can consider my best friend. Each year I spent more time with those I shared classes with. I never took the time or energy to walk up to any random student, to be spontaneous in making a new friend, because I came to high

I hadn't even stepped into high school and I was already interested in stepping out of it. school with a plan, to be best friends with the same group of friends for the next four years. That plan didn’t work. I don’t spend as much time as I used to with those same friends, in fact I don’t spend any time with them outside of school at all. In my eyes I lost out on both ends, not strengthening old friendships and not forming new strong ones. I’d consider myself lucky if I still had that bond with those same friends as the ones I entered high school with. I don’t. For those of you who do consider yourself lucky, it’s a blessing that many of us don’t get. There is a difference between a goal and a plan. A goal is what you hope to achieve. A plan is how you will achieve your goals. So many of our plans never fully work out, and along the way, we always end up taking a detour, yet somehow we manage to

achieve our goals. As I, along with the rest of us, take my next step into the future, I do so with one goal. My one goal: spontaneity. To do what I want in that moment, not for what might happen years from now, but rather what will happen in that very moment. To do the things I value, not the things everyone else values. So for now, I guess my plan is to not have a plan, to think of today and not years from now, to take the path that life unravels in front of me and not the path I planned ahead of time, avoiding the repetition of all those times I thought I knew exactly what I was doing. I don’t. And neither should you.

n.desai@elestoque.org | d.fernandez@elestoque.com | v.nagar@elestoque.com | y.wu@elestoque.com

SPORTS

7:35 A.M.

8:30 A.M.

9:25 A.M.

10:35 A.M.

Pause to play BY ALINA ABIDI ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY KALPANA GOPALKRISHNAN

Upperclassmen catch a break in burgeoning, independent intramural sports

enior Greg Moe plays two varsity sports, “When we make amazing plays [on varbut the team he’s on with the closest sity volleyball], it’s not the same because friendships, sweetest victories and most we know that we can make amazing plays,” bitter betrayals isn’t listed on the MVHS Equivocation senior Tejas Gopal said. “In inwebsite. They didn’t need a physical to join tramural, when someone who doesn’t play and they’ll never qualify for CCS. Their basketball [does well], you go crazy because practices are optional and sporadic, they that’s not expected of them.” frequently heckle other teams and their Both teams attribute the increase in inhead coach is just the player with a neck intramural popularity, at least in part, to club jury, but they’re one of the most successful members organizing tournaments as opgroups out there. posed to Leadership students. Members of Team WET, along with a few other teams sports clubs are knowledgeable about rules including Equivocation and Chang Dynasty, and regulations, focused on their one event participate in multiple intramural sports, and above all, passionate about the sport bouncing from basketball to frisbee, earning they’re promoting. victories and facing devastating losses in be“With clubs, they’re actually taking initween fifth and sixth period. tiative,” Moe said. “They’re doing someThese prominent faces on the intramural thing they don’t necessarily have to by startscene are seniors with free time to devote to ing these intramural tournaments. They’re their group of five or six, submitting rosters to motivated to make it work out.” the Facebook events Senior Young Guo planned that pop up promoting intramural ultimate frisbee the latest tournament. and ran into a few scheduling This year, clubs orgaconflicts due to the increase nized their respective of intramural tournaments at tournaments — Volthe end of the year, testing and leyball Club held a spring break. Weeks after Guo Check elestoque.org/ reserved the upper field and volleyball tournament earlier in the year and found advisers to watch over intramural for videos members of Monta the game, he found out that inand galleries Vista Ultimate Frisbee tramural dodgeball was schedput together a spring uled for the same day, hurting frisbee tournament. the attendance and messing up While some intramural participants are the schedule for teams involved in both. athletes, the fact that teams compete in Despite this, the ultimate frisbee club still multiple tournaments inherently means that feels it successfully promoted its second anplayers are often inexperienced, contributing nual tournament to inexperienced players. to a spontaneous, low pressure atmosphere. Members isolated themselves on different “It’s nice to play sports in a semi-compet- teams while Guo stuck to organizing the itive environment, especially when for our tournament and refereeing to avoid a conflict whole lives we’ve been playing sports very of interest. Guo noted that the past year’s competitively,” Moe said. winning team Vicious Delicious, Team WET’s The lack of experience also makes the corollary team, was not a group of frisbee good plays stand out. players — they were just athletic. 34

11:30 A.M.

BREAK TIME (clockwise from top left) Senior Justin Chang of Chang Dynasty competes in a round three intramural frisbee game on April 21. | Senior Timothy Iwamoto reaches for a dodgeball in the Students vs. Teachers game on April 27. | Team WET senior Max McMann dribbles past Equivocation senior Varun Venkatesh on March 31. | Despite a foot injury, senior Greg Moe flings a dodgeball at seniors Casey Parsay a Danny Takahashi on April 20. | Team WET shows off their new uniforms on April 3, 2014.

Amol Pande | El Estoque

“If you can run, if you can catch, if you can sort of throw, you’re alright,” Guo said. “Since intramural obviously is at a slightly lower level, there’s not going to be organized offense or defense, so you can get away with a lot more.” The vastly different dynamic makes for games with constant laughter and light-hearted chanting, neither of which you would normally see at games for school sports. “When you play soccer, everything’s on the line,” Equivocation senior Chatty Adiga said — before seeing his group’s skeptical faces and quickly adding that Equivocation games matter to him, too. While in soccer, he plays with athletes who truly play the sport, but in intramural he and his friends have good chemistry, which empirically translates to success. “We had a better record with Equivocation than we did on varsity soccer,” he said, laughing. Equivocation formed the opposite way most intramural teams form — they picked a name and then decided what the team was for. “It was a general purpose team,” senior Sid Girkar said. “It’s like the Astrodome.” This year, Equivocation made a conscious EL ESTOQUE

▶12:25 p.m. Avni Prasad| El Estoque

decision to participate in all intramural sports and even did Puzzle Hunt together in their final year on campus. Team WET’s foray into multiple sports was less planned out — they signed up for volleyball impulsively, with only junior Sydney Howard and senior Hannah Pollek actually playing the sport. “We already had uniforms and we really wanted to wear them as much as possible,” Moe said. The personalized neon pink bro tanks Pollek made with her mother stayed dry last year after WET was eliminated in their first game of intramural basketball. MAY 20, 2015

1:15 P.M.

2:10 P.M.

Justin Kim | El Estoque

Though in the past they had help from Leadership, the club decided to be more proactive and host the event independently this year. In intramural basketball, as in nearly all intramural sports, the games are hosted by and dominated by upperclassmen: specifically, seniors. Some organizers cited the fact that seniors are bigger, faster and more athletic and some players noted that seniors simply have fewer responsibilities. Aditya Pimplaskar | El Estoque Ballislife, an all-freshmen intramural basketball team, attempted to shake the upperclassmen podium. “We were nervous [because] all of the seniors were super good,” Ballislife member freshman Shiv Ansal said. “But then we got past first round and we thought we were super beast.” Although Ballislife was eliminated in the second round, the team viewed their standing in the senior-dominated tournament as a success. In an organization filled with upperclassmen, little victories can go a long way. There’s another reason seniors rule intramural — they want to make lasting memories during their last year, to move from spectators in the bleachers to participants on the court in their final stretch. As sports club members inJustin Kim | El Estoque herit different officer positions in their senior years, they inherit a tradition — After seeing an increase in the amount of organizing intramural sports to promote intramural tournaments at MVHS, Badmin- their club and provide low-stakes platforms ton Club seniors Annie Chang and Justin Ma for friendly competition. hosted intramural badminton. At a round three ultimate frisbee game “MVHS is known for its badminton team, on April 21 between Chang Dynasty and and intramural lets us market the team [to the Schrodinger Stobies, Guo referees and MVHS],” Chang said, explaining that despite laughs on the sideline. After a game of mild its accomplishments, the team is not widely skirmishes over calls, chants from spectarecognized on campus. tors and multiple Hail Marys, Chang Dynasty Other club members turned intramural emerges victorious. Then the bell for sixth peorganizers expressed the same sentiment. riod rings, the students lumber on to class and Senior Sujay Gorti, president of Basketball wait for the next lunch period. Club, explained that intramural is the club’s main event and main source of recognition. a.abidi@elestoque.org 35

SPORTS

VIRTUALLY

BY BRANDON CHIN AND BRIAN FAN PHOTOS BY BRANDON CHIN

Three sports gamers gauge virtual plays

THE SAME

SENIORS JUSTIN FELL (LEFT) AND ROBERT FRUIN (RIGHT) GET TOGETHER FOR AN AFTER SCHOOL SPORTS GAMING SESSION. THE GAME THEY ARE PLAYING IS CALLED NBA LIVE AND IS DEVELOPED BY EA. OTHER GAMES THEY PLAY INCLUDE MVP BASEBALL, FIFA, AND NHL.

t’s lunchtime and senior Jae Han Lee goes out to play soccer. But, instead of heading toward the field, Lee sits down with his friends in the Student Union, pulls out his tablet and opens FIFA. But Lee has never played, or even thought about playing, competitive soccer. Lee also never grew up in an environment where playing sports was emphasized as an essential part of school. There was little pressure on him to watch or participate in competitive physical activity. 36

“I’ve never really played sports in my life, because it isn’t a habit I formed,” Lee said. “But I still like playing FIFA on the tablet because I like being in that competitive mode.” “Competitive mode” is a common theme that runs through sports gamers. Perhaps it is the video game companies’ increasing focus on realism. Gamers may be attracted to the realistic dynamics that mimic actual sports, something which is apparent in the game development process by companies such as EA.

The virtual is almost reality Vivek, who was unable to provide his full name due to company policy and works as an Electronic Arts advisor, discusses how games like FIFA may serve as a replacement for actual sports in certain cases. “Yesterday I got a customer who is a marine,” Vivek wrote. “Unfortunately he lost a leg in the war, which made him unable to play [soccer]. Yet he was able to live his favorite game through FIFA.” Game companies like EA see realism as EL ESTOQUE

a large part of the development. During the character design phase, game developers for FIFA make sure to incorporate actual players from professional soccer. “When we develop the game, we use the players themselves as models for artwork,” Vivek wrote. “We take into account aspects like facial expressions, playing styles and many more.” The game’s ease of access — that players can simulate a professional soccer game on the go — is also why students like Lee play the game. But sometimes, there may not be an inherent reason behind playing a sport’s game other than personal preference. “It’s very hard to explain,” Lee said. “I just find it fun to play.” Vivek also acknowledges that FIFA, in the very end, is still just a virtual game. “We know that FIFA has an enormous following, but it’s still a simulation,” he said. “Our hope is that customers go out and actually try the sport for themselves.”

Fake plays, real glory Sporting an interest in any form of athleticism, seniors Justin Fell and Robert Fruin spend an equal amount of time on the courts and in front of a screen. Soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey and football, what Fell considers to be the major American sports and their corresponding video games, occupy hours of their time as well as multiple consoles between their homes. Fell and Fruin’s appreciation for these games revolves around a team dynamic. Within their group of friends they are known to host “FIFA tournaments” where 10 to 16 players gather to play, eat and compete in the manner of a round robin tourna-

A B MAY 21, 2015

FELL PLAYING SOCCER NEXT TO A VIRTUAL PLAYER IN FIFA EA TAKES CARE TO MIMICK REAL LIFE PLAYER MOVMENTS IN THEIR GAMES

FRUIN PLAYING FOOTBALL NEXT TO A MADDEN PLAYER PERFORMING THE SAME MOTION AS A RUNNING BACK

ment. These competitions last from two to five hours on two separate consoles and result in a mix of annoyance, anxiety, and elation. When the competitors concentrate in one room for the finals, the excitement builds as the final two players compete in a virtual world for real glory. “The NBA does the best job of giving real excitement,” Fell said. “When there’s 30 seconds from the fourth quarter and it’s a two point game, you can feel it. Even the crowds in the game can.” Though Fruin and Fell both avidly participate in virtual and real sports, their opinions on whether these two topics are similar are widely apart. “Video games and sports are becoming more alike,” Fell said “It does vary, but in strategic games like MADDEN, the quarterback has to call a play at a certain time and the games are getting good enough so that once you see it in the game you can convert that to real life.” Fruin opposes this statement, stating that virtual games will not compare to a real sports. “I don’t think they are directly correlated,” Fruin said. “Playing a video is not exactly the same. You’re gonna get more of an adrenaline rush hitting that half court shot in real life than holding down the square for the right amount of time.”

b.chin@elestoque.org b.fan@elestoque.org

SPORTS

Everyone’s a winner* The excitement of boxing exists before and after, not during the match itself

he match of the century,” everyone said. Some people paid $100 for the showdown. Some people went to bars and restaurants. Some people, like me, mooched off of their friend’s pay-per-view because, as SBNation put it, a Waring Pro Deep-fryer would be more cost effective than the pay-per-view Mayweather vs. Pacquiao match. My friend explained that these matches are individual events, detached from any season, so they only happen once in a while — sounds like my kind of sport. I knew from the start that I’d root for Pacquiao, Manny Pacquiao. Manny was cute. Manny wore his pants too high. Manny wrote a song. And of course, Manny was the underdog and perhaps that’s the biggest reason I wanted him to win. As for boxing itself, the concept seemed simple — it’s just a punching competition. They hit each other and whoever has the bloodiest face in the end loses, or at least that’s what I learned from iCarly’s “iFight Shelby Marx” in fifth grade. So we sat down at 8 p.m. to watch the match, muted the volume and checked Twitter as the redundant pregame coverage went on. When both boxers were introduced and three different songs, one of them written by Manny, were sung, the match started. The referee held both boxers’ heads to his face and told them something that no one, especially the people who had paid

$300,000 to watch, knew: “This is a fight that the world has been waiting for.” And, as it turns out, it was a fight that the whole world, not just me, was bored with. As the match began, I sat on the edge of the sofa ready to see some violence play out on the screen, but really, Pacquiao and Mayweather were just hugging each other

MALINI RAMAIYER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

the whole time, and that’s not meant to be a euphemism. They played footsie with each as they bounced around the ring, looking at each other in the eye, drowning out the rest of the world, punching each other like good friends would — it was really boring. People paid hundreds, thousands and hundreds of thousands to watch this one match, most likely because of Mayweather’s undefeated record. After the match, people realized that the hype was not worth it. Mayweather’s strength wasn’t reflected in the match, rather it seemed like his ability to tap Pacquiao on the shoulder a couple of times was. He was no big deal and neither was the fight. The match was so unremarkable that the 12 rounds, thankfully, went by rapidly as we sat in front of the TV with our phones in front of our faces.

The only part of the match that piqued my interest was when they announced that Mayweather had won. It seemed to me as though the two boxers were doing the exact same thing. Pacquiao told a reporter that he thought that he was winning the whole match — one of three people in the ring couldn’t tell who would actually win. The flaw of the match was an inherent flaw of the system. Everything was too insubstantial to really be able to tell what was happening. For each round the winner gets 10 points while the loser only gets one point less at nine points. Ultimately, the only difference is that the winner is the winner and the loser is the loser. Just like in any children’s game, it’s the title that matters the most, because it’s the only difference between the two competitors. Of course, there is the fact that Mayweather received $60 million more than Pacquiao, but Pacquiao still got $120 million more than I’ll ever get. It’s really the pride, the confidence, the power that someone feels after winning games like Chess or Bananagrams that fuels the intensity of boxing matches as this fateful one. Boxing, with all its hype, is all about just that — the hype. Though the match closed up, the hype lasted much longer. The next day SBNation posted “If you paid $100 for MayweatherPacquiao, you’re a chump.” So we’re all chumps. The guy no one likes won the game and the match everyone anticipated sucked, but maybe that’s why it only happens once in a century. m.ramaiyer@elestoque.org

* 38

Aditya Pimplaskar| El Estoque Illustration

Except me

EL ESTOQUE

The shadow of Hui

From the glove that started it all to sixteen unused baseballs, junior Matthew Hui’s bag has it all STORY BY PRANAV IYER PHOTOS BY ADITYA PIMPLASKAR

very day, a baseball player drags his bag to school. It’s not one of those cheap sports bags with the strings, not a duffel bag. This bag, larger than most suitcases, sticks out from the rest at MVHS and has come to be something that many associate with junior Matthew Hui. “People give me weird looks,” Hui said. “A lot of people ask me if I have a dead body in my bag.” In this large bag of his, Hui carries not a body, but a bountiful supply of unnecessary baseball equipment. “I carry a lot of stuff even though I don’t really need it,” Hui said. “I have my three

bats, even though I only use one ever, and I have four gloves, even though I only need two.” This doesn’t include the 16 baseballs he never takes out of his bag. However, in this load of mess, he does have some prized items, including the glove that he bought in eighth grade, when he became more serious about his passion for the sport. Another treasure of Hui’s is his lone metallic bat that he uses while he plays for the Matadors. Even though Hui has been in a batting slump, he vividly remembers smacking a ball that bounced

ATHLETIC TAPE: Hui uses athletic tape to tape his

over the outfield fence in a game against Independence High School on March 13, the furthest he has ever hit a ball. Some of the items in Hui’s bag have stories, and others just take up space. But now, when people look at Hui’s bag, they’ll finally know the mysteries that lie inside. It’s not a dead body, not a refrigerator — just Sports Authority’s entire warehouse of baseball equipment. p.iyer@elestoque.org

Junior Matthew Hui

wooden bats because they do not come with a grip. Hui also tapes any blisters he receives from batting.

BASEBALL GLOVE: Hui has had this glove

since he started playing travel baseball in eighth grade. This marks the time when he transitioned from playing baseball as a hobby to playing competitively.

BASEBALL BAT: Hui uses this metal bat at practice and during games. With this bat, he smacked his furthest ever hit earlier in the season.

BASEBALLS: These are among the bucket load of balls that never come out of Hui’s bag.

HELMET: This protects his head

from pitches and errant throws. The ear flaps give supply protection for the sides of his face.

MAY 20, 2015

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