Volume 46 Issue 6, March 9, 2016 by El Estoque

eI ESTOQUE ISSUE VI VOLUME XLVI MONTA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL MARCH 9, 2016

NEWS

16 Under the influence

Examining the community and drinking culture

Get out and vote! In an election cycle like this, voting is more important than ever

Shot in the dark Students and teachers on alcohol consumption

Melting pot Progression of food in reponse to changing culture

A&E

El Estoque, a biased perspective Diversifying our opinions as a school newspaper

Ready, set, vote? 08 Exploring the impact of young voters

us how you really feel 10 Tell Out of the blue

SPECIAL

OPINION 12

Lost but not forgotten Objects find a home in the maintenance yard

The Issue of authenticity Cross culture food modifications ignore tradition

More than skin deep

28 Stigmas surrounding tattoos

From customs to stock

Cultures behind ethnic grocery stores

Veganism, from a moderate

A primer on vegan activism

Herbal remedies Perceived medicinal effects of herbs

The breakfast club

29 Most popular brunch in Cupertino

Unplugged Parents limiting technology for children

21840 McClellan Road Cupertino, CA 95014 mv.el.estoque@gmail.com Editors-in-Chief: Alina Abidi, Kristin Chang Managing Editors: Maya Murthy, Malini Ramaiyer, Sharon Tung, Vanessa Qin Copy Editors: Daniel Lin, Sanjana Murthy Webmaster: Itay Barylka News Editors: Amanda Chan, Avni Prasad, Andrea Schlitt, Caitlyn Tjong Sports Editors: Kalpana Gopalkrishnan, Pranav Iyer, Karen Ma, Aditya Pimplaskar

Entertainment Editors: Ananya Bhat, Neha Patchipala, Ilena Peng, Anushka Tyagi Opinion Editors: Pranav Jandhyala, Tal Marom, Isabel Navarette, Emily Zhao Beats Editors: Aditi Desai, Dylan Tsai Visuals Editors: Fatima Ali, Om Khandekar, Justin Kim Graphics Editors: Elizabeth Han, Hannan Waliullah

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Special Report Editors: Trisha Kholiya, Anjana Melvin, Priya Reddy, Mingjie Zhong Business Editors: Tal Marom, Ilena Peng Public Relations: Shriya Deshpande Staff writers: Vijeet Chaugule, Ada Chen, Jennie Chen, Bill Cheng, Vivian Chiang, Ankit Dua, Aanchal Garg, Sneha Gaur, Sandhya Kannan, Aditya Krishnan, Emma Lam, Stephanie Lam, ZaZu Lippert, Amita Mahajan, Akshara Majjiga, Nanda Nayak, Issra Osman, Renee Pu, Chetana Ramaiyer, Priya Reddy, Sarah Robinson, Zach Sanchez, Derek Shao, Andy Tu, Miloni Vora, Kingsley Wang, Devika Watave, Jessica Xing, Sebastian Zhang, Grace Zhou Adviser: Michelle Balmeo

Social justice warrior Musical musings

SPORTS 33 34

Man up

Playing sports with the opposite gender

Double edged Athletes’ setbacks serve as inspiration

36 Seasonal changes

The evolution of MVHS winter sport teams

The time I ate at a game Athletes discuss the mishaps of meals they had before competing

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.

Letter from the Editors We are what we eat. Recently, it seems like we’ve taken that phrase quite literally. We’ve learned to look at our food in a detached way: through its labels, its ingredient lists, its calorie content. We are made of what we consume. But when we break it down, we miss the big picture. Because along with food comes a series of relationships that we often neglect: the one between the consumer and producer, the chef and the dish, the community and its grocery stores. By the time it ends up on our plates, food has been passed from hand to hand and place to place. It has its own history, its own little lifetime. And though food fulfills our most basic needs, we use it for much more. On page 22, junior Trisha Kholiya explores how food is our medicine, how a mother’s recipe for a bitter flower tea could cure a junior’s chronic coughing. And on page 24, we examine how food can take us home by looking at stories of overlapping tastes and crossed palettes. One student’s beef rice noodle stew reminds her Things overheard at late night “DAMN DANIEL” “I had a dream where I was pregnant with Benjamin Franklin’s child.” “STOP HUGGING EVERYONE, YOU HAVE POISON OAK!” “That’s a good arm.”

of her upbringing in Southern China, although she didn’t learn how to make it until she moved here. A mother finds a balance between her own Singaporean childhood tastes and her kids’ craving for fluffy pancakes. There’s a story behind every meal, a story that

ALINA ABIDI KRISTIN CHANG LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

we’ve forgotten to look for. Our experiences with food are both personal and universal. And food reflects more than just our personal beliefs, it reflects how we relate to others. Whether we’re sitting at the dinner table with our grandparents and cousins, or gathering in the cafeteria each day for lunch, food is almost always a social activity. Even when we’re eating alone, we’re accompanied by decades of knowledge and culture that have shaped what and how we eat. In an era when we examine our food scientifically and clinically, breaking down food into its tiniest, most unrecognizable elements — grams of sodium, molecules of fat — we often forget the food as a whole. We forget its more intangible properties, how it can transport us to a childhood memory, how it affirms our cultural identities, how it can remind us, at once, of all our similarities and of all our differences. It’s more than a calorie count or protein percentage. It’s the product of crossing borders and generations, of where we’ve been and where we’re going. After all, we are what we eat.

“Let’s make our whole magazine about T-pumps closing.” “I’m lowkey losing it. I’m highkey losing it.” 3

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NEWS

Students draw the line with alcohol when it comes to drinking and driving

JUSTIN KIM l EL ESTOQUE ILLUSTRATION

BY M A L I N I R A M A I Y E R A N D A N D R E A S C H L I T T

It was around 7 p.m. on Nov. 15 when a silver Mercedes ran through a stop sign, sped down a side road and hit senior Rachel Poulo’s car. After almost swerving into oncoming traffic, Poulo’s car came to a stop. A couple of minutes earlier, Poulo was thinking about the soccer tournament she had played on that day and her parents’ dinner party, where she was headed. Now, she was inside her car, hyperventilating and in shock.

Poulo waited a couple of minutes before she stepped outside of her car. A witness of the accident came out of his car and helped Poulo as they called the police and her parents. Poulo was hit by a drunk driver and believes that she is lucky to have sustained no injuries, just a little soreness and a lot of shock. “Going through what I’ve experienced, I don’t think that I could ever do that to someone else,” Poulo said, “and if I did I would be pretty devastated to know that I learned nothing from this situation.” Forty one percent of students in a survey of 276 think that the legal blood alcohol content one can have while driving, if he or she is under 21, is 0.08 percent. However, Deputy Lee Hickinbotham, a school resource officer for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s department, explained that only if a driver is over 21, can their BAC be 0.08 percent. If a driver is under the age of 21 and any trace of alcohol is detected in their system, they will be arrested for drinking and driving. That is, according to the law, drivers under 21 can only have one blood

JUSTIN KIM l EL ESTOQUE ILLUSTRATION

6 / EL ESTO QUE / MAR 2015

alcohol level — zero percent. “Alcohol causes you to become impaired and you don’t make the best decisions, so you may feel like you’re just happy and you’re okay, but you’re not,” Hickinbotham said. “You will make that decision thinking you can drive, when in reality, you can’t.” FOR ONE ANONYMOUS MVHS senior, it all started with a beer the summer before junior year. This was his first experience with alcohol, and back then, drinking seemed like an inevitable rite of passage in high school to him. “In our teenage years and age, we want to feel bad,” the senior said. “Just doing stupid stuff, whether it’s like trying to find alcohol, steal alcohol, drink with friends because it’s cool. ” With more parties came more drinking. But the feeling of not being in control made him cut back since then, and now, he often is the designated driver for parties. The senior admits that while students drink underage knowing it’s illegal, there’s a line drawn when it comes to driving home drunk.

“That’s the stupidest thing anybody could ever do,” he said. “You literally could get a ride from anybody at the party. Not everybody drinks at parties.” Even though this senior believes he found his limit, he explains that a lot of students still haven’t. They don’t know how many shots are too many. They don’t know when to stop. So when the senior attends parties now, he’s always watching out for his friends. “Make sure they’re clean. If they do throw up, make sure everything’s out. [Give] them bread and water,” he said, as if running through a mental checklist. For this senior now, it’s all about taking care of “his boys”. He keeps track of the number of shots they’ve had and tells them to stop when they’re pushing it. After parties, he drives everyone and his friend group usually sleeps over at his house. It’s a taxing job, to be a designated driver, as he experienced at a party last Halloween. One of the senior’s friends had too much to drink and threw up on a bench. He wasn’t ready to go home himself. But since he had promised to

67 out of a survey of 276 students

drive her, he left the party and took her home. He drove to 7-11 on McClellan Rd. and bought her water. He gave her the water and started to drive her home. Five seconds passed and she threw up in his car. He wiped it up with his old sweatshirt and kept driving. Another three minutes and she threw up again. After wiping it up, he dropped her home, gave her water and bread, tucked her into bed and threw his sweatshirt away. TO AVOID SITUATIONS like this senior’s, Hickinbotham’s suggestion is to not w drink. “For any juvenile that says they know their limits, I would say that they don’t,” Hickinbotham said. “A lot of teenagers do think it’s a rite of passage to drink, but I think it’s more of a rite of passage to say no.” When she was a freshman, senior May Liew would have been shocked to hear that people drink in high school. Now as a senior, she’s knows that it’s a norm for upperclassmen to drink, but she doesn’t feel the pressure to drink herself. “I don’t typically drink, especially if I’m going to drive,” Liew said. “I’m never going to drink and drive just because I know the consequences of that.” In third grade, Liew lost her best friend Sydney to a car accident caused by a drunk driver. He swerved into the car and hit the side, injuring the mom and sister. Sydney didn’t make it. “Every time I think of someone

drinking and driving. I just remember what happened and that something that you think can be so minor can make a big impact in yours or someone else’s life,” Liew said. “The way that people just so casually talk about it sometimes, it scares me that one day… if you don’t really think about it before you take those next two shots, that could be the difference between life and death.” LIEW LOOKS FORWARD to college and life past high school. She believes that she’ll be okay with the drinking culture, as long as she remembers advice

The way that people just so casually talk about it sometimes, it scares me that one day… if you don’t really think about it before you take those next two shots, that could be the difference between life and death Senior May Liew

from her two older sisters and parents. As for class of 2015 alumnus Ketaki Malaviya, the transition between high school and college didn’t come as a shock. At UC Santa Barbara, she doesn’t have to worry about finding a driver at parties because she can just walk to her dorm, and she believes that she’s found her limit with time. However, she’s observed that this isn’t the case for everyone in college and explained that it’s all about getting used to limits. “I only felt comfortable doing it because it’s something that I’ve done before, and now I can say that I safely trust anyone [at college] to take care of me,” Malaviya said. “I feel like I saw cases of people who’ve never drank before and it was just really rough for them.” Now, Malaviya believes that drinking is accepted as a social activity, a way to network and meet new people; whereas, in high school, it was seen as more of a rebellious act that carried a stigma. Liew believes that going forward, she’ll be able to deal with drinking culture beyond high school. “In elementary school, you have the red ribbon thing: ‘Drugs are bad, drinking is bad’,” Liew said. “I guess as I’ve grown, I’ve come to terms that people in society drink, people in society do drugs, but you should never go to the point where you’re going to put your life or someone else’s life at risk.” e NEWS /7

49 % say yes

Students and teachers define voters’ qualifications and motivations behind voting STORY BY SHRIYA DESHPANDE AND GRACE ZHOU

eb. 3, 1870. It was on this day that the 15th Amendment was ratified, allowing every man no matter what “race, color or previous condition of servitude” to vote. Although it took much longer for women’s suffrage, eventually they too were able to vote and have a say in the government. A variety of factors affect the voting process, and influence the voter into selecting a certain candidate, especially when it comes to younger voters. Cornell University’s ROPER Center for Public Opinion Research reported that in the 2012 presidential election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, the 18-29 age group consisted of 19 percent of all voters, the second lowest number of voters. Senior Nirupama Chandrasekhar, who cannot vote in this election due to the lack of an American citizenship, strongly encourages other students to do so as they have the opportunity.

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SNEHA GAUR l EL ESTOQUE ILLUSTRATION

“Whether they don’t have faith in the Shankar said. “Because if enough people say political system, whether they’re just lazy or they’re going to vote for a certain candidate, not interested, I think that’s a real crime, hon- chances are twenty other are going to follow.” estly,” Chandrasekhar said, “We are living in And the media is an extremely influenthis country and I don’t think you have any tial factor in the voting process because of right to complain about what the government its ability to affect the public’s perception of is doing if you haven’t gone out and voted.” the different candidates and their stances. Senior Shruti Shankar, a future voter in However, there are some discrepancies in the final presidental election, claims some- various news organizations’ reporting of times people just aren’t interested in read- winners of debates and state polls. ing up on the F o r c andidates’ t u n e stances. She maga z ine believes that descr ibed elestoque.org/voting-advice it is imporh o w tant for stu“ C N N , dents to be aware of political stances and ac- which hosted the debate, wrote that Clintions, not simply to sound intelligent but also ton ‘proved without a doubt’ why she’s curto maintain strong background information rently the Democratic frontrunner; Forbes that can be used to make an informed vote. bestowed letter grades, placing the former “People don’t really know who they’re Secretary of State at the top of her class with voting for. It’s more the mob mentality thing, an ‘A-’; The National Journal claims that the which is pretty scary if you think about it,” she won simply because she is a strong de-

FOR VIDEO COVERAGE

Will you vote in this presidential campaign?

Do teachers discuss politics or give information about candidates in class?

Yes: 49% No: 32% Unsure: 19%

Yes: 12% No: 37% Sometimes: 51%

bater and Bernie Sanders is not.” Government teacher Ben Recktenwald believes students may be extremely influenced by social media, especially younger voters. “Trump, for example, a lot of the stuff that comes out of him is just tweets. Like, really? How can you express some sophisticated idea on policy in a tweet? And that’s becoming the trend.” Recktenwald said. “A lot of people are getting their information on elections based on really tightly compartmentalized pieces of information.” Chandrasekhar believes that another important factor in the voting process is the role teachers and parents play in influencing their students to look for cer-

tain values or advantages in candidates. Because parents may hold their own strong political viewpoints, they can instill some of those values in their children, ultimately influencing their child’s vote. Another information source is school, where some history and government classes directly involve teaching students about the struggles for rights in the past centuries, highlighting how hundreds of historical figures have affected the voting and governmental process today. “I think in US history, our whole job is to expose that process,” History teacher Robbie Hoffman said. “And the rights people didn’t have and their goal and triumph to obtain those rights.”

Do you vote for every position in class office each year?

Yes: 48% No: 25% Some: 27% out of a survey of 276 students

Furthermore, some teachers try to give students more insight on the presidential candidates. They will inform students about the different plans that the presidential candidates are looking to implement. In his AP Government classes, Recktenwald provides students with quizzes that determine how close their values match with those of all the candidates. “One of the nice things about government, is that what you’re talking about in the class is what’s really happening,” Recktenwald said. “In theory, every student when they leave this classroom should be highly qualified to vote, because that’s the whole point of Government — getting you prepared for voting.” e

FOR LEADERSHIP... Students not only have the chance to vote on a national level, but also on a local level. Every year, students have the chance to elect class officers who will make decisions and organize events such as dances and rallies for the entire class. In the past, complaints about class office and Leadership have arisen with students questioning the amount of effort the Leadership committees put into organizing entertaining events, raising money or motivating students during rally week. However, the final results are not the only thing students criticize. In a survey of 274 students, 82

percent of students believe that popularity is a factor in elections. Senior class vice president Ahmad AliAhmad also firmly believes that popularity is extremely vital in class elections. “I would say popularity is 100 percent the main contributing factor to someone winning,” Ahmand said, “you vote for your friend, or you vote for the person you know the best. Maybe it’s because I’ll do a good job, but most likely it’s because of name recognition or for knowing or being friends with people.” In the way that many potential voters do not know everything about a presi-

dential candidate, many students are not aware of the what exactly the separate leadership classes do. According to senior Emma Pickett, a member the Student Life committee, all the events planned are to ensure that students have something to look forward to or can pursue the actions they want, such as raising money for clubs or similar. “All the events we plan, and all the time we spend — I’ve had to miss practices, games, and different things or family time,” Pickett said. “I’ve sacrificed a lot for leadership, and it’s not for leadership, it’s for the school.”

NEWS/ 9

Tell us how you really feel! This month, the GOP shows they care by limiting abortion rights

ELL, IT’S WOMEN’S HISTORY of an unwanted pregnancy, and I get to unMonth, and to celebrate, the GOP derline the name a few more times in the is on a race to see who can most “Places Never to Step Foot In” list I keep in publicly deny people’s reproductive rights. my diary. Unfortunately, life isn’t as simple as just We’ve got presidential candidates advocating the shutdown of Planned Parenthood vehemently trying to forget the Alamo. Beand state legislators who believe that abor- cause while a stalemate on the Supreme Court is one particular worst tions require surgical incase scenario, another one is cisions. But in the lead Marco Rubio. we have Texas, as the SuA future President Rubio, preme Court hears a case if we’re being exact. Played about whether the state up by the GOP establishment can over-regulate abortion as the only moderate candiclinics out of existence. date that could theoretically That might not be defeat Hillary Clinton in the quite how the prosecution would describe it, but I MAYA MURTHY general election, it’s easy to forget that President Rubio don’t really care. It’s how OUT OF THE BLUE would ban abortion altothe three female Supreme gether, notably refusing to Court Justices—Kagan, accommodate for rape, inSotomayor and Ginsberg, the legalese girl band of my dreams—would cest or life of the parent. Let’s say that again, for all the people in describe the case they’re hearing, and that’s the back: President Rubio would force somepretty much all that matters. The way this works, is that the fine state one to carry their rapist’s baby to term. God, I love politics. of Texas is trying to shut down abortion clinics (shocker!). But this time they’re trying to do it by pretending they care about the people getting abortions. The new state regulations, apparently to “protect people getting an abortion,” making it almost impossible for an abortion clinic to stay open, leaving a grand total of 13 abortion clinics in the second largest state, in terms of area. Rhode Island has four. I’m literally overwhelmed by how how much Texas cares. In fact, I’m choking on it. So abortions are difficult to get in Texas. But Justice Scalia’s passing tilted the balance from a conservative to an equal ideological balance, making a worst case scenario simply that Texas gets to remain a garbage wasteland for anyone in danger SEBASTIAN ZHANG l EL ESTOQUE ILLUSTRATION

1 0 /EELL EESSTTOOQQUUEE / F E B 2 0 1 6

And it’s not just Rubio — while he happens to be the only candidate who has publicly endorsed a total ban on abortion, John Kasich (another so called moderate) seems to actually have done something about it. In Ohio, Governor Kasich signed a gag order for rape crisis counselors, barring them from mentioning abortion as an option for the victims they work with. This is probably the place to mention that Donald Trump, who acknowledges that Planned Parenthood might serve a decent purpose the 97 percent of the time it isn’t performing abortions, is at this point the most reasonable of his party when it comes to reproductive healthcare. He also happens to be a narcissistic clump of synthetic doll hair, so that isn’t really saying much. As someone about to go to college, I’m well aware that the world I’m about to enter is frightening. The statistics about college sexual assault are against me, and one of my realities is that I have to think about what I might do should the worst happen. Or even if I make a crappy decision, forget about protection or birth control (or both) and need to think about my next steps. The luxury of choice, is something we all take for granted: the ability to mull a few possibilities over in your mind, before deciding on the one that best suits you. The ability to control your future might be the one certain thing in a situation full of so much chaos. And, as a friend reminded me, there are corpses for whom we allow more rights to their body than pregnant people. I’m not even joking: dead people aren’t forced to donate organs, even to save someone else’s life. Meanwhile, there are politicians who want to force people to carry unwanted babies to term, potentially ruining two lives for the price of these elected official’s arrogant, ignorant pride. So anyways, on that cheerful note: Happy Women’s History Month! (Vote Democrat 2016. Please.) e

I NSI GHTEDUCATI ONSPRI NGPREP

The issue of authenticity Cross culture food modifications should not be considered authentic

USION FOOD HAS BEEN A PART OF our diet for as long as we can remember. Whether it be a Chipotle-run at night, or T-Pumps with our friends, we’ve all consumed some type of dish that features a blend of foods from different cultures. When we eat food that has roots in another culture, we don’t stop to think about the

traditions. Many people have a stereotyped idea of what food from a certain culture should look like, especially with the way it’s advertised. Take Mexican food, for example. We immediately think of tacos, or maybe a burrito. This stereotyping applies to any culture — Chinese, Indian, Italian. One or two images just popped into our heads that defined that entire cuisine, and in turn, a major part of

Noun Project

value that the dish holds within a specific culture, but people that follow those traditions do. People have eaten food of their heritage in a restaurant and felt a vague sense that it isn’t what the food is supposed to be like. Sometimes, it’s an outright indignation that the dish is being ‘culturally appropriated’, and in most cases, it is. Although fusion food can simply be seen as a combination of two cultures, Susan Scafidi, a law professor at Fordham University, defines cultural appropriation as the “adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of another culture without permission.” These ‘elements’ also include food. However the question isn’t really whether food is being culturally appropriated. It’s more, “why?” and more importantly, is it really okay? Sopho-

its culture. To prevent this form of P marginalization, we need to understand that appropriation doesn’t mean authenticity. But sophomore Tim Pai doesn’t see it that way. “If it tastes good, I don’t really care,” Pai said. “There is a lot of diversity in Asian cuisine, and maybe fast food is just another representation of what they think Chinese food should taste like. If that’s what they think, and people like it, then I am ok with it.” In today’s culture, it is easy to get offended in any “appropriated matter” but sometimes it’s necessary to modify food, especially from a business perspective when you want to appeal to customers who are not always accustomed to the ingredients of that food. As long as a modified food is not labeled or portrayed as an accurate representation

m o r e Haritha Shah thinks Indian food is more of a home cooked meal. “Most fast food restaurants don’t really capture what Indian food is really about,” Shah said. “So it’s not as great as what would you would normally get.” We may think, ‘it’s just food’, but with food comes a generalization of a culture’s

of its original counterpart, modification should be considered ethical. However, calling something “authentic” when it’s not, demonstrates people’s ignorance of a culture’s history and the meaningful traditions behind it. It’s not really about the food — that’s only part of it. The problem isn’t just that we’re reducing entire cultural cuisines to one or two food items, it’s that we’re reducing entire cultures, period. Like tacos for Mexican food and spices for anything east of Europe. According to research conducted by LA

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DIT

T HO

Weekly, traditional Mexican food is rich in vegetables, herbs, legumes and spices, with a whole grain product at its staple. The cheese used to garnish Mexican dishes is generally Cotija cheese, and traditional Mexican burritos are nothing like the avo-

Today’s S

Everyone has a generalized visual of This menu presents four foods that d ing the distinct flavors of each cultu

Chaat

is a sweet and savory Indian snack that portrays the authentic the Indian flavors and defies the stereotype.

Baklava

Greek cuisine also features Baklava, a sweet dessert made of a thin dough known as filo, and containing chopped nuts. The pastry is held together with sweet syrup or honey.

Moon Cakes

Mooncake is a popular Chinese bakery product which consists of a thick pastry with a sweet, dense, filling.

Shirazi Salad

Many Iranian cafes include Shirazi salad. This consists of cucumber, onion, tomatoes, and lemon juice are typically eaten in the summer as a side dish.

cado and sour cream dishes we get at Chipotle. That isn’t to say that we shouldn’t appreciate and enjoy fusion food, but only that we shouldn’t misinterpret it to think that it is authentic and understand that there is more

to the cuisine than meets the eye. We do have to keep in mind that preconceived notions about different cultures or ethnicities — not just limited to their food — need to be eradicated if we want to respect cultures as a whole. WHY ARE ONLY SPECIFIC cultures modified? When we are modifying foods from all around the world, why do we pick and choose the ethnicities being popularized? Why are the main sub-categories mainly Mexican, Chinese, Italian and In-

Specials

al of food from a different culture. hat defy the stereotype while capturculture.

...................$4.50

...................$3.50

zi one a

...................$5.00

dian? Why are authentic Greek or Mediterranean restaurants not as populated in Cupertino? The ethnicities and cultures present are given higher significance in

terms of the representation of their food. Places that have a higher concentration of a certain ethnicity or culture have a better chance to have their food represented in a more accurate and “authentic” light. In a city with a high number of Asians, we can probably spot about two to three pearl milk tea shop in every shopping center. With a higher number of Asians, there is an increase in the foods commonly associated with their cultures. In addition, t h e choices for Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese foods come in a high quantity around Cupertino. T h i s doesn’t go for all cultures, but typically the higher number of people, the more insight they have on the authentic taste, and the more needs they have for specificity of food (rather than its

specific to their culture and are thus difficult to replicate and cannot be generalized enough OPINION to fit into the American fast food culture. Authentic Indian food might only be popular among actual Indians, so, where there are a lot of Indians, there are lot of Indian places. But Indian restaurants also have to keep their options open to everyone else and therefore have to modify the

ing re dients in the food. Modification of food itself can be done for a variety of valid reasons, such as consumer tastes and feasibility. The main problem occurs however, when modified, fast food is passed on as “traditional” food of that cul-

STAFF EDITORIAL

mainstream flavors). OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE But that still EDITORIAL BOARD doesn’t fully answer the question of why we just pick and choose the cultures to popularize ture. The fast food is not usually made with in mainstream fast food. Well, the foods that the same precision that the traditional food can be associated with the Mexican, Chi- is made with, and this has the potential to nese, Italian and Indian culture completely change the taste as well have reoccurring themes of as the traditional value that certain food types. For the food holds for example East Asian that heritage. noodles are easy to So as replicate into a variety of dishes such as chow mein, udon and ramen. Indian

curries can be made from a variety of different vegetables and varied in other ingredients as well. Though they might not be exactly as made in the place of origin, it sells well as it provides the consumers with a sense of different tastes. We have a tendency to pick these cultures because not all other foods need to be modified. Most of their dishes contain ingredients too

long as we don’t try to slap incorrect claims on modified food, we can give ourselves plenty of room to experiment without the worry of offending people from that culture. The fact that food is clearly modified should be acceptable under the assumption that the food is not intended to be authentic. e

OPINION/ 13

Veganism, from a moderate

A primer on the benefits of veganism, without the extremism

STORY BY TAL MAROM

o be honest, I didn’t go vegan animal industry isn’t a very convincing one’s health, but that is not why I am vegan. with the greatest intentions. I argument, which makes sense. Unlike many It is possible to be a healthy omnivore. I am kind of just woke up one day and other cultures, Americans don’t think a vegan because I can be healthy without decided to give it a shot. “It will of their hamburger as a cow, they think animal products, and that is all that matters. be fun!” was what I thought to myself. of it as beef. What many don’t realize, The ethical and environmental implications After about a week, I however, is that the factory are what matter. realized that it wasn’t farm industry doesn’t simply If you made it this far into the article, I very hard to follow and mistreat animals, but it wreaks would consider that a victory. Most people it sort of just stuck. It havoc on the environment. are turned off by the notion of veganism, was only much later According to a report by the and I understand. It isn’t fun being told that I learned about United Nations Food and that the way you’ve been raised, and what the importance of Agriculture Organization, the you’ve been eating for your entire life, is veganism. I have three livestock industry is responsible somehow wrong. If you decide to reduce meals everyday, that’s for 18% of greenhouse gas your intake of animal products, that is an three opportunities emissions. The industry isn’t even bigger victory. If you decide to go to make the ethical exactlyresource efficient either. vegan, just make sure to take your Vitamin choice everyday. While it takes 25 gallons B-12 pills. The reason I don’t badger I recently of water to produce one everyone to go vegan is because veganism celebrated pound of wheat, it takes TAL MAROM is not the moral endpoint. It’s progress. my year 2400 gallons of water to You don’t have to go full vegan to make an anniversary of produce one pound of ethical and environmental impact; moral becoming vegan, and I have learned so beef, which is more than six absolutism is not the goal. Simply reducing much about the movement in that year, months of showers. Most your intake of animal products is a giant from the benefits of veganism to issues of this water goes step in the right direction. That could come concerning activism. towards growing in the form of switching to The sad truth is that the smiling, grassthe ridiculous almond milk or pledging to fed cows on your milk carton are just a amount of feed eat meat every other day facade. The mistreatment of factory-farmed (and no, most instead of daily. e animals is widespread in the United States, farm animals where regulations on how factories can are not fed treat animals are very lax. The only federal grass, they are law on the issue of animal treatment is the fed cheap crops Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which like soy and excludes poultry and makes exemptions corn) required for farms. On the other hand, legislation in to fatten up all many states on taking footage of factory the animals. In farms is very restrictive. As Christophe fact, 70 percent Haubursin of Vox puts it, “a lot of it has of the United to do with the fact that these videos can States’ grains broadcast completely legal, standard are grown for industry practices that Americans simply farm animals. don’t know about. Piglets getting their tails Although cut off without pain relief, force feeding the third ducks for foie gras, calves getting tied up in prong of veal crates — these are all completely legal veganism in most states.” If more Americans realized that that the average battery farm chicken lives activists in a cage smaller than an iPad, male cows often bring SE BA ST are separated from their mothers upon up is health, IAN ZH AN birth, and that their free-range chicken I am not selling Gl EL ES might have seen the outdoors, maybe we veganism from a TO QU E IL would be eating less animal products. health standpoint. Don’t LU ST RA For many, the ethics behind the get me wrong: I believe a wellTIO N planned vegan diet can do wonders for

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Get out and vote!

In an election cycle like this, voting is more important than ever

STORY BY MAYA MURTHY

HERE’S A LOT TO BE WRITTEN about the #millennial vote these days: about how we’re active online but not in person, about how we’re idealistic but never follow through, about how we’re simultaneously the hope and ruin of this great country. But we never show up to vote. And that’s a problem, for everyone. (Statistically for the Democrats, but that’s mainly because the youth demographic skews liberal.) The reasons for young people to vote, especially in this election, are numerous. The major candidates lined up on both sides each have the potential to break barriers: we could have our first Jewish, female, Latino or demagogue president. And the stakes have never been higher. Considering the improbability of President Obama getting a Supreme Court nomination through the Senate, it’s incredibly likely that the next President could either maintain the status quo or tilt the balance that formerly skewed towards the conservatives. The demographics of Cupertino means that we don’t always allow our electoral voice to be heard. Minorities historically have lower voter turnout than their white counterparts. According to the US Census, only 50 percent of Asian American and Latino American eligible voters, as well as 65 percent of Black voters cast their ballots in 2008. These statistics stand in comparison to 67 percent of their white counterparts who voted. (And 2008 was a year of historic voter turnout, especially amongst minorities). This makes every vote

that is cast all the more important. Issues like economic justice, gun control, racial equality, reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights hang particularly in the balance this election cycle. One example: last year, our government almost shut down over the budget, specifically pertaining to government funding of Planned Parenthood. The Republican majorities in Congress were in favor of defunding the organization, but President Obama was not. Planned Parenthood survived the budget because the Republican Congress did not have the two thirds majority needed to override a prospective Presidential veto.

THIS IS THE FUTURE WE CREATE, EVERY TIME WE SILENCE OURSELVES BY NOT SENDING IN OUR VOTES. Presidents Rubio, Kasich, Cruz or Trump would each slash the funds the second they stepped into office. Access to basic inexpensive healthcare would further vanish across this country, putting lower income people at risk. This is the future we create, every time we silence ourselves by not sending in our votes. Our electorate, comprised of the people who show up, don’t properly represent the American population because swaths of eligible voters refuse to participate in the political process. Issues like moderate gun control, on

WAYS TO REGISTER Get a driver’s license Register at the DMV or election offices Register online Mail in a voter registration form

which the majority of the nation agrees, become heavily contested in an arena populated with representatives put in office by fringe voters, while eligible citizens remain at home to bemoan the state of the country from their couches. Clearly, the problem isn’t always disengagement, especially in an election cycle like this one, where electoral politics seems to have become the new national sport. The driving force of Bernie Sanders’ campaign is his army of youth supporters, people who found out about him via social media pages like NowThisNews and AJ+ and spread the word. Admittedly, not every eligible young voter is interested in politics, just like the vast majority of eligible voters in every age group. But if nothing else, the 2016 election has revealed that the current common American experience is anger. But anger without direction is useless and selfdefeating. Voting is a simple but profound act of protest against the idea that the average citizen is powerless, that someone needs influence to enact a regime change. In a time of turbulence like this, it’s more vital than ever to make sure that each of us takes our chance to create the change we believe is necessary. At 18, the outcome of this election will stay with us for far longer than any other age group that will be casting their ballots in the coming year. All we need to do, is make our choice. Show up, and maybe we’ll get our shot at actually making America great. e

HOW TO VOTE AWAY FROM HOME 1) Apply for a vote-by-mail ballot no

later than 7 days before Election Day 2) Return your completed ballot by: Mailing it to your county election official Giving it to a polling place on Election Day

How do you feel: Students and teachers share their perspectives on underage drinking

STORY BY SANDHYA KANNAN AND ZACH SANCHEZ

VHS prides itself on nurturing high-scoring, high-achieving students who spend the majority of their high school careers perfecting their resumes and academic image. However, with high achievement comes high stress, and with that can come interest or dependency on

Economics teacher Pete Pelkey

Senior Uma Kirloskar

[In my experience] as a paramedic, people would drink so much, especially young people. They don’t know how much to drink, and they’ll drink a very big bottle with a high alcohol content, and they’ll have trouble breathing after that… Alcohol poisoning is a big problem and we lose kids every year from this, because we have a bad image in America of what drinking is. So much of our media shows people just downing shot after shot and they don’t ever appear drunk. So we tend to have a culture that indulges that.

I’m a forward person, but when it comes to things like trying alcohol and drugs I’m reserved and I refrain from doing it. For [my friends in university] they were completely open to trying it, so it is something they do with their friends as a way to socialize. I think parental pressure is the biggest issue in Monta Vista. The idea of doing something that your parents don’t want you to gives some kind of weird thrill that kids flock to. So if parents didn’t have such a [restrictive] mentality, it wouldn’t be a common thing for kids to want to do.

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recreational drugs such as alcohol. MVHS students are no exception to this, despite the latency of drinking culture on campus. Students as well as teachers share their perspectives on student involvement with alcohol and drinking culture.

Senior Hari Ganesh [In terms of safety precautions], a big thing is to not drive, that’s an obvious thing but still something people don’t necessarily [always] understand. Another thing is to have a friend near you who is more or less sober, to make sure that… no one gets hurt or… does anything ridiculously stupid. Being in a place as stressful as Monta Vista, I understand why people feel the need to use [alcohol] as an escape. To escape their situation, be it pressure from their teachers, their parents, the school in general, from colleges, from themselves… It’s a forbidden fruit kind of thing.

Physiology teacher Kyle Jones It’s important to note that there is a difference in drinking alcohol in small quantities over a large period of time as opposed to drinking large quantities in a small period of time, also known as binge drinking. Binge drinking, I would categorize, is one of the worst things you can do for both your body and just in general. If you look at alcohol just in terms of the body and the brain, they have reduced brain capacity… If you look at the brains of teenagers, the brain is still developing, so if you’re overloading it with alcohol, then you’re stunting the brain development.

Anonymous senior [Drinking] is a fun thing to do. I’ve never blacked out or gotten piss-drunk, [but] it [can be] a nice social lubricant, makes parties a little more fun… kind of feels [more] adult. I have seen some people get really wasted, I’ve seen people vomit, and chug a lot of alcohol… But I try to be careful with my portion control, try to drink lots of water. There’s a lot more peer pressure when you’re with a lot of younger people, to… seem cool by drinking a bunch… A lot of people think] well now, I can [drink] earlier, even though it’s illegal, it’s a little more fun and more dangerous… and it’s kind of exciting.

Diversifying our coverage To be taken seriously as a school newspaper, El Estoque should diversify our opinions and coverage

et’s do a piece on consent,” someone shouts out. “We can expand that to an overall package on rape culture,” another replies. Other voices chime in. “What if we talked about gender discrimination, privilege and breaking down the binary?” “Can someone please do a piece on how our community misappropriates African American culture.” “Let’s also do a piece on how eating at fusion food places like Chipotle is just another form of cultural appropriation.” Microaggressions, political correctness, white privilege, cultural appropriation. These are just some of the words that appear scattered throughout the stories and editorials we have published this year. They make up a familiar narrative that is published over and over. If we set out to do a package about sex ed, it inevitably attempts to make the case for more a progressive curriculum. If we set out to do a story about International Men’s day, it automatically becomes a story about the wage gap women face. Even if we cover something as apolitical as Valentine’s Day, it still seems as if we try to take a stance on gender roles. Our news publication generally attracts a certain type of student: passionate, ambitious and unapologetically liberal. What makes a publication great is when it can represent diverse views from all parts of the political spectrum: left, center, right. So when I, an ardent Bernie Sanders supporter, am one of the most conservative people on staff, one can begin to see the problem. Looking around me as I write this, I see around 60 staff members. Many of us aren’t political. But those who are embody the most idealistic brand of liberalism that almost seems to break the political spectrum. Although our campus is largely liberal, this type of exceptionally progressive student makes up only a small section of our student body. Journalists cover what they want to cover. They choose to cover the news that speaks to them and resonates with their opinions and their perception of the world around them. Even if there were systems in place that ensured balanced coverage over different topics, at the end of the day,

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the individual reporter determines what angle to take on any given story. Put a whole group of like-minded people in a small room together and you’ll essentially come up with staff editorials asserting that eating at fusion food places is an example of cultural appropriation or that teachers shouldn’t give out grades. In an environment with little challenge to our political opinions and our choices as journalists, we’re on our way to becoming a liberal Fox News. The world many liberals see around them is one that is overwhelmingly racist, sexist and greedy. Few doubt that problems like white privilege exist, but the extent to which they govern social interactions is exaggerated in the minds of passionate young writers who wish to expose them. It shouldn’t really be surprising then, why it may seem like every staff editorial is a competition to say the most radically

PRANAV JANDHYALA THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM liberal thing possible or why it may seem like many of our stories end up addressing things like racism, sexism or privilege. The great tragedy of journalism is that all coverage is in some way or another biased. Even great newspapers like the New York Times have a slight leftward or rightward slant. But these publications are routinely held in check from devolving into political propaganda by a diverse national audience that scrutinizes their credibility regularly. There are students and teachers within our brick walls who deplore what seems to them to be skewed coverage, students and teachers who regularly take issue with the opinions of our editorial board, those who disagree with the content of my columns. But it looks as if our magazine, complete with its flaws, is something that has become passively accepted by its readers. Very few comments appear on our site and those that do are typically anonymous. Those who find fault are not vocal. Our publication attracts a certain kind of student, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you, reader, also believe there is a strong liberal bias within our body of content, I implore you to apply to be a staff writer. We need students with conservative views to get involved in journalism as well in order to balance out our coverage and editorial opinions. Maybe one day we’ll have enough staff members who are willing to challenge the liberal presuppositions upon which many of our articles are written. e

RENEE PU l EL ESTOQUE ILLUSTRATION

OPINION / 17

OM KHANDEKAR | EL ESTOQUE

we are what we eat 110 calories. 10 grams of fat. 250 milligrams of salt. 15 grams of sugar. Today, we tend to judge our food based on the precise measurement of its contents. We examine food as a list of ingredients. Content warnings, fat percentages, sodium levels. We know where our food comes from, though we rarely know the stories behind it.

Food isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just a set of numbers or statistics, a bunch of elements bonded together or just a biological need. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the narrative of our lives, defining how we gather, how we form our communities, how we interact with others and our own bodies. From grocery stores to home remedies to food fads, what we consume is often more than just a row of small-print ingredients printed on a label. How do we shape food, and how does it shape us?

SPECIAL / 19

OTHING CHEERS UP A TRAVELER more than a warm plate of homeland dishes. For immigrants, ethnic grocery stores carry familiar foods and ingredients, incorporating a soothing sense of belonging. As the stores greet customers who pursue a taste of hometown, they welcome newcomers from all cultures. Those people step in with curiosity, trying to find their places in the stores of other cultures, while the stores try to find their place in the city of Cupertino.

Marukai Grocery Store Confused customers step into Marukai Market with recipes in their hands, determined to produce foreign dishes in their own style. Surrounded by unfamiliar Japanese characters, they are directed to the right places by Marukai staff. Many customers are introduced to Japanese cuisine by local restaurants. According to Chiye, a Marukai employee, this results in their preferences being limited by the menus. Many newer customers are only interested in popular dishes in foreign market, like miso soup and teriyaki chicken. In contrast, Japanese shoppers purchase a larger variety of ingredients to make different dishes. They also use ingredients differently. While other customers buy miso only to make miso soup, Japanese customers use the material to cook other dishes as well. Marukai Market has sacrificed some Japanese grocery store traditions to function. Almost all the grocery stores in Japan make bentos, Japanese lunch boxes, in the back kitchens and sell them in the store. “[In Japan], when people go back from work, they can grab the bentos on their way for dinner,” said Chiye. “Sometimes the bentos are still warm because they are fresh out of the kitchens.” However, Marukai Market, a chain grocery store, is not permitted by law to have such a kitchen. So bentos sold in the market are transported from factories elsewhere.

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Although Japanese customs are limited by culture differences, Marukai Market in Cupertino gives people with different origins the opportunity to experience Japanese culture.

Rose Market

kitchen, which hasn’t been around since the store’s inception. It was added later. Despite American and Persian cuisine not having much in common, Mehrensar doesn’t feel the need to change Rose Market’s food. Americans, Mehrensar said, especially love food from different cultures. They are curious about different types of foods and ingredients not found in American cuisine, and Mehrensar wanted authentic food. “You never forget your origin. You shouldn’t forget your origin,” Mehrensar said. “When you immigrate to another country, you keep the good things that came with you and accept good things of the country that you immigrate to.”

There are machines elsewhere that are able to make 2000 pieces of tofu in minutes, But we still only make and sell handmade tofu... because we know the taste is different,

Saied Mehransar had a dream. He dreamed of starting his own business. Although 20 years ago the competition was mild and the cost was less, it was not easy with the tedious rules and regulations. But he knew the rewards, because Mehrensar used to own a restaurant in Iran. He and his family decided to create this business together. Saied didn’t know the rules and methods to run a market in America. After doing all the steps he finally opened Rose Market. Unlike Safeway or Trader Joe’s, it was a small grocery store with a tighter sense of community. Ethnic grocery stores like Rose Market Sogo Tofu make it easier to find SOGO TOFU OWNER AI HUA ethnic ingredients. Note: Ai Hua is the “As long as you have name the owner of Sogo ingredients you can start Tofu chooses to go by cooking and making them into the same for her staff and customers; Ai represents dishes that grandma cooked,” Saied said. “love” in Chinese, and Hua refers to “Chinese The store sells Mediterranean and culture” regardless of nationality. Persian groceries, including spices, canned Twenty years ago, there was a huge foods, sweets and exotic vegetables. Despite Chinese organic supermarket with a full this, not all of his customers are Middle system of departments. The original owner Eastern and Persian. had the hope of embracing a healthy lifestyle They now own three stores: in Saratoga, through traditional Chinese cuisine. Cupertino and Mountain View. The three Eventually, business dwindled. Chinese immigrants were not familiar with organic brothers manage all the stores. Many of the customers come to the store food choices and Americans were hesitant to experience the cooked food from the back to purchase food from an unfamiliar culture.

from customs to stock

E t h n i c g r o c e r y s t o r es r e p r es e n T t i es t o o r i g i n a l c u lt u r e Story and photos By Renee pu and Hannan waliullah

The market was then divided into separate small businesses by different departments. Today, all these shops have closed down except for Sogo Tofu, the vegetarian food department. An employee of the original supermarket, Ai Hua, took charge of Sogo Tofu. Trying to preserve the traditional Chinese way of making tofu, Ai Hua and the other workers clock in everyday at 5 a.m. to make tofu from fresh beans, step by step. “There are machines elsewhere that make 2000 pieces of tofu in minutes, whereas by hand we can only make 20 pieces,” Ai Hua said. “But we still only make and sell handmade tofu and spend time to grind beans and chill the mixture in a traditional way, because we know the taste is different, even if not everyone realizes it.” Ai Hua moved from Taiwan to Cupertino, and has noticed that as the f a s t - d ev el o p i ng society changes, it loses some ir replaceable values on the way. There used to be a young man who helped Sogo Tofu sell tofu in the market. However, the emergence of fac tor y-produced tofu led him to join the majority who chose to earn quicker money from machines. Ai Hua knows

that it is unlikely for Sogo tofu to continue with another owner after she retires. She feels that the younger generation of immigrants are further away from cultural traditions, especially when people in the Bay Area are more academically-focused. Even her children, who grew up in America when Ai Hua is in charge of Sogo Tofu, barely know anything about tofu making and aren’t interested helping out the future of the grocery store. “[The younger generation] doesn’t understand the [traditional tofu-making], so they won’t be willing or be able to do it,”

Ai Hua said. “Continuing this business requires heart and passion for the culture.” In a few years, there may not be a place in Cupertino or the Bay Area where people can buy hand-made tofu. And younger people may never know what tofu tasted like for their parents and their grandparents. e

Top Left: Rose Market labels goods in different languages. Bottom left: Marukai Market still sells bentos, like in Japan. Since Marukai follows the American rules of running a grocery store, they can’t have a kitchen to make fresh bentos, instead they sell ones made by factories. Bottom Right: Ai Hua has been the owner of Sogo Tofu in twenty years. the Chinese characters behind her is Sogo Tofu in Chinese, Sogo meaning “peace and wellness forever.”

SPECIAL / 21

fritillaria and pear

She just wanted to get better. After coughing fits, junior Stacy Dai needed something to help alleviate her horrible cough. When she was about eight years old, Dai remembers scrunching up her mouth as she drank the tea cooked with fritillaria, a flower that is used to treat chronic cough. Although Dai cringed at its bitter, rather unpleasant, taste, Daiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother was against her taking cough medicines because of their effects on organs and long term health. Her mother would boil the fritillaria with a pear to create an easy-to-digest tea. Although Dai believes that Advil probably works better, she also appreciates what she describes as the placebo effect that herbs provide â&#x20AC;&#x201D; whether or not they worked, she certainly felt better.

herbal r

T h e p e r c e iv e d p owe r o f h e

ginger

EDICINE. FOR MANY, the word evokes images of multicolored pills in whitecapped yellow prescription bottles. But for others, the word calls to mind tea. For David Heron, a practicing herbalist who owns a clinic in Oakland, the transition from working in medicine to working with herbs was a smooth one. As a young man, he worked diligently in an ambulance. He became aware that people usually ended up in the ambulance because of their lifestyle choices or the fact that they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sick

Fresh ginger is spicy, good for digestion and used for the common cold and nausea. Ginger regulates the chi, or energy, of the stomach by helping enforce peristalsis, the contraction of muscles in the digestive system, to prevent vomiting. In Chinese medicine, herbs are classified as either hot or cold. Hot herbs are perceived to help warm up the body, aid digestion and open pores. On the other hand, cold herbs are there to cool down the body in a fever and slow down food digestion. Ginger is classified as a warm herb.

e t m t

g e i t o s t

isatis

The doctor would feel her pulse, then after a bit of chatting and some discussion of her symptoms, he would mix up different kinds of herbs and hand them over. Junior Caroline Chen’s family pushed her to take herbal medicine because they believe that although Western medicine can cure symptoms, herbal medicine is preventative, making the body resistant to the disease. Chen completely agrees with them on the long term effects and increased health benefits of the herbs. Three times a year, when she feels weak or sick, Chen boils a pouch of dried up herbs over a hot stove. Although the dark, brown tea is unappetizing and the bitter taste makes Chen scrunch up her face continuously, she endures it. The herbs always help. To her, the herbs are worth it.

remedies

herbs in Chinese medicine STORY AND PHOTOS BY TRISHA KHOLIYA

enough to get medicine before. It was then that Heron realized that he wanted to look for medicines with preventative value —a quality that he found in herbs . With herb bottles stacked up in rows down grocery store aisles, it seems as though each herb is specific to one ailment. But that isn’t the case. Herbalists customize herbs to each individual’s symptoms— mixtures of herbs help an individual’s condition while simultaneously mitigating the side effects of the other herbs. e

cinnamon

Depending on the herbs it’s paired with, the cinnamon branch has a lot of uses: alleviating the common cold, promoting movement to aid in digestion and warming people who suffer from chronic coldness, people who feel cold all of the time. The cinnamon branch is used in a number of very different formulas and in many different ways.

camelia sinesis

By far the best herb to take everyday is tea, which refers specifically to the plant Camellia Sinensis. Its varieties are known by colors: Green Tea, Black Tea, Oolong Tea, Pu’er tea, White Tea. Some other types of herbs are labeled as tea, but they are not from that specific plant. It can be drank everyday to help keep your mind alert and get rid of toxins with a wide variety of natural antioxidants. Modern science shows how tea has high levels of a variety of these natural chemical compounds. Additionally, according to Heron, the caffeine in the tea itself isn’t unhealthy because while synthetic caffeine increases cortisol levels, studies show that tea decreases cortisol levels. SPECIAL / 23

melting pot

The evolution OF ourselves and our food S T O RY BY A L I N A A B I D I

T ’ S S PA G H E T T I A N D M E AT B A L L S , A L M O S T . The pasta mother would not eat my food. She says it’s too part is typical: a navy blue cardboard box emptied Western.” into a boiling pot of water. But the meat is something But one generation down, it’s not Western different, something special. It’s Singaporean ground enough. Jean didn’t grow up eating pancakes, beef, cooked with thick slices of ginger and a heavy but her kids would want them at sleepovers. helping of secret sauce. Jean Lim, piano teacher and Though she sometimes wants to recreate the mother of senior Sarah Lim and Class of 2013 alumnus meals she enjoyed as a child, her children don’t Daniel Lim, has cooked this part-American partnecessarily like the same cumin or coriander Singaporean, part-Chinese dish at least twenty times, flavors she grew up with. So once again, she but each experience feels new. figures things out. She adapts. “There’s no recipe,” she said. “It’s all kind of put “I made the worst pancakes,” she said. together. I never know how something’s going to taste “They were flat. I would sometimes buy that until it’s all done.” box of pancake mix, but I wanted to able to do Jean’s blended palette and mixed meals are it from scratch, on my own.” constantly evolving as she discovers a new grocery store She tried, but her pancakes just weren’t or makes an accidentally delicious substitution. fluffy like her kids wanted, like the kind you’d Jean vividly remembers the first dish she ever get at IHOP. Then a week ago, when she had cooked. She was newly married and needed to eat, extra sour cream, she threw that in the mix so she decided to whip something up. She heated up instead of milk, and her pancakes were finally canned corned beef, adding some rice noodles and “super fluffy.” vegetables before sitting down with her husband to eat. “That’s the fun part about cooking, you just “He said, ‘Do you think this tastes like dog food?’” discover what you can do,” she said. “When she said. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, it does.’” you cook from a recipe, you’re cooking other Back then, Jean didn’t know she had to fry vegetables people’s discoveries.” or cook noodles before throwing them into the pan. Jean attributes the inherent fusion quality Back in Singapore, her mother was a great cook, but Jean of her food to her Singaporean childhood. hadn’t wanted to learn. So she scoured bookstores to She’d eat Indian parathas and curry find ideas, and because she lived in Canada at the time, for breakfast, maybe have Chinese she created Shepherd’s Pies and lasagnas. Older women noodles for lunch and have steak from her church would come over and teach her how to dinner. Her palette was all over, and properly make salad. And as the internet became more it made her more open. She believes popular, she turned to cooking websites and Martha that kids growing in Cupertino will Stewart. But she’s never been one to just stick to the have that openness as well. recipe — she trusts her nose and her tongue over a list of instructions. Sauces sizzle, water runs and soft piano music e l e s t o q u e . o r g / m e lt i n g - p o t plays in the background. She samples a spoon of her beef sauce and nods. “As I’m cooking, I remember the tastes of something from my childhood,” she said. “When that happens, I’ll try and doctor it. Put more sugar, put more salt, how I remembered it tasted when my mom cooked it.” She pauses. “Although, my

for the recipe...

ALINA ABIDI l EL ESTOQUE

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T he r e ’s no r e ci pe. It’ s al l k ind of pu t t ogether. I n e ver k n ow how s o me thing’ s g o i n g to taste u n t i l it’ s all done. -PARENT Jean Lim

“Growing up, my classmates were Indian, Chinese, Eurasian, Malay, English,” she said. “It’s kind of like growing up here. It’s a place of immigrants. Because of that, you have a different sense of the world. It’s easy for you to live elsewhere, because you’re used to seeing people of all kinds.”

American culture through trying other foods.

SOPHOMORE NATHANIEL KEARNEY could decipher half

the menu from looking at the names of dishes. He could figure out another quarter from looking SENIOR YUHAN HE’S FRIENDS at its pictures. love her mother’s traditional Southern “The other part,” he said, “we Chinese beef rice noodles. But He’s family just had no idea.” had never made the dish back in China. When Kearny and classmates They didn’t need to — it was available at traveled to Japan in January for every restaurant. But when her family came a language immersion field trip, to America, she tried a few types of rice he was most excited for the food. noodles, and they didn’t cut it. After studying Japanese for two “I think it tastes not so good,” she said. years, he has developed a passion “I prefer spicy food, so I told my mom and for the cuisine. The trip offered she said, I can try to make it. Basically we him a weeklong opportunity to just add everything we want.” try authentic dishes. She didn’t have trouble finding similar The week before the trip, ingredients for the soup, like the chili powder Kearny and his class reviewed or sauce or the noodle-shaped rice itself, restaurant and ordering but she has been surprised by the kinds of terminology, but he was still vegetables she’s found in California. surprised by a few customs. “That tiny, tiny cabbage,” she said, First, one family restaurant referring to brussel sprouts. “I think it tastes he visited had a little button you so weird.” could press to call over the server. She first tried the tiny, tiny cabbage He used it once, for dessert. at a Thanksgiving dinner at her mother’s Second, the food was definitely friend’s house. She didn’t love the traditional cheaper than the Japanese food American food, but she did like the he eats in America, and of pretty cornbread. Since coming to America, the good quality. Third, the meals senior has found a connection to home in were small but filling, and each making her noodles, and a way to experience dish included rice. “They always serve you rice,” he said. “If they don’t give you rice during the meal, it’s after the meal.” Because Kearny, his classmates and his teachers made up a large group, most of their meals were already cooked by the time they got to each restaurant. But Kearny still had the chance to be adventurous, to have a taste of sesame ice cream, to order a dish based on its intricate calligraphy description hanging on the wall. And though he wasn’t crazy about every dish, he was excited to try something new “I’m willing to try foods once,” he said. “If I don’t like it, never again, but I’ll at least try everything once.” e ANUSHKA TYAGI l EL ESTOQUE

Some like it hot S T U D E N TS S H A R E O P i N I O N S O N S R I R AC H A SA U C E S T O RY BY E M M A L A M

fiery

If sophomore Madi Anderson Au could describe Sriracha, “spicy fiery goodness,” would be it. She recalled seeing a bottle, filled with a reddish sauce. Her mother suggested putting the sriracha sauce in her meal. “I poured in a lot and my mom is going, ‘Stop stop that’s too much!’ [I] thought it was perfect,” Anderson Au said. Now whenever Anderson Au hears the word sriracha, she runs to express how much she loves sriracha.

delicious

Junior Richa Israni doesn’t recall the first time she had Sriracha, but she decided it was “delicious.” Sriracha on pizza isn’t the first combination you’d think of out of the blue; the pizza place, MOD, had Sriracha sauce. “I got it and [thought] ‘Wow, this is actually really good!’ Israni said. It may sound weird to others, but for Israni it was the start of something interesting. She continues to do it even now, refusing to let others’ opinions get in the way of what she truly likes.

revolting

To sophomore Nina Biondi, the taste of sriracha is not appealing; it feels foreign in her mouth.The first time Biondi had sriracha sauce was in seventh grade. “We were eating tacos and he said that it would taste really good on them,” Biondi said. “[I] hated it so much.” Biondi feels as though sriracha is only aimed towards people who enjoy spicy food, which is why sriracha is at the bottom for her, due to her hate of spices. i l l u s t r at i o n B Y H A N N A N WA L I U L L A H

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2 3

Lost but not forgotten Objects on campus find a new home in the maintenance yard STORY AND PHOTOS BY ILENA PENG AND NEHA PATCHIPALA

T’S LIKE A REVOLVING DOOR; THINGS DON’T STAY FOR LONG” site maintenance manager Chi Ma said. The maintenance yard is where old items go — awaiting repairs, a new life in a different school or a place in the dumpster. It is the

purgatory of all school items; whether it be textbooks or old desks. Yet a few items aren’t quite the expected. From parking signs to a rabbit that lives under a shed, here are some of the hidden objects in the maintenance yard and the stories that go along with them.

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF TOM ORSUA

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE 2 6 /EELL EESSTTOOQQUUEE / M A R 2 0 1 6

“He’s just a little guy… a little round fuzzy thing. [When I was driving], I thought I saw something move, and went ‘What was that?’ I looked underneath the pallet and there he was, waiting for me to leave. So I walked away and then he put his head out and looked around. I could see it’s little cottontail.” -CUSTODIAN TOM ORSUA

“We don’t like to take apart stairs because stairs are really hard to build. Like for our show right now, “Addams Family,” we had to build like 5 staircases; that was probably the worst thing ever. After the closing performance, we stay until one in the morning [otherwise known as ‘strike’] and take everything apart.” -JUNIOR SKYLER BARR

A&E

SHIFTING STAIRCASES

“They’re big- sized televisions that are just outdated. Everyone wants to go with the flat screens and all that. From personal experience, we threw away a projector television and we were really careful with it getting it outside and putting it on the curb. There was a liftgate that they put the television onto and they just [crushed it]. We heard the mirror crack and everything and it was like ‘Oh well, so much for being gingerly with it’ Nobody takes the time to recycle or refurbish it.”-ORSUA

SHATTERED SCREENS

“When they first got them, [all the teachers] were like ‘ooh high tech’ and ‘Don’t touch them’ and trying to be really careful with all of them. Now you can see that they are just sitting out there getting rained on and will probably just get tossed.” -ORSUA

NOT SO SMARTBOARD RESCUING THE CLASSIC

“When a teacher leaves, they generally have a whole bunch of stuff that they don’t want to take with them. Over by the C building, one of the teachers was leaving and there was a regular metal garbage can full of videotapes. I went through and pulled out a couple of old movies like 12 O’Clock High, Command Decision and Timothy Leary’s Last Trip. They were classic movies.” -ORSUA

A & E / 27

Junior Nikki Phan hopes to pursue a career as a tattoo artist STORY BY NANDA NAYAK

HILE 53 PERCENT OF STUDENTS at MVHS would rather be doctors, lawyers, or engineers, junior Nikki Phan hopes to be a tattoo artist. When she was around 14, Phan suddenly realized that she had subconsciously started following tattoo artists on Instagram. For the first time, she considered tattooing a profession, and started looking into the industry. After realizing that a tattoo artist was a possible career choice, Phan realized that she wanted to become one. Phan, however, admits that she has not always felt passionate about the profession. When she was younger, she believed the stereotypes surrounding tattoos, but now she feels that she has overcome her belief in these stereotypes. “When I was younger, I always assumed people with tattoos were in jail, or did drugs,” Phan said. “But I think people just need to accept that there’s nothing wrong with it, it doesn’t make you a bad person. It’s just like, ‘don’t tell people what to do with their bodies.’” Phan feels that the stigma surrounding tattoos is still prevalent in society, and that many people judge others with tattoos. “A lot of people say ‘You can’t get a job if

you have a tattoo,’ but that’s ridiculous, because having ink on your skin doesn’t affect your ability to do the job,” said Phan. Though Phan feels strongly about the

JUNIOR NIKKI PHAN

Phan has an art portfolio, featuring artwork like the one above, and develops it in hopes of getting a tattoo apprenticeship in college. negative connotations tattoos have, she believes that if she was ever in a professional setting, like a job interview, she would keep her tattoo, when she got one, out of sight.“Ultimately, you need money

to survive, and the stigma around tattoos is really negative,” said Phan. “But I would hope that some day you would not have to hide a tattoo.” Though Phan feels passionate about her decision to be an artist, her parents think otherwise, and believe that it’s just a part of growing up. “My family thinks it’s a phase, but I’m trying to educate myself on the whole industry so I know what I’m getting into,” Phan said. Certain family members, however, have been very supportive and have even talked to Phan about tattoo designs, because they know it’s what Phan plans to have a career in. Phan is grateful for all the support she has received, and feels that this support motivates her even more. Though Phan has faced obstacles in her chosen path of becoming a tattoo artist, she continues to pursue her profession of desire, while questioning the stereotypes around tattoos. She also urges others with negative attitudes and ideas towards tattoos to change their mindset. “If you think about it, why does having something that’s meaningful to you on your body, a tattoo, make you unprofessional?” e

Think about the ink

Students discuss the meaning behind their tattoos

SENIOR CARISSA YEE “My mom has three plumaria flowers, which represent me, my brother, and my dad, and I think this tattoo kind of represents my mom.”

EL ESTOQUE 28 / EL ESTOQUE / MAR 2016

SENIOR AUSTIN CHEN “It’s roman numerals on my wrist of my grandmother’s death date. My grandmother was really important to me, she raised me my entire life, and I felt it was symbolic to get.”

The breakfast club

A look at Bobbie’s Cafe, one of Cupertino’s most popular brunch spots STORY AND PHOTOS BY SNEHA GAUR

N ANY SUNDAY MORNING, a line of people snakes around the front of a small, wooden building just off of De Anza Boulevard. The building is easy to miss, with its faded yellow sign obscured by trees, but if you know what to look for, you can spot the black letters: Bobbi’s Coffee Shop. Just outside the cafe, a chorus of laughter and tinkling of glass bubbles through the doors. As it nears closing time, the crowd drifts away, but sounds can still be heard from within the cafe. Owner Bill Dancer sits on a worn stool, crumbling crackers into his soup and employees flit about the kitchen, washing off smudges of grease from plates and conversing with one another. Bobbi’s is thrumming with energy, with or without its customers. Later renamed “Bobbie’s Cafe,” the popular breakfast stop has been a constant in Cupertino for the last 46 years, with residents coming back for the quintessential American style brunch. Dancer used to be one of these residents, visiting Bobbie’s with his mom, Janet. Over time, he established a rapport with the original owner, but it wasn’t until the original owner confessed to financial troubles and offered the cafe to Dancer that his family took over. He never imagined owning a restaurant, but now, he loves working at Bobbie’s for the customers. To customers, Bobbie’s stands out from the other establishments in Cupertino because of its friendly atmosphere, where employees will pause to exchange small talk with the regulars. One of these regulars, Randy Dunn, has been visiting the cafe since 1998. “Not every day,” Dunn said with a chuckle. “Just most days.”

Bill Dancer is the current owner of Bobbie’s Cafe. He bought the restaurant from its original owners in 2012. As time went on, Dunn met other retired folks who’d frequent the cafe — former lawyers, doctors and engineers. Together, they’d sit at the countertop that spans the length of the cafe, just talking. Eventually, they earned themselves the nickname “Counter Culture.” Now many of them have passed away or moved to other cities. Dunn is usually alone when he eats, but occasionally, he’ll run into someone from the disbanded group, and the conversation flows. While owning Bobbie’s was more of an unexpected, yet pleasant, twist for Dancer, it had always been a dream of his mother’s, Janet, who eyed fast food franchises like KFC with longing. Even when she was working in the tech industry, she dreamed of owning a business. But her husband, Dancer’s father, objected. He didn’t want to risk the money that allowed him to take care of his family. With Janet greeting customers up front,

Bobbie’s maintains a pleasing atmosphere whose happiness is almost infectious. Sometimes, if a kid doesn’t want to finish their meal, she’ll promise them a lollipop as an incentive. But to Dancer, working with his mom is like doing anything else with her: he does what she tells him to. But both agree with their decision to keep the cafe exactly the same. Besides replacing worn furniture and purchasing new equipment, Bobbie’s is exactly as it was under the first owner. And Cupertino residents couldn’t be more grateful for that. “For the customers that have been here since the beginning, we kept the same employees and menu. It was remarkable how many people thanked us for keeping it the same,” Dancer said. “We felt good about bringing something back to the community because it could have been lost.” e

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Unpl gged C

Control over technology reveals a generational gap in understanding STORY BY BILL CHENG AND JESSICA XING

ARENTAL CONTROLS ARE AN ISSUE junior Zunera Ghalib has tried to combat since elementary school. When her parents blocked her email, she created a fake one; when her parents locked certain sites, she would guess the passwords and bypass them; she never stayed disconnected long because she always had a solution around her own restrictions. Protection and freedom — rivaling priorities when it comes to the internet. Some parents know of online predators; others simply want their children to do well in school. Ghalib was of the latter case. Through the parental control program Norton Family Protection, Ghalib was unable to access all social media sites except for email. These limitations built distrust

between her and her parents. “I mean, they did it because they wanted me to focus on schoolwork,” Ghalib said, “but people learn how to regulate themselves, and when you have your parents do it for you, it just makes you angry — it hurts when you realize your parents don’t trust you.” Her parents’ distrust, according to Ghalib, stems from the ever present technology gap separating the two generations. In the past few decades, technology has made incredible leaps forward. But because of this sudden growth, many parents lack a level of understanding when it comes to tech use and their kids. This is most evident with social media, which has now become a pivotal part in day to day communication. Her parents’ misunderstanding kept Ghalib isolated from many groups when

SITES RESTRICTED... Junior Zunera Ghalib: Gmail Source: CC: Google Co. Products

My mom still has my email password, even in my junior year. It’s an invasion of privacy

Sophomore Alicia Zhang: Crash Course I was in the middle of work, and I was watching a Crash Course video; it made me laugh, and my parents thought that I was fooling around, so they took away my computer. Source: CC: youtube.com

Econ Teacher Pete Pelkey: Parts of Reddit

Source: CC: commons.wikimedia.org

There’s whole sections of Reddit I do not want my child to look through. All that racist stuff that comes up -- [my kids] might think it’s funny. You have to sit down and say ‘Look. This is not funny. This is hurtful and should not be allowed.’

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she was younger, especially when her peers would chat through Facebook. “I felt left out,” Ghalib said, “And I didn’t really have any way of contacting people outside of school. I think it’s important that parents realize that while academics is important, so are other things like social interaction and entertainment, especially as children.” Ghalib felt this distrust could’ve been bridged with just a simple conversation. She always felt that these restrictions led to a divide that she and her parents could never quite breach. Silicon Valley is home to huge tech corporations: Apple, Oracle, and Microsoft, to name a few — technology is an integral part of the Southern San Francisco Bay. And yet, despite Cupertino being surrounded by the industry, sophomore Alicia Zhang notices the same tech disconnect with her own parents. She understands that a lot of misunderstandings that come with parental control stem from her parent’s own confusion. Even though her parents are familiar with technology as software engineers, Zhang still feels like her parents are caught in a technological gap that they cannot escape. “Adults don’t [have as much of a grasp on technology as kids do],” Zhang said. “When they grew up, they were used to [having no technology], so now they need more time to get used to new tech. And once they get used to it, more technology comes at them, so there will always be this gap of understanding compared to adults and kids.” ECONOMICS TEACHER PETE Pelkey says that as kids grow up, you have to trust them to do the right thing. The internet is far too complex to ever fully regulate, especially with his children, who Pelkey believes will always know more about technology than him. “There is so much weird stuff on the internet that you can find that they’d

Re n

I THINK THE BEST THING FOR PARENTS IS TO STAY IN THE LOOP. MAKE AN ACCOUNT, TALK TO YOUR KIDS WITHOUT JUDGEMENT... YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT OPEN MINDED COMMUNICATION

MVHS parent Laura Malone

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think is appropriate to listen to or watch.” Pelkey said, “But the internet is a much more natural thing to them than me, which definitely puts me at a disadvantage.” When it comes to teenager’s rules, Laura Malone, parent of senior Ally Malone, believes in the saying “if there is a will, there is a way.” A big reason why Laura thinks teenagers don’t trust adults is that adults have a tendency to overspeculate. They get suspicious, and they overreact, which leads to many teenagers to widen the gap between them and their parents. “I think the best thing for people who are older like me would be just to try and stay in the loop,” Laura said, “Instead of speculating as to what teenagers might be using it for … make an account, talk to your kids about it without judgement or freaking out. You need to have that open minded communication.” Laura has one important internet rule: she has to be able to follow her kids on social media. While this might be seen as controlling, both Ally and Laura believe this encouraged a more open relationship between them. “My parents were more lenient about it, which I think has definitely helped our relationship.” Ally said, “I definitely think that some control is necessary — there should be a good balance between protection and freedom.” Laura agrees with Pelkey that adults will always have to catch up when it comes to technology. But she feels that it is her responsibility as a parent to simply instill values like common sense and independence. “I think kids need to learn to self regulate,” Malone said. “If you avoid [these conversations], you tend to shelter them in a way that doesn’t prepare them for what will lie ahead.” e

A & E / 31

Social justice warrior

Thoughts on Social Media and #FreeKesha through Kesha’s ‘Warrior’

Our generation sticks out among others like a sore thumb. It’s a generation where

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Love us or hate us nothin’ can break us Kesha’s song ‘Warrior’ was written almost four years ago and when I first heard

ATIO N UST R E ILL TOQ U L ES NG lE A PE

We are the misfits

it, I thought that it was just another basic pop song about being strong and fighting for what you believe in. But considering all that’s happened, I really do think that although Kesha was truly a misfit when she gained popularity, she’s become a warrior. And whether or not she wins the upcoming court case, she’ll have succeeded in winning over the hearts of other influential figures in the music industry and the population itself. Social media has proved over and over its influence on our generation and that influence is too large to not be used to make a difference in the world. #FreeKesha isn’t just a rallying call to support Kesha, it’s a social media shoutout that brings awareness to feminism and harassment. Perhaps social media isn’t our generation’s fatal hamartia after all. e

ILEN

people obsessively take selfies, where hen I think of Kesha, I recall the Kesha who still used the people can get famous and make a living off of having a nice butt, where five-second ‘$’ sign in her name. Kesha’s dyed hair and nose piercing clips saying “damn Daniel” can make you a made her what all the “cool kids” listened national phenomenon. It is a generation where people become to back in 2009. And whether I liked it or not, her song “Tik Tok” became the unoffifamous for all the things that they shouldn’t be famous for. And all because of social cial anthem of my fourth grade year, along with Justin Bieber’s “Baby” — both of media. It’s a generation where entertainwhich my parents considered “trashy music ment is the priority and all other real matters in this world are overlooked at times. from trashy people.” A few years later, she has toned down Everyone wants a laugh and no one really that wild child look a little. Or maybe every wants to acknowledge all the sorrow in the world, which is only logical. other pop star has just become even wilder. But when our generation wants A recent court case’s to discuss those matters, social meverdict denied Kesha’s petition for freedom from dia is the first and foremost outlet to flock to. Trending hashtags form the contract that required overnight and tweets are retweeted her to only produce music by the millions. with her producer and alleged sexual abuser. We are the bad kids, the And in light of the Dr. degenerates Luke-Kesha controversy, ILENA PENG I took it upon myself to Our generation is also the one recall those good old MUSICAL MUSINGS where people choose to stare days and found a few at phones instead of talking to songs that I used to people. It’s a generation where social media listen to religiously, “Warrior” being one of has taught us everything we know. Our them. strong opinions spawn new protests and The entertainment industry has extendmovements overnight. ed its reach far beyond Hollywood, with But despite being dubbed the ‘selfie artists constantly traveling and tabloids generation’ by some, when real causes like following their every move. #FreeKesha show up, selfies stop and we all And social media guarantees that the look to social media to share our opinions. awareness continues past the press. For Of course, there might always be more every controversial article in the news, there are thousands more opinions on social people that know about ‘damn Daniel’ than people who know about #FreeKesha, or the media platforms. water crisis in Flint, Michigan. But regardTo me, it seems that all these opinions less, social media has become an effective contradict each other. As with many court platform, not only for entertainment, but cases, evidence comes up that seems exfor news. tremely valid. And lawyers contradict that with evidence that seems more valid. We ain’t perfect but that’s alright I do think that it is arguably impossible to find the real truth in the case. But Many of the flaws of our generation I stand behind Kesha. Even though no one can determine who will win the court case, lie in our attachment to social media, but Kesha will still have made a positive impact just the same, that’s where many of our on society, having brought awareness to the strengths lies. Social media has brought to issues of feminism and sexual harassment in light an unbelievable number of important issues from racism to rape. the entertainment industry.

MAN UP

Playing in coed sports teams gives girls a new mindset

SPORTS

STORY BY AKSHARA MAJJIGA

HE RIGHT SIDE OF HER BODY STILL ACHES from her game against the boys JV soccer team last year. She blames it on the fact that she was too hesitant, not “all-in.” But the idea of playing with the boys, who were much larger than her usual competitors, made it impossible to defend with the same aggression. Junior Anitra Varhadkar acknowledges that she is one of the smaller players on the field. At 5 feet 2 inches, she is accustomed to playing with girls who are a few inches taller. Playing with boys, however, was a completely different ball game. From the boys’ faster gameplay, she began to realize that one wavering moment could cost a game. Still, she finds that, when playing with boys, they have a general tendency to underestimate her. As with any team, it is necessary to gain the trust of your teammates. But this is an even bigger hurdle when your team is coed. “When playing a boys’ team,” Varhadkar said, “the same type of discipline is needed to prove yourself. Not getting passed to is an issue in all teams.” This is a common thread for girls who have chance to train with boys, but varsity softball player freshman Irene McNelis doesn’t think it necessarily has to be. For her, learning to play t-ball in a team of primarily boys was not an issue. In fact, she made plenty of friends and this experience led to her introduction to softball years later. She had the chance to practice playing different positions, and, she believes that if she met

her t-ball teammates again, they could definitely be close friends. In a different sport, however, McNelis can see the potential to be underestimated based purely on her gender. “I see how it can be a problem,” McNelis said. “But I don’t think it has to be.” In her experience, sophomore Jessie Pao thinks that training in an all-boys fundamentals class is what made her into the varsity basketball player she is today. Pao first learned to play basketball in fifth grade; she signed up for a fundamentals class and was surprised to find out that everyone, besides her, was a boy. Within a year, because of the intensity and repetition of the class, she was able to improve drastically. However, in her three years there, she cannot remember making a single friend. “There were a few girls,” Pao said, “but they just came and went. The boys all had their clumps so I didn’t have any friends.” When playing on a team of boys, both Varhadkar and Pao have noticed an obviouschange in pace. Not only do they play with

more energy and aggression, they also play faster, and, at times, it’s difficult to keep up. When McNelis played t-ball, she was one of the better players, and since she was only five, expectations were low. She saw it as a chance to learn to play a sport in an environment she enjoyed. As the girls got older, and the strength of the boys increased, it became much more difficult to compete. A year ago, Varhadkar, on her club soccer team of all girls, played a team of boys who were younger. Varhadkar felt that the boys were cocky and expected to beat them easily due to their sheer strength and power. Because of this they played more tentatively, unsure of whether the girls could handle the intensity of their usual game play. However, this frustration was only motivation for Varhadkar and her team. Since Varhadkar refuses to get an MRI, she may never know why the pain in her right side has not ceased to bother her. The injury was an acknowledgment of when her defense had not been up to par — she had gone Freshman Irene McNelis sits in the dugout with her t-ball team in for a steal from the JV boys in 2006. McNelis was one of the only girls on the team. soccer team player and, due to her apprehension, emerged with only a pain in her side and no ball. Still, this medal of her daring serves as a constant reminder — never back down. “When I’m playing it’s always running through my head,” Varhadkar said. “I have to go all in or nothing.” e Photo used with permission of John McNelis.

ELIZABETH HAN l EL ESTOQUE ILLUSTRATION

SPORTS/ 33

DOUBLEEDGED Athletes overcome adversity by using setbacks as inspiration

S T O R Y B Y K A L PA N A G O PA L K R I S H N A N A N D S H A R O N T U N G PHOTOS BY SHARON TUNG

Being teased, being trapped in a private school and being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at first haunted the lives of three MVHS students. But when they turned to sports, they channeled that negativity into motivation, and those setbacks have morphed into inspirations for them.

SIXTH MAN Senior Vasu Gupta has played varsity basketball for two years. He first dabbled in basketball at the end of third grade, when he had no one to play handball with. A lot of his friends were in basketball leagues when he just picked it up. The other kids weren’t shy to let him know he wasn’t any good, and Gupta felt inadequate. “People didn’t take it very well,” Gupta said. “Back in third grade, I was a little chubbier, a bit bigger than the other kids. I took up more space and made it hard for the team to score.” After his initial experience, Gupta made

3 4 /EELL EESSTTOOQQUUEE / M A R C H 2 0 1 6

a commitment to himself to improve in basketball. He now plays wherever he can — 24 Hour Fitness, the park nearby or the high school gym. Basketball is not merely a hobby to him, but a sport he believes took him far. While in third grade he faced prejudices from other basketball players, basketball became the sport which helped him find acceptance. Through basketball, he met many new friends and learned how to be patient and persevere. Assistant coach Jeremy Alan is more of a close friend to him than a coach, someone who was there for him when others weren’t. “You’re not going to win all of the games,” Gupta said. “It teaches you

how to lose and how to win. It’s a miniature version of life.”school gym. Basketball is not merely a hobby to him, but a sport he believes took him far. While in third grade he faced prejudices from other basketball players, basketball became the sport which helped him find acceptance. Through basketball, he met many new friends and learned how to be patient and persevere. Assistant coach Jeremy Alan is more of a close friend to him than a coach, someone who was there for him when others weren’t. “You’re not going to win all of the games,” Gupta said. “It teaches you how to lose and how to win. It’s a miniature version of life.”

BUTTERFLY

Before senior Helen Chen tried out for water polo her sophomore year, she envisioned a “High School Musical”esque team, where teams dance and sing through their wins and losses. At first, Chen initiated it after practice by singing in the showers with her teammates, just like in the movie. For Chen, that search for sisterhood came from her time in middle school at Challenger School, where she found there to be more of a focus on academics rather than athletics. Though she was a swimmer there, she grew tired of the monotony. “Over time, swimming became tedious,” Chen said. “I [couldn’t] do anything fun anymore. I wanted to try other things; swimming is not the only sport out there.” So, in freshman year she played softball, water polo sophomore and junior year and wrestling junior and senior year. She started playing water polo after approaching and questioning a friend carrying a green and purple bag. “I was like ‘Oh, water polo! Maybe I’ll try out,’” Chen said. “She thought I was joking, and the next day, I just showed up to practice. Then, I played water polo for two years.” From the protected environment of Challenger School, Chen aimed for spontaneity and new experiences in high school. Coming in with bucket list of new things she wanted to try in high school, Chen feels like she has crossed many of those items off now. “Whenever you do stuff like that, there’s so many happy feelings and joy,” Chen said. “The sport itself is really fun too. Winning and losing, if you do it with your team, is a great feeling.” The High School Musical-esque team may not have caught on, but Chen’s Challenger experience helped her realize the importance soaking up everything high school had to offer, not just academics. “Right now, as high schoolers, we are still young, we still have the chance to try many different things,” Chen said. “Many people are focusing on things like studying. It’s a path with no stop, until you’re like 60. Before college starts, I want to have fun. Basically, never say no to learning experiences.”

FACE OFF

For sophomore Ryan Hirai, a Segway excursion resulted in a trip to the hospital. A hockey player and a Type 1 diabetic, Hirai had especially high blood sugar levels because of his Segway jaunt before his game the same day. When the game ended, Hirai’s leg cramped and locked up. At the hospital, his mom called and told him he was an idiot. “But she asked if I was okay,” Hirai said. “Cause that was the number-one priority.” While Hirai’s parents do not support the physical impact of hockey, they know what the game means to him. His small size and his diabetes have acted as It’s nice because I both obstacles and inspirations. Hirai found out he had know who my real diabetes in seventh grade, in friends are now. the middle of hockey season. had all the symptoms: the There are the ones He fatigue, frequent urination, who stay away increased thirst. And when he went to do a routine check, he when they learn was admitted to the hospital; that I’m a diabetic he had Type 1 diabetes. But the part wasn’t adjusting to and the ones that hardest the diabetes, it was his friends’ reactions. stay there. “It’s nice because I know sophomore Ryan Hirai who my real friends are now,” Hirai said. “There are the ones who stay away when they learn that I’m a diabetic and the ones that stay there. They’re just there for me whenever.” Not only Hirai’s diabetes, but his relatively small size for a hockey player has made him rely on his speed rather than his strength. “It’s always been a battle, showing that I can play the top teams in spite of my size,” Hirai said. And after seven years, Hirai is now a part of the San Jose Junior Sharks 16 AAA American team. He believes his experience mirrors that of Max Domi, a small diabetic NHL player for the Arizona Coyotes. “There’s a small diabetic kid and he’s playing at the same level,” he said. “That’s my motivator.” e

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CHANGING WINS-LOSSES-TIES

Alumnus Bobak Ohadi carries alumnus Baris Demirlioglu after their game against Los Gatos High School in their 2011-12

2011

2012

0-9-1

11-5-3

2014

2013

11-4-4

11-7-1

2015

2016

8-8-6

13-5-3

Rachel Lu | El Estoque

BOYS SOCCER GIRLS SOCCER

A LOSING TEAM WAS QUICKLY TURNED INTO A WINNING PROGRAM THAT EVENTUALLY REACHED THE CCS PLAYOFFS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 17 Afteryearsofsuccess,theteamplummetedand moved down a division due to a lack of upper-

THEN

NOW

- Coached varsity girls soccer for 10 years - Led the team through CCS several times - 2012-13 team had 11 seniors and one freshman

- MVHS coach since 201314 school year - Have not reached CCS - 2013-14 team had three seniors and three freshmen

ALAN KUTE 36 / EL ESTO QUE / MARCH 2016

DJ DRISCOLL Malini Ramaiyer | El Estoque

SEASONS

THE EVOLUTION OF WINTER SPORTS STORY BY AMITA MAHAJAN AND PRANAV IYER

FIVE YEARS LATER IN 2016 THE TEAM HAD ITS MOST SUCCESSFUL SEASON IN STIVER'S ERA AND MADE IT TO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE DIVIThreestraightplayoffappearanceswasdisrupted by a loss of valuable seniors and the

oque

Robert Sulgit|El

COACH CLAY STI-

er | El Est

Alumnus Ramana Keerthi blocks a shot during MVHS’ game against Santa Clara HS on Jan.

Pranav Iy

“

I REMEMBER WHEN I TOOK THIS JOB AND MS. BELSHE ACTUALLY TOLD ME ONE TIME, GIVE IT FIVE YEARS.

BOYS BASKETBALL GIRLS BASKETBALL

Aditya Pimplaskar | El Estoque

SENIORS ON THE TEAM 2012-13 2013-14

2ND ROUND CCS PLAYOFFS

2014-15 2015-16

DID NOT QUALIFY Class of 2014 alumnus Stephanie Jennings and her family join class of 2015 alumnus Christina on her senior night. SPORTS/ 37

BELOW Coach Ian Bork talks to the Japanese high school national team coaches before a wrestling meet on Jan. 12, 2015. RIGHT MVHS and Japanese teams celebrate their success together after the meet.

WRESTLING

2011-2012 AMOL PANDE | EL ESTOQUE

Head coach Ian Bork joins the program

2012-2013

Team places in CCS

10TH

Team places in CCS

10TH

Team places in CCS

2013-2014 2014-2015 AMOL PANDE | EL ESTOQUE

Coach Ian Bork instilled a winning tradition through his strict regimens, which has led to the program becoming a CCS powerhouse.

2015-2016

Team places in CCS

TOP 20

THE TIME I Students eat at games, meets and matches.

ate at a competition

STORY BY DYLAN TSAI AND KINGSLEY WANG

MATCHING DRINKS This year, the badminton coaches have implemented a new rule. There is a 10-mile run punishment for any player who shows up late to a game if they are also holding pearl milk tea. For years, much of the badminton team has shown up to games holding pearl milk tea. When current junior Rachel Hyun first entered the team in her freshman year, she was confused as to why she always saw the upperclassmen with drinks during games. At one game, the players found that the school’s gym did not allow food or drinks. “We all brought [pearl milk tea] in and it was already open,” Hyun said. “We were like, ‘what do we do with it?’” They tried to hide it behind their backpacks. However, because some drinks had already been opened, the bleachers were covered with pearl milk tea when one drink fell over. After being yelled at, the players cleaned up the mess and smoothed over the incident. Hyun eventually joined their ranks. Now, Hyun and the players she carpools with stop by any pearl milk tea shop on the way to almost every game. Though she does not like pearls, her favorite flavor is taro milk tea. “At first I was like, ‘Why [pearl milk tea]’ or ‘How did this start,’” Hyun said. “But after a while I just thought, ESTOQUE ‘let’s just go with it.’” AN TSAI | EL

IN A PICKLE It was pulsing. Junior Kristina Wang noticed that her leg began throbbing during a field hockey game at Leland High School. The pain amplified, but she continued on. Finally, the sprints took their full toll; Wang’s leg cramped, and she was escorted off the field. On the sidelines, assistant varsity coach Bonnie Belshe told Wang she needed electrolytes. She gave Wang two options: first, Gatorade gummies and second, which Belshe said was more effective, pickle juice. It was lukewarm from being in a hot sports bag for hours. “I wanted to get back into the game,” Wang said. Belshe handed her a bottle of pickle juice. At first, it seemed small, nothing compared to normal beverage bottles. Just one problem: the pickle juice was very, very sour. “It took me a really long time to finish it because I had to drink it in small gulps,“ Wang said. “The taste was overwhelming.” In the end, Wang could not recover in time to continue playing at LHS, and her leg continued to hurt for several days. In fact, Wang is not sure if the pickle juice really helped more than Gatorade gummies would have. However, the pickle juice has had one lasting effect. “Now,” Wang said, “a lot of people on the team call me ‘Pickle.’”

DYL PHOTOS BY

CROSS COUNTRY CUISINE On paper, sushi looks like a good pre-race snack, with its small size and the carbohydrates it brings through the rice and raw vegetables. However, senior cross country and track runner Brent Mogensen disagrees. Before the 2014 cross country Lynbrook Invitational, he ate a rainbow sushi roll three hours before the race. The race, being a small meet, was a mere two miles long.

Mogensen walked up to the starting line, preparing himself. After the Lynbrook High School coach finished chastising runners for keeping their toes on the line, he raised the starting gun and fired the pistol. The race was on. For the next two miles, Mogensen felt the party in his stomach for the whole way. “I was cramping really hard and I felt like throwing up” he said, “I

could not pick up the pace.” To Mogenson’s surprise, he still placed second in the race. “The only reason I got second was because no one else wanted to pick up the pace,” he said. Earlier in the 2015 cross-country season, Mogensen attempted his sushi snack again. “It wasn’t that bad because I had it earlier,” he said. e

SPORTS / 39

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