Volume 42, Issue 8, May 23, 2012 by El Estoque

ESTOQUE Monta Vista High School

Issue VIII

Volume XLII

elestoque.org

May 23, 2012

GOING, GOING, GONE. Special Report Page 22

Assistant principal retires

Assistant principal Plaza says farewell after 11 years at MVHS NEWS Page 6

A year off

Gap year an option for those who arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ready for college OPINION Page 19

Internal races

Senior Kevin Bishop races his way to Stanford SPORTS Page 44

22 22 6

30 36

contents

Looking back

Happenings over the course of the 20112012 school year

Goodbye, old friend

School for students

MVHS should seek to make its academic environment more student-friendly

6 12

Assistant principal Dennis Plaza will leave legacy of positivity after his retirement

Separating

siblings

Some students’ siblings want to attend different schools

Runaway run-offs An unusually high number of run-offs brings to question the ASB elections

A purposeful pause Gap year could be beneficial for students who aren’t emotionally ready

Broken strings

The Guitar Club comes to an early end, as most interest clubs do

Ethnic Explosion

The ‘spotlite’ shines on Indian culture and performances

Art in motion

Junior Zara Dickinson’s travels have taught her about art

SPORTS

SPECIAL

OPINION

A&E

ESTOQUE

NEWS

Graduates of MVHS

The class of 2012 will mark a new beginning as well as their end on the new field

Cutting back Schools in the UC system incorporate drastic financial changes

MVHS on the map

A year in sports

30 44

2012 students go far and wide to attend college

Highlighting athletics throughout the year

Tracking Flatow Track coach Flatow talks to El Estoque about the team, the past season, and the future

Ahead of the pack Senior track member Kevin Bishop sprints a clear path to an athletic scholarship at

EL ESTOQUE

ESTOQUE

21840 McClellan Road Cupertino, CA 95014 mv.el.estoque@gmail.com Editors-in-Chief: Cynthia Mao, Anushka Patil Managing Editors: Smitha Gundavajhala, Patrick Xie, Amelia Yang Copy Editor: Forest Liao Webmaster: Karen Feng Photo Editor: Margaret Lin News Editors: Rachel Beyda, Amrutha Dorai Sports Editor: Carissa Chan Entertainment Editors: Yimeng Han, Gisella Joma Opinion Editor: Smitha Gundavajhala Special Report Editor: Morahd Shawki Business Editor: Albert Qiu Public Relations Editor: Angela Wang Staff Writers: Akshay Agrawal, Emma Courtright, Simran Devidasani, Kevin Guo, Christophe Haubursin, Megan Jones, Danielle Kay, Soumya Kurnool, Howard Lee, Angela Liu, Rachel Lu, Jacob Lui, Aafreen Mahmood, Karishma Mehrotra, Kiranmayi Methuku, Nona Penner, Alexandria Poh, Pooja Ravikiran, Daniel Tan, Dickson Tsai, Kevin Tsukii, Yaamini Venkataraman, Emily Vu, Elvin Wong, Ashley Wu, Sara Yang, Laura Yang, Lisa Zhang Adviser: Michelle Balmeo, Jay Shelton Credits Some images in this publication were taken from the stock photography website sxc.hu. Mission Statement El Estoque is an open forum created for and by students of Monta Vista High School. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the journalism staff and not of Monta Vista High School or the Fremont Union High School District. The staff seeks to recognize individuals, events, and ideas and bring news to the MVHS community in a manner that is professional, unbiased, and thorough in order to effectively serve our readers. We strive to report accurately, and we will correct any significant error. If you believe such an error has been made, please contact us. Letters of any length should be submitted via email or mail. They may be edited for length or accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion. We also reserve the right to reject advertising due to space limitations or decision of the Editorial Board that content of the advertisement conflicts with the mission of the publication.

MAY 23, 2012

GOINGGLOSSY GOINGBACK AND

e went glossy earlier this year because of a lucky find — a startup printing company approached us with a radical new business model that gave us free glossy pages. It was risky. There was always a chance that they would call us one day and tell us they couldn’t print our magazine. But the previous editor team decided to take a chance. While there was evident risk to reliability, the opportunity was too good to pass up. For two issues, the gamble paid off. The glossy pages were beautiful — the kind of professional quality that we strive towards in everything we do. The switch brought LETTER FROM an overwhelmingly positive response from our readers as well as from our staff. And then, everything fell through. A couple of weeks into this last cycle, our printer emailed us with bad news. Because of financial reasons, he could no longer print for us. We only had the senior issue left, and while we wanted to finish the year with the glossy-full color magazine that we had grown to love, we returned to newsprint. While we would like to say it was a hard decision, going back to newsprint, it really wasn’t. Glossy, full-color pages cost three times as much as newsprint. And ultimately, it’s the content that counts. More students would pick up the magazine if it were glossy, but if they’re just admiring a satin sheen, what’s the point? We’ve been taught since Day 1 that “content is king,” and with glossy pages, content quality might’ve decreased, “compensated” for by the fact that we

were printing on higher-quality paper. It’s a perk, then, that going back to newsprint will force us to scrutinize our work a little more closely if we want to maintain readers’ interests. High-quality work is what we’re aiming for, and a glossy magazine shouldn’t be worth anything more than the paper it’s printed on. We acknowledge the fact that newsprint is an automatic turn-off for some, but in the end, it’s the people whose stories we tell that matter. Though we weren’t the ones to make the decision to take the risk Cynthia with glossy, we have to & deal with the fallout — and that’s okay. Because Anushka taking that big risk reaped a big reward. As the new editors-in-chief, THE EDITORS we realized a need for taking these chances. Perhaps the overall result of the experiment was inconsequential in the long run — a few months of an interesting departure from the norm in the 43 years of El Estoque’s history — but it was a part of us finding out what works best for this publication, and that can only come from trial and error. Our stint with glossy has opened up several more questions for us to resolve, especially now that we’ve returned to newsprint. Are we going to continue looking for a cheaper glossy printer? Are we going to continue with the 16 pages of color that we used to have or will we make room in our budget to go full color? The questions are yes, seemingly only about the aesthetic aspect of the magazine, but answering them is also about discovering what is best for our audience, and discovering what is going to move us forward as a publication.

MAO

PATIL

c.mao@elestoque.org | a.patil@elestoque.org

Correction: On page 31, Mikki McMillion’s name was misspelled.

NEWS

RETROSP Construction reaches completion, a student wins a national competition and a community comes together to support an alumunus in his battle against cancer — it’s been a busy year. by Simran Devidasani and Megan Jones

Tragic day On Oct. 5, students were asked to stay home due to a shooting at the Lehigh Hanson’s Permanente cement plant. On Oct. 6, police caught Shareef Allman, the man responsible for murdering three and wounding seven civilians. That same day, Apple founder and engineer Steve Jobs died, finally losing his seven year battle against pancreatic cancer. “I remember seeing Steve Jobs in a cafe in Palo Alto in May of 2011,” junior Sumana Pidaparthi said. “Now it is surreal to know he is dead.”

DECEMBER 5

Construction begins Renovations on the track and field began in late September. Despite multiple lawsuits and protests from neighbors, construction continued. MVHS students had to adjust accordingly to these changes, including altering the annual Powderpuff game to team handball, which took place in the main gym. After months of construction and eager anticipation, administration announced on May 15 that the class of 2012 will be the first class to graduate on the newly renovated field on June 8. However, due to limited parking, each senior is only allowed to invite six people to attend.

Kevin Tsukii | El Estoque

Christophe Haubursin | El Estoque

OCTOBER 5

SEPTEMBER 5

Elvin Wong | El Estoque

Rewards from research On Dec. 5, senior Angela Zhang was awarded first place at the National Siemens Math, Science and Technology competition, receiving a $100,000 scholarship. Along with the cash prize, Zhang also had the chance to meet President Barack Obama and explain to him her new method for cancer treatment, which includes using nanosystems. Due to Zhang’s victory, research clubs have become more popular around campus, resulting in more participants in both local and national competitions. Zhang will be attending Harvard University in the fall.

EL ESTOQUE

ECTRUM year in review // assistant principal retires // sibling ﬂight

First intradistrict rally On Jan. 13, the first ever FUHSD intradistrict rally, Fantastics, was hosted by the FUHSD IDC at Fremont High School. All five FUHSD schools participated, with students from each school competing in nine different rally games. MVHS took third place out of the five teams, with LHS coming in first and FHS coming in second. “I thought [Fantastics] was really fun but it wasn’t publicized enough, so not many people were there.” freshman Divya Cherukuru said. “It would have been more fun if more people were there and had known about it.”

Christophe Haubursin| El Estoque

APRIL 24

Assembly day Salman Khan, founder of Khan Academy, spoke at the Back In Action Week assembly on Jan. 6. Khan, who was listed as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Time magazine in 2012, gave a presentation about how he started Khan Academy. The inspiration for his company derived from teaching his cousin Nadia through Youtube videos and soon students from all across the nation began to use his videos as well. In 2011, Khan gave a TED (technology, entertainment, design) talk, which is a nonprofit organization that promotes the spread of innovation.

Elvin Wong | El Estoque

JANUARY 13

JANUARY 6

Elvin Wong | El Estoque

Donor match for alumnus In the summer of 2011, alumnus Jack Chin was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Chin’s former teachers, specifically art teacher Brian Chow, became involved in the campaign to help Chin find a bone marrow match throughout the Cupertino community. MVHS held a donor drive for Chin in the hopes of finding an Asian-American donor. Despite the low chances of finding a match, Chin beat the odds and found a donor. He received the transplant on April 24.

s.devidasani@elestoque.org | m.jones@elestoque.org MAY 23, 2012

So long, farewell

Assistant Principal ends 11-year long career at MVHS by Karen Feng and Soumya Kurnool

t was assistant principal Dennis Plaza’s MVHS is different. first day on the job at MVHS. He was “It’s the students that have just pushing a cart through the school, overwhelmed me,” Plaza said. “They’re just and when a few things fell off, Plaza incredible. They’re positive. They’re vivacious. remembers, he began They’re stressed, but they’re picking them up, not Students have involved and they take on expecting any help. these incredible tasks not just touched my life. “In other schools,” And by accident, I at school but outside of school Plaza said, “you can walk across may have impacted ... This is just an incredible campus and people will stare place to come to every day.” a few others. at you and not want to have And in the 11 years since assistant principal Dennis Plaza that day, he has continued to anything to do with you.” He was surprised when a see the same spirit at MVHS. group of students ran up to help him. Over the However, this year is Plaza’s last with the years he has realized that that one incident was school administration. Next August, instead of no fluke. preparing for the school year with his former

colleagues, Plaza will be traveling around the world as Dean of Students Michael Hicks takes his place. In the fall, he will be in Spain, running with the Spanish bulls in Pamplona and touring Spain as students take part in Running of the Bulls at home. A man of history Plaza began his 27-year long education career as a Biology teacher at Miliptas High School, inspired by the childhood teachers who sparked his interest in working with students. Eleven years later, he moved to the FUHSD, where he has worked for 16 years. Since coming to the district, he has worked as a teacher at Homestead High School, an EL ESTOQUE

year in review // assistant principal retires // sibling flight “From my position in terms of guidance,” Plaza said, “I think we’ve evolved a great deal in terms of trying to get as much information out to kids so that they can make good decisions about their choices. I think we’ve moved from thinking that we have all the answers for students ... [to finding] that we need to support students, not just dictate them.” ‘Accidentally’ inspiring The level of respect he has for MVHS students has gained him the reputation of being a student-centric administrator. “There’s no question about it that students are at the heart of what he does. He’s committed ... to making choices about the school decisions with the students in mind,” Scott said. “He truly loves the students he works with.” In Plaza’s opinion, working with students has not only been a wonderful opportunity for him, but also an opportunity for mutual growth in a symbiotic relationship. “Students have touched my life,” Plaza said. “And by accident, I may have impacted a few others.” District superintendent Polly Bove, on the other hand, believes that his influence on the student body is no accident. “He cared so passionately about every kid when he was teaching science,” Bove said.

“

Margaret Lin | El Estoque Photo Illustration

administrator at Cupertino High School, and, of course, an administrator at MVHS. To principal April Scott, his extensive experience in education and administration has been key to the staff’s success. “He has seen a lot of changes, and there’s something about the legacy that’s important,” Scott said. “And the nice part is that he’s not locked into institutional history, but it’s a good thing that he can tell us about it so he can give us a sense of perspective.” Plaza has played an integral role in assisting the administration to help and inform students by bringing a more personal approach to the administration-student body relationship, making the administration more approachable. MAY 23, 2012

my confidence. No one can bring you down except yourself. ” Junior Stephen Kim also feels that Plaza’s impact on the student body is overwhelming. “There is no [MVHS] without Mr. Plaza,” Kim said. “He’s been a friend, a teacher, counselor, an assistant principal, a principal, too ... He’s just been such a big part of almost every aspect of this school and every kind of activity there is.” Plaza has supported Kim’s passion in violin by helping him explain to teachers his frequent absences due to performances. Because Plaza also guided his elder siblings, Class of 2006 alumnus Andrew Kim 2006 and Class of 2009 alumnus Veronica Kim, the assistant principal is almost a part of the Kim family. “You can feel his ability to sympathize and understand — his encouragement,” Kim said. “ I’d basically miss him not only as an assistant principal, but on a personal level, too. Like how you would miss someone in your family when they go off to college.” Kelleher believes that the encouragement Plaza embodies will be the aspect of his personality that will be missed the most. “I’m going to miss his constant positivity, his willingness to help in any situation,” Kelleher said. “He [always tells] you that everything’s going to be fine. A lot of people feel that they don’t have that kind of person

If there is truly St. Peter of the Holy Gate when you go to heaven, I truly hope one of the people holding the Gate is [Plaza].

district superintendent Polly Bove “He believed every kid in his class could learn [Biology] and learn it well. And they believed it, too ... I think he’s left behind a legacy of thousands of students who have benefited from their experiences with him.” To senior Sarah Kelleher, Plaza’s emotional support since freshman year has made him a constant source of encouragement throughout her high school career. “I was having [bullying] problems with a friend and didn’t know how to deal with it,” Kelleher said. “It seemed that she wasn’t being a friend to me. He told me, ‘In life you need to know who your friends are.’ ... He helped me realize that what other people said didn’t matter. He was really instrumental in building

”

in their lives. He made everything okay. I don’t think I’ll find anyone quite like him.” Model human being As Plaza retires this year, he will be remembered by Bove as “a model of what life ought to be.” “If there is truly St. Peter of the Holy Gate when you go to heaven,” Bove said, “then I truly hope one of the people holding the gate is [Plaza] because he sees the good in everybody, and he would be able to convince St. Peter that [everybody has] some good ... and I’ll tell you, there is no greater gift to anyone who knows him than that.” k.feng@elestoque.org | s.kurnool@elestoque.org 7

NEWS

RUNNING FROM THE BULLS After witnessing older siblings’ past experience, some younger siblings rethink enrollment at MVHS by Rachel Beyda, Amrutha Dorai and Howard Lee

If you were currently an eighth grade student and had the option of attending MVHS or a different high school, what would you choose?*

46% 54%

attend LHS] that [LHS] is like a pressure cooker … I came to MVHS and I realized that maybe I could have done a lot better if I [had] gone to another school where it wasn’t as hard and things weren’t as competitive to the max,” Nikita Bhatnagar said. “And I think that’s how my parents looked at it in sending my sister to [LHS].”

Sisters, sisters Academic competition also played a role for would not Homestead High School junior Victoria Rod. would attend MVHS attend MVHS Her older sister, Deborah Rod, transferred out of MVHS after an academically and socially stressful freshman year in 2008. To Victoria Rod, who was attending Kennedy Middle School at the time, her sister’s experience was a preview of what her own experience would be like. She decided to follow her older sister’s footsteps away from MVHS. “I’m close with my sister [and] seeing her struggle showed me what I could go through,” Howard Lee | El Estoque Photo Illustration Victoria Rod said. “[HHS is] a perfect fit for *130 students responded to an online survey me academically and socially.” ast summer, when current Lynbrook High School freshman Tanvi Bhatnagar MVHS has a reputation amongst students registered in a lottery to attend LHS instead of MVHS, she thought little of as being one of the more academically it. She had heard her older sister MVHS junior Nikita Bhatnagar’s stories of strenuous schools in the FUHSD. The curricula pressure and competition, but it did not weigh on her mind. of some classes at MVHS are more challenging than their equivalents at other high schools in the district, according to Nikita Bhatnagar; Only when she heard that her name was attend a school other than their home school. Lynbrook’s Pre-Calculus Honors classes and among the 33 of 196 applicants districtwide According to FUHSD Manager of Enrollment the MVHS Math Analysis class both use that had been drawn in the lottery, and she and Residency Julie Darwish, 10 of the 196 “Advanced Mathematics: Precalculus with had the option of attending LHS, did Bhatnagar applicants for last year’s open enrollment Discrete Mathematics and Data Analysis” as lived within the MVHS area. However, open really start considering the choice before her. their main text. “I kind of knew how [MVHS] is — the enrollment will not be I came to MVHS and I Both Victoria Rod and mentality of the children, and … the pressure offered this year due to all of grades and academics. It is very vigorous in schools in the district being realized that maybe I Tanvi Bhatnagar chose not that way,” Nikita Bhatnagar said. “My input over capacity. could have done a lot to attend MVHS because, among other reasons, was that it’s not a bad thing to try to see other For Tanvi Bhatnagar, better if I [had] gone they felt the change would options, other schools as well.” enlisting in open enrollment Tanvi Bhatnagar made her choice. Now, was motivated by several to another school ... better serve their personal factors. Pressure was one — where things weren’t as academic needs. Despite she’s a freshman at LHS. similarities between LHS Tanvi Bhatnagar’s decision is representative though not the only — factor competitive to the max. and MVHS, Tanvi Bhatnagar of a generational gap of sorts, in which older in her ultimate decision to junior Nikita Bhatnagar says her ultimate decision to siblings attend MVHS and proceed to push attend LHS. She also took attend LHS is because LHS their younger siblings away with stories of its into consideration class is a better fit. size (MVHS’ enrollment for the 2011-2012 “pressure-cooker environment.” “There’s stress at Lynbrook too,” she said. school year was 2519, compared with LHS’s “There’s stress at whichever school you go to, Sibling flight 1771) and its potential impact on individual it just kind of depends on the environment and Students such as Tanvi Bhatnagar were able attention, as well as difficulty in making the how you handle it.” to apply to attend LHS despite not living within LHS volleyball team, which she thought would its designated area due to last year’s open be easier to make than MVHS’ due to its rank enrollment policy. Open enrollment, originally in a lower league. a.dorai@elestoque.org created because of vacancies at other FUHSD Academic competition was also an issue. r.beyda@elestoque.org schools, allows students to enroll in a lottery to “I haven’t heard from my friends [that h.lee@elestoque.org

EL ESTOQUE

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staff editorial // devil’s advocate // bottom line

OPINION

commentary // letter to the editor

Taking the school back

Moving into the next year, we must make MVHS a school for the students

VHS is a high achieving school. This is made possible only by the students, but as more and more students see MVHS for themselves, they see beyond the facade of glittering reputation and outstanding numbers. They’re beginning to realize that maybe this school isn’t for them. With an API score of 943, and 79 percent of its 2,500 students in Advanced Placement classes, MVHS is ranked #16 for the Best High Schools in California. This success can largely be attributed to the mindset of the students, their relentless academic pursuit and their competitive nature.

in return for more independence, so it accommodates students who have a “need for a different learning environment than the traditional high school.” Due to its competitive nature, MVHS creates a self-filtering system for the supposedly lesser students. For these students, the De Anza middle college program provides an “escape” from MVHS’s infamously rigorous academics. In 2008, MVHS had the most students in the FUHSD district to enroll in middle college, with 150 students — 60 more than the second most, Lynbrook. As this number increases, this means that the idea has either become more accepted and open to peers, become a more realistic option for students, or the MVHS education system is flawed enough to OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE compel them to leave.

STAFF

Examining the system

EDITORIAL

Nevertheless, we must consider to what EDITORIAL extent MVHS’s central education system itself contributes to our students’ academic success. If it’s working, why is it that there is an everincreasing number of students seeking alternatives to the conventional MVHS four-year education? If the number of students who believe MVHS doesn’t meet their educational needs, then reevaluating our education system should be a priority. Whether it’s through Middle College, a collaboration program with De Anza College that lets accepted students earn high school and college credit simultaneously, or transferring to another school in the district, a significant number of students who would have attended MVHS are opting for alternative forms of education. In an El Estoque online survey, 51 percent of students said that they had considered transferring to a high school other than MVHS. Twentynine percent said that they would have preferred to attend a school out of the district in fear of encountering similar academic pressures. The MVHS environment has demonstrated its ability to drive students away. Many of these students are considering alternative education.

A self-filtering school Middle College claims to ask for more self-motivation from students

MAY 23, 2012

BOARD

Making the grade Simply put, our administration’s duty is to give its students a satisfactory education, and the student retention rate is representative of the school’s completion of this duty. Maybe these students want their classes to be structured differently in time. De Anza courses are usually taught only a few days per week, but class time is generally twice as long as MVHS’s. Although this may not be the central reason that drives students away from MVHS, by implementing block days every day of the week like Homestead, we can alleviate any significantly heavier course loads on certain days when multiple teachers schedule tests or due dates for large projects. As we look into the upcoming year, there’s only so much a school can do to accommodate every student in an increasingly competitive environment. However, a school should adjust to its students, not the other way around. It’s true that our academics and secondary education are high achieving, but it becomes futile when groups of students can’t keep up and seek alternative forms of education. In the long term, MVHS’s competition may help us for the future, but at the time being, a quality education for all students should be our priority. Let’s make MVHS a school for the students.

OPINION

One Direction infection explained

hindeben via Flickr | Creative Commons by-nd-sa

One columnist explains this epidemic that’s sweeping the nation by Margaret Lin

es. You read that headline right — I’m attacking the most controversial, the most requested, and the most touchy topic that has ever been covered in the short span of my column’s life. One. Direction. In case you’ve been blocking tumblr for the past few months to focus on the ACT/SAT tests (something I truly should consider doing), One Direction is a British-Irish boy band which consists of five guys aged 18-20 — Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. After they competed on the British version of “The X Factor” and Margaret f i n i s h e d in third place, they debuted their single “ W h a t Makes You Beautiful” in September of last year. From there, they exploded internationally into the hearts and minds of fangirls, fanboys, and

LIN

the

creepy perverts. I should also mention that they have British accents. And are well dressed. And like to excessively point at things while they sing. Which is pretty much the perfect recipe for a successful boy band. I’m not going to lie — I’ve been avoiding this topic for quite awhile now. Writing about music is something I don’t really like to do, and with a band like One Direction, people either love them to pieces or hate them so much that they want to crush them into pieces. But then there was the thought, “Hey. This is probably going to be your last column ... so instead of writing about something stupid, you should actually make it something worthwhile.” So naturally, I chose One Direction. I started to do my research. First came Wikipedia, then music videos, and then a few interviews. Although I still wasn’t a fully confirmed fan, I slowly started to understand why they have such a huge fan base. Besides the obvious reasons, like their British accents and their fancy clothes, they’re also generally a likeable group of guys, something that is seemingly scarce in today’s society.

Christophe Haubursin and Margaret Lin | El Estoque Photo Illustration

Who cares if no one actually will remember their names in two years? Who cares if they’re really just another bland top 40 artist? Who cares if they excessively point so much that the act of pointing has turned offensive? All that matters is that their appeal as nice guys is a welcome change in our drama-obsessed world of today. As long as they don’t do anything that people personally find irritating, people should just let them be. After all, a little more cuteness in this world can’t hurt either, right?

BOTTOM LINE

m.lin@elestoque.org

We must consider students’ needs throughout construction by Smitha Gundavajhala

s construction took over MVHS, students had to make changes of their own to accommodate the breakneck pace at which construction proceeded, which allowed the field to be completed in time for 2012’s graduation. Now that field construction is over, it’s time to consider students’ needs. It’s time to bring back the bike racks. The sole entrance to the bike racks was chaotic, with 300 bikes cramming into one

opening. For almost a year, bikers adjusted to the construction. Now that construction is nearly over, the administration is considering action on the bike racks. And as long as changes will be made, we should consider restructuring the bike racks to solve problems pointed out by senior Chanel Zhan. Even with the remaining entrances opened up, the bike racks are spaced too closely together, and the cage does not provide

as much security as a retaining wall. These changes need to be made for the students. Only this time, instead of leaving bikers in the lurch, we should consider alternatives to the bike racks while construction is taking place. Whatever we do, we must consider the students’ needs during all the projects MVHS takes on in the future — not only when it is convenient. s.gundavajhala@elestoque.org EL ESTOQUE

staff editorial // devil’s advocate // bottom line // commentary // letter to the editor

Gap Year: A time to grow and reflect Students should not rush into college for the wrong reasons by Danielle Kay

El Estoque Illustration | Smitha Gundavajhala

he first few months straight out of in parallel to students becoming legal adults. high school are usually a formulaic By no means, however, does legal adulthood downward spiral as students binge on qualify us for life in the real world, a place their newfound freedom. This takes a toll on where we have to—perish the thought—be grades, mental health and parents’ wallets. hardworking and responsible. Students can avoid If a student feels being hampered by their ready and confident in By no means, however, immaturity if they take a their ability to make the does legal adulthood qualify most of their college gap year. Students tend to go experience in terms us for life in the real world. straight to college out of academics and of high school; there’s a taking advantage of stigma associated with taking a gap year to opportunities, then going straight into their travel or volunteer or get work experience. undergraduate education is a good thing to Students may fear that people might think do. But if a student’s motivation for going that they are being forced into the gap year into college right away is just the prospect of for personal shortcomings, rather than taking a raging social life, drug culture or unbridled one by choice. High school graduation occurs hormones, they need to recognize their naivete.

MVHS also does not serve its role in adequately preparing a student for college. Mindless busywork constitutes a significant percentage of our grades and acts as a buoy, while in college, the majority of that weight rests on exams. In college, the lack of emphasis on college may lessen the incentive to study and students will end up cramming for exams. One cannot question the importance of human interaction in college, but focusing exclusively on the “fun” aspects of college results in an unfulfilling and unsuccessful year. Why sacrifice grades for freedom binges? Take a year off, even just a semester, to experience the new freedom that comes with adulthood, rather than forfeit your grades to the “YOLO!” mentality. d.kay@elestoque.org

IDC representative vote turns to majority by Laura Yang

his year, for the first time in recent MVHS electorate history, Leadership and administration has adopted a tworound runoff system. The first runoff election took place between the top two vote-garnering candidates for ASB IDC Representative, with the third candidate dropped from the ballot. The change was initially met with some skepticism as IDC Representative candidates were still campaigning two weeks after the

MAY 23, 2012

initial results were released; however, what had seemed like an anomaly with the ASB elections quickly became the norm when, only two weeks later, class officer elections resulted in five runoff elections. While this new two ballot plurality system is more drawn out, it may not be a bad thing. Last year, Leadership had to offer Otter Pops to the class with the greatest percentage of voter as incentive to vote. With a significant

portion of the class not voting in any given election, victories for ASB and class office are left to be decided by only a handful of votes. While runoff elections may not necessarily be the complete solution to making class office more representative, they are a step in the right direction. It is about time we had a system that was built on the support of the majority. l.yang@elestoque.org 13

A&E

DISBANDED

Kevin G

uo |

El Es toqu

End of Guitar Club adds to school history of short-lived clubs by Yimeng Han

seasoned players. The current meetings — which mainly feature casual he end of a club is similar to that of an unloved business — without guitar playing — are on the opposite end of the spectrum, and to new customers, its death goes unnoticed and undignified. musicians like sophomore Helen Chan, are often too intimidating. Guitar Club is one of the known clubs that will not return “Sometimes they [do] jamming sessions, and I’m still a beginner … next year. The initial energy, fueled by student interest and promotions The activities that [Guitar Club is] doing do not [match] all the levels of such as Club Day, has long since dissipated, raising questions about the the members,” Chan said. foundations on which it was built. As of now, weekly meetings rarely Failure to adapt was not the only problem. Like many others before it, Guitar Club lost momentum when the senior officers graduated, leaving contain more than two people and many officers fail to show up. The end of the club could be, perhaps, expected when the school’s the club without a continuation plan. In parallel cases, Calculus teacher Jon Stark recalls the demise of Undead Awareness Club and Aviation trend of short-lived clubs is taken into consideration. The main problem at fault for crushing member enthusiasm, vice Club, both of which he previously advised. “[It’s] common for clubs here to have some sort of life cycle. When president senior Chung-An Tan believes, was the infrastructure of little [students] get interested, it gets pursued planning and poor execution of meetings. for awhile. When those people graduate, it “For interest clubs especially, you need to keep all your [It’s] common for clubs withers,” Stark said. “Sometimes, in the last members involved,” Tan said. “You need to get to know here to have some sort year [senior officers] are distracted with other them on a more friendly basis, so that they actually feel things. That’s one of the reasons [clubs] go interested and engaged to keep coming. [If] you do the same of life cycle. away.” thing every [meeting] for interest clubs, then it gets boring math teacher Jon Stark Too late for resuscitation, the Guitar Club after awhile.” According to club commissioner senior Chanel Zhan, special interest officers sent out an email to members explaining that they would not groups like Guitar Club are already at a disadvantage because they lack re-apply as a club next year. For Tan, this year will mark the end of a weekly tradition. the name recognition of larger clubs. Without a strong backing, these “It was pretty fun while it lasted, and if [others] want to start [Guitar organizations must work harder to earn member loyalty. “The clubs that thrive are the ones with big names on campus, [so] Club] up, I’m pretty sure they can do it again,” he said. “We [still plan word of mouth is a factor. Some people have not heard of [smaller] on] playing in the Rally Court at lunch for [Battle of the Bands] the latter part of May. I’m looking forward to that.” clubs,” Zhan said. Initially, Guitar Club had no trouble attracting people who were interested in what it could offer. However, the earlier meetings, which y.han@elestoque.org revolved around teaching guitar basics, proved to be a turn-off for more

MAY 23, 2012

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Margaret Lin | El Estoque

PUMPED UP IASA treasurer senior Puneeth Vijayendra leads Spotlite dancers in the rehearsal for the final group performance. The event will be held on May 26 this year and aims to diversify and widen the scope of its acts, which traditionally feature Bollywood dancing and singing.

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guitar club // summers of art //columns // spotlite on india

A chance to be in the ‘Spotlite’

Spotlite on India includes non-Indian performers in a newly diversified show by Angela Wang

s school draws to a close, many clubs on campus have planned end-of-the-year banquets to cap off the year. Yet for members of the Indo-American Student Association, their most important event has yet to pass. Throughout the school year, the Indo-American Student Association had a full agenda that includes performances at events such as Diversity Week and local weddings, yet their Spotlite on India performance is the most significant of them all. Since the beginning of summer, members have worked on this annual culture performance to make sure it is perfect by show time, which falls on May 26 this year. Acts include a band, a fashion show, Bollywood dancing, singing and most prominently, Bhangra and Raas. “Everything is centered around the show,” said senior co-captain Vinit Parikh. “It’s our one thing, and we don’t invite other acts [from other schools].” Many of Spotlite’s participants are seniors as the heritage showcase marks one of their last remaining high school events. A number of Spotlite performers in this year’s show in fact have only decided to participate this year. Senior Christina Aguila decided to perform this year at the request of her friends seniors Nandini Chitale and Meha Lakhanpal, who were worried about the difficulties they would face choreographing routines for an odd number of people performing. Aguila has never seen the show but agreed to perform in order to make the most of her last few weeks at Monta Vista.

MAY 23, 2012

“Spotlite is on my graduation bucket list. I have a bunch of random things on there; one of them was ‘dance in front of a crowd,’ something that I never thought I’d actually do since I don’t dance at all, so it’s kind of a fun thing to cross off my list,” said Aguila. Spotlite, however, can require a large time commitment, deterring many from participating. Ten years ago the showcase was merely a gettogether celebrating Indian heritage, but now, as a legitimate production, performers organize everything from coordinating with administration and finding emcees to designing brochures and performance tickets. Spotlite’s growth has also allowed IASA to donate profits to Ekal Vidyalaya, an organization that promotes education in rural India. The performance itself is of great importance to both the performers and their families. According to Parikh, Spotlite has a reputation of being one of the best in the area, and parents and relatives of performers often fly in from all around the world to see the show. IASA hopes that by improving the acts this year to include band music in addition to traditional Indian dance, they will cover every aspect of Indian culture while incorporating some Western styles as well. “The Indian community is extremely diverse and reaching out to almost everyone, especially non-Indians, through a specific act means a lot,” said co-captain senior Divya Sriram. “Everyone can relate to the show and have a good time.” a.wang@elestoque.org

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

WELCOME,YOUNG FOUNTAIN HOPPER

Soumya

KURNOOL

Stanford admits have opened my eyes to the ways of college life

riting about my old fashioned sensibilities in this column has come to the point where my parents (or my dad, anyhow) are genuinely afraid of how college will turn out for me. And now that I think about it, if I have issues with blaring pop music, half-naked people, vulgarity of any sort and what teenagers consider “having a life,” then things are nearly guaranteed not to go smoothly for me down the road. So I decided to get a glimpse of how life will be when I get into college. In retrospect, I realize that the likelihood of going into this college is astronomical, but it was worth fantasizing about anyhow. Stanford. Renowned for being in our backyard, close to Indian restaurants, and filled with Einsteinian geniuses, Stanford seemed to be the place for me. An educational institution tame enough for an oldfashioned columnist. But visiting Stanford really made me stop and redefine what a tame university is. Angela Liu | El Estoque Illustration

Creepers galore My original intention was to visit a friend from Washington who was attending Admit Weekend at Stanford. As she was also accepted to MIT, Yale, Caltech, and other hotshot schools, I decided that it was high time to meet up with her because: 1. I might very well never see her again. 2. I might never again get the opportunity to pose as a Stanford admit. So there I was, on a Saturday afternoon, walking up to the Hoover Tower to meet my friend. We chatted for a bit and then decided to go to her dorm. After getting lost a few times, we ended up at the FroSoCo, the FreshmanSophomore College dorm. And I swear — those rooms are onefourth the size of my own bedroom at home. How someone can manage to fit their bed, belongings and books in there still remains a mystery to me. Yet it was in one of those cramped up rooms that I learned the truth about Stanford — creeping is a tangible threat. My friend was there for just 48 hours and a creep was already on her, spontaneously asking her to go swimming with him alone, even though she barely knew him. The night before, he had whisked her off on a three-hour 18

hike to The Dish (claiming that the 4 mile hike would only take 30 minutes), which immediately struck me as shady. Almost as shady as the fact they were hiking until past sunset and were escorted off the trail by the campus police. I decided that if I met this guy that he would have to witness a demonstration of the flying kick I mastered in the PE 9 self-defense unit. Unfortunately, I never had the honor of making the fellow’s acquaintance. I didn’t tell my friend, but I’m sure she would have be glad I didn’t beat him up, too. Hoppin’ in the water I was still devastated by the triumph of creeperdom at Stanford as I was leaving campus, when I happened to pass “The Claw,” a water fountain, on my way to the car. Except it was impossible to tell it was a water fountain because a good 30 to 40 people were busy jumping around in the chlorinated water. Great. As if one creeper wasn’t enough. It was the outdoor equivalent of a disco, with people squirming around and making

weird dance moves and yelping to the beat of music blaring from a stereo. I would say that 3/4 of the batch were shirtless guys high on the rush of being admitted to Stanford. But at least the girls in the batch were fully dressed! (Thank goodness.) Apparently, it’s a tradition for students to splash around in Stanford’s 25 water fountains, fondly dubbed “fountain hopping.” It really told me a lot about the campus, that Stanford was not nearly as bookish as I thought. I suppose the euphoria of being admitted to a prestigious college manifests itself as a mild case of insanity, so I’ll stick to the good ol’ adage — don’t judge a book by its cover. When I apply to colleges in the fall, I will have to look past the potential creeps and half-naked fountain hoppers on campus and consider the college experience as a whole. Quite honestly, I’ll have to come to terms with such oddities wherever I go, unless I decide to join a convent or something. In any case, if I get into Stanford, you can count me in for fountain hopping as long as the gents keep their shirts on. s.kurnool@elestoque.org EL ESTOQUE

guitar club // summers of art // columns //spotlite on india

Morahd

SHAWKI

SNARK AND SNARKABILITY People these days only seem to respond to negativity

hat is it about snark that people find so appealing? Throughout the year, writing this column has been a rewarding and frustrating experience. It started out with a clear theme that I deviated from as the issues went by: try out something that “the kids” like, and see whether or not I’d dig it as well. Well, after bashing Lil’ Wayne, “Jersey Shore,” video game sequels and whatnot, I got sick of being so negative. However, I stuck with it after getting so many positive reactions from readers. The fact that people actually read the thing already blew my mind. But I began to wonder: Who am I to criticize works of art that I will never be able to produce? Why can’t I be positive for once? Why can’t I get some good vibes up in here man? In a perfect world, random, unqualified people wouldn’t be able to draw an audience by criticizing things that they have no idea how to make. Only musicians would criticize music, only filmmakers would criticize movies, and only video game developers would criticize video games. Unfortunately, it’s really fun and easy to take a dump on someone’s parade. And

as horrible as that sounds, many people enjoy watching it happen if you can make it funny. But in my mind there was some perfect ratio of snark to praise that, if followed, would make you a good critic. I felt guilty for not following that ratio. But get this. People don’t like reading praise. The only time people ever came up to me about my column was when I vented my utter hatred for something, and I kind of resented that. But hey, at least people were coming up to me (dear God, I’m lonely). As long as I could incite a reaction in people, my work was done. I decided it was time to go negative again, and go hard. So when I began writing this column I wondered, What can I hopelessly destroy and mock for both my readers’ and my own amusement? Cop shows

came to mind (SERIOUSLY. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. I WANT TO FIREBOMB CBS.) but I had already written several TV articles this year. I looked at new music being released, but nothing piqued my interest. Being grounded also tends to get in the way of going to the movie theaters and playing video games. I was in trouble. I had to think. Not my strongest suit. I’m more of a ... not-thinker. A think-not. So what did I decide to make this column about? What resulted was a retrospective look into the life of this column. I published my guilt as to why you guys like anything I do. I’m not quite sure if it’s good to be honest, but I hope you enjoyed my word-puke as much as I did. It’s been a great — well it’s been a good — well it’s been a year. Thanks for reading.

m.shawki@elestoque.org

Alexandria Poh and Forest Liao | El Estoque Illustration

MAY 23, 2012

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Pursuit of artistic expression

Junior Zara Dickinson spends her summers studying art at summer college by Gisella Joma and Amelia Yang

courtesy of Zara Dickinson

ALL ABOUT ARTISTIC DETAIL ABOVE This painting exemplifies Dickinson’s artistic strengths, which include clarity, very clear precise strokes and exact color use. BELOW Dickinson works on her screen print in Art 4 to create a t-shirt. She plans to TA as a senior next year to focus on her portfolio.

he is described as “pretty quiet but friendly” and a “thoughtful artist [who] thinks through her ideas” by her current Art 4 teacher Brian Chow. According to Chow, her style is illustrative and has the unique capability to tell a story. “She has strong narrative skills,” Chow said. “[Her paintings] are not impressionistic, but have a softness and clarity to them, [for the] colors [she] usually [uses are] very clear, crisp and saturated.” For students who are serious about art, Chow strongly recommends pursuing summer programs or classes. Junior Zara Dickinson took Chow’s advice and is expanding her artistic passion by attending art programs in major cities. She is able to experience the life of a college student while her skills are put to the test. The summer before her sophomore year, Dickinson took Caltrain to San Francisco three times a week for six weeks in order to take art classes. Last summer, she participated in two residential programs at the Chicago Art Institute for a total of five weeks. She started art when she was four years old by copying images from books. She later began to take lessons from private instructors as well as at school. According to Chow, sometimes, a student will come to him with the goal of building up a portfolio to help their application if they are applying to an art university. “In [Dickinson’s] case, she came as a freshman already identifying that she wanted to do something related to the art field,” Chow said, “ And I looked at her portfolio and it was strong enough, and I asked her some questions related to art history [and] she did fine with that. So we placed her in Art 2. We’ve done that a handful of times over the last 15 years.” Chow believes that summertime is the ideal

time to perfect and refine art skills because a student would be able to focus on their work, without the distraction of school. Chicago Unlike San Fransico, Chicago was a more valuable experience to Dickinson becuse she got the opportunity to travel out of state. She took a three week course in painting and drawing, then another two week course in advanced painting. After classes which took place every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., students had the option of roaming around the city or going back to the studio to work. At the end of the program, the students had the opportunity to showcase their art in an open gallery exhibit. To her surprise, Dickinson found a business card on her painting saying that a man was interested in buying her painting. Though the intention of the showcase was not to sell the art, Dickinson decided to contact the man and sold it to him for $700, making it her most proud moment as an artist in training. “My painting was seven feet by four feet,” Dickinson said. “[Delivering it] was really hard because I needed to [get it there] by myself and there weren’t really any taxis big enough, but I made it.” Life after summer This summer, Dickinson plans to continue her art education by possibly taking an animation course or even both drawing and animation. Although her future career seems obscure, she knows that she wants art incorporated into her life. Today, she continues to work toward her future artistic goals. “She’s going to TA as a senior and do an independent study to build her portfolio even more,” Chow said. g.joma@elestoque.org | a.yang@elestoque.org

UNEXPECTED SALE RIGHT During her Chicago summer program, Dickinson created this painting in the studio and displayed it at a gallery exhibit at the end of the program. Though the painting was not originally intended for sale, she sold it for $700 to a businessman who left his card on her painting. Elvin Wong | El Estoque

courtesy of Zara Dickinson

EL ESTOQUE

guitar club // spotlight india // column // profile

SPECIAL

y e a r

o f

his was a year in flux. It was a year when our football field turned to dirt, when our small high-tech town was thrust into the media spotlight, when circumstances disrupted our established traditions at every turn. When the senior year we had expected — the finale we had hoped for — drifted off course, took a detour from the path we had in mind. A year of difference. And in the midst of that difference, that simultaneously unifying and distressing force, we — all 681 of us — experienced some of the largest changes in our school’s history. But on the inside, it was the same. We were bound by the same comfort of our brick walls, headed toward the same end-of-the-year ceremony, tied together by the same collective spirit that had always flowed through our class’ veins. Things that had presented us with challenges and difficulties were no more than slight bumps in our destined road. We were 2012, inside and out.

EL ESTOQUE

SHOCK AND AWE

SHOOTER ON THE RUN

by Karishma Mehrotra

by Kevin Tsukii

was told not to go. was one of those seniors shocked by the unexpected second place. My editor-in-chief, senior Karishma Mehrotra, told me not to; a I remember the friends of different classes who shouted at each mass phone call to MVHS students told me not to; my mom told other in front of the gym. The tension when you saw a spirited me not to. But when I saw police cars on TV across the Bateh Bros 2013-er. Senior Jacob Lui’s speech in the rally court. The stress of liquor store on Stevens Creek Blvd., I couldn’t resist going. losing all of Homecoming. The silence of my fellow class officers. I drove down Foothill Blvd. The makeshift media centers, the lights At one point, I was crying in the arms of senior Justine Urauchi. and the cameras, felt like a scene out of a movie, taking place at the This is about five minutes after ASB Social Manager Sara Yang liquor store where I would buy cans of chilled soda every middle announced our second place. Our reporter, senior Elvin Wong, had school summer — the liquor store that was down the street from the been assigned coverage of the rally that day. He bends down, ready cement plant that I would hike around, Lehigh Southwest Permanente to capture a shot of me sobbing. A perfect shot. Urauchi snaps at him, Cement plant where, according to The Mercury News, frustrated scolding him for taking pictures in a traumatic moment like this one. Lehigh employee Shareef Allman killed “It wasn’t just a rally for us,” Urauchi said. “We got a lot of three and wounded six that morning. Members of our staff looked back upon the events that criticism for taking the loss so At first, I stood looking the TV crews defined this year through the eyes that had defined their seriously — ‘it’s just a rally, why and reporters hoard around police experience. You know the story. are they crying?’ — but it wasn’t officers and grieving family members. just that … It was the first thing I switched between taking notes, Here’s the story behind the story. that really brought us together all snapping pictures and filming. While I the way back in sophomore year. It was trying to mimic the experienced made our 2012 camaraderie. That tradition made us one team, one reporters around me, many of whom I’ve seen on the local nightly unit, one class. And senior year we couldn’t have wanted it more, an news, I also made sure to just look around and take in all that was end to the means, the final countdown. So, needless to say, we took happening around me — the quieter moments within the maelstrom it pretty hard.” of questions, answers and information. I still remember some family Now, looking back, — the frenzy and the emotion — it seems members’ expressions of mixed happiness when they found out their surreal. loved one was alive — wounded, but alive. When I drive past the liquor store, I am reminded of the morning of Oct. 5, 2011 and one of the biggest manhunts in Cupertino’s history, a 22-hour manhunt that left our community reeling.

HOMETOWN HERO

A FIELD OF RUBBLE

by Christophe Haubursin

t changed for the unexpected. We could never have imagined our quiet city launched onto the Yahoo! news ticker, on the forefront of national media attention with a student-invented potential cancer cure, a runaway shooter and the loss of a hometown hero, Steve Jobs. The closer I got around the bend of Infinite Loop, the clearer the voices rang in the dark, the brighter the light of the streetlamps peeking through the gaps in the crowd. Past the people, past the news crews and the shadows that stretched across the grass, I pushed my way to the center, where a bed of flowers were laid out across the ground. Candles stood at the base of the pile. On top, an iPad glowed with an image of the face that had echoed on the forefront of all major media throughout the course of that day. I moved past co workers, friends, community members, all held under the soft touch of the October night and the spell of collective feeling. A couple nights after, senior Edward Wang brought flowers to the memorial at the Apple Headquarters. “You got this feeling that the world had really lost someone,” Wang said. “He meant something different for everyone — but his spirit still lives on in so many of us.” For Wang, who used to cut out Apple advertisements back in middle school, the loss — and the corresponding surge of media coverage — was a personal moment. “I told myself that day, someday I’m going to go get flowers someday and I’m going to go to the memorial. I owed that to him.” MAY 23, 2012

by Karishma Mehrotra

t was sometime in the middle of fifth period when Assistant Principal Brad Metheany called us in for a meeting. He said he wanted to take us on a “field trip” to the MVHS field. He wanted to show us exactly why we couldn’t have our graduation here so we could explain the reasoning to all the frustrated seniors. Metheany pointed to the left — there wasn’t even handicap access yet, he said. There were no safety features on the bleachers and the pavement was still being worked on. I had assumed it made sense. The only thing that felt a little strange in this meeting was the fact that Principal April Scott and Facilities Manager Chris Kenney had followed us to the field. Kenney was holding a DSLR quiet at the ready. Metheany continued to explain all the unfinished work. Suddenly, Scott announced that graduation was in fact happening on this very field, the very field we had spent our Powderpuffs on. Our home. We took a moment to register the news. The disbelief on our faces prompted her to assure us that yes, it was true. We all leaped like toddlers, hugged, hollered. The field was our dream. I don’t think I have ever seen my team look so euphoric. Later at lunch, the rest of the senior class joined us in the joy. “Construction has driven a lot of need for the students to be flexible in their daily life.” Assistant Principal Brad Metheany said. “My impression is that the students have been resilient and understand about what’s going on ... I commend the senior class.” It’s hard to explain exactly why it is so important to graduate here. But it is. And we are. 33

“A lot of people used [AIM] to chat each other up. Everyone had really dorky usernames and it’s really funny to look back on them now.”

KATRINA PARK “Livestrong bands were your sign of status. However many you had on each hand was how popular and how awesome you were. So everyone was like ‘We want the tsunami relief band, the breast cancer one!’ People had armfuls of them.”

“Arthur was my childhood. He influenced me so much. [He sang] that song where he went out to get a library card, so I went out to get one, too. I felt like I had a bond with Arthur because he had a sister and I had a sister.”

PUJA BALACHANDER

ASHWIN DEVEN

“I used to read Goosebumps. Some people think [they’re] really creepy, but I think they’re really funny and entertaining. There was this one about dummies, ‘Night of the Living Dummies.’ It was just really cool.”

NITISHA MEHTA

FOREVER YOUNG Intro by Rachel Lu

here was a time when it was all about Backstreet Boys. Students once bartered for gel pens and Japanese shaky pencils. Then there were the Livestrong band collections that everyone sported on their arms. These are only a few of the defining trends that embodied the children of the 90‘s. Years later, new trends have emerged: the evolutions of cartoons, fashion, and technology are what separate and define different generations. As seniors prepare to leave MVHS, these students reflect not only on their years here, but also the childhoods that they will leave behind.

“I used to play Neopets when I was in second grade, and I wasn’t very good at it. I just like playing the games. I didn’t really care about the other stuff.”

KEVIN CHANG

“Pop music was really popular, so Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, NSync, and Backstreet Boys were popular. The first CD I ever got was Britney Spears and I was really excited.”

BRIGITTE HONG

Jacob Lui | El Estoque Photo Illustration Photos used without permission of Flickr users gibsonbrittney32, Dr.Pluto, Sam Howitz, girlracerphoto, DarthLen

“I used to collect [Beanie Babies] as a kid because I thought they were fascinating. They have these little heart tags that you can open and read. I had one named ‘Jaws.’”

SIMON LEE

SPECIAL REPORT

LEAVING THEIR MARK Seniors validate their presence on campus by Daniel Tan, Emily Vu and Sara Yang

ETCHED IN WOOD It was a typical tutorial for senior Rumi Ito as she sat with her friends at the picnic table in the corner of the rally court. When someone suggested that they add their names to the tabletop, they tried keys pens. Today, Ito’s name is inked amongst a collection of inscribed drawings and letters. Ito had sat at the table many times before. Back in her freshman year, she had made friends with a crowd of new high-schoolers gatheed in that corner of the Rally Court. She had prepped for rallies there with bandanas and face paint, and joined the swarm to celebrate the Homecoming rally victory in sophomore and junior year. “I feel like a lot of stuff happened there … It’s just somewhere that I would probably definitely remember in the future,” Ito said. “The tree in front of the gym and the [corner of the] C building, people carved their names on it and I thought it was pretty cool. I wanted to be able to come back to this place and actually see that I was here.” s.yang@elestoque.org

Sara Yang | El Estoque

RACING THE RECORD

Margaret Lin | El Estoque

Almost a year ago, on June 11, 2011, senior Neil Fernandes brought a banana to the Leadership room, left it there inside a drawer, and then promptly forgot about it. Much to his surprise, he rediscovered it on the first week of school, tucked inside the same folder he had placed it in three months ago, though it was now brown and shrunken to a third of its size. Although advisors were disgusted and asked Fernandes to throw out the shriveled-up banana, he decided to leave it in the Leadership room to surprise other students in the future. “I think it would be cool for it to stay there, and in 10 years if someone [who] goes there is like, ‘What is a banana doing here? 2012?’”Fernandes said. Give it a couple of years, maybe the banana will join the ranks of a briefcase full of German cards or students’ transcripts — other mementos previous students have left behind in the room.

Swimming the fastest leg for the 400-free relay team in 45 seconds, senior Michael Leung led his team to set the new school record time. Then, the team broke it to set a new one later in the season. Then, once again. After constant improvement and a final record time of 3:10:46, the team, which consists of sophomore Colin Hong and juniors Evan Li and Kevin Su, took first place in the De Anza League. “As a team, it was something we set out to do at the beginning of the season, and we knew it was something that we could do,” Leung said. “It was a little expected, but it was still a great feeling that we were able to break those records.” In addition to leaving behind the record, Leung looks upon all the memories he also leaves behind as he continues his race as part of the University of California San Diego aquatics program. “It was such a great experience to participate in high school sports and meet new people through them,” Leung said. “It was something [I’ve] looked forward to every year because I’d get to spend time with those people and have something there that you’ve worked to be successful at.”

d.tan@elestoque.org

e.vu@elestoque.org

TUCKED AWAY FOR LATER

Sara Yang | El Estoque

EL ESTOQUE

LOCKED t IN LOCKED OUT I

memorized the bell schedule by the end of my freshman year, whether it was block or tutorial, so I wouldn't have to refer to my student planner to check how much time was left in a class. I knew that if I leave at exactly 7:17 a.m. from my house, there would be enough traffic so I can eat breakfast in the car, but not enough to make me late for first period. I knew that my entire week will be a little more tiring if there is no late start that Wednesday. You'd think that as a part of the class of 2012, I would miss my class' spirit and pride most once I graduate. Don't get me wrong — I'll be nostalgic about randomly muttering

"twenty-twelve" under my breath or throwing up my arms for the domination cheer; those aspects have no doubt been an important part of my high school experience. But I realized that what made those moments so special was that they were out of the ordinary routine, out of the system. And the system is what I'll miss the most. Right as senioritis was starting to take its toll on me, English teacher David Clarke spoke to our class about something I hadn’t considered when thinking about leaving for college. He pointed out that many of our friend groups got along simply because we were forced to spend time with each other every day. As soon as we receive our diplomas, we will never return to MVHS in the same way — instead of being locked into the system, we will be locked out. I was surprised to realize that what I’ll miss most about high school is its security. I've always believed that classes at school prepare us for the future — or what we’ve always dubbed “the real world." And I'm not

necessarily saying they haven’tjshsj, but I never realized that high school was almost utopian in the sense that everything I needed was built into the curriculum. I didn't have to fight to pursue my passions as long as I worked hard enough. I've had four years to establish my domains on campus, whether they be journalism, clubs or sports — four years to work my way from the bottom up. But when I heard about real-life careers during college tours, it wasn't hard to see that the actual "real world" is a much more cutthroat playing field where there’s no simple system to help us through. I will keep in touch with ASHLEY WU my best friends, occasionally email my favorite teachers, and forever hold the memories of 2012 spirit in my mind. The only thing I am truly walking away from when I leave MVHS is the system: the system that has grounded me for four years and helped me understand that there will never be a place like high school again. a.wu@elestoque.org

SPECIAL REPORT

STATE OF LEARNING

As state funding continues to decline, UC campuses admit greater numbers of high-paying out-of-state students

UCSD

UCLA

UCB

by Kiranmayi Methuku

13.6 % out-of-state and international students

2009 86.4% California students 28.3% out-of-state and international students

2012 71.7% California students

2009 81.7% California students

18.4% out-of-state and international students 2012 60% California students

40% out-of-state and international students

10.5% outof-state and international students

2009 89.4% California students 32.4% out-of-state and international students

2012 67.6% California students *Data compiled from University of California website: http://www.ucop.edu/news/studstaff.html Aafreen Mahmood | El Estoque Photo Illustration

niversity of California campuses seem to have discovered a new way to compensate for the budget crisis. For the 2012-2013 school year, nearly twice as many out-of-state freshmen were admitted than two years ago. While California residents pay $13,200 for tuition, out-of-state students have to pay almost three times that amount — $36,078. As the UC and California educational system continues to struggle with money, UC officials are aggressively seeking students from beyond state lines. The University of California at Los Angeles accepted 17.7 percent of resident applicants, while accepting 28.8 percent nonresident students, at 1,554 more students than in 2011, to the class of 2016. The largest numbers of nonresident students were admitted to the University of California at San Diego, which admitted 66 percent of non residents at 3,186 students more than in 2011 but only 32.1 percent in-state students. With an increased capacity for admittance, 28

students are questioning the UC’s decision to accommodate more out-of-state students instead of California residents Though ultimately only about 10 percent of UC slots will be filled by nonresidents, every seat offered to nonresidents is a seat denied to California residents. And with the extreme selectivity of the UCs, every seat counts. “It’s ridiculous what the UCs are doing,” said senior Ashna Haque. “If UCs have the capacity for more students, then California students should get preference.” In an article published in the Sacramento Bee, UC President Mark Yudof defended the UC’s decision. “It helps us support Californians,” said Yudof. “Our budgets were cut $1 billion dollars. We charge the nonresidents over $30,000 each, and it frees up some money to educate resident Californians.” UC officials feel that nonresident acceptances should have increased a long time ago. Many public schools in the country admit a specific number out-of-state students every year to increase funding — the University

of Michigan fills at least a third of the seats available with nonresidents. Funding for the UC system has dropped approximately $1 billion since 2007-2008, and to compensate, UCs have been rapidly increasing tuition over the past few years. Because of this price hike, for the first time in UC history, student tuition covers more of the UCs‘ costs than does state funding. “I do believe that California students should get priority,” said guidance counselor Sylvia Lam. However, Lam acknowledges that admitting out-of-state students is an efficient way to deal with diminishing funding in the UC system. UC spokeswoman Dianne Klein commented on the new trend of admissions to the Sacramento Bee. “We have the capacity to educate more students, whether that’s Californians or those from out-of-state,” she said. “We just don’t have the money to do so.”

k.methuku@elestoque.org EL ESTOQUE

SPECIAL REPORT

SEATTLE AREA

Humboldt State Univ. 2

Univ. of WA Seattle 7 WA State 2 Seattle Univ. 1

Chico State Univ. 1

UC Davis 35

Univ. of Oregon, Portland 1 Univ. of Portland 1

Sacramento State Univ. 1 Univ. of the Paciﬁc 5

UC Berkeley 29 University of San Francisco 2 San Francisco State Univ. 1

UC Santa Cruz 32

Gonazga Univ. 2

Willamette Univ. 2

Montana State Univ. 1

Southern Oregon Univ. 1

CLOSE TO HOME

De Anza College 61 San Jose State Univ. 21 Foothill College 10 Stanford Univ. 8 Santa Clara Univ. 5 West Valley College 2 Cogswell Poly. Institute 1 Mission College 1

UC Merced 1

University of Nevada - Reno 1

78% of in-state senio 22% rs staying in movi n SoCa g to l

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 7

UC Santa Barbara 16

CalTech 2

LOS ANGELES

UC Los Angeles 22 Otis College of Art and Design 8 University of Southern California 6 Loyola Marymount Univ. 5 Pepperdine Univ. 1

UC Irvine 7

NorCal

INLAND EMPIRE

Cal Poly Pomona 4 Azusa Paciﬁc Univ. 2 Harvey Mudd Univ. 1 Pomona College 1 UC Riverside 5

Arizona State Univ. 1

UC San Diego 39 San Diego State 2

GLOBAL DOMINATION

4 2

canada 3

University of British Columbia 2 University of Victoria 1 Undecided 1

india Sri Ramachandra 1 NRI Academy of Sciences 1

Alternate Journeys

University of Colorado Colorado Springs 1

Elvin Wong | El Est oque Illustration

japan Mitsuhine College 1 Undecided 2

south korea Seoul Univ. 1

is planning to join the

US MARINE CORPS

*While 664 seniors are enrolled at MVHS, 533 seniors self-reported college information for this survey.

Some alternatives include:

Gap Year Technician School

Apply for Spring semester

Joining the workforce Music Production

307 will go to a public college in California

For the college-bound...

in-state private

178 out-ofstate/US

49 25 19

percent are going to a target school percent are going to a safety school

53% did not commit to their first choice college

percent are going to a reach school

29% did commit

College Plans GREATER BOSTON REGION

Boston University 4 Boston College 2 Harvard Univ. 1 Tufts Univ. 1 Wellesley College 1

Gustavus Adolphus College 1

Marquette Univ. 1 Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison 1

University of Buffalo 1 Univ. of Michigan 3

University of Vermont 2

Dartmouth College 1

Amherst College 2 Williams College 1 Cornell Univ. 4

Syracuse Univ. 2 PHILADELPHIA

RI School of Design 1

Trinity College 1 Stony Brook Univ. 1

Drexel Univ. 5 Univ. of Pennsylvania 3 Penn State 2 Case Western NEW YORK CITY Northwestern Univ. 2 Reserve Univ. 2 Carnegie Mellon Princeton New York Univ. 6 Loyola Chigaco Univ. 1 Univ. 8 Univ. 1 Pratt Institute 2 Culver-Stockton 1 Fashion Institute of Purdue Univ. 6 Technology 1 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Miami Univ. 1 George Washington NYU-Poly 1 Univ. of Illinois Univ. 1 Parsons The New UrbanaAmerican Univ. 1 School of Design 1 Washington Univ. Champaign 17 Montgomery College 1 BALTIMORE in St. Louis 2 Johns Hopkins Virginia Tech 1 Univ. 2 Duke Univ. 1 Maryland Institute College of Art 2 University of North Carolina 1

Univ. of Alabama in Birmingham 1

Emory Univ. 1

Texas Tech Univ. 1 Southern Methodist Univ. 1 Baylor Univ. 1 University of Texas, Austin 1

Tulane Univ. 2 Ringling College of Art and Design 1

I M O D MONTA VISTA NATION Rice Univ. 2

population: 664

FOUR SECONDS, FOUR YEARS A guide to choosing a college by Nona Penner and Angela Liu Can’t choose a college? Don’t worry! Go with the flow. Be one with the zen. After all, it’s just four years that you’ve been preparing for your entire life, right?

GOT INTO COLLEGE! ON A SCALE FROM JOE TO EINSTEIN, HOW SMART ARE YOU?

DO YOU LOVE CUPERTINO MORE THAN YOUR MOM?

HOW DID YOU KNOW?

IS YOUR HOBBY STUDYING?

I’M YOUR AVERAGE JOE.

EINSTEIN, YOU PLEBEIANS.

NAH, LET’S BREAK THE BUBBLE!

DO YOU PROUDLY WEAR PURPLE AND 24K GOLD?

YEAH. I DRINK FROM A DIAMOND GOBLET.

I’M NOT THAT RICH!

YEAH! CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN!

I WISH.

NO WAY, FORGET ABOUT IT!

HOW’S YOUR FULL RIDE?

IT’S VERY NICE.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE. Your favorite yogurt shops are right across the street.

PUBLIC SCHOOL. Fight for your books, teachers, and food. Memories of a lifetime.

PRISSY PRIVATES. Connections, old money, and lots of vines. What more could you ask for?

IN CONCLUSION:

NO COLLEGE FOR ME! You’re going to be the next pearl milk tea tycoon.

IF YOU’RE SERIOUSLY USING THIS FLOWCHART, YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. MAY 23, 2012

WE BELIEVE

... A N D

WHY I

DON’T I

saw a grown 18 year-old boy sitting on the gym stands, his hands in his face. He was almost sobbing, almost in the fetal position. I wondered what the hell happened to him. But I knew what the hell happened. We lost a rally. It has been two years since I’ve stood with my class at a rally. Two years since I’ve lost my voice for no good reason, two years since I’ve believed in rallies. It has also been two years since I’ve joined El Estoque and started covering rallies; first taking pictures, and then video, and then helping make the videos for the rally intros. Two years on the gym floor, beside rally security, class presidents, cheer, song, dance, ASB, teachers and admin; navigating through crowds of sweaty purple, orange, electric blue, lime green,

and other highlighter-esque colors. was just a rally. He responded by asking me if Separated from the class of 2012 at rallies, I I had a soul. became numb, apathetic to whether or not we I began to regret the detachment that had won. I cared more about covering the event, and formed as a byproduct of being a journalist. I rallies became mere journalism assignments wanted to be excited and enthused when my — loud, hot, dark assignments. I believed, class was — and sad, too, when my class was not in the chaos of a rally, not in winning, but sad. I felt like I was missing out on the best high instead in the value of documenting the chaos. school experience that MVHS had to offer, but During the winter rally this year, I walked out at the same time, did I want to believe in rallies into the student center, and class “spirit” so much that it could through the threshold make me want to cry? where seniors would I did see a grown 18 year-old boy dramatically break with hands in his face, almost sobbing, through butcher paper almost in the fetal position. But there — something I have was much more that I didn’t see. I still yet to experience didn’t see how he spent each afternoon as a senior. It was for the last two weeks working on our peaceful in the student KEVIN TSUKII class’ poster, how he spent a month’s center, cool fresh air weekends with our quad decs and and daylight. I walked up to the gym balcony, floats for the last four years. The hands that looking for a different angle to take pictures. held his face, those hands, they did so much And from above, the screaming voices of a more for the class of 2012 than I ever could’ve, thousand or so students filled the entirety of and without those hands and the hands of the gym, and it wasn’t just the voice of the other dedicated seniors, there wouldn’t even person or class next to you, but a collective be anything for me to document. The class of roar. And I wondered why we do this. I wanted 2012 — we believe, but I don’t. And I kind of to believe in rallies, but at the same time, they wish I did. were stress-inducing, nauseating headaches. I remember trying to console a friend after the juniors won the homecoming rally. I said that it k.tsukii@elestoque.org

AN UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIP POOJA RAVIKIRAN: February 2011, I was at the library with friends, and Howard was there, too. I didn’t know who he was, but I tried to make small talk so things wouldn’t be too awkward. HOWARD LEE: I saw a colorfully dressed girl sitting with my friend. PR: I didn’t think much about meeting Howard, just that he was someone I would probably say “hi” to later in the halls. At most, we’d probably be Facebook friends. HL: Imagine my surprise when I saw her as my editor on the first day of school. PR: I began to grow closer to Howard, and I realized what I might have missed if he wasn’t in my class. I remember us shopping in Palo Alto. As I tried on clothes, Howard mocked my taste — a common theme in our friendship. HL: But I had to acknowledge her helpfulness when she stopped me from buying an expensive shirt. I stopped making fun of her fashion sense. Now, I might even say it’s cute. Just kidding. PR: Wow, thanks, Howard. I realized how strong

POOJA RAVIKIRAN AND HOWARD LEE our friendship was when we went to New York From going to the same sessions at Columbia to even splitting meals, we were practically twins. HL: Our friendship works like dysfunctional siblings. Like our friend senior Medha Asthana said, “You guys are obnoxiously bickering all the time.” But it’s fun to hang out with Pooja. PR: I realized that my “hi” friend had become one of my closest friends, and one that I would have never expected to make. Because we kept to our own circles throughout high school, I never really knew Howard, and I wouldn’t have

tried to become friends with him if I didn’t meet him in the library that day in February or in journalism this year. HL: I didn’t expect to make new friends senior year because I thought I already knew everyone at MVHS. But that’s not true, as my friendship with Pooja proves. Even if it’s the last year of high school, there are still new things to experience and new people to meet. Our friendship is one of those unexpected outcomes: I’m glad I didn’t reject this girl with the strange fashion sense. h.lee@elestoque.org | p.ravikiran@elestoque.org

Since 1995

2012 Most Notable

Class of 2016

Diane Kim Chris Park

Harvard ‘94

Williams College [ranked #1]

Brown University

Amherst College (wl) [ranked #4]

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IF I COULD

RELIVE THESE F O U R YEARS

you have the endurance to dedicate yourself to yet another year when continuing with an activity. Because if you burn out, you’ll be in the dumps — and you’ll drag everyone else down with you.

Take someone under your wing When I was an underclassman, I always had older “brothers and sisters” who pushed me in the right direction — I just wish I gave those same words of wisdom to those younger than me. Befriend someone in a lower class, nurture them, take them out to lunch, just talk to them. That way, when you leave, a part of you really will stay behind.

Be sure of a four-year commitment As a class officer for three years and then an ASB officer this year, I had a blast in Leadership. But Leadership was tiring. By the end of my sophomore year, poster-making was becoming more and more monotonous, and my patience for rally-time migraines thinned. Perhaps I should have taken a one-year break from Leadership: Four years is a long time to dedicate yourself to anything. So make sure

There’s more than meets the eye I should have known better than to lump all high schoolers into my stereotypical version of them, back when I first started high school. I assumed everyone was, at least to some extent, of the same socioeconomic background: a supportive, relatively wealthy family — at least enough to keep the clothes on their back and food on their table. When I was an underclassman, I had conflicts with a fellow student — and I didn’t give him the time

loved high school — what with all the rallies, dances, friends, and, of course, stress. But I do have regrets, and I don’t want you to have the same regrets that I have — so here’s some advice:

of day in terms of my resentful attitude and pompous ignorance. It turned out that he had a severely troubled relationship with his family and struggled in deciding to even go home at night because of it. I learned from him to put a safeguard on my tongue and my actions. Never underestimate the weight that your words have — it hits some harder than you think. Don’t be afraid of change High school is about change, so don’t be afraid of it. Don’t be afraid of losing that one friend from fifth grade whose friendship you’re trying so desperately to maintain. Don’t overreact to change, like I did when JACOB LUI I let a friend’s drug usage get between us. Change is inevitable, and I’ve changed too: I’m far from the freshman boy I was four years ago. We can work our hardest to prevent change or preserve a friendship that’s falling apart, but in the end — if it’s gone, it’s gone. Don’t beat yourself over the head for letting it go, but move on, knowing that both you and your friend have only met a fork in the road. So don’t sit there in shock of change. Adapt.

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j.lui@elestoque.org

INSTANT

REPLAY

From CCS playoffs to NorCal championships, El Estoque looks back on a year of Matador athletics by Carissa Chan and Dickson Tsai

GIRLS TENNIS Kevin Tsukii | El Estoque

Girls tennis edged out rival Saratoga High School to clinch the CCS championship on Nov. 16. The Matadors capped their undefeated season with a NorCal championship, finishing with a final record of 21-0. Juniors Wendi Kong and Jody Law led the team as the top two singles players, while junior Ruri Kobayakawa and sophomore Kelsey Chong contributed as number one doubles to give the Matadors their third undefeated season in MVHS girls tennis history.

GIRLS

VOLLEYBALL After reaching CCS on a wild card, girls volleyball â&#x20AC;&#x201D; seeded No. 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; managed to advance to the quarterfinals after a win over No. 2 San Benito High School in the first round. The Matadors, however, were finally defeated in three matches by No. 2 Menlo-Atherton High School in the quarterfinals to bring the 16-17 season to a close. Cynthia Mao | El Estoque

EL ESTOQUE

FOOTBALL With a league record of 5-1, football finished in second place in the El Camino League. The Matadorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seven total wins included a victory against rival Cupertino High School on Nov. 4 to keep the helmet trophy for the ninth year in a row. Finishing with a season record of 7-3, the Matadors dominated within the league this year, winning many of their games by large margins including the 56-8 Homecoming victory over The Harker School.

Kevin Tsukii | El Estoque

BOYS WATER POLO After losing several key senior players from last year, boys water polo struggled in league but managed to qualify for CCS on a wild card. The Matadors played a tough game against Serra High School on Nov. 8 in the first round of CCS but eventually lost by a close score of 9-10 to finish the season with a record of 15-16.

Kevin Tsukii | El Estoque

FIELD

HOCKEY Jacob Lui | El Estoque

MAY 23, 2012

The field hockey team, which graduated nine seniors this year, barely missed qualifying for CCS. The Matadors finished in fourth place in the Santa Teresa Athletic League with a league record of 7-7 and 9-8 overall. Season highlights include the 2-0 senior night victory over LHS as well as a 3-0 shutout against Del Mar High School. 37

WRESTLING Kevin Tsukii | El Estoque

Playing with new coaches and in a new league, the wrestling team ended its season with a 6-0 record and 11 individual players qualifying for CCS. The Matadors struggled last year in the De Anza league with a record of 3-3 but dominated the lower El Camino league this year as coaches Kevin Klemm and Ian Bork focused on personal progress for each of the wrestlers.

Kevin Tsukii | El Estoque

BOYS

VOLLEYBALL

GIRLS

Elvin Wong | El Estoque

SOCCER

Girls soccer qualified for CCS and advanced past the first round but lost 1-2 in the quarterfinals to Carlmont High School. The team ended with a final record of 11-5-6, including a win streak of nine games that was carried into the quarterfinals. Season highlights include the senior game shutout against Saratoga High School, the last league game that put the Matadors as the fifth seed in CCS playoffs. 38

Kevin Tsukii | El Estoque

EL ESTOQUE

BOYS TENNIS

Going into CCS with a 16-1 league record, boys tennis first got a bye and then defeated Leland High School on May 4 to advance to the quarterfinals. After tough matches, however, the Matadors struggled and eventually lost to rival Saratoga High School, another strong competitor, to end the season on May 7.

In one of the best seasons in MVHS history, boys volleyball finished the regular season with a record of 29-4. Just before heading into CCS, the team was ranked 46th in the nation by ESPNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fab 50 national rankings and 25th by maxpreps.com. However, the Matadors could not advance past the quarterfinals after a tough 1-3 (28-26, 2931,18-25, 23-25) loss to Homestead High School on May 10.

Patrick Xie | El Estoque

GIRLS

BASKETBALL

After a rough preseason, girls basketball (14-12, 10-2) performed well in the league season, only dropping the two games against leagueleading Saratoga High School and qualifying for the CCS playoffs. The Lady Matadors defeated Oak Grove High School 55-52 but lost a close game against Salinas High School 50-53 despite coming back from nine points down and taking a lead in the final two minutes. c.chan@elestoque.org | d.tsai@elestoque.org

MAY 23, 2012

SPORTS

Margaret Lin | El Estoque

TRACKING FLATOW When track coach Jeff Payne stepped down two years ago due to personal reasons, Kirk Flatow was hired to step in and fill the void with his own inspirational style of coaching. El Estoque sits down with Flatow to find out exactly what he has changed and how heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doing during his second year. by Margaret Lin and Alexandra Poh

Forest Liao | El Estoque

Margaret Lin | El Estoque

making of a matador // badminton // baseball // feature // golf // softball // swimming // tennis // track // volleyball // sports flash El Estoque: Could you describe your approach to coaching this year as opposed to last year?

you can have successes, failures and injuries but you’re rewarded for hard work after a long period of time. My hope is that the athletes can discover this on their own with my help. It’s really a series of steps making them discover in themselves their own drives. It’s not external; they have to find it in their hearts that they want to work hard, and if they find that desire in running or track, it can become something they can take in to the rest of their lives.

Coach Flatow: That’s interesting because what I would like to think is that I’m fundamentally consistent between the two years and that the things that are important to me stay consistent. For example, I make sure the athletes are still learning and enjoying themselves and that They have to find it in their hearts they stay healthy. Also, the area of focus is on their own individual EE: Were all the new coaches hired this that they want to work hard. And if improvement and not just winning. I year or last year? they find that desire in running or think that I probably understand the Monta Vista athlete a little better CF: Well, last year we had Matt McKay, track, it can become something they this year, and that I understand who is a Monta Vista [graduate]. [He] can take into the rest of their lives. the pressures you guys are under a joined me last year and he’s been with me little more. I wish to address those ever since. And then we added some new track coach Kirk Flatow better than I did last year. Monta Vista’s coaches this year. a special place, so hopefully this year, I get to know my athletes better than I did last year. EE: What made you decide to hire new coaches this year? EE: Could you describe some of your core beliefs? CF: Athletes are really student-athletes; they really need to be able to be both. I think academics do have priority. However, you can do more than just academics. Track and field is a great place to learn persistence. I think that’s important because everything in life needs a lot of work. If you’re writing a book, you can’t finish that in a week. Or if you’re starting a company, you can’t do that in a week. It took me seven years to get a solid company going. Track is a great place to learn that because

CF: Well, I had an opportunity to get some really good coaches. We’ve hired [Erica McLain], one of the best triple jumpers in the country. Scott [Blomquist] is a really good sprinting coach. We have a lot of kids here and I want to be able to treat them well and not just throw them out there and say, “Figure it out, go run fast.” I’m always looking constantly for ways to improve the team as well as ways to improve myself. I take education courses to try to learn new things. Never stop learning — no matter what [and] no matter where you are. m.lin@elestoque.org | a.poh@elestoque.org

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SAT Reasoning Test Prep: Learn strategies to conquer: Critical Reading: vocabulary, sentence completion, passagebased reading Writing: essay writing, identifying sentence errors, improving sentences & paragraphs Math: numbers & operations, algebraic concepts, geometry, data analysis, statistics, probability Section, Dates, & Fee: Section I: 6/18-7/12(no class on 7/4) Section II: 7/16-8/8; Fee: $330 per course (15 hours) Sign-ups include free practice sessions available late August & September.

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SPORTSFLASH

SPORTS

Catch him if you can

Senior Kevin Bishop is the most decorated distance run history. However, he doesn’t plan to stop there. With a for Stanford’s Cross Country program, Bishop hopes to more.

(you can’t.)

With a 4:13 mile, six MVHS records and a Stanford scholarship, you won’t meet anyone quite like senior Kevin Bishop. by Forest Liao with photography by Margaret Lin

hen he was in fourth grade, senior Kevin Bishop ran a mile in under seven minutes. For most kids that age, this would have been a small ego boost at best, but for Bishop, it was the first in a series of achievements that would ultimately culminate in an admission to Stanford University’s prestigious cross country program. Bishop loves the sport of distance running, and to him the appeal is simple: You do the work, you get the reward. “There’s a direct relationship between what I put into it and what I get out in the end,” Bishop said. “There are no politics. There are no factors that are beyond my control. If I want 44

to be fast, then I know what I have to do to make that a reality.” And the amount of work Bishop puts into running is enormous. He regulates his food intake and sleep and runs 40 to 50 miles a week. Senior Surafael Yared, Bishop’s teammate on the track team, has had several years to witness the work Bishop has put into running firsthand. “[Bishop] is truly a student of the sport. He really studies up on his stuff. He really perfects the sport itself and takes it a lot more seriously than other people do,” Yared said. “The guy’s really dedicated. That’s what separates him.” And in no race was Bishop’s dedication more apparent than in the 3200 meter race at

the El Camino League finals of his freshman year, which he calls the hardest race of his life. Bishop had been sick the week before, and he as a runner was completely unprepared for the grueling two miles he would have to endure. By lap two, because of the agonizing pain he felt, he decided to drop out of the race after the next lap. When he had finished that lap, however, he gritted his teeth and ran one more. Then he decided to run just one more. And then still one more after that. This continued until Bishop felt dead on his feet and only two laps remained. By then, there was no way Bishop was allowing himself to quit with the end so near. When he finally crossed the finish line, his mind and body were shot and long after the EL ESTOQUE

making of a matador // badminton // baseball // feature // softball // swimming // tennis // track // volleyball // sports flash

runner in MVHS th a scholarship to achieve even

THE NEXT STEP Senior Kevin Bishop’s method for success involves improving one day at a time. He believes that through a series of natural progressions, he has gotten to where he is today. race was over, Bishop still felt intense nausea and experienced tunnel vision. He ended up qualifying for CCS. In that race, Bishop said that he overcame many mental obstacles. He believes that running takes fortitude; anyone can practice and become a good runner, but to be a good racer it takes a strong mind even more than a strong body. “Your mettle is really, really tested. You’re very much in your own head. It’s very easy to convince yourself, ‘I can’t do this,’” Bishop said. “There’s this tendency to believe that everyone else is not feeling pain and only you are. Logic fails to function. You feel like you’re the only one suffering. You have to tell yourself, MAY 23, 2012

‘This is what I have to do. It’s going to hurt like hell, but this is what I have to do.’” Because of this, Bishop is most proud of his run at Mt. San Antonio College’s Cross Country Invitational on Oct. 22, 2011. He says that during that race, he overcame a succession of mental challenges to finish 11th overall for the varsity boys division at a race that featured 22,000 runners. Mt. San Antonio College’s three hills are legendary in the cross country world, and to Bishop, the psychological barriers he had to overcome to dominate each hill made that race the most gratifying. Bishop’s drive also transfers well into classroom. He believes having a sharp mind is conducive to running as well as to academics.

“I think athletes in general are better students because you’re doing a lot of the same things,” Bishop said. “When I identify myself I think, 1A: I’m a runner, and 1B: I’m a student. Both of those have to complement each other.” Kirk Flatow, head coach of the track team, echoes these sentiments. “He’s physically gifted, and mentally, really, really strong. There are a lot of people who are physically gifted, but not everyone has his ability to really work hard,” Flatow said. “The mental gifts come across in his school work and that kind of well-rounded person is pretty amazing.” To further highlight this connection, 45

NO ROAD UNTRAVELED No path is off limits when senior Kevin Bishop is training for race day. He runs not only on professional race tracks but on dirt trails and overpasses as well. Bishop’s greatest achievement will help him academically as well as athletically. On June 8, 2011, towards the end of his junior year, Bishop ran a blistering time of 8:59 in the 3200 meter race of the California State Meet, breaking the MVHS record. According to Bishop, running this distance under nine minutes is a momentous accomplishment in the high school running world, with only 25 other high school runners in the country reaching the mark that year. But the time is more than just a milestone; it is the very thing that can ensure a future. “It’s a big carrot to hold out in front of colleges. It’s a really, really significant barrier to break. And if you do, you pretty much have your pick of what college you want to go to, and the scholarships start flowing in,” Bishop said. According to him, it’s because of that race that he will be attending Stanford University in the fall. However, even an acceptance into one of the most prestigious 46

colleges in the world did not mean relaxation for Bishop. Just recently, he broke another school record, running a mile in 4:13 at the Adidas Distance Meet of Champions and taking third out of 15 runners. To him, though, this deep running résumé is only the beginning. When asked where he wanted to go with his running in the future, Bishop’s answer was instantaneous. “To the Olympics,” he said. “If you asked me, if I could have nothing else in the entire world, what I would want out of running, it would definitely be an Olympic gold medal. On a very basic level, what I want is to enjoy running for as long as I can and I really foresee doing it until my body will not let me run anymore. I would like to be as good as I can possibly be for as long as I can, and hopefully one of the byproducts of that will be a trip to the Olympics. An Olympic medal would be beyond my wildest dreams.” f.liao@elestoque.org EL ESTOQUE

The

QUIRKS

Yimeng Han | El Estoque

of MVHS

Margaret Lin | El Estoque

MARKS OF SUCCESS

By Yimeng Han

ome of the names on the board are prestigious; others are relatively unknown. Each one reveals the destination of an MVHS senior. The tradition of writing and circling colleges on the Career Center whiteboard began six years ago, when Miriam Taba was hired as the career college advisor. Inspired by a similar concept from another school’s career center, she placed a whiteboard on the wall behind her desk and encouraged seniors to write down the schools they would attend. In the months that followed, names of colleges accumulated. “Usually I keep [the board] up until the end of the school year,” Taba said. “I think it’s good for other students to see where [seniors] are applying, where they’ve been accepted

MAY 23, 2012

… [I]t’s a way of celebrating their accomplishments.” Students usually begin marking the board in December and January, when early decision results come out. As of right now, waitlisted students who have been accepted are still adding names to the board. To Taba, the college acceptance whiteboard serves a purpose beyond that of a scoreboard — it’s a way to show others that a wide variety of colleges exist. “There are more than the few name-brand colleges that people have heard of. There are over 3,000 four-year colleges in the US,” she said. “There’s more than one right college for everybody, and that’s what we’re looking for, to find the right college for them.” y.han@elestoque.org 47

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