Volume 54, Issue 1, October 5, 2023

elESTOQUE

OCTOBER 2023

29 HOMECOMING

Debriefing the four video gamethemed Homecoming 2023 skits

VOLUME 54

ISSUE 1

LETTER FROM THE

The Oxford dictionary contains 171,476 words. “Word” itself is defined as a distinct element of speech or writing, a foundational element of language that we use to express our feelings, thoughts and ideas. Like ships at sail, we use words to venture across the vast sea of communication as we transcend its ever-expanding boundaries.

Yet in our Features package, we explore how such words can become engulfed by the waters, and lose their intended meanings. Through four commonly used words — woke, depressed, feminist and love — we examine the different paths they have taken, from being misused to evolving to different connotations. However, we give words meaning when we string them together into sentences, intertwine it with tone and relay it to those around us. Phrases such as “I love you” etch into the relationships we share with each other, strengthening our connections and community.

In our Arts and Entertainment package, we explore how we’ve come together to create one of the highlights of the school year — Homecoming. We race along the track in our Mario Kart-themed skit, reminiscing upon our freshman, sophomore and juniors years, and have finally arrived at our year. Together, we bring meaning to a three-syllable word, “Homecoming,” and make it our own.

Like words, we are all unique individuals, but when we come together as a community, forming sentences, we become stronger. And as seniors, we each carry and continue on the legacy of our predecessors within the different communities we are part of and wish to leave our mark, one final time.

Entertainment Editors:

Samika Bhatkar, Ananya Chaudhary, Jami Lim, Aashi Venkat

Mission Statement:

Editors-in-Chief:

Taryn Lam, Kalyani Puthenpurayil, Lillian Wang

Managing Editors:

Meggie Chen, Lauren Chuu, Sarah Liu, Michelle Zheng

Design Editor: Sonia Verma

Graphics Editor: April Wang

News Editors:

Jason Chu, Brandon Xu, Alyssa Yang, Eric Zhou

Features Editors: Kathryn Foo, Dahlia Schilling, Alan Tai, Mihir Vishwarupe

Opinion Editors:

Anika Bhandarkar, Crystal Cheng, Megha Mummaneni

Staff Writers:

Abha Dash, Leah Desai, Arjun Dhruv, Sophia D’Sa, Ethan Eisler, Niveda Hari, Daphne Huang, Lily Jiang, Aletheia Ju, Jillian Ju, Ethan Kellogg, Isabelle Kok, Pranati Kotamraju, Manas Kottakotta, Corinna Kuo, Giljoon Lee, Elizabeth Liu, Suhana Mahabal, Riya Murthy, Sania Nadkarni, Sagnik Nag Chowdury, Dylan Nguyen, Stella Petzova, Anika Ramachandran, Aidan Ruan, Trisha Sannapannavar, Arshiya Sen, Aaryan Sharma, Ananda Singh, Arushi Singh, Varun Singh, Amberly Sun, Lindsey Tang, Raj Thapliyal, Eshika Tiwari, Brandon Wang, Asha Wojciechowski, Ethan Yang, Shannon Yu, Kaia Yuan, Benjamin Zhang, Stephanie Zhang Advisers:

Vennessa Nava, Julia Satterthwaite, MJE

El Estoque will accurately inform our community through well-researched, unbiased and in-depth accounts of stories of the student body and staff, local news and developments and taboo topics prevalent in and near the MVHS realm. By investigating a variety of voices and credible perspectives, we hope to foster active discussion, effect positive change and spread awareness of timely and relevant content. As a trustworthy, consistent and reliable source of information, we strive to be accountable, adaptable, and ready to correct and address our mistakes. Constantly striving for improvement, we will uphold integrity and ethics to be respectful and empathetic to one another, our sources and our readers. We will exercise our press freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment and California Ed Code 48907 while maintaining a community of reporters with a strong passion for our work and journalism as a whole.

Lillian Wang Kalyani Puthenpurayil

Taryn Lam

COVER | MEGGIE CHEN AND LILLIAN WANG

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

EL ESTOQUE | OCTOBER 2023

PHOTO | ADITYA SHUKLA

PHOTO | DAPHNE HUANG

PHOTO | JASON CHU

PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

A SLICE OF THE DISTRICT PIE A SLICE OF THE DISTRICT PIE

Breaking down the effects and community perspectives of FUSHD switching to By-Trustee-Area Board elections

BY

PHOTO | GILJOON LEE

JASON CHU, LAUREN CHUU, GILJOON LEE, STELLA PETZOVA, ELLIE WANG, ALYSSA YANG AND SHANNON YU

FACING NORTH FACING NORTH

BY GILJOON LEE, ELLIE WANG, ALYSSA YANG AND SHANNON YU

When Sunnyvale parents

Rosario Rivera and Claudia Camacho addressed the FUHSD Board of Trustees on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 19, both women made a point to thank the trustees for providing two-way translation services during its public hearings.

“I am here because I want my voice here for all the Latino community,” Rivera said. “I want to thank you for the effort that you’re doing to include [us], because if there is no translation, there is not going to be participation.”

This was the Board’s second hearing regarding its decision in March of 2023 to transition from AtLarge to By-Trustee-Area elections, citing the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). The CVRA aims to protect minority groups’ abilities to influence local elections.

Electing from a majority — FUHSD’s previous AtLarge election system — may dilute minority votes, and in the case that a challenge under the CVRA were to succeed in court, a court would be required to implement appropriate remedies, including the imposition of By-Trustee-Area elections.

Reactions to the resolution have been mixed across FUHSD. Rivera and Camacho are only two of many district residents who have spoken up about

their personal representation, as well as their hopes and fears for how the new election system could impact them and their families. Sunnyvale parents and residents have been particularly vocal about the impacts this change could bring to the northern portion of FUHSD.

“Even [though] my kid is in middle school, this decision is going to be for 10 years, and our kids are going to go to high school,” Camacho said. “So this is important for me, as a Latina and as part of a community in North Sunnyvale, to participate in being heard about the trustee areas.”

WHAT WILL CHANGE?

The FUHSD Board of Trustees

consists of five members, each residents of FUHSD chosen for their positions via staggered elections. According to Trustee and Clerk Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto, the Board is primarily responsible for ensuring that FUHSD spends money to benefit its students; for implementing Board policies that reflect the FUHSD community and maximize student success and equity; and for the hiring and firing of the superintendent, whom the Board is obligated to evaluate each year.

Although only the Board’s majority decisions are ultimately executed for the district, moving to By-Trustee-Area elections was a decision all five trustees opted for and one that could have a significant impact on how the Board makes decisions moving forward. In particular, Nakano-Matsumoto both expects and hopes for an increase in Board representation from North Sunnyvale, as she believes that region has historically lacked a voice and consequently been underserved.

FUHSD parents Rosario Rivera and Claudia Camacho listen to a live Spanish translation during the Board’s Sept. 19 pre-mapping public hearing.

PHOTO | GILJOON LEE

FUHSD PARENT

THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR [US AS A COMMUNITY] TO PARTICIPATE IN BEING HEARD ABOUT THE TRUSTEE AREAS. CLAUDIA CAMACHO

Exploring how By-Trustee-Area elections will effect FUHSD in North Sunnyvale

COMMUNITY VOICES

“I’m the only one [on the Board] who has kids who went to Sunnyvale School District,” Nakano-Matsumoto said. “Typically the south part of our community is very active, engaged and vocal about things like the cell towers, or the number of students getting into UC Berkeley, or the lunch food, and we’ve rarely heard from the North Sunnyvale side of our district.”

SEE MEMBER

LAUREN

Sunnyvale for Equity and Education (SEE), an organization founded in November of 2022 by Sunnyvale parent and former teacher

boundaries. She sees this as an example of how even ethnically diverse campuses in FUHSD have groups of students feeling as though they don’t belong in their own schools.

BOARD TRUSTEE

NAOMI NAKANOMATSUMOTO NAOMI NAKANOMATSUMOTO

Peggy Brewster, is one group of Sunnyvale residents who have been vocal about the academic equity reforms they believe are now becoming more feasible. Brewster says the Board’s decision came right as SEE has been advocating for better representation. She hopes SEE’s other goals can similarly be accomplished.

“[As a community], a lot of times Sunnyvale Middle School kids felt that [Cupertino] kids thought that they were from the ghetto,” Nakano-Matsumoto said. “They felt that they were less in some ways. Our district has a really great record of academic success, but the achievement gap is still there with Latino kids, lower socioeconomic kids, special [education] kids, so we can’t just say, ‘Oh, we’re great.’ We have to keep doing better.”

FUHSD PARENT

YONG LU YONG LU

Fremont High School is one of two FUHSD schools which serves Sunnyvale, and is the only public high school located within Sunnyvale. Over recent years, FHS has consistently reported lower standardized testing scores than MVHS. Of its student body, 55% have at least one parent with a bachelor’s degree or higher — nearly half of MVHS’ 95% — and 42% of its class of 2022 enrolled in a four-year college or university, compared to 87% of MVHS’ class of 2023. FHS also has at least five times as many students who are ELL students or economically disadvantaged compared to MVHS, according to each school profile.

PEGGY SHEN BREWSTER PEGGY SHEN BREWSTER

Even within HHS, the other FUHSD school which serves Sunnyvale, Nakano-Matsumoto recalls learning a few years ago that all of HHS’ ASB students lived in the highest socioeconomic area within HHS’

Both NakanoMatsumoto and SEE believe Sunnyvale is already beginning to see the benefits of increased representation on the board. Since the closing of Sunnyvale High School 40 years ago, many students living in the northern-most area of FUHSD rely on the VTA bus system for their five-mile school commute. Affected students were initially provided bus passes, but as time passed, the process of obtaining passes became more difficult. According to NakanoMatsumoto, SEE’s advocacy brought the issue to the Board’s attention and ultimately resulted in all students who live north of El Camino Real being granted bus passes earlier this year.

“I don’t want to call [the reforms for transportation] easy, but those were low hanging fruits that [the Board] were able to very quickly act on,” Ledbetter said. “But they didn’t do it before because they didn’t know it was a problem. No one had ever told them. And so at the very least, having someone who knows what the problems are — who can bring them up — that’s going to make a lot of difference.”

Regardless, Nakano-Matsumoto says it’s hard to predict how the Board

“

SEE MEMBER

HAVING SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE — [THAT’S] GOING TO MAKE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE. LAUREN LEDBETTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAUREN LEDBETTER | USED WITH PERMISSION

PHOTO | ALYSSA YANG

PHOTO | GILJOON LEE

PHOTO | GILJOON LEE

LEDBETTER LAUREN LEDBETTER

and its policies will change in coming years. Not only will Board representation be more evenly distributed across FUHSD, but smaller election areas will also reduce campaign expenses, making the position accessible to a wider variety of residents. In other words, anything can happen.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?

FUHSD has embarked on a community education campaign by posting on social media accounts, sending a mass email in August and delivering informative postcards to all 105,000 residences within the district. At the Sept. 19 hearing, Rivera and FUHSD parent Yong Lu were two of multiple speakers who said they were only just learning of the new system. According to Lu, without the postcard, he would never have found out about the change. Now, he hopes to be involved in the process. Other parents had initially believed the transition was a hoax.

“Unless you’re already really, really interested in politics and redistricting and all kinds of stuff like that, and understand the implications, then you’re not going to care,” Ledbetter said. “That’s a challenge that the district has [and that] SEE has when we’re trying to also get the word out.”

According to Brewster and Ledbetter, SEE has been focusing on community outreach on its end and in collaboration with FUHSD, primarily at elementary and middle schools within Sunnyvale, as those schools already have excellent outreach with their families. SEE is hoping to connect with

Sunnyvale’s Hispanic population and arrange community mapping sessions.

Another obstacle for outreach may be that underrepresented voters don’t believe their voices can be heard. NakanoMatsumoto recalls North Sunnyvale residents being surprised when she campaigned door-to-door for her Board position. They would tell her, “No one’s ever come out to talk to us.”

“There’s a lot of trust building to be done, honestly,” Brewster said. “Just [saying], ‘Hey, show up and learn about this process so you can participate’ is not necessarily going to get people into a community center room up here in Sunnyvale. [FUHSD also hasn’t] made any public decisions

about what will be provided or what they’re planning on doing.”

Residents are unsure how a Board where each member represents a distinct community would handle contentious subjects. For instance, Lu said during the Sept. 19 hearing that regarding academic equity, he is choosing to believe the Board will aim “not to take away one piece and give to somebody else,” but instead hold all students to the same high bar.

Nakano-Matsumoto says she ultimately believes the potential benefits of transitioning to trusteearea elections could outweigh the costs. Although the Board had a variety of motivations for the change, ranging from fear of the expenses of litigation under the CVRA or simply because it is morally correct, she says the precise details don’t matter as long as the Board is still acting in the best interests of the people it serves.

“We looked at everything and in the end, as a school board, we felt that this is the right thing to do,” NakanoMatsumoto said. “We can’t continue to make decisions as a district when all voices and all communities aren’t part of the table.”

ILLUSTRATION | COURTESY OF COOPERATVIVE STRATEGIES, LLC

Trustee districts for FUHSD’s new election system will be distinct from the five schools’ boundaries, which are depicted below, though many residents are expecting Board representation to become more evenly distributed across the schools.

“

BOARD TRUSTEE

WE CAN’T CONTINUE TO MAKE DECISIONS AS A DISTRICT WHEN ALL VOICES [AREN’ T] PART OF THE TABLE.

NAOMI NAKANOMATUSOMOTO

BALANCED VOICES BALANCED VOICES

Examining FUHSD’s transition to Trustee Area elections

BY JASON CHU, LAUREN CHUU AND STELLA PETZOVA

The FUHSD Board of Trustees passed a resolution to “transition Governing Board elections from At-Large Elections to By-Trustee Area Elections” on March 7, 2023, basing elections on trustee areas instead of district wide voting, according to the FUHSD website.

Superintendent Graham Clark states that based on the new system, MVHS will transition to one or two specific trustees for the area, but are welcome to speak to trustees of other areas.

“Right now, MVHS essentially has five trustees,” Clark said. “So in the future, [MVHS] will probably have one, possibly two trustees [from] the area. I don’t know that that will really affect the school, but I will say the representation would be [based on] how the boundaries get drawn. Not to say that you couldn’t talk to the trustee that might be [more from] the Fremont or [a different part of] the Cupertino area, but more likely you would have a

trustee [dedicated to] MVHS.”

In addition to aligning with the CRVA, FUHSD Coordinator of Communications Rachel Zlotziver states that the district changes will “provide more representation to different groups within a school district area or other jurisdictions.”

To determine the boundaries for the five district divisions, Clark says there are several criteria to take into account, namely population, school distribution and geography.

there,” Clark said. “Then the second part is there has to be boundaries based on some criteria that the district can define. For instance, we can say we think each trustee area should have at least two school attendance areas in there. They also can’t be discontinuous. Other [criteria include] natural barriers like the 280 freeway [or] the 101 freeway and rivers.”

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

“The five areas have to be of equal size, plus or minus 10,000 people — it’s very small variance that they can have

At the same time, Zlotziver explains the delicate balance of drawing boundaries, adding that the district wishes to avoid trustees being strictly associated with a single school.

“We have a really strong history and tradition of board members who care

“

WE HAVE A REALLY STRONG HISTORY AND TRADITION OF BOARD MEMBERS WHO CARE ABOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

RACHEL ZLOTZIVER

The FUHSD Board of Trustees holds a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

about the entirety of the school district — they care about all of the kids that we’re serving,” Zlotziver said. “[We’re looking] to make sure that we don’t divide the map in a way that it would make [someone] the trustee of just one school.”

However, according to science teacher Lora Lerner, shrinking the pool of voters gives residents in each zone more say in choosing their trustee, which may not be all that beneficial for future board decisions.

“When the whole community votes, there’s such a minority of people supporting those with extremist views that they won’t win,” Lerner said. “My concern is [that with] smaller groups, somebody with these views could get enough support that they could [be elected onto] the board. It’s a small board. So even having one [extremist] person is problematic.”

To ensure accurate and equal representation, Clark highlights the importance of public input through community meetings as a part of the transition, especially during the map making process for drawing section boundaries. He states that the current plan requires a total of five meetings before proceeding, with additional meetings for opportunities of public input.

“We’ll go through a period of getting community input,” Clark said. “And that will be people saying what they want to see in a boundary. So for instance, there’ll be criteria and then they’ll [use a software to] actually be able to draw maps. And [that’s the] kind of criteria

[we’ll] take into account, that’s [why] we have an attorney and a demographer that are advising us … We’re also going to allow the community to provide their own options.”

Zlotziver also emphasizes the importance of informing the community of the decisions, stating that the board has kept the community up to date and encouraged them to learn about the changes being implemented.

“We’ve gone out and [had an] information table at a bunch of events — had flyers, had information and had maps to illustrate what’s happening,” Zlotziver said. “We sent a postcard to every home in the district about this, and it had a little bit of background about what was happening and a link to the website [with information] on trustee areas.

So [we’re] trying to get out in the community as much as possible.”

Although Lerner cautions that the school board changes could potentially have negative effects on the culture of MVHS, she also recognizes that the new election process could just as well lead to positive representation.

“One of the reasons I’m comfortable teaching in the school district is because we have a school board that is very supportive of values that we have here at MVHS,” Lerner said. “I think we can all see now that school boards are important, and they do dictate certain things.”

Zlotziver agrees with Lerner, stating that FUHSD is fortunate to have a board that is cohesive and “deeply interested in the welfare of our students.” She hopes that the board will continue to fulfill these roles after the change.

“I would just hope that we continue to have a strong and united board,” Zlotziver said. “They come together and try to make the best decisions for our students, so I hope for that to continue. It’s great to have a supportive board like [we do].”

PHOTO | GILJOON LEE

FUHSD Trustees Rod Sinks and Stanley Kou listen as a community member voices their opinions.

“

SCIENCE TEACHER

I THINK WE CAN ALL SEE NOW THAT SCHOOL BOARDS ARE IMPORTANT, AND THEY DO DICTATE CERTAIN THINGS. LORA LERNER

ALL ABOARD

Examining the FUHSD Board’s policymaking

BY STELLA PETZOVA AND ALYSSA YANG

WORLDLANGUAGECOURSES WORLDLANGUAGECOURSES

ETHNICSTUDIESCOURSES ETHNICSTUDIESCOURSES

TRUSTEEAREAELECTIONS TRUSTEEAREAELECTIONS

59% of MVHS students

haven’t heard of the FUHSD Board before

*According to a survey of 192 students

63% of MVHS students

believe that the Board makes imporant decisions

*According to a survey of 156 students

91% of MVHS students

don’t know what the FUHSD Board is responsible for

*According to a survey of 191 students

ROD SINKS

JEFF MOE

NAOMI NAKANOMATSUMOTO STANLEY KOU ROSA KIM

PHOTO | GILJOON LEE FUHSD Board trustees listen to community members during a public hearing.

How frequently used words at MVHS impact their definitions

By Jillian Ju, Taryn Lam, Suhana Mahabal, Anika Ramachandran, Dahlia Schilling, Varun Singh and Mihir Vishwarupe

DEFINITIONS DILUTED DILUTED

Around campus, senior Ridhima Katare has heard many students using the word “depressed” and finds it bothersome when students use it as a joke or casually. With many students using the term loosely, she believes the serious nature of the topic should be understood and addressed, so it is not jokingly used in daily conversations.

“Some kids might really need to vent and the other person receiving it says, ‘Oh, you’ll get over it,’” Chung said. “Then the other person feels like they are not being heard.”

BY SUHANA MAHABAL AND MIHIR VISHWARUPE

Similarly, Akiko Chung, a schoolbased therapist at MVHS, feels that the word “depression” has been used by students to describe their feelings whenever they have negative emotions. According to Chung, students who have been diagnosed with depression and need to talk may not be able to have their feelings heard, especially if the term is taken lightly.

SCHOOL-BASED THERAPIST

Katare agrees that this type of repeated situation among MVHS students can especially have detrimental e ects on those who experience clinical depression. She also thinks that being mindful of what students say is important.

“[There’s] a blurry line because there are a lot of students who are actually depressed and if ‘depressed’ [is used] casually, it kind of takes away the meaning from the word and

Examining how MVHS’ students overuse of the word ‘depressed’ trivializes the mental disorder

Some kids might really need to vent and the other person receiving it says, ‘Oh, you’ll get over it.’

AKIKO CHUNG

people take it less seriously,” Katare said. “So it’s definitely something we have to be more careful about in our speech.”

Mark Healy, the chair of Psychology and a professor at De Anza College, reflects Katare’s stance that being careful about speech is important, and throwing the term around with those living with depression can be harmful. Katare believes that with phrases such as “I’m going to kill myself” in common circulation among students, “depression” becomes a term that is frequented and accepted as part of the culture. However, clinically, depression is persistent and prolonged feelings of sadness, rather than temporary feelings of unhappiness, which students might attribute to.

Katare echoes Healy’s thoughts that using the term casually can make the person struggling with the disorder feel uncomfortable and highlights the importance of being mindful when using language to express emotions which may unintentionally bother a student.

Furthermore, with many students using this term as a means to express their problems, this can cause more students to feel that terms associated

with mental disorders like depression are not important. Katare also thinks students must find a way to not undermine the serious nature of the term.

“I think that joking about things can help you feel better about [the issues], and it also helps [students] relate to each other, which is good,” Katare said. “But we can do that in a way that doesn’t make fun of this serious stu .”

However, both Healy and Chung emphasize the benefit of more students communicating through social platforms about mental health disorders, such as depression. According to Healy, this kind of communication allows students to be more open about their struggles and gaining support, bringing forth a larger emphasis against trivializing the term.

“A lot of us are on longtime group chats with our friends [such as on] Discord servers,” Healy said. “So the more that [it is] talked about, the more it goes around. That fuels even more conversation about [this topic]. The more you talk about something, the more diversity in that conversation you get and the more nuances will be discussed. The more I think people are comfortable with seeking help, [overall] it’s a good thing.”

WHAT IS CLINICAL DEPRESSION?

A continous feeling of low mood or an absence of enjoyment in activities.

SIGNS OF CLINICAL DEPRESSION:

LOW ENERGY FEELINGS OF HOPELESSNESS OR EXTREME SADNESS

APPETITE CHANGES

INSOMNIA OR HYPERSOMNIA

If you are experiencing any symptoms of clinical depression, not just limited to the ones listed above, please seek professional help immediately.

RESSED

BY DAHLIA SCHILLING AND VARUN SINGH

Asigh of relief escapes sophomore Archana Kakar, now that she finally understands the math problem she was struggling with. She brushes off the eraser shavings and turns to her friend who helped her, “I just love you so much” she says. This is a phrase Kakar often uses in casual situations, which she says demonstrates her appreciation to close friends.

There are many dictionary definitions for the word “love,” with the Oxford English Dictionary describing it as “a feeling or disposition of deep affection or fondness for someone”

and “a great interest and pleasure in something.” While these are the modern definitions, some MVHS students like Kakar use and view the word in a different manner.

“Some people feel love is sacred and should be saved for those moments where you really feel it’s necessary,” Kakar said. “[But] some people are ok with throwing it around casually.”

Sophomore Oren Buller believes the word carries a heavy weight. In contrast with Kakar’s unrestrained use of “love” towards her friends, Buller believes the excessive use of the word is unnecessary.

“I think the word ‘love’ can be used much more often when you’re talking about something that’s non-human,” Buller said. “But if it’s with another

LOV LOV

Examining how MVHS students use the word “love” and how its usage reflects different sentiments

ARCHANA KAKAR

Some people feel love is sacred and should be saved for those moments where you feel it’s neccesary.

person, unless you are in a romantic relationship, it should not be used.”

Buller often uses the word absentmindedly to describe a liking toward an object. However, when Buller hears its usage in nonromantic settings, he thinks using the word might reflect an insecurity or someone’s need for affirmation.

“Love is a strong word,” Buller said. “The word love is [rarely] used to define how [one] person feels for another [and] more to define how they want them to feel. It’s something used to make someone think that they love them, and thus hopefully force a reciprocation.”

Shani Robins believes the way someone uses the word “love” is based on how they heard it being used throughout childhood.

to talk about it to kind of distinguish which love we’re talking about.”

PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR

As a Social Science Professor at Foothill College and psychologist in private practice,

VE VE

“What we experienced in childhood dramatically influences our sense of what love is,” Robins said. “Observational learning is a very powerful thing in childhood. Kids are constantly watching what the adults are doing and parents are doing.” For example, Robins says a child observing dysfunctional love will begin to associate those sentiments with the word even into adulthood. As a result, this changes the meaning of the word for each individual. Robins states the combination of both the word and action is what gives love its true meaning.

“What’s happening underneath is a lot more important than just what the words are,” Robins said. “When nonverbal cues and the verbal cues collide or contradict each other, people go with the nonverbal cues. People believe not what you say but what you actually do.”

This argument is supported by Kakar, who states there are times where she shows the people around her she loves them through her actions instead of words. Robins also notes that there are many types of love including romantic, platonic and material. For example, he says someone saying they love ice cream as opposed to their friend or partner are very different.

“The word love itself needs to be teased apart into all these different forms,” Robins said. “And we need

Robins notes that the different perception of words, including “love,” can be explained by psycholinguistics, the study of the interaction between psychology and linguistics. This field of study carefully considers how tone, syntax and emotion affect how words are received by the brain. For example, when someone says “I love you” with a friendly versus a serious tone, the brain processes it differently by adding its own inferred meaning.

“It’s unrealistic to think that we’re going to use a word in a bunch of contexts in different ways and it won’t impact the emotional impact that the word has,” Robins said. “I think it may be fun sometimes to say, ‘I just love you for doing that.’ It’s kind of a friendly, affectionate exclamation. But if it’s overdone to some extent, it could start taking away from the meaning when it’s really deep.”

Robins understands that words can be overused and taken too far, but he does not believe that this diminishes the value they are capable of holding, or the emotions they can convey. Additionally, Robins says while we can forget about its significance by hearing it so often, the meaning of the word and its beauty will never change.

“I think [love] is one of the deepest words and concepts of language,” said Robins. “Love is probably one of the most beautiful concepts in nature.”

The word love itself needs to be teased apart into all these different forms, And we need to talk about it to kind of distinguish which love we’re talking about.

SHANI ROBINS

Exploring how the word “woke” has changed over time

BY JILLIAN JU

Growing up, sophomore Ekundayo Davies often heard his father using the word “woke.” Although he had never been sure about its origin, to him, the term commended awareness of social issues.

“It’s just always been around for me,” Davies said. “When I was younger, it was more in a positive context, somebody against discrimination and aware of what’s happening.”

However, that has since changed. Davies recalls a situation where he was discussing racism with someone, only to be dismissed as “one of the ‘woke’ ones.”

“Woke” has been used to describe social awareness as early as 1938, as a part of musician Huddie Ledbetter’s song “Scottsboro Boys.” The Scottsboro Boys were a group of nine African American teenagers falsely accused of rape and sentenced to death. The song ends with an interview segment where Ledbetter says, “So I advise everybody, be a little careful when they go along through there — best stay woke, keep their eyes open.”

In recent years, renewed attention towards movements such as Black Lives Matter has propelled “woke” back into the spotlight, acting as a catch-all term for social justice and leftist ideology. At a 2021 campaign event, former president Donald Trump used the word to insult the state of the military under the Biden administration, making the association between a “woke” person and a weak person.

“You hear older people talk about how this next generation is getting soft,” Davies said. “And I think ‘wokeness’ falls into that category of softness because we aren’t as tolerant of offensive content and offending other groups.”

Due to those negative connotations, the meaning of “wokeness” has been warped into something less empowering, a term used to imply character flaws in people with certain social beliefs.

“Back then, it seemed more like there was unity in being ‘woke’ against racism and discrimination of any sort,” Davies said. “But now you’re anti-American or weak for having those ideals. It went from union and strength to weakness, and I don’t think that’s the real definition of the word.”

Sophomore Jivika Gulrajani agrees that the term has shifted to being less serious, and as a result, less effective at communicating actual political opinions.

“I’ve heard the word ‘woke’ being used more as a comedic effect,” Gulrajani said. “I feel like the modern idea of being ‘woke’ is being a crazy liberal person who doesn’t really know what they’re talking about, but says things just to sound like they’re liberal and ‘woke.’ Because of that, the word ‘woke’ has become a watered down thing that people use … in a joking matter, but not really as serious activism.”

Junior Kartik Patri thinks the unclear connotations around the word “woke” has fundamentally changed its meaning.

“When people use a word, and when no one corrects them for their wrong usage of that word, it starts to become more popular until it becomes the fake truth,” Patri said. “Now, people start using the word and believing that a word can be something other than what it actually means, and then that word loses meaning.”

As Gulrajani elaborates, when “woke” has such a muddled meaning, it can be hard to take the conversation seriously even if the underlying ideas could be worth engaging with. Davies worries that for the word “woke” in particular, this shift has negatively affected the ideals it originally represented, such as being against discrimination or being aware of social topics.

“I think when positive terms turn into negative ones, it becomes a larger issue,”

Davies said.

“We see people reclaiming terms, like the Black community reclaiming the N-word. But

this feels like the opposite, where a term that has been used to empower and build union has become selfdestructive.”

Instead of using “woke,” Davies brings up positive alternatives such as culturally aware, antiracist, and anything that conveys the same idea that “woke” used to: “being awoken to your environment.”

Black Student Union advisor Doug Leresche also notes that using “woke” as a means of implying superiority over the other person — to say that they’re fundamentally less attuned to the world — can curate hostility during discussions.

“I just don’t think it’s an effective approach to point out that someone else is not ‘woke,’ or that someone else has not made these realizations that, for you, might be obvious because of your own experiences,” Leresche said. “While I agree that a lot of people who criticize people for being ‘woke’ are ignorant, calling them that’s not an effective strategy.”

However, Leresche says awareness isn’t enough to address the core social issues that “woke” existed to illuminate.

“I think [‘woke’] is still an important thing to be,” Leresche said. “But it’s not something where you can just be like, ‘Oh, I want to be “woke,”’ read a paragraph, and be like ‘cool, there’... if you’re not actually the one going out and … calling people out, then you’re not ‘woke.’ You just have some good ideas you’re too scared to act on.”

Leresche emphasizes questioning as an important strategy. Instead of using vague labels like “woke” to attack

sides, students can ask questions about people’s beliefs and address them on that level. This way, they can avoid the mistake of arbitrary grouping. However, he also acknowledges that many people are ignorant of their own habits and behaviors, even when they believe themselves to be “woke.” Gulrajani agrees, adding that showing off perceived awareness is insensitive rather than helpful. For that reason, she does not consider herself “woke” because she still believes there are more societal issues she could be better educated on.

“Oftentimes we use [‘woke’] as a thing to sound like, ‘I know what I’m talking about, so I don’t have to learn anything more,’” Gulrajani said. “‘I know what I’m talking about, so you can’t educate me on anything. Like I’m done. I’m done for the day. I punched out. I’ve clocked out.’ But I think that’s not true. You’re never going to clock out. You’re never going to punch out. There’s always more to learn. There’s always more to do.”

SOPHOMORE

IT WENT FROM UNION AND STRENGTH TO WEAKNESS, AND I DON’T THINK THAT’S THE REAL DEFINITION OF THE WORD.

EKUNDAYO DAVIES

BY ANIKA RAMACHANDRAN AND TARYN LAM

MVHS alum ‘18 Ananya Bhat attended camp during the summer before 8th grade, wearing a bright sleeveless yellow dress, ready to learn about coding. However, as the camp progressed, they quickly realized that all the other students were male, including the teacher. What they encountered reflects the experience of countless women in STEM.

“I don’t think I made any friends [during that camp] because I just felt so different,” Bhat said. “I stuck out and nobody seemed to want to talk to me. Because it’s a predominantly male field, the women in the field really stick together. There’s a very strong community of women that you can rely on.”

To MVHS alum ‘22 Anushka De, the word “feminist” is more than just a movement. De defines the word as the fight for equal opportunity for women [and] other gender minorities. As a self-proclaimed feminist, De emphasizes the importance of strong female representation and support.

also understanding that as a woman, you have a responsibility within yourself to uplift [other women],” De said. “[It’s important to] use the lessons that you’ve [learned] to help [others] do better and feel better about themselves.”

De’s definition of feminism evolved during her junior year of high school when she took Honors American Literature. The curriculum included a feminism unit and highlighted works of writing such as Peggy Orenstein’s “Girls & Sex,” which De believes shaped her view on the feminist movement.

“It was HAmLit that helped me realize a lot of inequality is shaped by the way we think about the world and about different groups of people,” De said. “The reason this need for feminism is so imminent is because we don’t think about women the same way that we think about men in almost [every] capacity.”

Currently, Bhat works as a Software Engineer at Microsoft with a fully male team. As a self proclaimed feminist, Bhat believes that women deserve the same rights as all other people. When working in the STEM field, Bhat

FEMI FEMI

“I think a big part about feminism is

Examining the community’s stance on the evolution of the word “feminist”

has come to recognize the importance of organizing separate spaces and resources for women to flourish, especially in male-dominated fields.

“I feel like it’s sometimes harder for me to connect with people or make friends [with others] because they just don’t share the same experiences [as me] or [they] don’t necessarily understand where I come from as a non-man,” Bhat said. “Having those spaces where you can talk to, share or bond with people who have your shared experiences [requires] some amount of representation. I think representation can help you realize what you’re capable of and empower you to do what you might not think you are capable of.”

Though the origin of the word aims to uplift a minority group, sophomore Kush Mathur feels that the word “feminist” is sometimes being used to degrade people, diverging from its original intent.

“Just a few weeks ago, I was in a classroom trying to help another student who happened to be a girl,” Mathur said. “She said, ‘Oh, did you not think I’m capable of this? Are you being an anti-feminist?’ And that wasn’t my intention at all. [Helping a girl doesn’t] make me anti-feminist. The whole definition [of the word ‘feminist’ is] to make sure we don’t undervalue the

importance of [women’s] rights. [When this situation happens for] the person offering help, it not only degrades them, but it also just negatively influences how we use that word today. I don’t think we should just be throwing it around loosely.” De believes the politicization of the word gained traction when Donald Trump was elected as president. Bhat adds that Trump’s election generated a movement of women who banded together against him, based on his outward statements on gender inequality.

“In 2016, Donald Trump was elected president, and I remember that day I felt so emotional,” Bhat said. “I didn’t go to school because I was so upset [and disheartened] at the fact that someone who was so clearly against so many of the values [and the] groups that I myself am a part of [became president].”

that the feminist movement would continue to fight against any struggles that stood in their way.

Bhat’s exposure to various women’s movements allowed them to attend a Women’s March in San Jose in 2017, where they brought posters of their artwork and slogans to display at the march. For Bhat, attending the protest with their family created a feeling of strength.

“[Attending the march] was very empowering,” Bhat said. “In this huge space of women and men supporting women, [I felt] the concept of female rage. It was like this concept of us all being really angry together and like ‘We can fight the system!’ [It was a] good [type of] angry [and it] felt very powerful.”

MINIST MINIST

Fueled by their anger at Trump’s election, Bhat created a piece of artwork to spread the message

Ultimately, Bhat hopes that more people will begin to label themselves as feminists. They claim that a common misconception attached to being a feminist is that feminists hate men. However, they explain women have had less rights for centuries, which is why the movement centers around women, even though the goal of the feminist movement is equality for all genders.

“[I would hope] most people nowadays would claim that they’re feminists, including many men, because they realize and understand that the feminist movement is not trying to detract anything,” Bhat said. “[The feminist movement] is literally just trying to say, ‘We want non-men to have the same equal rights as men.’”

MVHS ALUM ‘18 ANANYA BHAT

In this huge space of women and men supporting women, [I felt] the concept of female rage.

THE RELIGIOUS RECESSION

Examining the experience of MVHS students’ journeys with Christianity

BY MEGGIE CHEN AND AARYAN SHARMA

PHOTO | ALICIA QUAN | UNSPLASH

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | MEGGIE CHEN

The U.S. is currently experiencing religious recession specifically with Christianity, one that could change the religious landscape that has been a core part of American identity since its founding. According to a 2020 study from Pew Research Center, 69% of Americans currently identify as Christian — which seems like a big number until it’s revealed that the number was as high as 90% 50 years ago. In fact, the Christian majority within the U.S. might disappear by 2070.

Senior Bradley Dulay feels “separated from [Christianity],” despite attending church throughout his childhood . Dulay’s family would attend church every Sunday until COVID-19 interrupted this routine. This loss of community was part of what jump-started his disconnect with Christianity.

For those like Dorcas Chang, Youth Director at Home of Christ Church Six, faith communities like churches are an essential part of being Christian. But in today’s world, Chang has observed churches struggling to find pastors, especially in areas with high rent like the Bay Area compared to an area where the cost of living is lower. She also believes the individualistic nature that many in the Bay Area hold doesn’t lend itself to the community that faith typically tries to cultivate.

“Before we were [very] reliant on our community, [but] lately, it just feels like there’s less reliance,” Chang said. “People don’t feel the need to go to find a community. They don’t go to church. I feel like a lot of [people] in the Bay Area [want to win] that rat race, like work, work, work.”

Senior Sophia Lu, who was part of a

Catholic congregation when she was younger but is no longer a believer, also gradually stopped attending church. Lu explained how the community offered the security that she enjoyed as a child, but she eventually reached an age where that stability was no longer necessary.

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

community that Chang emphasizes as being so essential to a strong faith was no longer as accessible. Dulay had a similar pandemic experience, where he began by attending online service consistently before his attendance gradually tapered off. Even when in-person service resumed, Dulay decided not to return to church.

“Growing up, I went to Sunday school and obviously everyone there is really nice,” Lu said. “I think that sort of supportive or positive environment was good to have as a child. And I remember they would say that God is good all the time or God is everywhere. I guess that as a child, that naturally makes you feel safe, because you believe that there’s this being that’s always there to protect you … But I think as I grew older, I just naturally started drifting away from [that thinking].”

Another one of the reasons Chang outlined for the decline in religion is the COVID-19 lockdown. She says the pandemic generated issues that wouldn’t have come up otherwise, most notably distancing many people from the faith communities they were a part of.

“People go through a lot, especially because of COVID,” Chang said. “You have trauma and you have misdirected growth and you can’t heal on your own. So you really need that supportive [community] to help you when you’re going through such tough issues.”

The pandemic caused many churches to cease in-person meetings, instead moving toward online or livestreamed sermons. As a result, the

In contrast, sophomore Jenna Bergendahl, who’s a nondenominationalChristian, ultimately says the positive impact Christianity had on her life trumped her doubts. In her experience, when unfortunate situations arise, God’s promises and what the Bible teaches bring her hope that things will get better no matter how bad the circumstances. Although she occasionally experiences periods of time where her belief is tested, Bergendahl describes how these doubts now actually provide growth opportunities.

“If every one of my days is good, then He’s not gonna allow me to grow,” Bergendahl said. “Because I know for a fact that every single bad thing I’ve been through, God has been with me and that he’s made it right. He’s proven He’s good in all my circumstances whether they’re good or bad.”

Similar to Bergendahl, Lu acknowledges that Catholicism taught her many good values. However, she specifies that these are values she believes everyone should follow, not just Christians. Ultimately, although Catholicism was once part of her life, she notes that its originally minimal presence means she isn’t particularly conflicted by the lack of it in her current life.

“If I grew up in [a] more religious household I guess religion would have been a more important thing in my life,” Lu said. “I don’t know how I would have turned out [if] that was the case but I wouldn’t have turned out the way that I am [now].”

YOUTH DIRECTOR

[PEOPLE] DON’T GO TO CHURCH. A LOT OF [PEOPLE] IN THE BAY AREA [WANT TO WIN] THAT RAT RACE, LIKE WORK, WORK, WORK.

DORCAS CHANG

LOCAL IMPACT

Why students should be involved in local politics

BY ANIKA BHANDARKAR AND APRIL WANG

voted in the 2020 federal election.

However, the truth is that local politics are just as important in the lives of MVHS students as world and national news, if not more. Although federal policies may have the greatest authority and importance, local politics determine how those policies play out on a human level.

According to California State University

Fullerton news, local problems aren’t solved by a state senate or even national governments — instead, they’re directly influenced by local representatives. City elections allocate funding for the construction and maintenance of our local infrastructure. As people living with droughts, wildfires, high costs of living and more on a daily basis, these decisions can directly affect students and their families, which is why following local politics and making educated decisions when voting

OPINION

theoretically contradict these policies that can place students in unsafe or unwelcoming environments, peoples’ participation and protests on a local level were what determined the real

These kinds of policies can change our lives as students. We cannot and should not allow non-students to be the sole representative of our goals. Students may feel inexperienced or underqualified to be going up against people whose jobs are to address local politics, but who knows high school students better than high school students themselves?

EDITORIAL BOARD

involvement in board meetings is what can drive changes to the issues that students care about most — from grading inequalities between teachers to policies that create hostile environments — and help drastically improve our lives at school.

School Board members of Sacramento’s Rocklin Unified School District recently passed a policy that requires teachers to inform students’ parents if students request any sort of identification such as new pronouns or a name that does not align with their assigned sex at birth. Another school district attempted a similar policy but was temporarily halted by the California General Attorney. These policies are shocking, especially in California, a state that is only 31% conservative and typically has LGBTQ+ friendly policies. Although federal policies

We also have the ability to educate ourselves using the internet and social media, both on the facts and the human stories and emotions behind issues. Being a high school student does not stop us from taking part in local politics; in fact, the FUHSD board allows anyone, including students, to request to speak at board meetings for three minutes and bring written materials to reference. Choosing not to be a part of these sorts of discussions ultimately means that those who are more outspoken will make their voices heard, even if their opinions do not reflect those of the general public.

Ultimately, there is no trade-off between participating in both local and federal elections. We should all take the time to participate in local politics to the same extent that we stay up to date on national and global politics. Having the ability to make educated votes in statewide and local elections — and choosing to vote — ultimately allows us to have a say in decisions that impact our day-to-day lives.

WE CANNOT ALLOW NON-STUDENTS TO BE THE SOLE REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR GOALS.

GOT LUNCH?

Evaluating the impact of school meal options on students with dietary restrictions

BY MEGHA MUMMANENI AND ASHA WOJCIECHOWSKI

As the lunch bell rang at 1:25 p.m., freshman Ruchika Varanasi clutched the lunchbox her mother packed as she exited her fifth period classroom. She walked past the open doors of the cafeteria and maneuvered around the swarm of students lined up outside, grateful that she could readily eat a lunch catered specifically to her needs, especially due to her severe allergies to nuts, dairy and egg.

When Varanasi’s mother fed her dairy and eggs at a young age, she had to be taken to the hospital, following a reaction that gave her bad hives and caused her to throw up. Varanasi is one of nearly 3.2 million children with food allergies in the United States, according to a 2015-2016 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau. That translates to 8% of American children, or around two children per 30-student classroom.

Due to Varanasi’s allergies, the foods she can eat are mostly limited to

the few vegan options offered on the school menu. However, as a result of the lack of safe options available and the risk of crosscontamination, Varanasi ultimately chose not to eat meals from the cafeteria.

“They’re doing better,” Varanasi said. “They have vegetarian options, but they’re not doing a good job at having options for people who are allergic to dairy [or] eggs and other common food allergies that a lot of people have.”

43% of MVHS students

believe the school does not have adequate lunch options

*According to a survey of 159 people

(NSLBF), federally-assisted programs managed and regulated by the federal, state and local governments. District Manager for Nutrition Services Divya Puri acknowledges that these regulations decide how much from each food group – like meat, vegetables, grains and dairy – are allocated to meals. She adds that 80% of grains included in meals must be whole grains and that a lot of those restrictions define what can be put on the menu.

All five FUHSD schools are participants in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs

Due to the requirement set by the NSLBF, the FUHSD nutrition program often turns to local or federallyendorsed vendors to source their ingredients, who can offer greater

COSTS FOR REGULAR VS. SPECIAL SCHOOL MENU OPTIONS

REGULAR MUFFINS (80 COUNT): $45

GLUTEN FREE MUFFINS (24 COUNT): $80

REGULAR MILK (60 COUNT): $18 SOY MILK (18 COUNT): $22

*According to information provided by MVHS Food Services Manager Edgar Rodriguez

| MEGHA MUMMANENI

volumes of food at cheaper prices. While this allows the school to spend less and helps support local businesses and farms, it also limits the kinds of meals that can be offered for students with dietary restrictions, as a lot of the vendors don’t offer dairyfree or gluten-free options. Thus, Puri explains that these restrictions are a “tricky slope” that the team is attempting to navigate.

Unlike Varanasi, MVHS Food Services Manager Edgar Rodriguez believes that the current menu options are adequate, especially in comparison to the lunch options that many of today’s adults had growing up. He adds that the school system even allows students with special dietary needs to fill out a medical request form that will have the cafeteria provide meals made specifically for them.

to the consistent breakfast options. However, she notes that there will still be difficulties.

COMMON ALLERGIC REACTION SYMPTOMS

WE HOPE TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND SERVE OUR STUDENTS TO THE BEST WE CAN.

DISTRICT MANAGER FOR NUTRITION SERVICES

Under Puri, FUHSD Nutrition Services has been piloting lactosefree milk at Lynbrook, but due to the sheer volume needed for students as well as supplier availability, adding it to all sites has not been possible. Similar difficulties would inevitably be an obstacle when Puri and her team look to expand the menu in the future, especially for items like gluten and dairy-free ingredients where there are fewer suppliers with less capacity and higher prices. Regulations and sourcing have a significant impact on the school menu and the school administration’s capacity to expand it. Regardless, Puri is clear in her intent to cater to students to the best of her ability and continue improving the menu with all students in mind.

1.DIZZINESS

2.NAUSEA & VOMITING

3.DIFFICULTY BREATHING/ WHEEZING

4.BLOATING

5.HIVES & RASHES

Puri says that students should turn to “real medical forms and doctor’s notes” if they would like to have a meal catered to their dietary restrictions. However, Varanasi disagrees, claiming that this is unfair to students.

“I feel like we shouldn’t have to prove that we have dietary restrictions and get specialized food because sometimes, people won’t be able to get the resources they need to prove it, like a health test or doctor’s note, but they know they have it,” Varanasi said.

There are a multitude of challenges to food services, so Puri says that the program does its best to adapt on the fly while always being open to feedback. One of her goals for the future on top of fulfilling current plans is to implement more gluten-free options in the school lunches, adding

“Feedback helps us grow,” Puri said. “We want to be inclusive. We’re trying our best within what we have, [considering] sheer volume, time and everything. But our staff is really passionate and really keen and they believe in quality of food, so we hope to continue to grow and serve our students to the best we can.”

DIVYA PURI

US

Hundreds of parents gathered in Sacramento to protest a series of new bills they claim violate their parental rights on Aug. 21. In particular, they were protesting bills like Assembly Bill 1078, which would require a supermajority vote (a vote that requires support greater than a one-half majority) from school boards to ban a book in schools, and AB 665, which would allow children 12 and older to receive mental health treatment without parental consent. Essentially, these California parents

decreases, and the students become collateral damage in a battle that was never really about them.

Rather, the movement was birthed at the height of the pandemic, when conservative politicians seized the opportunity to capitalize on parents’ frustrations surrounding school lockdowns to push forth their education agenda. One example of this is how Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida signed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill on March 28, 2022, a bill prohibiting teaching instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity for students in Kindergarten through third grade. But while politicians who support the creation of new parental rights legislation say they simply want more transparency and accountability in education, what they’re actually doing is weaponizing a hotbutton topic to gather more votes and target LGBTQ students and students of color. Ironically, proponents of the parental rights movement say to keep politics out of the classroom while simultaneously pushing the political views they want schools to follow.

Besides the political implications of the movement, sheltering students from information that parents deem inappropriate will negatively impact students in the future. When parents opt their students out of reading books with queer characters or by queer authors, these students are robbed of a comprehensive and quality education. Learning about and discussing issues like sex education or critical race theory in Biology and literature courses helps students better understand themselves, their communities and the world. It prepares them to live in a world where hate inevitably pervades our lives. It prepares them to make informed decisions as they transition from a child to an adult. And it prepares them to be open-minded and educated so they can create their own set of values.

However, those involved

in this movement believe it isn’t the educator’s role to teach students about this variety of topics, as parents may disagree with these values or feel they go against their own beliefs. But censoring uncomfortable topics won’t magically make them disappear from the world. Rather, these efforts to protect students will only hurt them in the long run, as a lack of understanding of sensitive topics makes it easier to perpetuate stereotypes or harmful narratives. While learning core subjects like science, math, literature and history is instrumental to every student’s education, it’s just as important that we provide them with the tools to develop a strong foundational understanding of the

political divisions in the future.

If there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that parents have always and will always play a crucial role in their children’s education. So, for parents who want to improve their child’s education, practice talking to them about how to connect what they learned in school to lessons in society. Talk about difficult topics and encourage students to form their own opinions while giving them advice. Speak at school board meetings in favor of policies that will cultivate a positive learning environment for all students and advocate against policies that may limit a student’s education. Support educators who provide students with a safe space to

NAPPING 101

How to take a nap without screwing up your sleep schedule

BY AIDAN RUAN

Itake a lot of naps. In fact, I can confidently say I can nap anywhere at any given moment. What’s more is that these naps aren’t limited to merely resting my head on the table during class. I have slept in bathroom stalls, on my cello and in the bleachers, and at this point, anything can work as a makeshift mattress if the situation allows it.

However, these spontaneous naps came with a myriad of consequences. From neck cramps to missing class to even sleep paralysis, each mid-school nap always seemed to bear some type of repercussion.

I can’t exactly recall when and how my napping habit came to be. However, somewhere along the line, it became clear that this was a direct result of my abysmal sleep schedule, and I just couldn’t break out of this habit.

My inability to break out of this cycle was an enigma to me. After all, the prospect of just sleeping earlier or sleeping more in general seemed anything but difficult. For a while, I even convinced myself that my sleep deprivation was because of burnout, that my everyday struggles in school had somehow accumulated into this ever-growing sense of fatigue.

But that was a lie.

caused my sleeping habits to spiraled my sleeping habits out of control.

I didn’t have to be a genius to realize that my illtimed naps were starting to become unsustainable. But the tallest hurdle to overcome was forming a new daily routine.

NEVER GIVE UP

Exercising, using a planner, eating healthy — the arduous journey to stay on the trail of a daily routine was challenging, and I thought that changing my sleep schedule would’ve been just as difficult.

A month later, I eventually decided to make an attempt at fixing my sleep schedule for the better. It went something like this: after school, I would take a power nap from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., then work as much as possible before officially going to bed to get more sleep.

My first few attempts were disastrous. Rather than the intended 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. snooze, several days included naps from 3:30 to 11:30 p.m., leaving me restless until daybreak and drained of energy for the next eight hours of school.

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

While I did have several extracurriculars, my “fatigue” was merely a farce to sweep all of my responsibility under the rug. Before I knew it, a vicious cycle of fabricated excuses and self affirmation that I wasn’t the problem

That changed on the third day, when I managed to adhere to schedule for the first time after upgrading to a more powerful alarm clock. From then on, each time I woke up from a nap or a good night’s sleep, I no longer felt dread about having to wake up. It was refreshing, and that dopamine kick from a nice rest was exactly what I needed, a

clear-cut incentive to maintain my blissful new status quo.

In retrospect, perhaps the biggest detriment to my progression was my fear of leaving my comfort zone. It’s human nature to seek familiarity, but without embracing change, how would we be able to press forward and grow as individuals?

We’re always bombarded with phrases warning us about potentially harmful habits like “don’t do drugs,” implying that we should avoid these habits entirely because of how hard it is to undo them. The first puff of a cigarette, the first encounter with the wonders of the internet, the first experience certainly can give rise to bad habits, but we never realize that the flip side is true as well. Just as the first step can set the stage for catastrophic behaviors, the first step is also the initiative needed for positive changes as well.

The issue of fixing my sleep was no different. The most challenging aspect was mustering the bravery to take the preliminary step beyond my comfort zone, and that was it. All that I truly needed was that initial push, and then it was smooth sailing.

GRAPHIC | AIDAN RUAN

Debriefing the four video game-themed Homecoming skits

BY ANANYA CHAUDHARY, SOPHIA D’SA, ISABELLE KOK, DYLAN NGUYEN, AASHI VENKAT, SONIA VERMA, LILLIAN WANG AND BENJAMIN ZHANG

Looking into the acting and dancing of the Pac-Man themed freshman Homecoming skit

BY SOPHIA D’SA AND ISABELLE KOK

The Class of 2027 performed its Pac-Man themed Homecoming skit on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The skit followed ‘80s character Pac-Man, played by freshman Ronit Kuila, as he tried to rescue his son, Pac-Man Jr., played by Richie Yu, from the four ghosts who kidnapped and held him for ransom. Woven into the plot was a girls’ dance performed to “Pon de Replay” by Rihanna and “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga as well as two boys’ dances performed to “Cupid” by FIFTY FIFTY and “Beat It” by Michael Jackson. Leadership teacher and Class of 2027 advisor Kenneth Gan says the freshmen performed well despite the natural difficulty that comes with acting and dancing in front of peers.

“For an incoming student here at Monta Vista, having the courage to stand up [on] stage in front of a couple hundred of their fellow classmates of all grades can be intimidating,” Gan said. “But they persisted – they continued to recruit, and I thought participation was fantastic.”

In terms of preparations, Gan had minimal involvement, since the student team did everything from choreographing the dances and writing the skits to coordinating the practices. As a class officer, Kuila was heavily involved in the planning and performing.

“The biggest challenge was getting everyone together [when] rehearsing because [people] would be all over the school [and] we would have to collect [them] and bring them [to practice],” Kuila said. “There was definitely a lot on our shoulders, but we pulled through.”

Freshman class officer Christina Ong, who acted and danced in the skit, says the skit exceeded her expectations and looks forward to next year’s production.

“I’ll most likely participate next year — I’m really looking forward to seeing all of the new skits and ideas,” Ong said. “I definitely think more people should do it. It’s not that big of a commitment at all.”

Kuila and Gan both agree, reflecting on the freshmen’s showcase with pride despite logistical challenges earlier in the process.

“I’m so unbelievably proud of their achievement today,” Gan said. “I’ve seen firsthand how hard they’ve been working on this – practicing at lunches, the efforts they’ve been putting [in] to create the backdrops and the camaraderie they’ve had together as a class. It was one of the best skits that a ninth grade [class] has produced and performed. It’s just absolutely inspiring.”

Freshmen Audrey Yin and Ginny Tie perform synchronized aerials in the girls’ dance to “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga and “Pon de Replay” by Rihanna.

Freshman Ronit Kuila strikes a pose in his MichaelJackson-themed duet to the song “Beat It.”

Freshman Aashka Nadathur runs across the stage between scenes, encouraging applause.

Seniors Mihret Tesfaye and Jayden Lim emcee the skit.

Freshman May Wang strikes a pose during “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga.

Freshman Ronit Kuila, playing the role of Pac-Man Sr., waves in his Pac-Man costume.

Freshman Kara Wong smiles and steps up for the chorus of “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga.

PHOTO | BENJAMIN ZHANG

PHOTO | SOPHIA D’SA PHOTO | SOPHIA D’SA

PHOTO | ISABELLE KOK

PHOTO | BENJAMIN ZHANG PHOTO | SOPHIA D’SA

PHOTO | SOPHIA D’SA

Sophomores battle their way through the Pokemon world on the second day of Homecoming

BY ANANYA CHAUDHARY AND BENJAMIN ZHANG

The Class of 2026 performed its “Pokemon” themed skit on Tuesday, Sept. 26. The story followed main characters Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, played by sophomores Lauren Moore and Charmaine Chua, respectively, as they try to find out who hacked the MVHS football team’s Homecoming playbook. After consulting trusted Professor Oak, played by Assistant Principal Mike White, they are introduced to Snorlax, played by sophomore Ryan Li, a common Pokemon character. Unconvinced of what Snorlax can do, Snorlax is forced to showcase his power, which kicks off the co-ed dance.

Having practiced only three weeks in advance, the coed dancers had a sense of uncertainty leading up to the final performance. Sophomore and co-ed dancer Aadit Singh noted that many dancers chose to drop out of this dance, which made organizing it challenging and resulted in the group having to learn two different routines. However, Singh says the setbacks are an inherent part of the Homecoming process, and the challenges only make the end result more satisfying.

“This [was my] first year [participating in] Homecoming,” Singh said. “It was a wonderful experience getting to know others better and I think it is really cool being able to look back upon these times and say that I participated in co-ed dance in 10th grade.”

Finally accepting Snorlax’s help, Ash, Pikachu and Snorlax find out that Team Rocket, the recurring Pokemon

antagonist, was the one who hacked their playbook. In retaliation, they order the crowd to collect berries and attack Team Rocket, signaling the beginning of the girls’ dance.

The girls began practicing choreography during the summer. Sophomore and co-choreographer Megan Liu says they faced challenges throughout preparation, including the group’s music being unapproved a mere two weeks before Homecoming. Despite these setbacks, Liu says it brought the group together, attributing the success of the girl’s dance to the strength of the team.

“I’m [just] super happy that we reached a consensus and could perform like we did today,” Liu said. “I’m [so] thankful for all of my teammates because we [really] pulled through and did really [well] on the final performance.”

Finally defeating Team Rocket, the Class of 2026’s performance concludes with Ash and Pikachu inviting the crowd to the Homecoming Football game. Liu believes that Homecoming is an important event, as it allows classes to connect and form closer ties with one another.

“We [often aren’t] very spirited,” Liu said. “[But I think] Homecoming gives us [the opportunity] to come together [by] performing something, [and] I am just [so] thankful for that."

Sophomores Megan Liu, Sophia D’Sa and Shannon Yu take the first position of the girls dance.

During the co-ed dance, sophomore Ekundayo Davies leaps over sophomore Jayden Tang.

Sophomore Courtney Masli performs to "God's Plan" by Drake.

PHOTO | ANANYA CHAUDHARY

PHOTO |

Sophomore Ellie Wang strikes a pose during the girls dance.

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PHOTO | ANANYA CHAUDHARY

PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

Senior Michelle Zheng emcee with fellow co-host senior Ananya Jilla.

1.Pikachu, played by sophomore Charmaine Chua, hands a bag of hot cheetos to Snorlax, played by sophomore Ryan Li, before the co-ed dance.

2.Sophomores and co-ed dance partners Katrina Ravichandran (left) and Mia Wetzler (right) strike a post.

PHOTO | ANANYA CHAUDHARY

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PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

PHOTO | BENJAMIN ZHANG

PHOTO | BENJAMIN ZHANG

ILLUSTRATION|SONIA VERMA AND LILLIANWANG

Juniors surf into Homecoming week with a “Subway Surfers” themed skit

BY DYLAN NGUYEN AND AASHI VENKAT

The Class of 2025 kicked off Homecoming week with its performance on Monday, Sept. 25. The skit followed the iconic Subway Surfers video game characters Tricky and Jake — played by Maya Pullara and Nathan Chiang, respectively — as they vandalized a skit deck backdrop, and were chased by Monty and El Toro who wanted to reprimand the two troublemakers.

Furthermore, there were three dances throughout the skit’s 18-minute run-time: a girls dance, co-ed dance and an additional dance segment featuring MVHS Dance Team juniors. According to junior and Class Officer Peter Chen, the homecoming skit was improved with a newly added routine by the dance team.

“I think our dancers are the strong point, not just co-ed [but everyone],” Chen said. “Last minute we had the boys dance cancel on us, so we actually got MVDT [to dance]. That was something new that we tried this year. It was really fun [and] I think we did really good.”

However, there were also various technical difficulties during the skit, with the microphones malfunctioning near the beginning of the skit, causing the music to cut

out during the girls’ dance. Junior and dance lead Allison Chang voices her disappointment in this, stating how she believed this undermined the work they had put into the dance.

“I was extremely disappointed because the music serves a big role in routines, since it helps keep everyone together so they know what they’re doing,” Chang said. “When we didn’t have that, we [accidentally] did the same part of the dance at least twice.”

Following the last line of the skit, junior and voice actor Siyona Kathuria improvised saying that the speakers had been malfunctioned with spray paint, allowing the girls dance to perform again without the auditory problems.

While these difficulties were nerve wracking at first, Chen describes how the skit ultimately brought people closer together.

“Most of these people, they’re [part] of many different friend groups, but because of Hoco, we all come together to socialize and hangout,” Chen said. “I think that’s what’s so cool about Homecoming. It’s like one big group of people having a good time.”

Juniors and co-ed dance partners Sylvia Kutach and Lilia Murase circle one another.

Juniors Lotus Wu, Alyssa Yang and Allison Chang strike a pose as Ariana Grande’s “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” plays.

PHOTO | DYLAN NGUYEN

PHOTO | DYLAN NGUYEN

Juniors Jooha Kim and Yujin Um strike a pose during the girls dance.

Juniors and co-ed dance partners Jinyong Um and Katherine Li hold hands.

PHOTO | AASHI VENKAT

PHOTO | DYLAN NGUYEN

Juniors Yujin Um and Selina Wang pose with finger guns as junior Jooha Kim squats in front of them at the end of the girls’ dance.

Juniors and co-ed dancers Juyeon Kang and Yujin Um hold up kowabunga signs while dancing.

PHOTO | AASHI VENKAT

Juniors and co-ed dance partners Nathan Chiang and Andres Zavala Zavala pose by forming a heart with their arms.

PHOTO | AASHI VENKAT

PHOTO | AASHI VENKAT

Seniors close off Homecoming skits with a bang

BY SONIA VERMA AND LILLIAN WANG

Confetti exploded and cheers erupted from the crowd as the Class of 2024 ended the last Homecoming skit of the week on Sept. 28. The performance featured a Mario Kart-themed skit and a girls’ dance, boys’ dance and co-ed dance, as well as a choreographers’ dance and performances from Color Guard and Andhangraas.

Traversing the MVHS Track, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Bowser set out to save Mr. White, who was abducted during senior portraits. After running into Monty and El Toro, who had found him, the final part of the skit revealed that Bowser had kidnapped Mr. White so he could stay with his friends forever. The skit concluded with an affirmation of lasting friendship between the four friends, even after graduation.

Skit director and senior Srushti Batni intended to encapsulate the Class of 2024’s experiences throughout highschoolwhilestayingtruetotheskit’smaincharacters.

“I’m so humbled and grateful that everyone committed to it and it came out well,” Batni said. “[Homecoming] is definitely taxing, but it’s also super rewarding, so I’m glad I was involved in it for a long time, and I’m glad people who hadn’t been involved before tried it out their senior year.”

Starting in the summer, senior and choreographer Pranai Raina used Instagram and word of mouth to get as many participants as he could for the boys’ dance.

“I tried incorporating everyone, because I wanted everyone to have their spotlight and their own show,” Raina said. “I wanted to create a good performance for everyone to love.”

The seniors arrived at 7 a.m. on Sept. 28 to run through the skit a final time. After holding two to three-hour practices every day during lunch and after school to teach the choreography, Raina says the final performance was amazing and “the best thing [he] could ever ask for,” thanking everyone who participated.

“For this one, I wanted to teach people how to breakdance because that’s where my home is,” Raina said. “That’s where I come from — I do hip hop and dancing. It was a little difficult in the beginning because it’s hard to teach dance to 40 people, especially boys, but I’m happy that everyone had fun. Everyone had a good time and everyone gave their heart out.”

SONIA VERMA AND LILLIAN WANG

PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

PHOTO | ANANYA CHAUDHARY

PHOTO | SONIA VERMA

PHOTO | ANANYA CHAUDHARY

PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

Senior Matthew Lau performs a side freeze on stage. The boy’s dance included breakdancing moves like windmills and backspins.

The Class of 2024’s final Homecoming skit ends with the performers cheering and shooting confetti into the air.

Seniors Kavya Kumar and Aashi Venkat act in the skit as Mario and Princess Peach, respectively.

Senior Miriam Law twirls a flag during the Color Guard performance.

Senior Afsheen Khan dances with a Sapp, a traditional Punjabi instrument.

The girls’ dance featured “I Love It” by Icona Pop, “Speed Drive” by Charlie XCX and “Shut Up and Drive” by Rihanna.

Senior Matthew Lau jumps over senior Shiven Bhatt.

Cam on Camera

1989 MVHS graduate Cam Inman shares his journey from El Estoque to becoming a 49ers reporter

BY ARJUN DHRUV AND ANANDA SINGH

Cam Inman became a professional sports journalist at 16 years old — at least, that’s what he likes to tell people when they ask how his career in sports journalism took off. Since athletes turn professional when they start getting paid, he thought along similar lines for himself, because his senior year, Inman took a part time job writing for the Cupertino Courier, where he was the sports section editor.

This responsibility was nothing new for Inman, as he had spent his junior year as a sports editor on El Estoque and was the editor-in-chief his senior year. At these publications, he found his love for sports journalism and realized that he wanted to pursue this field after high school. Once Inman graduated California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo with a journalism degree, he landed a job in Pleasanton covering youth and high school sports, but his big break came, when he seized an opportunity to cover professional soccer.

“[I] was getting my foot in the door covering youth sports and high school sports,” Inman said. “After my first couple months on the job, Major League Soccer started and nobody really wanted to cover the San Jose pro team. I had covered soccer in the past, and I said, ‘I want to do that.’ That way, I can show that I’m a pro beat writer.”

Inman gradually built up his reputation as a reporter after writing about professional sports, and in

2000, he was offered a job with the San Francisco 49ers as a beat reporter. However, Inman says his career really took off after he started his own personal sports blog and built up a large social media following by promoting his work.

“You [have] to build yourself up and go up the ladder to a career in journalism nowadays,” Inman said. “You are in control of that door and the doorknob. You can open it and do whatever you want: start your own podcast, have your own YouTube channel, start your own blogs, and the more you do it, the better you get at it.”

Inman attributes his success in the field to his enthusiasm towards sports, his desire to “write what needs to be written in a fair, responsible and respectful way” and — most importantly — his love for journalism. Inman chose to pursue journalism at the start of high school, a non-traditional career path that most of his peers from MVHS did not choose, specifically highlighting his love for its

fast paced and ever changing nature. Inman’s lifelong friend, and fellow El Estoque staff member in 1989, Mike Maffeo, highlights how Inman’s incredible work ethic led him to become a success in his field. He recalls him as a curious, fearless and determined journalist.

“I’ve never seen anybody more committed to his desire to be good in this field,” Maffeo said. “He was very organized and very professional in how he wanted us to think about journalism and reporting. He worked so hard in putting everything together and teaching us and, being in that role, it was truly inspiring, even as a senior in high school.”

Though Inman’s journalism experience dates back almost 40 years, he believes that he has a lot more to learn and skills to perfect. His experience on many different publications, from high school journals, to city wide journals, conducting interviews and writing reports, has helped him learn from his mistakes and grow as a writer.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Inman said. “I haven’t written the perfect story. I haven’t done the perfect report yet. I’m still just learning along the way.”

49ERS BEAT REPORTER

I haven’t written the perfect story. I haven’t done the perfect report yet. I’m still just learning along the way. CAM INMAN

GRAPHIC | ARJUN DHRUV AND ANANDA SINGH

Exploring the newly sactioned sport, Girls Flag Football, in California

25% of MVHS students would consider joining the MVHS Girls Flag Football team

Bonacorsi said. “So what we’re promoting is this idea of, ‘Could we start up a club, get some games, get a coach in place?’ [We’re] looking forward to next year having more of an official season.”

*According to a survey of 165 people

To prepare for an official flag football season, MVHS is partnering with an outside club, Next Level Flag. Bonacorsi hopes that the MVHS athletes participating in Next Level Flag are aware that a school team is being created.

“They ran a camp this summer and I know some female athletes who [participated] in the camp,” Bonacorsi said. “Flag Football in and of itself is growing in our area, [but] I don’t know how much it’s growing here at Monta Vista yet, so that’s what we’re trying to

Although Fan has a solution in mind, another step in the process is acquiring funds. Bonacorsi hopes to receive parts of the budget for the program from separate sources outside of the school because this year’s funding has already been allocated for existing sports.

“There was a rumor that the 49ers were gonna get involved and provide some startup money for schools,” Bonacorsi said. “That didn’t happen, at least not yet. They’re still promising that there could be some support. Nike has offered some support. I don’t think that has happened yet. It’s all so brand new that we don’t have any real detail on how those things can come about.”

In the meantime, Fan is spreading awareness about the sport among the

PHOTOILLUSTRATION |

up close and personal. Since Kotwal plays soccer regularly, she is familiar with contact sports yet she’s wary about joining tackle football.

“I’ve kind of seen it up close and I get stressed out when I see players getting tackled,” Kotwal said. “Personally, it’s too dangerous to play. So I’m fine with [just] watching. I would never personally get involved in tackle football. ”

In order to start the sport from the ground up, Bonacorsi explains that there are many steps to take, such as finding members and funding.

“We need to purchase footballs, flags, cones, and all the equipment necessary for the sport in and of itself,” Bonacorsi said. “Whereas currently, there is no budget because the sport didn’t exist prior to this year. So step one, [we need to make sure] athletes want to do it. Then it’s working with them together as a group to try and figure out all the remaining pieces.”

WHERE’S THE

MONEY?

How the district, Monta Vista Athletic Boosters and ASB help fund the athletic department

BY LILY JIANG AND MICHELLE ZHENG

The FUHSD Director of Administrative Services Jason Crutchfield grew up in an area consisting of small towns, with each town only having one high school. That means that every sports game was not just a competition between two high schools, but also the towns themselves. Crutchfield recalls how supportive the town’s community was toward his high school’s athletic program, noting that the town really only had high school sports teams — and a handful of college teams — that it could watch.

However, here in Silicon Valley, Crutchfield highlights the numerous professional and college sports teams, like Stanford University and the 49ers. Additionally, there are multiple high schools in close vicinity, and Crutchfield attributes the infinite options available for residents in Silicon Valley to the lack of support from the community around FUHSD’s athletic programs.

Throughout the district, Crutchfield notes a decrease in adults and students coming to watch games, leading to a deficit in the income of sports teams as there are fewer sales from tickets and food. At MVHS specifically, Athletic Director Nick Bonacorsi has witnessed the decrease in support from the community through the shrinking size of Monta Vista Athletics Boosters (MVAB), which is a program

run by parents in order to fund various Monta Vista sports.

Bonacorsi says MVAB is a huge support for athletics and at the rate that it is declining, it may disappear, which would ultimately cause the athletic program to lose a large portion of its funding. Cross Country Head Coach Kirk Flatow also attributes the many different ways to donate to MVAB to the fewer donations. Therefore, Flatow implemented a different method this coming year.

Previously, parents could donate and choose from various methods to support the team, such as the $100 MVAB membership fee and various donations that would be needed later on in the season. However, this year, Flatow decided to ask parents to donate once with $350, which would cover all the expenses in cross country.

“One of the things I’ve already learned in my [UPenn masters program in positive psychology] is [when] you offer too many choices, it’s confusing and frustrating to people,” Flatow said. “And so instead, we rolled everything all into one and people seem to react very well to that.”

However, even with the increase in donations from parents to each sports team, Bonacorsi notes that MVAB’s income is struggling to match its expenses, as inflation continues to increase costs. Combined with a shortage of referees, the Central Coast Section (CCS) has increased the cost by roughly 25%, asking for $64,000 a year to pay for the salaries of officials. Additionally, Bonacorsi says this cost will continue to increase by about 25% a year for the next three years.

With an increase in cost each year, Bonacorsi works directly with MVAB to list their priorities and decide which requests can be put aside temporarily.

Most equipment

to be replaced every 10 years and most uniforms are roughly on a five to seven year uniform cycle. However, for contact sports like football, the uniforms wear out after three to four years.

Especially for protective equipment, like football helmets, Crutchfield emphasizes the importance of spending money to maintain the quality of the helmets, as a defective helmet could potentially cost someone’s life. Crutchfield mentions that each year, schools get $8,000 from the district to send football helmets to a special company that certifies the quality of the helmets. If any helmet fails the test, the school and district will evenly split the cost of the helmet, which has increased from $250 to $600 per helmet in the last seven years.

This year, Superintendent Graham Clark and other members of the District Board helped the schools by increasing the budget given to each school’s athletic program. The biggest change was their decision to cover 100% of the officials’ cost. Previously, the district paid each school $12,500 for officials and the Associated Student Body (ASB) and the athletic program had to cover the rest. This year, the district decided to pay the full price, which is around $64,000 per school. However, Crutchfield highlights that each school is given one general fund at the beginning of the year, and each school can decide what they spend the money on. Therefore,

more money to athletic programs, Crutchfield says they have to take money out of another program or project.

“People forget there’s only one pool of money,” Crutchfield said. “So by us saying we’re going to pay for some of this out of district budgets, we have to take money away from [somewhere else]. You have got to take from one to get to the other, so there’s never just this, ‘Oh, we found 20 million dollars.’”

With the changes this year, Crutchfield hopes this will free up more money for ASB and the athletic program to spend on other things for athletes. Flatow is hopeful, saying with the money ASB previously gave cross country and the district, the team would have disappeared, if not for the support of MVAB and parents. Ultimately, Crutchfield says the district will continue to find ways to increase its funds to the athletic department, as it finds value in the impact that sports have had on students.

“We truly believe that athletics shaped so [many] of our lives,” Crutchfield said. “I’ve had students and athletes from 20 years ago that come back to me and seek me out and tell me how athletics shaped their life, so we’re [going to] find ways to fund it. This is a small step to recognize how much the schools have to do through donations and parent volunteers and everything else.”

FUHSD ADMINISTRATOR

WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT ATHLETICS SHAPED SO [MANY] OF OUR LIVES, SO WE’RE [GOING TO] FIND WAYS TO FUND IT. JASON CRUTCHFIELD

PHOTO | MICHELLE ZHENG

Exploring how Athletic Trainer Myesha Taylor is growing

since April of 2023, many athletes seek out her help.

While she doesn’t treat cardiovascular or neurological conditions, Taylor helps with broken bones, torn ligaments and dislocations — the injuries that she is certified to treat to help athletes be at their peak performance. Taylor says her favorite part of the job is helping athletes recover and seeing them grow from their injuries and as individuals.

“When they come in thinking they’re never going to play again, and a couple of weeks later, they’re back on the field — I love that,” Taylor said. “[Also], watching [players] from their freshman year ‘till their senior year is the best because performancewise, from freshman year to senior year, the change that [some athletes] make is huge. When they don’t realize it, I have to remind them, ‘Do you remember your freshman

DAPHNE HUANG

Attend to athelte’s injuries at home games for all sports and away games for the Football team

year?’ and it helps them realize how much better they got.”

Taylor pursued a degree in Kinesiology with a focus on Athletic Training in Sports Medicine, which allowed her to get into the athletic training field. Taylor previously worked a contract position at Branham High School, and when Athletic Director Nick Bonacorsi asked her if she would be interested in a permanent position at MVHS, she saw it as an opportunity to further her career and took the job.

In addition to Taylor, several student volunteers are stationed at the athletic trainer’s office to help injured athletes. While Taylor deals with more serious injuries, she has the student helpers assist with tasks, such as using the massage gun, preparing ice for the players and passing her supplies when she has to treat on-field injuries.

Varsity Boys

tools, icing and taping

and enthusiastic. Similarly, sophomore Miya Sakurai, who is on the Varsity Girls Water Polo team, injured her knee during a hike and went to see Taylor, who did cupping on her leg and helped ice it as well.

“She is really friendly and easy to get along with, she’s always wanting to help anyone and she’s really good at what she does,” Sakurai said. “I was in [the athletic trainer’s room] almost every day so that she could fix my knees, [and] because she helped me, it got better faster.”

For Taylor, establishing these connections with student athletes is crucial to her job — it allows her to identify more athletes who need help with injuries and provide them with the right care.

important lessons from Taylor’s philosophy that come to use when someone is injured. Along with technical skills, Jiang says it is crucial to develop interpersonal skills and learn to be empathetic when it comes to treating those who are hurt.

“I’ve learned how to interact with certain types of situations — I didn’t know how to approach injuries before, but after talking to [Myesha], she taught me how to ask questions about how the injury happened or what to do if someone got injured,” Jiang said. “It taught me to be more considerate because it opens a point of view of ‘How would I feel if I got injured and someone was asking me how I was feeling?’ so this shows me compassion.”

ATHLETIC TRAINER

Volleyball player and junior Charlie Jiang is one of Taylor’s assistants, and finds the job to be interesting and a great way to volunteer to help others.

Jiang also finds it easy to work with Taylor, as he says she is open-minded

“I try to get to know all the athletes because I believe if you actually like somebody, you will come see them, especially when you need help,” Taylor said. “If you don’t like them, it doesn’t even matter whether they help you, you’re not going to go to them, so I try to learn stuff about each athlete and help them feel comfortable coming in.”

Jiang has taken away many

Whether it is her helpers or student athletes, Taylor hopes to teach others how to manage injuries. She says that she has always had an affinity for working with students, and paired with the supportive coaches she has met, she finds the MVHS athletics program a welcoming environment that has allowed her to smoothly transition into her position.

“A lot of athletic trainers want to work with professional athletes and I was one of those trainers earlier in my career,” Taylor said. “Now I’ve gotten to the point where I want to help create those athletes that every athletic trainer wants to work with.”

MYESHA TAYLOR

I TRY TO GET TO KNOW ALL THE ATHLETES BECAUSE I BELIEVE IF YOU ACTUALLY LIKE SOMEBODY, YOU WILL COME SEE THEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WHEN YOU NEED HELP.

injuries athletes have sustained

PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

PHOTO | ALAN TAI

Krish Dev and Allie Rummelhoff