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.
COVER | SAMIKA BHATKAR
LETTER FROM THE
Dear Rats,
Look, we didn’t expect to be writing this either, but here we are. It’s been easier to blame you for living in our A and B buildings, but let’s face it — you’re not here by accident. We’ve practically invited you in with all the crumbs and wrappers we leave behind. So yeah, that’s on us. But the whole situation has got us thinking: isn’t this exactly what we do in other parts of our lives too? Pointing fingers, refusing to adjust our views, never stopping to see where we might be the problem?
Take our Arts & Entertainment section. We love to think of our media consumption as far superior to our parents’ classical tastes. Meanwhile, they often find our endless hours blasting Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet” album a waste of time. It’s a standstill because neither side wants to budge. But maybe, just maybe, if we sat down and watched one of their old favorites, we’d find some appreciation for it as well.
Same thing in our Opinion section, where we observe the disparity between teacher and student classroom expectations. While we might not understand confiscating phones or the need for pop quizzes, just imagine how much smoother things might go if we tried to understand their perspective — or at least tried to turn in one assignment on time.
So rats, we have to admit we’ve made it easy for you to move in. We’re working on cleaning up our act (literally), and we hope you’ll take the hint and move out soon. Thanks for the wake-up call, but with all due respect, this is an eviction notice.
Sincerely, Your landlords
Alyssa Yang
PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG
Jami Lim
Ananya Chaudhary Kathryn Foo
Alan Tai
Samika Bhatkar
PHOTO | LIZ LIU
PHOTO | ERIC ZHOU
PHOTO | MANAS KOTTAKOTA
MVHS students and staff discuss the role political values play in college decisions
BY SANA KARKHANIS AND JAMI LIM
Since freshman year, senior Saahithi Kancherla has stuck to a strict no-red-states rule when it comes to applying to colleges, with the exception of University of Texas at Austin due to its familiar racial makeup. Kancherla says reproductive rights legislation is a huge factor in determining where she considers going, as her bodily autonomy is not something she is willing to risk.
“I would really value that safety of knowing that if something were to happen to me, I would have access to the health care that I need in order to grow from that,” Kancherla said. “So that one situation doesn’t turn into a life that I don’t want to live.”
Senior Riya Murthy has also shaped her college list to reflect her political values, considering the implications of having a queer identity in a conservative state. Beyond the direct effects of policies, Murthy believes that when a state’s legislation violates
the individual freedoms of a specific group of people, it reflects that state’s beliefs around personal autonomy for everyone.
“I want to be safe in the college I go to,” Murthy said. “As long as there’s even a chance I might have my rights infringed upon or that I might feel unsafe around the people in my area, I don’t want to put myself in that position, especially for an extended period of time. More than the policy itself, it’s the public sentiment in these states — people who are denying my rights as a person or denying my identity. I don’t want to go and interact with those sorts of people, as far as I can help it. I don’t want to talk to people who don’t believe in my rights.”
English Teacher and AVID Adviser Lynn Rose encouraged her non-binary child, Beck, to stay in California for college. She perceives California to be unfailingly liberal, and believes that attending college in-state would
ensure Beck’s rights and safety as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
“If Beck ever moved out of state, depending on what state, just being non-binary and falling under that trans umbrella makes me worry about their safety and access to health care and gender-affirming care,” Rose said.
“It’s important to go to school in a community where you feel safe and accepted and, if you’re queer, where you can find those spaces where queer people are accepted, either on campus or out in the community.”
Murthy prioritizes exposing herself to a diverse community of people from various backgrounds, saying an experience interviewing various strangers in New York for a photo collection inspired her to leave the Bay Area bubble she is in. Because Murthy aims to use college as an opportunity to broaden her perspective, she views living in states that uphold singular, close-minded ideologies as
preventing her exploration and lacking wide representation.
Rose views close-mindedness within state education, especially with the increase of book bannings, as very concerning. She says a diverse curriculum that consists of information that might be hard to handle is still important for students to learn. This includes topics like slavery and other forms of discrimination that were enforced by America’s prior legislation and are being banned from education due to it being “too sensitive.” Seeing a video of schools being forced to dump their books in Florida or countless cases where teachers have been forced to shape curriculum around religious teachings reaffirmed Rose’s opinions on seeking education that encompasses what you believe in.
for an entire generation of people,” Kancherla said. “But with the book bannings that are happening and certain topics not being allowed to be discussed in classrooms, I feel like restrictive behavior is really harmful to education. That’s what I’m more passionate about, because that can actually affect generations and generations, and then also the access to health care, of course, is something that can affect someone for the rest of their life. I would want to live in a place where my kids will grow up and be safe under those kinds of laws.”
“ I DON’T WANT AN EXTERNAL BODY TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT I GET TO DO WITH MY LIFE.
“We teach ‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,’ which is an LGBTQ+ young adult book, but just because a child reads that book doesn’t mean it’s going to ‘turn them gay,’” Rose said. “It helps us to understand other populations that might not be like us — whether we’re gay or straight, whoever we are, we’re human. We’re human beings. It’s part of the human experience.”
SENIOR
SAAHITHI KANCHERLA
For Murthy, choosing a college is about finding the balance in a location that is diverse but also safe for minorities and marginalized individuals like herself. For Rose and her child Beck, it’s about finding a place where transgender rights and freedoms are protected. For Kancherla, it’s about staying in a place where her future can grow the way she wants it to and the generations after her can live freely.
72% of MVHS students consider their political values to affect their college decisions to an extent.
*According to a survey of 79 people
TEXAS
Senate Bill 17 prohibits higher education institutions in Texas from establishing or maintaining DEI offices. The Texas State Board of Education approved of Bible-infused curriculum for classes between kindergarten to fifth grade.
*According the Texas Legislature Online
FLORIDA
To Kancherla, location is not only a priority in college — she says environment will always remain important to her as she goes into her adult life and settles down. Kancherla wants to ensure the generations after her have protected reproductive rights and access to education that will allow them to have diverse perspectives, so she plans on raising her family in a liberal environment.
“I’d say price and inflation are things that can change easily and a single law isn’t going to set the tone
“My biggest concerns are mainly that I’m protected, and I have the right to choose what happens to me and my future, and I have the right to choose what to learn about and what I don’t want to learn about,” Kancherla said. “I don’t want an external body trying to determine what I get to do with my life. That’s my main thing — I want to have full autonomy over my own choices and my own future.”
Law HB 1557 aims to “prohibit classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels or in a specified manner.” Law HB 1069 restricts usage of “pronouns or human sexuality” within a classroom. They are known as the “Don’t say Gay” and “Don’t say They” laws.
*According to The Florida Senate
INDIANA
Senate Bill 1 bans abortion completely in Indiana. There are exceptions up until 12 weeks if the fetus is a product of rape or incest, up untill 22 weeks if the fetus is diagnosed with a “lethal fetal abnormality,” and throughout pregnanacy if it is neccessary to “prevent any serious health risk to the pregnant woman or to save the pregnant woman’s life.”
*According to the Indiana General Assembly
THE ROAD TO REPRESENTATION
Native Americans share the importance of increased representation in politics
BY KATHRYN FOO AND STELLA PETZOVA
In the 2024 election cycle, over 170 Native American, Native Hawaiian and Native Alaskan candidates ran for office in the U.S., setting records and giving voters in 25 states the opportunity to elect or reelect an Indigenous leader. Among these candidates is Charlene Nijmeh, Chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Council, who recently ran to represent California’s 18th Congressional District. While her campaign was unsuccessful, it was centered around remedying the lack of representation for her community.
“It’s very important that we have a seat at the table, because as representatives in the federal government, we would be able to protect our rights and govern ourselves on our land,” Nijmeh said.
“So it’s very important that we have more Indigenous people at the table and in Congress making these decisions for Indian Country.”
Despite Native Americans making up over 2% of the U.S. population, Native Representatives hold only two seats out of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives and only one in the Senate. According to Advance Native Political Leadership, an organization dedicated to supporting Native communities, Indigenous leaders make up just 0.07% of elected officials. The organization’s website states that in order to reach representational
MVHS sits on the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.
parity in elected office, more than 17,000 Indigenous leaders must be elected at all levels of government.
Homestead High School English teacher and active Indigenous community member Shawnee Rivera believes that Indigenous representation in government would be a step forward in recognizing millions of Native people. These values are reflected in Nijmeh’s work as chairwoman, which is centered around gaining the federal recognition of Muwekma Ohlone sovereignty and reinforcing “partnerships and allyships with Congresspeople.” Federally recognized tribes may apply for funding from the U.S. government to finance anything from housing to monthly packages of healthy food for eligible applicants. It is important to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, which has been present in the Bay Area long before the U.S. government was even formed, to receive federal recognition.
“Our tribe, and most of the tribes along the coast, are fighting to get our status clarified, but the government is resisting to acknowledge us, and we’re unprotected,” Nijmeh said. “We’re always working on that. We just got a new president, so the work continues, but we’re always focused on staying visible and active and visiting Congress often to make sure that they still see us and they still hear our voice.”
Beyond federal recognition, Rivera also believes that Indigenous leadership would advocate for environmental justice, which, to her, is currently threatened by corrupt governance. Having grown up going to powwows and lodges surrounded by her tribal community, Rivera’s family and community have instilled a sense of the sacredness of the land and other people in her. Although Rivera believes increased leadership by Indigenous people would have a significant positive impact on the environment, she recognizes that not
all Indigenous people have had the same community and environmentfocused upbringing she considers herself lucky to have had. Thus, they might not put those values first in their leadership.
“Are Indigenous people in power voting on behalf of the environment?“ Rivera said. “Are they voting on behalf of women? Are they voting on behalf of elders and taking care of the community? I think what’s important is watching what candidates stand up for. I trust that Indigenous people, if they’re raised in an Indigenous community, have grown up understanding how important the environment is, but not every Indigenous person has that privilege.”
Nijmeh, despite being frustrated by the lack of mainstream coverage, believes that the ride was a firm message of recognition and unity.
“It was for awareness of our story and our struggle, and the message is we are still here, and we’re not going anywhere,”
60%
of MVHS students
think the government needs to make wider efforts towards equitable representation
*According to a survey of 77 people
Similarly, Nijmeh says her background is influential in seeking government involvement, with her mother serving as the chairwoman of the council before Nijmeh’s election. Here, she remembers shadowing her mother at meetings when she was 7 years old, watching her mother meet with members throughout the Bay Area to advocate for her people’s rights.
SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE
Today, Nijmeh has stepped into the role that her mother once held, both as the sitting chairwoman, and figuratively, as she continues to champion the rights of those within her tribe. In early August, she and other Ohlone Tribe members began their horseback journey from San Francisco to Washington D.C., dubbed the Trail of Truth, riding as a protest against the resistance that the federal government has shown towards recognizing the tribe’s sovereignty.
Nijmeh said. “We’re not giving up. We traveled across the nation, visiting other recognized tribes and nonrecognized tribes, and the other message was of unity —coming together to protect all our rights against the government because as the government continues to chip away at our rights when we come together, that would be less likely to happen.”
Despite hundreds of years of genocide and colonization, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians and Native Alaskans have survived, maintaining their community and fighting for a voice in the politics and governance that impact them directly. Nijmeh believes the recent uptick in Native involvement in politics — both in running and in showing up to the polls — has a distinct positive effect on the future of America’s political representation.
“Things are just getting started,” Nijmeh said. “People are starting to get interested in how they need to step into these leadership positions to represent people who look like them. Brown people, people of color — more of us are stepping into this. I think the young people are starting to realize that we need to represent our people.”
A THIRD
YEAR OF PILOT
PILOT
Health and Ethnic Studies to run as an optional course offering for the next school year
BY JONAH CHANG AND ERIC ZHOU
FUHSD announced the postponement of the Health and Ethnic Studies course requirement for incoming freshmen following concerns about declining enrollment and proposals to revise the Ethnic Studies curriculum for upperclassmen.
California’s Assembly Bill 101 requires students graduating in 2030 to complete a semester of Ethnic Studies, which was combined with the Health class by FUHSD, to earn their high school diploma. FUHSD offered Health and Ethnic Studies as a pilot couse in the 2023-24 school year to collect feedback on the curriculum. The course requirement was first set for the 2024-25 school year to be ahead of AB-101 but was delayed to 2025-26. However, during a November board meeting, FUHSD announced that the implementation of Ethnic Studies as a mandatory course for freshmen would no longer occur in the 2025-26 school year. Health and Ethnic Studies is scheduled to continue as an optional course offering.
FUHSD Superintendent Graham Clark attributes this move to the course’s lack of popularity among freshmen, declining enrollment and discussions of whether the course is better suited for upperclassmen.
17
Decreasing enrollment in FUHSD has reportedly contributed to a decline of 180 individual class periods, according to an email from Clark. Following the announcement, an advisory committee was reportedly convened to discuss the next course of action for Ethnic Studies. Clark will make the final decision about when to implement Ethnic Studies as a required course.
and World Studies. He says adding another required course to ninth grade schedules would limit elective options, as enrollment in world language, art, music, journalism and business would decline due to the new requirement.
“If you learn some of the historical facts in your World History and then your U.S. History classes, in Ethnic Studies, you’d have a better framework for what we’re talking about,” Clark said. “We’re going to talk about the topic of immigration, for instance. You may have talked about that in World History, and then you would know something about it. But if you take Ethnic Studies first, you wouldn’t have the benefit of understanding what that was, because you haven’t covered that material yet.”
FUHSD students
are currently enrolled in Ethnic Studies
*According to Ethnic Studies teacher
Usiel Meraz-Cerna
Clark says Ethnic Studies would be more convenient for upperclassmen to accommodate in their schedules, and would benefit juniors and seniors with prior background in World History
as a proponent of students studying civics, Perrault adds MVHS students would benefit instead from extending U.S. Government and Politics to a twosemester course.
“Delaying the mandate allows new high school students to pursue the things they want to pursue and have time to do that throughout the year,” Perrault said. “If they’re doing something they really want to pursue, they can be more engaged with high school.”
“ DELAYING THE MANDATE ALLOWS NEW HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PURSUE THINGS THEY WANT TO. MVHS PARENT JOSHUA PERRAULT
As the parent of a freshman and eighth grader, Joshua Perrault affirms Clark’s opinion that Ethnic Studies would be better suited for upperclassmen. While Perrault is not fully convinced that the state’s Ethnic Studies requirement is a necessary addition to the curriculum, he says upperclassmen could benefit from the material.
“They’re getting ready for college,” Perrault said. “It’s to their advantage to know more about different ethnicities before they go to college and before they become fully fledged adults. I think it’s really important. Upperclassmen would be more receptive, and they’d be able to understand how important that is as they mature.”
Perrault supports the district’s move to delay the mandate, citing more freedom for freshmen in terms of elective course selection. Alternatively,
With FUHSD’s efforts to mandate Health and Ethnic Studies, Director of Human Resources Greg Giglio announced a $6,000 stipend on Oct. 28 through an email for teachers to obtain a Health Sciences credential, with the area being designated “high need.” According to Principal Ben Clausnitzer, the stipend still stands, following the postponement of the mandatory course requirement. However, Giglio and Clark say there is no association between the stipend and the postponed mandate. Giglio said in an email that MVHS, which has two teachers currently credentialed, is expected to fulfill the need for five to six sections of Health before the requirement goes into effect.
In the event that Health and Ethnic Studies become required courses for freshmen, Clausnitzer acknowledges that they could be barred from taking multiple elective courses. He stands with the district’s move to reconsider the course’s grade placement.
“We’re not going to full implementation yet,” Clausnitzer said. “We’re going to the status quo, continuing to offer Ethnic Studies and Health as we have these past two years, and meanwhile, engaging in a conversation around whether we have the right grade level.”
RATTED OUT
Students and staff address concerns about rodents in school buildings and classrooms
BY ARCHANA VENKATESAN
Rodents have been spotted in classrooms and buildings across the MVHS campus, with incidents reported as far back as the school’s establishment in 1969. This issue remains prominent today in older facilities such as the A and B buildings, where students’ habits of leaving food and drinks around exacerbates this problem, according to Facilities Manager Lance Quezada.
“God, even better — now we get warm and we get food.’ It’s a big concern, but everyone’s working hard and together to solve this pest problem.”
STUDENTS SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLEANING UP AFTER THEMSELVES, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE’RE ALL IN HIGH SCHOOL.
Quezada says that rather than an infestation, this is a problem evident only among the science classrooms and the A building. The facilities team is currently working with MVHS sta to enforce clear rules about food in classrooms and, if necessary, working with Genesis Pest Control, a local pest control service, to exterminate the rodents. Quezada says they are mitigating this situation through integrated pest management, communicating with students and trapping.
After a student reported a rodent sighting last March in Science Teacher and Curriculum Lead Kavita Gupta’s classroom, Gupta implemented new classroom protocols prohibiting her students from eating food and leaving open water in her classroom in hopes of reducing future rat sightings.
SOPHOMORE
According to Quezada, by targeting the root causes of open food and water sources, the facilities team aims to mitigate the rat population and improve longterm solutions. For Quezada, spreading student awareness is essential for the reduction of the rodent population.
“The first thing we do normally is communication,
and students about food in the classroom,” Quezada said. “Minimizing food would remove the attractant from the space, which is called integrated pest management.”
serves as a second home for many students.
“We need to keep an eye on the rats and make sure food isn’t left behind,” Darla said. “While janitors mostly pick it up, some food is left behind and unseen and not cleaned up by students. Students should take responsibility for cleaning up after themselves, especially since we’re all in high school.”
Quezada says it is essential for students to assume more responsibility, and emphasizes the importance of educating the school community to show how everyone has a role in maintaining a clean school campus for students and sta .
“It’s di cult just to get most students to throw their trash into the receptacles, so just try to communicate and remove the food from the space when they are done,” Quezada said. “It’s having those consistent kinds of actions happening from our students. So it starts with the students.”
“Rats can get in through very small spaces, and when it gets cold outside, they’re looking for warm areas,” Gupta said. “They come into classrooms, and then they see food and think, ‘Oh my
SHREEKRITHI DARLA which would be educating teachers a clean
Sophomore Shreekrithi Darla recalls a recent encounter with a rodent during her sixth period, and says the presence of rats on campus impacted the focus of her classmates because of the disruption caused in her class. Darla believes school environment is significant, because an unclean environment could overall negatively impact the health of the student body, as the school
5 District
TAKE OUR NOVEMBER NEWS QUIZ
Test your knowledge of key events last month BY
STELLA PETZOVA
2 Football
Which team did Varsity Football defeat on Nov. 7 to win back the Helmet Trophy?
1 Elections
Who won the race to represent California’s 17th District?
4 Cupertino
Which event did the City of Cupertino hold on Nov. 16, honoring community volunteers?
3 Volleyball
Which title did Girls Volleyball win on Nov. 19 for the first time in MVHS history?
Which FUHSD school won the IDC Fantastics Rally on Nov. 15?
6 School
What was MVHS threatened with over email on Nov. 8, causing a shelter-in-place?
7 Drama
Which Shakespearean play was MV Drama’s November production based on?
9 Gangs
Which country experienced the displacement of more than 40,000 people due to gang violence?
8 Health
Which disease surged in Central Africa, causing a public health crisis?
10 Justice
Which world leader was issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court on Nov. 21?
MVHS alum Ruri Kobayakawa shares her journey in the fire service
BY LIZ LIU
Thunderous crackles reverberate through the air, piercing the curtain of smoke that veils firefighter engineer Ruri Kobayakawa. Her boots crunch on shards of glass as she hoists her fire axe and shuffles to face her next target. Despite wearing over 50 pounds of equipment, Ruri shatters the balcony window in one blow. Her task is essential; the windows must be broken in order for the water from the hose lines to reach the inside of the burning 72,000 square foot building.
“ IN THAT TIME WHERE I FELT ALONE, THAT SIMPLE ACTION HELPED ME FEEL LIKE PEOPLE STILL CARE THAT I’M AROUND.
FIREFIGHTER RURI
KOBAYAKAWA
“My home environment wasn’t the best in high school,” Ruri said. “I felt alone because when everyone’s going through stuff, it’s hard for anyone to focus on each other. Anytime a fire engine or an ambulance drove by, I was the kid that was waving at it. That simple action of firefighters waving back, you don’t think much of it being on this side of it. You wave back. But for me as a kid, in that time where I felt super alone and unseen, that simple action helped me feel like people still do see me, people still care that I’m around.”
two days of work are the same, and as a result, having to be constantly learning. While Ruri loves many parts of her job, she ultimately chose to be a firefighter out of her love of helping others and being involved in her community. But as a first responder, there are situations where, despite her and the crew’s best effort, people pass away.
“You always ask yourself, ‘Could I have done more? What if we got here earlier?’” Ruri said. “But in most cases, we couldn’t have helped and we need to accept that as much as we wanted to help, sometimes that wasn’t a possibility. It’s hard to focus on the positive. It’s important to appreciate and remember the good calls where you make a difference to balance out the negative calls.”
While Ruri understands the gravity of her job, she still enjoys it, specifically recalling “how amazing” her career was to include breaking windows. Yet, 15 years ago as a freshman at MVHS, the life of a firefighter at the Santa Clara County Fire Department was not what Ruri imagined for herself.
“The environment of MVHS is unique in that realm of its high stress on grades,” Ruri said. “Everyone’s on each other about it — you get a B and you feel like you have to hide it from the rest of the class. That definitely stressed me out because I wanted to feel accepted in what I choose as a career. It wasn’t until I got to college and got away from that that I thought on my own and asked myself, ‘What do I truly want out of a career?’”
Ruri’s parents expected her to find a career in tech, like most of her peers from MVHS. However, once her dad saw how fulfilled she was after she attended South Bay Fire Academy, Ruri had his full support in pursuing firefighting. When considering careers, Ruri thought about who impacted her life when she was growing up.
In retrospect, Ruri’s older sister Melissa Kobayakawa believes Ruri’s choice to become a firefighter suits her personality. Ruri was the sister who was always “throwing toys everywhere,” while Melissa was the sister who was “picking them up and putting them back,” balancing each other out.
“
IT’S IMPORTANT TO APPRECIATE THE GOOD CALLS WHERE YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO BALANCE OUT THE NEGATIVE CALLS.
“Even though we’re sisters, we are so different in so many ways,” Melissa said. “I could never do what she does. She’s just willing to put her life on the line. Even as kids, when she would play tennis, she would dive for the ball and scratch her knees and elbows. She would sacrifice her body for the tennis ball. And I would not try any of that. I was like, ‘She’s crazy.’”
Since taking on hard calls is a regular part of a firefighter’s job, Ruri’s department offers a multitude of programs and free therapy sessions for anyone who needs extra support. Firefighters learn to emotionally distance themselves from the scene while on call. Despite these attempts, Ruri says it is impossible to predict how a firefighter reacts on scene, especially if they go on a call that reminds them of something from their personal life.
FIREFIGHTER RURI KOBAYAKAWA
Ruri enjoys the unpredictability of firefighting, appreciating how no
“I struggle with any calls relating to suicide because I battled with that through high school,” Ruri said. “Those are the calls where I’m like, ‘Oh god,’ remembering how I felt in those times when I was younger, and to understand how that person felt right before they decided to act is always rough for me, especially because I tend to be a pretty empathetic person so it’s harder for me to distance myself from those situations.”
| DECEMBER 2024 13
Ruri and her crew also tend to rely on each other for support. Some of Ruri’s fondest memories of her job revolve around the time she’s spent with her crew answering calls. Her job as a firefighter includes much more than fighting fires; it’s anything from responding to highway accidents to helping an elderly couple with leaky pipes. Ruri finds it important to hold those little memories dear: the moments spent giving stickers to awestruck kids, the laughter Ruri and her crew shared as she stood in a storm drain searching for ducklings, and much more.
Ruri’s close friend and fellow firefighter engineer at SCCFD Katie Doherty feels similarly about the relationships she’s formed as a firefighter. However, she notes that it took her years to feel like she belonged in the fire service, having a sense of imposter syndrome. Ruri shares this sentiment. While undergoing firefighting training, she had trouble with the essential firefighter skill of throwing ladders, which sometimes weigh upwards of 60 pounds and are over 12 feet long, off her shoulder and against a building, and at times even believed it was impossible for her to do.
“I’ve seen a lot of females struggle through self doubt,” Ruri said. “Being your worst critic doesn’t help you in the end. It’s great because it creates high standards for yourself, but it can also hinder you.”
Firefighter
engineer Ruri Kobayakawa dons her turnout gear as she converses with a colleague.
protective clothing, pants, gloves and helmets were all oversized. She recognizes that the career still has room for improvement in terms of building a friendlier workplace. She recollected a medical call where an older paramedic, made a comment about her while they were out on a call.
“ WHEN YOU GET ANY WOMAN TO HIT THAT POINT WHERE SHE’S LIKE ‘I CAN BREAK THIS BOUNDARY,’ THERE’S NO STOPPING US.
FIREFIGHTER RURI KOBAYAKAWA
While Doherty’s department is very accepting of women, she has noticed how firefighting seems to be more catered to men. For example, Doherty didn’t receive personal protective equipment that fit her until she was hired as a full-time firefighter. Her
“I was putting on stickers on the chest to take pictures of the heart,” Doherty said. “He thought I had put one of the stickers on in the wrong position, and in front of everyone: my boss, the EMTs, the patient, and the patient’s family, he said, ‘Sweetheart, that’s not in the right spot,’ and pulled it off of his chest and looked at it and said, ‘Oh, no, wait, that’s fine.’ He would not have called a guy ‘sweetheart’ and it was not professional.”
However, Doherty believes having supportive colleagues made a difference, and she counts herself lucky as she has mostly never seen signs of overt sexism. Ruri agrees that firefighting has its challenges,
especially for women, the rewarding aspects of firefighting far outweigh anything else.
“Through this career, I’ve also seen how much women can push and how much they can accomplish,” Ruri said. “Especially when you get any woman to hit that point where she’s like, ‘I can break this boundary,’ there’s no stopping us. It’s been super inspiring to see that drive in a lot of people. And so even though there are challenges, you get to see all these people who are taking that as a challenge and being like, ‘I’m gonna push past that.’”
To encourage more youth to experiment with firefighting as a potential future career, Ruri is involved in weekend fire camps, where high schoolers can try different fire skills. Through her involvement in these programs, she’s learned about more fire service programs reaching out to women. Doherty remembers her first meeting with Ruri clearly — sizing Ruri up and underestimating her before being blown away by her abilities. She recalled being shocked at how well Ruri was able to keep up with the rest of the group. Also, although Doherty thought Ruri to be reserved, especially compared to other firefighters, she has since then watched Ruri grow into a confident person.
PHOTO | LIZ LIU
“It has been really awesome to see her just absolutely crush everything she does, especially in the fire service, and then go back and teach people skills,” Doherty said. “She works at our department’s truck company, so not only is she super strong, she’s a tiny lady. Truck companies are generally considered the giant strong guys that break s---, and she just f------ crushes it, and then she’ll go and teach people. It’s really cool to see her have a voice and be really amazing.”
Even outside of her job, Ruri prioritizes community involvement by teaching others, utilizing the skills she gained from teaching taekwondo as a black belt in high school. She now teaches at Blaze of Glory Fitness, the firefighter functional fitness trainer and mentorship program where she and Doherty first met, and teaches fire skills at the South Bay Fire Academy.
“I’ve had other girls come up to me and be like, ‘Wow, you’re a firefighter. Can we do it?’” Ruri said. “I was like,
FIREFIGHTING GEAR
FireFighter helmet
- Made of tough leather
- Heat-resistant and protects firefighters from falling debris
- Resistant to heat, water and more
- Allows Ruri to communicate clearly with her crew on calls
- Ruri keeps work gloves, spanner wrenches (for tightening and loosening hose connections) and wire cutters in her right pocket
- Ruri keeps 20 feet of webbing in her left pocket
‘One hundred percent!’ I definitely enjoy being able to open that door for people to think about, that this is a career anyone can do. When joining the fire service, I wanted to challenge myself, even knowing it is a male dominated career. I want to show people that anyone can do this job. As long as you want to do it, you have the drive to do it, you want to learn and you want to be able to help people, anyone can do it.”
turnOut geAr
- Three layers: the outer shell, the moisture barrier and the inner liner
- Outer shell protects from flames and tears in the suit,
- Moisture barrier protects from liquids and absorbs moisture
-Thermal layer traps air in between layers of material, providing protection from the heat
- Respirator that provides breathable air
- Worn in low-oxygen or contaminated environments
- Four components: face mask a pressure regulator, a carrying frame and tanks with compressed air or oxygen
THE STRENGTH IN
DIVERSITY
Teachers and students at MVHS discuss their experiences with cultural diversity in the Bay
BY SIH YU (MELODY) LIN AND APRAMEYA RUPANAGUNTA
Despite being the first-born U.S. citizen in his family and growing up in a predominantly white community, American and World Literature teacher Shozo Shimazaki never felt particularly marginalized throughout his childhood. It wasn’t until he moved to California in first grade that he realized the stark difference between the Japanese community in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado, and California.
Sophomore Jiwoon Hong and his friends pose for a picture in front of an amusement park in Korea. Photo courtesy of Jiwoon Hong | Used with permission
California in the mid-70s, there were already existing Japanese and Asian communities,” Shimazaki said. “They already had this idea of ‘We need to have a community because of bias and racism,’ and through these communities, I became more aware of the history of Japanese internment because they were much more active and knew more about the history behind my culture.”
notices the obvious differences between her hometown of Delhi and the Bay Area and the similarities that make it easier to remain connected to her culture.
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While Shimazaki spent his entire life in the U.S., Physics teacher and MVHS Indian American Student Association advisor Sushma Bana moved from India to California after completing
Literature teacher Shozo Shimazaki poses for a picture with his family. Photo courtesy of Shozo Shimazaki | Used with permission withSophomoreJiwoonHongtakes PhotohisfriendataColorGuard permissionbyJiwoonHong|Usedwith
“Initially, there was shock with how much space California had compared to Delhi, which is densely populated,” Bana said. “But there were a lot of people who were, like me, recent immigrants, so I think even though I felt like it was a new country, I still had enough people who looked like me and talked like me.”
Relating to Bana’s experience, freshman Jiwoon Hong, who moved from Korea two years ago, remembers how he felt when he first moved to California, recalling the experience being slightly isolating.
“It’s definitely tough to move to a different culture,” Hong said.
“At first, when I was in middle school, it was really hard, because I was not good enough at English to understand my classes and what my teachers and friends were saying.”
Bana and Hong both had the shared advantage of moving to an area with an existing Indian and Korean populations,
Hongtakesaselfie UsedGuardevent. with
and although the Bay Area felt more like home to Bana than she expected it to, Bana says there was still a struggle that came with being a new immigrant in the U.S.
“There was always this subconscious pressure that you have to justify yourself being here by working hard, because you did not want to hear it from anyone that you don’t belong here,” Bana said. “I remember a police officer pulling me over for a small driving ticket and looking me in the eye to tell me, ‘This is not how things work here, you people should understand that.’ These microaggressions are always there, and many times as immigrants we just accept that that’s how things are since there was always this pressure to always assimilate.”
their language.
“As much as our colleagues are very inclusive, there are a lot of stereotypes about families of color,” Bana said. “I feel like in our district there are a lot of generalizations about how Asian, Hispanic and other families and cultures are. Even if we do staff development events, there are sometimes sweeping statements about different cultures.”
80% of MVHS students
feel safe to express their cultural identity in school
*According to a survey of 79 people
Even though 79% of MVHS’ student population identifies as Asian, Bana argues that when it comes to school meetings or even district-wide board meetings, her colleagues need
When it comes to inclusivity in the student population, Hong believes that the students at MVHS are somewhat inclusive through culture clubs.
Still, Hong believes there should be more student clubs that advocate for education of cultures, arguing that this can be beneficial for students who feel disconnected from their heritage.
“It’s important because, in California, there are a lot of people that are originally from other countries but were born here,” Hong said. “It’s important to make cultural clubs some poeple who were born here might feel like they don’t know much about their culture, so these clubs can make them feel more comfortable.”
Clausnitzer letting the community know about different religious holidays, but the next steps are to break the barriers that exist between different groups of students,” Shimazaki said. “We try to do what we can with the curriculum and the diverse books that we’re teaching, but a lot of the problem comes from teenagers being in their silos with their phones instead of talking to the people around them.”
Literature teacher Shozo Shimazaki poses for a picture with his family. Photo courtesy of Shozo Shimazaki | Used with permission
Shimazaki agrees with Hong, claiming that even though MVHS and the FUHSD district are working towards being more inclusive towards students’ cultures, there is still more work that needs to be done to break the barriers between the segregated groups of students.
“I know we’ve been acknowledging a lot of things, such as
As an advisor for IASA, Bana agrees, stating that the best way to make the environment in a school more inclusive is to educate others about the customs and traditions of a variety of cultures.
“Understanding each other is a two-way street,” Bana said. “It is the responsibility of the people from a specific culture to educate and let people know who they are. I truly believe that diversity is a source of strength, not a source of division. It’s a source of coming together.”
A FATE TO EDUCATE
MVHS staff share their unique career pathways prior to teaching
BY RADHIKA DHARMAPURIKAR AND ANGELA POON
MELINDA GAUL
Algebra 1 teacher Melinda Gaul has always wanted to be a teacher. She can recount early memories of roleplaying as a teacher and expressing her intent to her parents. However, in high school, Gaul’s parents discouraged her from becoming a teacher, so she chose to pursue a degree in Pure Mathematics, a field of study of mathematical concepts independent of any application. Yet, Gaul realized that she wasn’t interested in this branch of math and switched majors.
Lockheed Martin. There, Gaul worked as a system admin for four years, where she managed computer processes and specialized in satellite maintenance.
“I was in classes like History of Math, and we started talking about proving one plus two equals three,” Gaul said. “I wanted a more applied major, so I decided to major in Applied Mathematics because I felt like I could use that in companies.”
Gaul’s first job after college was at Intel, where she worked as a buyer planner to purchase parts for computer wafers, a small device for computer circuits. A year later, she moved to
Still the desire to be a teacher lingered, so Gaul took time off to study and get her teaching credentials. After teaching at Cupertino High School for five years, she took a break and worked part time as a report analyst at DataCycles for six years, which she didn’t find as fulfilling as teaching.
Missing the energy and vibrancy, Gaul gravitated back to the classroom. Even though she describes transitioning between different jobs as hard, she believes that teaching has proved to be rewarding.
“There’s so much that comes along with the job of being a teacher,” Gaul said. “[If I wasn’t a teacher], I’d be working a just to get the paycheck. It feels like I’m making a difference in a
MICHAEL LORDAN
Physics C teacher Michael Lordan has always liked the idea of being a teacher -recalls being passionate about both engineering and teaching in high school. After attending a career fair UC Davis, Lordan decided go into engineering and worked at the aerospace company Space Systems Loral, an experience he thoroughly enjoyed.
“After I graduated from college, I was interested in doing computeraided design work,” Lordan said. “I felt like I was constantly learning, which I think has challenges to it, but also continually kept the job fresh and exciting.”
However, Lordan’s job had some drawbacks. At Space Systems Loral, he was constantly sitting in front of a computer, exhausting his eyes. He also found the repetitive work trips to Ottawa taxing, as his job required him to perform off-site testing for their computer models. The idea of becoming a teacher persisted, so he began earning his teaching credentials while still at his old job.
“There’s a lot of hurdles to becoming a teacher,” Lordan said. “There are many competency tests that you have to pass in order to get a teaching credential, and you have to observe other teachers for 40 hours.”
Despite these challenges, Lordan believes his switch to teaching was right for him. He recalls feeling motivated and energized to begin
Melinda Gaul (third from right) poses with her coworkers at Half Dome, Yosemite.
GRAPHIC
PHOTO COURTESY OF MELINDA GAUL | USED WITH PERMISSION
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL LORDAN | USED WITH PERMISSION
Michael Lordan (second from left) stands with his coworkers in Ottawa, Canada.
a teaching career after seeing a coworker make the switch, knowing that if he didn’t commit then, it would be too late.
“Being at school with the students is really invigorating,” Lordan said. “That’s what makes it all worth it. I’m here getting one-on-one with students and building relationships with them. Just seeing their growth is really meaningful and powerful.”
NORMA ABARCA
Before teaching Spanish 2 and Spanish 3, Norma Abarca worked at Foster Farms, one of the largest poultry companies, for two years. She worked as the primary point person between consumers and the marketing department.
but continued to study Spanish. After losing interest in both, she decided to work at Foster Farms since she liked interacting with consumers. She also helped produce commercials that starred the Foster Imposter chicken mascots.
However, even though she liked her job, Abarca studied to get her teaching credential. She realized she wanted to teach, and was further motivated by a college professor to pursue education with her dynamic, interactive teaching style.
“My job was to collect information from the consumer on the quality of the product,” Abarca said. “If there were concerns, they were reported to me, and I would compile the report and present it to the production director.”
As a child, Abarca aspired to go into politics and become a lawyer or senator because it always fascinated her. In college, she majored in political science alongside Spanish, but felt discouraged by the lack of female representation the political field. She switched majors to International Relations
After being recommended to a school, a secretary convinced Abarca to quit her job at Foster Farms and apply for a teaching position. Falling back on her Spanish background, Abarca decided that teaching Spanish was her destiny. At the time, she had not even attained her credential -- she was busy juggling a full time job and attending school. Even without it, she got hired.
“Life leads you into different paths and interests, and through these experiences, you learn where you have talents,” Abarca said. “There are nice surprises that we never would’ve anticipated.”
JESSICA KAUFMAN
a lot of friends there,” Kaufman said. “Starbucks was a good company to work for. They treated their employees well. I liked how it was easy but fun.”
But Kaufman did not want to stay at Starbucks permanently, and began working towards her teaching goals, knowing she wanted to pursue education. Since her mom was a high school teacher as well, she had an inspiring figure to look up to. After switching majors to experiment with psychology, sociology and history in college, she ultimately returned to her passion for English and love for teaching.
Jessica Kaufman worked in many different positions at Starbucks before teaching English in FUHSD. Kaufman started working at Starbucks as a sophomore high school, and continued until she started college. In her four years at Starbucks, she cycled through various positions such as a barista, shift supervisor and assistant manager in training.
“I can’t recall a time where it was like, ‘I’m going to be a teacher,’ because the thought was always there,” Kaufman said. “It wasn’t a conscious decision I had made. It was something I knew I wanted to do.”
Despite this, Kaufman’s view of teaching has changed with experience. She believes her job has gotten harder over time, especially with the initial excitement of becoming a teacher wearing off and it being time consuming and often stressful. Despite this, Kaufman says she has learned to find a healthy work-life balance and enjoys the unpredictability of her work.
“I liked it a lot and met
“The thing I love the most about teaching is that every day is different,” Kaufman said. “You never know what to expect. It’s fun every time.”
PHOTO | ANGELA POON
PHOTO | RADHIKA DHARMAPURIKAR
As soon as she gets home from school every day, senior Bernice Kwong drops her school bag and rushes to her backyard to see her tomato, herb and cucumber plants that she has been growing since the beginning of the latest season. Like a
part of
MVHS community memebers discuss how they started growing food and what it means to them
BY ETHAN EISLER
detective investigating a crime scene, Kwong carefully examines each of her plants for damage caused by bugs or other critters. Only after Kwong has determined that each individual leaf is untouched does she breathe a sigh of relief and head back into her house to get on with her day.
Kwong recalls her fascination with gardening beginning when she visited one of her relatives and saw the size of the cucumbers they were able to grow. Since then, Kwong has started growing her own carrots, tomatoes, peppers and rosemary in small pots outside her house.
“I really approached gardening mostly as a hobby, rather than something to get fruit or food from,” Kwong said. “It was a way for me to experiment and just spend my time outside. So I feel like the benefit of gardening would be learning about nature and about how you would grow your own food.”
Similarly, English teacher Jireh Tanabe got the idea to grow her own vegetables from relatives. Tanabe
and her sister grew up helping in their family garden where they grew green onions, apples, plums and tomatoes. Currently, Tanabe grows heirloom tomatoes, chiles, lemons and limes to eat and cook curries and salads with while her husband grows Fresno, Anaheim and Serrano chili peppers with aquaponics, a gardening method that uses nutrient-rich water from raising fish to fertilize soilless plants.
“I always grew up knowing that I could go outside and get food, vegetables or fruit to eat,” Tanabe said. “And I really enjoyed growing up that way, so when we moved into our house, one of the things that I wanted to have was edible plants, fruits and vegetables in our garden for our kids.”
Junior Luke Ma also grows food for his family. Ma and his family enjoy eating lots of fruits and eating healthy in general, which is why he grows lemons, zucchinis, blackberries, blueberries and dragon fruits in his backyard. Ma believes that the food he grows in his backyard tastes better than the food in stores.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BERNICE KWONG | USED WITH PERMISSION
As
her routine, Bernice Kwong prunes her plants by cutting them with scissors.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LUKE MA | USED WITH PERMISSION
“In general, when growing your own food, you have more control over whether you fertilize it, when to water it and what type of compost it gets,” Ma said. “For example, I have a dragon fruit tree, and if you buy dragon fruit from the store it’s going to be pretty bland, but the fruit in my yard are actually pretty sweet compared to the store-bought ones.”
50% of MVHS students
and sweeter, and smelling the plants and smelling the dirt on my hands,” Tanabe said. “I find it very satisfying, and I find it very – for a lack of a better word – earthy. It connects me to the earth and it feels good.”
grow vegetables in their own garden
*According to a survey of 88 people
In addition to growing food to eat, Ma also gardens because it is good for the environment, and because it gives him a simple outdoor routine to follow, which he says is more enjoyable than just staying inside.
“Oftentimes, I spend most of my time in the house doing homework or scrolling through TikTok, so it’s good to go outside every once in a while,” Ma said. “When you have plants that you have to take care of, otherwise they’ll die, it kind of forces you to go outside.”
Though Kwong, Ma and Tanabe all enjoy gardening for a variety of reasons, they all have trouble with a common problem — their plants are frequently targeted by local critters like bugs or gophers. Ma has even had issues with people wandering into his yard and taking his fruits. Despite the difficulties Tanabe experiences from time to time, she still enjoys growing her plants.
“Sometimes I enjoy just seeing the fruit grow bigger
BERNICE KWONG
Kwong grows carrots, tomatoes, herbs, rosemary, thyme, peppers and sage. Kwong eats her produce and makes chili oil with them.
Kwong says that her garden is still in its beginning phases, and she hopes to continue to improve it and grow more
plants in the future. In the meantime, Kwong says she will continue to garden even when something goes wrong.
“I don’t really remember the feeling of devastation when something dies, because right after I would be motivated to grow it again,” Kwong said. “I would say, ‘Oh my god, my plants die, but I want to keep going.’ So I think my motivation to keep gardening would have been just the fact that something dying isn’t exactly a failure, it’s a sign for me to keep trying again.”
In the future, Ma’s parents plan on moving away after Ma goes to college. However, he plans to keep his garden going by hiring a moving company to
JIREH TANABE
Tanabe grows tomatoes, chilies, snap peas, snow peas, limes and meyer lemons. Tanabe cooks curries and salads with her produce.
move their plants to their next home. In the meantime, Ma’s current goals for his garden include planting more native plants as they are friendlier towards the environment because they require less water and fertilizer to grow.
“To me, gardening is really about being self-sustaining and taking care of yourself,” Ma said. “Gardening is about taking care of your yard or house, developing a routine, sticking to it and seeing your work pay off in the fruit and flowers you grow.”
LUKE MA
Ma grows persimmons, dragon fruit, oranges, lemons, zuchinnis, pomegrantes, raspberry, blackberries, persimmons and figs. He grows them because he and his family love eating fruit.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JIREH TANABE | USED WITH PERMISSION
Curry with snow peas that Jireh Tanabe made with snow peas from her garden.
DECISION OF A LIFETIME
Students should remain informed about the implementation of federal policies post-election
With a wave of Early Decision and Early Action university acceptances approaching, students face the dreadful period of indecision and decision. Group chats buzz with acceptance updates, parents push for pro and con lists and friends exchange expectations of the novelty of dorm life and newfound independence. However, as excitement builds, an underlying question lingers: will this college feel like home for the next four years?
When we think about choosing a college, we’re often told to prioritize facets like rankings, campus culture, class sizes, majors offered and
proximity to home. However, while these are all valid factors, there’s a critical piece missing from this conversation: the policies and political climate of the state where the university is located.
Over the next four years, President-Elect Donald Trump and his administration plan to implement many policies that may change the nation significantly. Trump has proposed to sue private universities and dismantle the Department of Education, calling the federal funding to schools a “waste of taxpayer money.” Although it may be unlikely that he will dismantle the Department
according to Ted Mitchell, president of American Council on Education, Trump’s intention ultimately reflects his stance on the issue and possible future national developments.
He has also vocalized his opposition towards the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program — a program that forgives student debt 10 years after repayment for full-time government employees such as eligible professors — which is essential for some students’ financial situations post-university and will negatively affect the lives of less fortunate students if removed.
Additionally, private school students may not have a stable academic life
GEAPHIC | AMBERLY SUN
if the school is simultaneously being sued, as money goes towards legal pursuits and takes away from the funding of crucial school activities. Students must take these policies into account when deciding on a university: it directly affects their comfortability and transition into college life.
Education is not the only issue affected — there are numerous new policies and future proposals with more sweeping repercussions — and even healthcare itself isn’t immune to political interference. Notably, the Trump administration gives states the right to decide the legality of abortion, which comes in the midst of growing controversy surrounding abortion laws. While some states leave abortion accessible, others, primarily in the southeast such as Alabama and Tennessee, have placed total bans on abortion, deeming it illegal to receive one at any stage of pregnancy.
With the promise of such laws, students should be vigilant when applying to colleges, especially if these laws pose a concern to their future well-being. Choosing to live in the southeastern part of the U.S. after spending time in a heavily blue state that has no limitations on abortion can be a significant jump for many, as some may feel as though they’ve been deprived of a layer of protection. These policies are important to consider when deciding where to apply to college, especially for women, as it directly affects their livelihood.
ideology,” and voices his discomfort with the LGBTQ community during his rallies. His goal of preventing K-12 schools from openly discussing gender and sexuality may foster feelings of unease among members of the LGBTQ community as they are no longer able to have a discussion about their identity.
The constraint on open conversations regarding gender expression can also limit people from being able to understand peoples’ perspectives and identities, making communities less welcoming for those who identify as LGBTQ+ leading to an unsafe environment, especially in red states.
work. Even for those who stay, federal decisions and trends in other states affect us all. Whether through shifts in funding, the national job market or the broader cultural climate, no state exists in isolation.
These aren’t abstract political battles — they’re realities that will shape our day-to-day lives in college.
“ IT’S TEMPTING TO THINK THESE ISSUES DON’T APPLY TO US IN CALIFORNIA, WHERE PROGRESSIVE POLICIES OFTEN SHIELD US FROM THE MORE EXTREME CHANGES HAPPENING NATIONWIDE.
Attending college in a state with restrictive policies might mean stress over rights to healthcare, individual safety or rights. Choosing the right state with policies that are inclusive and supportive to you as an individual can allow you to focus on what really matters — your education, personal growth and career path.
This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t explore opportunities in regions different from our own or shy away from new experiences. Growth often comes from stepping out of one’s comfort zone. But the key is doing so with open eyes and careful consideration. By understanding the policies and cultural climate of a state, we can better prepare for the challenges we might face by ensuring we’re making an informed choice about our future.
So as ED and EA results begin to roll in and the whirlwind of choices looms ahead, take a moment to think beyond the surface. Picture not just the lecture halls and dorm rooms, but the policies, protections and possibilities that will impact your college years. Because ultimately, it’s paramount to choose a college that won’t just be where you’ll study — it should be where you’ll thrive.
Along with these education laws, Trump aims to cut federal funding for schools teaching “radical gender
It’s tempting to think these issues don’t apply to us in California, where progressive policies often shield us from the more extreme changes happening nationwide. However, the inevitable truth is that many of us will leave this state for college or
THE END OF LEGACY
Students and staff discuss the complexities of legacy admissions with the rise of AB 1780
BY ALETHEIA JU AND MEGHA MUMMANENI
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1780 into law on Sept. 30, prohibiting legacy admissions based on family relations or large donors at nonprofit and private universities. This legislation, written by California State Assemblymember Phil Ting, follows Congress’ affirmative action ban last year, which eliminated race-based admissions to college.
With this, California will join Colorado, Illinois, Maryland and Virginia in taking action to help disbar legacy admissions, making admissions decisions based on a holistic review of students’ applications instead. The bill will take effect on Sept. 1, 2025, and impact applicants from the Class of 2026 and onwards. Top colleges like Stanford University and the University of Southern California, yielding around a 14% acceptance rate for legacy students, will also be impacted.
MVHS 21’ alum and Stanford University student Devin Gupta, who disagrees with legacy admissions, says that when he was a senior in high school, he applied to Cornell University — his father’s alma mater. Gupta was thrilled when he was accepted as he had an affinity towards the school because his dad had attended the institution and he heard many stories about his dad’s experiences there. However, his acceptance of Stanford pushed him to reject Cornell’s offer. Thus, Gupta believes his negative position on legacy admissions isn’t dependent on the fact that he is not a legacy admit, but rather because he finds it unfair.
“I think that legacy admissions, as a policy, are now somewhat outdated because there are so many other ways to tell how smart and capable a student is, as opposed to just the lineage of their family,” Gupta said.
College and Career Counselor
Rogelio Calderon agrees that legacy admissions benefit a small minority of students at the expense of others who don’t have the same access to these resources. According to Calderon, while the bill will not affect too many students since the University of California system has banned legacy admissions since 1998, he still believes it is a step in the right direction.
“I don’t believe legacy admissions are a fair way to admit a student into an institution because it essentially admits students based on a potential status,” Calderon said. “Most students don’t have the capability or are not fortunate to have it. I think most of the admissions process is really based on a student’s merit and academics. Legacy admissions, in a way, don’t honor that.”
According to an article released by the Daily Princetonian last year, legacy admits overall had higher SAT scores and GPAs, with 5.5% more legacy students scoring higher than 1550 on the SAT, and over 15% more legacy students than non-legacy graduating with a GPA of 3.7 or above. Senior Elisabeth Vicchrilli finds faults in this, attributing statistics like this to legacy supporters. She believes that many times, these admits come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and can afford better tutoring services. Thus, she remains partially skeptical of how AB 1780 will go into effect, especially due to many of the advantages legacy
students have other than direct donations or family connections.
“I do wonder how you quantify legacy admissions,” Vicchrilli said.
“There’s not really a back door into the admissions process of someone being like, ‘Wow, their parents donated buildings, so we have to let them in.’
“ THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER WAYS TO TELL HOW SMART AND CAPABLE A STUDENT IS, AS OPPOSED TO JUST THE LINEAGE OF THEIR FAMILY.
admissions like donations, grants and endowments. It’s part of the nuances — would you make that trade-off? And to what extent are you willing to make that tradeoff?”
There is still that correlation, but I don’t think it’s necessarily the cause of a lot of these people being admitted. It’s what the legacy means in terms of money and the backing that they can get to then do better on the SAT and in academic settings. I’m sure there are other meritbased reasons that the student got in. So I’m curious how they would try and establish that.”
Overall, Gupta acknowledges that legacy admissions are somewhat of a “necessary evil,” making a point that there has to be a balance between having admissions based on major donors versus students with excellent qualifications. The tension between these two aspects is even more difficult when donations from legacy students could indirectly benefit students who need financial aid.
“I think that one of the things to consider when you consider the nuance of legacy admissions is the trade-off: Would you accept 10 people who are paying no tuition or need full financial aid in exchange for one legacy admitted person, who is generally a pretty talented kid, especially the ones that Stanford admits?” Gupta said. “Or would you ban this legacy admissions policy and have everyone pay some tuition? A lot of financial aid money at Stanford comes from legacy
The longreaching impacts of AB 1780 are not yet clear as other states that have taken similar measures this year have not seen the prohibition in effect yet. It is not entirely known what the effects of the 2021 bill in Colorado were, though admissions leaders say it did
more to change public perception of applying to colleges than change practices inside the admissions room. However, the bill could be indicative of a shift in colleges towards equitable admissions, something that Calderon supports.
“I hope that institutions continue to review students in a holistic way,” Calderon said. “And I think especially the way that admissions are in today’s world, it’s not enough. Looking at a student academically, sure, is a strong indicator of how well a student will do, but I think it’s important to also look at other components of a student that are told in the application, like an essay, which can really reveal different parts of a student. Their identity. That’s also important.”
WHAT ARE THE
*According to The New York Times
of 1,789 students
BRANCHING OUT
The AVID program is consistently underrepresented and misunderstood at MVHS BY YIXUAN (JOYCE) LI AND ERIN LIU
Stepping into her AVID classroom for the first time during her freshman year, junior Victoria Sy was immediately struck by the disconnect between the reality around her and her expectations. The AVID informational presentation she had attended in eighth grade had painted the program as a “support class” for those with grades teetering on the edge. However, now standing among an eclectic mix of classmates, including straight A students, Sy could not tell how things would play out.
“My perception of the course, especially during freshman year, was really bad, actually,” Sy said. “When I went to a presentation at Kennedy, they advertised it as: if you have C’s and B’s, you should come to this program. They also had other students in the course at the time just talk about it, and they kept saying this word ‘community.’ So just watching these teachers say ‘community,’ and then having their little line of students just repeat that, it just seemed like they’re
just being forced to say that they like the course.”
Despite these misgivings, Sy enrolled in the course for the academic support it promised. Three years later, her initial skepticism has turned to commitment to the course, as she’s gained a deeper understanding of the support AVID offers, beyond the scope of academics.
are led through self reflections, study sessions, college preparation, career exploration and basic life skills that are meant to not only set them up for academic success, but to prepare them for life beyond school.
94% of AVID California Seniors
are accepted to four-year college *According to AVID For Possiblity
The AVID program, as described on its official website, aims to close the achievement gap for traditionally underrepresented groups in college enrollment and to maximize students’ potentials by encouraging them to take charge of their education. In class, AVID students
However, Sy feels that the advertising she experienced from the program is overly centered on providing academic support, which combined with its portrayal as a “support class,” often leads people to believe that AVID is a “special class” for those failing their classes. AVID Coordinator Lynn Rose adds that the difficulty of representing the variety of support AVID offers contributes to the misunderstanding that AVID is exclusively for students struggling academically.
“It’s hard to describe AVID, and I think that’s why a lot of students and some teachers don’t understand what the program is fully about,” Rose said. “Our goal is to make sure the student is successful academically, and in the social, emotional piece as well, and that they have the tools to thrive. Some students who are first generation Americans, their parents at home might not be able to support them as well as maybe another student whose parents did go to high school in the US, so AVID can provide them with that too.”
Moreover, according to AVID and MVHS alum Hope Takahashi ‘19, the stigma surrounding the
PHOTO | SIH YU (MELODY) LIN
The AVID 11 tutors prepare for a tutorial session.
course is fueled by the pressure to succeed, often experienced by students and parents in the Bay Area. Having majored in Psychology and Education as an undergraduate, Takahashi recognizes that Cupertino has a particularly prevalent culture of powering through difficulties rather than reaching out for support.
“The stigma around mental health and supporting the whole student and not bottling up feelings is a really big thing in Cupertino and in the Bay Area,” Takahashi said. “So the idea that your child, your student, may need a little extra help, or they can’t just sit at their desk and study for hours and not have any help, is kind of taboo. There’s this culture of, ‘We’re not going to help our student.’”
Takahashi appreciates a program like AVID, which encourages students to ask questions and lean on their peers for support, dispelling the stigma around dependence. With tutors embedded in the program and collaborative study groups, AVID creates an environment where students not only receive help but also learn to offer it, reinforcing the “community” the program strives for.
Comparing her experience with AVID as similar to having a homeroom class, Sy believes in the benefits of having a trusted adult on campus who she knows well. Rose echoes this sentiment, noting that many AVID students join the program because they benefit from the support system provided by a constant group of peers. Over her years of teaching, she has even been
affectionately referred to as students’ “school mom.” While Takahashi also admires the familial bond that AVID cultivates, she acknowledges that it can lead to the misconception that AVID operates as an exclusive clique.
“ THE IDEA THAT YOUR CHILD, YOUR STUDENT, MAY NEED A LITTLE EXTRA HELP, OR THEY CAN’T JUST SIT AT THEIR DESK AND STUDY FOR HOURS AND NOT HAVE ANY HELP, IS KIND OF TABOO.
MVHS ALUM ‘19
HOPE TAKAHASHI
“AVID really is like a family,” Takahashi said. “We do become really, really close, because we spend every single day together, and we go on these field trips. But it’s also not like a clique. It’s just that we hang out with these people and we have a deeper understanding of who we are as people and academics, which is something that you don’t get around here in the Bay Area.”
As the stigma surrounding AVID may fade with time and better
outreach, Rose hopes the program’s true purpose will shine through — offering a safe space for students to grow into their fullest potential.
“The takeaway is the realization that everybody in high school needs some support in order to thrive,” Rose said. “There are students that are capable but might not be living up to their potential — that need some other support in place. And the AVID program is that program on campus, and one of the few that can provide that level of support.”
PHOTO | SIH YU (MELODY) LIN
Sophomore Avery Whiting laughs as she plays a game prepared by the AVID tutors for AVID’s annual Turkey Games.
OBEY THE RULES
BY MEGHA MUMMANENI
MVHS students and staff differ in their views of classroom norms
“EVERY TIME ONE STUDENT BREAKS ONE OF THE NORMS, THEY ARE GIVEN AN INFRACTION. WITH 10 INFRACTIONS, THE WHOLE CLASS GETS A POP QUIZ
ENGLISH TEACHER
DEREK LU
A RULE I DISAGREE WITH... “DEDUCTING POINTS FROM PRESENTATIONS FOR TECH ISSUES. IT’S NOT FAIR TO GRADE THINGS WE CAN’T CONTROL, LIKE SPOTTY WI-FI.”
MELISSA QIN
A RULE I DISAGREE WITH... “ASKING TEACHERS WHETHER WE CAN GO TO THE BATHROOM. EVERYONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GO WITHOUT ASKING.”
FRESHMAN ANIRUDDH MAHESHWARI
“STUDENTS DROP OFF THEIR PHONES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD. I HAVE A LITTLE BOX WHERE THEY PUT IT IN THE SLOT.”
GOVERNMENT TEACHER BENJAMIN RECKTENWALD
*According to a survey of 80 MVHS students
a quiet captaincy
Effective leadership and introversion are not mutually exclusive
BY ANIKA BHANDARKAR
Cross country is an introvert’s paradise. I’ve found a perfect balance between having a community of like-minded people who have my back while also having plenty of opportunities to train alone when I want to (nothing beats a long run alone in the mountains). And, if all else fails, no one will bat an eye when I run away from people.
Despite my introversion, I quickly found a home among my teammates. I formed close friendships with other freshmen, many of whom are still going strong today, and took every opportunity I could to learn from the upperclassmen. But even though I felt welcomed on the team, I still felt out of place interacting with older teammates — all of them had formed their own cliques, and talking to them often felt like I was intruding.
“ BEING A GOOD LEADER ISN’T CONTINGENT ON BEING LOUD AND ASSERTIVE.
that my introversion would prevent me from being an effective leader. Once I was elected, these fears only grew; all the other captains seemed to lead the team effortlessly by directing drills and herding the team to warmup locations, actions which didn’t come easily to me. In comparison, my personal efforts to facilitate interclass relationships by engaging with people of all grades felt feeble, and my attempt at sociability didn’t seem nearly as good as the other captains’.
My desire to establish a more welcoming culture on the team led me to run for captain during my sophomore season, despite my doubts
At one meet, I found myself particularly in my head about not being able to direct the whole team as skillfully as other captains did as I braided my hair in preparation for my race. Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see one of the freshman girls on the team, who then asked if I could do her hair too. As I did her hair, she confided in me that she was struggling to cope with nerves before her race, and asked if I had any advice. I told her what our coach had
once told me when I was a freshman: She was nervous because she cared, and advised her to focus on finding joy in being competitive during the race. This interaction made me realize that it was exactly these small conversations that helped me connect with my teammates. My unique style of leadership was about making sure that everyone felt like they had a place on the team by sparking small conversations with teammates. It was then that I realized the power of many of the interactions I had brushed off previously. Simply checking in with my teammates in the locker room or encouraging them during workouts not only helped them in the moment, but also encouraged them to interact more with their teammates and rely on them for support.
Ultimately, I realized that being a good leader wasn’t contingent on being loud and assertive. Instead of simply directing everyone, leadership also means promoting unity within the team, and being introverted helped me do that. Embracing my own style of leadership and prioritizing small interactions with my teammates ultimately helped ensure that everyone had a place on the team.
THAT'S SO PHASIC!
Shifting the way we address seasonal depression
BY JILLIAN JU
Every day at school feels more drawn-out than usual. Layering hoodies never feels like enough — I cycle through the same few I own and keep reminding myself to buy gloves, although of course I never follow up on that. On overcast days, it feels as though the sun has set by noon. Even free periods in the roomy Student Union feel bleak, shot through by some winter curse. As soon as I restart my walking routines in the beginning of the school year, I dread the weeks where I’ll be watching my shadow lengthen and pretending it’s still August. That’s where we are now.
The combination of finals week looming and chilly weather (for California, anyway) makes it difficult to want to do anything but hide under the covers. It’s like the lethargy of winter has possessed us, seeping into our bones like a tardy Halloween ghost.
I’ve heard people use a term for this feeling: seasonal depression.
as SAD) is a type of depression that affects people during certain parts of the year. Even though we perceive conditions like SAD as applying mainly to winter, people can also struggle with it during the summer.
Obviously, not everyone who gestures to seasonal depression intends to diagnose themselves, but the way we hold onto terms used for diagnosis is indicative of a wider problem. We’re constantly looking to banish our “negative” feelings to certain, predictable periods of time, seasons or not. How
" OUR MAIN METHOD OF REASSURANCE IS OFTEN THAT "IT'LL PASS," NOT THE WAYS WE CAN HELP IT PASS OURSELVES.
It's one of those psychological terms that has slowly diverged from its medical meaning. The definitive feeling of a term used for diagnosis — even without a diagnosis itself — can be comforting. Colloquially, seasonal depression is used to refer to the feelings winter months bring: empty, distant and lonely.
However, Cleveland Clinic draws a difference between what we commonly know as seasonal depression and “winter blues” — while winter blues are a general feeling of being down during the colder months, seasonal affective disorder (unfortunately abbreviated
this as a complete answer?
External factors
influence our mood — after all, winter blues themselves are considered a milder form of SAD. But we are often our only advocates in a world that is all too willing to dismiss our sadness as phasic. Our main method of assurance is often that “it’ll pass,” not the ways we can help it pass ourselves.
While we can’t escape winter early like Punxsutawney Phil, we can certainly work towards alleviating the winter blues. It’s tempting to hole up and start locking in
what part of the year or what part of our lives we’re in — we can learn to address them head-on.
AS A RULE FOLLOWER
I’m learning to trust my own judgment
BY JONAH CHANG
In school, we’re taught to obey certain rules: to be on time, raise our hands and follow directions, for example. We’re led to believe that these rules are right and that opposing them is wrong; there are rule followers and rule breakers, with the latter being troublemakers.
Growing up, I was a stickler for the rules. To me, they weren’t just important — they were unquestionable. Not only were the rules established by people who knew better than I did, but they also provided structure and brought some certainty to an otherwise chaotic world. As a rule follower, I believed it was my responsibility always to respect and uphold them.
For this reason, I was caught off guard in eighth grade when the principal called me to his office. He spoke with my teacher briefly and, in front of the class, told me to pack my backpack and follow him. Hundreds of thoughts raced through my head. Since he needed me to bring my
bag, I likely wouldn’t return to class. I began imagining every possible worstcase scenario. What could I have done wrong?
“What did you do?” my classmates asked. I could only answer, “I don’t know.”
“You’re not in trouble,” the principal assured me. But I was worried. He said he wanted to speak with my parents: he needed to confiscate my Benadryl in compliance with district policy.
We met the school nurse in her office. Benadryl had made headlines after social media trends encouraged teens to get high on lethal doses, and the principal feared for student safety. He claimed that the Benadryl ban had always been in place. However, I was registered to self-carry my medication and had already established a plan with my counselor at the beginning of the school year.
The principal reiterated that this was for student safety. I thought, “For other students’ safety, you’re willing to compromise mine?”
At the principal’s request, I emptied the contents of my medication bag. I am allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts and oats. Benadryl, an antihistamine meant to slow the symptoms of an allergic reaction, is my first defense.
With a trembling voice, I explained this to the principal. He insisted I could instead visit the office for Benadryl in case of an allergic reaction. However, walking would only allow the allergen to circulate faster.
DON’T
KNOW
I went back and forth with him, challenging each of his justifications. “I eat far from the office. I need my Benadryl on me at all times.” Something about this rule felt off. I wasn’t trying to make trouble. I just needed my medication.
WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF
The principal ushered me out of the room to call my parents but didn’t let me go to class, even though the next period had started and an hour had passed. In the end, he let me keep the Benadryl. He believed I’d proven myself responsible enough.
I know the principal meant well — as I’ve come to understand, being a leader is not straightforward. My experiences as a teacher assistant and former middle school transition leader have redefined authority in my eyes. It’s clear to me now that rules are human constructs. Therefore, they are not perfect, nor are the people who enforce them.
Being a rule follower does not inherently make someone right while being a rule breaker doesn’t inherently make someone wrong. In other words, people who go against authority are not necessarily “troublemakers.”
After all, I knew what was best for me and spoke up for myself. I’ve come to trust my own judgment, for it is not our responsibility to uphold the rules but to assess them for ourselves and advocate for needed change.
Ultimately, being a rule follower isn’t just about following the rules, but knowing which rules are worth following.
El Estoque’s Art and Entertainment section revisits significant pop culture media from 2024
BY OWEN LIU
Branded by her album’s eccentric music and iconic chartreuse, Charlotte Emma Aitchison, more commonly known as Charli XCX, released her sixth album, “Brat,” on June 7. “Brat” made its debut as one of the most influential albums of the year. Showcasing a 16-song tracklist, the album was popular among many for both its drum beats and digital violin synths prevalent in many of the melodies and messages in its lyricism. However, the album would later reach millions of her fans as well, scoring seven Grammy nominations and a Mercury Music Prize for Album of the Year. Despite the word “Brat” being seemingly derogatory, it’s turned into a word people love, as it embraces rather than scorns cheeky irreverence — making the album a spicy enrichment to this year’s summer.
Notorious for his influence on hip-hop and feud with Drake since the early 2010s, rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar released his diss track “Not Like Us” on May 4 and its music video two months later, his newest shot in refreshing the vicious battle with the pop star. “Not Like Us” has a distinct and predominating rhythm in the background with a simple, energetic tune — with Lamar’s vocals being the star of the piece. The audience loved the music for its play on words that dissed his foe which also doubled as a lyrical masterpiece. Like most of Lamar’s discography, “Not Like Us” redefines the boundaries of hip-hop, with each line weaved around the rhythm as his style blends the perfect combination of old-school rapping with modernday instruments like synthesizers and a DJ. And despite its name, the video continues to embrace all in its clear-cut melody and catchy tunes — a testament to the love it’ll receive for the many years to come.
RECORDS
PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES | USED WITH PERMISSION
PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES | USED WITH PERMISSION
PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES | USED WITH PERMISSION
PHOTO BY INTERSCOPE
| USED WITH PERMISSION
PHOTO
PHOTOBYWARNERBROS.PICTURES|USEDWITHPERMISSION
Released on March 1, the second installment of the film trilogy “Dune” garnered a successful reception, grossing $714 million worldwide, smashing its predecessor’s margins. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the film revolves around the protagonist Paul Atreides, who rises to become the prophesied Messiah who controls “spice,” a highly coveted ingredient unique to the franchise. Dune received critical acclaim, cherished for its cinematic shots and for a riveting, maturely developed plot as he struggles to adapt in a hostile intergalactic war, captivating viewers with heart-pumping tension. The movie earned a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.5/10 rating on IMBd, and just three days after its release was ranked as one of Villeneuve’s highest-rated movies of the year– marking a significant milestone for the director.
American superhero movies are classically cheap in humor, funny and witty — and the Marvel film released July 22, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” is an accurate embodiment of these elements. Marking the third movie in the Deadpool franchise, actors Ryan Renolds and Hugh Jackman star as Deadpool and Wolverine respectively. Viewers were drawn to Deadpool’s classic inappropriate jokes, which were countered by Wolverine’s more stern personality. Its jam-packed puns, comical remarks and engrossing plot made “Deadpool & Wolverine” a great addition to not only Marvel films but to 2024’s action movies.
Billie Eilish released her third studio album
“HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” on May 17, an album that features 10 songs that are diverse in composition, style and genre — some with a sullen hollowness and others upbeat.
The album’s songs reached top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Like it’s name, Eilish has indeed “hit” her viewers with emotional confessions, making it an impactful release from the year.
PHOTO
“
OVERALL, THERE IS A GAP IN WHAT THEY FIND ENTERTAINING VERSUS WHAT I FIND ENTERTAINING. JUNIOR AARYAN SHARMA
THE
70% OF MVHS STUDENTS
have different tastes in media from their parents
*According to a survey of 83 people
MVHS students and staff reflect on how different generations perceive current media
BY CORINNA KUO AND BENJAMIN ZHANG
The start of summer 2024 brought an influx of new music, movies and television shows. Junior Aaryan Sharma especially enjoyed listening to the new Sabrina Carpenter album “Short n’ Sweet.” To him, the songs point to a re-emergence of bubblegum pop music — pop songs with catchy choruses — and he loves the happier feeling these songs evoke. However, his parents do not share the same enthusiasm for summertime music. While Sharma tends towards more mainstream media, his parents enjoy watching movies from the early 2000s, movies they watched when they first came to America.
parents, noting how the transition from one country to another is one of the biggest factors for the disconnect.
“
THERE’S DEFINITELY SOME SORT OF CULTURE SHOCK.
SENIOR YUKTHA PRASANTH
“There’s definitely some sort of culture shock, with me growing up here in America and my parents growing up in India at a completely different time,” Prasanth said. “One of my dreams since I was in middle school is to go to see a concert live in person, and I feel like going to a concert and experiencing it with them would also help me share my love for artists or their music, but my parents aren’t really open to that kind of idea.”
the Olympians,” both of which she says she enjoyed. Rather than an inherent gap between generations, Lam believes there isn’t enough understanding facilitated between parents and children, especially when it comes to more explicit themes.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily parents not being happy, but I think it really has to go back to how we educate our own children and how we ground them because they’re always going to hear things and see things that we may or may not agree with,” Lam said. “I would never shut something down without trying to understand where people or where things are coming from, unless it’s harmful to oneself or to another.”
“Overall, there is a gap in what they find entertaining versus what I find entertaining,” Sharma said. “They don’t like fantasy or sci-fi because they just can’t follow the plot and they find it a bit boring and recycled. Whenever I do ask my parents if they want to go see a movie, they immediately lose interest when I tell them about the plot.”
Nonetheless, Sharma says that everybody inherently has different tastes, which may contribute to the difference between what he and his parents enjoy. Senior Yuktha Prasanth also acknowledges this but says the clear difference between the way they were raised is the biggest factor in the way they perceive current media. Both Sharma and Prasanth refer to the immigrant experience of their
Prasanth and Sharma both agree the way different generations view the explicit and more mature themes covered in recent movies and albums also contributes to the gap. Prasanth recalls her dad questioning her music taste when she played a song by rapper Megan Thee Stallion — an artist known for her vulgar lyrics — and Sharma notes a similar distaste his parents show for the more crude aspects of American music embraced by many artists.
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Recently, Sharma has been purposely picking more family-friendly American media to enjoy with his parents. He embraces the idea of watching things with them to foster a deeper connection, and he hopes that they might be able to branch out and watch other current media as he grows older. To him, the key is striking a balance between what he likes and what he can share with his family.
However, counselor Sylvia Lam says her family’s interests align more closely. Being a mother of two daughters, she spends a lot of time watching TV series that are made for teenagers such as “Abbott Elementary” or based off of book series made for children like “Percy Jackson and
“I do want to bridge that gap,” Sharma said. “I think it is important to make sure that I develop a connection with them, and media is a big part of that. But I also want to make sure that I’m not losing sight of my interests and what I find entertaining just to create that relationship because there’s a way to make sure that you can meet everyone’s needs and find something entertaining for everybody.”
GENERATIONAL GAP
WATCH AND LEARN
Literature classes utilize film and media as supplementary learning resources for essential topics
BY SANIA NADKARNI AND SAGNIK NAG CHOWDHURY
As a film enthusiast, Honors American Literature (HAmLit) teacher Vennessa Nava has always incorporated films and different media into the HAmLit curriculum. She believes exploring different forms of media, or “texts,” not only strengthens understanding of themes but is also more applicable to students’ lives today.
“I say text with air quotes around it because I think that for a modern person living in society, we’re not just reading words on the page anymore,” Nava said. “We’re encountering all these different kinds of media, whether it’s just podcasts or film or just little clips. Instagram and TikTok and those kinds of media are very visual in nature, and I think it’s a more engaging way to go about accessing the same kinds of concepts.”
In order to give her students the skills they need to properly consume media in everyday lives, Nava explores
a variety of films that reflect the critical lenses and themes explored in the class such as Marxist and PostColonial. She says in past years, especially during the pandemic, the HAmLit teachers created a supplementary optional “film club” where students could watch different films such as “Parasite” and “Moonlight” to supplement the texts discussed in class.
“ INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK AND THOSE KINDS OF MEDIA ARE VERY VISUAL IN NATURE. IT’S A MORE ENGAGING WAY TO GO ABOUT ACCESSING THE SAME KINDS OF CONCEPTS.
HAMLIT TEACHER
VENNESSA NAVA
Recently, HamLit has utilized the 2019 film “Us,” a psychological horror film where a family faces terrifying doppelgängers,
revealing a deeper commentary on identity, privilege and societal division. The film is used to complement the social class critiques within “The Great Gatsby,” a core text in the HAmLit curriculum, as well as introduce more explicit aspects of race and class. Senior and former HAmLit student Ridwan Khan believes that watching “Us” was a way for students to recognize the importance of what they were learning.
“It showed a worst-case scenario if we don’t pay attention to critical
PHOTO | SAGNIK NAG CHOWDHURY
race theory, and that really helped us understand the magnitude of why it was important,” Khan said. “By showing that through a world of fiction, it shows the potential ramifications in real life and it tells us to care more about that.”
Other literature classes such as American Literature also use media to supplement readings. American Literature student and junior Lauren Moore agrees that watching films emphasizes themes taught in class, adding that the visual elements of film and media make plotlines and symbols more hard-hitting. For example, the symbolism and depth of luxury in “The Great Gatsby” became more apparent to her while watching the movie version of the novel in class. Although there are sometimes inaccuracies in movie adaptations of classical literature, Moore believes they can still hold value in helping students understand themes through analyzing visual choices made by the filmmaker.
“It really helps to understand the media in multiple different senses, being able to see facial expressions and truly capture what the characters
Moore said. “In ‘The Great Gatsby,’ symbolism is humongous, including stuff like colors and conditions — such as if something’s really pristine or something’s really worn down. It’s not shown as much in the book so I feel like the movie helped me to see the symbolism a lot more.”
Both Moore and Khan believe that watching films related to in-class texts adds an additional layer of understanding of the themes that sometimes the text could not offer. For example, Moore notes how watching movies can help clarify any confusion as a result of confusing dialogue due to characters’ accents in the book. According to Moore, watching a film often clarifies the text by adding a visual element, especially
of reading. Khan agrees with this sentiment, adding that being able to “view” the text creates a deeper level of understanding which he has seen in his current AP Literature class.
“ IT REALLY EXAGGERATES WHAT’S ACTUALLY GOING ON IN THE TEXT AND MAKES IT EASIER FOR US TO UNDERSTAND AND VISUALIZE.
SENIOR RIDWAN KHAN
“I know this year, we’re watching an episode of ‘Black Mirror’ to try to explain the concept of social media and its effects,” Khan said. “It really exaggerates what’s actually going on in the text and makes it easier for us to understand and visualize. It’s really engaging and really helps to grasp the topic.”
Nava is a strong proponent of utilizing more media in curriculum, but notes that it does have its downsides if it is not effectively used to enhance the learning experience in class. She describes how using movies as supplementary material isn’t actually effective if the class simply just watches the movie. It is more about combining movies with the themes in the text and unpacking them to bring out the intellectual rigor. She described how some students were repulsed from watching “Us” solely because of its horror genre, but other than that, she had received overwhelmingly positive responses to the movies she played in class.
“After we started using film as literature and interpreting it, students would repeatedly tell me, ‘I can’t watch films in the same way anymore, because I’m starting to see a bunch of stuff that I didn’t see before,’” Nava said. “That’s my goal as a teacher. I want to give students a skillset that they can leave the classroom with and apply in the world around them. So hopefully they’re getting more and more out of the films they watch in class.”
BY ANANYA CHAUDHARY AND
ZAID NAQVI
travel experience expenses
BY ETHAN KELLOGG AND ELIZABETH YANG
ross Country Head Coach Kirk Flatow announced the creation of his Culture of Grit fund in October, which will provide up to $10,000 yearly for Cross Country travel experience costs. Though he does not plan to retire, if Flatow is no longer a Cross Country coach, Homestead High School art teacher and former Cross Country coach Jodi Johnson, MVHS alum Ananya Rajagopal ‘20 and Triya Roy ‘20 will co-manage the fund. Flatow chose Johnson since she understands what he is trying to do, Rajagopal since she was one of his most dedicated runners, and Roy since she is friends with Rajagopal and they will work well together.
When Flatow became a coach for Cross Country in 2011, he brought the team to at least one travel meet every year until 2020 due to COVID-19, starting travel meets again this year. Travel meets are usually paid for by parents and Flatow, rather than with school money.
However, Flatow fears future coaches may not provide this experience to future Cross Country runners, as not many coaches would have the resources to allow cross country to go on travel meets every
year. As a result, he donated his own money to create the fund, ensuring that future runners would also have the chance to travel for meets and compete at a higher level. He had this idea when he began planning for this year’s cross country travel meet.
“As I was planning to go to Los Angeles for this year, I was going over some things with one of my friends and we were saying that it’s gonna be sad, because after I’m gone, nobody’s gonna pick this up and do this,” Flatow said. “I thought, ‘Well, maybe even after I’m gone, we can keep this going.’ I thought about it, figured out the money, and made this donation.”
“ THE PRIMARY REASON IS I LOVE THIS SCHOOL, AND I LOVE MY KIDS HERE.
if you start from there, then you can extrapolate everything else,” Flatow said. “I started taking the cross country kids on different trips, where they could go overnight and go compete at a high level and do something really adventurous. Having that experience athletically for the kids, I thought that was important.”
CROSS COUNTRY COACH KIRK FLATOW
Both Flatow and Cross Country Captain Ryan Liu believe this fund will attract new members to the sport. Liu went to Mt. San Antonio College Invitational in Walnut, California as well as to Disneyland after the meet with the team this year, and believes these events are important for team bonding.
“One of the kids on my team was super quiet,” Liu said. “He didn’t like talking that much, but when I started rooming with him, he was super cool. We had the same music taste. I wouldn’t have been able to know that if I didn’t get to spend time with him.”
Liu states that Flatow sees Cross Country runners as his own kids. Because of this, Flatow invests lots of time and energy into the program, for which Liu respects Flatow. Ultimately, Flatow believes that the creation of the fund stems from his passion for the team. He saw that other organizations like DECA and band would travel, and wanted to give that experience to his own athletes in Cross Country.
“The primary reason is I love this school, and I love my kids here, and
Inspired by University of Pennsylvania professor Angela Duckworth, author of the book
“Grit,” Flatow decided to model his teaching style after the culture of grit, where runners are surrounded by gritty peers. Grit is a personality trait defined by passion combined with perseverance for a specific goal. Travel meets are one way to grow grit in runners, according to Flatow.
Flatow even studied under Duckworth in the University of Pennsylvania’s masters program of Applied Positive Psychology in 2023 and 2024. Now, Flatow teaches the knowledge he learned to cross country runners in Athletic Director Nick Bonacorsi’s room.
“Coach Flatow embodies the values of our athletic department in himself with his own professional growth,” Bonacorsi said. “He could have just sat through the remaining years that he wanted to coach and still have been amazing. Instead, he went back east, got a master’s degree in positive thinking and positive psychology, and now he’s applying that to his trade, trying to make his athletes better in ways not just related to running. The amount that he cares about the kids is just inspirational for me.”
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MVHS athletes share what motivates them to do their sport
BY LEAH DESAI AND AMBERLY SUN
Sophomore Allie Rummelhoff dribbles the ball
Sophomore Allie Rummelhoff Flag Football, Basketball, Track and Field
“Seeing improvement motivates me. I set goals for basketball and track. One of my goals is to make the CCS finals for track. In basketball, I’m not always going to be the best shooter. I’m always going to have an off day, but I just control what I can by working hard and running fast. It’s motivating to see results that show I’m going to make it. Also, my coaches are motivating. I want to make my coaches proud, so when they’re aggravated at me, it’s going to motivate me to work harder and do better.
Senior Juliana Bañes Cross Country, Track and Field
“ My teammates motivate me because they’re always cheering and supporting us while we’re running. When you’re running, and you feel really tired and your legs want to give out, but then you have everyone calling your name and saying ‘You got it’ — it just helps you keep going and finish the race.
Senior Eric Tang Water Polo
“ My team motivates me. When you’re around people who are competitive and who not only want to get better as a team, it makes you want to get better as an individual and work harder. It motivates you to do everything a little bit better.
Freshman Finn Ancheta Volleyball
“ Trying to be the best on my entire team motivates me. You’re never going to be the best in reality. There’s always going to be someone better than you in your own position, and you just have to accept that fact and just try to get better than them every day.
| DESU HTIW NOISSIMREP
EFFECTIVE EQUIPMENT
MVHS players discuss the role equipment plays in the sports they play
BY ETHAN YANG
PHOTO | ETHAN YANG Player Zoe Laruelle uses the Wilson Blade in game.
EXAMINING EQUIPMENT
WILSON BLADE $239-259
Varsity tennis player Zoe Laruelle purchased this racket after her coach suggested a change. After trying a few out, she decided this racket felt best, as she enjoys the “clean” feeling it provides in-game.
With many brands of tennis rackets in the market, finding the perfect fit is a daunting task for beginner athletes.
Junior and Varsity Girls Tennis player Zoe Laruelle says the type of tennis racket players use makes a noticeable difference in player performance. According to Laruelle, the racket model, along with the strings used, can affect the feel of the racket, the ability to put spin on the ball and the accuracy of each hit.
“One time, I forgot my tennis bag at home and I had to use my sister’s racket for a match,” Laruelle said. “It was awful, because I felt really out of place, and I wouldn’t hit the balls right. They wouldn’t go to the spot I wanted.”
Laruelle says that it is important to find a racket that suits one’s playstyle. This year, after she realized a new racket would benefit her, she tried out many different models before finding one that she resonated with.
“I had a Babolat model for a few years, and then my coach said that it was not working,” Laruelle said. “We started trying new ones, and this one really worked. I wanted to actually start utilizing my power, and I think the Blade specifically for me felt really clean.”
Junior and Varsity Boys Soccer player Horton Zhu also believes that cleats can make a difference in soccer, albeit mostly at higher levels of competition. According to Zhu, different types of outsoles on cleats perform best on different surfaces — for example, cleats with shorter studs
are better on turf, where MVHS games are played. Zhu also thinks the slight differences in cleat materials can affect performance when running and kicking the ball.
“In soccer, you’ve got to change direction a lot,” Zhu said. “When you’re running and you change direction, your feet rub against the sole of your shoe, so nice soles are important. On top of that, if the width of the shoe is a lot, you won’t have a good touch on the ball, which is why the most expensive cleats have a thin but durable material.”
UNBRANDED CLEATS $35
Varsity soccer player Horton Zhu purchased a pair of unbranded cleats online. After trying on a few models with a wide toe box, he decided this accommodated his wide feet at the cheapest price.
GRAPHICS | ETHAN YANG
mid-range bats so they can use them outside of practice.
“I don’t recommend buying the topof-the-line bats,” Voigt said. “I think working on your technique goes a lot further. Consistency in your swing and consistent body motion does a lot more than having an expensive bat.”
“ CONSISTENCY IN YOUR SWING AND BODY MOTION DOES A LOT MORE THAN HAVING AN EXPENSIVE BAT.
BASEBALL COACH SHAWN VOIGT
Similarly in tennis, there is a focus on what rackets players use, according to Laruelle. Despite it being possible to perform at high levels using a more affordable racket, she believes there is a tangible difference in feeling and performance offered by a more premium model. She notes that many may not have access to higher quality rackets, and feels that this may discourage beginner tennis players.
On the other hand, Varsity Baseball Head Coach Shawn Voigt believes that consistent practice makes a bigger difference than the bat the player owns. In order to improve accessibility to the sport, players are offered team bats. However, Voigt encourages students to buy their own
Likewise, Zhu believes that the benefits offered by more expensive cleats are marginal at best, and players simply need cleats that feel comfortable in order to perform well in-game. For example, Zhu says that while trying on various pairs of cleats, he focused on those with a large toe box due to his wide feet. He eventually found a pair that fit him well at an affordable price, which he currently uses in-game.
“There’s always a place to find affordable cleats,” Zhu said. “It might not be the easiest, but I don’t think buying a favorite pair of cleats has to be necessarily expensive. If all you are looking for is a good-fitting pair of cleats and nothing else, not looks, not materials or anything, you can definitely find an affordable pair.”
SETTING
BA
On Saturday, Nov. 9, sophomore and setter Kylee Mark made her mark on the court at the Varsity Girls Volleyball CCS DII Championship game against Aragon High School. During the game, MVHS quickly took the lead, setting a swift pace while Mark continued to set ball after ball. Unknowingly, one of those sets turned out to be an incredible accomplishment: her 1,000th career assist.
“I don’t remember which point exactly, but I knew I was close before the game,” Mark said. “I was at my friend’s house and I was looking at the statistics from our game. I went to MaxPreps and it said I hit 1,000. Then I texted my parents and my sister and we started celebrating.”
Mark says reaching 1,000 career assists is a special accomplishment given that the team runs a 6-2 style offense, meaning there are two setters on the court at a time. She says her feat reflects the work she has put into
THE R CAREER ASSISTS FRESHMAN
!
Sophomore Kylee Mark reaches 1,000 career assists
BY DYLAN NGUYEN AND ALAN TAI
the sport, constantly training since freshman year.
“Making decisions for our team’s offense has helped me improve a lot, and in general, staying consistent on the court and providing hittable sets to my hitters is very important to me,” Mark said. “I think I’ve gotten better at that every single year. It’s just cool to watch my skill evolve.”
In addition, Mark plays with her sister, senior and captain Kiana Mark. Mark’s close bond with her sister has contributed to her playing style over time. This trust has especially helped add to many of her assists since she knows her sister is there for her.
“We have a lot of trust in each other,” Mark said. “She’s always there for me on the court, whether I’m setting her or we’re just talking. I know I can always count on her and it’s cool to have that bond with someone because obviously other people aren’t gonna be able to experience the same thing.
At the end of the season, Mark
Sophomore and setter Kylee Mark tips the ball over the net in a game against Los Gatos High School on Sept. 6, 2023.
acknowledges that this year was the last year Mark gets to play with her sister before her sister graduates. Nonetheless, she said she enjoys every moment left on the court during this season.
“Every win is huge for us both,” Mark said. “As I’m going towards the end of the season, it’s just so nice to play with her.”
Going forward, Mark hopes to continue adding to the count to reach 2,000 career assists through her two remaining years at MVHS. With hitting the personal record as a sophomore, Mark credits the team for supporting her and making her success possible.
“Knowing that all these people love and support me no matter what and have helped me reach that goal is just really nice,” Mark said. “I love the people I play with, and I think without them, I wouldn’t have been able to reach this milestone.”
PHOTO | ALYSSA YANG
PHOTO | MANAS KOTTAKOTA
PHOTO | ERIC ZHOU
CROSSWORD @elestoque
BY ALAN TAI
ACROSS
Computer clickers
Garden’s grassy expanse (pgs. 20-21)
Poker player’s aggressive declaration
Catch sight of Outfit for someone wanting to be a Northern star?
Creatures with three hearts
They’re found at the back of an alley
Like Apple Intelligence right now
Directional suffix
One who’s out of action?
Highway gunk
Like some humor, or some martinis
Kylee Mark tallied 1,000 of this (pg. 46)
Where your phone might go in a Government class (pg. 28)
Having doubts
Team with a Culture of Grit fund (pgs. 40-41)
Cracker box?
Repulsive
“Take ___ a sign”
Seat in Parliament?
Japanese soup
Apple desktops discontinued in 2021
Places you might find a spiked Baja Blast
John who sings “Goodbye
Yellow Brick Road”
Doesn’t bother
Where you might find a Sun Devil, for short Typist’s
for one
Virginia sch. Burns in “Not Like Us” (pgs. 3233)
Sounds of disapproval
Lego bump
Where your name might go on a tax form
Polynesian paste
Dissolve, as cells CBS forensic drama
What might appear if you leave crumbs in a classroom (pg. 10)
“Birds ___ Feather” (Billie Eilish song)
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PLATINUM SPONSORS: David Chang, Michael McSorley, Ertai Tai, Alex Yang, Yue Yang, Hong Yao
GOLD SPONSORS: Ryan Fu, Tachung Lin, Naren Nayak, Dinesh Nettar, Dinesh Prabhu, Stephanie Shi
SILVER SPONSORS: Han Kim Teo, Brandon Tiongson
A. TAI: This puzzle features some long entries, but keep at it. Happy holidays!
