GENDER DIFFERENCES
TOP 10 Relive the last year as we rank 2010’s best in 10 categories, ranging from music and movies to video games and food.
More women are going to college, but certain fields are still dominated by males. Find out how these NEWS page 4 trends can be seen at MVHS
TIP-OFF
Both varsity basketball teams started their seasons the first week of December.
MORE THAN JUST A GAME Take a look at how the hobby of video gaming has evolved into an intense culture of its own
Boys team returns just four players
CENTERSPREAD pages 11-14
SPORTS page 18
Girls move up to new league SPORTS page 17
VOLUME XLI | ISSUE 4 | MONTA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL | CUPERTINO, CA
LGBT students struggle to tell their parents
Challenges in bridging generation gap at home
DEC. 8, 2010
G N I E P K E Students turn to energy drinks for recreation and necessity, ignoring some risks while remaining unaware of others
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ophomore Erin Dowd had been planning it for the past month, but somehow she would always manage to find excuses to back out. It was the wrong time, her parents were already discussing another subject, she was just plain too scared. However, in the end, she decided she had to do it before Twist of Hate T h a n k s g i v i ng , and while in A three-part conver s at ion series on with her parents homophobia on Nov. 17, Dowd told her parents at MVHS as casually as she could that she was bisexual. “You hear sometimes about this long monologue about, ‘Oh, I’m still the same person,’ and I knew I would just ramble on and on if I tried to do that, so I just said, ‘Oh and by the way, I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while: I’m bisexual,’” Dowd said. “It was harder than I thought it would be.” Dowd is not alone in her struggle to be open with her parents about her sexuality, and her parents, unlike many, were accepting and supported her. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in Cupertino and around the world face anxiety and difficulty as they try to reconcile their views with those of their family, religion, or culture. But even the state of California sees the potential harm for students who lack support from their families. On Jan. 1, 2011, SB 543, a bill which allows California youth to seek professional mental health treatment without parental consent, will go into effect. According to non-profit civil rights organization Equality California, “Current parental consent requirements for mental health services create a barrier to treatment that is especially harmful to LGBT youth who may be put at risk of emotional or physical abuse by coming out to their parents prematurely or without support.” see LGBT YOUTH on page 6
RED BULL 8.46 oz 80 mg caffeine 27 g sugar
5-HOUR ENERGY
2 oz 138 mg caffeine 0 g sugar
ROCKSTAR 16 oz 160 mg caffeine 60 g sugar
MONSTER 16 oz 160 mg caffeine 54 g sugar
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e drank three cans of Four Loko in a row that night. It was as much caffeine as six cups of coffee. As much alcohol as 12 cans of beer. And it only cost him $7.50. “It was a feeling of more awakeness,” he remembered. “It was pretty crazy.” He’s a senior, and he spoke to El Estoque just days after the experience on the condition that his name not be used. Not only were the drinks alcoholic, but they had just been banned by the Food and Drug Administration. “Caffeine can mask sensory cues that people may rely on to determine how intoxicated they are,” the FDA explained in a consumer update. “This means that individuals drinking these beverages may consume more alcohol—and become more intoxicated—than they realize.” The senior, who had consumed alcohol before, was well-aware of the risks. “I knew about [them] beforehand,” he said. “It was something I wanted to try...and I knew my limit. And I didn’t go over it.”
Students, teachers, community show support at board meetings
A
see ENERGY DRINKS on page 3
Joseph Beyda and Jordan Lim | El Estoque Photo Illustration
District soon to decide on football lights bout three months ago, MVHS Leadership students started gathering petitions to raise support for football lights on the field to be reconstructed with Measure B money. Now, even more of the MVHS community have gathered to persuade the FUHSD board at a meeting that MVHS deserves these lights, despite the complaints from the surrounding neighbors. Speakers at the meeting focused on different aspects of the community that would benefit from the lights, showing that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages of noise, traffic, and other disturbances that would have bothered the nearby residents. Overall, the meeting was a rebuttal to the strong opposition shown in the past year to the football lights from the neighbors, a chance to show the FUHSD board the positive side of the story. The message that was pushed was the idea of unity: students, parents, and teachers coming together for a
Lucky for him. Four Loko has been blamed nationwide in recent weeks for the deaths of several people—some of them teens. Despite news of their widespread use, alcoholic energy drinks appear to be isolated at MVHS; only six percent of respondents to an El Estoque survey of 156 students admitted to consuming such a beverage. Nonalcoholic energy drinks, however, are quite common—according to the survey, the average MVHS student will consume such a beverage about once every two weeks. Even though most MVHS students recognize the fact that the drinks are unhealthy due to their high caffeine and sugar content, it seems that many are unaware of how dangerous the drinks can be in certain situations. Thirty-nine percent of survey respondents who have had energy drinks had unwittingly mixed them with another potentially lethal activity: exercise.
common cause. They emphasized how problems from the lights directly affected certain groups at MVHS and the construction of the lights would improve the environment of the school. The first speaker felt that football lights would solve many of the lesser-known problems cheerleaders faced. They had to spend personal time and money on transportation to and from games, which were farther away because they were never played on MVHS. Also, cheerleaders are always entering and exiting the fields on the opposing team’s side. This, along with the fact that cheerleaders are parked in the regular parking lot along with the rest of the spectators, allows too many opportunities for insulting, degrading, and at times, threatening comments from the spectators from the other teams who are caught up in the excitement of the game. see LIGHTS on page 6
Schools up tuition; apps reconsidered UCs, CSUs raise enrollment costs for second straight year; students react
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Jiyoon Park | El Estoque
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS MVHS parent Kenneth Orvick speaks in front of the FUHSD Board of Trustees in favor of the lights, which would allow games to be played at MVHS at nighttime.
he fifth tuition raise in six years for the UC and CSU systems seems to have exhausted even the most indignant of students, shown by the lack of protesters at the last UC Regents meeting. Students must now accept and handle this raise however they can, even if it means diverting their college path to a more cost-efficient option. Beginning in fall 2011, the UCs will increase tuition by eight percent, so that students must now pay $11,124 per year—$12,150 when campus-based fees are included. CSUs are also instating a 15 percent increase in tuition, resulting in $4,884 a year total. These changes leave prospective students, seniors adding the finishing touches to their college applications, with even more to consider when deciding on whether or not a UC or CSU is worth the cost to attend. “I think it would [affect my decision to apply] because it’s kind of ridiculous,” said senior Tiffany Do. “When you get out of college, you’re so much in debt already as of now, even if they didn’t change the tuition. So now that they’ve raised the tuition up, then you’ll be in even more debt.” see TUITION on page 2
Page 2
Dec. 8, 2010
NEWS
BRIEFING ROOM Promoting awareness
Tuition
UC/CSU: Tuition increases force search for alternatives continued from page 1
Akshay Agrawal | El Estoque
Juniors Meg Murthy and Peter Choi participate in Water Week, Nov. 29 to Dec. 3. Water Week was the result of a FBLA partnership with NIKA Water and of DECA partnership with Charity Water. Posters, 3-D displays and lunchtime activities were organized during the week to raise awareness of the difficulties in getting clean water in developing countries.
Looking ahead
City improvement plans
The Class of 2014 will be holding a study jam fundraiser for members of their class in the library after school until 5 p.m. on Dec. 10. Teachers and upperclass students will be present to help freshmen prepare for their exams. Admission for the study session will be $1. Snacks and drinks will also be provided.
The Santa Clara County Local Planning Team, in collaboration with the City of Cupertino is in the process of updating the county’s local hazard mitigation plan. The plans call for updates to safety and security measures in the event of a disaster. The planning team and city representatives have conducted surveys in order to determine what they need to factor in during the upgrade.
8%
UC tuition
Finals schedule: As of Nov. 29, The City of Cupertino has begun replacing all city-owned streetlights and irrigation controllers with new technology intended to reduce water and electric consumption. The Energy Service Agreement Project, developed and implemented by Siemens, has been paid for in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds and is estimated to cut city costs by 50 percent.
Tuesday, December 14 Period 1
7:35-9:35
Period 6
10:00-12:05
Period 7
12:55-2:55
Wednesday, December 15 Period 2
7:35-9:35
Period 4
10:00-12:05
Thursday, December 16 Period 3
7:35-9:35
Period 5
10:00-12:05
Correction Page 15: Student Recognition Commissioner Emily Wong’s grade level was incorrect; she is a sophomore.
Save the dates
Mon. RECESS: Balls, jump rope Tues. DO IT YOURSELF: Bracelets, tie dye
Wed. MASSAGE Thurs. GAMES: Board games, puzzles and video games
Fri.
CARNIVAL DAY: Cotton
candy, popcorn, carnival games
However, school guidance counselor Sylvia Lam said that despite the rising costs, UCs and CSUs still remain prime candidates for college enrollment for many students. “Overall CSUs and UCs are still a lot cheaper than the privates,” Lam said. “CSUs are becoming more and more competitive. There are 23 campuses in California, and out of the 23, almost half are impacted, so that is telling me that me that kids aren’t moving away. Actually, more kids are applying.” All hope is not lost for lower income families even with the tuition increase, however. Along with the increase, the UC system is expanding its financial aid program, allowing most students with an annual family income of less than $80,000 attend a UC without paying tuition, up from the $70,000 and less family income that the program covered last year. Additionally, the UC Regents approved a one-year “holiday” on the tuition increase for families earning up to $120,000. This still leaves those making just above that mark, the middle-income families, struggling with the higher costs, however, and they could be forced to look for other options.
Student Life has organized the annual Back in Action week for when school resumes after break on Jan. 3 in order to promote stress reduction. Students will be greeted with lunchtime activities and an assembly with a motivational speaker upon their return.
15%
CSU tuition
Now
$11,124 Now
$4,884
“Community college [is an alternative] because it’s really cheap and you still get a good education,” Do said. “You can always transfer.” Ultimately, it depends on the students’ own backgrounds whether or not the raised tuition will be a large factor in determining applying and enrollment decisions. Students may still be hesitant to apply to privates because of the high prices, but there is also the possibility of large financial aid packages due to the endowments that the colleges have. It is a chance that students must take while finalizing their college list. However, tradition still runs strong. “If you look historically, with all of our kids, the majority have applied to and enrolled in UCs,” Lam said, “so I think that’s still going to remain the case.” Amanda Chen || a.chen@elestoque.org
Coverage catering to student interest, representing student body
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overing issues that directly pertain to students and presenting the views of the entire student body have always been goals of the El Estoque staff. So when we sat down to brainstorm stories for the December issue, we came to realize that we could achieve the aforementioned goals with some simple solutions. For one, we have changed the way that we conduct surveys. Earlier, surveys would be posted online and advertised through School Loop, Facebook, and Google Chat, which reached a very limited and biased portion of the student body. Starting from this issue onward, we select a random stratified sample of classes to administer a survey to, which allows us to obtain a much more accurate picture of the opinions of the student body as a whole. With the intent of representing the student body, we ensured that many of the issues and topics covered in the December issue were relevant to students. The front page article, “Keeping Afloat” by senior Joseph
MANSI PATHAK & VIJETA TANDON m.pathak@elestoque.org v.tandon@elestoque.org
Letter from the editors
Beyda tackles the health issue behind popular student energy drinks, an issue we felt was important to expose to our readers. Likewise, much of our inspiration for this issue was based on teen trends, particularly trends that have taken hold of our school. Both the video game-themed centerspread and senior Arifa Aziz’s “Korean pop offers fun, upbeat rhythm” follow current crazes, while simultaneously drawing the interest of two different audiences of the student body. Another issue which is very familiar to MVHS students is the concept of cheating. Senior Vijeta Tandon’s “Easy Way Out” explores ASB Leadership’s efforts to reduce the academic pressure that clouds student lives and leads to activities such as cheating. Reflecting on the December issue, we feel that our articles encompass the views and interests of most students. As the holiday season approaches and we enter a new decade, the El Estoque staff has a resolution to make: to continue fine-tuning our coverage to fit the needs of our readers.
Dec. 8, 2010
NEWS
Apple fanboy releases apps
Sophomore founds company, follows passion as application developer professional, which is strange because he’s only fifteen and self-taught. In seventh grade, Patel taught himself how to write iPhone web applications and later took the Java class at MVHS. But by then, the App Store had launched, making Java script web applications outdated. Not to be left behind by the rapidly developing technology, Patel decided to teach himself to code native iPhone applications. His dad bought him a book to help, but Patel pushed it aside. “I hate learning to create things from books. It’s like trying to learn art from a book that tells you what to paint.” So, he jumped in, learned the hard way, and ended up Googling quite a bit. But clearly, the hard way taught him well. Patel launched his third app, “BodyForward,” another FLL scoring app for the 2010 challenge, two months ago. He hit a legal snag soon after though: because FLL had just been certified a non-profit organization, Patel could not legally receive the profits from the “BodyForward” app, which used trademarked images. “I was trying to publicize [this] app a lot more, so I kept tweeting about it and even talked to FLL about it because I thought they might think it was cool.” Instead, he said, “They basically gave me two choices: either take it off the app store or make it free. And I didn’t want to do either.” So Patel carefully went through FLL’s Intellectual Property agreement again, until he found something that meant his app would be in the clear if the proceeds supported an organization associated with FLL. Patel decided to donate his profits from “BodyForward” to his younger sister’s—and formerly his—FLL team, Claws, and dodged the legal bullet. On Nov. 23, the app hit 1,000 users. Christophe Haubursin | El Estoque
APPLICATION NATION Sophomore Sachin Patel takes a look at the app he created on his iPhone. Patel continues to develop apps, now with his own company.
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iehard. It’s probably the single word that accurately describes what kind of an Apple fanboy sophomore Sachin
Patel is. “He’s been an Apple geek from before I met him,” said his best friend, sophomore Mihir Patil. “He actually converted me.” Patel buys the latest Apple products as soon as they’re released—or occasionally, even before. He received the iPhone 4G two days before its release and uploaded an unboxing video on YouTube. It now has over 600,000 views. What sets Patel apart from every other devoted Apple fan is that Patel has his own company, gzmo apps, and already released three apps for the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad. That’s a whole new category of fanboy. A smart move indeed Patel’s first app arose from his participation in the FIRST Lego League. FLL is a robotics program for nine to 14-year-olds, where teams compete to complete an annual robotics challenge. His dad, an equally enthusiastic Apple fan, coached his team, and suggested
that Patel try his hand at creating an app that helped score FLL challenges. So Patel released “Smart Move” in September 2009. Programmed in accordance with the FLL Smart Move Challenge Official Rules, the free app includes a built-in browser and an email export. The response was extraordinary—Patel hit just over 900 users. “[It was] very successful. I killed the competitors because their apps were much worse and cost money,” Patel said. So, in January Patel released “Places ~ GPS points of interest.” It’s a useful app that, on a map, locates nearby points of interest, displays ratings from Yelp.com, and offers directions. The clean user interface stems from Patel’s admiration of Apple products’ ease of use. “They do a really good job with user interface,” Patel said. “In all my apps I try to strive to meet their standards...and make [my apps] so easy to use that you don’t even have to think about it.” A self-made developer Patel’s dedication to creating the best apps he can makes him sound rather like a
Still coding it up “When you build an app and launch it on the device and whatever wasn’t working for the past three hours finally works, it’s just a really good feeling,” Patel said. He’s nowhere near done with coding yet. He’s currently a mentor for the Claws FLL team, and is building up an online presence for his company. He’s created a Facebook page for it, as well as a Twitter account—and he uses his personal account to connect with other developers. And, in early September, Patel launched the sleek new gzmo apps website. Eventually, Patel says he’d like to work on iOS at Apple itself. Until then though, he’ll settle for developing his own apps—he’s currently creating something related to location services—and of course, following Apple’s every move. “[Patel] had this entire list of theories about what Apple’s big announcement was [on Nov. 16, Apple revealed The Beatles’ new availability on iTunes]. And when it turned out to be The Beatles, he knew about the entire dispute over why they weren’t available before,” Patil said. “He always updates me on everything. I call it my ‘Daily Dose of Apple.’ It gets boring...but I’m used to it.” Anushka Patil || a.patil@elestoque.org
ENERGY DRINKS: Students choose to consume despite risks for academic purposes. Among the survey respondents who claim to drink the beverages regularly, 25 percent of students use them to stay Junior Katie Hull does just that on a regular awake in class. basis. A member of the song and spirit teams, she The senior male, who is a longtime consumer often drinks the beverages before and after (“and of non-alcoholic energy drinks as well, says that sometimes during,” she adds.) cheer practice. he drinks the beverages despite their unhealthiness Yet, unlike many students, she doesn’t consume because they serve this purpose. energy drinks for recreational purposes—she “I used to fall asleep in class all the time, but of students who use drinks them to improve the effectiveness of this actually helps,” he said. “It’s like when I’m painkillers she takes for migraines. tired and driving home; I figure it’s better for me to energy drinks do so to “I started drinking them because my doctor [have energy drinks and] not crash.” focus while studying told me to,” Hull said. “Instead of taking a high It’s a trade-off, the same kind he made when amount of painkillers, I can just drink a little bit he chose to have a Four Loko. Just like 53 percent [of energy drinks].” of energy drink consumers at MVHS, his main * from a survey of 156 students She was surprised that exercise could present motivation that night was the taste. a potential health risk. And if Four Loko had remained on the market, “[My doctor] never said anything,” Hull said. “She said just to drink he says he would drink it again. them if you had symptoms.” Perhaps an even more common use of energy drinks at MVHS is Joseph Beyda || j.beyda@elestoque.org
continued from page 1
31%
Page 3
Duty in the face of danger Police shootings result in Oakland riots
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e, as residents of Cupertino, have a rather mild relationship with the concept of violence. With a homicide every few years, violence is more often viewed in video games than outside in the streets. Our neighbors in Oakland, however, have a far more familiar relationship. On Nov. 8, Oakland was hit with yet another shooting. But rather than adding to the growing homicide count, this shooting comes with a more controversial shooting. Derrick Jones, a 37-year-old black man, was shot to death by two police officers when fleeing the scene of a supposed violent dispute with an exgirlfriend. Jones was unarmed—the officers fired after seeing him reach for a “shiny object” that turned out to be a harmless scale. Here begins a story that seems to pop up just when we thought it was gone: Is fighting racial prejudice worth risking the safety of the citizens? In the Jones case, six bullet wounds, determined by the later autopsy, speak to the fact TRACY ZHANG that the officers t.zhang@elestoque.org fired not out of warning but to completely detain the suspect. The black community, outraged over what they see as a blatant example of racial prejudice still prevalent in society, demanded that the police officers be arrested. A peaceful protest that began in front of Jones’ barbershop on Nov. 10 eventually moved down to the Oakland BART station, escalating into a full-scale riot protesting both the Jones shooting and the Oscar Grant verdict for another shooting, announced three days earlier. It would be easier to hate on the police officers, but that’s not the point of this column. So instead, think about this issue from the police officers’ side. They are charged with the duty of protecting the citizens and when a man suspected of violent abuse starts running away—a classic sign of guilt—it is valid to be concerned for the safety of the citizens around. As Jones fled, the police only had his actions and his neighborhood to judge his next move. A fleeing suspect in a neighborhood wrought with crime and street shootings is bad enough, but when Jones’ next move is to reach for his waistband, the classic place to store a gun, all signs point to potential violence. In that split second, police officers have no time to weigh the repercussions or potential social issues that arise from pulling the trigger—they can only weigh the consequences of not shooting, should the suspect be armed and ready to shoot. Here in Cupertino, police officers fill a pretty specific niche—handing out tickets, busting bikers without helmets, and the occasional bust on a corner convenience store that sells alcohol to minors. We residents don’t know what it means to experience violence firsthand, and our police officers have the luxury of not having the continual stress of killers roaming the streets. It’s easy for us to sympathize with an unarmed black man, martyred in the fight for the eradication of racial prejudice. But imagine the Jones incident happening in your own front yard. If you’re faced with the threat of a seemingly violent, potentially dangerously armed man who is reaching for what you think may be a weapon, would you want the officers charged with your protection to hold back out of respect for racial equality? Or would you want them to do their job and ensure your safety? I’ll go for the latter, thank you very much.
Hating on the Haters
Page 4
Dec. 8, 2010
NEWS
Girls go to college, but boys go to work Bridging the gender gap a new issue for colleges
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omen will not be making trips to the kitchen any time soon. The days of women being limited to cooking and cleaning are long gone. Putting careers on hold? History. And where are all these women headed? To a higher education, of course. According to a 2010 study conducted by the American Council On Education, a follow-up on the organization’s 2000 and 2006 studies, 57 percent of college undergraduates are women, and it’s been that way since about 2000. Reasons may be that colleges have donned more courses focused toward women, such as feminist studies. Some researchers even say women have better focus and concentration in the classroom or are simply more mature, which translates into better learning at school and more desire for a degree. Sophomore Kari Ding, the president of MV National Organization for Women, a new club established on campus, thinks having more women in college is a good step. “I think it’s a good thing,” she said, “because it shows [women] have come some way. Before, we couldn’t even go to college.” At the University of California at Los Angeles, an annual study by the Higher Education Resarch Institude showed that men more frequently skipped class, less consistently finished their homework, and for the most part showed less pride in their grades than their female classmates, these are all plausible reasons for the uneven gender distribution in colleges across the country. However, with UC applications due just two weeks ago, MVHS applicants, especially females, might soon witness the repercussions of female domination. The fact that women currently make up a majority of college students ends up hindering their chances of being accepted into certain colleges. In order to bridge the gender gap, some colleges admit to lowering the admission standards for men, leveling the male to female ratio. This means rejecting female applicants that may be just as qualified. Robert Massa, the vice president of enrollment at American University in Washington D.C., said in a New York Times article that creating a gender balance at colleges meant being more liberal with accepting males. “So did we bend a little bit? Yeah, at the margin, we did, but not to the point that we would admit guys who couldn’t do the work,” he told the New York Times. Bari Norman, an education consultant, went as far as saying this was “rewarding boys for under-performance.” There’s also a skewed distribution of boys and girls in private schools like New York University
and even in public universities with larger student bodies, like those in Florida, Georgia, and California. Ivy League schools, on the other hand, are shown to be more gender-equal, with some schools still housing more men than women. Despite the shift in college demographics, men typically still dominate in fields like science and math, in school and out of college. The AP Computer Science and ROP Engineering Technology classes at MVHS are both male-heavy, and the sole AP Physics class on campus, taught by Jim Birdsong, has only five girls, but 35 boys. Birdsong admits that, for whatever reason, girls are more likely to become doctors or life scientists rather than engineers or physicists. “There’s still a little bit of a stigma against women in engineering as much as there have been efforts to stop it,” Birdsong said. The gender gap begins in Physics and Physics Honors, the prerequisite classes for AP Physics, where gender balance is skewed, though far less than that of the AP class. As for the five girls in the class, Birdsong believes there is no sort of roadblock in the actual learning process. “It’s just a matter of finding a system that works,” he said. “I don’t think the material is biased one way or another.” This gender inbalance isn’t limited to just math and science. Despite the increase of women in college, the work force remains predominantly male. Even nowadays, a woman who holds the same position in the office as a man generally earns 20 percent less, according to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. College graduates have been finding it difficult to get hired for some time now, and because of the majority of working males, for women, this trend may continue for a while longer. It’s still primarily the woman who holds responsibility for the family, the home, and the children, and if this means taking time off to watch the kids, she’ll be facing some derailments on her career fast track. Domonique Pieb | El Estoque On the other hand, men often have a better chance in terms of salary and status, because they can put in more hours, and in many cases, desire the power inherent to promotions more than women, among other, less black-and-white reasons. But despite the new challenges brought to the table, men and women are on more equal grounds than they’ve previously been, and there are more organizations moving toward progress. Clubs like MV NOW, whose main goal is to promote awareness about gender equality and women’s rights, focuses on eliminating stereotypes against women. In the future, ideally, men and women would stand on equal grounds. Cynthia Mao || c.mao@elestoque.org
EA SY Dec. 8, 2010
NEWS
Page 5
way out
ASB Leadership begins long-term project aimed to reduce academic pressure and curb cheating
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e shrugs his shoulders and leans back as if “A lot of it has to do with how enthusiastic the problem. that the same adage applies to academics and high to detach himself from the topic at hand. a teacher is,” Ki said. “If every classroom was a “The important thing to realize here is that school in general. It’s an uncomfortable conversation—after place that [students] wanted to go to every day, we everybody’s really trying to do what’s best for “If you’re successful the first time, it’s good for all, it’s not every day that students discuss the would have no cheating problems, ever.” students. There is no ‘bad guy, good guy’ kind of yourself and your future,” he said. “Cheating is a principles, or lack thereof, behind cheating. One of the plans that ASB Leadership has dichotomy,” Ki said. way of guaranteeing that success.” A male student who spoke to El Estoque come up with is to administer surveys to students, on the condition that his name not be used and teachers, and parents in order to collect data Exploring the side-effects Connecting the dots who admits to having cheated in the past was about these various issues. The class also plans One of the most concrete signs of this excessive Through their discussions, the class pinpointed confident in pointing out that he knows many on making different videos that showcase a day in academic pressure and miscommunication is that the cycle of stress that leads to activities students who cheat on a such as cheating can be regular basis. According traced to three sources— A TEACHER’S LOOK AT TURNITIN.COM to an El Estoque survey, parents, students, and ORIGINALITY: When 42 percent of MVHS teachers. Moore is quick a paper is submitted students have cheated. to point out that the ASB to Turnitin.com, it is While this statistic may Leadership project plans immediately cross-checked be lower than what the to target all three. against a database of all Rutgers’ Management On Jan. 11 and papers ever submitted SOURCES: Along the right side of the Education Center found Jan. 18, the PTSA through the service and in 2002—that 75 percent has arranged for a report, teachers can click links that all websites the service of high school students special free screening lead them to the original source of the has scanned. In response, nationwide engage in in the auditorium of plagiarized material. It also displays teachers receive a serious cheating—it “Race to Nowhere,” what percentage of the paper was similarity index, which is still higher than a documentary taken from that source. If the matching indicates the amount administration and ASB which explores the source was a previously submitted of text in an essay that Leadership would like. consequences of stress in paper, the teacher can request access matched another source. And that’s why they the educational system. to the paper from the teacher who it plan on lowering it. After the showing of was originally submitted to. During its Leadership each movie, Student Development on Nov. 23, Advocate Richard Prinz the class split up into and School Psychologist QUOTATIONS: Students should not worry about quoted focus groups in order to Sheila Altmann will material appearing as plagiarized in the report because brainstorm what they moderate a forum teachers have the ability to omit quoted material from the termed the “biggest involving students, calculation of the percent plagiarised, though it does still issues” at MVHS. parents, teachers, and appear as a match initially. Topics such as trash on administrators. campus, cutting in line, The administration Sahana Sridhara | El Estoque and Internet etiquette is also considering COPYING CONSEQUENCES For the two types of copying, the taking of the exact words of others and the taking of ideas, were all brought up—but adjusting the message ultimately the idea at the during consequences vary from department to department and are outlined in teachers’ green sheets. Some consequences include imparted core of most issues was regular events such as a refrerral to the assistant principal, a phone call to parents, as well as a permanent mark in the student’s record. academic pressure and presentations to parents stress. With the help of by guidance counselors. Deans of Students Michael Hicks and Denae Moore, the life of a student and a teacher in order to help widespread cheating. “[We want to help] parents really, truly the class agreed to collaborate on a project aimed all groups involved gain a better understanding of “It’s obviously not okay to cheat, but in the end understand what it means to be a student in highat lowering pressure and fostering communication each others’ perspectives. it all comes down to grades,” the male student said. school,” Moore said. “We’re going to change the between students, parents, and teachers. The male student who has cheated in the past “There’s a desire to do well, and [cheating] is one focus a little bit away from the four-year plan, and is skeptical about how much impact such a project way of guaranteeing yourself a few extra points.” talk through a little bit more of the human elements Long-term goals would actually have. It’s exactly this mindset that Moore and Ki associated with being a student.” While reducing cases of academic dishonesty is He argues that a big factor in cheating is peer agree needs to be addressed, for it promotes the Moore also acknowledges that this project will an immediate impact that Moore and ASB President pressure and the stress caused by parental pressure. idea that failure is unacceptable. not achieve instantaneous results and may require senior Daniel Ki hope to have, Moore thinks that Because students are aware of the sacrifices that “When people disparage each other for getting multiple years of organized effort. changing the culture associated with academics their parents have had to make in order to live in 780 [out of 800] on SAT Subject Tests or for getting “I think the problem is bigger than just what at MVHS is the ultimate goal—one that will take Cupertino, not doing well academically would be one B in their entire high school career, that is the we’re capable of accomplishing or fixing, and it’s more than just one semester to achieve. akin to invalidating their sacrifice. culture that makes it so that you feel terrible for going to take more than just us. But do I think that Ki feels that some of the biggest impact that While Ki understands this thought process, he making a mistake—which is ridiculous,” Ki said. we’re headed in the right direction? Definitely.” can be made is largely dependant on teachers being also believes that the lack of communication that While the male student agrees with the idea willing to adapt their teaching styles. these sorts of emotions result in are at the crux of of not being afraid of failure, he does not believe Vijeta Tandon || v.tandon@elestoque.org
TEACHER VIEWS
Even though each department outlines different consequences for academic honesty, teachers share their views on plagiarism. If youre taking someone else’s ideas and rephrasing them, those still aren’t your ideas.That’s still plagiarism. —English teacher Matt Brashears
My feeling about plagiarism is it is either very, very deliberate or very, very inadvertent. —English teacher David Clarke
You think most kids are honest. It’s an unfortunate thing we have to use sites like Turnitin.com. —English teacher Sarah Borelli
Page 6
NEWS
FIELD LIGHTS: Uniting students and community continued from page 1
History teacher Bonnie Belshe, focused on the impact football lights would have on the unity and culture at MVHS. The lights would educate the “the whole child,� Belshe’s idea of supporting students in a way that extends just educational benefits of coming to school every day. “[Lights] would not just be for the football games, but for other games and other sports as well,� Belshe said. “And it would not just be for the athletes, but for the cheerleaders, the dance team, and all of the students.� Marsha Kearns and Kenneth Orvick, parents of students attending MVHS, brought their own perspectives to the table. Kearns, herself an MVHS alumnus and co-manager of the Snack Shack, spoke about how she never had the opportunity to see football lights when she was a student in 1976 and that nothing had changed in a span of 30 years. “[MVHS] has the best educational experience and opportunities, but our athletic facilities are a disgrace compared to other schools,� Kearns said. Orvick spoke from a more parental point of view, saying that holding earlier games on Fridays would have negative effects on both parents and students. “We need to finish games before 5 p.m. [before it gets dark]. That means games have to start by 3 p.m. and in order for students to make these games, they have to get out of class,� Orvick said. “If these games are away, they have to get out of class even earlier. And more important than that, to me as a parent, this means that most games, parents can’t see their children play [because they have to work].� At this point, the options the FUHSD board has are to make all of the construction changes, cancel the plan altogether, construct everything except the lights, or construct the entire project but limit the hours the lights can be used. FUHSD Superintendent Glenn Evans said that it is taking a longer time than was expected to write responses to all the comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report. The final decision will be made by the FUHSD board on Dec. 16, and the final EIR will be released at least ten days ahead of time. Once the board has the information given by the EIR, they will decide which plan will be used. Vishakha Joshi || v.joshi@elestoque.org
LGBT YOUTH: Coming to terms with differences continued from page 1
This lack of support can be found in concentrated amounts within MVHS due to its unique cultural demographic. Of those who have spoken openly with El Estoque on LGBT issues, the students of Asian and Indian cultural backgrounds, assuming that their parents would disapprove, expressed greater hesitation to come out to their parents than their white peers. The disparity makes sense, considering same-sex sexual activity was illegal in China until 1997 and in India until 2009, virtually outlawing homosexuality. “I was brought up in a culture and surroundings where homosexuality and bisexuality was considered to be sin,� said sophomore Eva Chatterjee, who is not LGBT but is part of the GSA. “When I came [to the U.S.], I actually met these people and found them to be regular humans that care about others, like anyone else. My parents are proud of me supporting this club, but they wouldn’t want me to be lesbian.� This discrepancy might not be a result of judgement and narrowmindedness, but could be attributed to the generation gap. “This is sort of a decade where people text more than they talk to anyone,� said GSA officer sophomore Wilson Korges. “Everything put together can alienate people from others, especially if they’re from a generation that may not be able to fully understand, or raised with a different cultural background.� Junior Krista Trieu, who is openly bisexual but has not come out to her parents, can attest to this. “My dad is, to put it bluntly, a redneck Republican,� Trieu said. “So that would not go over well. I’m honestly
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Dec. 8, 2010
Eric Wong | El Estoque
BONDING TIME GSA Member sophomore Stephanie Chang makes friendship bracelets during lunch to promote club unity. not going to really tell him unless I end up marrying a girl.� Whatever the reasons behind these discrepancies, countless LGBT youth have suffered from the effects of alienation and confrontation, even from their own families. “My sister, [who] was not very accepted before, is bisexual, and after she came out, [my extended family] was like, ‘Oh, that explains everything,’ and that’s when I realized there are certain people in your family who will accept and others who won’t,� said sophomore Samantha Camillieri. That sort of treatment by families has not only mental but physical effects on kids, according to a 2008 study published in the Official Journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics. LGBT youth who reported higher levels family rejection were 8.4 times likely to be suicidal and 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression. “My uncle is very conservative, and
it was harder for my cousin to come out as transgender just this May,� Dowd said. “They actually had an argument about it, and my cousin took some extra pills, landing in the hospital. There’s a lot of stuff that could be avoided if people just accepted it.� According to Korges, the way to reconcile these differences is to bring the topic up more in conversation, so that it is no longer a large, controversial subject, but a more approachable one. “The more people talk about it, more people can learn to understand it, because even if you don’t agree with it, you’re going to hear something about how it is justified to other people,� Korges said. “Once you see it justified in other people’s eyes, you kind of leave it alone. You can’t really touch that afterwards, once you know that it’s right for somebody else.�
Amanda Chen || a.chen@elestoque.org
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Dec. 8, 2010
Page 7
OPINION
Cheating cannot be a substitute for honest hard work
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hen it comes to high school hot topics, who spend more than two hours on homework per academic pressure is at the top of MVHS’ night receive, on average, lower testing scores than list. However, students discuss their students with a lighter homework load. If this is the overwhelming stress with fellow students, parents case, “the more the merrier” definitely does not confide in other parents, and teachers amongst other apply. teachers. Is this effective in fixing the problem? Not Teachers must also realize that every group of quite. students is unique in its strengths and weaknesses, Though MVHS students are intelligent–our so class curriculum should be tailored to be the best API score is a mere 57 points away from perfect– fit. After all, what’s the point of assigning work if it academic pressure leads us to doing something we doesn’t actually help student learn? This in -turn all know is morally wrong: cheating. Forty-two leads to the necessity of critical, but constructive percent of students admit to having cheated before communication between students and teachers. In and this year alone, the English department has order to bridge the gap between the two groups, faced over 20 cases of plagiarism. students cannot simply place the blame on some Correctly recognizing this as a problem, ASB external factor instead of confronting their issue in Leadership has partnered up with administration the class. It is students’ duty, both to themselves and the PTSA to correct the flow and their classmates, to communicate of communication between those with their teacher in a constructive contributing to the pressure: STAFF EDITORIAL and informative manner. To guarantee students, parents, and teachers. this feedback from students, teachers The opinion of the While the free PTSA showing of can offer anonymous mid-year El Estoque Editorial documentary “Race To Nowhere” evaluations or comments. Board and a post-movie discussion forum Though parents are not in the is a step in the right direction, that’s classroom with their child, they often really all it is. One step. The miles that it will take contribute to the high stress levels in ways which to combat an issue as large as academic pressure can be more detrimental than helpful. While grades is up to each and every one of us. While it is easy are undoubtedly an important aspect of high to place the blame on external factors, it is time to school, parents should serve as a diffuser from the accept the fact that teachers, students, and parents academic pressure from peers and instead encourage all need to alter their mindset if the pressure–and a balanced lifestyle. Parents should be the student’s therefore, the cheating–is to decrease. outlet for concerns, rather than just reprimanding As for teachers, the basic message is well them for less than satisfactory scores. encompassed by the common phrase “quality over Lowering academic pressure is only possible if quantity.” The point of homework is to further all three groups can agree to improve their own develop concepts learned in class, not to fill students’ personal communication. If as a school we can afterschool hours with mindless worksheets and succeed in lessening the pressure for perfect scores, page long lists of three-part problems. According to a we can also lower the frequency of cheating. ASB study conducted by Harris Cooper, director of Duke Leadership has taken the first step towards success; University’s Program in Education, high schoolers it is up to all of us to take the next one.
F
rom Nov. 21 to Nov. 30 the Class of 2011 held the annual senior apparel fundraiser. While such fundraisers have been successful in the past, this one, despite the artistic talent of the designs, did not receive as many purchases as usual.
6 $45 133 9
E M
C
I R
Bring more joy by rallying around one holiday toy
one issue – six ways
FOR THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM. A hoodie with personalization was the most expensive item. While a popular style, $45 seems like an outrageous price. TOTAL ORDERS. Of the 579 students in the senior class, only 22 percent of the class ordered apparel. With so many options, the low turn out is astonishing.
DAYS TO BUY APPAREL. Although the fundraiser was well publicized, it only lasted nine days. If there were more days to order apparel, maybe the turn out would have been better.
54
O T O N LEADS
BREAK Holiday grams–less is really more DOWN Y
ITEMS FOR SALE. Traditionally the senior class has sold only four items during apparel sales. The new items are commendable, but didn’t help the Class of 2011 profit more.
$20
E M I T
FOR THE CHEAPEST ITEM. Although the designs for the long sleeve shirts turned out well, $20 for a T-shirt is considerably expensive.
HOODIES WERE ORDERED, THE MOST POPULAR ITEM. The most expensive item could have brought in anywhere between $2,160 - $2,430 of the total profits. Sarika Patel || s.patel@elestoque.org Vijeta Tandon || v.tandon@elestoque.org
ou know it’s the holiday season when various holiday mascot? Because, at the end of the day, the groups of students go around campus and Santas won’t be counting how many smiles they put try to sell you seasonal items. And what a on the little kids’ faces. They’ll be bragging about variety. Thanksgiving grams. Cupcake- and toast- which one of them was better and got more money shaped band-aids. Arctic Buddy grams. Holiday from working as a mall Santa. And this un-holidayspirit feeling is about the same as what happens cards, ornaments, and crafts. But why are there so many different items to when multiple fundraisers and grams float around campus during the choose from? To tell holiday season. you the truth, they’re Of course, all like mall Santas. it would be Mall Santas may come slightly difficult in various degrees of to conglomerate sizes and colors, but, all of the various deep down, they’re holiday grams, still mall Santas. just like how it Likewise, the grams would be difficult and the causes that to have an allthey help may be e n c o m p a s s i ng different, from Feed mall Santa. There America to the World are different Wildlife Fund, but in causes that each the end, they’re still in fundraiser is the spirit of giving. The battle of the holiday memorabilia supporting, most When so many Daniel Tan| El Estoque Photo Illustration on completely different grams are sold around campus, the causes lose their impact. opposite sides of the giving spectrum. But it It’s like seeing three different mall Santas in the would benefit the community more if all of the same shopping trip. The first mall Santa will elicit funds raised were donated to one organization. A an excited response of, “Ooh! Santa! Hi, Santa!” single organization would be able to better utilize But with each and every mall Santa after the first, $10,000 than five different organizations each with $2,000. It’s just how malls would be able to hire a the magic will die rather quickly. Having many simultaneous fundraisers also super awesome mall Santa for $10,000 and create hinders the effectiveness of the fundraiser. In fact, more joy than five not-so-great mall Santas at five it’s kind of counter-intuitive because it creates different malls. Remember, the school-wide grams and unnecessary competition. With multiple holiday items going around school, promoters of one fundraisers are just like mall Santas: No matter the gram are no longer asking people to buy their differences, there is one crucial similarity—their merchandise; they are asking people to buy their goal is to help the community. So, just like how mall merchandise over the others. They are no longer Santas all rally together to bring joy to little children, selling their items because they want to give to the we as a school should rally around one holiday item community; they are now selling them in order to and a single cause to bring joy to the community. And then, eventually we’ll end up being the mall compete with those other items. Ask yourself this: Why are there never two Santas of the world. Santa-picture-taking booths right next to each other, no matter how many little kids love that Daniel Tan || d.tan@elestoque.org
Page 8
Dec. 8, 2010
OPINION
The Flip Side
Public Disregard for Administration
Rules have purpose, should be followed
New century calls for removing dated rules
lease don’t throw your relationship in my face. Don’t flash your spaceship boxers in the hall or your red bra in class. It’s true reading your planner at the beginning of the year is a pain. But these rules, although many deny it, make students comfortable. Teenagers put on a strong face, nothing phases us, and we’re enthralled by the sight of undergarments rather than disturbed. Most high schoolers would rather come to school naked, ironically, than “tattle” on others who make us uncomfortable with their relationships and their manner of dress. Simply to help us save face, administration should be more strict about certain aspects of the MVHS handbook, like the student relationships rules and the dress code. One of the most-seen issues around campus is how couples express their lust for one another, public displays of affection. While it’s true that it isn’t physically harming anybody, it can be awkward to onlookers. I know for a fact I’m not the only one who becomes increasingly uncomfortable when a friend and her significant other call each other “honeybun” and “sweetie” or when I see couples pressed up against the lockers, succumbing to the rush of hormones in their teenage bodies. Get a room. Save it for later. Keep it in your pants. Although only a minority is uncomfortable with PDA, the minority should be considered. In dressing yourself apparently less is more. That doesn’t seem to be the mentality among students, however. The dress code states no undergarments should be showing. I can’t count the number of plaid boxers I see a day or girls with thongs poking out of jeans and bright, leopard-print bras worn under white tops. More generally, the amount of cleavage shown is increasing. Every new generation of high school students brings in waves of people who lack the decency to purchase a camisole. The dress code states that shorts should be a reasonable length. Reasonable is debatable, but the line should be drawn when everyone can see one’s derriere as they walk. According to an El Estoqoue survey of 156 students, only 4 percent of students have been asked to go home and change; which has had no effect on the problem. Cover yourself up. Keep it classy. Rules should be enforced. It’s necessary. Teachers should notice the violations, rather then turning a blind eye to it. This rule shouldn’t just be written, they should be enforce it. Students should merely be asked to pull up their pants or put on a sweatshirt if their clothing is distracting. This as well should pertain to PDA—a couple sucking face in the hall should be separated. I’m looking forward to the day when couples limit themselves to hand-holding, and I won’t be shielding my eyes from patterned boxers and lacy underwear.
t’s said that rules are made to be broken. But what about school rules? How many people actually follow them, and more importantly, how many of them are enforced? There are a lot of strange, unnecessary rules that students are expected to abide by—but few of them even know that such rules exist. According to an El Estoque survey, 65 percent of the students who have a boyfriend or girlfriend have had physical contact going beyond holding hands and sitting next to each other at school. How many of them are aware that this is prohibited by the school? And how would this make the students feel? I can easily imagine how much I’d hate it if someone came up to me and told me that it’s against the rules to hug my boyfriend. When teenagers are expected to behave like mature adults, how come they’re discouraged to do so in this particular aspect? According to the same survey, 62 percent of the respondents do not feel uncomfortable at the sight PDA. Since the majority of the student population seems to pay no heed to this, the policy has been rendered ineffective. The rules might have been proper forty years ago, but now, they are simply outdated. It’s in the Constitution—freedom of expression. Article 19 states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.” This, evidently, also extends to clothing. Forty-four percent of the students in the aforementioned survey have worn lowcut tops to school, 38 percent have worn short skirts or shorts, and 29 percent have worn their pants low. According to MVHS’s code of conduct, each of these are unacceptable, and if a student is caught wearing any of the above, he or she will be sent home to change. However, 96 percent of the students who have worn such clothing have not been sent home to change. Wearing a solid blue T-shirt is apparently also against the rules because it’s the color of a gang located somewhere in Los Angeles. But MVHS is in Cupertino, a city which most people outside this little bubble don’t even recognize. T-shirts of solid blue, red, black, green, brown, or purple are all possible gang colors which the poorly-worded school rules prohibit. However, 54 percent of the student population have worn such T-shirts, but again, only 4 percent of our school’s population has been sent home to change. These rules might have been socially accepted 40 years ago, when the school was founded. But times have changed since then. The rules must either be enforced or better revised. In times where people are looked down upon for not wearing what the rest of the world is, it doesn’t seem fair to disallow it for them if that is what they want to do. These rules are not socially acceptable in the 21st Century, so just as students have adapted to fit the new century, so should the rules.
P
I
Vish akh a J os h i | El Est oque P hoto Illu stration
WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT
Most people know the rules of MVHS: no cheating, no alcohol, no drugs. But some of the rules, especially the ones regarding student relationships and dress codes, are not enforced as much as others. Do we follow every rule in the book? Or do we let them slide? Do we need some change?
Danielle Kay || d.kay@elestoque.org
Student relationships should not be embarrassing to other students or adults. Physical contact should be limited to holding hands or sitting next to each other. Student Planner
52%
of students have not had more physical contact than holding hands and sitting next to each other at school
Shanthi Guruswami || s.guruswami@elestoque.org
62%
of students do not feel uncomfortable when seeing couples engage in public displays of affection
Consequences for breaking the dress code include being sent home or being asked to cover up
Avoid: Exposure of extensive areas of midriff, backless, strapless or low cut tops, and muscle shirts and excessive metal clothing Extremely short skirts or shorts or any visible underwear are not permitted. Unacceptable: Students may not go shoe less, wear gang-related clothing or colors, symbols of inappropriate images or spikes. Student Planner
*156 people responded to this survey
Dec. 8, 2010
Page 9
OPINION
The school that stole Christmas When Christmas is no secret to anyone, there’s no point in avoiding it
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es, folks, it’s that time of year again. Time to break out the Christmas lights and the Christmas stockings, and to prepare the Christmas tree, all the while singing Christmas carols. That much work seems like it necessitates a Christmas break, doesn’t it? Well, if you’re in a public school, you’re not getting one. But don’t worry. You’ll be getting a break. That is, a perfectly secular and politically sound “holiday” break. After all, as far as official, public-sector decorum is concerned, Christmas doesn’t exist. In the post-Civil Rights Movement era of religious diversity in America, sensitivity is definitely high in the minds of our policymakers. Still, it definitely goes way too far to give holidays with clear and obvious religious significance secular names, as if nobody could tell. For instance, it’s definitely not a coincidence that our ”holiday” break falls in the same time as Christmas. So why act like it is? Why disguise the real reasons for holidays with politically correct, “secular” names? It isn’t as if anyone doesn’t know the truth, that the break was designed specifically for Christmas. Even if that were the case, all one would have to do to find out is briefly look at a calendar. This endemic religious hypersensitivity has spread to the student body, as well. In the Nov. Leadership Council, Community Leadership proposed a “Christmas themed movie night” featuring popular Christmas movies to be held before finals. The proposal was accepted, but not without some friction. According to the official minutes of that meeting, objections
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Nope. There’s no religion here. Moving on... Vinay Raghuram | El Estoque Photo Illustration
were raised to the “Christmas” theme, because of its religious nature. In order to rectify this, the event was simply re-christened as the “Holiday” movie night. It’s strange that such a negligibly small change was enough to satisfy Leadership. If Leadership was truly concerned about religious harmony, they would have nixed the Christmas theme altogether, or they would have just gone ahead and called it a “Christmas” event, because they would have realized that using a religious name–especially when the occasion is appropriate is meant to offend nobody. Anyone can tell that the word “Christmas” is, in no way, an epithet of any kind. What Leadership is really worried about
is avoiding angering the minorities. While religious harmony is important, actively purging even the smallest references to religion is too much. One might point out that Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are included in the “holiday” break, as well. The truth is, the concept of the break was created so that observers–including the foudning fathers– could celebrate Christmas. Especially when everyone acknowledges in everyday speech that it’s Christmas, there’s no point in trying to avoid it. So go ahead, call it a Christmas movie night. It’s not like you’re burning crosses by doing so. Vinay Raghuram || v.raghuram@elestoque.org
California law restricting video games may not be Constitutional
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alo: Reach. Rated M. minors from purchasing actionCall of Duty: Black Ops. themed video games. Grand Theft Auto. Rated But that’s exactly what it M. All these games are rated M tried to do. In 2005, California for mature, but how mature are passed two bills effectively the high-school students who TWO LEGISLATIONS play them? These names California Assembly Bill 1792: It is and games are illegal to sell extremely violent video games to well-known, but minors. we tend to glance over the ratings. California Assembly Bill 1793: Violent Even though video games should be physically separated teenagers may from other video games and stores should have not pay attention signs explaining the Entertainment Software to the ratings Rating Board (ESRB) rating system. lawyers are. The Enter t ainment Association Merchant s (EMA) a non-profit international stating that excessively violent trade association that specializes video games would be restricted in helping the entertainment to minors and specifically industry, is challenging the labeled and stored separately in California Law banning the sale retail stores. The EMA tried to or rental of certain “violent” overturn these laws on the basis video games to minors. The that they were unconstitutional. EMA has made the right decision Now, the battle between the to attempt to overturn the government and the non-profit restriction because video games organization has traveled all the are not as bad as they seem and way up to the Supreme Court in the government shouldn’t stop Schwarzenegger v. EMA.
The main reasons this case to prevent chaos in a country. is controversial is the claim of a Explicit and specific laws only correlation between violence in limit citizen rights. video games and teen aggression. We need the government California State Senator Leland to stop baby-sitting us. If they Yee based his arguments on this started making laws for every claim when he introduced these little insecurity that was present, bills. According to findings from people would lose all sense of the Harvard Medical School individual choice. The purpose of Center for Mental Health, the a law is to protect the people. By Journal of Adolescent Health, restricting video game purchases, and the British Medical Journal, the government is trying to take there is no strong link between the place of a mom and dad the two. instead of just maintaining order. If there is no proven These laws are unnecessary correlation, there is nothing and obsolete. Our civilization wrong with teenagers having a is not going to disintegrate if little violent fun from time to we allow kids to shoot down time. The majority of minors imaginary airplanes or soldiers. A realize that a game is just a game: democracy was made to put the a way to connect power in the with friends and hands of relax, not a mindthe people, erasing concept w h i c h For more about video games that kills human means it’s see pages 11 -14 feelings entirely. up to the A big issue people to here isn’t just the make their blood and gore involved: It’s own individual decisions, not the principle behind the law. It to cave in to pressure and take imposes too much on individual orders from the government. rights. The best government only makes laws that are necessary Vishakha Joshi || v.joshi@elestoque.org
CENTERSPREAD
El Estoque Online: Your thoughts last month Which sport would you like MVHS to offer? Rowing
Gymnastics 4.5%
4.5%
This may seem nitpicky, but the Drama department itself is not “bribing” students with extra credit, literature teachers are. The article makes it seem like the opposite. Anonymous
Our immunity to gore arning: This column may contain disturbing images to readers with a weak stomach. (Picture of the column’s author does not count.) Let me begin by saying I never expected to be so enthralled with it. “The Walking Dead” began as a guilty pleasure read. It was the type of horror comic book where I could yell at the pages, “No! Don’t stay with the farmer who keeps all the flesh-hungry zombies in a ‘locked’ barn right next to the house!” Guess what happens.
Not right to stop minors buying violent games
This comment was posted on Nov. 14 in response to the Opinion story “We can’t do it all.”
Ode to jarring, morbid images
Ultimate Frisbee 9.1% Cricket
40.9%
9.1%
Quidditch
13.6% Hockey
18.2%
Lacrosse
28 respondents as of Thursday, Dec. 2
Wikileaks founder Juliain Assange has been recieving international attention for his organization, which leaks confidental government documents. Recently secret American diplomatic cables were leaked, embarrassing and endangering the U.S. government. Now, charges of espionage maybe brought against Assange, who claims to have more confidential documents waiting to be released.
Does Wikileaks have a legal basis for their activites? Should the first amendment protect Wikileaks from government intervention? Go online to elestoque.org to comment.
The beginning of the end What is more shocking than the violence I have found myself reading is how much I actually enjoy reading my gory, zombie comics. I hate seeing mugshots of convicted criminals when I read the news. I cannot stand watching even the trailers to sub-scary horror blockbusters and I will immediately change the channel if one comes up. But seeing a comic panel graphically depict a beloved character’s death by crazed horde of the undead, I can handle. It doesn’t faze me anymore, which is completely different from how I would have acted a few months ago. I’ve grown used to the bluntness of the apocalyptic fiction like a child grows used to eating Brussels sprouts. They turn NATALIE CHAN your stomach in n.chan@elestoque.org the beginning, but over time you acquire a taste for it. You can appreciate the benefits of your former enemy. That’s right. The world of zombies is exactly like eating Brussels sprouts.
What’s normal anyway?
The heart of the matter This is when “The Walking Dead” delves a little deeper. The characters of my apocalyptic guilty pleasure gradually acclimate themselves to the truth of what they must do to survive— including murder, torture, and cannibalism— the same way we have grown accustomed to seeing violence in our own lives, often online or on television. The difference is we still live in a functioning society. It sounds gruesome, getting used to the black-and-white drawings of corpses, dead or undead. Yet it is no different from other pastimes we like to indulge in. Why would we enjoy playing war games in “Call of Duty” if seeing an enemy fall bothered us? How would “Saw 3D” have grossed over $112 million since its release two weeks ago on Nov. 30 if the fear and adrenaline did not give us a rush? Why would we watch the “Twilight” movies if we grew queasy at the truly awful? This isn’t related only to violence. Many of us are too accustomed to negative concepts like cheating and cussing and teenage boys who wear saggy jeans even with a belt. There are things that human eyes were never meant to see. Back to civilization The bottom line is simple. There is no reason why you shouldn’t keep playing virtual soldier or watch a thriller once in a while. The bad is mixed in with the good. Some parts may be violent and others may make us squemish, yet they give us an outlet to feel adrenaline and fear in the safety of our own homes. These acts acts of aggression. They help with stress and that constant nudge of the human curioiusity to explore the unknown. In the end, it’s all Brussels sprouts. So, I don’t think I will give up my zombie comics any time soon. I may read them with some embarrasment, but for now that will happen over my undead body.
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OPINION
Dec. 8, 2010
Fighting the war of sexes Gender differences are irrelevant to determining capabilities
Letters to the Editor Letters of any length should be submitted via e-mail [mv. el.estoque@gmail.com], mail, or dropped off in Room A111. They become the sole property of El Estoque and can be edited for length, clarity, or factual accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion.
Purchasing texts optional, teachers say
Neither gender deserves greater recognition than the other
I
t’s the age old debate: What hurts more, being kicked were it matters or giving birth? The differences between girls and boys are more than just extra body mass in different areas, but this distinguishing factor has gone too far in controlling our lives. In sports, there are certain aspects that are accepted for boys and girls There’s no girls wrestling team and no boys field hockey team. Girls wrestling and boxing on a national level is seen as a form of soft-core pornography, while boys playing field hockey are ‘sissies.’ Very few girls take weight training, and very few boys take PE dance. Why is this? It’s simply what society has taught us to do. But its come to a point that as the new generation, we should move past the differences between males and females to be accepting towards a lone girl on the wrestling team or the lone boy in the back of the PE dance class.
Danielle Kay | El Estoque Photo Illustration
Recently, a Huggies commercial aired about specialized diapers for different genders. The commercial consisted of different shots of what boy and girl toddlers are expected to do. Girls were seen hosting tea parties, reading a book about a unicorn, and being surrounded by pink. Boys played with Tonka trucks and made messes. The expectations for different genders are based on what society dictates. When a girl dresses in “boy” clothing, she is called a tomboy; but what dictates what a piece of “boy” clothing is? If a boy dresses in pink or wears certain things, his sexuality is questioned. This Huggies commercial aired in the wrong century; the ambiguity of gender needs to be recognized. In a group of people, there are certain lines that shouldn’t be crossed. It’s a fact that questioning a boy’s sexuality, strength, or intelligence is a definite nono. Insult a girl’s looks, clothing, but
never, for the love of God, call a girl fat. But it is debatable if these lines should be crossed for the sake of moving past the difference of gender as a barrier. There are stereotypes for both boys and girls, but some are based on fact. Smite me where I stand if there is a boy in the school who enjoys spending hours on their nails. Likewise, I dare you to find a girl who could watch “Jackass” without feeling some degree of nausea. On the other hand, there are multiple girls who enjoy blasting tangos out of their path with an RPG on COD terrain. And I don’t judge the boys whose guilty pleasure is enjoying music by Taylor Swift. One chromosome makes all the difference in how one is judged. Beyond that, gender is a rather ambiguous trait, and we should realize it and move past our differences. Danielle Kay || d.kay@elestoque.org
Energy drinks cannot substitute for health
Frequent use of energy drinks prove more harmful than helpful
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veryone has heard the long list of side effects: nausea, But don’t for a second hope you will be able to concentrate. dizziness, fatigue, stomach pain, headaches...but for Teenager attention spans are already lower than the average those who have ever tried an energy drink, most would adult’s. Add hyper-activeness, and it’ll be the crow whose say the risk is worth it. Sure, if you’ve heard all the risks and eye is caught by every shiny thing that comes by. But if all still think it’s a smart idea to have an energy drink, then go you need is a kick of energy, then energy drinks will do it ahead. But knowing all the facts about the drinks, that is for you. Beware though, it might leave you experiencing a definitely difficult to do. different type of kick. Let’s get this straight, What’s interesting energy drinks aren’t though is that having an When did you start using energy drinks? something that should energy drink can actually be used often, or at all, if cause some to become Before high school13% possible. But let’s face it, tired or lazy, and after its one energy drink won’t kill effects wear off, they find you, right? Well, everyone themselves unable to sleep. As a freshman/sophomore 7% has heard of the infamous Peculiar how often these “crash,” the sudden loss drinks seem to backfire. As a junior or senior 4% of energy, after consuming Weight watchers, be high amounts of sugar weary of those energy or an energy drink. The drinks as well. In one can crash indeed exists, and of Red Bull there are 110 with that crash comes calories and about 80 mg varied sleep cycles and an of caffeine, comparative to immense amount of stress most other popular brands on the body. as well. Not an easy number As teenagers, there to burn, is it? Especially are high risks to normal since both energy drinks I do not regularly consume energy drinks 76% growth and development and exercise both raise associated with having blood pressure, which in these drinks. There is a reason why the alcohol age is 21. combination can be very dangerous to the body. Until then, alcohol can cause serious brain damage, so don’t So drink a can of Rockstar for that extra boost when it’s even think about those drinks like Four Loko. Special Four absolutely necessary, but remember it might leave you with Loko packs a kick worth four beers and two cups of coffee brain damage, weight gain, or an intense “crash.” It might put together. But sure, energy drinks without alcohol are not not even work at all. Or maybe you are better off with some as damaging to the body. healthy fruit juices, exercise, and sleep. But, then again, who Take the following scenario as an example. If there is a am I to say anything? test that absolutely needs all 24 hours in the day to study for, In the end, it’s your choice. there is nothing better than an energy drink to keep us going through those long hours. It’ll keep you up–that’s a fact. Sahana Sridhara || s.sridhara@elestoque.org
As the AP English literature teachers, we intend to clarify and respond to the inaccuracies of your opinion piece [“Cost of education too high” by Sahana Sridhara, Nov. 10]. In order to best express our confusion of the perception that “Lit. Honors and Lit. AP students are expected to foot the bill for the required reading,” let the student body understand: Students are not required but rather encouraged to acquire his or her own copy of a text. Customarily, students in the past have opted to purchase their own copies. However, we have always retained class sets of a given title in order for students to have a copy if it is a financial hardship or if it is simply more convenient for the student. We have also recommended that students scour used bookstores for the titles, and in some instances, we have even given away our own personal texts to help students who want to own but cannot afford to. We affirm that “there is merit to the argument that owning your own copy can be beneficial…[but] let’s not forget the invention of the post-it.” Once again, purchasing a text is a privilege. As English teachers, we love the post-it note. We certainly haven’t forgotten the postit note. So if purchasing these textbooks is posing a burden, why not borrow a copy and use post-it notes? We are not imposing any undue mandatory burden on students to get books; if anything, students’ lack of communication with their teachers is causing quite a huge market for books. Imagine, if more students stepped forward and enlightened us, we would furnish copies and the post-it stock market would skyrocket! We are certainly advocates of discussing the successes and failures of the human condition through literature, but never at the student’s “expense.” Even if we were to “do the math,” we find it highly deplorable to exploit the global basic needs of Kenyan children and clean water supplies. The elective purchase of these texts only robs these people of these basic needs around the world if, and only if, the student had the intention of using this money for such purposes. Otherwise, this argument fails and does not lend credence to the thought of “consider[ing] if [students’] purchases [of books] are absolutely necessary.” To reiterate the fact that it is NOT a requirement to purchase these books, is it ever questioned if a student has to purchase a particular calculator for a Monta Vista course? As far as the rest of the opinion article’s meandering thoughts from the ecological waste heaped upon the environment to the economical and budgetary practices in school book orders, one thing is clear to us: students must take ownership of the education that they choose to follow at Monta Vista High School. It is an honor for us that students choose to be in AP English Literature. So the initial question: “AP English literature might be an enriching and challenging class, but at what price?” Our answer: There is no quantifiable amount or price tag to a student’s experience in our AP English class. A student must make proper informed choices that will enhance the experience as a whole. —English teachers Robert Javier and Jireh Tanabe Editors in Chief Mansi Pathak Vijeta Tandon News Editors Arifa Aziz Sahana Sridhara
Managing Editors Joseph Beyda Jordan Lim
2010-2011
Opinion Editors Sarika Patel Vinay Raghuram Centerspread Editors Anushka Patil Roxana Wiswell Sports Editors Shanthi Guruswamy Cynthia Mao A&E Editors Amanda Chen Christophe Haubursin Layout and Design Editor Ashley Wu
Business Editors Vishakha Joshi Pooja Ravikiran Photography Editor Erin Chiu Copy Editor Natalie Chan Print Staff Writers Tina Hsu Danielle Kay Aafreen Mahmood Morahd Shawki Daniel Tan Elvin Wong Tracy Zhang Adviser Michelle Balmeo
Disclaimer Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the journalism staff and not of Monta Vista High School or the Fremont Union High School District. Credits Some images in this publication were taken from the royalty-free stock photography website sxc.hu Mission Statement El Estoque is an open forum created for and by students of Monta Vista High School. The staff of El Estoque seeks to recognize individuals, events, and ideas and bring news to the Monta Vista community in a manner that is professional, unbiased, and thorough in order to effectively serve our readers. We strive to report accurately, and we will correct any significant error. If you believe such an error has been made, please contact us. El Estoque also reserves the right to reject advertising due to space limitations or decision of the Editorial Board that content of the advertisement conflicts with the mission of the publication. Contact Us El Estoque 21840 McClellan Rd. Cupertino, CA 95014 mv.el.estoque@gmail.com
GAME ON Dec. 8, 2010
Page 11
A CLOSER LOOK
Video games have gradually become a culture, but gamers debate whether they are an art form
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of thousands of dollars from the comfort of their home or the hey’re not really toys anymore, but most would hesitate what is,” Sulgit said. to call them an art. The fact is that video games today The main argument from gamers really comes down to the stadiums rented out for tournaments. A lot is at stake with this medium. Humanity doesn’t get aren’t what video games were when our parents played most basic purpose of art: to make people think and to inspire them. They’re more complicated, they’re more detailed, they conversation and debate. The gaming community has proven many opportunities to welcome a new form of art into the have better stories, and now they’re more of that it is a numerous and devoted group. It is a very mainstream. Games have undergone amazing changes in the a culture. A $21.3-billion-a-year culture. tightly-knit community because it spends so much past ten years, but their full potential cannot be realized if we Games have become a new medium of time together, whether it be on the same couch as a society don’t accept them. We need to start putting our storytelling. The key difference between or online around the world. People who dismiss most creative minds at work, and not just other gamers. We gaming as a culture can turn to the thousands have to start putting notable film directors, artists, musicians, game story lines and story lines of books or movies is the level of player interaction. upon thousands of game forums, where people and any other talent we can in the industry in order to create Instead of simply observing a story, many discuss games the same way they would discuss something on par with the most artistic of other mediums. Otherwise, we let an amazing opportunity to awe and inspire games let you shape your own story based politics or movies. on your actions and choices. This isn’t some There are celebrities specific only to the game the minds of the future slip right through our hands. cult ure. shallow choose-your-own-adventure story sophomore either. This stuff gets complex. Players make O n l y Morahd Shawki moral choices, forge character relationships gamers m.shawki@elestoque.com and can even change the ending depending w o u l d on what they do. It makes the player think recognize Commentary na me s about their actions and the impact they have on the virtual world. A good game can like Sid inspire as much emotion as any other piece of fiction. Meier, Will Wright, Many argue that only a few games are worthwhile and and Hideo Kojima. most are just mindless fun, but couldn’t you say the same for Gamers regard great anything else? Why does “The Fast and the Furious” get to game developers the A look at video games from the latest to the greatest be counted as art? It’s not exactly a thinker. Just because it’s same way someone a movie, should it automatically get more respect than any would regard famous racing game? painters or directors. Red Dead Redemption (Rated M) Like any other genre of entertainment, games have hits and Jerry Holkins and Price:$59.99 For: Playstation 3, XBOX 360 misses, but when a game hits, it hits as hard as any movie Mike Krahulik of RDR adds to the typically drab Wild West, but the ‘morality system’ does. Roger Ebert, a prolific movie critic, once declared that Penny Arcade are rewards less points for wreaking havoc so the game becomes less fun. video games could never be art, for they could never inspire often recognized on Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (Rated M) the same type of thought as poetry, books, or cinema. Almost the street, as are many Price: $59.99 For: Playstation 3, XBOX 360 immediately he experienced immense backlash from the other game critics and Set in Renaissance Italy, the absorbing plot follows a nobleman in a hunt gaming community. Robert Brockway, a columnist for Cracked. even game players. for revenge, but unlike other games a kill with style will get more points. com, a popular humor website, responded by saying that the In South Korea, the literature Ebert was talking about is very scarce. playing of Starcraft 2 Sid Meier’s Civilization 5 (Rated E) “Sure, most games fail to live up to that criteria. So do most is broadcast all over Price: $49.99 For: Windows XP, Vista, 7, Mac OS X movies, books, paintings and songs,” said Brockway. the country as well “Why should any art critic’s opinion on games matter as the Internet. Star Call of Duty: Black Ops (Rated M) against the opinion of millions and millions who play games players have numerous Price: $ 59.99 For: Playstation 3, XBOX 360 everyday? Numbers are the gaming community’s greatest fans and followers Black Ops entwines the historical Cold War with new elements like a strength, and numbers don’t lie,” says avid gamer freshman from all over the zombie mode and a currency system for better, personalized gameplay. Robert Sulgit. He feels that gamers’ opinions are more world who see them important than critics’. “If games aren’t art, then I don’t know compete for hundreds God of War III (Rated M) Price: $59.99 For: Playstation 3 God of War III has very realistic graphics and allows creative freedom in combat, like switching weapons in combos, but the plot line falls short.
Games that rock our
world
Erin Chiu, Anushka Patil, Vishaka Joshi | El Estoque Photo Illustration
Assassin’ S CREED
BROTHERHOOD
ALAN WAKE Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty (Rated T) Price: $59.99 For: PC: Windows XP, Vista, Mac OS X Halo: Reach (Rated M) Price: $59.99 For: XBOX 360 Multiplayer can keep you absorbed for hours, online or off. Like all Halo games, Reach does not disappoint in weaponry and crude, brutal kills.
STARCRAFT TOURNAMENT Han Kook Club will be heading to the 26th century in outer space. Through a computer game, that is. They’ve hosted tournaments like this before, but none like the Starcraft tournament they’re hoping to take place sometime next January. The difference between this particular tournament and previous ones is the sheer magnitude. “We haven’t done [a tournament] on a big scale like this before,” said senior Chan Hyuk Park, the president of the Han Kook Club. A location is still to be decided, although it definitely won’t take place at MVHS because the school lacks the network system required for a tournament this size. About 65 students will participate, and one of the possible places Park is considering is the nearby Quinlan Center. Cynthia Mao || c.mao@elestoque.org
Rockband 3 (Rated T) Price: $59.99 (game only) For: Wii, XBOX 360, Playstation 3 Unlike others of its kind, Rockband 3 teaches how to play the guitar and keyboard rather than push buttons. It’s a lifetime of lessons for one price. Battlefield Bad Company 2 Ultimate Edition (Rated M) Price: $59.99 For: XBOX 360, Playstation 3 Though many compare it to COD, Battlefield encourages teamwork by giving points to kill assists, and the quality visuals enhance the experience.
Tracy Zhang | El Estoque
Alan Wake (Rated T) Price: $34.99 For: XBOX 360 Playing this game is like being in a movie. Though the storyline limits the game, the graphics are amazing and the cinematic quality is appealing. Arifa Aziz || a.aziz@elestoque.org
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Page 13
A CLOSER LOOK
BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO CALL OF DUTY KDR: Kill to Death Ratio. Sometimes referred to as the KD ratio. The KDR compares your number of kills per number of deaths in every match. Your KDR is tracked throughout every match, which contribute to an overall number. KDR is often used between gamers as a measure of skill level.
Noobtubing: This slang term refers to when a player carries a grenade launcher instead of a gun and blasts his way through a match. Noobtubing is found irritating and is typically frowned upon in the gaming world.
Camping: To camp is to find a corner or hidey-hole from which it’s easy to shoot but difficult to be shot at. For newbies, it’s a great way to take a break from the game... though you might have to watch out for grenades exploding right outside.
Spamming: When you hide out next to an ammo supply and continually restock and reshoot. Like noobtubing, spamming is seen as a cheap way out of actually defending yourself. Try not to take the easy way out and do either.
STEPS TO TAKE 1. Get with the game—literally. Be sure to understand what weapons you can use—there is no time for learning on the go. You might want to know what your objective is too.
3. Don’t skip combat training. Work on improving your coordination—make sure 6. Play online. Welcome to the real world. Hook up your Xbox PS3 or go online, jump that you can play without looking at your controller before you advance to into online multiplayer games, and be prepared to fight for your life. Don’t worry if your KDR playing with the big kids. is low to begin with—you’ll improve...eventually.
2. Figure out the controls. Run, look, soot, launch grenade, jump, etc. You don’t want to look like a dummy. Though, if you’re reading this, chances are you already do.
4. Start with single player campaigns. When you’re starting off, the one person guaranteed to be dumber than you is the computer—capitalize on that.
7. Practice! Gaming isn’t easy stuff to master, so practice, practice, practice. You’re going to be quite an epic fail if you’re an amateur forever, so ease your way up skill levels until you can run, duck, aim, and shoot (all the same time) like the best of them.
3. Don’t skip combat training. Improve your coordination—make sure you can 5. Try multiplayer mode—but play with your friends. They have a tendency to play without looking at your controller before you play with the big kids. be more merciful on newbies than online players are. Pick nice friends.
L A E R D N L U e R h T O W
Tracy Zhang || t.zhang@elestoque.org
Testing the Black Ops field: A nongamer tries her hand
Novice gamer senior Tracy Zhang joins avid gamers for her first gaming experience
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senior Tracy Zhang
t.zhang@elestoque.com
a first-person narrative
his is definitely not my territory. The lights are off, the blinds are drawn. Their eyes are firmly glued to a screen that takes up almost the entire wall. The thudding of computer-synthesized music, punctuated by sounds of shooting and the occasional cuss word create the perfect backdrop for my first taste of real video games Black Ops. From the first step into the room,
I can tell that it’s going to be hard to keep up a conversation with seniors Ajit Ravisaravanan and Akshat Keshan, who each have a controller in hand and are in the process of duking it out on the screen. Ravisaravanan’s greeting is cut short by Keshan’s shout of “Where are you? I can’t find anyone!” Neither of them look up. I get the feeling that I’m interrupting something almost sacred in its intensity. So rather than intrude, I retreat to the far corner of the sofa and just watch. The figures bouncing around on the split screen are hard to follow—are they on the same side? Are they killing each other? Are they playing online? Senior Karthik Kumaveral, who showed me up the stairs, smiles in amusement at my confusion and offers a simple explanation. “They’re playing some other random dudes online.” “Or maybe some other random girls,” quips one of the boys with a controller, not missing a beat as he fires a new round into what looks likes nothing but the
landscape. I guess I’m wrong—there’s the sound of return fire, the screen flashes red, and snickers come from the other two. All the action is overwhelming, and so I take a moment’s mental break from watching the game, but just when I stop paying attention all three erupt in cheers. “He got the game winning grenade!” Controllers are chucked down, hands thrown in the air, and they all sit back and watch the killcam in satisfaction. I guess this is the end of the match, but I feel like I’ve understood nothing in the last 15 minutes. After the cheers die down, Kumavarel to turns to me, holds out a controller, and says in an ominously cheery voice “your turn!” Well, I can tell you it wasn’t pretty. The screen is split into fourths and for the first 30 seconds, I’m not even sure which one is mine. Once I figure that out, I need to know which of them is my teammate— another 30 seconds. And then, oh yes, how to move. As I struggle with the controllers, Keshan explains to me that the coordination of the motion controller and the screen view controller is normally the hardest thing to manage for newbies like me. For someone who has difficulty walking and checking her phone at the same time, using
both thumbs to run and shoot at the same time is an absolute overload. The match is, to put it lightly, immensely frustrating. I spend the majority of the time jumping around—which I am quickly told to stop as that just draws attention to myself— and pressing the “X” button to “respawn” after being shot. My Kill to Death Ratio? Somewhere around 0:20. After Ravisaravanan and Keshan leave, it’s just me and Kumavarel, who patiently takes me through combat training. Perhaps because I’m playing against a computer set at the easiest level possible, I finally get my first kill, which is more thrilling than I thought it could be. The two of us are out in the open, weapons drawn, furiously firing. And then the computer-controlled robot just flops over. At first, my thumb automatically goes to hit “X” to respawn, and I just stand there until I realize that I’m not dead. Despite all the hype about how video game violence is detrimental to society and the future of the human race, I can see how it can become addicting. The minor adrenaline rush and the excitement of success are unexpected side effects. My first kill earns me a high-five from my very amused mentor. Four matches later, my KDR is up to 8:20 and I’m finally getting the hang of not getting stuck in corners. I manage to relax a bit while trying to defend myself from the latest onslaught of bullets raining down from the attack helicopter overhead. My initial apprehension and overall awkwardness is entirely gone. I can keep up a semi-intelligent conversation while running around on screen. I’m starting to enjoy this. “Are you still trying to concentrate?” Karthik asks me. I shrug. “Good. It’s when you stop concentrating that you get good.” So call me the next world-class gamer. Tracy Zhang || t.zhang@elestoque.org
A Gamer’s World:
Junior’s dedication makes gaming more than a hobby
Junior Nick Kau’s knowledge about gaming fuels his zeal for games—from Munch’s Oddysee to COD: Black Ops
“Let’s go play Black Ops!” For junior Nick Kau and his friends, this phrase— always infused with anticipation—has become the most common expression after the release of the month-old XBox game, Call of Duty: Black Ops. Every spare moment of his time is spent playing this game. Forty-five minute lunch periods are for him and his friends to dash home and switch on the XBox to squeeze in some playing time. They immerse themselves in re-creations of CIA black operations during the Cold War, acting as historical characters such as John F. Kennedy and Fidel Castro. For Kau, playing video games, whether or not it’s Black Ops, is not just a way to kill time; it’s become a form of communication between people from close friends to complete strangers. Kau has been active in the gaming world since the sixth grade. The first game he ever played was Munch’s Oddysee that was Roxana Wiswell | El Estoque Photo Illustration
released in 2001, a sequel to the five part series Oddworld on the original XBox. Since then, it’s been game after game, improving his techniques and gaining understanding of complex strategies that can be applied to more than one game. According to Kau, there are a lot more people in the gaming culture now, as more and more people hear about it and connect with their friends on the gaming consoles. “It definitely got more intense,” Kau said. “Before it was an online (multiplayer) experience, everything was not competitive. Multiplayer gaming [has] lots of people playing with each other, in almost a ‘me versus you’ duking it out way. But overall if you have a good committee with you it’s a really good experience and it makes the game last so much longer.” The multiplayer system allows him to chat with his friends through headphones in the context of the game, often adding to the excitement and rivalry with a few swear words thrown in
here and there. “Once I finish the single player experience, I want something I can still play so the game doesn’t just burn out,” Kau said, “If [Call of Duty] didn’t have multiplayer, I’d be done in three days and probably never go back to it.” Being as on top of the newest video games as he is, Kau bought Call of Duty: Black Ops. True, many have jumped on the bandwagon and fallen victim to the hype, but Kau noted that it’s the both the more advanced skill needed to play and the novelty of the smaller details that make the game as appealing as it is. “They bring back the hit detection of the guns and they lower the damage of the bullets and increase the health of the player,” Kau said. “This still keeps Call of Duty as a twitch shooter but it takes more skill to kill others.” Something new, something unexpected, and something no one has ever done before falls under Kau’s criteria for a good
video game. The uniqueness of the zombie mode in Black Ops, in which the characters battle zombies in the Pentagon, contributes to the long-term continuation of fun that Kau has also stated as a positive aspect of a game. A few weeks ago, Kau and junior Eric Hu were playing this four-player zombie mode with just the two of them. One round of this game lasted them an hour and thirty minutes: an hour and thirty minutes of screaming and heightening adrenaline rushes as they gained levels by killing the forthcoming zombies. But whether it’s going back almost a decade with Munch’s Oddysee or experiencing the intensity of Black Ops, Kau has improved his skills at gaming through the process of watching and learning from others with more expertise. He has been able to develop his own skills as a player and compete in the gaming culture. Ashley Wu || A.wu@elestoque.org
WAR OF THE WORLDS
Dec. 8, 2010
A CLOSER LOOK
Page 14
When the game world and real world collide, students get caught in the middle
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or freshman Robert Sulgit, it began with Grand Theft Auto IV. His brother had just gotten the game, and eventually Sulgit had invested over 150 hours playing it. Then Sulgit’s brother got a Game Boy Advance with a backlit screen from China. “I’d take that and go in my room and I’d go to bed,” Sulgit said, making air quotes for the last three words. “And I’d play Pokémon. Good times.” “Good times,” agreed sophomore Nikitas Kanellakopoulos, remembering his own Pokémon days starting with Emerald Version. Both students are self-proclaimed gamers who have found the balance between video games and the rest of their lives. “I knew I got addicted to the [‘Halo: Reach’] campaign because on Sunday I had played it and I was right at this part where it was really intense and I had to stop,” Kanellakopoulos said. “Then, literally, the only thing I thought about for all of Monday was ‘Halo: Reach.’ I swear to God, I did not focus on any of my classes.” Both Sulgit and Kanellakopoulos speak of an addiction to the games lightly, but what separates them from true addicts is that they understand their gaming does not always come first. Sulgit explained he has his own gaming down to a cycle. Once school is out on Friday, he can bike home and be playing by 3:15 p.m. until one in the morning, but this is reserved for a day when school can be set aside for a while. Kanellakopoulos said he had once played “Assassin’s Creed II” when it was released for hours everyday after school, but only after he had already finished all of his work for his classes that week. “Basically the moral of this is that—” Kanellakopoulos began. “Games are addicting,” Sulgit said. “Yeah, games are as addicting as hell and you have to learn how to balance them,” Kanellakopoulos finished. From the expert The majority of MVHS students spend three hours or less playing video games each week according to a recent survey. What is surprising is the eight percent who play 10 hours or more. While those avid eight percent of gamers play often, what separates a true addiction from normal enjoyment is how much the games interfere with a person’s life. Addicted students fail to prioritize their family, their grades, and their friends. They are motivated by the instant gratification achieved by playing a video game.
Student Advocate Richard Prinz stated that one of the symptoms of addiction is denying the problem exists. A long-term smoker may say he can quit any day he wants to the same way a video game addict may say his relationship to his console is not an issue. Without taking this first step of acceptance, Prinz states, “A lot of the times, there’s talk of, ‘Oh, I have it under control. It’s not a problem. I know what I’m doing...Everything will be fine.’” For Prinz, oftentimes he encounters situations of video game or computer addiction through concerned parents who see their child’s grades drop or health habits fall. With Prinz, the family may try to solve the problem by helping them realize their addiction and then taking the necessary steps to reduce the amount of time spent with their vice. Video game addiction has not yet been recognized by the American Medical Association as a mental illness, but it is serious enough to warrant the existence of specialized residential treatment centers, similar to rehabilitation centers that exist for alcoholics. The process of helping video game addicts is as complicated as for any other addiction. Every solution is specific to the individual, and depending on the case video game addiction may not even be the problem, but a symptom. An example Prinz provided is that a student who has recently moved away from his home may substitute the task of making new friends with the less intimidating task of forming a social life by playing with other gamers online. “[The game’s] reality might be more exciting, more stimulating than this reality,” Prinz said. “When you’re in this reality, you’re not excited by it. [You] don’t want to play this game. [A video game] is more exciting—more instant gratification.” The appeal of virtual worlds is something many gamers can understand. From the first-person shooter “BioShock” to the roleplaying games of “Fable 3” and the “Fallout” series, video games have evolved to be as complex as the addictions they may cause. “You are the character,” Sulgit said. “You shape the entire world.” Natalie Chan||
CLOCKING IN Most students find balance, playing less than three hours a week.
41% 31% 13% 31% 8%
0 hours 1 to 3 hours 4 to 6 hours 7 to 9 hours 10+ hours
But when students do play , they usually choose single player games. single player games multimember online games none
n.chan@elestoque.org
other
68% 46% 20% 10%
(Respondents were able to check more than one box, so percentages may add up to more 100%.)
Most students own zero or more than nine games.
22% 8% 17% 9% 6% 37%
0 games 1 to 2 games 3 to 4 games 5 to 6 games 7 to 8 games 9+ games * from a survey of 156 students
GAME OVER
Roxana Wiswell, Ashley Wu, Tracy Zhang | El Estoque Photo Illustration
Dec. 8, 2010
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ENTERTAINMENT
Dumbledore’s Army presents a world of Harry Potter
“Our main purpose is to have a place for people to just be themselves,
think about something other than SATs and grades and GPAs,
just get away from it all, and enter a
T
fantasy world.”
Mansi Pathak and Christophe Haubursin | El Estoque Photo Illustration
MAGIC CARDS Senior Stella Ziegler reads tarrot cards at a Divination meeting of Dumbledore’s Army on Dec. 3. Meetings involve witch and wizard activities, such as potion making, Wizard Chess, and a soon-to-be Quidditch team.
wo combatants stand back-to-back, prepared to walk forward three steps, and then turn and cast spells at each other. “Get on center!” senior Anna Crouch shouted at them, pointing to the gold, circular floor power outlet next to the two opponents. “I can’t stand things that are off center!” “Just like your nose?” senior Andrew Erickson joked. Even in the supposedly tense atmosphere, the entire room of twenty or so students erupted into laughter. Welcome to Dumbledore’s Army. Their motto? If you think Harry Potter should be taken very seriously, don’t. Dumbledore’s Army Head of Gryffindor senior Rachel Beck started thinking about creating the club last January. “I got captivated by the name of ‘Dumbledore’s Army.’ I just thought it sounded so cool,” Beck said. For the Heads of Houses, creating a Harry Potterthemed club was a no-brainer. “There are a lot of Harry Potter fans on campus, especially if you know where to look. And so we thought we’d just find a way to bring them all together,” said Erickson, Head of Hufflepuff. Members of the club have enjoyed the fun atmosphere that the club has created. “I see Homer Simpson!” cried freshman Rafael Ruiz during a session on tea-leaf reading on Dec. 3, after looking at the tea leaves at the bottom of his small, paper cup. Everyone standing around him exploded in laughter and crowded around the grey-clothed student, eager to see the comedic face within the cup for themselves. Later, sophomore Danica Mavroudis tried her hand at divinination. “Will I do good on my math final?” she asked a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince before closing her eyes, turning a random page, and pointing her finger down. “Felix Felicis!” she cried out in happiness, because she landed on the name of a potion that meant good luck. Her friend, sophomore Kate Mulligan, watched on as Mavroudis celebrated. “It’s really fun to be able to come together and just like talk about the books or just play some really crazy games that you’d feel stupid doing anywhere else,” Mulligan said. And crazy it has been. Members of Ravenclaw have skipped from location to location while participating in the club’s Horcrux hunt. Students have giggled uncontrollably as they created non-edible potions. But just wait until the club begins hosting matches of Muggle Quidditch—that is, the famous Harry Potter sport adapted for those magically disinclined—second semester. Ordinary students running around with broomsticks between their legs—now that will be something quite magical to see. Daniel Tan || d.tan@elestoque.org
Music, spirit, and dance teams step up skill for showcase audience
Annual winter showcase provides graceful thrills with Candyland-themed presentation
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ifts, stunts, and turns. The audience experienced an entire array of impossible-looking feats in the glow of bright auditorium lights on Dec. 4 in the Main Gym at the annual Winter Showcase, hosted by the Dance Team. Each year, the Marquesas host two showcases, one in the spring and one in the winter, in order to perform their newest routines they have prepared for the upcoming competition season, which starts at the beginning of second semester. “The winter show is like a preview, so we work really hard. Every day, we practice for two and a half hours to make sure the routine looks good and to make sure that everyone is doing the same thing,” sophomore Lyan Cogan said. Candy-shaped posters and bright streamers were everywhere, contributing to the theme of this year’s showcase, Candyland. “All the underclassmen did the decorations. We usually met at lunch to make posters to promote the show and to put inside the actual Gym and the Gym Lobby,” Cogan said. Four routines, along with the opening and closing routines, were performed: Large, Medium, Kick, and Small. Each featured a different style of dance and varying types of music, ranging from fast, catchy beats to slow ballads. The dance team officers performed solo routines. One particularly notable routine was Basement Jaxx’s “Scars,” performed by senior co-captain Carolyn Chang, which was original, intense, and fierce.
The spirit squads, Cheer and Song, also performed their respective competition routines at the showcase. Like the Marquesas, the spirit squads did not find preparations for the showcase easy. “We’ve been trying to reach a more advanced level of stunting, so we’ve been practicing more with both of our coaches,” senior cheerleader Sarah Hsu said. “We hit all the stunts we’ve been working on, and our motions were sharply executed.” The showcase also had guest performances by junior Jacob Lui and sophomore Cathy Ang, the Cupertino High School hiphop team, and MVHS Bhangra. “We’re excited that these performers agreed to join us, especially because they represent the diverse dance and music groups of the district,” Maxwell said. The show’s performance list had been changed a few times before the final listing was set in stone, and, along with other miscommunications, created an air of confusion for the performers, as well as audience members who had been planning to attend ahead of time. However, the problems were eventually settled by the dance team officers, who also produced the show. The showcase turned out to be a success and the audience’s pleasure was evident in the loud cheers and posters seen throughout the stands. The showcase was an exciting event that rid students of the monotony of studying for finals, and stands to become an
Amanda Chen | El Estoque
DANCELAND The dance team performs to the Beauty and the Beast song “Be Our Guest” at the annual winter showcase on Dec. 4. The show featured performances by spirit teams as well as guest performers. annual tradition here at MVHS. “It was very emotional. The dance show was full of energy and excitement, and it was amazing to see the girls come together,” junior Yoyo Wang said. Tina Hsu || t.hsu@elestoque.org
SPORTS
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Dec. 8, 2010
feet and knees
If you’re right-handed, your right foot should be slightly forward and left foot back. Knees should be bent and feet should be about shoulder-width apart. When you bring the ball up to shoot, extend your knees. When you release the ball your body should be upright.
hands
Always hold the ball on your fingertips, leaving a visible space between the ball and your palm. When shooting, follow through with your shooting hand, snapping your wrist forward. Your guide hand should be fully extended.
before your shot
Jacqueline Barr | El Estoque
S T
C E
F R
E P
T
E H
Toe Touches Hold for five seconds to stretch out shins and hamstrings. Frankensteins Kick up leg 90 degrees with foot flexed. Walk forward as you kick.
T O H
SHOOTOUT Senior Ryan Michelfelder demonstrates perfect form for a free throw on Dec. 2. Michelfelder is a guard on the varsity team this year. HOT SHOT Mani Messy played basketball professionally before coaching at MVHS.
“To build your shot, you don’t just walk into the gym and start shooting from the three-point line. You want to get a little sweat going.” — varsity boys basketball coach
Mani Messy
Scott Hyon | El Estoque
Mansi Pathak || m.pathak@elestoque.org
WRESTLING With almost 25 members on the wrestling team this year, the boys are in a strong position for the upcoming season. The junior varsity wrestlers attended their first tournament on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 in Santa Cruz. Despite outsiders’ low expectations of the team, due to its small size, the Matadors hope to prove their wrestling prowess at their first league match on Dec. 16 at Palo Alto.
VARSITY BOYS SOCCER On Nov. 29, the varsity boys soccer team tied Live Oak 0-0 after winning its first preseason game 2-1 against Terra Nova on Nov. 23. The team lost to Serra on Dec. 1 with a score of 0-4, but hopes that everyday practices will pay off at the team’s next away game against Mountain View on Dec. 15. Elvin Wong | El Estoque
sportsnow TEAM UPDATES
Elvin Wong | El Estoque
VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER After a 2-0 victory against Saratoga on Nov. 29 and a 1-2 loss to Valley Christian on Dec. 2, the varsity girls soccer team faces an uphill battle for league play. The Matadors will play Gilroy on Dec. 8 for their fourth preseason game, and after seven preseason games, the league games will start with the first game at Mountain View on Jan. 5.
VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL The varsity boys basketball team played in its first tournament of the season at Westmont from Dec. 1 to Dec. 3. Coach Mani Messy will focus on character building, rather than just playing the sport. The team took sixth place in a tournament on Dec. 2. The team will play in the upcoming tournament at Lynbrook from Dec. 9 to Dec. 11 and at Lincoln on Dec. 16. League games begin on Jan. 7, with varsity playing Wilcox. Elvin Wong | El Estoque
Erin Chiu | El Estoque
SPORTS
Dec. 8, 2010
Page 17
Underdogs in a new league
Moving up presents brand new challenge for varsity girls basketball
Kevin Tsukii | El Estoque
GOING FOR THE BALL Senior Melissa Wang grabs a rebound in a scrimmage at Homestead High School on Oct. 29. MVHS lost 46-60 to Notre Dame on Dec. 2.
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oach Sarah Borelli watches, head in hands, as her team lines up around the key for the yet another free throw. The opposing player shoots and drains one shot after the other. The girls varsity basketball team was outmatched against American High School. MVHS will likely be the underdogs this season after moving up to the De Anza League. They will be facing tough competition, but not as tough as AHS, which plays in a league above MVHS’ new league. Despite a very lopsided final score, the Matadors kept the pressure on, continuing to
score in each quarter of their scrimmage. “We’re still trying to find our team chemistry. [Before this scrimmage,] we had only had four practices as a whole team,” senior Alexandra Chiu said. Two preseason scrimmages have set the tone for the team’s dynamic. Though scores aren’t recorded for scrimmages, MVHS lost against the higher-league team AHS and played evenly with lower-league team Homestead High School. “We’re a small team, but we play big,” Borelli said, alluding to the loss of 5’11’’ class of 2010 alumna Victoria Lee. With all team
members under 5’7”, the team is focusing on speed to make up for lack of height. Because of the shift to quickness and endurance, conditioning has become a big part of the team’s preseason regimen. Last year, the team focused on conditioning during the season, running for mistakes in games, like turnovers and free throws missed. But now the team is getting a preseason head start, running a timed mile each week and some form of timed run in every practice and tracking their progress in notebooks that Borelli purchased. In the past, all the starters graduated. But this year, the Matadors will have two returning starters, Chiu and junior Steffanie Sum, experienced players who are gearing up to lead the team. Sum feels that her role is to support the team as they take on the competition from the De Anza League. She now knows it can be hard for new players to adjust to the varsity level. Last year, she had her sister, alumna Kelli Sum, as an example. “If I didn’t have my sister, I [would have been] really intimidated,” Sum said. “This year, I feel like I have to take the role of my sister and take underclassmen or any new players under my wing.” Another key figure in the team’s adjustment is Chiu, a returning starter and team leader, who has been part of the varsity squad since her freshman year. “I try to show by example,” Chiu said. “I help [my teammates] feel comfortable playing at this level.” She is on the same page as her coach as far as understanding the need for conditioning. “I think the team is capable of the speed,” Chiu said. “On defense, I’m not seeing it just yet.” Borelli agrees, and takes a tough-love approach in her active coaching. “Game speed!” she yells in practice, reminding her team to go hard. When she steps out of the gym for a few moments, the team doesn’t slack. They self-start the drill, sweating, panting, and running at speed. “Let’s go, ladies, keep it up!” Sum said. The Nov. 29 scrimmage against HHS showed major improvement in teamwork. “We’re still working on getting those plays down. But they couldn’t get past our press,” Sum said. “It was definitely better on defense.” With a different pre-season approach this year, the team hopes to keep up with their new league in the coming season. Roxana Wiswell || r.wiswell@elestoque.org
Varsity boys soccer shifts strategy for new season Moving down to El Camino League will help team reach goal for CCS
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o out to watch the varsity boys soccer team this year and you’ll find a group of players providing each other with encouragement and constructive criticism mixed in. Though you’d expect this type of communication from a sports team, this was uncharacteristic of the boys last year. At the start of the new season, the boys soccer team knew that in order to win, the teammates needed to find a good balance between skill and teamwork. Coming out of a disappointing season last year with a record of 1-10-1, the team knows what it has to do to reach its goal of going to CCS, and believes that being moved down from the De Anza League to the El Camino league this season will be to its advantage in terms of reaching this goal. Although there are many younger players this year that have been moved up to replace the 2010 graduates, science teacher and varsity boys soccer coach Mia Onodera hopes that taking on one freshman, four sophomores, and seven juniors will bring some consistency to the team in future years. “We win some great games and then we lose silly matches,” Onodera said. “Hopefully we can start getting several wins in a row.” Last year, the team took advantage of the larger size of the players to get by opponents and into scoring opportunities. This season, however, having a younger team brings it a new focus—and a new strategy. The majority of the team plays on club soccer teams, which have been helping it build up its skill levels for years. Along with teamwork, Onodera plans on emphasizing the use of the skill that much of the team has. This is different from last year, where many of the players joined the school team because they didn’t have time to play on a club team. In conjunction with improving skill and teamwork, the boys plan on building communication off the field through team bonding activities
Jacqueline Barr | El Estoque
UP THE FIELD The varsity boys soccer team practices in a half field scrimmage on Dec. 2. such as team dinners. The team believes that spending more time together will greatly improve their chances of getting to CCS. “Last year, we would always just be yelling and nagging each other all the time, and I think that’s why we didn’t get many wins,” said senior Jeremy Dor. “I definitely think that communication is key this season.” With new personalities and skill level, the team is already showing promise. With a 2-1 win at a scrimmage against Terra Nova on Nov. 23, the varsity boys soccer team is hopeful that they can continue with a winning streak. Erin Chiu || e.chiu@elestoque.org
New basketball coach could be the difference
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atching him pace along the sidelines in front of the Matador bench, you wouldn’t know that Mani Messy played professional basketball. After playing for Seton Hall in college and then competing professionally in Europe, Messy has returned to the Bay Area to coach, and has ended up at the helm of the MVHS varsity basketball team. His relative prominence in the basketball world confirms that he knows a thing or two about the sport. But will that be enough to help Messy, who has limited coaching experience, lead the varsity team to a second straight league title? His chances are better than you might think. A former player has already found success coaching at MVHS, where professional pitcher Brian Sullivan took the varsity baseball team to an El Camino title in his first year as head coach. And on an even more dramatic scale, a past star revived a team just a short drive north to Palo Alto. In 2007, Jim Harbaugh took over a Stanford Univer sit y football team that was reeling. In five straight losing seasons under two unsuccessful JOSEPH BEYDA coaches, the j.beyda@elestoque.org Cardinal had a total record of 1640, capped off by a 1-11 performance in 2006. After an illustrious, 14year, Pro-Bowl career in the NFL, Harbaugh came to Stanford with no coaching experience at the Division I-A level. But he got to work nonetheless, hoping to make his mark on a program that had seen celebrated coaches such as Pop Warner and Bill Walsh. Harbaugh’s energetic approach sent shockwaves throughout the Stanford program. In regards to the top-ranked University of Southern California, he proclaimed before his first season, “We bow to no program here at Stanford University.” A bit presumptuous of a statement, coming from a 1-11 squad. But Stanford, favored to lose by 41 points, would shock the sporting world by beating the then-seen-asunstoppable Trojans in the biggest statistical upset in college football history (in terms of point spread), 24-23. That year Stanford would only have four wins, but things were on the upswing. In 2008 the team won five games; in 2009 it won eight and went to its first bowl game since 2001. And in 2010, the Cardinal has posted arguably its best season in school history: going 11-1, sitting at fourth in the BCS Standings, and waiting to play in a prestigious bowl game in the coming month. In four years, Harbaugh pulled off a complete turnaround, turning an 11-loss team into an 11-win team. How did he do it? By making the most of his NFL experience. Harbaugh’s coaching style, often described as “no-nonsense,” focuses on winning with what works instead of what’s pretty. The former quarterback also used his knowledge of the position to help shape star junior Andrew Luck, who tops many lists of Heisman Trophy candidates and NFL prospects. And that’s exactly how Messy can work wonders for the Matadors. A forward himself, Messy will have the opportunity to shape forwards such as Justin Huang, one of only two seniors on the team. Messy has also demonstrated a “nononsense” attitude, cutting all but four of the returning players—Michelfelder, Huang, and juniors Andrew Hsu and Mihir Chavan—from the squad. If the story of Jim Harbaugh and Stanford is any indication, Messy’s decision might just work. And if it does, the Matadors have a shot at the league title.
The Beyda test
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SPORTS
Dec. 8, 2010
Boys basketball returns just four
New coach brings back two seniors, two juniors; team looks to defend El Camino league title
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here were more than a couple of new faces when the varsity basketball team took the court on Dec. 1, opening their defense of the El Camino League title. Since last February, new head coach Mani Messy and 12 young players have joined the squad, which only returns two seniors. “When I first came in, I didn’t say, ‘You were here last year, so you’re going to make the team,’” Messy, a former professional player in the Euroleagues, said. “It pretty much was an open field for everybody.” Senior forward Justin Huang was surprised that so few of his teammates from last year made the cut, but he attributes the change to the quality of the younger players. “The underclassmen are really good,” he said. “They have a lot more talent than our class.” Huang thinks that his new teammates will fit well into this year’s system, which strays from last season’s freelance, star-focused play style. “This year the offense is a lot more structured,” he said. “There’s a script you follow, but it also offers freedom to do what you want, so it’s a good combination. I feel like this year, all the talents are used evenly.” That’s exactly how things happened against Valley Christian High School on Dec. 1. The Matadors spread around the scoring, with five sophomores and juniors on the board in a losing 39-49 effort. MVHS tied the score late in the second half, but could only come up with three points in a third quarter that was full of turnovers. “In the first half we played pretty well, played them even,” said guard Ryan Michelfelder, the only other senior on the team. “And then at the start of the second half, we just tanked. If we can prevent that
from happening again, we should be a lot more successful.” The Matadors would end on a 10-2 run, but it was too little, too late. The loss wasn’t too discouraging for the team since the final group has only been practicing together for a couple of weeks. “We just want to learn how to compete and execute the stuff that we’ve been going through in practice,” Messy said. “If that leads to a win, great. As long as we’re taking steps forward each game, and we’re always maximizing our efforts, that’s the main thing we want to see out of these guys.” MVHS did make strides in its second game, a 47-42 win over Prospect High School on Dec. 2, before falling to Westmont High School the following day. The Matadors still have time to get up to game speed—MVHS lost its first game last year in the very same tournament by a nearly identical 41-49 margin. The Matadors started last season with a 4-8 record in out-of-league play before taking El Camino with a 9-3 record against league teams. League play begins on Jan. 7 against Wilcox, which moved down from the De Anza League before the season. MVHS would have moved up, but Lynbrook and Cupertino performed better in postseason play. The new El Camino members could present a challenge to the Matadors, but Huang still thinks that the squad has a good chance of a repeat. “I definitely think the system is better and we are better,” he said. “If we do what we’re supposed to do, and remain professional, and remain focused, we are going to have a good season.” Joseph Beyda || j.beyda@elestoque.org
Joseph Beyda | El Estoque
GOING TO THE HOOP Senior forward Justin Huang does a lay-up in the Dec. 1 season opener against Valley Christian High School. Despite an even start, the game ended with a 39-49 loss.
Sophomore ice hockey player scouted by East-coast schools After winning state championship on Blackhawks, McDowell considers a future in hockey
Photo courtesy of Mark McDowell
THROWING THE SHOULDER Sophomore Mark McDowell knocks down a player in a game against the San Diego Saints on Nov. 16 in Valencia.
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ompared to other youth sports like soccer and basketball, there are few options when it comes to playing youth ice hockey in California. The chances become even fewer and far between in the city of Cupertino—the only rink, the Ice Chalet in Cupertino Square. Nevertheless, sophomore
Mark McDowell moved to Cupertino, went to the Vallco Fashion Park ice rink, and got hooked on hockey. “I was at the arcade overlooking the rink. I saw the rink and thought that it’d be a lot of fun to play,” McDowell said. “I told my parents that I wanted to play and my parents
said it was okay.” Eight years later, McDowell is a recruited high school hockey player with a state championship under his belt. He is a defender for a club team called the Santa Clara Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are part of the California Amateur Hockey Association and play in the Northern California division. McDowell’s Blackhawks compete against the 13 other teams from across the state in a U-16 division. Last year the Blackhawks had a successful run at the state level that ended with the title as state champions. The Blackhawks benefit from coaches and parents who know the game, from personal experience, and from the commentators box. “Jamie Baker is our coach, he used to play on the Sharks. And Randy Hahn’s son is on our team,” McDowell said. Baker played for the Sharks for three seasons and is currently the color commentator for Sharks radio broadcast on KFOX. Hahn is the long-time commentator for the Sharks televised broadcast on Comcast Sports Network. “It is definitely helpful to have coaches and parents that know the sport so well,” McDowell said. “We are better because of them.” McDowell started playing in higher level leagues for higher level teams like the Blackhawks starting four years ago. “I didn’t have enough time to continue
playing competitive hockey at the level that I was without having to give up something else.” McDowell gave up being a multi-sport athlete to make hockey a priority. “I played a lot of sports in middle school. My experience with other sports like basketball improved my hand-eye coordination and positioning as a defender,” McDowell said. Winning a state championship in any sport would result in drawing the attention of scouts. But because of the very small hockey community and lack of high school hockey teams in the bay area, McDowell’s hopes of stepping on the ice as a member of a college team might require some flexibility. McDowell was scouted by two schools from the east coast, Tilton in New Hampshire and Brooks in Massachusetts. “Some schools from the East coast sent out scouts to watch the California state championship games,” he said. McDowell is most interested in Brooks. However, the school requires McDowell to apply, but also to redo the tenth grade so that he can play on their team for three years. “My parents support me whether I want to go or not. I’ve definitely been researching and thinking about it,” McDowell said. “Many of the players who graduate from those high schools end up playing in college, something that I want to eventually do.” Jordan Lim || j.lim@elestoque.org
Dec. 8, 2010
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ENTERTAINMENT
Dumbledore’s Army presents a world of Harry Potter
“Our main purpose is to have a place for people to just be themselves,
think about something other than SATs and grades and GPAs,
just get away from it all, and enter a
T
fantasy world.”
Mansi Pathak and Christophe Haubursin | El Estoque Photo Illustration
MAGIC CARDS Senior Stella Ziegler reads tarot cards at a Divination meeting of Dumbledore’s Army on Dec. 3. Meetings involve witch and wizard activities, such as potion making, Wizard Chess, and a soon-to-be Quidditch team.
wo combatants stand back-to-back, prepared to walk forward three steps, and then turn and cast spells at each other. “Get on center!” senior Anna Crouch shouted at them, pointing to the gold, circular floor power outlet next to the two opponents. “I can’t stand things that are off center!” “Just like your nose?” senior Andrew Erickson joked. Even in the supposedly tense atmosphere, the entire room of twenty or so students erupted into laughter. Welcome to Dumbledore’s Army. Their motto? If you think Harry Potter should be taken very seriously, don’t. Dumbledore’s Army Head of Gryffindor senior Rachel Beck started thinking about creating the club last January. “I got captivated by the name of ‘Dumbledore’s Army.’ I just thought it sounded so cool,” Beck said. For the Heads of Houses, creating a Harry Potterthemed club was a no-brainer. “There are a lot of Harry Potter fans on campus, especially if you know where to look. And so we thought we’d just find a way to bring them all together,” said Erickson, Head of Hufflepuff. Members of the club have enjoyed the fun atmosphere that the club has created. “I see Homer Simpson!” cried freshman Rafael Ruiz during a session on tea-leaf reading on Dec. 3, after looking at the tea leaves at the bottom of his small, paper cup. Everyone standing around him exploded in laughter and crowded around the grey-clothed student, eager to see the comedic face within the cup for themselves. Later, sophomore Danica Mavroudis tried her hand at divination. “Will I do good on my math final?” she asked a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince before closing her eyes, turning a random page, and pointing her finger down. “Felix Felicis!” she cried out in happiness, because she landed on the name of a potion that meant good luck. Her friend, sophomore Kate Mulligan, watched on as Mavroudis celebrated. “It’s really fun to be able to come together and just like talk about the books or just play some really crazy games that you’d feel stupid doing anywhere else,” Mulligan said. And crazy it has been. Members of Ravenclaw have skipped from location to location while participating in the club’s Horcrux hunt. Students have giggled uncontrollably as they created non-edible potions. But just wait until the club begins hosting matches of Muggle Quidditch—that is, the famous Harry Potter sport adapted for those magically disinclined—second semester. Ordinary students running around with broomsticks between their legs—now that will be something quite magical to see. Daniel Tan || d.tan@elestoque.org
Music, spirit, and dance teams step up skill for showcase audience
Annual winter showcase provides graceful thrills with Candyland-themed presentation
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ifts, stunts, and turns. The audience experienced an entire array of impossible-looking feats in the glow of bright auditorium lights on Dec. 4 in the Main Gym at the annual Winter Showcase, hosted by the Dance Team. Each year, the Marquesas host two showcases, one in the spring and one in the winter, in order to perform their newest routines they have prepared for the upcoming competition season, which starts at the beginning of second semester. “The winter show is like a preview, so we work really hard. Every day, we practice for two and a half hours to make sure the routine looks good and to make sure that everyone is doing the same thing,” sophomore Lyan Cogan said. Candy-shaped posters and bright streamers were everywhere, contributing to the theme of this year’s showcase, Candyland. “All the underclassmen did the decorations. We usually met at lunch to make posters to promote the show and to put inside the actual Gym and the Gym Lobby,” Cogan said. Four routines, along with the opening and closing routines, were performed: Large, Medium, Kick, and Small. Each featured a different style of dance and varying types of music, ranging from fast, catchy beats to slow ballads. The dance team officers performed solo routines. One particularly notable routine was Basement Jaxx’s “Scars,” performed by senior co-captain Carolyn Chang, which was original, intense, and fierce.
The spirit squads, Cheer and Song, also performed their respective competition routines at the showcase. Like the Marquesas, the spirit squads did not find preparations for the showcase easy. “We’ve been trying to reach a more advanced level of stunting, so we’ve been practicing more with both of our coaches,” senior cheerleader Sarah Hsu said. “We hit all the stunts we’ve been working on, and our motions were sharply executed.” The showcase also had guest performances by junior Jacob Lui and sophomore Cathy Ang, the Cupertino High School hiphop team, and MVHS Bhangra. “We’re excited that these performers agreed to join us, especially because they represent the diverse dance and music groups of the district,” Maxwell said. The show’s performance list had been changed a few times before the final listing was set in stone, and, along with other miscommunications, created an air of confusion for the performers, as well as audience members who had been planning to attend ahead of time. However, the problems were eventually settled by the dance team officers, who also produced the show. The showcase turned out to be a success and the audience’s pleasure was evident in the loud cheers and posters seen throughout the stands. The showcase was an exciting event that rid students of the monotony of studying for finals, and stands to become an
Amanda Chen | El Estoque
DANCELAND The dance team performs to the Beauty and the Beast song “Be Our Guest” at the annual winter showcase on Dec. 4. The show featured performances by spirit teams as well as guest performers. annual tradition here at MVHS. “It was very emotional. The dance show was full of energy and excitement, and it was amazing to see the girls come together,” junior Yoyo Wang said. Tina Hsu || t.hsu@elestoque.org
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 20
Dec. 8, 2010
Korean pop offers fun, upbeat rhythm Wearied by the mainstream, students turn to the genre as an alternative style of music
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crolling through Youtube’s most viewed videos, you find something that looks like a music video. Click. A catchy club beat vibrates in the background, lights flash and you see shadowy figures standing underneath the strobe lights. They turn around, looking sharp in their magnificent tuxedos and they begin to dance. You are happy, captivated, excited, and then you realize—the words aren’t in English. Many students, unsatisfied with the current mainstream American music trends are now looking to Korean Pop music to provide them with the kind of sound that is appealing and entertaining, and that doesn’t stray too far from the familiar beats and rhythms of mainstream music. “American music sucks now because its all about sex and drugs...I like Asian music because its different from American music,” said senior Olivia Lin. Many people, like Lin, have turned to Korean pop music as an alternative to the mainstream because they are tired of the inappropriate and unseemly lyrics that recent mainstream American music entails. “[Korean pop] is...a really nice break from the mainstream...some of the songs [in the mainstream] are repetitive about girls and money, and maybe some of the K-pop songs are about that, but its kind of nice that I don’t have to listen to it,” said senior Devaki Kalvapudi. Korean pop music has been growing in popularity worldwide, with audiences from continents including Asia, South America and the U.S. SM Entertainment, a leading entertainment agency in South Korea, debuted their SM Town concert in Los Angeles this past summer, marking the first time that the annual concert was held outside of Asia. “I like the music, [the songs] have addicting beats,” said senior Aiskhika Kumar. The “addicting beats” and catchy songs are exactly what have allowed Korean music
Christophe Haubursin | El Estoque
KOREAN FANATIC Senior Devaki Kalvapudi and junior Kathleen Chang share Korean pop songs from Kalvapudi’s iPod at lunch on Dec. 3. Both students avidly follow Korean music trend as an alternative to the more mainstream American music options. to gain popularity. Korean music has become a prevalent source of entertainment for many people, and though not all fans understand the language, the rhythm and beats are language enough for them to enjoy it. Like Lin, Kalvapudi may not know what the songs mean—unless of course she looks it up—but she finds that the meaning of the words isn’t necessarily the most important aspect of the music. “For example, there are birds that chirp, you don’t understand what the heck they’re saying but you still appreciate it. So why would not understanding something mean you can’t
appreciate it?” Kalvapudi said. For Kumar and junior Kathleen Chang, the appeal is also in the music videos which offer a more upbeat and positive view because they are mostly love songs. “It’s music you never get tired of, and you just want to dance to it...and the dances are easy, too,” Chang said. With each song usually packaged with its own dance routine, fans are able to emulate the dance styles of their favorite singers and feel more in touch with the music and the artists that produce the songs. “When you hear [the music] its good, its visually appealing as well,” Kumar said.
Korean music gives fans the complete package, with the song, dance and outfit concepts to match. Regardless of the words, the music and entertaining videos provide listeners with an escape from the daily grind. For those who understand the lyrics, the music provides them something different from the usual mainstream that they listen to on campus and off. For those who don’t understand the words—non-Korean speakers—have the opportunity to catch a glimpses of a different culture, even if it is just for two minutes. Arifa Aziz || a.aziz@elestoque.org
Campus Highlights Spelling bee
Annual poinsettia sale
Christophe Haubursin | El Estoque
“THAT IS CORRECT!” Sophomore Yashvant Venkatakrishnan celebrates after correctly spelling a word on Dec. 3.
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t’s time to bee the very best. On Dec. 3, the Staff and Academics Commission hosted its annual Spelling Bee competition during lunch in the academic court. Participation was open to students across all grade levels. The event was publicized in the announcements with promotional videos, and sign-up forms were available from ASB. A large crowd of students gathered around a sectioned-off area of the academic court to observe the contestants as they spelled such words as “zucchini” and “liaison.” This year’s winning title went to sophomore Smitha Gundavajhala, who claimed her victory by correctly spelling the word “fuchsia.” “We have around 35 people participating this year,” Junior Meghana Murthy said. The top three competitors were awarded $100, $50, and $25 gift cards to locations of their choice, and all were served In-NOut for participation. Christophe Haubursin || c.haubursin@elestoque.org
MV Basketball VIP Cards
Stock Image from sxc.hu
FESTIVE FLOWERS The music department sold colorful poinsettias to friends and family to benefit the music program.
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ouseholds are looking much brighter around this time of the year, and the gorgeous potted poinsettia plants from the music department are be contributing to this. From Nov. 5 to Nov. 18, all students from the music department, including vocal and instrumental classes, went around selling these traditional Christmas flowers for $10 a pot to friends and family. These poinsettias came in red, white, or Jingle Bells, a combination of both. Each student was encouraged to sell at least 10 plants to contribute to the funds that Music Boosters uses to provide the music classes with a variety of updated material such as newer sheet music and instruments. Families were more than happy to purchase these plants to add a festive touch to their homes and workplaces during the holiday season. Students who sold poinsettias will be picking up their orders on Dec. 6 and delivering them to customers directly. Amanda Chen || a.chen@elestoque.org
Holiday Movie marathon
Erin Chiu | El Estoque
PLAYING LIKE A VIP The boys basketball team is fundraising by selling VIP cards that provide discounts to stores in the area.
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Elvin Wong | El Estoque
A TICKET TO A CURE Youth Commission put on a Merry Movie Marathon to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
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or the rest of the year, the MVHS boys basketball team will be selling VIP cards for discounts for local stores. Unlike the ASB Gold Card, this card lasts until February 2012. The fundraiser began on Nov. 30 till the end of this semester. According to junior Kevin Chen, the company printing the cards had a typo resulting in the extended date. The VIP card can not only be used locally but in participating locations across the country. The deals on the card area exclusive to only the card, and can’t be found anywhere else. Each player on the team is encouraged to sell 10 cards so everyone on team can bring in $200. Chen says the money will be used to offset the hundreds of dollars the coaches personally put into the program and to purchase jerseys, shorts, bags, and other necessary gear. This is the first time in the past three years that the MVHS boys basketball team has done a fundraiser.
n Dec. 3 Youth Commission of Community Leadership held the Merry Movie Marathon in the Choir room from 3:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Youth Commission sold tickets for $2 in advance and $3 at the door. Free snacks and drinks were provided and pizza was available to be purchased. Youth Commission anticipated about 30 guests, while 50 actually showed up. The attendees watched “The Elf” and “A Christmas Carol” which helped raise money for a good cause. According to senior Community Leadership Board Member Anuved Verma the success of the event can be attributed to the early and extensive promotion. Youth Commission made a little over $200, which was twice the estimated amount. The profits of Merry Movie Night will be donated to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Previously Youth Commission has donated to Families First, Costa Verde, and The Memory Project.
Sarika Patel || s.patel@elestoque.org
Sarika Patel || s.patel@elestoque.org
ENTERTAINMENT
Dec. 8, 2010
Page 21
Perfect gifts for fanatical audiophiles
A look at the best recession-friendly iPod docks for music lovers to invest in this holiday season
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ith the holiday season in full swing, treat the music enthusiasts on your gifting list with something that will still keep them Jingle-Bell Rockin’ on other people’s Silent Night. Here’s a peek at this year’s most budget-friendly and reliable portable iPod speaker docks.
Altec Lansing inMotion Compact This speaker boasts deep bass despite its compact size. With an average Altec Lansing speaker dock running up to $150 per unit, the inMotion is the best stationary dock for money at just $69.99.
Logitech S315i The S315i is about the same size as the inMotion, but the biggest difference is that it doesn’t require a battery. At full charge the S315i sports a 20-hour battery life, and when plugged in, it also charges your iPod or iPhone quickly. This speaker has great sound quality; it also has a power-saving option on the power switch, enabling extended battery life on the go. The only drawback to enabling the power-save mode is that the bass is significantly weakened, lowering the sound quality altogether.
Altec Lansing inMotion Compact
What’s to Like The inMotion sports exceptional sound quality, and it includes an external volume control, so you won’t have to change the volume directly from the iPod. It doubles as a stand, so when the inMotion is not in use, the cover can keep dust and other grime out with a stowaway cover on the rear from ruining the contacts of the dock. The dock also has a built-in 3.5mm audio jack compatible with other mp3 players and the iPod shuffle. The inMotion is easy to transport, since it weighs only 1.5 pounds.
Logitech S315i
What’s Not Even though this speaker was marketed as a portable dock, the design itself doesn’t seem to keep an iPod securely in place if you were to carry the dock around. Also, despite the fact that the dock runs on battery power, a battery life of only 24 hours on four AA batteries isn’t too cost-friendly. However, it would run fine as a stationary iPod dock. Also, if the dock cover is not used as a stand, it has to go around the entire dock, rendering it a useless paperweight.
The Final Verdict?
Elvin Wong | El Estoque Photo Illustration
Comparing the two, the features of Logitech S315i are appealing than those of Altec Lansing inMotion. At $79.99, it is only $10 more expensive than the inMotion, and the smooth design of the S315i with the included encasing for the iPod really complements any room or setting more than the boxy build of the inMotion. Also, the S315i works a lot better as a portable dock than the inMotion because the S315i secures an iPod very well on its dock. The inMotion’s cover is
What’s to Like The main advantage to the S315i is the small encasing around the base of the docking area, which secures your iPod on the go. This dock has a built-in battery, eliminating the need for battery changes. The S315i also has a built-in pop-out stand, and when the docking station is not used, the stand can simply be folded back into the speaker itself. What’s Not As with every rechargeable battery out there, the S315i’s battery will eventually need to be replaced after a certain number of charge cycles. However, unlike a laptop computer, it is difficult to find a replacement battery for the S315i. Also, because the dock’s stand can wear down over time, improper use could ruin the mechanism inside.
very bulky and stubborn, and if one doesn’t want to use it as a stand, it has to cover the entire dock itself, blocking off the speakers completely. However in this season of giving, for any rocker out there, an iPod dock will absolutely be a welcoming gift. Elvin Wong || e.wong@elestoque.org
Holiday spirit: Drama class presents self-written performances Students practice, perform original sketches for first time in preparation for holiday season
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t’s time for class. PowerPoints are being presented, students are passing forward homework, and flashcards are being memorized, but in room F104 students are spreading cheer, dancing, and catching Santa. This year, the drama department is putting on holiday-themed plays on Dec. 12. This is part of the Students on Stage portion of the drama classes. According to drama teacher Holly Cornelison, these miniature plays are different from those they’ve performed in previous years. The students are writing and performing their own scripts from the beginning instead of being handed already written scripts. The department is also having additional help with the scripts from Kim Sonders, a professional actor, and Sara Trupski, who helps design costumes. Both are helping with directing and producing the holiday plays. The students are new to the idea of writing their own skits from scratch. “We each had six topics to choose to write about and then had to come up with our own ideas through these scripts,” said junior Rebecca Alberts. “What we did was we all sat in a circle and came up with what we do around the holidays, [for example: traveling,] so that’s how our ‘stuck in the airport’ skit came about.” “The students need to be creative and add their own personality to their scripts,” Sonders said. Sonders has worked with the drama department in the past, but this is something new and different from what she’s done previously. Some of the performances include a reading of a Maya Angelou poem, a sketch that includes Jolly Saint Nick, and a skit about being stuck at the airport. In the Santa sketch, children of different ages will be debating about how to catch Santa and whether or not Santa is real. The children range from a brainiac to twins to the eldest of all of them, who is reminiscent of Angelica from the Rugrats. There will also be a song, “Christmas 1915,” in the holiday mix. The preparations for the Students on Stage performances are a long process. The final plays will start on the week of Dec. 6. The plays are not only Christmas-oriented, but cover other holidays as well. One of the acts includes a dreidel song which
Elvin Wong | El Estoque
PRACTICING PLAYWRIGHTS (From left to right) Junior Cinduja Nathan, senior Michelle Choy, junior Jacob Maldonado, and senior Revati Dhomse rehearse their scripts for the upcoming holiday-themed plays on Dec. 2. coincides with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. By doing this, students who practice different religions can feel included in the festivities. The actors have a sentimental connection to the plays they are writing. In the auditorium there is a Christmas tree, and the actors are requested to bring in personal items to hang on it. The cast hangs not only Christmas ornaments, but any holiday-related items, to add character and meaning to these holiday plays.
Another thing the drama students say they must remember is to uphold the idea that Santa is real by checking his list twice, especially because of the kids in the audience. “The students are told to perform their own scripts with a spirit of fun, creativity, and collaboration in order to spread that holiday cheer,” Cornelison said.
Pooja Ravikiran || p.ravikiran@elestoque.org
Dec. 8, 2010
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ENTERTAINMENT
Outsourced: NBC’s own Bollywood
New comedy offers new perspective on old stereotypes, culture clash
Making the correct decision Chemistry test vs. ‘Harry Potter 7’. It’s the classic dilemma
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Photo from nbc.com, Aafreen Mahmood and Christophe Haubursin | El Estoque Photo Illustration
AMERICAN DESI The half-hour comedy on NBC, Outsourced, tiptoes the line between funny and offensive, but emerges on the entertaining side to bring fresh humor to both American and Indian audiences.
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n NBC’s latest hit show, there seems to be twist in the average Toad learns the Indian, street smart way of buying products—never Indian cinema. There are no random songs interjected between buy at the original price. You must bargain. It is a classic, popular scenes, no fields for lovers to run to meet each other dramatically, scene in Indian movies: fight for a bargain, when they refuse and no slaps that echo and replay three times. This isn’t your average to accept your offer walk away in a huff, wait for a few seconds for them to call you back, and of course listen to their emotional Bollywood or Indian TV soap opera. This is Outsourced. Outsourced brings its weekly share of Indian versus American blackmail of how their children will starve from the little money that every Thursday evening at 8:30 p.m. It offers an interesting American their mother earns. The script that references to such stereotypes is cleverly written twist in the saga of Bollywood films. It’s not every day that Indian to accommodate both Indian and American street vendors speak perfect English. It’s a perfect audiences, helping them understand and enjoy the portrayal of culture shock for a fresh-off-the-boat WATCH THE SHOW subtle humor. The acting can be a bit overdone at American man stuck in a call center in the middle Tune in every Thursday times—especially when it looks like the actors are of Mumbai trying to understand just how exactly evening at 8:30 p.m. on trying too hard to pull off an Indian accent—but India works. On top of that, there are hilarious NBC it adds to the quirkiness of the show. Then again, interjections of classic Indian stereotypes— when in comparison to Bollywood acting, they do controversial arranged marriages, files and files a pretty decent job. of “biodata” of prospective suitors, street smart Some may deem Outsourced offending to the Indian culture, bargaining, tea with biscuits, and let’s not forget, Indian accents. because it blows typical Indian stereotypes out of proportion. Yes, Sure, it’s stereotypical, but it’s downright hilarious. In fact, it is based off of the full-length film directed by John it does, but it does so playfully. Often times, TV shows shy away Jeffcoat. Both versions epitomize the frustrating culture clash from incorporating controversial cultural topics or stereotypes, but between the traditional Indian values and the liberal American Outsourced confronts them with a humorous taste. Let’s be honest, customs. Todd, the American who goes by “Toad” with the native it’s something that not all T.V. shows can do. It pokes fun at both the Indian accent, is in charge of handling a Mumbai call center and Indian and the American, so there’s always a balance. If you look at a handful of employees that have absolutely no idea what they’re it from a different perspective, it also bridges the gap between two doing. If that’s not frustrating enough, he has an assistant manager cultures that are literally from the opposite sides of the world. Outsourced has everything: the Indian vs. American atmosphere, who hilariously strives to beat him in every way in order to usurp his position and become the official manager. The rest of the staff is stereotypes, and of course the happy ending of a Bollywood movie intrigued by Toad and the American business culture that he tries to with a coordinated dance. You just have to play along. familiarize his employees with. Aafreen Mahmood || a.mahmood@elestoque.org While doing so, he picks up on a couple of Indian customs himself.
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Christophe Haubursin | El Estoque
TEENAGE DREAMS Two of Hsiung’s latest Facebook messages dedicated to his idol Katy Perry fill up his wall on Dec. 3.
unior Justin Hsiung isn’t afraid to get fanatical about his favorite pop singer. For the past 276 days, he’s written short letters to artist Katy Perry, and they are posted onto accounts all over the web— Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, too. They always start the same way. “Dear kit katy kat kat Katy Perry.” What does he proceed to talk about? Subjects range from holiday wishes to bits of song lyrics, always with a final note expressing a hope to one day meet Perry. “I just like everything that she does,” Hsiung said. Hsiung’s admiration for the California Gurl and her music grew from a respect toward her humble origins as a preacher’s daughter in a religious community, the obstacles she faced upon entrance into the music industry, and her ensuing ascent to success. That sentiment blossomed into a worship of her fashion and a collection of her albums, including a limited edition that came with a T-shirt. But will his wishes ever reach his idol? “I’m pretty sure she knows,” he said. “I bet she has a restraining order, too.” Christophe Haubursin || c.haubursin@elestoque.org
he morning of Nov. 19, I took a chemistry test. An important test—the last one of the semester, one of my last chances to raise my grade, one of my last chances to raise my GPA for colleges. Scary, I know. That same morning, I watched the seventh Harry Potter movie, along with hundreds of others, at its midnight release. I thought it was impossible to mix the two activities. The circumstances weren’t ideal, and my usual response to my friend’s excited invitation would have been a regretful “no.” Going out on a school night, with a big test the next morning? No can do. Yet Harry Potter was a part of my childhood, something that I’ve always missed out on as a teenager. I hadn’t seen any movies after the “The Prisoner of Azkaban” in theaters. I had never even dressed up for a midnight release before. Well, unless you count wearing my Twilight shirt to the midnight showing of “Eclipse,” but I prefer to forget that episode. ROXANA WISWELL Anyway, if I r.wiswell@elestoque.org skipped Harry Potter, I would regret it. Put it this way: what am I going to remember 10 years from now? Organic chemistry or a great night with my friends? Actually, as a prospective biology major, probably organic chem, but the point is, I needed to prioritize. Midnight-release Potter partying is something that I’ve always, always wanted to do, so I grabbed my chance. It’s the afternoon of Nov. 18, and I’m finishing my homework, laying out my clothes, doing whatever I can to make my morning-after school preparation as streamlined as possible—I know I won’t be capable of much speed or complexity by that point. I pack my school bag with a Nutella sandwich for a pre-test kick. Then I pack my Potter bag with a matching sandwich to eat while in line. My finished homework goes in my backpack, and my chemistry study guide and practice tests go into my overnight bag. It’s all in the preparation. When I show up to Cupertino Square, four and a half hours before the release time, I’m stocked with food, blankets, and lots of studying to occupy me. I’m also decked out as Hermione and accompanied by friends, one of us celebrating an 18th birthday. As we walk through the downstairs section of the movie theater, searching for the elusive back of the line, I’m impressed with Cupertino. It’s not the wimpy showing I’d expected; the place is packed, with a good amount of people dressed up. We fit right in, with a Harry, two Hermiones, a Cho, a Ginny, and a Draco who is complete with trench coat, green scarf, wand, broomstick, and slickedback blond hair. I’m less impressed with our Harry Potter spirit when we finally find the end of the line as we all sit down and simultaneously pull out textbooks, laptops, and paperbacks. MVHS has arrived. The hours bled together, but it finally came time to head into the theater. Let’s just say I know a girl who knows a guy who knew the people at the front of the line. We went in first. Our theater’s crowd was rambunctious, with lots of catcalls for favorite characters and audience commentary that only augmented my experience. If you haven’t seen HP7 yet, get yourself to a theater, because that movie rocked. And I rocked that Chemistry test. Well, not quite; I probably could have scored higher if I’d been firing on all pistons. The number one piece of advice Chemistry teacher Kavita Gupta gives her students is to get a full night’s sleep before exams. But it was worth it—a night living my dreams in exchange for a few points. I made my choice, and my choice was to have both my school life and my social life. With some forethought, I was able to seamlessly streamline the ultimate nerd-fun activity into an ordinary school night. No regrets.
The Stress-oMeter
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ENTERTAINMENT
Page 24
Animation
Domination
Dec. 8, 2010
Seniors build writing and cartooning partnership through entire high school career
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or seniors Amanda Hsu and Jenna Tarasova, imagination comes naturally. Throughout the past four years of their lives, they’ve collaborated in cartooning and story-writing. To expand upon their worlds, they write stories and make comic strips, all with the same characters and interconnected storylines. Here’s their story—from start to finish. Christophe Haubursin || c.haubursin@elestoque.org
We were around 13 when we first met, and we started this collaboration around the end of eighth grade. —senior Jenna Tarasova
When I was five years old, I liked to draw things, and so I just drew things that I saw around me. I realized that I could come up with other characters too— imaginary friends, and pictures. It just branched off from there.
—senior Amanda Hsu
When we met, we came up with characters and ideas together. We’d bounce new ideas off one another.
—senior Jenna Tarasova
The basic idea is just to bounce ideas off of each other. You introduce one idea and just keep building off of it from there. We talk, and make it up as we go. —senior Amanda Hsu
We like to share them with online friends and some teachers, generally anyone who’s interested in our work. —senior Amanda Hsu
We started to form a world with a bunch of different stories that all of a sudden started to connect into one giant universe. —senior Jenna Tarasova
We organize characters, and we know the basic dates within each universe and the stories that tie together within them. We name each reality, and there’s a timeline within each reality. —senior Jenna Tarasova
I definitely want to become an animator when I grow up. It’s something I’ve wanted since I was really little. —senior Jenna Tarasova