Volume 38, Issue 8, May 23 2007 by El Estoque

pg 10-11 // centerspread

preview

May 23, 2007

LEFT In a 1972 yearbook snapshot, Assistant Principal Fred Keep poses by the tree at the base of the C building. BOTTOM On May 16, Keep stands in the same spot next to the now fully grown tree.

pg 6 // news

Wardrobe 101: AMC theatres restrict employee appearance

tograph y editor

ng | ph o

Austin Che

pg 8 // perspectives

Banning grad cap throwing robs seniors of great moment

pg 15 // entertainment

Senior Tony Song off to Julliard to pursue passion for violin

pg 18 // sports

Ping pong pro rallies way to the top

Point for Point New cafeteria standards page 9 Review Vallco AMC theatre page 14 Snapshot Boys tennis page 20

Assistant Principal Fred Keep retires after dedicating 38 years to the MVHS community by Jordan Kolb editor in chief

ssistant Principal Fred Keep’s first year as a teacher on the MVHS campus was a time when “Romeo and Juliet” essays were written on typewriters, not personal computers. A time when the Vietnam War was being protested in the streets, not taught in history classes. A time when the D-building was only…grass. MVHS has clearly grown since 1968, and so has Keep, but his presence on the campus has never wavered. Keep has been with FUHSD for most of his life: he graduated from Cupertino High School, did his student teaching at Lynbrook High School, and most significantly, has been with MVHS since the school’s opening in 1968.

“To be at one school when it opens and still be there 38 years later, that’s pretty impressive,” Assistant Principal Brad Metheany said. “He’s been an amazing reference for people to go to.” Unfortunately, that reference is leaving. Keep is retiring, and taking with him a wealth of knowledge

become is a life-long learner yourself. So I think I’ve always been a student as well as a teacher,” Keep said. “Study different things, get different degrees, pursue things that keep your mind active and keep you engaged. I think that’s important and in order to keep doing that, you have to keep

in a variety of campus areas, from teacher to administrator, department chair to basketball coach. His decision to wear so many hats reflects his philosophy about education. “If you’re in a school environment, and you’re really enjoying it, I think what you

growing. You can’t be stagnant.” Keep taught social studies from 1968-1982, teaching classes such as Government and World History, but also subjects that have now become history themselves, such as Psychology and History of the West. Within the English department, where he also was

Censored guns spark debate Film festival entries banned by Administration for inappropriate content by Kevin Ragothaman

staff writer

tudents bustled through the narrow lobby of the auditorium and filled up the cushioned seats, eagerly awaiting the array of films that their peers had endlessly worked on for this special night. “The Monta Vista Film Festival is an opportunity for students to showcase their skills and interests through film,” Historian Technology Commissioner senior Annirudh Varshneya said. But for some students that entered a film, that opportunity was cut short. Due to the submission of a few films with questionable content, the Historian Technology Commission decided to seek permission from Administration to show these movies. Three out of four of these movies were deemed inappropriate to be shown at a school event. “Some of the movies got pretty graphic,” Histech Lead Commisioner Cauchy Choi said, adding that Administration did not want any form of weaponry in the films. It is no secret that Administration has been strict in enforcing zero tolerance. Directors of the questionable movies, however, did not anticipate Administration to apply the same rules to their

works, which were filmed off campus. “Some of the movies were violations of zero tolerance,” Assistant Principal Brad Metheany said. “Zero tolerance is one of the basic rules. Once [the movie] breaks zero tolerance, it can be an issue.” Principal April Scott, however, does not think that the movies themselves directly violated zero tolerance policies, stating that the movies were instead just “not supportive of [zero tolerance].” “[All movies shown] should be in alignment with school policy since they are shown on school

see BANNED on page 4

BANG A scene from the censored film festival entry “Petrified,” created by Meridian Film Productions.

department chair, Keep was known for his Humanities class, which became such a popular class that eventually Keep was teaching six periods of it a day, most classes filled with 40 students. “He would take a special education kid and move them as far as they could go within that class. He would take the most brilliant student we could find at Monta Vista and take them to another level,” said Metheany, whose daughter had Keep as a teacher. “He individualized the learning in his classroom.” One of Keep’s former students was fortunate to work with Keep years after having him as a teacher. Physical Education teacher Lori Graham was a student in one of

see KEEP on page 3

Say farewell to your fries

Wellness policy and District implement cafeteria revamp by Jenny Sun

editor in chief

aco pocket? Nope. Cookies? Probably not. Cash? Single items? French fries? Nada, nil, and definitely no. Many students have already heard about the new school cafeteria regulations set out by the California School Wellness Policy passed in December 2005. However, the food won’t be the only thing to undergo a major revamp in our cafeteria. The system itself, due to District decisions, will also change greatly. The District has decided to implement a new card swiping system where students will no longer use cash but instead pay with pre-charged cards. In addition to this new card swiping software, the District would also like to see a food court system installed in all five of its schools. Instead of simply ordering items through a tiny window, students will have to line up in different lines for various types of food.

see FOOD on page 6

flashback From our vault of El Estoque archives...

May 23,

1986

Top Story: “MV History: We Could Be Orange and Black”

MVHS opened its doors back in 1968, the same year the first man set foot on the moon. It was a high school that lacked school colors, a mascot, and a completed gymnasium. Looking back on its opening day, MVHS has now been transformed into a premier high school. MVHS’ original intent was to include freshmen and sophomore students only. “It was special to start up the program at MV,” commented Yvonne Duncanson, English teacher. “The students and teachers had to work together to set policies for future years.” Besides starting off as an underclassmen school, MVHS had to decide on school colors, a mascot, and names for the school newspaper and yearbook. The school newspaper was titled El Estoque, “because the newspaper staff wanted its editorial policy to be sharp and pointed.” “MV was formatted after the Spanish influence,” said Ray Snyder, physical education teacher. The Spanish influence came from the the fact that the explorer Juan Bautista de Anza walked through the MVHS area. Students narrowed down school colors to orange and black, purple and gold, and red and black, and purple and gold are still today the official school colors.

New Family Member From Korea English teacher Robert Javier departed for Korea on April 23 for a brief leave of absence with his wife and son. He returned two weeks later with a six-month old fourth member of the family, Nina Ju-Yeong Javier. Javier’s newly adopted daughter will complement his first adopted son Owen, who is now 5 years old. Growing up in a family of four himself, Javier has always wanted to have a one-to-one parent-child ratio. “We always knew after Owen, we would adopt a second child so he could have a sibling,” Javier said. “This is what we’ve been working toward for two years. The family is finally going to be complete.” With the experience of raising his first son already, he did not feel nervous or anxious about the tangible burdens of child rearing. “We were more curious and excited about what she looks like,” Javier said. Instead, he feels that his burdens are more selfimposed. “I’m just making sure that I can be the best father I can be.”

highlights Record-breaking FBLA wins third With a little over 35 years under its belt, FBLA has added another notch to its totem pole of achievements. What is the occasion? For the first time ever, the Future Business Leaders of America have placed third in the Sweepstakes at the State Leadership Conference. In the conference on April 19, there were more than 50 categories that contestants could enter. The winners are those that have the most collective firsts in all of the competitions. Clearly, MVFBLA certainly had many champions. MVFBLA placed first in eight different group and individual events. One team, which was composed of freshmen Panagiotis Kanellakopoulus, Sagha Destyar, and sophomore Tammy Su, placed first in the category of Business Ethics, even when they were up against upperclassmen from around the nation. Sophomore Connie Wu and freshman Yichao Hao each took home first place in FBLA Principles and Procedures and Economics, respectively.

Hosmer Departing in Good Taste Of all the reasons to move, one is easy for teenagers to understand: food. English teacher Kerry Hosmer’s husband, a highly regarded chef, was recently hired as director of culinary development for Marriott Corporation Global. Hosmer and her family will move to Potomac, Maryland so he can pursue the opportunity and their family can enjoy “normal family hours.” Hosmer, who has been teaching at MVHS for six years, says she interviewed for a teaching job with the local school district within the state. “I’ve learned that teaching is such a part of who I am that I carry it with me,” Hosemer said. “But I think this will be the ultimate test because Monta Vista has by far been the most amazing teaching experience I’ve had. I’m thankful for all my students who have made this more of a pleasure than a dutiful job, and I hope they carry an appreciation for sarcasm with them for the rest of their lives.”

Clocks Cause Confusion Clocks are conniving; they cause students to be tardy. Clocks are insecure; they force Administration to re-sync them often. But worst of all, the clocks at MVHS are completely off. The clocks are around three minutes faster than the satellite time. Due to this inconsistency, many students have arrived to class tardy by school standards but ontime by satellite standards. This proves to be a dilemma: which clocks should students use to set their watches? Administration knows about this three-minute time gap. Assistant Principal Brad Metheany explained that the clocks are very hard to work with. Change one thing and you may very well have messed up the whole system. “We’re continuing to deal with these issues,” Metheany said. “They may never be perfect, but we’re trying.”

MVHS Awards at Japan Bowl While the term Japan Bowl may evoke images of rice filled platters, the Japan Bowl on April 12 and 13 that 15 MVHS students attended resembled anything but. Held in Washington D.C. near the Japanese Embassy, over 500 students from 33 different schools participated in a competition testing their knowledge of everything Japanese: grammar, vocabulary, culture, and current events. And, beside a select few questions, the whole competition was held in Japanese. While the level four and level three teams did not place high enough to move on from the “preliminary” competition to the oral round, the pair of level two teams placed first and second, advancing to the next round. Then, of the 23 questions asked, 21 were answered by either of MVHS’ teams.

Now Hiring Campaign Managers In light of the recent school wide officer elections, a new policy has taken effect. The campaign process, originally composed solely of the single candidate, has now increased four-fold. Each candidate for the recent class officer election was allowed three friends to help campaign. These “campaign managers” were allowed to hold signs, hand out flyers and advocate for the running students. “I think having campaign managers really helped the student body,” freshman Catherine Shieh said. “If you look at the numbers, all the classes had over a 50 percent voter turnout.” However, Shieh also understands the trade-offs of having campaign members. “I think three campaign managers may be too overwhelming,” Shieh said. However the addition of campaign managers added new energy to campaign week, as shown by the multitudes of colorful signs that dotted the campus.

Kanda Stays in District, Switches Schools English teacher Michael Kanda, who taught at MVHS for 11 years with brief stints in ELD and AVID, will be transferring to Cupertino High School at the end of the school year. “I wanted to go somewhere where the professional environment is more healthy,” he said. When asked what he will miss the most about MVHS, Kanda replied, “the students and certain relationships with staff that have developed over the years, and the moments when students could see the life relevance of things we were studying.”

Marking the present, making the past

by Jenny Sun

editor in chief

ach issue this year we’ve traveled back in time to find the biggest stories of our past to feature in our Flashback. We browse through 38 years’ worth of newspapers, and we look with disbelief at the fact that MVHS once had a smoking section (yes, not only was smoking once legal on campus, but we actually had an area designated just for it) and laugh at the thought of a metronome being mistaken for a bomb (because who could have made that mistake?). It seems as if our historical counterparts lived in an entirely different world, a world with funny haircuts and dorky clothes. But regardless of whatever we may think, each story indicated a significant mark on the MVHS timeline. Sure, it may not seem a big deal to us now, but just imagine: had our first student body had a penchant toward Halloween colors, we could be Los Gatos. The littlest things can make a difference (think butterfly effect) and do make a difference. We spend days on story planning; staffs in the past must have done the same. It’s always been a matter of finding and deciding which events and individuals affect the Monta Vista community the most, and thus which stories should be recorded in the paper. Because it’s true: each and every story marks an important moment that contributes a building block to the school we know today. This issue is no different. We wrote the stories to chronicle the legacies. In his 38 years here, Assistant Principal Fred Keep has not only

watched Monta Vista (and its trees) grow from a budding campus to a full fledged high school, but has also given back more than we’ll probably ever know. Retiring Biology teacher Joanne Shimoguchi leaves behind hours of spirit and countless inspired students, and social studies teacher Mike Laurel innumerable moments of laughter and courage (and quite a few lions). Of course, it’s not only Administration and teachers who can effect change; senior badminton player Emmanuel Pun is a prime example of a student leaving behind a legacy. Each one of our stories is carefully selected as both something that the student body would want to know and something the student body should know. But it’s more than just that. Even while we are informing the reader, we’re also recording MVHS’ history. Sure, 10 years later, it probably won’t matter whether or not Administration violated student rights by censoring certain film festival entries. Perhaps “unhealthiness” will become a thing of the past and students will look back fondly at the good old days when we still used cash to pay for meals, just as we look back fondly at the days when smoking was allowed on campus. But it’s our job as a newspaper to tell the stories. If a tree falls down in the middle of a forest and nobody’s there to hear the crash, does it still make a sound? We make sure the sound is heard. We chronicle the legacies. We mark the changes. We write the history. After all, how else would our future counterparts amuse themselves?

EDITOR’S LETTER

elestoque

2006-2007

Editors in Chief Jordan Kolb Steffi Lau Jenny Sun Managing Editors Ellen Casavant Aniqa Hasan Pooja Shah Anagha Vaidhyanathan Copy Editor John Ho Business Editor Bilwa Ravikiran Alternative Media Editor Shawn Shah News Editors June Kim Samika Savanur Perspectives Editors Janhavi Athavale Nandini Dasarathy Audrey Feldman Centerspread Editor Daniel Yang Entertainment Editors Symrin Chawla Ishita Mitra Cindy Yeh Sports Editors Carolyn Chuang Eric Lu Design and Layout Editor Cheryl Ho Photography Editor Austin Cheng Online Editor Shibi Murali Staff Writers Radhika Chandrasekhar Cameron Lee Chris Moe Ahmed Naguib Harold Pan Kevin Ragothaman Casey Wong 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. 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 will correct any significant error. If you believe such an error has been made, please contact us. Letters of any length should be submitted via e-mail or mail. They become the sole property of El Estoque and can be edited for length, clarity, or accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion. 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 Attn: Michelle Balmeo, C210 elestoque07@gmail.com www.elestoqueonline.com

MVHS’ number one fan says goodbye Biology teacher Joanne Shimoguchi to retire after twenty years of commitment by Jordan Kolb editor in chief

on Juan el Toro, the MVHS mascot, seems to disappear after football season, the spirit squad sticks to only a select few sports during the year, and parent attendance at games can depend on a team’s success. That leaves Biology teacher Joanne Shimoguchi as the biggest supporter of the MVHS athletics program. “If there’s a sports event going on, Joanne Shimoguchi is there,” Principal April Scott said in an April FUHSD Board Meeting. After 37 years in the FUHSD, and 20 of them at MVHS, Shimoguchi is weeks away from retirement, where she will trade in the smell of preserved pig for more time with her dog and volunteer work. But while she won’t Aniqa Hasan | Staff Photographer be a daily staple of the campus, her attendance at Matador sporting events will continue. FAREWELL After two decades of dedicated teaching, Biology teacher Joanne ShimoguShimoguchi has remained a strong advocate chi will retire. Her unlimited support of the MVHS athletic program will be missed. for students pursuing their non-academic is the first person to help someone who’s in to me is the ultimate,” she said. She explained pursuits in an environment where academics trouble whether he or she is a friend, colleague, how a former student, who went to the Naval tend to be a priority. Sports were her main or total stranger. I think she is probably the Academy and was having a rough time there, focus; she has coached eight different sports kindest person I have ever met.” got in touch with her. “She was a minority kid While numerous students echoed how and was used to being here where it was no big over a span of 20 years on top of her constant difficult, and at times strict, Shimogouchi’s deal. All of a sudden she was forced to look at attendance at games. “It’s through outside activities that you class was, they also never failed to mention issues she hadn’t had to before.” Shimoguchi meet people you wouldn’t necessarily her willingness to sit down with them outside of would send the girl a package a week for meet otherwise,” Shimoguchi said. “Your class, and how well she taught the material. the time she was at the Academy. During “I have never learned more from a science her senior year, the girl sent Shimoguchi an relationship with them is intensified because you’re sharing airline ticket. “I got to see an experience.” lead her company’s “YOU’RE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM IS BECAUSE her Shimoguchi pointed last parade. And I still see to junior Koji Kamura and communicate with ”— Biology teacher Joanne Shimoguchi her YOU’VE SHARED AN who was working in her. Things like that have her classroom. “He meant the most.” and I have a different kind of relationship teacher and I have never had so much fun,” Memories such as that one also cause her because he sees me at his games all the former student junior Jennifer Chuu said. “It to reflect back on her journey as a whole. was the first time that I began to truly enjoy time.” “I’ve watched a lot of great people leave Her generosity, however, is not only limited learning.” this place,” Shimoguchi said. “All of sudden, I It’s the impact she has had on her students take a look around and go, wow, now it’s my to rooting on the Matadors. “Shim is the most altruistic person I know,” that Shimogouchi is most thankful for. turn to be in that position. Time goes by really “I’m still in touch with a number of kids. That quickly.” science teacher Katheryn McElwee said. “She

INTENSIFIED

EXPERIENCE.

A Lion’s Courage

ocial studies teacher Mike Laurel announced his retirement earlier this year after 37 years in the district, but an unfortunate medical leave cut his last year at MVHS short. Laurel, who had been teaching at MVHS since 1994, took leave abruptly in April due to problems stemming from his diabetes and limited eyesight. Substitute teacher Megan Hamilton stepped in for him the first few days he was gone; when it was official he would be gone for the rest of the year, she accepted the offer to take over his World History classes.

Laurel is known for his love of lions: his desk and walls were adorned with pictures and stuffed animals of the king of the jungle and he donned the same lion Halloween costume every year. But while the lion from the tale “Wizard of Oz” may have suffered from a lack of courage, for many years, Laurel’s amount of courage came in large doses, refusing to let medical problems sidebar his love of teaching. “He even laughed about it when he was dealing with all these medical issues and a number of different surgeries,” Principal April Scott said. “It was the desire to come back and interact with students that helped him to get through those tough times.”

KEEP: Mentor leaves unmatchable legacy continued from page 1 Keep’s Humanities classes. “All my friends always ask, ‘So how’s Mr. Keep?’” Graham said. “People still remember him.” The school’s faith in Keep showed through when he was asked to fill a vacant assistant principal position in 1999, even though he had no administration credential. He accepted, and was not only switched mid-year, but midday. “I had taught for 30 years and then somebody came down during fourth period and took over my fifth and sixth period. I came down to the office and never returned to the classroom,” Keep said. “It was a strange transition.” Keep later went back to school to get a credential. While helping to manage so many day-to-day elements of the school, Keep has been labeled a “scheduling guru,” with a knack for looking at how teachers and class sizes work out each year for

not only MVHS, but all five FUHSD schools. With so much success in administration, there’s a certain question Keep has consistently been asked. “A lot of people say ‘why didn’t you become an administrator earlier?’” Keep said. “Because it felt good coming here everyday and teaching. But I’m glad that I did make the change eventually.” Keep also knows that he will never forget the moments that had nothing to do with teaching or administrating, especially one specific history-making year. “I coached the first championship team on this campus, which was the freshman basketball team the second year of the school,” Keep said. While that moment will put Keep in the history books, his legacy is far more meaningful. “I hope that students, for the most part, think that I was trying to do things with them but also for

them,” Keep said. “I hope people know I tried to do things right and do the job well. And I hope that maybe I helped a few students learn how to think.” Although he already has plans to tour the east coast of Canada and take a river cruise in Eastern Europe Keep will still call the Bay Area “home.” He and his wife own a cabin in Arnold, California where they can fish and hike, and he already has numerous remodeling projects lined up for his house in the Bay Area. Most importantly, he’ll forever be an educator, and soon trade in his wise words about scheduling, teaching, and MVHS life for a different kind of lesson plan: teaching his two-year-old granddaughter Lily about the world. “I always consider myself a teacher, no matter what my title is or what I’m doing,” Keep said. “It’s my passion.”

While Keep plans retirement, the other administrators look toward the future. “I think the English department will lose his insight more so [than other departments] because he knows where it was and where it came to,” said Metheany, who also estimated that Keep has saved FUHSD over $3 million dollars by working on its master schedules. “He’s a tough act to follow.” Most of all, what will be lacking from MVHS is experience. “What will change now is that there will be a giant gap of nobody being left who has connections of more than 20 to 25 years,” Metheany said. “And that’s a big deal.” While that magic number of 38 wows even the oldest MVHS veterans, for Keep, his choice to remain a matador for so long was never in question. “I know what’s out there—and I don’t think going anyplace else would have been better.”

Taking the blame

here are a few things I admittedly regret. Some are as small as wishing I had cleaned my room yesterday so as not to trip over a two-foot-tall heap of miscellaneous textbooks upon getting out of bed this morning. Others are bigger. I probably, for instance, should have looked both ways before pulling out of my driveway that one time when I inadvertently discovered an SUV with the left corner of my back bumper. Oops. In all fairness, though, the old cliché that “nobody’s perfect” has a lot of merit. Having a pulse inevitably entails imperfection, and maybe the most important factor in how decent we are as human beings lies not in the mistakes we make, but in the way we react to those mistakes afterward. Enter George Tenet. The former CIA director recently published a book titled “At the Center of the Storm”, which claims that he is not to be blamed for the USA’s invasion of Iraq. It also details how the Bush Administration supposedly coerced him into certifying and/or using magical powers to conjure “evidence” that Saddam Hussein was in possession of weapons of mass destruction. In conjunction with the book’s release, Tenet also tried to save face on national television on the April 29 episode of “60 Minutes”, asserting that “people don’t understand [intelligence officials], you know, they think we’re a bunch of faceless bureaucrats with no feelings, no families.” Although I’m sure the average “General Hospital” viewer would find the intricacies of Tenet’s inner conflicts absolutely spellbinding, I haven’t as of yet been able to convince myself that the public’s view of Tenet really has any plausible connection with his provision of faulty intelligence in 2002. The fact is, Tenet made critical mistakes in the buildup to the U.S.’s invasion of Iraq. Obviously, he wasn’t alone, and he doesn’t deserve to carry all the blame pertaining to the unfortunate events that have unfolded since then. Which doesn’t mean that trying to shield himself from blame negates the fact that he erred in the first place. All in all, Tenet sounded about as credible on “60 Minutes” as a nine-year-old with a baseball bat standing next to a broken window, shouting, “I didn’t do it!” Unquestionably, we’ve all done things that we wish we could have taken back. When it all comes down to it, all of us have disappointed our fair share of people. Most of us are familiar with the stinging feeling of regret after backstabbing a close friend and being found out. True, it may be easier in the short run to fabricate an elaborate excuse and shun responsibility for our actions, but more likely than not, we’ll end up doing ourselves more harm for not apologizing in an upfront manner for the disrespectful things we’ve said and done. And maybe instead of writing a selfinterested, conceited memoir, Tenet would have done the general public a greater favor by apologizing in an upfront manner for his mistakes and attempting to suggest and promote different ways in which the CIA can do a better and more thorough job in the near future. There is a difference between trying to correct your mistakes and trying to distance yourself from them. By ignoring the problem and dodging the blame, we all take the same risk as Tenet: sacrificing our credibility for the sake of our reputation. While others’ perception of us is certainly important, it probably won’t help much to avoid acknowledging what caused that bad reputation in the first place. After all, the idea that we all ought to save face at the cost of our own reliability may be our most illogical “tenet” of all.

photo courtesy of Dai Dee Pun

Juniors find win in matter Students represent MVHS at an international science fair

by John Ho copy editor

“W

hat is dark matter anyway?” It is not so much the question but the fact that it comes from the judge that startles juniors Eric Casavant and Alex Marshall midway through their explanation. Most people, even science fair judges, as it seems, would not know the answer, but the two juniors do. Since last summer, Casavant and Marshall have been developing a design for a dark matter detector. They have entered their project in a series of contests, including the prestigious Siemens’ science competition, finishing each time within the semi-finals. They now focus on the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), the largest pre-college science event in the world. On May 19, it was announced that their project placed 4th in the Group category,

HONORED Juniors Eric Casavant and Alex Marshall accept an award for their innovative dark matter detector at the prestigious Synopsys Science Competition held at the Great America theme park on April 29.

placing despite being restricted from categories reserved for seniors. They received a $500 award. Their design involves creating a device that can detect “dark matter,” material of unknown composition thought to make up about 90 percent of matter in the universe. Scientists so far have only inferred dark matter’s existence through its gravitational effects on other objects. Detecting dark matter poses one of the most important problems in modern cosmetology. “If we were to actually build a successful design, it would be Nobel Prize material,” Marshall said. Unlike most projects, the two explore a concept that science knows little about. “Our project is weird,” Casavant said. “We don’t have a speck of data.” “We have plans to do better next year,” Marshall said. “We are working on the project over the summer and joining a team at Berkeley.”

BANNED: Questionable films continued from page 1 campus to students,” Scott said. “To some, seeing violence creates a sense of anxiety.” One of the films, a music video of Fort Minor’s “Petrified” directed by senior Tim Qi, is about an FBI agent that goes under cover to sell drugs to a gang member. When the gang member shoots him in the head, a violent and chaotic chase ensues. The film’s credits and bloopers close with a profanity and a gun being pointed at the camera. “Brains being blown out, blood all over the place and drug deals would not be appropriate to show on campus,” Metheany said. “Make-believe killing does not have a place in high school.” But seniors Jason Liu and Prithvi Murthy, who played FBI agents in the film, see things differently. “A lot of adolescents, even children, already see [such violent content],” Liu said. “Film is a form of literature, so if they want to censor that, why not censor the books that we read, too? I can see where Administration’s decision is coming from, but it infringes on our freedom of expression.” Liu and Murthy also added that some movies that were approved by Administration and shown at the film festival itself qualified as inappropriate as well. “[Some movies shown] had some pretty violent scenes,” said Liu. “Beating [students] with hockey sticks and branding them would break zero tolerance, too.” “If [Administration] wants to make [the event] weapon-free, they should enforce the rule across the board,” Murthy said. “It’s ridiculous and kind of hypocritical.” Embedded into this already intricate issue is whether or not Administration’s decision to bar the movies from being shown constitutes as censorship. Scott and Metheany do not believe that this situation would constitute as censorship.

“I do believe in the First Amendment, but once anything crosses the threshold of the school, the principal decides what is appropriate for students,” Metheany said. “We need to worry about the students as a group first.” “If they had contested our decision, then it would really be censorship,” Scott said. Metheany asserted that all content read and seen in class are considered to be part of the curriculum and that any ‘R’ rated movie requires students to get permission slips signed by parents. “All books and films are approved by the District’s Board of Trustees,” Metheany said. “It is one of their biggest responsibilities.” Since there is more than one movie in question for the film festival, Metheany believes that it would be difficult to create a permission slip that covers every single film. Liu, on the other hand, believes that censorship is the only way to describe the situation. “[Administration] told us to remove the guns or not show the movie at all. That seems like censorship to me,” Liu said. The students were given the opportunity to edit their movies and resubmit them, but for most of these movies, the questionable content is so deeply integrated into them that it is impossible to edit it out while preserving the meaning of the film itself. Since their movie was not shown, Qi and his production team, Meridian Film Productions, distributed DVD copies of the film after the film festival. Despite protests, Administration stands by its decision to disallow the films from being shown. “We are not mad at [the filmmakers] because these were unbelievably creative films,” Metheany said. “But we have the responsibility to protect our students.”

on post-Virginia Tech stereotyping

Students affected by backlash against Asian-Americans said, ‘Are you guys shooters, too?’ Some people heard him say, ‘I’ll shoot you too.’” For Kahng and his friends, it took a while for it to sink in. “We were watching basketust a day after the Virginia Tech shootings bloodied the campus and ball on TV,” he said. “So we thought he was talking about basketball and someone said, rocked the nation with grief, the identity of the shooter was revealed. It ‘Yeah, we shoot basketball.’ It was only until after he walked away that we realized what was in a hotel room on the border of Arizona and Nevada that senior Chris Lo he meant. It was strange. We started to wonder if the other people in the restaurant were and a group of his friends turned on the TV to see the angry face of Seung-Hui scared of us. And then I began to feel really scared.” Cho flashing across the screen. “Dude, if you shaved off your hair, you’d look just Previous to his experience, Kahng hadn’t thought about his connection to Cho. “He’s like him!” one of Lo’s friends joked to him. Lo and his friends burst out into laughter. Korean, I’m Korean,” Kahng said. “I saw a lot of articles about how ashamed Koreans Among the group, it seemed hilarious and even ridiculous that anyone would ever mistake were after the shooting, but I hadn’t connected it with myself before then.” the Chinese-American Lo for a socially reclusive shooter, much less for a Korean one. This It is incidents of stereotyping and discrimination like the ones Kahng and Lo expegroup of friends did not know that to the outside world, the statement was all too true. rienced that have left the Asian-American community in outrage. After the shooting, On April 16, Seung-Hui Cho, a student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univarious hate groups began to pop up on networking sites such as Facebook, with titles versity, gunned down 32 students and like “I thought Asian kids were supthen shot himself in the worst school posed to help you with your math massacre in US history. As news of homework, not blow your head off the tragedy spread across the na“ and “Who was shocked that the tion, some reacted with tears, some Asian kid done the massacre at with outrage, and others simply Virginia Tech?” asked themselves, “Why?” MeanIn response, other groups were while, some looked at the photocreated, many of them joined by graph of Cho in their newspapers MVHS students, such as “Seungand reacted with the shame of beHui Cho does not represent all ing the same race as him. Thoughts Asians” and “Yeah, I look like of hate crimes against Asian-Amerisomeone else. Is that a crime?” cans or Korean-Americans—much Kahng said that some of his friends like those that Muslims and those have said things like, “Stupid Koof Middle Eastern descent experirean guy, making us all hated.” enced after the Sept. 11 terrorist atAsian-Americans have also tacks—seemed all too possible. responded by condemning the Lo and his friends traveled to the repeated identification of Cho as border of Arizona and Nevada on “South Korean” by media outlets, April 17, over spring break, on a instead protesting that his race has trip to visit Yosemite. Having left the nothing to do with his actions and day after the shootings, they were emphasizing that Cho had been unaware of the identity or ethnicity living in the US since the age of of the shooter, not to mention what eight. Among the race-driven awaited them outside the comfortquestions, is the speculation, “But able Asian-populated bubble of Cuwhat if it hadn’t been an Asian?” pertino. On the morning of April 18, “If it was any other minorLo and his friends left their room to ity, there would be a backlash,” eat breakfast in the hotel. Kahng said. “If it were a white It seemed that their group of guy, it would just be a tragedy.” three Chinese-Americans and one He speculated, “People create African-American was receiving assumptions of other people and unusually long stares from the prewhen they come true a few times, dominantly white guests, but it was they think it’s true all the time. I not until they entered the buffet that guess it has something to do with they realized why. There, Lo was told hatred. They’re angry at [Cho] by the cashier to put his bag on the and they need someone to take it side of the room though all the other out on… and we look like him.” guests had their bags at their tables. Though his experience was “Is it because I’m Asian?” Lo asked. brief, it has left Kahng contemplatThe white cashier responded, “No, ing. “It makes me think more about photo illustration by Samika Savanur we’re just making sure.” how other Asians might feel in arFrom left to right: freshman Yang Yang Shi, senior Alton Ng, freshman David Wang, freshman Christian Lee, junior Richard Wei, junior Kevin Yeh, junior “I think he thought that I had eas that aren’t like Monta Vista, Hermes Huang, junior Andrew Kahng, sophomore Joseph Hoang, senior Evan Pu, junior Tim Fong, senior Chris Lo, Seung-Hui Cho, responsible for the weapons or explosives in my back- massacre of 33 students at Virginia Tech, senior James Kahng, senior Kuangyi Chen, junior Kevin Lim, senior Layne Miao, senior Lonny Cheuk, junior he said. “Maybe they’re the only pack,” Lo said. “My friend, who is Benjamin Lin, junior Matthew Ie, junior Kenta Akaogi, freshman Kevin Nguyen, junior Jason Tsao, junior Charles Tseng, junior John Vo Asian in their school and they exblack, was asking him, ‘Do you have perience stuff like that everyday. a problem with people of color?’ The cashier replied, ‘Well, stuff just happened at Virginia For me, that was my first sincere experience with racism.” Tech. The country’s in turmoil right now. We’re just trying to be safe.’ Then the manager Even though Lo and Kahng both felt angry after their respective brushes with racism, came out and we told him, ‘We don’t like being discriminated against because of our skin Lo tries not to lay the blame on anyone. “I guess it’s just how people grow up,” Lo said. color. Just because some random person at Virginia Tech did the shooting doesn’t mean it “It depends on what you’re surrounded by. If you’re sheltered, it’s weird seeing someone has anything to do with us.’ After that, they kind of gave in by letting us sit with our bags of a different skin color. I moved to San Jose recently and there are a lot more Hispanics and treating us nicely.” and blacks there. So whenever I walk to the gym, I tend to get stared at. If you’re differOver spring break, senior James Kahng had a similar experience. He and seven other ent, it gives people cause to think you’re strange.” people, all Asian, went down to Santa Cruz to celebrate his brother’s birthday. While the nation has mostly moved on after the shootings, the incident has left a slew “We were sitting outside of this restaurant eating dinner when this white man walked of speculations within the Asian-American community. “It makes you realize that there’s by,” Kahng said. “He let out a little laugh, like, ‘Ha!’ A really contemptuous laugh. Then he racism out there,” Kahng said. “It’s not over. There’s a lot of hatred left in the world.”

by Steffi Lau

editor in chief

N O T A L L

A L I K E

Silent Treatment: Asians often unwilling to openly address mental illnesses After Virginia Tech shooter was revealed to be mentally ill, Asians question the taboo mindset towards mental diseases by Steffi Lau editor in chief

hile the Virginia Tech incident has dealt a shocking blow to AsianAmericans, causing many to be stereotyped as shooters, it has also been a catalyst, forcing them to reexamine stereotypes within their own communities. After the shooter Seung-Hui Cho was revealed to be mentally ill, many speculated whether his failure to be

treated was due to the typical refusal of Asians to acknowledge mental illnesses. “In Korean culture, when people hear of mental illnesses, it’s not treated as a problem that deserves special attention. It’s more like a curse, like ‘they’re crazy,’” Korean-American junior Lauren Bahng said. “It’s treated as a personal weakness. There’s a more critical view than a sympathetic view.” Though there are disturbing signs that Cho had one or more mental illnesses, he

was never officially diagnosed. His mother was said to have unsuccessfully sought counseling for him from Korean churches. Coming from a family with a long history of mental illness, Korean-American senior James Kahng is no stranger to the Asian treatment of mental sicknesses as taboo. “It’s the old hide-your-weakness thing,” he said. “My grandpa, dad, and cousin had depression, but I only found out about it two years ago. It’s not talked about.”

Bahng said, “It’s a lot about family reputation. The whole honor thing.” “A lot of times when someone feels like they have disease, if they tell their family, the family will say it’s not true,” Kahng said of the Korean attitude. “I feel like part of it is okay,” he continued. “That whole determination side, wanting to take care of things yourself. But in terms of mental illness, that stubbornness could lead to undiagnosed people like Cho.”

Fashion Police: ‘AMC Look’ creates controversy by Pooja Shah

managing editor

hen senior Jennifer Nguyen sat down at her interview for a job at AMC theatres, she was handed a booklet titled “Wardrobe 101.” Although this might sound like a crash course in accessorizing, the actual purpose of this booklet is far from that. “Wardrobe 101” is a guide to the acceptable clothing, hairstyles and jewelry for AMC theatre employees to wear. Before being hired, Nguyen was required to comply with the standards detailed in the “Wardrobe 101” booklet. AMC theatres have explicit guidelines regarding the appearance of their employees. These guidelines, known as the “AMC Look” policy, include some expected regulations, such as wearing an AMC uniform at all times on the job, in addition to extremely specific parameters, such as the maximum size of earrings worn by female employees. In late March, a representative from AMC theatres came to recruit new applicants since the theatre was in need of employees. Many MVHS students have since been employed. One student who was interested in this opportunity, junior Wade Zhou, turned in an application and was asked back for an interview. Zhou was offered a position, provided that he follow the employee appearance guidelines. One of these required

Zhou to cut his hair so that it was no longer than chin-length. “When they told me about the requirements at my interview,” Zhou said, “I didn’t consider taking [the job] at all. I think it’s pretty ridiculous to have a rule like this for a minimum wage job.” While the “AMC Look” policy may seem like an infringement on freedom of expression, no federal laws have been established to prevent discrimination based on hair color, hair style, piercings, and the other standards set by the policy. Ridiculous or not, AMC theatres enforces the appearance regulations on their employees. According to an AMC representative, the company has implemented these rules to ensure that guests at the movie theatres feel comfortable asking staff members for help. The explanation regarding the guidelines is that certain appearance traits, including long hair and tattoos, may cause guests to lose their appetite when buying food. Senior Ashin Modak has been working at AMC theatres for about a month and was given this same reason for the “AMC Look” policy but doesn’t think it is valid. “I don’t think I would feel uncomfortable asking someone for help if they had long hair or tattoos,” said Modak. “Just as long as they had an AMC theatres uniform on.” “The headquarters is really conservative,” an AMC Guest Services representative, who did not want to be identified, said.

BY THE BOOK AMC theatre’s dress codebook, “Wardrobe 101,” outlines strict rules regarding employee dress standards. Junior Wade Zhou turned down a job opportunity at AMC because the guidelines required him to cut his hair. “They want everyone to look professional.” According to the theatre representative, most applicants and employees are compliant with these rules. He feels the guidelines simply ask employees to look “sane.” “It’s not that difficult to comply with [the standards],” Nguyen said. “Dealing with them is all just part of coming to work.”

Zhou, on the other hand, feels the policy is “completely arbitrary and archaic.” Although potential employees like Zhou may be offended by the “AMC look” policy, the company still believes the comfort of their patrons is determined by the appearance of their employees, so “Wardrobe 101” will continue to dictate the “AMC Look.”

FOOD: Transformed cafeteria policies set for next year THE CALIFORNIA WELLNESS POLICY PARAMETERS Calories from Fat

<35%

Calories from Saturated and Trans Fat

<10%

Total Weight from Sugar

<35%

Maximum Calories per Food Item Maximum Calories per Entrée

250 calories 400 calories

continued from page 1 The option to order items a la carte, or singly, will be eliminated. Instead, entire meals will be served during lunch. During brunch the a la carte aspect may still be preserved, but it is currently undecided. The unoccupied cafeteria will most likely be used for the food court. All of the new changes bring into question what exactly next year’s cafeteria will consist of. Packaged foods such as the taco pocket will likely make a disappearance next year, as well as all deep-fried food items, including fries. Other food items generally considered “unhealthy” like pizza and cookies will also either be eliminated or be forced to undergo a recipe change. “Everything will be baked next year,” Emerin Wang, manager of the school cafeteria, said. “We might have baked tater tots instead of the fries. The only thing I can see being left would be the hamburger.” The new changes, like all change, come with many obstacles that need to be overcome. One that the cafeteria staff foresees is the issue of serving all students in the restricted lunch period

of 40 minutes. Wang estimates that roughly a third of MVHS, or about 800 students, buy food from the cafeteria each day. “Imagine having 800 kids show up at your kitchen one day, all wanting food,” Assistant Principal Dennis Plaza joked. Yet, while MVHS serves the largest amount of students, it also has the smallest kitchen of the District, barely twice the size of a normal kitchen. The size of the cafeteria itself also brings up another problem. Wang foresees five different stations, each with a different type of food. Somehow the massive amount of students must manage to filter through, line up in their respective station, and enter and leave in an orderly manner. “I’m just picturing the cafeteria at lunch, and I see pure chaos,” Plaza said. Currently, while plans are being made for the new food court and card swiping system, everything is very preliminary. The new menu will be decided in late June, and most likely sent out in the pre-year packets received in the mail for parents and students to peruse.

Film festival told to ‘show no evil’

Are end-of-the-year teacher evaluation forms Administration violates California law in unwarranted censorship of MVHS film festival necessary and useful? “I think evaluations are useful for teachers to take the students’ opinion into consideration, but I don’t think students really take them seriously.”

junior Deepti Pujare “I think the evaluations are only good if the teachers take them into consideration because honestly, I don’t think teachers have enough time to look through all of them.” freshman Akhil Raju

Nandini Dasarathy | staff artist

young girl being raped by men she trusted. Soldiers killing while bloody chaos erupts all around them. These graphic situations are introduced to MVHS students at some point in high school, all from books that literature classes include as “required reading.” Administration has no problem with exposing students to these graphic scenarios because these texts contribute to the curriculum. Conveniently, these “educational supplements” are not judged on their relation to Zero Tolerance policies when approved by the School District Board of Trustees. Graphic books that the District deems “acceptable” are supposedly not detrimental to the well-being of students because they foster educational discussion. However, according to Administration, graphic student-produced films are. Three such films scheduled to be shown at the annual film festival were banned by Administration due to their inclusion of questionable content, including a gunfight and other armed conflict. These films were given back to the directors, and they were told that the films would not be exhibited at the festival. “It is a school-sponsored, student-run activity,” Principal April Scott said. “Therefore

I feel it should be in alignment with school policy. These films weren’t in violation of Zero Tolerance, but they did not support it.” With this obligation to homogenize the school’s ideals comes a need to prioritize. Unfortunately, there is usually sacrifice attached. For example, according to California Education Code 48907, if an open, public forum of expression – which the Film Festival inherently is – is censored, the school district must write out certain regulations, and the students involved must be given a chance to appeal. This has not happened because, according to Assistant Principal Brad M e t h e a n y, “These [actions] aren’t in the job description. We don’t have that kind of time [to go through the appeal process before the film festival].” To simply avoid setting regulations and including an appeal process is equivalent to not driving within the speed limit because one is in a hurry, or not paying taxes because it isn’t exactly a top priority. It’s unjust that Administration is openly ignoring legal obligations, and that the hard work of the students involved will go to waste. In addition, there are no grounds for cen-

Staff Editorial

soring these films. According to the Education Code, a student article of expression can only be censored if it is obscene, libelous, slanderous, or disruptive. According to a legal representative from the Student Press Law Center, these films are not disruptive or obscene. “An article of student expression,” he said, “cannot be legally obscene if it has artistic value for that audience. ‘Disruptive’ means that the medium in question conveys illicit student action that destroys order on campus.” If students are exposed to graphic and scarring media through the classroom, it would imply that they are ready for the same sort of exposure at a student-run activity, where ‘disruptive’ is up to student definition. Additionally, this event was separate from the school day and therefore optional to attend. Scott said that “the main responsibility of Administration is to ensure that MVHS remains a safe environment.” Although it is necessary to protect students, it is also necessary to protect students’ freedom of expression. Administration, therefore should set regulations for the films and establish an appeal process ahead of time to avoid such a predicament. Only then will we achieve the goal of protecting student safety while still protecting their artistic expression.

“Teacher evaluations are important since there are some teachers who should take the student opinions into consideration, especially if there is a general trend in responses.” senior Carine de la Girond’arc “Teacher evaluations only work if the students actually care enough about the class to give proper feedback.”

sophomore Alina Nelson “Some students would BS the reviews, especially if they don’t like the teacher. But if the teachers actually have students complete evaluations, then they probably do take time to read them.”

freshman Aditi Narayanan “The good teachers usually ask their students for an evaluation and the bad teachers don’t, so this basically defeats the purpose.”

senior Tracy Hsu

Anti-abortion activists outside school choose an inappropriate venue Graphic posters distract from true message and provide a bad example for school-age children on protesting by Radhika Chandrasekhar

staff writer

t was a horrifying sight for many students who journeyed down McClellan Rd. After going through the mundane, everyday events of school, students never expected to see images of blood-covered and misshapen fetus heads as they headed home. On April 26, MVHS was paid a visit by members of an anti-abortion organization, called “Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust.” The Survivors displayed large posters, with graphic images of third trimester aborted babies, while members handed out anti-abortion pamphlets. Though they were not legally permitted to lobby on campus itself, they dispayed their posters on the sidewalk in front of campus. Within this pamphlet, which mainly targeted teenagers and their parents, one of the given reasons not to abort was because, “It’s time women and men start taking responsibility for their choices rather than trying to terminate their

matador ((vibe))

responsibility by aborting their children.” Though the Survivors believe they represent a morally just cause, their persuasive tactics were morally hypocritical, socially unacceptable, and potentially more detrimental than informative to society. As the lobbyists intended to sway the opinions of high school students by showing heart-wrenching photographs, they disregarded the fact that MVHS is located between both Kennedy Middle School and Lincoln Elementary School. All three schools let out at relatively the same time, so not only did MVHS students see the graphic images, but kindergardeners through eighth graders did as well. We live in a society that has established ratings for movies, television shows, and even video games, indicating their levels of appropriateness for children and teenagers. What makes this situation any different? The Survivors are guilty of a double standard. While they preach the importance of responsibility to potential aborters,

To the new and improved announcements that include clips of school events.

To the school clocks that are ahead of standard time, causing tardies.

they devalue their own responsibility of respect towards society’s moral norms and expectations in order to further their own “moral” crusade. While elementary, middle and high schools go through the process of permission slips to teach sexual education and show videos, the Survivors allow this explicit content available to all children, without parent consent and without considering potential psychological ramifications. Regardless of the fact that there was no visible damage caused by the lobbyists’ efforts at this school, it is imperative that the Survivors consider the consequences of their actions in other locations. Rather than traveling around the nation trying to guilt people by using these graphic posters, the Survivors ought to reevaluate their mechanism of persuasion. They ought to carefully consider what kind of impact they are having on the communities, rather than merely on the high schools they visit. Only then can the organization begin to justify its claims as morally-just and sympathetic crusaders.

To the increased voter participation in class officer elections this year.

To the new dreadful-sounding Code Red alarms which pained students’ ears.

No ‘hats off’ to excessive regulations School rules forbidding students from throwing graduation caps are unfair by Shibi Murali online editor

oward the end of the year, it is custom for MVHS seniors to put on a white or purple robe, bring all their relatives into town, and practice the proper handshake and graduation diploma receiving procedure. By the end of the speeches and the “Class of 2007!” announcement, all that’s left is to take pictures and go home. What’s missing? Somewhere between the loud announcement and the picture taking comes that cliché moment where all graduates toss their hats in the air in triumph. However, this portion has been omitted from MVHS’s yearly graduation. According to Assistant Principal Fred Keep, throwing graduation caps in the air can potentially injure an unsuspecting student’s eye or face on descent. It’s a simple theory for Administration to stand behind, but taking away the students’ opportunity to toss their graduation caps in the air robs them of an unforgettable moment in life. We see students graduating on TV in shows and movies, and we instantly flash forward to that glorious moment when we will be the ones throwing the caps. Taking away this moment cannot be warranted by a minor safety hazard, especially when graduation cap-related accidents are unheard of. Graduation caps are meant to be tossed into the air, not thrust like frisbees or boomerangs. Common sense should tell students this, but it would be just as well if Administration spoke out against these possibilities, taking disciplinary action against those who throw too wildly to ensure that no one is injured.

readrespond Letters of any length should be submitted via e-mail or mail. They become the sole property of El Estoque and can be edited for length, clarity, and accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion. Please submit letters to elestoque07@gmail.com.

Buddhism is not about idol worship. In your last issue there was an article called “Turning Toward a New Light” where a student, Eric Jones, finds guidance in a new religion. I respect his right to his opinions but would like to object to a misconception he was quoted as saying. He pursues Christianity for its aspects of truth and rejects Buddhism because he is “not into idol worship”. I would like to say that Buddhists are not idol worshippers just as Christians praying in a church where there are statues of Christ on a crucifix are not worshipping the sculptures. —instructional aide Cathy Nakamura Audrey Feldman | staff artist

It would be a waste if the lack of capthrowing at graduation ceremonies became tradition. MVHS already does not honor valedictorians, and keeping graduation cap-throwing out of the agenda is one more thing to add to the basket of trashed ceremony procedures. Compromise might be a good solution in a situation like this. Nobody wants to see a student injured on graduation day, but steps need to be taken to add the cap-throwing into the ceremony. Creating buffers between seating rows could give more room for caps to fall on the ground or on empty seats rather than on a student. During graduation practice, students could throw their caps towards a particular all-clear zone that has been designated based on where they

are sitting. This could ensure that the capthrowing is risk free and manageable. To make these theories a reality, it is essential that senior class officers lobby Administration to bring back the graduation caps. While this issue primarily concerns the class of 2007, Administration’s stance of withholding the cap-throwing will obviously affect all students who graduate from MVHS. It is the senior class’ responsibility to pressure Administration to reinstate the graduation cap throwing. Unless graduates are looking into the sky as the graduation caps begin their descent, no one’s face is in danger. But as a reminder, come graduation day, don’t be distracted by a bird, a plane, or a graduation cap.

Senior map of El Estoque is valuable I have enjoyed the senior edition of El Estoque each year and understand that once again, there is debate regarding the senior map. Though I certainly acknowledge the academic competitiveness that abounds on the MVHS campus, I do not think that removing this feature, which displays the end result of 4 years of hard work, is justified. Conversely, I think there should be more ways such as this one for students to become aware that there are more colleges to choose from than the California. I realize that it is a voluntary, incomplete, non-verified listing but it is very fun and informative! Please do not cancel this feature for superficial reasons. Thank you for hearing me out. —MVHS parent Kathy Fetterman

No ‘hats off’ to excessive regulations School rules forbidding students from throwing graduation caps are unfair by Shibi Murali online editor

p o i n t for p o i n t

New food policy: For better or worse?

Education: the incurable sickness

John Ho | staff artist

Food policy beneficial to student body by Anagha Vaidhyanathan managing editor

“S

upersize Me” once portrayed obesity as a national epidemic. Approximately nine million American children are clinically obese and the numbers are growing rapidly. At a time in our society where both physical health and image are valued and criticized, it only seems appropriate that MVHS will finally take proactive measures to improve the quality of the food offered to its students. The December 2005 California School Wellness Policy is forcing a turn for the better and our school is actively implementing the changes. The decision to eliminate the greasy fat-rich foods from our lunch line and replace them with nutritious goods is appropriate for our student body, where students are engaged in a variety of activities. But what makes this new system even more efficient is the introduction of a swipe-card system. The system will help the 800 busy students that go through the cafeteria each lunch get through the lines faster and reduce the risk of handling cash. The cafeteria workers will no longer be forced to break $20 and $50 bills and students who purchase drinks that cost $1.25 can be assured that they will still keep their full 75 cents to spend on another purchase. Although there is no guarantee that the ‘healthiness’ of the food will be the best it could be, it will be better than what previously existed. The school cafeteria will finally be able to serve its intended purpose. A food court format will offer students who would otherwise purchase unhealthy lunch alternatives to eat full meals where complementing components are all rich in nutrition. The key to ensuring that this cafeteria remains both successful and profitable is the taste factor in the nutritious food that is provided. Should the cafeteria provide tasty and healthful options that are also cost efficient, students are more likely to stay on campus during lunch and spend their precious dollars at the cafeteria, making it more profitable for years to come. While health is significantly the responsibility of the individual, it is important that our society and our schools encourage students to get into the habit of consuming nutritious foods. By giving them a solid start today, our society is preparing students to make appropriate dieting decisions in their futures. With a healthy body comes a healthy mind and our students will be well prepared to tackle the challenges they set for themselves – thankfully not ones that will involve degrading immune systems. Those students who insist on eating fat-rich foods can drive over to the local 7-11 and bite into a giant cookie to appease their appetite. At the very least, we’ll no longer have to tell incoming freshmen that our school serves plastic on cardboard with a side of Styrofoam.

pro

Changes detrimental to students’ lives

Statistics 1) Do you think it’s the school’s duty to provide healthy food for students? A. Yes B. No

A. 82 B. 18

2) How much food do you think you will buy with the new meal system? A. Snacks B. Meals once in a while C. Meals every day

48 34 18

3) Do you like the new planned meal system? A. Yes, I don’t have to think about planning meals anymore B. No, there’s too much meal restriction C. Undecided

48 40 12 A

*taken from a random poll of 100 students

by Symrin Chawla entertainment editor

s the old saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” It’s a simple health mantra to live by; not too demanding, and of course the rhyme helps. In reality, though, just one apple is not enough to jump-start a healthy body. Health requires more: Diet, exercise, oh and a new state-implemented lower-calorie cafeteria menu wouldn’t hurt either. It is certainly commendable that the state is taking affirmative steps towards changing the factors which promote bad health in schools. However, by forcing, rather than teaching, students to eat nutritious foods, students do not learn to make the choice between eating healthy or unhealthy. The policy leaves them unable to make their own dieting decisions in the real world – a world where health is a personal initiative, not the job of schools. In addition, the state has lost sight of what are reasonable and logical regulations for a high school, especially one as interactive as MVHS. The California School Wellness Policy ensures that no unregulated and ominously ‘unhealthy’ food will be sold or distributed on campus, with the exception of MVHS’s club days. With over 70 clubs on campus, the majority of which use food to fundraise, the policy’s strict regulations will cost thousands of dollars in revenue. Although a fast-food black market is hardly likely to surface in the near future, students are sure to find ways around the policy. Bringing food from home and making more frequent trips to local stores such as 7-11 will inadvertently encourage more rule breaking. The new policy also calls for the now empty school cafeteria to finally live up to its title as an actual school cafeteria. Transforming the room where food is neither sold nor eaten to a foodcourt style kitchen will drain more money from the district budget. There is also no guarantee that the new layout will be beneficial to campus life. With students lining up for meals and full entrees, food court chaos is sure to ensue – especially since during 40-minute lunches, time is of the essence. A Students who simply want small snacks will not only have to wait in long lines, but will surely58 be dejected when they realize that instead of paying $1.50 for a vitamin-filled cookie, they will have to pay $3 for the full meal which must accompany that cookie to even out the overall calorie intake. So, in their valiant attempt to make students eat their apple a day, the state has not considered how specific aspects of their policy will affect the dynamic of our school. And without the ability to individually choose to lead a health lifestyle, students will not learn to make active decisions in the future. They will simply eat what is given to them.

once had a conversation with a person who did not know the definition of the word “vacation.” I thought he might have qualified for an acquaintance. “A vacation entails a sort of a relief,” I said. “It is one of those rare opportunities where a student can loaf about pretending he has absolutely nothing to do, all the while having this idleness’ consequences conveniently postponed.” “Balderdash,” the unnamed other said. Obviously, I have taken some liberty by changing the actual exclamation, which had before rather inappropriately invoked feces and disbelief. He had believed otherwise; vacation was a time for taking classes that would prepare for another class, which one would then take again so that one might excel. We were, from the start, incompatible. I thought aloud that he resembled a pack mule; he took my candid observation at face value and we parted company after that. I did not consider it much of a loss. It may be that I am out of place. I think there are times when I find that my own notions of things are strikingly in contrast with the rest of society. It cannot be helped. Sometimes I feel out of place. First of all, I wish to be perfectly understood. I do not harbor a secret desire for College Board’s Official SAT study guide, nor am I a regular subscriber to the “The Insider’s Guide to College.” It is curious to imagine what other delusions one’s closest friends are suffering from when one receives a textbook for Christmas. For some reason, everyone else feels obliged to feign some sort of envy. I do my best to ignore it. It makes me nauseous; they crowd about you and make the gasping sounds not unlike lung patients without their artificial respirators. Then I feel as if I won a Dungeons and Dragons championship. It has also been of prevailing fashion to decorate oneself with great volumes of knowledge. Nowadays, it is of absolute necessity to carry about titles like “Kaplan” and “Princeton Review” to be socially accepted. People seem to think that the colorful covers blend well with their eyes; they so very rarely open either. Then there are the hobbies of others. Lately, everyone thinks that it is amusing to spin colored cubes until the blocks of color match. They think that it is immensely intellectual; one would think that they had made a great scientific discovery whenever the cube is solved. Enlightening the world, however, eventually becomes tiring, so they turn to flatter, less colorful squares. They make little boxes with numbers all over them and stare endlessly, stopping only to inform others of their progress with groans of failure or sighs of success. One will always find a strong minority of the population suffering from a curious affliction that impairs their ability to identify. They like to wear sweaters and shirts that declare that they are in “UCSD” or perhaps somewhere in “UPenn”, though all landmarks suggest that they are clearly elsewhere. Some go as far as to announce that the color of their sweater is “Brown”, in spite of visual evidence that unmistakably suggests otherwise. Then they shorten everything with all sorts of absurd abbreviations. It is frustrating that whenever I see a sweater proclaiming “Cal”, I fail to find the corresponding “-ifornia” anywhere on it. It makes me positively ill. I like to pretend that I am a rather tolerant character, but too many incurable differences make me continuously nauseous and terminally ill. I think I need a vacation.

this month by Austin Cheng, photography editor

through the lens APRIL 27: THE GIVER The Stanford Blood Drive turned the cafeteria into a donation center for students and teachers to donate blood. A total of 114 donors gave blood.

MAY 6: “ME SO DESI” Sophomores Teresa Vellaringatu and Shivani Sharma perform to the song “Nimbooda” during Spotlite on India, an Indian cultural show.

APRIL 27: “THIS IS JUDO!” Senior Alex Kadokura throws his sister senior Elyse Kadokura to MAY 14: AP OF LOST CAUSES Students line up at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church for the Biology AP exam. A total of 1,925 AP tests were taken by 858 MVHS students. the ground, demonstrating judo in the Diversity Day assembly.

MAY 3: COIN WARS FOR THE IRAQ WAR Sophomore Irene Steves drops a penny into a jug to raise money for troops in Iraq. A total of $700 was raised, enough for 70 care packages.

MAY 6: PATRON OF THE ARTS Resident Olivia O’Reily views the MAY 11: FRONT LOAD OVERLOAD The presence of picket signs MAY 10: SEMPER FI Corporal Henriquez watches sophomore Chris MVHS ROP display at the Art Showcase held in Cupertino Square. tripled this campaign season, the result of a new Leadership reso- Garvin as he works toward 16 pull-ups during a lunchtime Marine Corp pull up challenge. Artwork from the five FUHSD schools was on display for one week. lution to boost student participation.

by Cheryl Ho design editor

‘

photo of

senior O m Marw

ah taken

by Daniel

Yang | staf f photogra

pher

ouncing into the parking lot with a car adorned in a flamboyant violet hue, windows rolled down, with hip-hop music blasting from the speakers, senior Om Marwah certainly knows how to make an entrance. Only one label seems to fit, and that would be “hyphy.” The hyphy movement is mostly known to MVHS as a movement of music originating within the Bay Area. But Marwah’s interpretation is a little different. “Hyphy is much more than just a song; it’s a way you feel,” Marwah said. “Getting hyphy refers to the high energy feeling the music creates and the sense of community you get from the people.” The hyphy movement is characterized by pounding distinct rhythms, directly associated with the Bay Area. It can also involve sometimes dangerous car stunts like “ghost riding the whip,” when a car is put into neutral and the driver dances beside it or on the hood or roof. “A lot of the songs are about drugs, but there’s much more than that,” senior Paymon Sedghat said. “It’s about partying or being yourself. It’s about doing what society is always against, or what society thinks is weird.” While local band E-40’s “Tell Me When to Go” marked the initial takeoff of the widespread hyphy movement, individual artists had been producing similar music even before its release. Marwah’s interest was sparked at the beginning of the hyphy movement as he began to realize that he was meant to and wanted to live hyphy. “I’ve always dressed the way I do,” said Marwah, decked out in a flat-billed hat, large shirt, and baggy shorts. Conveniently, his look and his bright low-rider purple Buick fit with the character of the hyphy movement. After buying the car from a dealer who had the same interests as he did, Marwah added extra work to make it what it is today. “I had to work on the hydraulics a lot,” Marwah said. “With

old cars, there’s always something wrong. But I love it.” As most students at Monta Vista only go as far as listening to a few well-known hyphy songs, Marwah’s level of going hyphy is often perceived as foreign to the general student body. Marwah looks at hyphy as more than listening to music, but instead a way of life, as he proudly represents it on the MVHS campus. “I don’t feel different,” Marwah said. ”I’ve got friends who go ‘stupid, dumb, and hyphy’ all the time. They talk the way I do, dress the way I do, and dance the way I do.” Sedghat joins Marwah in support for the movement. “I love it,” Sedghat said. “It’s so much fun. It’s important to see how it’s much more than just a song. If you go up to San Francisco, you can see people have integrated it as part of their culture. You’ll see them ghost riding the whip.” Though Marwah’s image has become well known on the MVHS campus, the movement he represents has not taken off as well as it was anticipated to. Several months ago, the hyphy movement was supposedly going to put the Bay Area on the map, but lately coverage has been faltering. “The hyphy movement peaked, but now it’s staggering,” said Marwah. “Nationwide coverage started growing, so artists like Mistah F.A.B. are becoming widespread, but recognition hasn’t grown the way that it was thought to.” Marwah’s loyalty to the hyphy movement has never staggered, but has instead instilled a sense of pride within him. He acknowledges now that rather than following a trend, he is living a lifestyle – one that he is not ready to give up just yet, despite its decreasing popularity. “The hyphy movement may not spread,” Marwah said. “But it can never really disappear. After all, it’s a lifestyle in the Bay Area.”

Violin genius chooses between business and pleasure Senior Tony Song makes difficult decision to pursue love of music at top music school over following family trend by Daniel Yang centerspread editor

“I

’d like to think I’m not weird,” senior Tony Song said with a laugh. Maybe not weird. But certainly not normal either, at least in his musical talent. Song has been studying music and playing violin for much of his life. From wowing audiences with string solos to making concertmaster at the prestigious San Francisco Youth Orchestra, Song has had no shortage of successes in music. Recently, he was accepted into The Juilliard School with a full scholarship, another huge accomplishment considering that Juilliard is one of the world’s best music schools and only accepts around 130 applicants a year at a mere five percent acceptance rate. It seems that Song is destined for musical greatness. Surprisingly, despite his brilliant track record, Song was not sure if he wanted to pursue music as a career.

“I’ve always wanted to do business,” Song said. “Music is hard and unstable and doesn’t interest me in the same way business does. I don’t read Symphony magazine. I read Forbes.” Coming from a family of computer software engineers, Song was also not expected to head into such an unconventional career. “My mother always thought that I was not good at violin,” Song said. “Even when I got into Juilliard, my mother felt that it was not a very big accomplishment. She never thought that I loved music. She thinks I can’t be good at music if I have such an attitude towards it.” As May approached, Song was faced with two choices: studying business at Carnegie Mellon or studying music at Juilliard. “I wanted to go into banking or business,” Song said. “I wasn’t certain if I wanted to go into music. I got into Juilliard, seemingly very easily, but I wasn’t sure if it’s what I wanted.” Song was also doubtful of his own abilities to be successful in the music

world. He said, “How do I know how good I really am? I knew I was pretty good, but there are always people who are better than me.” After all, music is a very competitive market. Song knew that although he had already gained a coveted spot at Juilliard, it was only a first step. Later, he would still need to compete for teachers, then a manager, audiences, and record sales. Unable to come to a decision, Song turned to his mentors and friends for advice. Song contacted Sylvia Rosenberg, a renowned musician and teacher at Juilliard. Earlier in the year, Song had a chance to meet and play for Rosenberg. Rosenberg told Song that despite having only studied music as an extracurricular activity, Song played much better than many of the other conservatory trained students. “Rosenberg felt strongly about my attendance at Julliard School. She

Daniel Yang | staff photographer

STRINGING A SOLO With quick fingers and an even quicker see VIOLIN on page 15 mind, senior Tony Song improvises on his violin on May 16.

it’s

Click:

Monta Vista Car Show

Microsoft i’m- http://im.live.com Created by Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft i’m allows people to up their karma points simply by chatting. Everytime you IM someone else using Microsoft i’m, Microsoft will donate to any of the ten different organizations of your choice.

Rev up the engines of MVHS hottest rides on May 25 at lunch in the Rally Court

Download: Rise Up — R. Kelly

Buy: Kate Moss TopShop- www.katemosstopshop.com Following in suit of the many other celebrities to make their fashion debuts, supermodel Kate Moss is trading in her sky high stilettos and signature strut for sketchbooks and sewing needles with her own clothing line. Prices range from everyday shirts for $10 to urban chic dresses for $100.

Read:

“A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini From the author of “Kite Runner” comes a new tale of two Afghan women forced to marry the same man and live in the same house. Hosseini entwines loss, love, and hope in this must-read novel.

it’s

OUT

The Class of ‘07 It’s been a long four years for some and the time of their lives for others, but for everyone in the class of ‘07, high school is coming to an end.

Austin Cheng | Photography Editor

AMC fills Vallco’s black hole by Austin Cheng photography editor

hat is the difference of a square? It isn’t a math problem, but if it were, the difference would be greater than pi. While the mall part of Cupertino Square has not changed much with the new name, the addition of AMC 16 Theatre brings a new energy that justifies the name adjustment to avoid the old stigma of Vallco Fashion Park. Upon first entry (which may be the first in several years for some), the look is not all that different: some old familiar shops from years back and empty lots (although there is a new white hard tile floor which gives the mall a brighter look and replaces the old waxy wooden one). It’s not until one walks their way to the enormous escalator structure when the new feel blows the mind. All that construction seen above Fresh Choice to build the entirely new third floor was certainly worth it. Movie goers are brought up to the screens by an escalator, greeted immediately by a grand mural with many Hollywood faces before entering the theater floor. Sixteen full-sized screens make up the new AMC, eight running down two hallways which extend from the central concession stand hub. Each screening room is at least two stories tall to make sure that the six-foot man in the row in front isn’t blocking the view. The seats are plush and roomy enough for a person of any size. The aisles themselves are spacious enough to allow people getting up in the middle of a show to walk in and out without squeezing past bodies and whispering,

“Excuse me, sorry.” It’s especially handy for the popular movies that attract kids who inevitably must tell mommy or daddy, “I have to go potty.” When it does come time to go potty, shy not from the cleanly kept bathrooms. The toilets and sinks are fully automated and numerous so waiting around isn’t so awkward. When just waiting for someone else to use the bathroom, either a dearly beloved or a sibling, there are mini couch-like benches conveniently located immediately outside to sit and wait. When it comes to convenience and addressing people’s every needs, the floor planners got it down. The only negative thought that comes to mind is the awful tasting fountain water, which is perhaps an incentive to buy a $3.50 bottle of water. As with any theater, the food at the concession stand is excessively pricey – $4 to start off with the smallest size of popcorn and $3.50 for the smallest size soda. But these high prices can be easily remedied with the small food shops and stands throughout the mall, such as Grain D’Or, or if the hike is worth it, Pretzel Time. For the really empty stomachs, a takeout box from Fresh Choice is easily at hand, healthier and cheaper than a large popcorn (although hard to share with a loved one). If a genuine movie theater experience is being sought after, nothing will be cut short. Any concerns with the old stigma of Vallco expecting the new theater to be below par are long gone once the ticket-person tears up the ticket at the entrance. In the long run, this theater promises to accelerate the development of the rest of the mall so that one day it may no longer be square for people to hang out at Vallco.

Spring Showcase

5/31

Live 105 BFD 2007

6/08

The White Stripes

6/19

Watch Cheer, Song, Hip Hop Kru, and Dance Teams perform at 7:30 in the Main Gym Concert is all day at the Shoreline Amphitheatre and features Bloc Party, CSS, The Bravery, and many more

Revive the Seven Nation Army with the release of their new album “Icky Thump” in stores for the summer

You Got To Groove

by Earth, Wind, and Fire —freshman Jason Orozco

21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson

—junior Sabeena Bali-Dingra

I Love You Mi Vida by D’Nash —sophomore Olga Miakicheva

Sara Beth by Rascal Flatts —senior Sarah Holsby

Find Out

by Aceyalone

—senior Andy Varshneya

[hallways]

in the

The flirt himself is paying a tribute to the victims of Virgina Tech with his single ‘Rise Up.’ Get this song off of iTunes and all the proceeds will go to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

5/25

Back in the ‘90s, Will made wearing hats ‘fly’ on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Nowadays, these flat bills are goin’ down around town. Don’t worry, Carlton, we’ll get you one too.

From webcam to animation studios Junior Torin Carroll debuts second movie portraying reality through “Legoland” at film festival

perspectives editor

uring the awards ceremony at the MVHS film festival last year, sophomore Torin Carroll stood up, raising a proud fist into the air. Sure that he must have won the “Best Director” award for his film, he was surprised when the prize went to another film. Embarrassed, he sat down, named for the “Best Editing” award soon after. “That incident taught me to not have so much pride, to not put down others, and to stop bragging, and instead wait quietly for surprises,” Carroll said. Carroll started his filmmaking career his freshman year. “I didn’t have much to do back then,” Carroll said. “My English class had a final project on the Odyssey. At the time, my sisters had just gotten a webcam, in which they were making Barbie animations. So I decided to use Legos and the camera to do an animation project.” Carroll’s first attempt at cinematography fell through, but this did not stop him from pursuing his interest in filmmaking. “I spent all Christmas break and more time than I thought, but all that time didn’t work out because I ended up getting a C on the project,” said Carroll. When his Chinese class was assigned a project, Carroll decided to have a “take two” on his filmmaking

experience. His movie, titled “Mrs. Wang goes to Minas Tirith,” was a hit among his classmates, so he decided to enter it into the MVHS Film Festival. To his surprise, it won “Best Editing”. Last year, Carroll began a serious attempt to learn animation within filmmaking. He began his two-year project, in which his script changed significantly. Unaware that it would be a full hour film, Carroll cut it into three parts. The first part was entered last year and the second will be premiered this year. “I’m really excited to show people the results of my hard work,” Carroll said. “I want to know what they think of it because the feedback helps me improve myself as a filmmaker.” Thankfully, there are such outlets as the MVHS Film Festival for Carroll to showcase his talents. Senior Bryson Rovetta, a filmmaker who has entered in the Film Festival year after year has recognized Carroll at this event. “He’s really into animation and spends lots of time on it,” Rovetta said. Unsurprisingly, Carroll’s hobby takes an immense amount of time from his daily schedule. As a result, breaks are never spent relaxing when Carroll is working on a film. “Most people don’t get it,” Carroll said. “I started Digital Animation Club in order to promote students’ interests in animation, but the problem is that films take a long time and not everyone has the patience for it.” For Carroll himself, the two-year

project he is yet to complete initially began with a lot of enthusiasm, but later on, he met with a lack of motivation. However, he has still pushed himself to complete it. Adding in a new film camera and actors rather than simple animation, Carroll plans to expand his role in this film. He also plans to feature his film on YouTube for promotion purposes. Carroll’s film, “The Zonus Project,” is about Lance Carter, a community college graduate who is in a better profession than his friends, who are graduates of the Ivy League universities. The society is divided into two: those who advocate education and those who support vocational training. Carroll derived inspiration for this movie from his experiences at MVHS. “I’ve often been told that film-making isn’t a good career,” Carroll said. “Students ask me why I’m not taking the hardest classes. School is a priority for me, but they think it should be a bigger priority.” Nevertheless, Carroll aspires to enter his films in local film festivals this summer to gain more exposure and feedback in the animation industry. He hopes to attend a college where he can develop his animation skills and work for Pixar and Dreamworks one day. The second part of his film, “The Zonus Project,” was shown at the MVHS film festival this year. This time, Carroll raised a proud fist to a first place title.

The good in all

photo courtesty of Torin Carroll

by Nandini Dasarathy

GOLDEN DEBUT A still scene of “The Zonus Project” directed by junior Torin Carroll which won “Most Impressive” at the Film Festival on May 18.

senior

“Parkour” Bryson Rovetta

junior

Rena Chang

“The Unlucky Pirates’

sophmore

John Chang

q & a

“How to Date Girls”

What is unique about your movie?

“It uses humorous examples to educate on dating girls and is a social commentary on dating.”

“I used Lego animation to depict the story of two pirates who battle for treasure and meet an unfortunate end.”

“It’s about a new sport in Russia called ‘Parkour’ and shows how to get from one point to another quickly and efficently.”

What is the message you want to give to your viewers?

“We want people to laugh at our video but also follow the dating advice.”

“They don’t need to take anything with them after watching because it was just for fun.”

“Most people see a wall as an obstacle, but we see it as an object to run, jump off, and climb.”

Where did you get the inspiration for the movie?

“From watching guys who don’t know how to interact on dates.”

“Attending an animation class where I used Legos”

“Watching videos and trying out the sport ourselves.”

VIOLIN: Musical “Song” follows his passion continued from page 13 was very disappointed when I first told her I was wavering,” Song said. “Music is something you have to develop and feel. It’s not something that you can just pick up and throw away.” That was enough to sway Song and get him curious as to how good he really was.“For the first time in my life,” Song said, “I became genuinely interested in the field. I wanted to see how good I can become and how much potential I truly have.” Song’s close friend and fellow musician senior Angela Park also supported Song’s interest in music. Park said, “He knows he’s good at music, but he always thought that music was not the thing for him. He has always been talented, but when since he was accepted into Juilliard, his confidence in music grew.” However, Song was still not quite ready to abandon his ambitions

in business. Song contacted his advisor at the investment bank Merrill Lynch, for which he will be interning in the summer. “My advisor told me,” Song said, “That I can’t stop music and pick it up, but you can do business anytime. She told me I can still do what I wanted and pursue business later in life.” In the end, Song chose Juilliard. For the first time in his life, he will be heading to a place where many talented people’s sole focus will be music. Song knows that the competition will be tough, and at least for time being, he will have to give up his pursuits in business. But Song is ready to see through what he has started. “I want to finish. I want to see how good I can become at this before I move onto something else, “ Song said. “I guess it’s not really about where I’m heading, but how much more I have to offer.”

have been pencil-less for the last month. I’ve been forced to take the rough route to life, thrown onto the streets and demoted to the level of “pencil beggar.” The type who asks for a pencil, returns it, and then asks for another one the next day. Why, you ask? Someone heartlessly stole my pencil. But I guess I helped them steal it. It was a nice, quiet evening, certainly not the type when thievery runs amuck (or so my naïve self thought). I was going about my business, happily drawing in my notebook, when a classmate of mine urgently approached me. She looked at me with immediacy etched in her brow and begged, “Could I borrow your pencil?” Looking down at the silly squiggles on my page I figured it would be selfish for me to decline the request, so I complied. But there was something in my gut that knew that pencil wouldn’t find its way back into my palm. At first I hovered over her work, just to make sure that my pencil would be returned to me. But when I realized that she was truly just drawing, I subdued the guard dog in me and returned to my own work. She would return my pencil and everything would be A-okay. Or that’s what I thought. Caught up in my own work, I soon forgot that I had lent out my pencil. And when I had returned home, finished procrastinating, and looked into my bag for a pencil, it was MIA. The borrower had forgotten to return it to me, and a big part of me was sure that it was all part of her master plan. I had met a pro pencil swindler and I had certainly just been swindled. Certainly, right? A month. A month without my pencil, a month with the thoughts of thievery occupying my brain, a month completely and utterly pencil-less. As thoughts of ever seeing my beloved pencil again diminished, thoughts of resent toward this pencil swindler expanded. Her “forgetting” to return the pencil was not a valid excuse in my book (this was a class-A pencil if there ever was one—who wouldn’t steal it?). And then on the mark of a month there it sat in the hand of the borrower—ALIVE! I jumped on it. Then I jumped on her. “You had it this whole time? That’s mine! I lent you it!” She blinked perplexedly at me, handed me the pencil and said, “Really? I found it in the Lost and Found just now.” And that’s when the world paused around me. I stared, gaping at her, rewinding and replaying the past events. Because there was no denying it: she had done the right thing. After she had finished drawing and realized that I was gone, she had put it in the Lost and Found. For a whole month I had been investing my energies lamenting over my lost pencil when, had I decided to stop blaming her, I might have taken a gander into the Lost and Found. I was so caught up in seeing the worst in her that I didn’t even stop to think about the best. And the world continued spinning only after I had gathered one thought: that people are here to help. People don’t like to let their peers down. No one intentionally forgets a birthday, purposefully spills the milk, and happily eats the last piece of cake (well, maybe if it’s really, really good cake). After all, the pencil swindler could have easily taken the pencil, but she knew that it wasn’t hers and had returned it to me to the best of her abilities. My pencil and I are reunited—but perhaps not completely. I’ve had a change of face. Instead of clinging to my pencil, I might let it fall into the hands of those who need it. I now have a sneaking suspicion that it’ll find its way back to me. And if it doesn’t, something even better will. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned through all of my experiences, it’s that people are always everywhere. And coexisting with them is just another part of life.

Mixing their way into the electronica industry Caught between widespread reknown and the fear of piracy, original music creators distribute through grass roots by Cameron Lee staff writer

enior Jason Dietz worked for three months on an original piece of music he was developing on his computer. He called up a publisher and they agreed to review his work; unfortunately, after sending them a CD of the song, his computer crashed and he lost the work. The publishers never received the CD and Dietz was forced to redo the entire song. Such is the life of a music mixer. Music mixing is the art of creating music from multiple sources. These sources include synthesized drumbeats, recorded guitar, and sometimes sound effects not generally associated with music. One of Dietz’s songs contains a length of machinegun fire, taken from “Saving Private Ryan” and “Medal of Honor,” laid over the background of the music. Junior Omer Ben-zvi and senior Nima Khodai share this interest of music editing as well. The three of them met together for the first time at their guitar class, and have been assisting each other in their hobby ever since. They develop different skills and tricks that they share with others. Although the three vary in their methods, the basic premise for making a new musical piece is the same: setting the beat, recording, and putting it together. “I experiment with a lot of things to see if they sound good,” Ben-zvi said. “If I get a really good idea [for a tune] at school, I’ll hum it into my cell phone so I can remember it later. Coming up with a good beat can take a long time, but time passes really fast because I like working.” Different software programs are used to edit the song by changing volume, adding effects, and performing various other duties. Deitz and Khodai use a program called Fruityloops 6.0 to do most of the work, while Ben-zvi uses a free program called Audacity. “I’m not really into the professional and Cameron Lee and Ishita Mitra | staff photographers expensive equipment,” Ben-zvi explained. A MIXED WAY OF LIFE Junior Omer Ben-zvi (right) strums out a new tune on his guitar on May 18 in the rally court during a free period. The others made gagging noises at this. (Top left) Colleagues and primary sources of critique seniors, Jason Dietz and Nima Khodai pose during lunchtime on May 16. (Bottom left) As well as sharing common hobbies, the On May 19, Ben-zvi mixes music newly recorded material on his computer. three share common inspirations. The bands Dream Theater and Symphony X, and the one else touching it. Working together would be good to about the music. musician Yngwie Malmsteen serve as their main influences. “Omer is very creative,” Ben-David said. “He combines get new ideas, but it also really inhibits your ability to actuThe music mixers have put some of their music up online. progressive rock with his own style. He’s a musical genius.” ally get work done. I guess we just never got around to it, They usually tell only their because we’re all lazy.” friends about it. Both Khodai and Ben-zvi hope I’D LIKE TO DO THIS FOR A LOT OF THE MORE ORIGINAL to continue “I’m kind of afraid that their hobby of music someone will steal my music,” BANDS HAVE MIXERS; THAT’S WHAT MAKES THEM DIFFERENT. - junior Omer Ben-zvi mixing into a career. Ben-zvi said. “Maybe I’ll pub“I’d like to do this for a living licize more if I get copyrights, someday,” Ben-zvi said. “That’s but for now I prefer security over a wider audience.” In order to get accurate feedback and improve, the group why I practice so much. A lot of very original bands like “Who’s gonna copy us?” Dietz asked in response. “Who often critique each other’s work. “It’s good to get feedback Dreamtheater have mixers; that’s what makes them differcan copy us? Nobody, that’s who.” from other musicians rather than some guy who doesn’t ent.” Feedback about their work is generally good. “Well, know anything about music,” Ben-zvi said. Fortunately for him, Ben-zvi’s parents don’t seem to mind most people won’t say that it sucks to your face, which is Despite their common interest, the three music mixers his choice in a future career. “Both of my parents like music. good and bad,” Khodai said. “You wanna hear that your have never worked on one project together. My dad has actually asked me to make more metal songs,” work is good, but you also wanna know how to improve.” “It’s hard to share your work with somebody else, he said. “Their only real complaint is that I play too loud Ben-zvi’s friend senior Eyal Ben-David speaks his mind y’know?” Khodai said. “It’s your work, you don’t want any- sometimes.”

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A LIVING SOMEDAY.

photo illustration by Jenny Sun and Kevin Ragothaman | staff illustrators

For four years, senior Emmanuel Pun has lived up to the hype of being boys badminton’s Player of the Year by Carolyn Chuang

sports editor

uring these past four years, MVHS badminton has become associated with two things. First is the fact that the strong varsity team has been undefeated in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League for two straight years. Second is senior Emmanuel Pun. You may have seen his face in the San Jose Mercury News special high school athlete edition, for Pun has been recognized as the boys badminton Player of the Year for the past three years. In his career at MVHS, he has also taken the CCS title for the past three years and has only lost three games in boys singles, two during his freshman year against MVHS alumnus Ivan Lee in the league tournament and one in this year’s league tournament to sophomore Terrence

Pang from Homestead High School. Outside of high school, Pun has competed in the Junior Nationals tournament for 10 consecutive years, going into his last and eleventh year. He has also qualified past Junior Nationals to the Pan-American and the World Juniors tournaments, competing both nationally and internationally. With his gained recognition, Pun has unintentionally collected a following of sorts. “The Wilcox girls are really weird. They look at me and go, ‘Look at his legs! They’re so sexy,’” Pun said about some girls’ reactions to his calves. He doesn’t deny that some people have tried to get his autograph, but he feels a bit guilty, for he claims that he’s not really as good as everyone makes him out to be. However, even as Pun tries to defend his CCS title and maintain a nearly un-

defeated performance in the league, he has decided to tone his play down for college. He will attend UC San Diego in the fall, though he considered staying in Cupertino and attending De Anza college so he could continue training here with the United Badminton Club. He decided this was not a realistic track or the one he truly desired. “To go pro, you would have to give up everything just for the chance [to succeed]. I’m still going to play badminton,” Pun said. “I’ll still go to some of the open tournaments, but it will be nice to taper down how much I play.” Pun currently plays five times a week with UBC. This level of training has been necessary to allow him to continue refining his form and consistency to allow his success. “[Pun] doesn’t make a lot of mistakes,

so he doesn’t give his opponents many chances to score,” MVHS badminton coach Charlie Situ said. “He trains very hard both during the high school season and out of the season.” With Pun’s rigorous training schedule, he recently realized that he has some physical problems. “I’ve had some pretty weird injuries,” Pun said, refering to various mishaps with his body, including his close call with glaucoma when he found out that he had high blood pressure in his eye. He wears contacts for his eyes, which, at about 0.700, are nearly legally blind. “Sometimes I play without my contacts for fun,” Pun said. “I can’t see the birdie until it hits me.”

see BADMINTON on page 19

Skating Forward: Ice hockey rediscovers team strength After disappointing start of season losses, ice hockey players adopt a renewed optimism to finish the year every Wednesday. “We lost so many seniors and other players due to [graduation] and league organization reasons that the team is now completely different from a year ago,” senior Quinn Barnes-Carr said. Many of the players on the team had to switch to other teams because of location restrictions, which led to

“Last year we always got to games early to warm up and discuss the upcoming game,” Barnes-Carr said. “When we went into the semifinals and final games, the only reason s the days of waking up when the sky is still dark, the coaches thought we might win was because we had the rushing to beat the morning traffic, and sitting through team atmosphere going on, which was more valuable than seven hours of classes draw to an end, students will just pure skill.” be reminiscing of the year that seemed to pass by so quickly. With strong players and a defined team resolution, the Friends will be dedicating yearbook boys were able to work their way pages to each other, eagerly making up the scoreboard, but as the 06“WE HAD THE GOING ON, WHICH WAS MORE plans for the two months of freedom 07 season rolled into the rink, the to come. Teachers will be wiping off connection between the players was VALUABLE THAN JUST PURE SKILL.”— senior Quinn Barnes-Carr their whiteboards and cleaning their lost and victory slipped further out of rooms in preparation for a summer their reach. without students. For most, it will be a time of looking complications. Rival players were added onto the team and Unlike the transition from two years ago, with everyone forward, but for the boys of the MVHS Ice Hockey Club, this some of their strongest players were transferred to other on the team energized from the winning streak and eager teams. Throughout the months of January and February, the to push further ahead, the transition into this year was a whole year has been about living in the past. Last year, the team was composed of 20 players, half of team experienced a period of instability which caused many weak one. which were from MVHS. This year only five boys are from games to be lost. “In the locker rooms last year, everyone was “Back then the problem was that we were getting new acknowledging the fact that we were going to lose half our MVHS, with the other nine being from other schools in the area, which shows the reduced amount of determination players dumped on us everyday. No one was motivated to work force,” said Barnes-Carr. “We kind of accepted the that has been affecting the team this year. It went from bond,” senior Vivien Pillet said. idea that MVHS ice hockey was going to [slow down] for now. Two years ago, the MV Ice Hockey Club had been steadily winning the High School League Ice Hockey Championship see HOCKEY on page 19 to lost morale and a decreasing head count at practice increasing its credibility as both a club and a team.

by Ishita Mitra

entertainment editor

TEAM ATMOSTPHERE

Ping pong player commits life to tabletop sport World class table tennis athlete junior Sean Lee focuses on schooling, but he still hopes for an Olympic spot someday by Casey Wong staff writer

nshakable focus, indomitable determination, and relentless training. Who would have ever thought that these words had anything to do with a game played on a table? But for junior Sean Lee, the sport of ping pong is much more than a mere game. As one of the top competitors in the nation within his age group, table tennis has very much become a part of his life. To say that Lee was born to play ping pong would not be entirely exaggerating. His father, an avid player of the sport himself, casually exposed Lee to the sport since he was just a baby. Throughout his childhood, Lee would follow his father to club practices to watch him play, but never considered playing ping pong himself until he was nine years old. He said that, “Before, I didn’t think that I focused well enough, I wasn’t the nicest kid, and I had behavior problems in school. I think as an athlete, it’s important to have strong discipline first.” As he played recreationally more often, Casey Wong | staff photographer Lee noticed that his skills were developing EYE ON THE BALL Junior Sean Lee focuses while practicing table tennis at the Seven so consistently that he felt that he was ready Springs clubhouse on May 17. Lee practices nearly everyday to maintain his good form. to take the game to a new level. “I really wanted to do well,” he said. “And I think to practice under Lin’s guidance by traveling game in terms of style and the technical asthat’s the most important part” to Southern California during spring break pects of the game. He has been able to easLee was first coached by Grace Lin, and other vacations in order to further reily communicate to me the tiny problems and who was once a member of the renowned ceive coaching. flaws in my game and my techniques.” Chinese National Table Tennis Team. After Even without the direct presence of Lin, Lee still video tapes his practices at home a year, Lee moved on to be coached by the famous Tang Gao Lin, who coached mulyou don’t have time to with friends any more... You tiple players who went onto the World Championship of — junior Sean Lee can’t be Table Tennis. Shortly after becoming committed to table tennis, Lee and his fam- so that each recorded session can be sent Lee regards his regular practices as not only ily had to move from Southern California to to Lin for critiques. He said, “Tang Gao Lin important, but also highly enjoyable. As a the Bay Area. However, because Coach Lin and I have a special connection, because member of six table tennis clubs, practice was such a significant mentor, Lee continued we both have the same thoughts about the requires a considerable amount of time

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hang out distracted”

LOOKING BEHIND

South Park april distracts volleyball players

Freshmen JV volleyball players Kevin Wu and Charlie Huh almost missed their third to last game against Wilcox because they were watching South Park. Their carpools nearly left without them.

Sweet bonding activities for softball

Driving ahead, putting to a finish

april

Swimmers supporting may Special Olympics

final season results

The varsity girls swim team helped out at Stanford with Special Olympics swimmers by helping to coach them, serving as their cheer squad, and having friendly and helping attitudes in general.

Summer Baseball

may

Tryouts for the summer baseball team coached by MVHS coaches and made up predominantly of MVHS baseball players took place the week of May 14 and were posted on this day.

The softball team got together to just have fun the night before their second round of CCS by having a “MTV music awards” night by dressing up, singing, and dancing. They also had a board game night on May 15.

SCORE BOARD

where we’ve been

The golf team finished their season strong by taking fourth place in the league tournament, the first time they have qualified in years. This year, the team was also able to defeat Saratoga and Los Gatos one time each – who have always dominated the league in the past.

may

throughout the week. “Between practice, and competition, I love doing both equally,” Lee said. “Maybe competitions are more fun, but only because a whole crowd is watching.” In 2004, Lee’s hard work and commitment to table tennis paid off during what he described as his “most exciting moment.” After winning a close match at the end of a day of furious competition, Lee was selected to join the US Cadet Team, which is even more competitive than the prestigious Junior Olympics level of table tennis. During this intense tournament, Lee’s coach was able to guide Lee to victory once again. He recalled, “There was one match I played, and in the middle of the fourth game, Lin called a time out and told me to change the pattern of serves and it worked. I thought about that before that point of the game, but I was not sure. If I had served without being sure, I may have just served it with poor quality, but when he told me to do it, I was ready, and my mind was made. And it worked.” What makes Lee unique as an athlete is the level of seriousness which he applies to his sport. The maturity and focus which he once thought he lacked are now doctrines which he strives to apply in all aspects of his life. He said, “Time management is very important. You don’t have time to hang out with friends anymore. When I do homework, I only focus on homework. You can’t be distracted.” As he entered high school, Lee found it necessary to devote his winters and springs to school, when final exams and SATs stand as more important things to prepare for, while the remaining parts of the year are for table tennis. Though Lee aspires to qualify for the Olympics team one day, school remains a top priority in his life. He said, “Unless you’re in China, you aren’t paid enough to play ping pong.”

that was then.

CCS girls swim right past PALY

SOFTBALL

Varsity 9-1 Junior Varsity 6-6

BASEBALL

may

The varsity girls swim team placed second at the CCS finals swim meet. MVHS beat Palo Alto High school – the first time MVHS has ever beaten them in a non-dual meet setting. The girls were short of beating Archbishop Mitty by only 21 points.

In track, the varsity 4x1 team, distance runners sophomore Jean Feng and senior Simon Bill, and high jumper Helena Montin qualified for the CCS finals meet which will take place on Friday, May 25 at Gilroy High School.

Spring Show 2007

may

This year’s Spring Show, themed ‘Under the Sea,’ will be this day at 7pm in the gym. Featured performances include various groups, including the Dance and Spirit teams for both this year and next year, Bhangra, the Breakdance Club, and dance teams from nearby high schools.

where we’re going

Summer fun in weight training

jun

Next year’s football team begins summer training, lasting until school starts in August. The players have two months to get into peak shape in time for the fall season, planning to work hard while “normal” people lounge around the couch.

may

GIRLS SWIMMING Varsity 6-0 Junior Varsity 4-2

BOYS SWIMMING Varsity 4-2 Junior Varsity 3-0

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

this is now.

Track studs

Varsity 4-11 Junior Varsity 13-8

RUNNING AHEAD

Varsity 9-7 Junior Varsity 10-4

BOYS TENNIS Varsity 6-6 Junior Varsity 8-4

BADMINTON Varsity 12-0 Junior Varsity 10-2

GOLF 10-2

TRACK AND FIELD Girls: 3-3, Boys: 0-6

scores updated on 5/19/07

Leaping beyond sport barriers

Athletic senior showcases versatility by using parkour to excel in track and field by Shawn Shah staff writer

hile scaling walls, jumping off buildings, and flying through the air may seem like something only Spiderman could do, through the sport of parkour, senior Zain Alam has found his own path to risky and adventurous activities. This adrenaline-filled path led him to find belated success as a long, triple, and high jumper on the MVHS track and field team. Upon entering high school four years ago, Alam was unsure of the activities he wanted to pursue on the MVHS campus. While he wanted to make the most of his high school experience, he did not want to overload his schedule. “It was hard,” Alam said. “High school was like a whole other world. There were so many opportunities, and I wanted to focus on my grades as well. That’s why I never considered joining a sports team. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to make the time commitment.” Although Alam never joined a sports team, he still enjoyed exercising. During his freshman, sophomore, and junior years, Alam practiced parkour, a sport that originated in Russia and is slowly gaining momentum acros the globe. It involves reaching a destination as efficiently as possible, through unique body movement. Those who participate in the sport do whatever they can to reach their destination, including climbing and jumping off walls, climbing over fences, and leaping onto and off of buildings. While Alam enjoyed practicing parkour, he knew that he wanted more in his last year of high school. It was then that he decided to try out for the track and field team to increase his skills. “[Alam] orginally signed up as a triple and long jumper,” track and field coach Lillian Ito said. “He had some success there, jumping about 33 feet. Later in the season, however, we pushed him into high jumping. He was thrown into it, but regularly attended practice, which resulted in success. Within two weeks, he improved his jump by over a foot.” Although not what he had originally expected, Alam enjoyed high jump because it was very similar to parkour. “I liked parkour a lot,” Alam said. “But I still felt like something was missing. When I started looking into other events, high jump

A wild adventure

Shawn Shah | staff photographer

SPIDEY SENSE Senior Zain Alam climbs a fence to show his parkour skills. Alam recently finished his first track season which improved his jumping height in parkour. stuck out at me. It embodied the principles of parkour, in that it calls for strict form, but also added some new elements into the mix.” Alam acknowledges the effects of parkour in his success in high jump. “I think it helped me to a certain extent,” Alam said. “It definitely prepared me for the intensity of track practice. I was used to exercising, so I didn’t have to adjust to the practice schedule. It also helped because through parkour, I was able to refine my form. Going into track, I had an idea of what ‘perfect form’ entailed, and knew the practice and discipline it took to get it.” As excited as he was, he could not help but feel intimidated as he watched third and fourth year jumpers excel in the event. However, Zain adapted to the sport. “It was weird at first,” Alam said. “I was really nervous at the beginning because everyone my age had been on the team for a few years. They were experienced, and knew exactly what to do. I was sort of thrown into it and was lost for the first few days. It eventually got better as I learned the basics, but those first few weeks were brutal.” Despite his feelings of awkwardness, Alam excelled in his event. He cleared a maximum height of 5 feet, 7 inches, and just barely

missed the 5-foot-8-inch bar. “I was surprised,” fellow high jumper junior Helena Montin said. “I’ve been in high jump since the sixth grade. It took a while for me to learn good form and learn the basics. [Alam] adjusted to the sport quickly. For his first time, he did an amazing job.” Because he has only participated in the sport for one year, Alam, has regrets. “It would have been pretty cool if I had started earlier,” Alam said. “I could have perfected my technique and had more time to practice, but it was still a lot of fun, and it taught me a lot about myself.” Although Alam has sustained injuries, he still enjoys both sports. However, when asked about his future plans, Alam is uncertain. “I’m not sure what I want to do,” Alam said. “I would like to continue to practice both parkour and track in the future. I was lucky enough to find two things, even if one was in my last year of high school, that I truly enjoy, and I’m holding onto them.” This being his first year in track and field, Alam may still be considered a rookie by some. However, he has leapt above the numerous obstacles he has encountered, and proved that the long strides he has made are more than just average.

BADMINTON: Dominator ICE HOCKEY: Team continues CCS run endures changes continued from page 17

continued from page 17

“At first, I would feel some pain in my back, but when I would go into the game, all the adrenaline would come in and I wouldn’t feel anything,” Pun said. “But there were some times when my back would completely give out, and I couldn’t even walk.” Pun finally decided to see a doctor, and after taking a MRI, Pun discovered that he had a herniated disc in his back, mostly likely as a result of overworking it. He began to visit the chiropractor three times a week to help move the disc back into the proper place. With his injury, Pun had to lighten up his normal level of play. He still attended club practice five times a week, though he had to participate in more skills practice than conditioning or game play. The injury arose at an inopportune time, with CCS, junior Olympics, and the International Badminton Federation’s ranking trials, all coming in the end of May. “It was a disappointment,” Pun said, “because I didn’t get to train as hard for the ranking trials and CCS. But I’m getting back into it…I’m in the middle of getting better, so my training is heavier than before.” While Pun prepares to perform in his most competitive matches in, probably his entire life, his satisfaction does not simply come from winning, even though that is what people mostly recognize him for. Instead, his own evaluation is most valuable to him. “When you play a good match, even if you don’t win, it feels good when you know you played really well,” Pun said. “Other people will say, ‘You played a good match.’ You can’t win all the time.” Pun will try his best to finish his season strong, though he has some tough competition – underclassmens that train at the same gym as he does, freshman Zenas BLAH from Fremont High School and sophomore Terrence Pang from Homstead High. CCS takes place from May 22 to May 24 in the fieldhouse.

We couldn’t just go out and recruit people. It takes more than some nice shoes, a round ball, and two nets to play.” Apart from the loss of players, Barnes-Carr feels that the lowering status of the team is due to the fact that the team members this year were not willing to step up and lead. Players began to treat it as more of a hobby rather than an actual sport. “When we lost [last year’s] seniors, we were lacking more in leadership than skill. The seniors this year, including myself, haven’t really taken the responsibility of leading the team,” Barnes-Carr said. Pillet agreed. “We have a lot of talent on the team,” he said, “but no one really thought about bringing that talent together until recently.” With less than a month left to go in the season, it seems as if the team is experiencing a turn around. Because the team seems to have reached an equilibrium, with no random movement of players on and off of the team, there has been a definite improvement. But unlike the typical team bonding activities and dinners, what has helped the ice hockey boys come together is conversation. “It’s really simple actually. We just interact a lot more. We talk in the locker room and on the ice,” said Pillet. “It’s just like developing a friendship.” In fact, Pillet has so much faith in the rejuvenated team that he foresees a cascade of victories in the future. “I think during the playoffs, we will definitely be able to make up for what we’ve lost during the regular season.”

can’t look at my mornings the same way after participating in high school sports for a day. Let me explain. Usually when I wake up, I clutch the San Jose Mercury News as I eat. I glance at headlines with 35 font and cast aside the various sections for the after school read, until I come across the Sports section. Even then, I’m really just too lazy to flip through pages at 6 am so I go to the back. There, in neat columns, are scores of the previous day’s high school sports. I generally scan through the scores, choking quite hard on Cheerios if I see a ridiculous statistic but all in all, not really caring. I would hold the newspaper in one hand as I brushed my teeth with the other. It was messy, but I didn’t care, I had my daily dose of sports to keep me sane. Then the column assignment hit my life like a brick through a window. A year ago, I hardly could have seen myself interested in participatory journalism. After writing a fictional account (wishful thinking of belonging to a team) to my editors in which I ran with the cross country team, I got my ‘waterboy’ gig. Sports would be much more than simply numbers. Moments before I actually ran with the XC team, I was sweating, muttering why on Earth I had signed up for such a torturous theme. I remember moments earlier, my editors cautioned me to “take it easy since the school can’t be responsible for your… injuries,” the last word stretched from editor in chief senior Jordan Kolb’s mouth. Somehow through all of the days I trained, I managed to find some sort of soul in all of the teams. It was the students’ passion in their sports that intrigued me. For example, I found golfers to be especially fascinating despite their sport’s low popularity. The way golfers were notably honest, contrasted starkly with NBA newspaper worthy hoodlums and criminals. High school students seemed more real to me. When I watch playoffs, I scream at the athletes for taking poor shots as though they belonged to me. To high school sports, the traditions that come with each sport are valued much more than a score itself. In these traditions, I found memorable experiences. None of this would have ever happened without the teachers and coaches. Many were more than willing to accommodate me and explain the rules of the game. Some even pushed me into action, as though trying to give readers a live feed of the pain. Others asked me to come back, to which I would politely say no after sore thighs and backs. The columns were much easier to write than I expected due to the athletes and trainers that represented MVHS. The wrestling column was particularly delightful to write. It was peppered with my odd rambling only imaginable through bizarre experiences. In that month’s column, I wrote about how I searched for “manhood” through bushy beards and rock hard strength in wrestling. I later tied in a personal character development (exaggerated humor but still contained humorous truth) with the sport itself in finding toughness in the mind which I had never anticipated. I’m glad that I had this opportunity to to see what it feels like to be on a sports team. I look back now and ask myself whether I would do this again. Just like how I was euphoric during Junior Prom and performed a scanty Michael Jackson Thriller Dance, the idea of what I’ve done still hasn’t quite set in. But to answer the question, this column has become the highlight of the year, an adventure to add to my life’s quirks. As for whether I’ll still be seen navigating my way with sports teams, I won’t go to the column’s present extent of sampling the workout, but I’ll continue walking across courts and fields to find depth beneath athletic talent. Teams are more than just scores on the back of the Sports section.

5 freshman Michael Schwiebert diving

Ways to treat the sunburn you got on senior ditch day •

• •

•

Apply the Aloe Vera you squeezed from the aloe vera plant in your backyard to your burn. If you don’t have any, feel free to use a traditional ointment from the store. It will soothe and moisturize your skin. Aspirin! This can either be swallowed to minimize pain, or dissolved in water and applied directly to the burn. A hot shower, while it may sound extremely painful, will allow the burn to peel faster, and thus accelerate the healing process. Go modest for a couple days. Loose fitting clothing that covers a lot of skin will not chafe the irritated skin and will protect the skin from further burning.

Senior Philip Lee Sport: Golf golf ball

“This is the ball I use every time I play, until I lose it. It’s cool because it has the brand name on it so its like I’m sponsored “

senior Hamish Ferguson volleyball

B Pawkit the gnome has gone hiking at MVHS, but where is he on campus? The first person to reach the location shown will find instructions to claim a fabulous prize.

Pawkit avoided detection last issue! He was hiding by the marquee between the student parking lot and the portables.

photo illustration by Aniqa Hasan | staff photographer

umping the ball back and forth was the easy part for freshman Micheal Schwiebert. Setting was a little harder, and spiking even more so. Following senior Hamish Ferguson’s expert instruction, Schwiebert slowly mastered the three basic skills of volleyball: bumping, setting, and spiking. Ferguson then tried to teach him how to dig, the method of retrieving a spike before it hits the floor. “Try not to swing your arms when you dig” Ferguson said. Ferguson then forcefully spiked the ball at Schwiebert. The ball kept going in all different directions. After repeated attempts at keeping the volleyball from hitting the ground, Schwiebert finally hit the ball back to Ferguson cleanly. After some more bumps, sets, spikes, and digs, Ferguson wrapped up the session. “That’s it. It’s pretty simple” Ferguson said. “I really didn’t know anything before about volleyball. Now I know a lot,” said Schwiebert after finishing the intense volleyball session.

“I

can do this,” senior Hamish Ferguson said after freshman Michael Schwiebert demonstrated a simple forward dive. Eventually Ferguson master ed the forword dive, so Schwiebert urged him to try something more advanced. “I thought I was good at this, but I guess I’m not,” Ferguson said after learning how to tuck, which involved curling into a ball and then diving into the water. Ferguson felt he was ready to try a harder more complicated dive, which ended with a big splash and a frustrated Ferguson. Ferguson easily got the flips and tucks in the air, but the hard part was finishing the dive with a smooth entrance into the water. After many more demonstrations by Schwiebert, and even more failed attempts by Ferguson. He finally decided to stick to the basics. Ferguson eventually resorted to his “special dive,” which involved him bouncing from a sitting position on the board to flipping into the water with a splash. “Man this guy is crazy,” Ferguson said of Schwiebert. “I can’t do any of that.”

gloves “I wear gloves, so that I don’t scuff up my beautiful hands. They help me get a good grip on my club.”

green cleaner

“This is a green fixer. I use it when I hit a put, and it scraps up the green. I put the grass and dirt back in place.”

tee “I put the ball on this tee and it helps me get the ball in the air.”

lucky quarter “This is my lucky quarter. My sister gave it to me a while back, and I’ve had it ever since.”

Boys Tennis