Volume 51, Issue 4, February 10, 2021 by El Estoque

HUMANS OF CUPERTINO

Exploring the stories and experiences of 21 Cupertino community members

21840 McClellan Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014 elestoque.org mv.el.estoque@gmail.com Editors-in-Chief: Ayah Ali-Ahmad, Oishee Misra Managing Editors: Justine Ha, Andie Liu, Robert Liu, Brian Xu News Editors: Devin Gupta, Rachel Jiang, Jefferson Le, Tina Low Opinion Editors: Tyler Cho, Leanna Sun, Krish Dev Feature Editors: Michelle Chen, Anushka De, Iman Malik, Tanish Mendki Entertainment Editors: Ishaani Dayal, Vivian Jiang, Claire Wen, Annie Zhang Sports Editors: Jayanti Jha, Anjali Singh, Lance Tong Graphics Editor: Iman Malik Design Editor: Tyler Cho Business Editor: Vivian Jiang Website Editor: Devin Gupta Staff Writers: Ritu Atreyas, Diya Bahl, Sophia Chen, Melody Cui, Mikaylah Du, Suraj Gangaram, Gavin Hung, Anna Jerolimov, Minjae Kang, Nishat Kazi, Justin Kim, Sophia Ma, Arjan Madan, Shivani Madhan, Gauri Manoj, Kripa Mayureshwar, Abdullah Memon, Amber Milesi, Collin Qian, Shreshta Ranganathan, Riya Ravuri, Anika Sharma, Jannah Sheriff, Aditya Shukla, Neysa Singh, Irene Tang, Prisha Tiwari, Shivani Verma, Mira Wagner, Matthew Yoshimoto, Sean Yagi, Nika Zamani Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite Mission Statement: El Estoque will accurately inform our community through well-researched, unbiased and indepth accounts of the student body and staff, news and developments and taboo topics prevalent in and near MVHS. Investigating various voices and credible perspectives, we hope to foster active discussion, effect positive change and spread awareness of timely, relevant content. As a trustworthy and reliable source of information, we strive to be accountable, adaptable and ready to correct and address our mistakes. Constantly striving for improvement, we will uphold integrity and ethics to be respectful and empathetic to our sources and our readers. We will exercise our press freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment and California Ed Code 48907 while maintaining a community passionate about our work and journalism as a whole.

COVER PHOTO | JUSTINE HA

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS “It wasn’t New York that was commanding so much attention. It was the people. It was the power of the individual story,” writes Brandon Stanton, photojournalist and founder of the photoblog Humans of New York. This concept of the “power of the individual story” is precisely the power of journalism. We as reporters share impactful, authentic stories — that’s why we fell in love with journalism. Every time we interview a source, we learn something new. Sometimes, we even learn something they’ve never told anyone before. At the end of each interview, our sources don’t feel like strangers anymore — they feel like people with whom we have forged a meaningful connection with, people who’ve trusted us to tell the world their story. In this issue of El Estoque, our Features reporters tell the stories of 21 humans of Cupertino. We asked them a variety of questions, ranging from mundane to deeply personal: what’s a meaningful moment from your life? Your greatest struggle? Something that makes you laugh? One thing you look forward to everyday? Biggest regret? Proudest moment? And we had the privilege of listening to their answers. Some talked about falling in love with their life-long profession, and some talked about adopting a struggling pet. Others talked about their journey to finding themselves. Often, it’s easy to feel like our stories are too ordinary to matter. Especially in the midst of a seemingly never ending pandemic, it’s easy to feel like our days and memories have blurred together, that we have nothing remarkable to share. But each of us collectively, perpetually shape the world we live in — our stories matter simply because we are all unique individuals with so much to offer to the world. Our stories aren’t ordinary. They’re extraordinary. And in our own spinoff of Stanton’s words — when we report, it’s not Cupertino that commands so much attention. It’s the people. It’s the power of the individual story.

PHOTO | JUSTINE HA

Oishee Misra

Ayah Ali-Ahmad

TABLE OF CONTENTS EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021 PHOTO BY BRANDON BOND | USED WITH PERMISSION

DON’ T MISS YOUR SHOT

BY DIYA BAHL, DEVIN GUPTA, RACHEL JIANG, ROBERT LIU, JANNAH SHERIFF AND MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

Examining the development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines

Responding to crises

BY TYLER CHO, KRIPA MAYURESHWAR, AMBER MILESI, SHRESHTA RANGANATHAN, SHIVANI VERMA AND BRIAN XU

Humans of Cupertino

BY ANUSHKA DE, IMAN MALIK, GAURI MANOJ, OISHEE MISRA, IRENE TANG, PRISHA TIWARI AND NIKA ZAMANI

Love is in the air

BY MIKAYLAH DU, JUSTINE HA, VIVIAN JIANG, SOPHIA MA, SHIVANI MADHAN, ANIKA SHARMA AND CLAIRE WEN

Martial arts

BY MELODY CUI, ANDIE LIU, COLLIN QIAN, RIYA RAVURI AND ANJALI SINGH

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

@elestoque on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter El Estoque Online on Facebook

DON’T MISS YOUR SHOT Fourteen months since the first case of the virus, scientists are using RNA technology to create a vaccine, for the first time. With its fast-paced

development and distribution, citizens raise concerns about side effects as vaccines are administered to essential workers.

BY DIYA BAHL, DEVIN GUPTA, RACHEL JIANG, ROBERT LIU, JANNAH SHERIFF AND MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

PHASE 1: The Development Analyzing the timeline and technologies behind the U.S. COVID-19 vaccines BY RACHEL JIANG AND ROBERT LIU

ILLUSTRATION | RACHEL JIANG

n Dec. 11, 2020, Pfizer received emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin distribution of its COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine followed suit a week later. Despite being the first to use mRNA technology, as opposed to traditional methods, both COVID-19 vaccines have been ready for deployment on limited populations in record time — less than a year after COVID-19 was first contracted outside of China in January of 2020. MVHS alumna Dongjia Chen ‘09, a pharmacist for Sharp HealthCare, was among the first to receive the vaccine towards the end of December. She was impressed by the FDA’s approval speed and how quickly the vaccine

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

was developed by researchers. Senior Janya Budaraju believes one reason for the vaccine’s speedy arrival was the unprecedented levels of funding and resources that the researchers obtained. “Of course it’s scary to hear that it took six months when normally it takes years,” Budaraju said. “I see why people may be concerned, but … since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve been trusting healthcare professionals [and] doctors to give us the information that they know.” Traditional vaccines use “weakened version[s]” of the real virus to incite an immune response in a patient’s body, producing antibodies that then fight the pathogen, according to AP Biology teacher Renee Fallon. China’s

Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine uses this method. But producing these vaccines often takes months. On the other hand, producing the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, which instead generate the virus’s RNA sequence — the instructions to make the virus — takes only one week. This RNA sequence is then injected into the cells, prompting the production of COVID-19 antigens, molecules that trigger the immune system to produce antibodies that fight the pathogen. “Since [the RNA codes for] a foreign protein, your immune system will then develop an attack against [the virus’s protein],” Fallon said. “But since it’s not actually the virus, it can’t make you sick. Your more powerful immune

system really needs a practice call to Side effects notwithstanding, “I think that the COVID response learn about a specific enemy. So by Fallon and Chen believe that this … had more to do with the resources making these proteins, your body medical breakthrough will pave the than … any new breakthroughs in the learns about this specific enemy, and way for future vaccine research and way that vaccines are manufactured,” as a result, if that enemy attempts development, especially when it Budaraju said. “The people who to attack you, your immune system comes to creating quicker solutions. developed the vaccine had access to stomps all over it before it makes you Chen anticipates that RNA technology every resource that they wanted to sick.” is likely to “move into the realm of from manufacturing to research and Though Pfizer and Moderna both curing all types of diseases,” citing development funding. So honestly use RNA technology, these vaccines cancer as a potential next target. I don’t think that it’s going to mean have their However, that other vaccines are [going to be differences. F a l l o n developed] faster, but hopefully it F o r points out emphasizes the importance of getting example, that this new back [to normalcy].” patients technology Not only is following health t a k i n g does not guidelines and taking vaccines the Pfizer guarantee a important to Chen, Budaraju and vaccine solution to Fallon, but they say that staying of students are familiar m u s t every virus updated with news is just as crucial. with the basics of mRNA wait 21 or disease Budaraju states that maintaining vaccine technology days until that exists. basic understanding of the vaccines taking their “ D o e s is an act of civic responsibility According to a survey of 200 students s e co n d [ R N A because such awareness can benefit dose while technology] a country’s general well-being. t h o s e mean that “Regardless of whether or not you taking Moderna need to wait 28 days. we can now develop other vaccines are personally at risk, I think it’s really Chen explains that patients must take quickly? Yes and no,” Fallon said. “We important to stay updated on the two doses of the vaccine to reach its still don’t have a vaccine against HIV, vaccine,” Budaraju said. “I think it has advertised 94-95% efficacy rate. nor will we likely [have one in the near consequences for at least one person, After taking her second dose future]. The problem with HIV is that it probably, that every single person on Jan. 11, Chen reports feeling attacks the immune cells themselves. knows — and it has consequences for “more protected” and “a lot more And that’s the entire country safe,” whether she is walking her part of and the wellbeing dog or buying groceries. But she what makes of people in acknowledges that the vaccine does vaccinating general.” not guarantee her total immunity against it so Fallon agrees, from the virus, so she continues to hard. But emphasizing socially distance. yeah, would that biology I don’t care how Chen sums up her vaccination we be likely will remain divorced from experience as “very positive,” though to have inseparable biology you are. she recalls a sore arm after her first more RNA from humans As a biological dose of the vaccine that worsened vaccines in regardless of one’s being, you cannot after her second dose. the future? personal beliefs. escape it.” “It felt like [I had gone through] my Sure.” “One of the BIOLOGY TEACHER most intense workout,” Chen said. Contrar y reasons that I RENEE FALLON “And then I [got] my second dose two to Fallon think biology is days ago — of course, every person’s and Chen, so important, is reaction is different — the side effects B u d a r a j u first of all we’re were much more intense. My sore arm does not feel all biological was probably three times as painful. that much will change — she believes beings,” Fallon said. “And I mean look I literally woke up at night because it the success of the COVID-19 response at what’s happened over the last year. was so painful every time I shifted in was largely a result of maximizing I’m sorry I don’t care how divorced my sleep. I had a fever. I had chills. I available funding and resources due from biology you are. As a biological had fatigue.” to the stark death rates. being, you cannot escape it.”

58%

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NEWS | FEBRUARY 2021

PHASE 2: The Distribution Exploring the success and opinions surrounding the first wave distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine BY DEVIN GUPTA AND JANNAH SHERIFF

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA RIDGWAY | USED WITH PERMISSION

VHS alumna Gianna John, ‘19, works an eight hour shift as a ward clerk at UC Riverside hospital. She begins every third day at the COVID-19 screening facility, later interacting with around 12 high-risk patients daily, each within close caretaking proximity. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 300,000 nurses across California take care of patients on the frontlines just like John and all are at risk of contracting COVID-19. Once Pfizer announced that its vaccine was ready for distribution on Dec. 11, California began vaccinating nurses and essential workers on Dec. 14. In the state’s vaccination plan, Phase 1a provides vaccinations to “healthcare workers and long-term

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care residents” while the following ages 16 or older, will be eligible to step, Phase 1b tier one, allows for receive vaccinations later in the spring individuals 65 or older as well as within the normal distribution phase. professionals at Yet while risk of exposure in many are specific industries eager to to receive their receive the vaccinations. vaccine, John Students with describes severe health caretaking conditions who d u r i n g of MVHS students personally know someone who has are 16 or older are COVID-19 as received the vaccine eligible to receive simply “scary.” the Pfizer and Due to the * According to a survey of 199 students BioNTech vaccine pandemic, during Phase many normal 1c. According to h o s p i ta l California’s COVID-19 data portal, procedures have been modified to covid19.ca.gov, researchers predict ensure safety by isolating patients that the general student population, and staff. Because John works in a

47%

caretaking facility, patients who leave the ER in fear of contracting COVID-19 inside the hospital often come to facilities like hers. “The number of admissions to the hospital has increased because a lot more families discharge patients immediately to help prevent the risk [of getting COVID-19],” John said. “Families can’t come inside and meet the patient. For staff in general, we have to get tested every two to three days and we wear [personal protective equipment] at all times. Even when we eat, we eat in isolation corners so we don’t infect … the patients or each other.” While John was initially hesitant to receive the vaccine, she learned PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDON BOND | USED WITH PERMISSION its methodology and possible side effects, which reassured her. Two nurses in personal protective equipment exit the “Hot Zone.” She received her first dose in late December and remembers feeling Ridgway echoed the symptoms enough susceptible hosts,” Ridgway slightly “fatigued” but nothing more. John described — fatigue and a said. “[But, how quickly we return “[The vaccine felt] super normal,” sore arm —- adding that the second to normalcy] just depends on local John said. “I think dose of the vaccine is policy. I do think it might be the sort the media makes noticeably more painful of thing that you have to prove your it seem like it for some than the first. vaccination status.” Vaccine might kill you or Yet, Ridgway explained In addition, Biology teacher Administrations [make you] have a that it is necessary Kenneth Gan emphasizes the severe anaplastic for the majority of the importance of taking the vaccine to reaction, but population to receive ensure that the school community no one [in my the vaccine in order for achieves herd immunity. workplace] a population to develop “I would take it not just because I Humboldt County (15,944) experienced herd immunity. Ridgway really want to get back to teaching in anything out of estimates that herd person, but more that then I will be the ordinary. Most immunity occurs when a part of the vaccinated population,” symptoms [from the around 75% to 85% Gan said. “That is working towards the COVID-19 vaccine are of the population overall idea of herd immunity. I won’t Sacramento County (138,8393) the same as] the flu are immune to wait to be part of that percentage — I shot, and the flu shot the virus, want to be a part of it now.” is pretty normalized in which Nonetheless, Gan is not entirely society.” confident about the safety of going Santa Clara County (218,803) Unlike getting the flu shot, back to in-person learning at MVHS. Associate Professor of Medicine Gan’s first priority, along with school at the University of Chicago administration and state officials, is Jessica Ridgway described the to ensure the general population process of getting the vaccine as remains safe. Los Angeles County (1,031,401) “exciting.” At her hospital, doctors “If we can do [in-person received lottery tickets to determine learning] and it’s safe, then who would receive the vaccine first. I would go back,” Gan said. “There was definitely some of “But I would still have that vaccine envy, when somebody’s to feel safe, [not] having lottery number came up first,” a l l o w s to think, ‘Could I hurt the Ridgway said. “Everyone is posting for a return people I love?’ For me, the their vaccine selfies, and [there was] to normalcy. first thought is that I want just a lot of hope and excitement. “[Herd immunity] to make sure I can go back It was fun to get [my vaccination] basically means that as of 2/5/2021* safe [and] that it’s safe for my because ... everyone [was] happy — the virus can’t keep coworkers.” almost like a party.” spreading … because it doesn’t have NEWS | FEBRUARY 2021

PHASE 3: The Aftermath

Examining professional and student views on the recently released Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines BY DIYA BAHL AND MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

fter the recent release and distribution of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in December of 2020, which aim to immunize people against COVID-19, people around the world have become excited to return to “normal.”

According to Los Gatos family practitioner Kathryn Shade, for many frontline workers, news of the vaccines has offered incoming relief in both their personal and work life from a pandemic that seems relentless and continues to fill up hospitals.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PASCAL JUANG | USED WITH PERMISSION

Pascal Juang, M.D., and two of his colleagues hold Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine bottles.

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

Shade has already received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, being one of the first physicians to be vaccinated. She recalls her initial reaction of learning about the newly developed vaccines as “total excitement.” “Most physicians were absolutely thrilled because after 10 months of having almost nothing to offer our patients, it was super exciting to think there was a light at the end of the tunnel to get us out of this, basically, never ending quarantine,” Shade said. In general, Shade states that she has a lot of confidence in vaccines, including the Pfizer injections she received. According to her, after taking the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the effectiveness against the virus is anywhere from 50% to 90%. Four weeks later, when the individual receives their second dose, it reaches its prime effectiveness at 95%. However, she points out that individuals may still be asymptomatic carriers even after receiving them. Similarly, junior Tanisha Pulla, whose mom is a doctor at Kaiser Permanente, mentions how her mom has also been vaccinated and has not experienced common side effects, including swelling, chills and headaches. She believes the vaccines could serve as a major solution to the current state of the pandemic. “I think [the vaccines] will be really effective,” Pulla said. “I still think that we would have to social distance for a while, but I think it would get rid of a lot of the risk. [Some articles I read] were talking about herd immunity, so if we vaccinated most of the population, that’d be super amazing.” Herd immunity refers to the possibility of a large portion of a

community being immune to a virus, usually through the results of vaccinations that decrease the spread of the pathogen. Shade highlights that for herd immunity to work, at least 70% of a population needs to be immunized — she heard this process could take up to six months or longer. MVHS alumna Gianna John ‘19, who is a medical scribe, was originally hesitant about the consequences and side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines, largely due to many accounts of disinformation that she has seen on a variety of media outlets. “[My parents] were just saying how we don’t know the long term effects and we don’t know what’s in it and how it’s gonna affect you, so maybe wait,” John said. “I feel like that was everyone’s general consensus — wait to take the vaccine, let everyone else be the lab rat to take the vaccine and we’ll just see how they do, and then in a month or two, we’ll take it.” However, according to John, after doing research and seeing others around her receiving the vaccine, she changed her perception of the vaccinations, learning that the side effects are rare and will not affect her body long-term. Echoing John’s research, Shade states that the side effects of the

PHOTO COURTESY OF TANISHA PULLA | USED WITH PERMISSION

Junior Tanisha Pulla's mom receives her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Kaiser Permanente hospital.

COVID-19 vaccines are regular for any vaccine, and in her 25 years of being a doctor, Shade has only heard of one vaccine being recalled. “Every vaccine has known mild side effects, and then there’s always the rare severe complications from a vaccine,” Shade said. “[Yet,] I’m basing [my opinion] on the science I read, my faith in vaccines over the last 40 years and the fact that we had no other options. If you look at the numbers of

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 VACCINES 1. Pain 4. Chills 2. Swelling 5. Tiredness 3. Fever 6. Headache *According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

GRAPHIC | RACHEL JIANG AND MATTHEW YOSH IMOTO

what the [virus] can cause in disability and death, [those are] way higher numbers than the exceedingly rare bad reaction[s] to a vaccine.” Though Shade understands that there will always be questions surrounding the release of new vaccines, she explains the importance for skeptics to speak with a physician or someone in the medical field because consulting a professional expert may clear up any questions, confusion and misinformation. Junior Thomas Yu recognizes the insane accomplishment of creating a vaccine formula, testing its effectiveness, regulating its widespread distribution and the numerous subsequent steps involved in producing the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. “It’s great how researchers have been able to solve one of the most pressing issues in our world with the power of science, especially the time that they did it [in],” Yu said. “If you consider the work that [goes] into creating a vaccine, it’s absolutely not easy. And I absolutely commend the researchers who worked on the COVID-19 vaccines for their hard work and effort.” NEWS | FEBRUARY 2021

VACCINE STATISTICS Studying MVHS students’ overall thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccines

On a scale of 1-5,

how would you rate the research and development of the COVID-19 vaccines? (1 = worst, 5 = best)

BY RACHEL JIANG

1 2 3 4 5

Most shocking claims or rumor heard by MVHS students about COVID-19 vaccines? “There are microchips in the vaccines which is the

mark of the beast mentioned in the Bible.”

“It is an evil vaccine that assists the overpopulation

1% 2% 24% 52% 21%

*According to a survey of 176 MVHS students

crisis program by the government.”

“COVID-19 vaccine distribution worldwide is

94%

massively uneven, with the global south entirely disadvantaged and without the ability to secure vaccine[s] with anywhere near the speed of richer countries.”

“It causes autism.”

of MVHS students would take the vaccine if they could.

On a scale of 1-5,

how would you rate the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines? (1 = worst, 5 = best)

8% 12

40% 2

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*According to a survey of 191 MVHS students

37% 3

13% 4

2% 5

*According to a survey of 177 MVHS students

RESPONDING

TO CRISES 2021 began with a historic moment — on Jan. 6, a mob stormed the Capitol Hill in an attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power from former President Donald Trump to current President Joe Biden. When historic events like these occur, it’s important for us, as citizens of a democracy, to inform ourselves and to reflect. What happened? Why? Moving forward, how can we engage in meaningful discourse and take action? In this Opinion package, reporters analyze empathetic versus apathetic student responses to crises, educators’ responsibility to create safe forums for discussion and debate, as well as FUHSD’s response to the event. And they acknowledge and appreciate the importance and power of journalism.

THE APATHETIC STUDENT RESPONSE BY KRIPA MAYURESHWAR

02/2021

REASONS WHY STUDENTS MIGHT NOT KEEP UP WITH THE NEWS AND WHY THEY SHOULD.

ven after the insurrection at the Capitol high school students. In addition, one may not keep up with Hill Building on Jan. 6, 2021, discourse about what happened has continued and the current state of affairs because they feel indifferent. political tension The prospect of is at an all time having to be aware high. However, Keeping up with there are also of all the disastrous the news can seem people who events in the world like a daunting is also frightening. have little to no task. Getting the According to an idea what truly occurred. full picture of any article by Psychology “Negativity Keeping up situation requires research Today, bias refers to the with the news from different sources fact that humans can seem like a daunting task. because of media bias and focus on negative events, information Getting the contradictory information. or emotions more full picture of than their positive any situation requires research from different sources counterparts ...This helps explain why the because of media bias and contradictory news consistently emphasizes stories on information. It is time consuming and the worst things happening in the world.” therefore may not be a priority for busy Being up-to-date on current events is

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not only time-consuming, but can also be emotionally draining and may lead to deteriorating mental health. For students who already deal with stress because of school and extracurricular activities, keeping up with the news can seem like an added stressor. Fear of political discourse can cause reluctance towards learning about current events and politics, especially at a time where cancel culture is so prevalent and an offhand comment can have unfortunate consequences. According to the Pew Research Center, 59% of people feel that discussing politics with people who have different viewpoints is “stressful and frustrating.” It is important to have a learning space where there is room for mistakes, whether that be a discussion group with open minded friends or a politics club at school. At MVHS, the opinions of conservative

5 WAYS TO KEEP UP WITH THE NEWS individuals are often looked down upon and there isn’t always room for transparent conversation with them. Being aware that people with different ideologies exist and that they don’t all think the same way is crucial to understanding different perspectives. Discourse with people with different political beliefs also helps prevent harmful echo chambers, where existing views are never challenged. What happened at Capitol Hill serves to accentuate the increasing political divisiveness between people with different ideologies. It is our responsibility to stay informed on what is going on. Staying up to date on current events not only informs us about the state of the world and laws and policies that directly impact us, but it can also educate us about our roles as members of a democracy. Many people mistakenly believe that politics only happen on a federal level and feel as though it does not personally impact them, and viewing politics as something far away can make it seem irrelevant in the average person’s life. Politics impact everybody’s lives, whether directly or indirectly, and an example of this is present at the city and community level — local advocacy is necessary, whether that’s engaging with local elections or even school board politics. Not caring about politics in general is also an indication of privilege. Overlooking issues that don’t affect you is ignorant, and the blatant disregard for what happens to marginalized groups of people results in a waste of a voice to help those who require support. Having extensive knowledge about every single situation isn’t necessary and not feasible, but having a general idea of what’s going on is important. Finding a way to engage at a level that works for you is the best way to stay up to date with the news without making it a priority. An

example of this might be setting aside 15 minutes to read up on news at the beginning of the day, subscribing to a news outlet like the Wall Street Journal, listening to podcasts while getting ready for the day or even following news organizations on TikTok. And not only that, but it is also key to keep an open mind when discussing what you’ve read about — a single news article will not give you the full picture of a situation, and basing your entire opinion off of it will not foster critical thinking. Looking at how different news organizations are covering similar issues on websites like allsides. com is a great way to gain insights into contrasting perspectives, and can give you a better idea of the big picture. It is much easier to actively be engaged and stay informed on things that directly affect us, and understanding the current state of affairs and policies that affect the people in your community leaves you better prepared to support them. That being said, current events that occur at a national and global level may not affect you directly now, and they may never affect you directly, but empathy is important and we should care about equality and equity, especially from positions of privilege. Getting involved in local grassroots projects and organizations are a great way to enact change at a local level and beyond. It is impossible to care about all the issues in the world, but especially as young people responsible for the future of our country, we should be informed so we can take action on the issues that require it. Rather than just being an occasional boredom cure, reading the news should be a habit that we cultivate and promote to better the future of our country and the people around us.

1 2 3 4 5

Subscribe to the Skimm newsletter for daily emails.

Follow news outlets on social media.

Use student accounts for free access to publications like the New York Times.

Listen to news podcasts like The Daily.

Download news apps like The Wall Street Journal.

OPINION | FEBRUARY 2021

WHAT COME

UNDERSTANDING HOW WE CAN BETTER EXPOSE OURSELVES TO OT America has long been viewed by the world as a shining example of what a functioning democracy should be, championing “liberty and justice” as guaranteed rights for all of its citizens. But the validity of these ideals came under serious questioning with the events that occurred on Jan. 6, 2021 at Capitol Hill. And many are raising questions of what America’s youth can take away from events like these, and how they can use their information to inspire the right kind of active change that will improve our democracy rather than destroy it. Students who have observed the state of our nation rise and fall at the whims of political unrest and domestic tension obtain their information via a variety of news sources. Those students who actively seek to inform themselves may think their job ends there. There are important next steps that must be taken — reinforcing the accuracy of the news and information students are consuming, and moving beyond simply knowing to engage to more effectively enact change. It simply is not realistic to expect a single source to be able to convey the entire truth without any bias; if students aren’t paying careful attention to where they get the bulk of their information from, it can be very easy for them to form skewed views on events. Similarly, only consuming sources that strictly adhere to one’s

political ideology can leave them with an incomplete narrative, one that may lack important details or uncovered perspectives, leading to a further divided nation. This is where sites like allsides.com are a great way to begin moving away from searching based on bias and relatable content and move forward to researching the many points of views that become available to us when we look for them. Taking a little perspective from the left, center or right can help to better understand fellow students and even an opposing side. It also allows us to fact-check opinions that are “wrong,” ones that may encourage illegal and often violent actions among readers. Looking at the sources that make up the bulk of students’ information can reveal how open we are to reading claims that influence our opinions. The current state of polarization that our society has developed over the past several years is not the product of inflammatory language alone — popularized tools like social media also contribute to this environment. According to a 2020 study by the Pew Research Center, 42% of Americans from ages 18-29 prefer to receive their news from social media as opposed to 28% who prefer news websites and another 28% who opted for search engines. While platforms like Twitter and Facebook prove to be convenient places to break news stories and

B Y T Y L E R C H O A N D A M B E R M IL E S I 02/2021

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OTHER PERSPECTIVES

share information, the insufficient events cannot, and should not, stop regulation of the content on these here. Our nation is facing a time of sites makes it all too easy to spread dire unrest and division, with neither misinformation and take advantage of the diametrically opposed sides of biases by selectively choosing seeming willing to compromise on what to display to users. In fact, a their convictions. During such a time, 2018 study by the Massachusetts a lack of understanding and empathy Institute of Technology found, in an can prove to be devastating. examination of data from 12 years’ Those of us with a strong opinion worth of rumors spread on Twitter, based on our voracious news that false news was spread much intake often blur the lines between more widely than the truth. empathy and ethics with politics and Thus, it has become increasingly perspective. It is something prevalent difficult to identify sources of in the political world that favors information that corruption and we can trust power over to consistently compassion There is always for the rest of publicize holistic, u n b i a s e d light, if only we’re humanity in the accounts of face of national brave enough to crisis. recent events. Take This is something see it, if only we’re brave the confusion that our 45th that surrounds enough to be it. president, the COVID-19 Donald Trump, pandemic even INAUGURAL POET as we enter has both recognized and AMANDA GORMAN the new year. taken advantage Learning about of in his four the risks and year term by methods of encouraging distrust in the media prevention can be lifesaving. If we throughout our nation — ultimately are presented with inaccurate data playing a critical part in the baseless about things like the usefulness of claims of voter fraud in this past masks or the effectiveness of the presidential election and the violent vaccine, we can end up hurting attack on the Capitol. ourselves and others around us by But our engagement with current spreading misinformation. And it’s

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time that we use the knowledge we gain and implement change through separating fact from opinion. It falls to each of us to drive discussion with one another, to take responsibility if we find ourselves lacking in engagement, but also to encourage and uplift others who need the support. It is only through increased peer communication and acting based on what we read to improve our communities that we can hope to come out of this stronger. For us students — for us just learning about the state of our world and defining our opinions and perspectives — it is imperative that we question what we listen to and view before we act on it. Approaching the age to vote, our decisions will count more than ever, and we must ensure that we make informed decisions. To not force our views on others because of opinion but rather approach each story with consideration to every point of view and with what we digest in terms of information, reaching out past sources that align with our beliefs and learning about the other sides we tend to ignore. We have to use what we learn to educate others to keep us more than just safe but united. Or, as inaugural poet Amanda Gorman put it: “There is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”

OPINION | FEBRUARY 2021

T POWER OF THE PRESS WE SHOULD RESPECT AND VALUE THE WORK OF JOURNALISTS, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF CRISIS. 18

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

hree-year-old Alan Kurdi laid facedown, unmoving, on a beach in Bodrum, Turkey. During the summer of 2015, Kurdi was one of 3,600 refugees fleeing the Middle East, but he drowned and was swept ashore onto the beach when his raft capsized. The Syrian refugee crisis, characterized by perilous journeys on $10 jam-packed inflatable rafts, is a struggle whose scope is difficult to comprehend without understanding the lives and stories of the people who experience it. And when photojournalist Nilüfer Demir saw Kurdi on the beach, one that reminded her of a “children’s graveyard,” she used it as an opportunity to document the true severity of the crisis, humanizing the tragedy and establishing empathy. Her decision had an immense impact — just a week after the photo was posted online, donations for the refugee crisis to the Swedish Red Cross Campaign rose from around $4,000 to $214,300. The photos of Kurdi became a symbol of the Syrian refugee crisis, as Demir had painted a face for the public to recognize, drawing on the stark juxtaposition of children and death to invoke empathy and support for viewers worldwide. Ultimately, Demir gave many an empathic connection to the Syrian refugee crisis. For hundreds of years, journalists have played the vital role of piecing together authentic depictions of pressing situations and bringing emotional impact to data or numbers. But they have also served as the bridge connecting people to their surrounding world, whether it’s down the street or across the globe. When journalists humanize issues, readers are drawn in and are able to understand situations that they may not have experienced themselves. Journalism isn’t just about informing the public of breaking news — it helps people relate to others, giving them something to fight for. Journalism is the foundation of justice. Today, seeing the news can evoke pessimism and a sense that the world around us gets worse with each passing day. However, the ability to view flaws

around us, to recognize injustice and trying to fulfill her duty as a journalist evidence to support that. In these cases, tragedies beyond the scope of our before even notifying her husband that ignoring the media and turning a blind everyday perspective, is something she was safe. eye to facts can be dangerous, leading that should not be taken for granted. Yet, despite the potential for danger people to have factually inaccurate Awareness about the problems and unstable work conditions they perspectives. In order to alleviate media surrounding us not only provides us with experience to provide truth to the general bias, we shouldn’t label the media a clear understanding of challenges that public, journalists are often taken for as “fake news”; instead, we should need to be solved, but also incites action granted. Nowadays, it’s hard for many recognize that journalists are human and in our communities. to view journalists beyond a name on complete objectivity is impossible due We can learn more about local bills a byline. Each journalist is human too, to our inherent biases. With this in mind, and elections, become more engaged in carrying their own set of emotions and we should read the news and recognize community politics and vote for leaders responsibilities, juggling their own biases, compensating for them through committed to helping our community, burdens and carving their paths through our own understanding. Journalists like Cupertino City Council Member Hung life, especially in times of crises. They’re simply aim to provide a realistic portrayal Wei, who is working to create affordable no different of the truth — housing and cleaner transit options. from other attacking the Understanding how institutionalized p e o p l e , messenger is racism is present in our society allows except that never helpful OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE for a cause. us to recognize covert issues within our they are own schools and begin to address them tasked with While El EDITORIAL BOARD in order to create a more inclusive and seeking the Estoque isn’t equitable environment. Journalism truth and reporting on daily news so a national news organization, our goals are teaches us about all these problems, and everyone else can keep up with the times. aligned with those of journalists around once we are aware of them, we begin to It’s hard to think about how much goes on the world. On a local level, we aim to take notice of them in our own lives and behind the scenes when a news article is inform our community and incite positive work toward solving them. published within minutes of a breaking change that will impact the students, Recently, journalists were at the news event, and it’s hard to imagine how teachers, parents, administrators and forefront of coverage surrounding the newsrooms make fast ethical decisions other community members around us. 2020 presidential election and the about using words such as “protestor,” By spotlighting work that goes on behind Jan. 7 storming of Capitol Hill. From “rioter” or “domestic terrorist.” the scenes of school events, we highlight photographers documenting rioters And if everyone follows a new trend sides of people that are rare to find day to scaling the Capitol gates and senators of slandering the media with “fake day. By informing our school community ducking for cover, to on-site reporters news” labels and ignoring the validity about local bills and officials who can tweeting out live updates about the of reputable news sources, then these enact change, we can have a clear idea of situation, millions of people were able journalists’ work is rendered meaningless. how to influence local policy. By shining to follow the historic incident through Media bias is a problem that journalists light on unspoken issues around us, we anecdotes and face constantly, but can work to resolve them in our very own photos which labeling reporting community. Our tight-knit, local coverage p r e s e n t e d untruthful brings our community closer together, Journalism isn’t just as an emerging without taking the even in the midst of a pandemic and about informing the narrative in real time to dissect the social distancing. public of breaking facts and quotes time. Sarah Wire, Journalism is a privilege and a driving news — it helps that comprise a force for empathy and change. Let’s staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, people relate to others, giving story doesn’t help have some more empathy for the people was trapped in them something to fight for. anyone. Some behind the words too. the House gallery Journalism is the foundation people believe that and escorted those who stormed to a secure of justice. the Capitol building location — she were members of had been focused Antifa rather than on capturing the reactions of nearby Trump supporters. Some believe that the Representatives amid violent rioters, election was fraudulent without any clear

STAFF EDITORIAL

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OPINION | FEBRUARY 2021

Educators are responsible for fostering productive discussion after historic crises

EDUCATORS’

RESPONSIBILITY

CRISES BY SHRESHTA RANGANATHAN 02/2021

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

oon after the riots on Capitol Hill occurred on Jan. 6, MVHS teachers were encouraged by principal Ben Clausnitzer via email to address the event in their classes. Teachers went about the situation in a variety of ways: some teachers only acknowledged that the situation occurred, others offered emotional support and several facilitated discussions to allow students to share their thoughts. Though it is incredibly important for educators to talk about political events as they directly affect all of us. If done incorrectly, teachers holding political discussions can do more damage than good and discourage students of minority opinions from sharing their thoughts or asking questions due to pressure. The classroom discussions can turn more into one opinion being represented and supported while the teacher takes the opportunity to mock or support the president and his supporters, which could be hurtful to students who disagree with the teacher.

Teachers must strive to remove their for students, as they are taught it is bias and refrain from making their political unacceptable to disagree with a teacher views overbearing in the classroom. It in their political bubble of a classroom — is a teacher’s duty to educate students ultimately hurting them, as school is no and take events like this one to inform longer a safe place to express themselves, students, rather than indoctrinate them even in non-political discussions. in their political beliefs. They should be The most productive method for using this opportunity to encourage all teachers responding to a political crisis students to share their perspective on would be to provide students a supportive politically debated topics and ask each space for sharing thoughts. Instead of only other questions, even if the teacher does enforcing their views as truth, encourage not personally agree with some students’ students to ask questions about the views. event and respectfully question each For instance, other to reach a certain teachers greater degree of had students understanding. If privately share their When students are only students with opinions with them, equipped with the the same political but only shared views participate, skill of listening and the teacher could aloud the opinions understanding those encourage other that clearly aligned with the teacher’s with opposing views, they will be opinions to speak, political party. able to react respectfully when like a socratic Students who felt somebody disagrees with their seminar in a sympathy for the literature class. ideals in the real world. rioters or those Teachers could who died as a result also provide did not receive the resources that same attentive listening from some of highlight information on every side of a their teachers. This is unproductive as situation like allsides.com. the purpose of the discussion is to hear It is most productive to speak about the different thoughts across the group, political events when isolating facts from and a teacher’s reinforcement of their the political parties involved. This way, personal views creates a lack of exposure teachers can avoid excluding certain of varying viewpoints. students. For example, when talking By doing this, not only are teachers about the incident at the Capitol, students favoring one viewpoint over another, they do not have to communicate how they create a hostile environment for students feel about a certain political party, but who don’t agree with the majority. These they can feel empathy for the people who students disengage from discussions to are in either party. However, if a student avoid having the teacher or other like- says something racist or misogynistic, minded students tear down their ideas. or declares support for illicit actions This also affects the overall education themselves, the teacher is responsible

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for outlining what is moral and what is wrong. As a part of Santa Clara County, the MVHS community fosters a generally democratic or liberal perspective. According to the results of the 2020 presidential election, 72.64% of the votes from our county went to President Joe Biden. Becuase the vast majority supports a certian perspective, it is crucial to encourage the minority to share their opinion, so everyone can have a better understanding of one another. As students leave the bubble surrounding our small community, they must learn to feel comfortable sharing their opinions, even if it goes against the majority —the culture shock from hearing opinions that were repressed in the classroom, or even being in the minority for the first time, is inevitable, but can be eased by seeking understanding in the classroom. When students are equipped with the skill of listening and understanding those with opposing views, they will be able to react respectfully when somebody disagrees with their ideals in the real world. Politics is a driving factor of our society and is simply unavoidable. Teachers should take advantage of this as a way to help students become engaged citizens and embed real world events into their curriculum in a manner that makes students comfortable. Sharing opinions should be a regular part of life — it becomes a problem when we fail to attempt to understand one another. Classrooms are the first step to connecting with the greater society, making this is a key step that all teachers should at least consider taking.

OPINION | FEBRUARY 2021

CAPITOL CON HOW FUHSD HANDLED BRINGING THE ATTACK ON THE INTO CLASSES BY AYAH ALI-AHMAD

02/2021

ours after the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the principals, superintendents, coordinators and directors of FUHSD gathered in their weekly Wednesday cabinet meeting, where they discussed how the district would respond to the event. All five of the district’s school principals sent out identical emails to families and staff. The email acknowledged the event, offered support to students, encouraged parents to talk about it at home and mentioned that teachers would use time in class to discuss it that week. Principal Ben Clausnitzer said that the challenging part of addressing an issue like this for the district was not deciding whether the district would respond, but rather how they would. For Clausnitzer, his main focus was to give students an opportunity to ask questions and share their opinions to help them assess their emotions and make sense of the event. “Part of the conversation naturally is, ‘What are we going to be doing in regards to what occurred at the Capitol?’” Clausnitzer said. “In this particular situation, it was very natural for us to engage in that dialogue ... We want to be able to acknowledge it — we want to be able to help students process and recogniz[e] this connection between the school and home. And that is why we wanted to also provide a resource for parents, in terms of conversations at home that they might have.” Rachel Zlotziver, the district’s Coordinator of Communications, drafted the statement sent out to all of the schools. After receiving

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

feedback at the meeting, she outlined also be different than feelings of the students in their classrooms.” the statement. English teacher Vanessa Otto “It’s certainly a collaborative process when we decide to send a replaced her usual icebreaker at the message like that out,” Zlotziver said. beginning of class with a check-in, and “We know you have feelings about divided students into Zoom breakout this, [and] we want to provide that rooms to answer a prompt — “How space so that you can express that. And are you feeling about/processing the just to say, there is a safe space for you events of 1/6/21 in Washington D.C.?” In addition, Otto shared news to do that. And also to acknowledge that, yes, it’s OK for everyone to have articles for those who were not differences of opinions. And that’s informed about what had happened. what our democracy is based on. But “I think it’s definitely important to have a dialogue [violence] is not about this,” Otto the way that we said. “I think part want to treat each It’s definitely of the reason other as citizens.” important to why we’re At MVHS, have dailogue so politically Clausnitzer also about this ... It’s divided in emailed staff worth discussing, this country and specific of what is because we departments in regardless class it is, and the more shy away from addition to staff and families. perspectives that they co n ve rs at i o n s like this. So I He instructed hear, the better. the English and ENGLISH TEACHER think it was definitely Social Science VANESSA OTTO important to department bring up in class leads to forward discussion prompts and other and not just in literature class and in history classes, but hopefully all conversation tips to teachers. “I wanted to make sure that our classes.” Otto says, as an educator and students had at least one class [that] helped students process,” Clausnitzer conversation facilitator, she agrees said. “We recognize it’s very natural with Clausnitzer in encouraging all for students to be in school and to perspectives to be heard. To ensure want to talk about it and dialogue and this, she provided a set of guidelines ask questions … Our role [is] helping to remind students how to be people process. We’re not trying to respectful of other perspectives in indoctrinate anyone into a certain breakout rooms. “I just want to make sure my way of thinking — [we are] facilitating a discussion in an inclusive way and classroom is a safe space for all recognizing that adult feelings can perspectives, but with attention to

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NVERSATIONS JANUARY 6 what’s really going on,” Otto said. “More than anything, people will need to be informed and be receptive to what other people have to say.” Otto hopes that teachers will continue holding similar conversations in the next unit when freshmen read “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah. “I think it’s definitely important for the students to know that it’s valuable [to have these conversations],” Otto said. “It’s worth discussing, regardless of what class it is, and the more perspectives that they hear, the better ... It’s an ongoing conversation. It’s not just something that they should be hearing from one person and with one group of students — it should be something that they’re hearing everywhere [in order] to be politically aware [and] to be aware [of] what’s going on in this country.” Clausnitzer believes that MVHS is improving with how they address events that affect the community — whether it is nationwide or in the district — as he notes that the opportunities to do so in the past were not always taken or maximized. “It doesn’t make sense to stay quiet,” Clausnitzer said. “We recognize that maybe MVHS in the past hasn’t always engaged in important conversations during the moments when we should … It is important for us to take on conversations, whether they are conversations about anti-racism, or social-emotional learning, or helping students process an event that occurred in this country or this world. And we’re not perfect at it. And we’re trying to get better at it.”

10:10 a.m. President Trump ends his hourlong speech at the pro-Trump rally. Crowds move, some armed with guns and riot shields, to the front U.S. Capitol building. Source | The Washington Post

JANUARY 6

11:12 a.m. Roiters breach the windows of the northwest side of the U.S. Capitol. Vice President Pence and other officials are evacutated off the senate floor. The mobs continue to move throug the Capitol into the Senate Chamber. Source | The Washington Post

JANUARY 6

12:44 a.m. A rioter attempting to break and climb through the Speaker’s Lobby doors is shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer. They were pronounced dead later. Source | The Washington Post

2:30 p.m. All the principals, superintendents, coordinators and directors of FUHSD meet for their weekly Wednesday meeting and discuss how the district should respond to the attack on the Capitol.

JANUARY 7

11:47 a.m.

MVHS Principal Ben Clausnitzer sends a statement via email to acknowledge what had occured in Washington D.C.. “A fundamental responsibility of public education in this country is to teach students the tenets of our democracy and the principles of the Constitution and the republic. The events that unfolded at our nation’s capital yesterday are not a reflection of these principles, our nation and our community,” MVHS Principal Ben Clausnitzer said.

OPINION | FEBRUARY 2021

ANYONE HAVE A RED PEN?

Learning how to let go of being a people-pleaser BY SHIVANI VERMA

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

be friendly and helpful by lending others my extra things. All I had to do was make sure that my classmates thought I was super nice too, so nobody could sneer at me for being a goody two-shoes. I wasn’t doing anything wrong. Then there was the addictive quality to it, the rush of satisfaction in knowing I had pleased someone.

Even a smile or a simple thank-you made me preen on the inside. Once in a while I would be complimented and daydream about it for the rest of the school day. I enjoyed doing what I could for other people, and soon the idea of acting like this became less about other people and more of just the way I was. So I helped people with homework

ILLUSTRATION | ANUSHKA DE

hen I was in 5th grade, I carried an extra red pen, pencil, highlighter and eraser in my pencil pouch. It wasn’t because I was the type of person that constantly lost my materials or anything like that. I carried them waiting for a particular moment — or rather, a particular line. Sometimes it came as a desperate whisper, other times a loud, carefree question, but no matter how it was said, I waited for the moment when someone would ask — “Does anyone have an extra red pen?” That was my moment. My purpose in that 5th grade classroom. If somebody needed an extra red pen, or wanted to borrow an eraser or pencil, I was their gal. Nobody needed to know that I held them solely for someone else, or that there was unparalleled satisfaction in knowing that people thought I was a nice person when I responded, "Sure, you can borrow mine!" In hindsight, I was a really weird kid, wasn’t I? Look, I just did it because I wanted to do a service. Well … and because I wanted people to think highly of me, knowing I was always there to lend a hand. That’s valid, right? Because if I didn’t, I would just be known solely as what many believed me to be: the teacher’s pet. … Yeah. I was that kid. (You might be grimacing. Don’t worry, so am I.) In my defense, it wasn’t like I went out of my way to suck up to my teachers all the time. But nobody could deny that teachers adored me, and whether in elementary school or high school, it’s a thin line to walk. When would it go from others scoffing at our teacher’s favoritism to glaring at me during recess? I didn’t want to find out. There was really only one thing to do — get on everyone’s good side. It was the perfect scheme: I could easily

whenever I could. I was polite and door open for them, and then — please anyone and everyone, I was inquisitive with my teachers and tried They all breezed by. Not so much as able to regain the happiness that made to always be kind to my friends. I lent a single muttered, "Thank you!" me keep on acting like this in the first people red pens, of course. I asked The moment was miniscule, just place. I truly did enjoy doing things questions about people’s lives and normal middle for others, and complimented strangers. Making s c h o o l e r s I only did them people happy made me happy. This being absorbed when I really was my thing now. in their own felt them and As time wore on, bits and pieces of worlds, but it knew it didn’t my life slowly started to crack around stung. It’s still matter what IN THE MIRROR me. You know how when you look embarrassing the response back at your childhood, it genuinely to admit, but would be. feels like you didn’t have any problems I felt robbed. I SHIVANI VERMA Now, I’m or worries? Even though you were hadn’t opened very aware of probably just too young to see it? It the door for them solely to be how I feel about something, whether felt like all my problems really began thanked — at this point it was more of I want to do it or not. My choices are once I started growing up. As I went an unconscious habit — and yet I had my own, not just reflexive actions. from elementary to middle school, expected appreciation. I mean, didn’t Still, sometimes the people-pleaser in relationships with my friends became I at least deserve a "thanks"? me causes me to overextend myself, more strained. I started to keep more The instance catapulted me or listen to my friends rant even as I’m secrets, and my family life became into a state of confusion. I wasn’t yawning and glancing at the clock. stressful and confusing. What kept supposed to be annoyed, I chastised But actually, now I don’t particularly me going was the pride in how I acted myself. I wasn’t supposed to be kind mind, because we all carry that when those around me were in need. for recognition. But if I had wanted internal ache, that desire to be liked. It felt like I had a purpose, and I was recognition for my kindness… was But when it’s accompanied by the sort of beating odds by persevering I a nice person at all? Had I just outside world constantly throwing despite my life behind the scenes. been doing all this for that instant us hurdles — grades, friendships, But once people saw me a certain gratification, the moral dessert? relationships, college, the future — way — the way I had wanted them Was I just a fake? it can only take a moment to be led to see me — the comfort of being a Being a people-pleaser had astray, follow the path we think we "nice person" began devoured my should take and lose sight of who we to fade. I was so identity. I had no really are. scared to change idea who I was Yet when you think about it, it’s anyone’s perception without it. I had so all those things that life has thrown of me, now that badly needed to be at us that’s made us who we are. It’s they had such high likeable that I didn’t more than a little embarrassing to expectations. What have a personality at admit how much of a pushover and if I didn’t want to all. a suck-up I was, but without those seem happy and The realization experiences, I wouldn’t be as sure of BEING A PEOPLEunaffected all the terrified me. Wanting myself as I am today. Our pasts can PLEASER HAD time? What if I to control others’ shape our present, rather than hold DEVOURED MY couldn’t keep it up? opinions of me had us back. Resilience and character IDENTITY. I DIDN'T But people liked me turned me almost development don’t come easy — but as I was, and being manipulative, and I we can learn from ourselves. KNOW WHO I WAS anything else was did not want to be So I no longer carry double the WITHOUT IT. unfamiliar. I had to like that. I had to amount of pens, erasers or pencils keep it up. stop. just so someone will borrow them. At this point, I tried my best, I do, however, still have a couple of I know what you’re thinking. And determined to end my addiction to highlighters that I never end up using, you’re right. that moral dessert. Slowly, I started and an extra eraser because I always Because eventually, things most to do away with my attention-seeking lose mine at the most annoying definitely did go downhill. How actions. I learned I could be more moments. But hey, if you ever long can you live for others before it blunt, and how to say “No” more rummage around in your backpack consumes you? frequently — and more importantly, and your hands come up empty, well It happened one day at a seemingly that that was actually a good thing. As — you know who to ask. inconsequential moment: I was time passed, I got used to it, just as I walking towards the middle school had trained myself to automatically library and noticed there were people do what others wanted. behind me, so of course, I held the Without feeling like I needed to

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OPINION | FEBRUARY 2021

HUMANS OF

CUPERTINO

PHOTO | EL ESTOQUE

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when you actually save somebody’s life, I guarantee your feet don’t touch the ground for a week. ECONOMICS TEACHER PETE PELKEY

What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened to you?” I asked. He responded, “You have to define crazy. Normal people will say they were late for an event or something, but my life has been insane. I was the only white person homeless in South Central LA. The cops would knock on my car window at two o’clock in the morning to check that I didn’t have heroin marks on my arms. I was going to paramedic school at the time. That’s a little odd, but for me that’s normal. That was just how my life rolled.” “Tell me more about that,” I said. “I decided I wanted to be a paramedic when I was in high school. There was a show on TV called ‘Emergency’ with two hot looking firemen. And they picked up babes every time. Then they went to a hospital and flirted with nurses. I went, ‘That is the job for me.’ But you know what? When I got to be a paramedic, I realized that sick people are not hot. And nurses? They’re more interested in cops and firemen and

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

doctors than they are paramedics. But I liked other aspects of the job. It was kind of fun. You gotta choose the alley you’re sleeping in well. I was in paramedic school, and I was working with the fire department, and I’d be on a 24-hour shift. Then after my 24-hour shift, I jumped in my car and went to an alley someplace to sleep for as long as I possibly could. Then one day during my shift, I got called into that same alley I’d been sleeping in a couple of nights before, and somebody got shot and killed in that alley. So I had to go in that alley to make sure this boy was dead. I needed to find a better alley to sleep in. I was my parents’ least favorite child. I was the one that they didn’t know what to do with. I was not good in high school. I had a terrible GPA. I had a 1.9 GPA graduating high school. I wasn’t going to college. I didn’t want to go to college. I wasn’t interested in college. Going back and going for more schooling after high school was traumatizing. I was never going to set

foot in a high school again. Be careful what you try to avoid. I graduated from paramedic school top of my class, baby. Then I came back to Sunnyvale. I should have been a Los Angeles fireman. Los Angeles Fire wanted to hire me. But I don’t like firemen very much. I don’t like cops. They were very racist and very sexist. It was the ‘80s. I’m sure it’s a kinder genera[tion]. No it’s not, let’s be honest. We have some issues in America we need to deal with. So I got a job as a paramedic back up here. Nothing is normal. I’ve delivered two babies. Those are fun. You just catch them so they don’t hit the floor, basically. The mom does all the work; I’m just gonna catch this kid. Throw some water in your hands and grab it. When you save somebody, and you don’t save them very often, but when you actually save somebody’s life, I guarantee your feet don’t touch the ground for a week. It is the highest high you could ever have. No drug could ever give you that rush.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW RICHARDSON | USED WITH PERMISSION

“

I hit the pose and I say ‘Hey I look f*cking hot today.’

JUNIOR PATRICIA LA DIAZ-BIAN [When I’m sad], normally I just go scroll through Instagram and it’s always full of memes so that sometimes makes me laugh. Other times I say the most random things to myself and then I’ll be like ‘Ha! that’s weird.’ I literally just say gibberish. Or I pose in front of my mirror, and I hit the pose and I say ‘Hey I look f*cking hot today.’ Just hype myself up. I also blast music. I go to the fridge, open it, see nothing that I want but I’ll go stand there for five minutes. Or I run to my dog and annoy the heck out of her. She makes me really happy. I look at her face and I think ‘Oh I don’t deserve you but I’m so happy you’re here.’ And honestly, most of the time [I’m] just lying in a dark room staring at the ceiling. Or just taking really long naps.”

SENIOR ANDREW RICHARDSON “I look forward the most to the quiet time during the last hour. I go to bed at [around] 12:30 a.m., so from 11 to 12:30, by then [I have] forced myself to either complete the homework or it’s not getting done. That is my time and I get to do whatever I want. It’s really relaxing and it’s something that I can always look forward to if I’m having a rough time, or having rough interpersonal relations, I can always think at least I have my time, if not our time. I listen to different music at that time — during the rest of the day it’s fast, fun stuff, but then [at night I] like relaxing stuff, a lot of nostalgic songs. I’ll go through Spotify and just look for old nostalgic songs. I could feel myself just fading into my chair. It’s very nice and very peaceful.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICIA LA DIAZ-BIAN | USED WITH PERMISSION

I could feel myself just fading into my chair. It’s very nice and very peaceful.

FEATURES | FEBRUARY 2021

PHOTO COURTESY OF CASSEY BOGDAN | USED WITH PERMISSION

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There are so many big things going on right now that we sometimes forget about the little struggles.

There are so many big things going on right now that we sometimes forget about the little struggles. One of my struggles is that there's just so much that I want to do. I feel like I spent so much time in the beginning of quarantine just doing nothing, and now I have a million things on my plate and it's not that I'm stressed, it's that I want to do everything [but] I don't have time. It’s not a bad thing, but I love doing a lot of things. I'm doing so much music stuff like writing new songs, recording new stuff, doing a bunch of different projects with different people, so there's so much going on there. I also recently got the cast list for ‘Bright Star,’ the musical, so now I have a big role in that — and I'm excited because we get to use country accents — so that's a whole big slice of my time that's going there. I'm also kind of on the football team if that starts, which is another thing that I got to do. Also, last week I opened up an Etsy shop — no orders yet but fingers crossed — so there's that. I've also been starting to bake more so there’s really just so much going on. And I'm really happy there's so much going on. It's just like, ‘Wow.’”

I work out every day, but I try to break it up, so [some days] I run, some days I ride, some days I lift weights, some days I do CrossFit and some days I kind of combine the two. My real goal is to physically challenge myself every single day. In some avenues, whether it's riding bikes up hills, whether it's running laps around a track and running bleachers while carrying a weight, or doing a workout in a certain amount of time in my garage, my goal is to physically engage every single day in something that's really difficult. What [biking] does for me is [give] a physical outlet. It gives me time to think about workouts I want to do with the kids. It gives me time to either ride by myself and listen to music or ride with friends, and it is as much spiritual as it is physical. At the end of the day, I just look forward to staying healthy. I think that's probably the single most important thing: I want to be physically and mentally healthy.”

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 20

PHOTO TAKEN BY ANDREW MURRAY | USED WITH PERMISSION

SENIOR CASSEY BOGDAN

KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER ANDREW MURRAY

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“ PHOTO COURTESEY OF MATANGI RAJAMANI | USED WITH PERMISSION

I haven't made any sacrifices. I really haven't. I'm a very selfish person. This is something people don't know about me but I'm a very selfish person. I think every major life changing decision has been for me. I was a programmer for 10 years before I quit my job, but I realized after 15 years of staying home, if I wanted to go back to being a programmer, I'd have to go back to school to become current again. And I thought to myself, ‘I’m going back to school, but heck, I can learn anything.’ So I went to the websites of Stanford, Santa Clara and San Jose State and I was like, ‘OK, who's taking in applications now.’ It turned out to be San Jose State. I looked and it said teaching seminars are every month and the next one was two weeks away. I was like, ‘Done, I'm going.’ To me, being a teacher held the most responsibility of any job, and the good teachers that my kids have had, I always just idolized them. [Those teachers] were my angels because they're not easy kids. And so they had their moments where they needed an

angel, and one appeared in the form of a teacher. So, to me, that was the most daunting thing to be. And so during this process, I'd get cold feet, like, “Oh I missed the deadlines for the transcripts, looks like it’s too late, I can’t keep going, I missed that boat.’ But then something would pop up, like an email or letter in the mail saying, ‘Dear applicants, we just wanted to inform you that we've exceeded the deadline for your transcripts,’ and I would be like, ‘Oh, I guess that means I gotta keep going.’ Or I would take the multi-subject test that you have to pass in order to be a teacher, which I had meant to study for, but I never got beyond the first six pages of the study guide, and I'd be like, ‘Well, I'll just go take the test and if I fail, well, I guess I just wasn't meant to be a teacher.’ So I went on a Saturday morning, and I took this test, and I just remember we had essay portions for each of the subjects. And I remember the social studies portion was this question about what happened in California in the 18 somethings — lord only knows — but I just finished volunteering

in third grade at McAuliffe with my youngest son, so I knew all about the Ohlones. I just wrote a lot about the Ohlones. It was a great essay about the Ohlones and I walked out of there saying, ‘If I pass, I get to keep going and if I don't pass, looks like it's just not meant to be.’ Well, lo and behold, I passed and it was like, ‘Oh, I guess I gotta keep going.’ I just love that whole process of being in school, and so eventually, I did become a teacher, but that to me has been the most life-changing thing. I was content with my life — I always have been — and very aware of every blessing that I had in my life and grateful for all of them. I would always just wake up thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I can't believe I have this life.’ But man, oh man, nothing could have prepared me for this happiness. You know, what I realized is teaching builds your life with so much, more than I could have ever hoped or dreamed or imagined. So yeah, I started off with wanting a new house and that's how I became a teacher.”

WHAT I REALIZED IS TEACHING BUILDS YOUR LIFE WITH SO MUCH, MORE THAN I COULD HAVE EVER HOPED OR DREAMED OR IMAGINED. KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER MATANGI RAJAMANI

FEATURES | FEBRUARY 2021

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YOU JUST HAVE TO LEARN THAT YOU CAN’T NECESSARILY DO EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO DO. CUPERTINO RESIDENT CINDY LIN

PHOTO BY ANUSHKA DE

[During] the past couple years, I really struggled to learn how to manage time well in terms of spending time with family, and then also balancing with work as well, because it was a big transition period in terms of being a working mom. And that was a big struggle to figure out how to be good at both, and also coming to the realization that it’s impossible to be perfect at both, and that was really difficult. Because in the past, I’d always prided myself as being someone who could really

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

excel at work and do a really great job at everything. But with the time commitments and the emotional needs that also come with having to take care of a family, you just have to learn that you can’t necessarily do everything that you always wanted to do. You just have to find the right balance and have to decide where you want to prioritize and learn to let some things go. You have to really be true to yourself, and yes, females I think unfairly get labeled as overly

aggressive, whereas [if] a male who’s acting in the same way, people are like, ‘Oh wow, he’s got really great leadership skills.’ So as a woman, you have to do what you need to do to get your work done or get your point across. And in some ways, you have to just avoid the noise and not listen to it. But I consider myself a very caring person, so you still have to make sure that you show empathy in the right instances [because] everyone’s working towards the same goal.”

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As I walked through the West Coast Farmers Market, the aroma of fried food swirled around me. The vendors and the shoppers, engaged in small talk as they loaded bags with fruits, handmade jewelry or even moisturizer, were interrupted by children demanding attention. As I looked around, I saw some vendors standing with their families and handing their children flyers, instructing them to pass them out to shoppers. Some vendors stood alone, looking slightly bored, but lighting up when shoppers approached. Some looked worried; maybe because the market was less bustling than it normally is. And as the early morning chill receded and rays of sunlight enveloped the stalls with warmth, I decided to talk to two of them.

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VENDOR XIAMING XIA

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PHOTO BY OISHEE MISRA

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I’VE FACED, I THINK, [IS TO] COME TO AMERICA.

VENDOR ABRAM GARCIA

I hope this year brings more money. More stability, more business, more money. And [that] health and family and everything [is] good, stuff like that. We come here every Sunday to the Farmers Market. We come from Fresno, the company is from Fresno, but I’m from Danube, California. It’s like 30 minutes away from Fresno. We sell oranges, other fruits and veggies too. The pandemic tanked business, barely getting by, you know. I’m scared that it will continue, that the coronavirus will continue, and people dying.”

I’m selling bao. It’s called Bánh bao. My company sells it, it’s a traditional Chinese food. The biggest challenge I’ve faced, I think [is to] come to America because I’m from China. I want to change my life; I don’t want to stay in China because I want to have a better life so I came to America. Sorry about my English. I immigrated here one year ago. Every Sunday and every Saturday, I come to Farmers Market. I have market in Foster City on Saturday and Cupertino on Sunday. Sometimes business is very good, sometimes, maybe it depends on the weather, maybe not good.”

PHOTO BY OISHEE MISRA

FEATURES | FEBRUARY 2021

PHOTO BY ANUSHKA DE

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My father was really important to me. He taught [me] so many important things, like being disciplined, working hard, studying, taking care of your family. In 12th grade, he coached me on how I should choose my career and said that I should choose science. He told me that I should always work hard and study hard. When I was young, it was difficult to follow that advice. There were so many distractions; it was easier to hang out with friends than to spend time with books. One time, we had exams coming up, and instead of focusing and studying for the exams, I went out with my friends to have fun. I think I should have studied more — that’s one thing I regret. I think I could have gotten better grades, and I could have had a different career now. I love my career now — it is fantastic — but I could have had a different career, one deeper in the sciences, deeper in engineering and technology.

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I think i should have studied more — that’s one thing i regret. I think i could have gotten better grades, and i could have had a different career now. CUPERTINO RESIDENT YASH KAPADIA

I decided to start my company in 1995. I became a software engineer — that was my first job out of engineering school — and I had learned a lot of good things [so] I decided to put them to use. I had learned the engineering side and then I wanted to move to the customer facing side. The first five years had a lot of sleepless nights and hard work — I was working two jobs. I worked for 16 hours a day, and I read a lot of books; there was a lot of learning that happened in those years. The hardest moment was running payroll every month, and having money in the bank to pay your employees. There were times when I was very close to not having enough, but I always had it. It took three years, and then once we got settled in things fell into place. When you are running your own company, you have to constantly look ahead and make sure you have more income than your

expenses, to be cash flow positive. I was proud when the twins [Nikki and Kaden] were born because it was so exciting. The kids were so cuddly and it was such a nice warm feeling. The months leading up to it were very calm because both the kids were inside mommy’s tummy. It was very relaxed until they were born and then everything changed because then we had to take care of two kids. There were sleepless nights, and a lot of excitement and a lot of running around and a lot of fun. My best memory with Nikki was when Nikki came to the airport to pick me up from one of my trips and she was super excited and with Kaden. One of the best memories was hugging him and reading bedtime stories to him, and at one time he gave me a big bite on my cheek.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOZO SHIMAZAKI | USED WITH PERMISSION

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My mom is a very important person in my life. Today’s actually her birthday, January 15, but she was born in 1929, and in pre-World War II Japan even, so she’s seen a lot of history as well. She also had a very nurturing yet stoic sort of personality that you can rely on but also connect with. So in any case, there’s kind of that bond, a deep level with my mom. She’s 92 now, but as she is starting to get older, she’s saying, ‘It’s my last chance to do this or that,’ and so one trip [we took] was a trip to Glacier National Park to hike there and see the glaciers. Those are kind of disappearing though, as well. I just remember taking some pictures of her and then I remember I gave her a poem about one of the pictures as well. So, yes those memories are there.”

she also had a very nurturing yet stoic sort of personality that you can rely on but also connect with.

ENGLISH TEACHER SHOZO SHIMAZAKI

I would say my grandma is super important to me because we’ve been very close ever since I was little. Because my parents were divorced, she had shown a huge part in my upbringing and still to this day we see each other a lot. I go to her house every weekend for lunch or dinner, and she’s my favorite person in my family. A lot of times we’ll cook meals together. We have traditions of making dumplings together so I’ll roll out the dough and then she’ll make the filling. We talk about random things like how things are going [at] school, or [since] she lives in a retirement center I ask her how her friends are.”

she had shown a huge part in my upbringing and still to this day we see each other a lot. SENIOR CHRISTY FENG

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTY FENG | USED WITH PERMISSION

FEATURES | FEBRUARY 2021

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WHEN I’M STRESSED, I RUN MY FINGERS THROUGH THE METAL COINS. SOPHOMORE AVANI KULSHRESHTA

PHOTO BY AVANI KULSHRESHTA | USED WITH PERMISSION

I collect coins, specifically state quarters. I actually have a very hefty collection of state quarters and I have been collecting them since I was 7 years old. I have just been taking coins out of my mom’s wallet or been finding them hidden inside the couch, and I think I actually have all the states, except for maybe New Jersey. My collection is worth quite a bit of money. I have some half dollars as well, and they are all categorically assigned a little compartment so I can keep track of them. When I’m stressed I run my fingers through the metal coins; it actually is very surprisingly stress-relieving.”

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IT TAUGHT ME THAT STARTING OVER IS OK. SOPHOMORE ASHIL SHAO

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHIL SHAO | USED WITH PERMISSION

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

Something I don’t really tell people is that I like writing stories with my friends. It’s fun to come [up] with worlds and characters and have them explore this world that you’re thinking of in your head. We started doing this since fourth grade, and it’s something we’ve been doing for a while. It taught me that starting over is OK. We have had so many stories that were 10 plus pages and we were like, ‘No, we’re going to do something else.’ Starting over is OK, so it doesn’t hurt to do something new. But [eventually], we made this pact three years ago that we’re going to finish one story. It’s really fun because it’s just something I can do when I’m bored or when I need a break from life. It’s a nice break because you’re just doing stuff that comes out of your mouth; there’s no intensive thinking. You’re just like, ‘This pops into my mind and I’m going to type it out on this Google document.’”

FINDING MYSELF WAS DEFINITELY A LONG PROCESS, JUST BECAUSE I FELT SOMETHING WAS OFF.

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SOPHOMORE ROBIN READY

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PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY HU | USED WITH PERMISSION

[30 Rockefeller Plaza] in New York is somewhere that I really want to work — it’s kind of a dream job. I want to do things like become a talk show host or join Saturday Night Live but I don’t really tell my family members that often. I haven’t told them upfront because I honestly don’t even know if I want to take that path. If I do, there’s a big chance that I can fail and deep down, I don’t want to have to face that reality. Right now, I guess I’m really scared of death and the only reason is [because] I feel like I didn’t make my mark. I didn’t really help anyone, I just came here to Earth and I left. If you’re successful in the film industry, you get to influence a lot of people, and I know that will help me make my mark in this world.”

Coming out to my friends was pretty easy. I first came out back in sixth grade as bi[sexual], so it wasn’t really a big deal when I came out as nonbinary. But this year, it’s been a bigger deal because some people only know me as my preferred name. So it’s pretty cool. I haven’t physically transitioned at all, so the hardest part is still dealing with dysphoria. Some days, I’m not super dysphoric. But then, other days, it’s really bad. On the easiest days, it’s just looking in the mirror and feeling off. But some days they can trigger panic attacks. I just feel that I have body parts that are missing. It’s a weird feeling. I’ll just be sitting there and then I feel like something should be there. But then I move and there’s just nothing. Finding myself was definitely a long process, just because I felt something was off. As I accepted more parts of the gender spectrum, I just kind of settled on transgender.”

I FEEL LIKE I DIDN’t MAKE MY MARK. I JUST CAME HERE TO EARTH AND I LEFT. SOPHOMORE AMY HU

PHOTO BY ROBIN READY | USED WITH PERMISSION

FEATURES | FEBRUARY 2021

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I really had to just learn all that on my own and if I made mistakes, I had to grow from them. JUNIOR YANA PADTE

PHOTO COURTESTESY OF YANA PADTE | USED WITH PERMISSION

My brother was born when I was 10 years old, so I was already pretty old when he was born, and my parents obviously had to give a lot of their attention to him because he was a baby. And I don’t really know if this counts as a sacrifice, but I feel like in these past years, just because I was old enough to understand that my parents couldn’t give me as much attention as they used to when I was an only child. I don’t ask them for much because I don’t want to make it seem like I’m really needy. I’ve been able to learn how to do things on my own and I really don’t ask for help that often from anyone. But I think that because they’ve had to take care of my brother for so many years, because he’s still pretty young — he just started elementary school. That can be kind of sad because [I am] going to college soon so it kind of sucks that I wasn’t able to spend as much time with them, but I think that was probably a pretty significant sacrifice that I had to make. It just taught me how strong I was and how I don’t give up on a lot of things. I don’t let go of things easily — if I set my mind to something, I will figure out how to do it, and it doesn’t really matter if people are there to help me or not, I’ll figure it out on my own. It really just taught me to be super independent, and I think that obviously, as someone who’s growing up here, being independent is a huge thing and I also realized that [independence] isn’t something that you can learn from your parents, it’s more [of] something that you have to develop on your own. I was also able to learn and [absorb] a lot about my environment and the people around me. I really had to just learn all that on my own and if I made mistakes, I had to grow from them, but if I did something well, I was always able to enjoy that because I knew that it was [from] my hard work and I had really just done everything for myself up to that point.”

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

“ PHOTO COURTESTESY OF ANANT CHAUDHARY | USED WITH PERMISSION

I’m actually part of this nonprofit called VSNA [Veerashaiva Samaja of North America], and we just celebrate Indian national holidays, kind of a simple thing [where] we create our own parties when there wasn’t COVID, in person, and we just have fun celebrating Diwali and Holi and holidays like that. And then, since we have so many funds that we didn’t use for parties this year we had saved up because of COVID, we decided to help run a donation drive to help support people in need. And we donated to Second Harvest Food Bank, and I think since I helped really run that drive, it really showed me how inspirational you can be to other people, just by helping out your community, even if it’s just a little bit. One thing that I’m proud of that I really don’t tell other people is my [basketball] trick shots. I really think that that’s my way of expressing myself, because that’s mainly for my own enjoyment. I just post them [on Instagram] because some of my friends have told me that they really enjoy me doing the sport that I like, because due to medical conditions I can’t play on the [basketball] team for MVHS, or even a team outside. So they really like me actually finding my own path in basketball, and not just joining a team just to play, [but] having my own way of doing it.”

PHOTO COURTESTESY OF JEEVITH CHANVEER | USED WITH PERMISSION

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I really think that that’s my way of expressing myself SOPHOMORE JEEVITH CHANVEER

Sometimes I feel like I freak out a lot if I’m really under pressure and it’s been going on a long time, where I just can’t even look forward to the next day. Some of those times I bottle [up] my emotions a lot so what happens is I just release it all at one moment and I feel like if I hadn’t have done [that] I think I would have been much better off. [But] I always look forward to the next day because regardless of how this day is going, I always need to moderate myself to not get too excited or to not be too sad because I know the next day might have something in store for me that’s nothing like today. So I feel like, if today is a really good day for me, tomorrow might not be, but I got to keep those emotions in check, so I don’t go to bed upset.”

I know the next day might have something in store for me that’s nothing like today. JUNIOR ANANT CHAUDHARY

FEATURES | FEBRUARY 2021

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When I first started with the robotics team, it was maybe the third or fourth year and we had a huge conflict on the robotics team where all the seniors left. They were trying to run things and the team should have been messed up but we came out with a fairly decent robot. Simple, but fairly decent. We made it all the way up to either semifinals or finals that year; we went quite high. There was a moment where the driver and I – I’m not even on the field. I’m up in the stands and I was thinking, ‘yeah, do this,’ and I guess the driver and I were thinking the same thing because he did it. That move won us that match and we advanced to the

next round. I think we lost the next match but when he ran over that thing – I really remember that – it was this idea that we had good intentions. It was always our intention to do our best, given what we have, and to try our best not to get all stressed out and be decent people, not to bully and treat people badly. The people that were left on the team – because the people who left were the ones who kind of wanted to do the wrong thing – were willing to pull together and work together. They really got further than the seniors thought they would, [the seniors] really thought they messed us up but it turned out that after they left we had a much

happier time. Everybody was happy and we had a harmonious working environment. And then we ended up doing really well. I felt really good about that. You’d think it’d be something like a baby born or something like that, but I’m not married so there was nothing like that in my life. But that really was one of those things that I just thought, ‘Yeah it’s better to be good, you know, better to do the right thing.’ We could have done horribly too, but to be rewarded for being for, for being correct, you know, for not being jerks. And so, and I think a lot of the students that were there that year did learn that so it made me feel good.”

It was always our intention to do our best and to be decent people.

ENGINEERING TEACHER TED SHINTA

PHOTO | EL ESTOQUE

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

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we re-named her pusheen because of how round she is. She is the sweetest cat ever. SENIOR YOLANNA LU

I work at Reed Animal Hospital. One day, a client wanted to euthanize their cat because it was extremely overweight and immobile. But after our veterinarians discovered that the cat didn’t need to be euthanized, the owners didn’t want to keep the cat anymore. So we kept the cat at our hospital for a while. But obviously, it couldn’t stay there because it needed more exercise. If it stayed in our hospital, it would just be in a kennel all day. So I decided to adopt her. That was a little over a month ago. When I first got her, she hid under my bed for multiple days on end, without even coming out to drink water or eat food, or even go to the litter box. I literally had to sleep on the floor with her for hours, just to help her acclimate better to our home. She has definitely gotten way more comfortable. But I’m trying to bring her to a healthier weight, as well as alleviate some trauma because she never stops shaking. I don’t know what happened with her previous owners, but I really don’t think they treated her well, so I’m glad to have her now. We re-named her Pusheen because of how round she is. She is the sweetest cat ever. She loves head rubs and always tries to cuddle with me in bed. I love her very much.”

PHOTO COURTSEY OF LU | USED WITH PERMISSION

FEATURES | FEBRUARY 2021

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RESPECT

Viewing people with humanity instead of as employees

BY ANUSHKA DE

Mom, please,” the boy in front of us in line mutters as his mother berates the Target cashier while trying to return an item. She fixes her son with an icy glare and continues on her tirade, slamming a mug onto the counter so hard it chips. “Mom, you’re causing a scene,” her son repeats, mortified. I desperately avoid making eye contact with them, afraid they will see me inwardly cringing. I look at the long line snaking around shelves behind me, trying to discern others’ reactions. Their impatience is obvious, from their heads shaking angrily to frustrated sighs. People check their watches and throw their hands up in the air in exasperation. “I don’t know,” apologizes the man behind the corner. His face is red and a sheen of sweat covers his forehead. “Let me call my manager,” he says. His breaking voice betrays the fact that he’s close to tears. HKA ANUS ION |

TRAT ILLUS

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

My dad turns to me. “I don’t care who “Mom, please,” the girl whispers to you are and I don’t care who you are her mom, placing a soothing hand on her talking to,” he tells me. “You will never forearm. “You’re causing a scene.” treat anyone with disrespect.” When my manager arrives, he tells me On our way out of the store, that to check something in the back, fixing woman and her son are behind us. “Can me with a knowing glance. As I leave, I you hurry up?” she asks me as I struggle can feel the exasperated stares and angry with the weight sighs thrown in of a shopping my direction. It bag. My father wasn’t my fault, holds the door I want to shout. I open for her on wasn’t wrong. her way out. Over time, I ReTALES: Years later, I lose track of the RESPECT am the Target things that I’m cashier being shouted at for. yelled at for a ANUSHKA DE Sorry, we don’t return not going have bags. Sorry, through. I know that item is out the receipt is wrong, or maybe it’s her of stock. Sorry, we don’t sell that brand. card. I know it isn’t my fault. I ask the lady Sorry, sorry, sorry. behind the counter to try another card The customer is always right, except and she responds with a murderous stare. that they are not. The customer is very “Are you telling me this is my fault?” often not right, but it doesn’t matter. It is she asks. “Do you want me to dump my not your job to decide when the customer wallet all over the counter so you can try is right and when they are not, because every card? I have this, do you want it?” right now, you are not a person so much she shouts, thrusting a crumpled as an appendage to a corporation. The receipt on the counter. customer is always right, so apologize no matter how much you don’t want to. Sorry, sorry sorry. Working in retail showed me how little respect people can have for another person. I know that when you pay someone for a job or a service, expecting that service to be executed to a certain standard is reasonable. But it is equally reasonable to be kind, no matter how far from your standard the end result is. It is reasonable to see people as more than cogs in the machine of capitalism, to see them with a bit of humanity. I don’t care who you are, I don’t care who you are talking to. They deserve your respect.

Love is in the air

Exploring romance in the MVHS community through different facets

A warm smile, a Zoom date, a handwritten card of gratitude. Love shows itself in different ways, both for a significant other and for family and friends. From exploring lessons of past relationships or forging new ones during quarantine, to platonic Valentines or forgoing romantic relationships, discover how love has impacted the MVHS community.

Looking back on love

Students reflect on how they were shaped by prior romantic relationships BY SHIVANI MADHAN

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hen the online game “Among “[One of my breakups] partially again and not be too awkward about it, it Us” gained traction at the end of stemmed from my attachment — to works out.” 2020, senior Malia Owings found some degree, I became a little too Owings, on the other hand, went herself hopping on clingy,” Yin said. through a recovery period where she did the bandwagon. “[When] I became “stereotypical post-breakup activities” Little did she know more invested in the such as dyeing her hair. Additionally, she that playing “Among relationship than made active efforts to be more open and Us” would eventually the other person, [it share what was on her mind with those result in finding a could’ve] cause[d] close to her. romantic partner. them to lose interest While the students’ relationships During a certain because being clingy varied from start to end, they all shared BECAUSE [I] WOULD game of “Among is a little annoying.” one commonality: they were able to learn Us,” Owings hit it off O w i n g s ’ more about themselves and what they ALWAYS WANT TO with another player relationship was wanted in future romantic relationships, SPEND A LOT OF and exchanged largely affected according to Yin. TIME WITH [MY contact information by the physical For example, Mishra and Owings both SIGNIFICANT OTHER], with them. In the limitation of distance realized that they needed to stand up I NEGLECTED [OTHER days that followed, since her significant for themselves more and have difficult they chatted other lived in conversations when necessary. ASPECTS OF] MY LIFE. frequently and Southern California. “I wish I could have been more from there, things This caused outspoken on how I felt about some of JUNIOR ANIKA quickly evolved difficulties with into a long-distance communication relationship. and a lack of Like Owings, authentic many MVHS students have had their connection through a own romantic experiences that range screen, leading to their from flings to long-term relationships. breakup a short Senior Conner Yin has been in several while after. relationships throughout high school — Following their he believes that romantic experiences breakups, the are a great way to form stronger bonds three students and create fun memories with people you took different care about. approaches to However, while romantic relationships moving on. Yin, in high school are intended to be fun a strong believer and foster connections, they come with in mending a variety of obstacles. Junior Anika r e l a t i o n s h i p s , Mishra, who has previously been in two took some time relationships, speaks about some of the to cool down challenges she has previously dealt with. before creating “[I] struggled with maintaining a a friendship with balance between [my partner] and his ex-partners. [my] friends and family,” Mishra said. “At first, “Because [I] would always want to spend it was very a lot of time with [my significant other], I u n c o m f o r t a b l e neglected [other aspects of] my life.” — that’s just Similarly, Yin also struggled with the the nature of amount of time and energy he committed relationships,” Yin to his romantic life, and this inability to said. “But ultimately, find a working balance influenced his if you put in the effort eventual breakups. to make things normal ILLUSTRATION | SHIVANI MADHAN AND ANIKA SHARMA

MISHRA

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[my partner and I’s] problems,” Mishra said. “In the future, instead of having [an issue] with something and not voicing my opinion, I want to tell [my partner] how I feel so that we can both come to a compromise.” Yin, on the other hand, recognized the importance of prioritizing himself; he wants to carve out time for doing different things he loves, such as producing music. He believes that being in a relationship makes it harder to accomplish those goals. Similarly, Mishra found that she depended on validation from her romantic partners, so following her breakup, she aimed to become more independent. “I would probably tell my past self to not rely on love from a significant other as much as I used to and that it’s good to be independent,” Mishra said. “You don’t need to be in a relationship to feel happy or good about yourself.” After reflecting on their experiences, all of the students say that rushing into a romantic relationship during high school

isn’t necessary — it’s OK to take your time. “I’m looking to slow myself down and make sure that the person is right for me before committing,” Yin said. “There’s so many people in this world, [so I think] there’s really no reason to sit yourself down with somebody until you’re really sure that this is someone that you actually want to spend time with.” While their previous romantic relationships posed challenges, Mishra, Owings and Yin all share the sentiment that they were glad they were able to experience a relationship in high school. “When [a lot of people] break up, they say they regret [the relationship], [but] I think that’s the wrong attitude to have,” Yin said. “To me, the most important thing about a relationship or breakup is learning something new and growing as a person.”

30% of MVHS students

have been in one or more romantic relationships

*According to a survey of 190 MVHS students

11%

18%

40% 31%

Do you regret entering your previous romantic relationships? *According to a survey of 62 MVHS students

Not at all Slightly regret Moderately regret Greatly regret

42% 41%

How much have you

learned about yourself from your previous romantic experiences? *According to a survey of 64 MVHS students

ILLUSTRATION | SHIVANI MADHAN AND ANIKA SHARMA

A lot A moderate amount A little Nothing ARTS & ENT | FEBRUARY 2021

Cupid in the classroom Examining teachers’ perspectives on student relationships BY CLAIRE WEN

t was Valentine’s day, and he wasn’t prepared at all. He went to Chinese teacher I-Chu Chang for help: “Laoshi [Teacher], I’m screwed. I don’t have any gifts for my girlfriend — can you help me?” Chang took out her candies and told him to take some of them. He grabbed binder paper and started wrapping the candies. “I said, ‘Are you serious? Binder paper for [a] Valentine’s gift, you’re gonna fail. It’s not gonna work,’” Chang said. “So I gave him some red paper that I have for Chinese New Year, and then he tried to put them together and staple [them]. Boys are so clumsy, they staple papers and candy and wrap it up and gave [it to] the girl.” A week later, the girl broke up with him. Although Chang doesn’t know if it was because of the unsuccessful gift, she still recalls that incident of the boy stressing over a gift for his girlfriend. Over the course of her teaching career, Chang has witnessed many relationships unfold between the students in her classes. “I think [dating in high school] is kind of cute; [it’s] definitely going to be a memorable experience,” Chang said. “Especially when [they] are so young, and [they’re] still exploring, learning what love is. Even though the relationship is not mature, I would think that would [create] some important memories in [their] lives.” Science teacher Julie Choi agrees that there are benefits to dating in high school, especially in terms of personal growth. She thinks that in any relationship, there is a takeaway lesson that allows the person to develop in ways that are different from other interactions. “In relationships, I think you learn communication, you learn your values,” Choi said. “You learn the idea of what it means [to] really [like] someone and [do] something for that person, and also receiving a lot of

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ILLUSTRATION | MIKAYLAH DU AND SOPHIA MA

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love and feeling good about that too. I to go past this difficult time when they think it’s a really important phase that really are heartbroken,” Chang said. students should absolutely explore “It’s kind of like getting the booster. before they go on to college.” You get immune, and then maybe it’ll Chang also be easier in life. thinks a benefit That’s how I look of dating at it.” before college Overall, Choi is that the believes that student would when someone have a good finds a person support system they “really, around them. really are crazy IN RELATIONSHIPS, YOU She’s seen about,” they LEARN COMMUNICATION, students being wouldn’t want YOU LEARN YOUR VALUES. crushed when that relationship YOU LEARN THE IDEA experiencing to be their OF WHAT IT MEANS [TO] their first very first. She breakup, but co m pa re s REALLY [LIKE] SOMEONE in high school, relationships to AND [DO] SOMETHING FOR the student can learning how to THAT PERSON, AND ALSO reach out to walk: it’s rare RECEIVING A LOT OF LOVE. their parents. to be excellent However, she the first time SCIENCE TEACHER notes that around. JULIE CHOI it would be E n g l i s h more difficult teacher Lynn to reach out Rose and to others in college, especially if the her husband were high school student is very shy and doesn’t want sweethearts, and they have now been to share their sorrow with others. married for 27 years. They met in “If the parents have a pretty close their junior year English class, which relationship with their kids, they could Rose finds funny since she currently be very helpful to keep them company teaches English.

“He sat in front of me; we were seated alphabetically,” Rose said. “And we were both new students as juniors, [since] we just moved. That was kind of how we started talking because we were both new to the school and didn’t know anybody. We started off as friends junior year, and then towards the end of senior year, he asked me out, and we’re still together.” Rose doesn’t think her high school teachers would’ve noticed anything about their relationship. As a teacher now, though, she can sometimes tell if students like each other. “Sometimes I’ll find out that two students have been dating all semester, and I had no idea, so it depends how quiet they are about it,” Rose said. “I’ve definitely seen some crushes, just in terms of you can observe some of the nervousness that one person might have around the other or changes in behavior in the way that they might speak to the other person. So sometimes I’m able to pick up on it.” Choi also recalls a time in AP Physics 1 where she asked for seating preferences and two students asked for each other, but then acted like they didn’t want to be near each other. “I thought it was funny because I paired them up [since] they selected each other, but then they’re like, ‘Ms. Choi, how dare you put me with this person?’” Choi said. “I was like, I don’t think I’m allowed to say anything at this point, I’m just supposed to play the bad guy, so I just let it go. I don’t know if they actually ended up together, but I thought it was cute.”

Chang also notices if someone looks happier around another person or if she sees responses from classmates. Oftentimes, she can tell something is going on when she pairs up two students and everyone starts cheering. She also mentions one of her assignments where she has her students give speeches about their ideal significant other. After a particular student presented, he walked up to a girl in the class, telling her that she was his ideal girlfriend. Each year, Choi has had a couple who met and started dating in her class so they go to her for relationship advice. Because this occurs often in her chemistry class, Choi humorously wonders if it’s because of the chemistry subject. “One of the couples that ended up [together] in my class last year was cute because they thanked me at the end of the year,” Choi said. “They’re like, ‘Thank you for always putting us together in our seating charts. I feel like you knew that we liked each other.’ And I had no idea, it was just a

total accident. I actually didn’t know they were together until one of my students told me.” However, sometimes the chemistry between students slightly influences her seating chart decisions, although she doesn’t think any of the students she’s paired up have actually ended up as a couple. “Sometimes you look at some people, and you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, they’d be cute together’ — just like how if I see my friends then I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, they’d be cute together’ — and I would seat them together,” Choi said. “I’ve done it a lot when I was in my first year as a teacher, but in the later years, I’ve made it more based on student preferences, and TA’s help me with that part of it. But they enjoy doing it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they put that factor in as they do seating charts, because a part of what we look for in seating charts is how well [students] harmonize with each other, like ‘Will they get along?’ And I think that has some correlation to relationships later down the road.”

ILLUSTRATION | MIKAYLAH DU AND SOPHIA MA

ARTS & ENT | FEBRUARY 2021

COVID-19 couples

Examining how quarantine has impacted the MVHS dating scene BY VIVIAN JIANG

hen senior Pearl Raina and her boyfriend, senior Ashwin Desai, entered the new year of 2020, they were expecting a year full of typical high school dating experiences — going on dates to the movie theaters, eating at restaurants and dancing at prom. What they weren’t expecting: a pandemic and multiple shelter-in-place orders that required everyone to stay at home for almost a full year. While Raina and Desai were fortunate to have had started their relationship months before the pandemic hit, for those who started relationships right before or during quarantine, adjusting to dating in a virtual setting can be difficult — especially when added on top of online school, extracurriculars and, for seniors, college applications. Senior Sammy Banerjee, who started dating senior Bianca Young a couple of months into quarantine, shares that the pandemic has made many aspects of dating more difficult. For example, there are more restrictions as a result of shelter-inplace orders that detract from the normal dating experience during the beginning of a relationship.

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“In the beginning, it was very out because physical presence is weird,” Banerjee said. “Everything really important [since] that person is was so new. I was like, ‘How am I even usually different [in-person than the able to be in a relationship when I’m person you get used to online]. You get confused on what supposed to be their, and your own, six feet apart?’ It’s actual personality is.” just something For Raina, having about being there a well-established physically that relationship and you can never an even stronger take away.” foundation of A d d i t i o n a l l y, I WAS LIKE ‘HOW AM I friendship with Desai Banerjee has EVEN ABLE TO BE IN A since middle school found that he’s RELATIONSHIP WHEN made transitioning begun to change I’M SUPPOSED TO BE into quarantine much his online social SIX FEET APART?’ IT’S easier than relatively habits in order JUST SOMETHING new couples. to adapt to “[Desai] and I limited in-person ABOUT BEING THERE are definitely lucky interactions. PHYSICALLY THAT because we’ve been “Virtual dates YOU CAN NEVER TAKE dating for so long,” are definitely AWAY. Raina said. “It’s really a thing and SENIOR hard for new couples honestly, before [the pandemic], SAMMY BANERJEE because they don’t even understand I wouldn’t really each other yet [and] FaceTime people like that,” Banerjee said. “But how they feel, [in addition to] not nowadays, people set up schedules seeing each other for so long.” Similarly, senior Kelli Kosakura, to make calls and to make time for people. And I was definitely not doing who has been dating senior Matthew Whong for more than two years, also that before.” Raina empathizes with new notes that quarantine has had little couples, as she believes trying to no effect on their relationship. to date while being physically She believes this is because of their disconnected can make the first strong understanding of each other as few months of dating extremely people and partners in a relationship. “Having that foundation earlier difficult. In her experience, getting to know each other in-person is on was good for us because now, especially important when trying [even] with all these restrictions, we to gain a true understanding of don’t feel super trapped,” Kosakura said. “Honestly, we probably texted one’s partner. “I feel like quarantine is the first more when we were freshmen and step into [having] a long-distance sophomore[s] because that was when relationship — it’s almost the same it was new, but now I think we found thing,” Raina said. “I do really feel our groove.” Raina attributes her relationship’s for new couples; it is really, really in transitioning into hard when you’re first starting success

quarantine to her and Desai’s familiarity with each others’ love languages, which helped strengthen their communication and understanding of one another during the pandemic. “What ended up working out for both of us is our [love] language, [which] is quality time,” Raina said. “We FaceTime every day, and it’s not [always] about conversation, it’s [also about just being present]. Sometimes he’s just there and we’re both just [focusing on doing] our work and ILLUSTRATIONS | SHIVANI MADHAN AND ANIKA SHARMA that’s it.” Raina, Banerjee and Kosakura was in school for eight hours, and communication patterns [because] all agree that knowing how to sometimes I had track practice so I virtually — that’s really different,” communicate effectively has been [ended] up being home and doing Raina said. “[Quarantine] just made especially key in their relationships things that I [wanted] to do for a [our relationship] stronger in the during this time. Banerjee adds that limited amount of time. And [since] sense of like, I realized I don’t think I’ll quarantine has, in a way, created the class periods are really nice now, ever really get annoyed of him.” a situation in which they had to I am able to spend some good quality Kosakura believes the distance become better communicators with time [with Young] nowadays.” and isolation of quarantine have each other. Banerjee also says that being in actually helped her become more “A lot of people get into a habit of just a relationship has helped him stay independent and prompted her to [asking] informational [questions],” socially connected and encouraged strengthen her friendships. Banerjee said. “Quarantine has encouraged me to them to do fun “Like, ‘Oh, how was things together reach out to my friends that I kind of your day? What did during this time, took for granted in person,” Kosakura you do? I did XYZ.’ which he believes said. “[It’s] helped me [to] not be so But honestly just can be distant and reliant on [Whong] and always talking [trying to] figure out to him, but to encourage me to reach draining at times. how they’re feeling, “[There’s] a lot out to [people] I haven’t seen in a what they’re of [typical] date long time.” [QUARANTINE] feeling, more of the While quarantine has changed [activities] you can’t JUST MADE [OUR below-the-surface do [anymore],” many aspects of the dating scene, RELATIONSHIP] [content] helps a lot Banerjee said. “But Banerjee notes that the feelings STRONGER IN [in relationships].” it’s also making us of excitement are still there, and THE SENSE OF Even with the more creative. Just he is grateful for the positivity his many restrictions exploring nature relationship has brought to his life. LIKE, I REALIZED I put in place, “Adding a relationship to [and doing] things DON’T THINK I’LL Banerjee notes [schoolwork, extracurriculars that don’t involve EVER REALLY GET that there have too many people and college applications] doesn’t ANNOYED OF HIM. been some [makes you] focus always help, but I think it was very SENIOR benefits to dating on that one person motivating,” Banerjee said. “It just PEARL RAINA in quarantine. and not really worry shows you that another person cares His flexible about you just as much as you do and about other stuff.” class schedule, A l t h o u g h is willing to support you through thick along with less time-consuming quarantine hasn’t had much of an and thin… which is very validating extracurriculars, allow Banerjee to impact on Raina’s relationship, she honestly. And yeah, [it] helps you focus more time on his relationship. does notice that it has given her more wake up every day — there’s a thin “I think it is easier to date someone insight into her connection with Desai. layer of happiness over everything.” now, just because I have a lot more “Each part of quarantine free time to do what I want to do,” kind of taught me something Banerjee said. “[Pre-COVID-19], I about our relationship, [such as]

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ARTS & ENT | FEBRUARY 2021

The romance behind K-dramas

Exploring the effects the popular genre has on our views and values BY SOPHIA MA

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ILLUSTRATIONS | MIKAYLAH DU AND SOPHIA MA

apping through an endless stream comedy and romance, giving audiences of Instagram a glimpse into the stories over cultural and social life Thanksgiving of South Korea. Despite b r e a k , the language barriers, sophomore Julia K-drama viewers are a Lu stumbled diverse audience from across videos around the world — and screenshots including students at IT COULD BE THE from an MVHS. According to a NERVOUSNESS OF unfamiliar genre. survey of 197 MVHS Intrigued, she students, 34% have JUST HOLDING began watching watched K-dramas. HANDS, OR EVEN THE “Crash Landing Within that, 44% of SMALL JEALOUSY on You.” Episode people found out OVER CERTAIN by episode, one about them through THINGS BETWEEN tear-jerking friend referrals, 23% scene after through other Korean PEOPLE WHO LIKE another, she fell entertainment, 18% EACH OTHER. deeper down the through entertainment JUNIOR rabbit hole of apps and 15% through VY PHAM K-dramas. the internet and social K o r e a n media apps. television According to dramas, otherwise known as K-dramas, junior Vy Pham, one of the appeals of depict slice-of-life storylines through watching K-dramas is their engaging

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depiction of storylines and characters. Oftentimes, Pham observes that K-dramas encapsulate the lives of people, allowing viewers to develop an emotional attachment to these characters. “I always find that I really like friendships in K-dramas because they always seem very fun,” Pham said. “You can see the amount of trust between people and just fun interactions. Romantic relationship-wise, there would be the relationships where they have all these smaller, subtle moments that the characters share, which builds up the chemistry that is [the] most [defining aspect] of a romance K-drama. That’s what really gets you hooked and cheering on the characters.” According to Pham, another element that adds interest is the smaller interactions between characters in a K-drama. She believes that these little details help develop the genre’s realism. “Sometimes [these interactions] can be overexaggerated by using bigger events, but it’s the smaller moments

between the characters which builds the chemistry,” Pham said. “That’s what’s the most realistic. It could be the nervousness of just holding hands, or even the small jealousy over certain things between people who like each other.” In contrast, Lu feels that the romances tend to be unrealistic. She believes that the portrayal of romantic relationships are often “too perfect.” “It’s really just being able to see different kinds of stories and seeing how different situations turn out,” Lu said. “[But] it’s not very realistic because it’s for entertainment, created for the purpose of entertaining people. A lot of situations you see usually don’t happen in real life.” Although sophomore Angela Zhang describes the depiction of romantic relationships as “cheesy” and implausible, she also says they make her feel more hopeful about real-life romance. To Zhang, it can be eye-opening to observe how people should view and treat others. Although at times she believes that interactions between characters can be perceived as too staged or coincidental, these moments can distinguish what morally should and should not be done in any relationship, romantic or otherwise. “It definitely brings to light some things that would seem obvious but people often overlook,” Pham said. “Kind of like communication and trust are key. While this might seem obvious … I would tell others to just express yourself and tell people how you feel and just do the things you want before you find yourself regretting. I’ve definitely become more

communicative of my feelings [because of watching K-dramas].” Aside from romance, Zhang adds that the emotional appeal of family relationships and friendships add another dimension of realism to K-dramas.

K-DRAMA RECOMMENDATIONS * Crash Landing on You * Extraordinary You * Fight for My Way * Scarlet Heart Ryeo * Start Up * True Beauty

These moments can offer different perspectives about people’s actions and their consequences, which may influence viewers to make positive changes in their real-life relationships. “When I watched ‘Hi Bye, Mama!,’ it made me more appreciative of my mom and my parents in general because it was about a mother,” Zhang said. “That one wasn’t really too romance-y — it was more about family and life. [But it] really made me reflect on my own family.” Similarly, Lu believes that beyond just entertainment, K-dramas can allow people to develop a different perspective about relationships and life. “If you’re just bored or if you don’t have anything to do, I recommend [that you] watch some K-dramas for entertainment and to bring yourself happiness,” Lu said. “Watching them is a good way to expand your perspectives about life, especially since some K-dramas cover topics [such as South Korean culture] that, normally, you wouldn’t learn about.” ARTS & ENT | FEBRUARY 2021

Platonic Valentines

Exploring relationships based in non-romantic love and the overemphasis of romance in Valentine’s Day

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BY ANIKA SHARMA

enior Arya Das finds that — we’re always joking with each celebrating friendships other,” Das said. “We never have is very any reservations valuable, but is [and] we’re often overlooked. never competing While Das met against each other her friends Navya for anything. But Rao and Aarushi it’s also serious Agrawal in middle because I know I FIND THAT IT IS school, they that if I have VERY COMMON THAT only became something on PEOPLE TAKE THE close when they my mind, I can PEOPLE IN THEIR LIFE entered high trust them with FOR GRANTED. school together. anything that’s Since then, they happening in my ENGLISH TEACHER have been good life, and they can VENNESSA NAVA trust me.” friends, eating lunch together Likewise, Senior every day before Christy Feng says quarantine she values her and sending each other Singing relationships with her best friends: Valentines since Das is a part of Sydney Hirai, Ashwin Desai and MVHS choir. Eric Li. Feng has known Desai since “We can talk about anything elementary school and Hirai since

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middle school. She then became close friends with Li through her pre-calculus class in high school. She talks to them every day and she hopes that she can sustain these relationships throughout her life. “Friendship [is] important to me because friends are who you want to share your happy moments with,” Feng said. “They are people that I can trust to rely on. When you’re a senior, with all your friends [you think] ‘Do I want to stay friends with this person after I graduate? And that’s what kind of truly determines how tight you are with them. The people I’m really close with now are people I want to stay in touch with after high school [and] for the rest of our lives.” Although Feng is in a romantic relationship and views Valentine’s Day as a day to celebrate with a significant other, she believes Valentine’s Day focuses too much on romance. “I think in the past there’s been too much

ILLISTRATION | ANIKA SHARMA AND SHIVANI MADHAN

of an emphasis on your significant other,” Feng said. “Everyone’s life revolved around finding a husband or finding a wife, so I think ever since then, [Valentine’s Day] has always just been celebrating your significant other, and you don’t really celebrate the other important people in your life. But I would say we should because those are really important types of love.” English teacher Vennessa Nava also values these other kinds of relationships and tries to express that on Valentine’s day through gratitude. She attempts to combat this lack of gratitude by having her students write gratitude cards for the people in their lives for Valentine’s Day. “I find that it is very common that people take the people in their life for granted — they do appreciate them, but then they don’t always express it in words,” Nava said. “And I think that in our digital lives, we’re used to sending off an email [or a] text ... and I think that handwriting a note to someone and sending it to them ILLISTRATION | ANIKA SHARMA AND SHIVANI MADHAN in the mail is a really nice gesture … especially if what you write in a injury for people that are in a position every single one of our needs.” card is heartfelt and thoughtful and where their romantic life isn’t where Likewise, Das says she agrees genuine.” they want it to be,” Nava said. “It’s so that Valentine’s Day can be seen as Nava usually very commercialized. a materialistic holiday. However, c e l e b ra t e s It’s so [focused on] she believes Valentine’s Day’s main Valentine’s Day in buying candy and focus should be a day to appreciate smaller ways and flowers and that can the people around you. doesn’t give or be enjoyable, but I “We forget that we can’t survive receive large gifts. just want to shift the off one [kind of] love,” Das said. She generally does focus on that day to “We need all types of love to fuel not exchange gifts other expressions of us. I think friends are probably WE FORGETTHAT WE during holidays, love. I think American the most important love that you CAN’T LIVE OFF ONE choosing to culture fixates on have [because] they’re in pretty [KIND OF} LOVE...WE focus more on romantic storylines much every situation and you’re NEED ALL TYPES OF spending time in a way that is helping each other through these LOVE TO FEUL US. with her family and unhealthy and I think experiences. Growing from a child friends. She finds that if we could de- to an adult with someone else is the SENIOR that Valentine’s emphasize that to strongest bond you can have.” ARYA DAS Day especially some extent and focuses too much instead embrace all on celebrating the ways that various romance rather than relationships in our quality time with loved ones. lives support us and nourish us, I think “The fixation on romantic love that we wouldn’t put so much pressure during Valentine’s Day can be an on romantic relationships to serve

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ARTS & ENT | FEBRUARY 2021

No thanks

MVHS students who don’t want romantic relationships share their viewpoints BY MIKAYLAH DU

njoying a picnic in the park. relationships aren’t solely Visiting an amusement park. reserved for couples. Going to the arcade. Playing laser “Going out [to] places tag. Making popcorn and watching a and showing affection, movie. Baking cookies together. like hugging — you can Sophomore Vidya Bharadwaj has do a lot of that with your thought a lot about what her ideal friends,” Nadathur said. relationship would entail, but she has “I already show a lot of no plans to start one any time soon. affection with my friends “I would love to be in a relationship and I just don’t really feel but I don’t think I’m ready for the need for a romantic one,” Bharadwaj said. “It’s always relationship.” something one can fantasize Nadathur also notes that, ILLUSTRATION | MIKAYLAH DU AND SOPHIA MA about and dream about, all these although lesser at MVHS, there couples at Monta Vista. I’ve seen a cute scenarios, but the thought of is some societal pressure for high lot of students that don’t date. I think genuinely being a relationship right schoolers to date. now just scares me. I’m just not ready “There’s a lot of books and movies it’s all up to the individual student as for that. I don’t know if I’m capable of that have plots that have romance to what they want to do.” All in all, the main reason Nadathur committing to something so serious, that is set in high school, so media as a 10th grader.” does have a really big influence on it,” currently doesn’t want a relationship Bharadwaj claims she’d be too Nadathur said. “There’s a lot of stuff is that she says she’d rather work on awkward to start a relationship right that’s like, ‘High school is supposed herself and find out what she really now, and that she doesn’t think she’ll to be the time of your life’ and high wants, without bringing another person into it. be ready until she’s at least a senior. school romance ties into that a lot.” “To have a good relationship, you Freshman Srinija Science teacher Attaluri also believes Supriya Moore have to give and get, and that means she’s not ready for doesn’t think looking out for another person,” a relationship yet there’s pressure Nadathur said. “Right now, I’m not because she has at MVHS for willing to put in that effort towards different priorities. students to date, another person because I’d rather As a freshman, and that it’s more work on seeing what I want to do and IN ANY RELATIONSHIP she feels she has a up to the student. finding things that I’m interested in.” ... IT’S MOST Attaluri feels similarly, wanting to higher obligation to On the flip side, FUNDAMENTAL TO her studies, and her Moore’s culture focus on taking care of herself and LOVE YOURSELF current priority is on pushed her away making sure she’s in a good mental FIRST AND CARE FOR her education. from dating when state before getting into a relationship. YOURSELF FIRST. “In any relationship, before you Freshman Ananya she was in high start to put in time in that relationship Nadathur agrees, school, as parents FRESHMAN as she doesn’t didn’t allow their and [care] for someone, it’s most SRINIJA ATTALURI see much appeal children to date fundamental to love yourself first and to a romantic back then. She, care for yourself first before going on pursuing something,” Attaluri said. relationship compared to a platonic however, shares she doesn’t mind. one. She explains that a lot of “If my own son wanted to date in “I’d rather spend more time with the things that people, especially high school, I would be totally fine myself [and] figure myself out before high schoolers, do in romantic with it,” Moore said. “I’ve seen student figuring out a relationship.”

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EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

Describe a time...

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Used “I love you”:

Heard “I love you”:

“Once when I was starving and had In-n-Out for the first time since COVID-19 started ... I just couldn’t stop myself and I blurted out ‘I love you’ to my burger before devouring it.”

When I was in 2nd grade, I had a teacher that thought it was a great idea to enforce the idea and practices of Christianity on us. She called Hinduism a false religion. I had trouble falling asleep that day, so I went to my father, who was laying on the couch watching the news on the TV. I told him what the teacher said, and he told me to ‘pay her no mind.’ I was laying on his chest, and truth be told, that was the closest I’ve ever been to him and felt connected to him. In that moment, I felt the most loved.”

It was the last time I saw one of my closest friends before she moved away, and I was really overcome with emotion. Although I almost never say words of affection, in this instance I said ‘I love you’ as she was leaving.” “I use it when addressing my peanut butter sandwiches. And anime characters.” The last time I can recall was with my friend, Em. She had sent a post to a group chat we have with another friend with really sweet advice and it made me want to cry. It really was so nice.

When I accidentally tripped on a rock, I thought I was going to die so I said “I love you” to my collection of Harry Potter posters.

“To my brother because he got a bad test score and I wanted him to know he was loved.” Every time I say goodbye to my best friend, it’s always followed with ‘I love you.’ If God forbid something happens, I want that to be the last thing I say to her.” “I use the phrase ‘I love you’ daily, whether with my family or my boyfriend and close friends. The people in my life mean a lot to me and you truly never know when the last time you will see them is, so I like to remind them that I love and care about them often.”

“When I drank too much Red Bull, I hallucinated and thought that I was saying ‘I love you’ to myself.” I was really caught offguard so I responded with “Wait, deadass?” Not my finest moment.

“One time my ‘friend’ said that to me (in a platonic way) to make me feel better when I was sad about my favorite TV show ending. It felt so superficial and fake, I started laughing hysterically.”

My family members say “I love you” to me daily.

The people that love me tend to express their affection in different ways. One of my friends likes to send hearts (<3s), which is so cute — I love him, he’s the best. Anyway. I can tell they care for me because they’ll talk me through my dark moments, help me when I’m struggling, make me laugh. They say things like ‘I trust you’ and ‘I appreciate it, friend’ which, to be honest, I much prefer. Love is complicated. Hard to understand. Messages like that are so much easier for me to grasp.”

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MVHS STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN JUDO, KARATE, KUNG FU AND TAEKWONDO While not offered at MVHS, many students have pursued combat sports and martial arts on their own, climbing ranks to receive the highest belts and competing at national tournaments around the world. This package profiles the unique stories of four martial artists’ successes, struggles and journeys with their sports.

MAR

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID KANEDA | USED WITH PERMISSION

RTIAL ARTS

JUDO: TESSA PEPPLES Junior and her coaches share how perseverance and dedication led her to be a nationally ranked judo player

BY ANJALI SINGH

bout eight years ago, junior and competitive judo player Tessa Pepples’s uncle encouraged Pepples and her sister to join either gymnastics or judo. After deciding that gymnastics wasn’t suitable for her, Pepples ended up choosing judo — even though for the first few years she hated the martial art, Pepples is now a nationally ranked judo player who was given the opportunity in 2020 to compete in the Pan American Junior Championships hosted by the International Judo Federation in Mexico. Pepples shares that she did not enjoy judo in her initial years due to her difficulty learning new techniques and losing at several tournaments. Pepples’ club, the Cupertino Judo Club (CJC), promotes players based on tournament wins. But Pepples found that she was always “scratching the edge of getting promoted,” which often resulted in her wanting to quit the martial art entirely. However, in 2016, Pepples competed at a tournament that transformed her perspective on judo. At this tournament,

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Pepples was matched up with someone significantly older and taller than her, about 50 pounds heavier and four belts ahead of her. She was convinced she wasn’t going to win — but at the end of the tournament, Pepples ended up winning overall, best two out of three matches. “[When] I went over and they gave me my trophy, one of the older guys of the club walked up to me … [who] knew that I wanted to quit,” Pepples said. “He looked at me and went, ‘This is the reason we do judo. It’s not for the physical number of wins or trophies or medals that you can hang on your wall. But it’s those beautiful moments where you’ve worked so hard to get something and you’ve made it and you get it.’ It had been a year in judo since I had felt that good. To get that trophy and to feel that win — it was like all of the tears and losses and work meant something.” Pepples’ mentors also speak of her determination in judo. CJC assistant coach of 17 years and MVHS alumnus Stu Yamatake, who has known Pepples since she began judo, recalls a specific practice in which Pepples’ commitment to judo became clear. “In the dojo at practice, I was running some drills,” Yamatake said. “I was working the team pretty hard. After several rounds, I thought that [Pepples] was just going to basically give up and dial it back because she was sweating, [her] face was all red, [she was] just completely exhausted. But as I watched her, she just kept going with the same amount of intensity the entire time, so I was super impressed. And that’s when I figured out, ‘Yeah, this girl’s got severe perseverance. She’s awesome.’” Since CJC is about one block away from Pepples’ house, she would often stay back after her morning practices to help set up the club and then would

Junior Tessa Pepples poses with four gold medals after attending two back-to-back tournaments in Texas, one being a national tournament in November of 2019.

come back for her evening practices. After noticing this, head instructor Rose Knudsen, who has also known Pepples since she started judo and has taught at CJC since 1987, invited her to stay back and teach the beginners’ class. “My heart exploded because I love kids so much and I love teaching,” Pepples said. “I was like, ‘Yes! Oh my god, that would be so lovely.’ So about two years ago, I started going in the morning [and] helping set up the mats and just staying there for the morning practice and the afternoon practice[s], so I was at [the club] from [around] 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.” Knudsen explains that as judo players get older and go off to college, it becomes harder for them to stay as competitive and invested in judo, so she helps her students learn how to do scorekeeping, teach techniques and referee matches to maintain their connection with the sport. She shares that Pepples has taken on the role of a leader well, noting how she is very compassionate and patient with younger kids. Yamatake echoes this sentiment, tying it back to Pepples’ grit as a judo player. “She’s one of the only students that consistently shows up to volunteer and help out with that beginners’ class,” Yamatake said. “So that’s really awesome about her. She’s just a really dedicated person and [has] great work ethic. She’s really coachable; she listens, she asks questions, she really trains hard and is willing to work out with anyone.” In addition to being receptive to her coaches, Pepples also has a strong attention to detail that she brings in her teaching style. Pepples has noticed that younger students often get nervous competing against older, seemingly more skilled competitors and draws on her own experiences to help them feel confident. She often recounts one specific tournament to her students, an instance when she was an orange belt (third belt in judo) and had to compete against two girls who were three years older than her and blue and purple belts (fifth and

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TESSA PEPPLES | USED WITH PERMISSION

Junior Tessa Pepples poses with her club after winning a tournament six years ago.

Junior Tessa Pepples receives second place at the 2018 Junior Olympics.

sixth belts, respectively). Pepples’ sensei to not compete at the tournament due had even told her before the match to the increase in COVID-19 regulations. that she would probably lose but still Regardless, Knudsen highlights that this shouldn’t give up. Fast forward to the situation showed Pepples’ dedication as end of the tournament a judo player. and Pepples was “She went standing on the first [to Dallas], only place podium — the knowing her former purple belt player was teammate, to a I NOW GET TO TELL in second and the blue strange school, where YOUNGER KIDS ... YOU belt was in third. they may do different COULD BE THE RUNT OF “That was physical types of activities THE LITTER AND STILL evidence that size, age, to get people ready MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE belt, technique doesn’t for competition,” TOP. matter,” Pepples said. Knudsen said. “But “I now get to tell that to she was willing to JUNIOR do that … That’s younger kids and show TESSA PEPPLES something that I other people that you could be the runt of the think takes a lot of litter and still make your way character to be willing to up to the top.” sacrifice schoolwork, and knowing that Yamatake has also seen Pepples’ hard you’re going to come back and you’re work pay off, noting how she’s beaten even going to be way behind, [to accomplish] collegiate athletes and is “a force to be reckoned with.” In October 2020, Pepples was chosen to compete in Guadalajara, Mexico in November. Because of COVID-19 restrictions in California preventing judo players from engaging in contact with one another, Pepples traveled to Dallas, Texas, staying and training there every day for two weeks. However, Pepples and her mother ultimately made the decision

a goal and then after that goal is not even attainable at that point, just to be able to say, ‘’Hey, you know what? I gave it a shot. I did what I was trying to do and it’s just not the time.’” Looking ahead to the future, Pepples hopes to get back to her club and practice judo in person. As both Yamatake and Knudsen hoped, she also emphasizes that her love for judo will not be going away any time soon, even after she graduates from MVHS next year. “[CJC] generally has a plan for people who really stick around so that everyone gets their black belt right around when they graduate,” Pepples said. “That’s always been a goal for me. I’ve always planned to keep doing judo past that, keep expanding and learning as much as I can. I’m not planning on staying in California after I graduate, so I [hope to] visit different locations and learn judo from other people [more] than just what’s in this area.”

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Junior Tessa Pepples poses with her senseis and other judo students after being promoted to a purple belt, her current belt, in June of 2019.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TESSA PEPPLES | USED WITH PERMISSION

SPORTS | FEBRUARY 2021

Karate: Trinav Chaudhuri

Junior and his coaches recount his experiences qualifying for the U.S. national karate team BY MELODY CUI AND ANDIE LIU

Junior Trinav Chaudhuri and Coach David Kaneda chat during the 2019 National Championships, Trinav’s second time qualifying for the U.S. National Team.

avid Kaneda, karate instructor and coach at Japanese Karate for Competition, a karate dojo based in Cupertino, still remembers yelling at 6-year-old Trinav Chaudhuri to attack and punch his opponent at a local tournament. Filled with adrenaline, Trinav did just that and raised his arm, clocking his opponent on the head. Despite making an illegal move, David didn’t see this as a setback; rather, he praised Trinav’s lack of hesitation and fearlessness, rare in hesitant kids at their first tournament. After countless tournaments since then, David still appreciates Trinav’s listening. “He’s very coachable [and] he listens well — that’s important,” David said. “And he’s hugely talented. He worked really, really hard to get as good as he did. So in that way, he’s pretty disciplined.” At the age of five, Trinav started karate at the Okaigan organization in San Jose. Okaigan was initially a branch of a larger organization, Japan Karate Do Ryobu-Kai (JKR), headquartered in Los Angeles. After five years, Okaigan split from JKR, but Trinav chose to stay with JKR. As a middle schooler, Trinav drove down to train in Los Angeles every weekend. Throughout the years, Trinav’s favorite part of the martial art is its balance of individual and team aspects. “When you’re competing, there’s the people who support you and the other people who fight as well, so you know them,” Trinav said. “So it’s a good

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID KANEDA | USED WITH PERMISSION

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

bridge between the two ... You have your space, you can do what you want, you can train on your own, but then you also have that support system that supports you everywhere you go.” Trinav says he didn’t take competitions seriously until he turned 12, when athletes are eligible to try out for the Junior National Team and represent the U.S. in international competitions, starting at the Pan American Championships. Previously training six to seven hours a week, he began doing karate two hours a day with weekends off, and during the summer he trained for 15 to 16 hours a week. After months of training, Trinav competed for one of two spots on the U.S. national team, but placed super bronze, the medal given to an athlete who could substitute for either top two spots if necessary. “I lost in the semi[finals] at the last second,” Trinav said. “So I [placed] super bronze but I didn’t get to go [to the Pan American Championships] because the first and second place both went. So the next year [when] I was 14 as a new weight class, I was really worried because there [was] one guy in my division who had won [the Pan American Championships] that year. And he hadn’t lost at nationals in two or three years.” Even at 14, Trinav was younger and more inexperienced than the three other elite athletes at his dojo and too advanced for the little kids who were just starting karate. He mentions that, as a competitor in the lowest weight class, “featherweights,” he was unable to find a training partner that had a similar build. Due to karate’s focus on one-onone combat, David says that this was difficult for Trinav. After Trinav’s loss at the semifinals, David’s son, Aaron Kaneda, who was a junior at MVHS at the time, and previously trained with Trinav’s older brother, Udirno Chaudhuri, decided to take Trinav under his wing and began training him. “He was like a little brother to me so I really wanted him to at least get up there, stand on that podium, make that U.S. team, go to [the Pan American Championships] at least once,” Aaron said.

“Figuring out what he has to personally both of us for putting in so much work work on, what his weaknesses are, and and getting in there.” improving that and just watching him When Trinav made the team, Aaron was grow was probably one of the best things a three time U.S. Team member who had in karate for me. Watching him slowly just won the U.S. National Championship, improve from having these techniques qualifying to compete in the 2017 World that were sloppy, to these techniques Championships in Tenerife. David that were razor sharp, and Aaron both [and] score every time reference Trinav’s first was just an extreme qualification for the privilege to watch.” U.S. team as their most Aaron and Trinav memorable moment IT WAS GREAT FOR trained together every of coaching him. The HIM TO ... REPRESENT day over the summer following year, Trinav [HIS] COUNTRY AND in Trinav’s garage. qualified for the U.S. GO HEAD TO HEAD Ranked in the top five team again. WITH SOME OF THE karate players in the “[Udirno, who] BEST FIGHTERS IN THE U.S., Aaron’s breadth won the national of experience was a championships, got WORLD. challenge for Trinav. one match away from Karate Instructor making the team, but Regardless, Aaron says DAVID KANEDA he didn’t make it,” that he noticed Trinav had the fastest reflexes David said. “I really of anyone he’s ever met in his 10 years of wanted Trinav to make it. It was great for karate training. him to get that experience — to go abroad Ultimately, their training paid off at the and represent your country and go head final match. Trinav qualified for nationals, to head with some of the best fighters in though not without a slight incident: he the world.” stepped out of bounds, facing possible Because of his karate experience, disqualification, almost an exact repeat Trinav says he never gets stressed out of the match a year prior. or feels down when events don’t go “I don’t know if it was luck or if it didn’t his way, both in karate and in general. actually happen, but the judges didn’t call David agrees, characterizing Trinav as the disqualification,” Aaron said. “I was easygoing and relaxed, excluding his extremely relieved that he finally made it, tension during competitions. In addition I was so proud of him for that, but I was to developing this temperament, Trinav also like, ‘As soon as we get back you’re has strengthened his communication doing a million push ups for doing that. with David during tournaments. I trained you so much better than that. “As I’m sitting there coaching the kids, How could you do that?’ But definitely the there are things I can see that the fighter first time he made the team, I, as a coach, in the middle of the fight can’t see,” David felt so proud of him; I felt so proud of the said. “It’s interesting; we developed a

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language and rapport of talking to each other. As he’s fighting, I’m sitting on a chair on the side of his ring, calling things out and telling him things to do or things to watch out [for]. We have actually developed a shorthand language that other people don’t understand, so the other competitor doesn’t know what I’m telling him to do.” David says that he has placed athletes on the U.S. teams 35 times as a coach. Trinav explains that David’s guiding role and Aaron’s fighting role were both necessary influences on him. Aaron, recognizing Trinav’s humility, emphasizes that he and his dad’s coaching roles pale to Trinav’s diligence. “Even with all the strategy I gave him and with my dad doing whatever he could for him, Trin[av] is the one who really decided to put in the work, to endlessly persevere through that heartbreak of almost making the team and deciding to give it another shot,” Aaron said. “[He kept] going through all the millions of pushups I made him do because he wasn’t doing this or that correctly. He’s the one who really decided to put in the work [and] to get it done, and he got himself there — no matter what he says, I want to make sure that is absolutely clear.”

Above: Junior Trinav Chaudhuri at the 2019 Pan American Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Left: Junior Trinav Chaudhuri poses with coaches Aaron and David Kaneda after his first time qualifying for the U.S. National Team in 2018.

SPORTS | FEBRUARY 2021

Kung Fu: Mikaela Lee MVHS ‘18 alumna describe the benefit of strong work ethic at tournaments BY COLLIN QIAN

ne day in 2012 as MVHS alumnae ‘18 Mikaela Lee, her sister, current senior Maddie Lee and their mother Edith Lee left their Saturday Mandarin classes at Homestead High School and headed for their car and later passed by an outdoor kung fu class. While Mikaela and Maddie didn’t think much of it at the time, Edith decided to sign up her two daughters for kung fu lessons. Prior to this, one of the other moms in the Mandarin classes group had reached out to Edith — she explained what the classes e n t a i l e d and asked if she could recommend any kids for kung fu lessons. Having three daughters of her own, Edith decided it would

be nice for her kids to have this skill. “[I thought sending them to kung fu classes] would be better than them watching TV all day,” Edith said. “It’s also a healthy exercise.” While Mikaela and Maddie were initially hesitant to try the martial art, especially since they didn’t see a lot of girls participating, they eventually gave in when Edith promised a toy in exchange for their cooperation. While she originally only did kung fu for this prize, Mikaela now finds value in her mother’s initial decision. “I didn’t think much of [the classes] until I actually saw them,” Mikaela said. “I think [our mother] probably wanted us to take the class to learn self defense. It’s very important for us women to protect ourselves.” Mikaela and Maddie started attending the outdoor kung fu classes located at Homestead High School, but they eventually moved to an actual dojo, Cupertino Kung Fu, later that year. Within a few years, Mikaela found herself competing at kung fu tournaments at all levels: local, national and even international. “ M y coach just wanted to push everyone regardless of their actual experience and level,“ Mikaela said. “It didn’t matter what belt I was. he just wanted

2018 MVHS alumna Mikaela Lee earns the gold model in her division.

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me to get experience in the tournaments.” Mikaela’s kung fu coach, Jan-Yu Weng, says that he sent Mikaela to tournaments early on in her kung fu career due to her fast progression learning the martial art In his classes, he saw that Mikaela was an excellent student — she always listened and tried new things. “Down the road, she became a champion in multiple divisions — she was a part of three Team USA’s,” Weng said. “As a coach, I saw potential in her and when you see potential, [students] respond by trying hard and being good. And then it self perpetuates, and you just keep going and next thing you know, she’s out there.” Mikaela believes that this decision was also because there is a difference between competing in kung fu tournaments versus belt testing. At kung fu tournaments, Mikaela had to face off against other individuals. In contrast, she says that belt testing is much more technical and static. “When you’re doing belt tests, you don’t have to consider how the throw affects an individual, like how you would be throwing someone else in a tournament,” Mikaela said. “In the tournaments, you’re constantly moving and you have to be constantly thinking.” At these tournaments, Mikaela’s parents would often help set up equipment and cheer her on when she was fighting her opponent. However, Edith mentions that she did worry for the safety of the competitors: both her daughter and her daughter’s opponent. “Whether it’s Mikaela or her opponent, I wouldn’t want either person to get hurt,” Edith said. “I just want [my kids] to win in a safe way. Of course, I want my kid to win, but I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” As Maddie attended these kung fu classes with Mikaela, Maddie was able to closely follow her older sister’s journey. Specifically, Maddie always admired Mikaela’s serious tournament preparation, which included increasing the intensity of her workouts and also cutting weight. “[Mikaela’s] best talent or skill for kung fu is her work ethic,” Maddie said.

PHOTOS BY DAVID LEE | USED WITH PERMISSION

2018 MVHS alumna Mikaela Lee competes in a 2015 Kung Fu competition in Ohio.

“Whenever there is a tournament coming “In the last World Championship in up, she has to make sure she’s physically San Francisco, she fought the Chinese ready to fight which means working out, champion, and she held her own pretty going to more kung fu practices and well,” Weng said. “And that’s not easy making sure she’s to do against the also in her weight Chinese champion, class.” who, [at the time], Weng claims was a college [kung AS A COACH, I SAW POTENTIAL that some of his fu] coach. She’s IN HER AND WHEN YOU SEE proudest moments competing against were watching the best fighter in POTENTIAL, [STUDENTS] Mikaela take the China, who actually RESPOND BY TRYING HARD instructions that teaches other fighters AND BEING GOOD. AND THEN he would repeat who are [in] college.” IT SELF PERPETUATES, AND to her in class and Through her YOU JUST KEEP GOING AND really make them journey with kung NEXT THING YOU KNOW, her own, mastering fu, Mikaela shares them and later on that she has gained SHE’S OUT THERE. even teaching and many new friends explaining them KUNG FU Instructor and experiences. She to other students. later began to teach JAN-YU WENG classes at the dojo In addition, her performance at to younger students, tournaments also brought him pride, even teaching them remotely from her such as watching Mikaela take on the dorm after she left for college. While kung fu champion in China. Mikaela eventually headed off to college

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in 2018, whenever she comes back to visit Cupertino, she makes an effort to spend time at her dojo. Currently, she’s also close to attaining her black belt, the highest belt in kung fu. “A life principle that I learned [from kung fu] is that sometimes it’s hard to recognize what you love to do or what you have fun doing until you come to the point where you have to sacrifice something else,” Mikaela said. “For kung fu, I have struggled a lot because I saw it as a burden in some situations or [as] just very stressful , and I wasn’t sure if I actually enjoyed it. But I just kept doing it because I thought my parents wanted me to do it. I thought that losing the weight for the tournaments was another sacrifice but when I look back on it, I think I did really enjoy my years learning kung fu and struggling with it.”

SPORTS | FEBRUARY 2021

TAEKWONDO: PALLAVI SRINIVAS Senior and her family describe her mental and physical growth through taekwondo BY RIYA RAVURI

t the age of five, senior Pallavi headstrong,” Pallavi said. “I'm the type Srinivas developed a fascination of person who can get distracted easily if for karate after watching her older I don't have a goal in mind, so it definitely brother’s involvement with it and sticking gives me something to focus on during around when he would go to class. After the week.” observing her daughter’s interest in the In addition to the mental strength that sport but wanting Pallavi was able to gain her to try something over the years, Renuka different from her explains that Pallavi’s brother, Pallavi’s mastery of the physical IT MAKES YOU FEEL mother, Renuka skills practiced in REALLY POWERFUL Srinivas, decided taekwondo are to sign her up for a necessary in life. WHEN YOU’RE JUST martial art that holds Pranav sees the FIGHTING PEOPLE — many parallels to importance of learning THERE’S NOTHING REALLY karate: taekwondo. self defense through HOLDING YOU BACK. In taekwondo, the having these unique multicolored belts martial arts skills. He Senior also emphasizes that represent athletes' progression through Pallavi srinivas taekwondo develops the sport, with white not only physical being the baseline strength but also belt for beginners and black being the the knowledge of how to use that most advanced belt, having a total of gained strength. 10 degrees. Starting with the white belt, “I'm thankful that she took up Pallavi was able to rise through the ranks taekwondo because I think [in over the years, finally receiving her first addition to protecting] herself, [she degree black belt in 2016. She didn’t stop could also] protect other people if there, however — she received her second that ever came in handy,” Pranav degree black belt in 2018 and is currently said. “But at the same time, [it working towards getting her third degree teaches] you to have discipline black belt, which she can only receive about not to use [force] unless it's after training with her second degree absolutely necessary. It's probably black belt for a minimum of three years. taught her a lot of self control in According to Pallavi’s brother Pranav, terms of emotional maturity.” who had inspired her to start taekwondo Pallavi credits her taekwondo in the first place, Pallavi was able to teammates as people who have helped develop fundamental life skills as she her grow into the person she is today, overcame obstacles along her taekwondo both physically and emotionally. She journey of belt levels. describes the satisfaction she feels as she “As [she] tried to raise [her] belt levels, competes with her teammates. I definitely noticed a developing level of “I made a lot of really nice friendships focus and discipline, but also confidence [when sparring in the class],” Pallavi said. in terms of [her] abilities,” Pranav said. “They're the ones who really motivated “Martial arts is like a journey — it sets me to just keep on going and keep going you up for understanding what you want, to class. When everyone is competing going through certain points of adversity with each other, it’s more fun [and] it to get there, accomplishing goals on the motivates you to work harder. It makes way and learning the value of hard work you feel really powerful when you're and discipline.” just fighting people — there's nothing Pallavi says these skills helped her really holding you back.” Senior Pallavi Srinivas stands with her instructor, handle her large junior year workload. Jason Morris, after receiving her first degree black belt. “Having taekwondo there keeps me

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EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2021

PHOTO COURTESY OF RENUKA SRINIVAS | USED WITH PERMISSION