Volume 52, Issue 4, February 10, 2022

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19

CRITICAL RACE THEORY

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21840 McClellan Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014 elestoque.org mv.el.estoque@gmail.com Editors-in-Chief: Michelle Chen, Anushka De, Jayanti Jha Managing Editors: Ishaani Dayal, Devin Gupta, Lance Tong, Matthew Yoshimoto Copy Editor: Meggie Chen, Sophia Chen, Sarah Liu News Editors: Melody Cui, Jefferson Le, Tanish Mendki, Jisha Rajala Opinion Editors: Diya Bahl, Shivani Madhan, Kripa Mayureshwar, Jiya Singh Feature Editors: Riya Ravuri, Jannah Sheriff, Prisha Tiwari, Mira Wagner Entertainment Editors: Justin Kim, Gauri Manoj, Aditya Shukla, Shivani Verma Sports Editors: Anna Jerolimov, Irene Tang, Nika Zamani, Michelle Zheng Graphics Editors: Mikaylah Du, Sophia Ma, Lillian Wang Website Editors: Krish Dev, Devin Gupta, Gavin Hung Staff Writers: Crystal Cheng, Nameek Choudhury, Tvisha Gupta, Minjae Kang, Anna Kaminitz, Taryn Lam, Sarah Liu, Geethi Tarra, Aashna Patel, Kalyani Puthenpurayil, Aashi Venkat, Sonia Verma, April Wang, Alex Zhang, Angela Zhang Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite Mission Statement: El Estoque will accurately inform our community through well-researched, unbiased and in-depth 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.

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

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02

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

Michelle Chen

Anushka De

Jayanti Jha

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAYA TATE | USED WITH PERMISSION

8 IN

8 THIS

What’s your sign?

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

5

PHOTO | JIYA SINGH

ART BY IVY WANG | USED WITH PERMISSION

ISSUE

What’s your sign?

PHOTO COURTESY OF MANVI KOTTAKOTA | USED WITH PERMISSION

Roundup returns

Examining the use of the herbicide RoundUp on FUHSD campuses

12

A view of 2022

Leaving behind trends and looking towards the future

20

Define CRT

Exploring CRT and how it is taught and understood in classrooms

34

Chasing the waves

Senior Lauren Ruckstuhl explains the significance of surfing in her life

28

Kanak by Manvi

Exploring senior Manvi Kottakota’s small gold PHOTO BY SOMEONE | USED WITH PERMISSION jewelery buisness and brand Kanak

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

03

SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE Examining the experiences of MVHS students working in public spaces

BY JISHA RAJALA

W

ith the consistent fluctuation of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., the California Department of Public Health updated workplace rules which went into effect on Jan. 14, 2022 and included measures such as providing free testing kits to workers who were exposed and updating masking protocols.

Senior Ronit Avalani, who worked at Starbucks from June to mid-September, explains that “a lot of restrictions were of 2020 being pulled off and [regulations] were loosening up [because the situation] was going towards [a] sense of normalcy [and] working there was nice and relaxed.”

Junior Julianna Kimm, who started working at Baskin Robbins at the end of July, similarly believes working during the pandemic hasn’t been “that bad,” despite difficulty enforcing the mask mandate for a few customers.

“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh, do I tell them to or not?’” Kimm said. “Because I don’t want to aggravate the customers.

But recently, I’ve been a little bit more strict about them wearing their mask.

We have extra masks in the back, [so] if they don’t come in with a mask, I’ll just give it to them and [tell them], ‘I think you forgot your mask.’”

While Starbucks initially relaxed its mask policies on May 17 after the C.D.C. changed its guidelines, as Delta surged, customers and employees were required to wear masks again.

“That little middle area between the mask and no mask area, we dealt with a lot of issues with people not wanting to put up their mask or not having a mask when they walk into the store,” Avalani said. “[Those interactions often] led us to a couple of uncomfortable conversations.”

Chelsea Eldridge, Store Manager at Starbucks, expresses how the Omicron variant brought a lot of challenges and made it “a really hard time” for both

herself and her colleagues.

“I think it’s [been] challenging for us to staff,” Eldridge said. “It’s challenging for us to keep people safe on our end.

It’s challenging for us to try to interact with people normally when we have barriers in the way. It’s challenging for us to navigate when customers are upset because it’s not our fault.”

Avalani’s safety concerns arose from his job as a barista when customers would drink their coffee close to him. However, Avalani believes Starbucks management took effective precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the baristas and customers.

“Before [vaccines] came out, [the store would] make us take a COVID-19 survey [asking questions about COVID exposure and any symptoms],” Avani said. “We would have to fill out a questionnaire to make sure we were [in good condition to work there]. Then they would check our temperature before we start our shift. Once we got [vaccinated] we submitted our vaccination status to our manager.”

In January of 2022, a Supreme Court ruling shut down the Biden administration’s effort to enlist large employers, including Starbucks, to require employees be vaccinated. On Tuesday, Jan. 9, Starbucks announced they would not require vaccination status or frequent testing.

Despite this, Eldridge shared how they started implementing a 30-minute hand washing routine where employees wash their hands and wipe down high touch surfaces in the lobby and behind the counter as an additional safety measure.

With all the safeguards in workplaces, Kimm believes that these measures will continue after the pandemic.

“I definitely think that because of COVID, a lot of the [rules] will happen normally,” Kimm said. “It’s just safer in general.”

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

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EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

GRAPHICS BY MIKAYLAH DU

ILLUSTRATION | LANCE TONG

“Anger, betrayal and concern for the health and safety of students and staff,” was what English teacher Kate Evard thought when she first saw signs that MVHS was again applying the herbicide Roundup.

Roundup is a broad spectrum herbicide meant to control weeds in areas where it is applied. Despite the

International Agency for Research on Cancer deeming Roundup’s active ingredient Glyphosate “probably carcinogenic,” other evaluations, including one by the Environmental Protection Agency have found that there are “no risks to human health.”

However, more than 124,000 lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto,

the company that owns Roundup, and Monsanto has spent billions of dollars to settle the claims.

Evard informed MVHS principal Ben Clausnitzer of reports that Roundup could be linked to increased risks of cancer and Monsanto’s history of liability in lawsuits in 2019.

“As is often the case, I’m not as NEWS | FEBRUARY 2022

05

English teacher Kate Evard poses in front of a RoundUp notice near the A building.

worried about myself as I am people of reproductive age or pre-reproductive age, and I do have colleagues who are pregnant or nursing,” Evard said.

“And it just doesn’t make sense to me to use something like that when it’s known to cause harm.”

According to Evard, she was later informed in either an FUHSD board meeting from Clausnitzer that Roundup would no longer be used on the FUHSD campuses.

“I was surprised how easy it was for [Roundup] to be removed,” Evard said.

“To be taken care of by the board, it was like, ‘Wow, good job’ because it had already been banned in so many [other] institutions … so I was really amazed that it happened [so quickly].”

However, Roundup was never officially banned from FUHSD or its campuses. In a previous story for El Estoque, FUHSD Associate Superintendent Christine Mallery stated that Roundup usage had merely been suspended. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Evard says the issue went off her radar. After returning to school,

06

PHOTO | LANCE TONG

however, she saw the same signs that find different ways to go around [and] she had seen in 2019, indicating that eradicate weeds, and it’s a really Roundup was being used on campus. hard process because weeds are MVHS Facilities Manager Eddy relentless.”

Medal confirmed that MVHS and all Facilities director Erik Walukiewicz other district sites are using Roundup says that there are some downsides again. In the interim, FUHSD spent to the alternatives to Roundup. He over six months piloting the usage notes that using line trimmers or weed of alternate wackers, which are pest control often brought up to Roundup, as an alternative to including chemical control, s t e a m are just as, if not machines. more, dangerous.

H o w e v e r, “There are Medal says drawbacks with that other using it because we m e a s u r e s don’t know what the herbicide need to have a little w e r e RoundUp is line trimmer going at “not very a couple thousand *According to a survey of 213 people reactive.”

RPMs,” Walukiewicz “There’s said. “Hit a rock and a lot of people that have concerns then the rock will go flying through about [Roundup] and maybe there’s a window. We’ve cracked windows different methods,” Medal said. “I’ve and things using the line trimmers, tried a ton of them. I come from Santa so that’s actually very unsafe to have Clara University, where we went around kids.” through the same thing. We tried to Walukiewicz says that the district

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

70%

of MVHS students

spent over six months piloting the Healthy Schools Act, which requires 24 usage of alternate pest control, hour prior notice to pesticide treated including the usage of steam areas and 72 hours post notice. In machines, but to little or no avail. He addition to posting requirements, all says that alternative weed control FUHSD staff, including teachers, are “wasn’t a cost effective or feasible required to take an annual class about solution,” and that groundskeepers Health and Safety in the Workforce. at the sites wanted to use Roundup District employees spraying Roundup again after difficulties controlling must also wear protective equipment weeds. and are trained in its specific Medal admits that Roundup can potencies. be dangerous and the fact that it has Medal says that MVHS doesn’t been used on school sites like MVHS “use [Roundup] in high traffic areas” “makes a lot of people paranoid with many students, such as the or scared.”

Student Union However, he and in areas near notes that the Rally Court.

Ro u n d u p In these areas, has been groundskeepers approved by pull out weeds the state and is i n d i v i d u a l l y. similar to any For added other chemical precautions, p r o d u c t : Are not concerned about the the district If used doesn’t spray on usage of RoundUp correctly, it is extremely windy perfectly safe, *According to a survey of 106 people days or during but if used school hours improperly, it can become dangerous. when students are on campus.

“It’s not something to play Roundup is part of FUHSD’s around with just like your household Integrated Pest Management (IPM) chemicals,” Medal said. “You don’t system. APES teacher Kyle Jones use [household chemicals] improperly explains that an IPM “is a way to because it can be dangerous. Just the deal with pests where you sort of same as any other product.” start with less invasive, less chemical FUHSD follows the California methods to deal with pests.” Jones believes that using IPM is the most effective way against pests and says that the strategy “would probably be what I would go for.” He describes not heavily relying on Roundup but

69%

of MVHS students

450 OZ

also not banning it as a “reasonable compromise.”

According to data submitted to the Department of Pesticide Regulation, MVHS used Roundup nine times in 2021. All nine applications were applied in the location designated “Landscape (outdoors).”

Walukiewicz says that he would feel safe spraying or being around Roundup areas and that the proper safety measures are being followed.

“People that spray Roundup are trained, they wear personal protective equipment,” Walukiewicz said. “I’ve got three daughters. I trust them at their schools with Roundup [and] their schools use Roundup. I have no problems with it if it’s used properly and people are trained. We’ve never had any employees have issues with using Roundup. People are safe.”

Despite reassurances from Medal and Walukiewicz, Evard believes that using Roundup is unsafe and that the detriments outweigh the benefits.

“I just don’t believe that we should be using any kind of chemical like that around children, adults [or] anyone in the community,” Evard said. “There are numerous school districts and other organizations in the country that have banned its use and I don’t know why we don’t do the same.

The manufacturer, of course, wants us to believe that it’s safe, but there are plenty of cases where it has been proven that it is harmful and causes cancer. And I don’t know why we’re taking that risk. It sends a bad message to the community.”

AMOUNT OF ROUNDUP OR GENERiC EQUiVALENT USED PER YEAR (OZ) 162 OZ 70 OZ

2017

2018

2020

108 OZ 2021

*Data from MVHS Department of Pesticide Regulation reporting, data from 2019 missing. **Facilities manager from 2017-2020 was Chris Kenney. Eddy Medal took over in May of 2021. ***Generic equivalent is HDX Weed and Grass Killer Concentrate.

NEWS | FEBRUARY 2022

07

TRACKING COVID-19 Exploring the process of managing cases at MVHS

BY TANISH MENDKI AND LILLIAN WANG

E

very afternoon before she leaves her office for the day, MVHS Assistant Principal and COVID-19 Designee Sydney Fernandez sends an away message through her work email requesting people contacting her to be patient. According to Fernandez, a collection of emails usually awaits her when she returns the following day, either asking questions about COVID-19 or notifying her of a possible positive test result.

Though Assistant Principal Janice Chen was the COVID-19 designee for MVHS during first semester, the role was assigned to Fernandez at the start of the second semester. Fernandez believes that the biggest challenge of being the designee this semester has been learning the role during the outbreak of Omicron cases.

“Last semester, we had six cases, now we’re at 97 cases [as of Jan. 21],” Fernandez said. “So it’s exploded since I took on the role, and I would say it’s been challenging to keep up with the COVID work, let alone all of the other work. That has been very hard; it’s just a lot of organization that is involved.”

Fernandez is responsible for tracing the spread of COVID-19 on campus, a process that involves tracking individuals who are required to test weekly, such as band students, athletes

playing indoor sports and staff members Fernandez provides new information who are unvaccinated or not reporting regarding COVID cases to the district their vaccination status. Fernandez also office, which is then shared with the manages new cases of COVID-19 as Santa Clara County public health they arise. department to help in its tracking.

Senior Neel Suresh tested positive “[It’s challenging] managing those for COVID-19 on Jan. 13, 2022 and different layers and then trying to stay remained positive up with all the other I REALLY APPRECIATE for the 10 day work that I typically period. do,” Fernandez THE TEAM EFFORT. “I think the said.

“I’m also trying EVERYONE [ON CAMPUS] school managed to help with fielding IS WORKING HARD [my] case really questions and TOGETHER TO SUPPORT reassuring people.” well,” Suresh said.

ONE ANOTHER. “Right after I tested Fernandez positive, they sent a c knowledges !"#$%&'()%*+$,-** me an email and that she has not +.%-*.)/*0-1-%*2 clearly detailed received the same everything about what I needed to do. training that others in administration I feel like the process was really clean might have, so she describes her and well managed.” experience as “constantly learning.”

Similarly, senior Ishaan Gupta also Despite the challenges of her role, tested positive on Dec. 26, 2021. Gupta Fernandez believes that the support felt that he was “taken care of” in terms she has received from her colleagues of school, with specific instructions and has helped her greatly. his attendance being cleared for the “The huge uptick in cases has made next few days. me really appreciate [the] team effort “My quarantine period definitely I feel on campus,” Fernandez said. went well,” Gupta said. “I was coming “Everyone is working hard together back having missed more than a week to support one another in terms of of school, but all my teachers were teachers being flexible with students. really understanding of the situation I’m just so appreciative of all the help and helped me catch up to the rest of that we are giving each other.” my class.”

ILLUSTRATIONS | LILLIAN WANG

08

DAY 0

DAY 5

DAY 10

The day that the student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19.

They are required to immediately start quarantine as well as notify Fernandez. Fernandez then sends an email detailing their future timeline.

The individual may test again on this day. If they receive a negative test result, they are cleared to return to school the following day. If not, they must continue their quarantine until they test negative.

If the individual has not yet tested negative, but has no symptoms of COVID-19, they may return to school the following day. This is the maximum amount of time that an individual must quarantine.

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

TAKE OUR JANUARY NEWS QUIZ Test your knowledge of key events last month

5

Vaccines

Who was the leading Following a Supreme Republican candidate Court ruling, the Biden during the California administration dropped recall election? which mandate for large businesses?

6

Biden

What is the name of First lady Jill Biden’s new White House cat?

BY RIYA RAVURI AND MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

1

Memorial

What did MVHS host in honor of former English teacher Stacey Cler on Jan. 29?

2

CA Laws

8

Starting July 1, what is the earliest time high schools will be allowed to start?

Tsunami

SAT

Who was the leading How much time will Republican candidate be allotted for the new during the California digital version of the recall election?

SAT?

Pacific?

What year did Polly Bove first serve as FUHSD Superintendent?

9

Russian forces have been positioned near which country’s borders?

3

FUHSD

Pandemic

Military

Who was the leading Near which nation did Republican candidate an undersea volcano during the California erupt on Jan. 15, sending recall election? tsunamis across the

4

7

Who was the leading On which day did Santa Republican candidate Clara County hit a record during the California of 6,451 new COVID-19 recall election? cases in one day?

10

Justices

Which Supreme Court Justice plans to retire this year?

ILLUSTRATIONS | GAURI MANOJ 1) Tree dedication; 2) 8:30 a.m.; 3) Tonga; 4) 2006; 5) Vaccine-or-test mandate; 6) Willow; 7) Jan. 5; 8) Ukraine; 9) 2 hours; 10) Stephen G. Breyer

Answers:

NEWS | FEBRUARY 2022

09

LET’S TALK CRT Opposition to Critical Race Theory prevents racial equality

I

n November of 2021, Glenn Youngkin was elected the first Republican governor of Virginia since 2009, beating out the incumbent Democrat Name, Ralph Northam. Although Youngkin’s campaign focused on the economy, public health and education, the centerpiece of it was his pledge to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Virginia schools despite no schools having implemented it.

Critical Race Theory is a social movement that stems from the idea that legal and political institutions have been built on a foundation of racism.

It examines how racism is entrenched within every aspect of American society, including legal systems and public policies, as opposed to it stemming from individual biases and personal opinions. CRT education is vital within school because it teaches us how racism is entrenched in America, its history and its present.

An example of the way that institutionalized racism has led to lasting racial inequality is in the impacts of redlining. In the 1930s, government officials drew red lines around areas that had higher concentrations of Black people and labeled them as high financial risks. This prevented Black people from being able to get loans or mortgages from banks, which subsequently prevented Black families from acquiring generational wealth.

The modern echo of redlining exists in singlefamily zoning, a policy that prevents the construction of more affordable

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housing in patterns that mimic redlining maps and disadvantage Black people in the same way. Though at face value, single-family zoning is not related to race, historical trends of racism have made it into a policy that fuels racial wealth gaps and inequality. Societal conduct in America is heavily influenced by one’s skin c o l o r, and

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRURARY 2022

CRT scholars actively work to combat racism within the U.S. by viewing American lifestyle through the lens of race.

CRT has entered the mainstream in recent years as debates on whether or not to include aspects of it in school curriculum have spread across the country, and subsequent criticism of the movement has been widespread.

Nine states (Oklahoma, Tennessee, Idaho, New Hampshire, Texas, Iowa, South Carolina, North Dakota and Arizona), have passed legislation that prevents the discussion of the claim that the U.S. is inherently racist, and nearly 20 other states plan to follow suit. This legislation was born out of a largely conservative view that studying American history as one that is inherently racist detracts from students’ pride in being American, causes discrimination against white individuals and creates division in America. According to critics, CRT in classrooms indoctrinates students into a perspective that causes white people to feel ashamed and guilty about their skin color. Donald Trump has openly denounced CRT, and other Republicans have expressed their concern that it is harming the country.

This type of criticism against CRT, however, is largely based on misinformation and thus should not be given a platform. Most disparagers do not recognize that CRT is not a denouncement of individuals, but rather an attempt to combat racism at its roots by examining its prevalence in society.

The media also often fails to correctly portray CRT, further perpetuating its misconceptions. A study conducted by the American Enterprise Institute revealed that GRAPHIC | SONIA VERMA most articles about this

OPINION topic talk more about racism and slavery than CRT’s definition and its intellectual foundations. This incomplete coverage leads to incorrect perceptions about CRT. Misinformation about CRT leads to unproductive debates about its merits in school board meetings and on political stages. Including anti-racist education in classrooms that focuses on the ways that oppression has been perpetuated throughout American history and continues today is crucial to teaching American history accurately.

When politicians and the media use CRT as a buzzword to garner votes or clicks, it detracts from the central goal of the movement — to paint an accurate picture of racial inequality throughout history in order to understand how to effectively combat modern racial segregation in legal and political instutions.

At MVHS and in the larger Bay Area, traces of anti-Blackness run rampant, particularly within the Asian community.

This is often expressed through the desire of immigrant parents to distance themselves from Black communities and align more with white ones.

Furthermore, microaggressions such as believing in the stereotype of “Black anger” or suggesting that a Black student only got into college due to affirmative action are frequently perpetuated.

Being constantly surrounded by these beliefs results in these opinions being ingrained in an individual and aggravated within society.

Yet, trends such as the “Asian Baby Girl” (ABG), in which hoop earrings, gold chains and the usage of AAVE are typical, inadvertently appropriate Black culture. A lack of knowledge about the trend as well as culturally ingrained microaggressions result in racism being entrenched within the Asian community.

It is crucial that we learn what CRT is and what it isn’t, and that we begin to disperse the misconceptions surrounding it. Recognizing and combatting the existence of racism through productive discourse with parents and by getting educated using anti-racist resources is the first step in reducing anti-Black sentiments in our own communities. On a larger scale, promoting resources which include holistic and accurate coverage of CRT rather than misinformation can help chip away at its misconceptions.

CRT isn’t racist.

Racism isn’t a myth.

Racial discrimination is a real, pressing problem, and we must work to fix it, and while we like to think that it’s a problem in other states, we can start right in our own backyard.

CRT LEGISLATION IN AMERICA Bill about teaching CRT has been vetoed, overturned, stalled indefinitely

Bill has been proposed or is moving through state legislature

Bill was signed into law or a similar state level action was approved

No state-level action or bill introduced

GRAPHIC | SONIA VERMA

OPINION | FEBRUARY 2022

11

a view of...

What MVHS students believe will be popular or trendy in 2022

BY JIYA SINGH AND SHIVANI VERMA

GENSHIN IMPACT

Junior Aaron Chang believes that the action role-playing game Genshin Impact will become more popular in 2022 because the visuals and character design are unique in the Gacha genre.

N

A s w s

FLARED PANTS

According to freshman Riddhi Shegde, flared pants will be trendy in 2022, regardless of whether they’re jeans, yoga pants or made of other fabric.

PHOTO | JIYA SINGH

PH

PHOTO | SHIVANI VERMA

2000s FASHION

Senior Karishma Goswami (right) poses for a photo of solely her outfit, which incorporates many aspects of 2000s fashion. According to a survey of 105 MVHS students, the 2000s is the style era that 37% of students believe will be the most trendy in 2022. The decade’s fashion includes mini skirts, cropped tops and cardigans.

PHOTO | JIYA SINGH

NEUTRAL COLORS

Freshman Riddhi Shegde (above) stands in the Academic Court, wearing an outfit with neutral colors such as tan, white, black and brown.

According to a survey of 110 MVHS students, 59% believe that in 2022, wearing neutral colors will be more fashionable than wearing bright colors.

PHOTO BY RHEA SIDBATTE | USED WITH PERMISSION

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EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

PH

i

A s w p

T

s e e s n e.

NETFLIX

According to a survey of 112 MVHS students, 60% believe that Netflix will be the most popular streaming service of 2022.

THE COLOR OF 2022

GH PHOTO | JIYA SINGH

According to a survey of 108 MVHS students, 53% associate the year 2022 with a cool color, which includes shades of green, blue and purple.

PHOTO | JIYA SINGH

DISCORD

H PHOTO | JIYA SINGH

iPHONES

According to a survey of 112 MVHS students, 91% believe that iPhones will be more popular than Android phones in 2022.

According to a survey of 111 MVHS students, 68% believe that Discord, a digital communication platform, will be more popular in 2022 than it was in 2021.

2 0 2 2

OPINION | FEBRUARY 2022

13

A M

A NI

IC

R VE

O |S

PH RA

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lunar new year Students and staff share which “new year” holiday they prefer to celebrate

BY SARAH LIU

O

n Jan. 1, as the clock strikes midnight signaling a new year, various families commemorate the evening with New Year’s parties.

But New Year’s isn’t the only holiday centered around the arrival of a new season, since this year on Feb. 1, many East Asian American students welcomed a fresh start by celebrating Lunar New Year. While both New Year and Lunar New Year welcome the arrival of a new season, each holiday has its own unique traditions.

Junior Arianna Tan says that in terms of cultural traditions her family follows, the celebration of Lunar New Year is more significant than the celebration of New Year’s. During Lunar New Year gatherings, her family follows customs such as the gifting of “hong-bao,” red envelopes that contain money, to children.

14

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

Tan shares that she doesn’t enjoy kids like to play board games because New Year’s celebrations as much as it’s something that we’ve always done, her East Asian traditions because while whether it’s Monopoly or Clue or everybody else stays up to watch the [something else].” clock count down to zero, she just Lim mentions that one reason he “really wants to prefers New Year’s sleep.” is that he is not MY PARENTS WOULD On the other enthusiastic at the ALWAYS MAKE A BIG hand, sophomore prospect of one day FEAST ON THIS DAY. Jayden Lim is having to give red LUNAR NEW YEAR more inclined envelopes to kids in towards New the family, which is a WAS A SPECIAL TIME Year’s, because long-standing Lunar FOR ME. besides there New Year custom. being a break from !"#$%&%'(%)!"%* However, Lim notes school during the #+!",'!")$- that he still enjoys holiday, Lim also putting up “fake appreciates the overall atmosphere red lanterns and all these fun little during the celebrations. decorations”, as it is a holiday that his “I love the energy of the holiday,” Lim parents have celebrated since they said. “The adults play Mahjong or they were children and thus one that is like to watch football or just chat. But us important to his family. Overall, he has

A group of MVHS parents celebrated Lunar New Year with school staff by decorating the staff lounge with new year couplets and paper red lanterns and preparing a Lunar New Year feast with Chinese food. This year, teachers received food in take-out boxes to account for COVID-19 concerns.

fun participating in his family’s Lunar New Year traditions and get-togethers.

Chinese teacher I-Chu Chang puts more effort into celebrating Lunar New Year compared to New Year’s, as many of her fondest memories are connected to her Lunar New Year celebrations when she was a child.

“My parents would always make a big feast on this day — we needed to have fish, rice cakes, a whole chicken and taro soup,” Chang said. “And I really liked the soup because my mom only made it during this time … [Lunar] New Year was a special time for me.”

Having experienced Lunar New Year in both Taiwan and the U.S., Chang notes that celebrating Lunar New Year “isn’t as fun” in Cupertino because she believes that people are overall less excited about the holiday, as the majority of her family, who she celebrates the

holiday with, lives in Taiwan.

Lim agrees that the Lunar New Year celebrations in the U.S. are less elaborate than the ones in Asia.

However, he attributes his excitement for both of these holidays not to which holiday or where he is celebrating, but rather the people he is celebrating it with.

“When you’re celebrating these holidays, one may be more festive than the other [depending on] where you are and which country [you’re in],” Lim said.

“But [no matter] what holiday you’re celebrating, it’s more about family than where you live.”

Photo courtesy of Coco Shang

PHOTOS COURTESY OF COCO SHANG

OPINION | FEBRUARY 2022

15

‘this is my year’

Why COVID-19 shouldn’t be determining the outcome of our year

BY DIYA BAHL

16

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

“I think people are slowly starting to realize that we need to learn to live with this, because the virus is not going away,” Washington-based primary care physician Dr. Lucy McBride said in an interview with Voice of America.

W e should a l s o focus o n

allowing ourselves more grace.

The past two years have been a rollercoaster, fluctuating in and out of quarantines among other national crises. We went through a whole year of school online, missing out on relationships, learning and laughter inherent to days spent with classmates and friends. From logging in to hundreds of Zoom calls to hearing the news of anticipated school events getting canceled, we’ve yet to have a definite ending date. With all that’s said and done, we deserve to have a year without constant worry surrounding a disease that’s quickly become an

inescapable part of our lives.

It’s possible for this to be our year — we just have to choose for it to be.

ILLUSTRATION | SONIA VERMA

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his year is going to be my year.”

In the beginning of 2020, we were introduced to the original strain of COVID-19. From disinfecting groceries with Clorox wipes to restricting our interactions to our immediate families, 2020 posed the beginning of a nightmare that has yet to truly end.

In 2021, just when things began to improve with daily cases dropping and vaccines rolling out, the Delta variant made its way around the globe. The fear that we almost had the chance to let go of crept back again, and we longed for the time when we could walk around freely without masks and attend large gatherings without fear of infection.

Now it’s 2022, and the Omicron variant — this time more contagious and less severe — has infiltrated our homes and school at a previously unfathomable scale. Between our inboxes being flooded with exposure emails to COVID-19 tests and KN95 masks being distributed to students and staff, we’ve already experienced enough to decide that 2022 will clearly not be “our” year.

But it’s time we stop letting COVID-19 determine how good or bad our year will be. As we transition from pandemicity into endemicity, with most cases of infection proving less dangerous, we should attempt to live with the virus instead of making it the sole factor in the decisions we make. Though the virus is still a serious threat, especially to those who are health-compromised or unvaccinated, we should work towards continuing to take precautions while still doing the things we enjoy, making it entirely possible to still have a good year.

Out of 330 million Americans, about 210 million of them are fully vaccinated, and in Santa Clara County, 88.7% of the population is fully vaccinated. With immunity beginning to build up, the longing for a post-pandemic world doesn’t seem too far out of reach. We shouldn’t rely on waiting for the virus to be “over” for us to live our lives.

predictions for the future Students and staff share their thoughts on what 2022 might look like

BY SONIA VERMA

2

020 was not a typical year.

People entered the new decade with high hopes, only to have them postponed by the pandemic.

But for Biology and Chemistry teacher Elizabeth McCracken, the new year looks bright. The pandemic has brought her “unforeseen gifts” in the form of better habits around the house, such as doing yoga in the morning and spending more time in her garden.

“I never imagined the past two years would be as fabulous as they were,” McCracken said.

“I expect that to continue.

It doesn't mean I know what [the new year] looks like. Every day is a surprise.”

McCracken has been pleasantly surprised by her students’ academic performance so far this year, although she does recognize that some students have been struggling with mental health.

“There's a lot going on in your personal lives, [in] the community [and on] the planet,” McCracken said. “There's an enormous amount. I think that [students are] incredibly resilient.”

Sophomore Shriya Mandalapu is hoping to bring the “right vibes” into the new year. As 2022 also comes with the second semester of the school year, her main priority is to improve her time management skills. Despite her positive experience at school in person, Mandalapu doesn’t foresee an end to the pandemic this year.

“I feel like last year and the year before [weren’t] that great,” Mandalapu said. “So now my outlook is more: ‘How much worse can it get?’”

Junior Anna Pullara jokes that an apocalypse is overdue — a meteor

strike, in particular. But impending catastrophe aside, Pullara thinks that 2022 is going to go well for her. She says that her particular mindset helps her “take things in stride.” Right now, all she is concerned with is maintaining her grade point average.

Although Pullara feels that she did well during quarantine, she notes that it seems to be at the expense of many people around the world who have experienced negative effects of the pandemic. She states that the world has been on a “downward trail” during the past few years.

But unlike Mandalapu, Pullara thinks the end of the

pandemic is near. She believes that eventually the public being fed up of pandemic restrictions will “override the need to stop being [physically] sick with [COVID-19].” Pullara believes that because of the public’s dissatisfaction, the restrictions to stop the spread of the disease will end this year in favor of returning to pre-pandemic conditions.

Regardless of what will happen this year, McCracken continues to search for a silver lining. To her, the MVHS administration's efforts to make the 2021-2022 year safe for students, like providing COVID-19 tests and masks, demonstrate a higher level of diligence.

“My goal is to help people see the positives because it's so easy to get wrapped up in the stuff that looks like it's not working,” McCracken said. “I look for the gifts. Sometimes [they’re] not so obvious – but I do believe they're always there.”

ILLUSTRATION | SONIA VERMA

OPINION | FEBRUARY 2022

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A SODA POP FEELING

The teenage romance that didn’t happen

BY SHIVANI VERMA

I

GRAPHIC | KRIPA MAYURESHWAR

t was official: I was down bad.

She was tying her shoelaces — of all the mundane things to do — and glanced up at me, blinking. “Oh, hey.”

My heart fluttered.

It’s embarrassing to admit that I got flustered over a girl I liked tying her shoelaces, but in my defense, crushes are often like that — they’re confusing, weird and annoying. And I’m no stranger to the mechanics of catching feelings. I’ve even developed my own system to work through it: I give myself a couple weeks to feel it out — if my interest in someone dwindles, it was just an infatuation to pass time.

But if the curiosity doesn’t fade, there must be something worthwhile in the emotion after all.

With just a month left in 9th grade, I certainly wasn’t planning on being interested in someone. Don’t get me wrong — having feelings for people doesn’t bother me. But I also know that liking people takes energy. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend it this time.

I knew that having feelings for her was a lost cause, but like with all emotions, I just couldn’t turn them off. The more I tried to ignore them, the more her face seemed to pop up in my mind.

Maybe it’ll disappear on its own, I hoped.

I wouldn’t see her all summer, and the months away would dilute my feelings until they were gone.

I couldn’t expend all that energy liking someone I couldn’t even see, right?

So I decided to indulge in the fizzy soda feeling while it lasted. I didn’t stop myself from smiling when I received her text notifications or from rolling my eyes when she sent me memes on Instagram. We talked on the phone for hours and laughed at

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the most stupid things. Being around matter anymore. Now that I knew for her felt so easy, and instead of drifting sure that I had no chance, I waited for apart over the summer, we fell into a my crush on her to dwindle for good. comfortability I’d never had with anyone Only … it didn’t. It didn’t make any else. I let myself be happy about her, sense to me — I’d always believed that because liking my emotions her was fun. would peter But … my plan out if I didn’t backfired. By the get anything in time 10th grade return, so why began, the soda did I still have fizz hadn’t lost feelings for her?

BLOOM its pop — it had As the months only grown more passed, with !"#$%&#'$()*% effervescent. no end to my At school, I couldn’t stop my brain feelings in sight, I began to understand. from conjuring up fluffy daydreams This whole time, my emotions had about her in Pre-Calc, or stop my remained completely separate from gaze from following her figure across my actions — I wasn’t bothering her the Academic Court. I couldn’t stop or begging her to like me back. My indulging in my feelings, despite how feelings were just … existing. And for irrational it was. I was caught in a haze, a romantic like me, that carbonated and I loved it. soda feeling was intoxicating. I still But one night in September, she imagined us holding hands, going to figured things out. And as I’d always each other’s sports games and getting known, she didn’t feel the same about boba together. I liked the way my heart me as I felt about her. skipped a beat when she said my name.

Yet I wasn’t upset that I just liked liking her. It was just as fun as she didn’t like me back. it had always been.

Instead, I was nervous My feelings for her had started about what would unexpectedly, and I never imagined happen to the us they would turn out this way. Because that we’d created. in all the romance I’d seen in books, I finally understood movies and TV shows, unrequited why movies always feelings almost always ended in agony warned you against or heartbreak, or caused destruction falling for your friends. and pain. And discovering that the All I could think about feelings were reciprocated and finally as I drifted off into an getting together were key parts of a uneasy sleep was, Did happy ending.

I ruin everything?

I didn’t have either of those, and yet, When I woke up, I I wasn’t unhappy about it at all. saw a notification from This realization opened up a whole her. My heart was in new way of thinking. Whether it was my my throat as I opened feelings for someone, a new hobby, an Instagram to reveal — extracurricular or a class at school, my A cat meme. thought process shifted. There didn’t Somehow, I began need to be an end goal to achieve to to realize, the friendship make everything worthwhile, I learned. we’d cultivated over the past Sometimes, all that mattered was months was stronger than the effect enjoying the ride. of my feelings on us. I was so relieved, especially because my feelings wouldn’t

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Analyzing Critical Race Theory’s impact on the MVHS community and beyond

BY JAYANTI JHA, AASHNA PATEL, JANNAH SHERIFF, MIRA WAGNER AND ALEX ZHANG FEATURES | FEBRUARY 2022

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BY JAYANTI JHA AND MIRA WAGNER Examining CRT and how it is taught and understood in classrooms

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h i l e teaching Race and Law, a C class that included discussion HI P RA of Critical Race Theory, Santa G Clara University Associate Professor Margalynne Armstrong encountered a student who felt “defensive” about CRT and ended up dropping the class after the first day. The student’s spouse was in the military and she felt the course was too critical of the country that her husband was fighting for. Armstrong suggested that the student stay in the class as she offered a “valuable” perspective but she declined.

CRT is “a practice of interrogating the role of race and racism in society that emerged in the legal academy and spread to other fields of scholarship,” according to the American Bar Association. Armstrong highlights that CRT relates to the meaning of “certain legal facts or legal institutions.”

“In my writings, I started to encounter these articles that were classified as O

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was able to study various texts through a critical race lens, and AP U.S. History, where he was introduced to aspects of CRT Critical R a c e that focus on the realistic historical Theory,” Armstrong said. “And what perspective. that meant was that the authors were “I think I definitely lean towards looking at specific legal subjects with realistic history, mostly because a perspective of, ‘What did those APUSH explored history through a subjects or cases or laws say about bunch of different lenses,” Dongre race and racism?’ And specifically, said. “We looked at gender, we looked ‘How did the law get formed in ways at queer history, we looked at [the] that were disadvantageous, primarily history [of race], and I think because with people of color?’” of that, [I gained] a more diverse S i m i l a r l y, perspective and senior Sury [looked] at it from Dongre finds different people’s that CRT perspectives, can be used rather than solely to examine analyzing U.S. historical and history through a current events critical race lens.” and “how [race] Armstrong influences how have heard of CRT says the key of things happen *According to a survey of 227 people CRT is “trying to and why things fill in the gaps in happen.” Dongre was first introduced people’s educations” through teaching to CRT his junior year while taking realistic history while also applying a Honors American Literature, where he critical race lens. She clarifies that this

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

72%

of MVHS students

FEATURES is an important difference between it’s in order to scare white parents systemic racism, will lead to CRT and realistic history that allows into feeling like their children are improvements that will make American both to be useful in education. being disadvantaged by this type of society better and a more equitable “The [realistic history] that you’re examination of history. There are these environment for everyone. And in my learning looks at American history claims that Critical Race Theory or opinion, that’s much more patriotic — warts and all — [and] is giving even looking at the negative aspects than just pretending that everything you a more true picture of the past,” of American is OK and Armstrong said. “Critical Race Theory history, make pretending really helps to look at motivations or white students that the white even to show that things or institutions feel ashamed of experience that we might think of as neutral being white.” is what actually haveracial implications.”

D e s p i t e everyone else Armstrong finds that with a these claims, experiences.” combination of both realistic history A r m s t r o n g Correlating and CRT in high school, students explains that to Ranjan’s can delve into “what’s behind the schools are could briefly define CRT commentary surface” and develop “inquiring a t t e m p t i n g on the “white *According to a survey of 202 people minds.” However, the implementation to teach the experience,” of CRT into high school curriculum has h i s t o r i c a l Armstrong sparked controversy. faults of democracy and its false refers to a study in which young Black Senior Riya Ranjan notices presentation of inclusivity, such as children, particularly boys, were found “pushback” on CRT in the news and teaching how U.S. history was built by to be disciplined more vigorously and through additional research and finds taking land from Indigenous people at higher rates than children of other that much of this discourse has been and the unpaid labor of Black people. races starting in preschool. The study occurring in the South, potentially Rather than making students feel like also explains the presumption that due to the region’s history of slavery they are being held responsible for Black students were more likely to be and structural racism. Dongre also history, she believes that teaching worse behaved or that they needed finds similar history in the stronger discipline. To Armstrong, disregard context of race this disparity in the treatment of a n d promotes a young Black children indicates that highlights growth mindset to address these aspects of racism, I THINK BEING ABLE TO that some in which “You really have to look all through people are ACKNOWLEDGE SYSTEMIC people are education, because it doesn’t just start c o n c e r n e d RACISM WILL LEAD TO forced to think, at some point in the middle, it actually they will “feel “What are our can be there from the very beginning.”

IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL alienated responsibilities Ranjan also references CRT’s b e c a u s e MAKE AMERICAN SOCIETY in the present relevance in her experience in of race,” BETTER AND A MORE to try to perfect education and its further implications, especially the access to even at MVHS, a school where she relating to the EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENT democracy in finds that many people don’t consider concept of FOR EVERYONE. our country racism an issue.

SENIOR white students right now?”

“There is so much evidence that RIYA RANJAN f e e l i n g Ranjan also we had so many different raciallyguilty about highlights that motivated incidents that have historically these concepts happened that are very anti-Black,” b e i n g do not “deface Ranjan said. “I think that has helped perpetrators of racism. Armstrong what America is,” but rather strengthen open my eyes beyond saying, ‘Oh, further explains this concept regarding inclusive aspects of society through well, MVHS is this perfect community in white guilt. the acknowledgment of racism as a Cupertino,’ to realizing that even within “There’s this controversy about political and social power. the communities we might consider Critical Race Theory that’s going on “People will say that it’s anti- to be more liberal or progressive, we now because there are people who American and I think it’s totally the still have to be able to understand the have been using the term Critical Race opposite,” Ranjan said. “I think being gravity of those issues, because they Theory really broadly and maliciously,” able to acknowledge the flaws in still apply no matter where you are.”

Armstrong said. “And they’ve admitted American society, to acknowledge

55%

of MVHS students

FEATURES | FEBRUARY 2022

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GRAPHIC BY KALYANI PUTHENPURAYIL

CRT CONTROVERSIES Examining the histories of anti-racism efforts at the Nevada Joint Union High School District

BY AASHNA PATEL AND JANNAH SHERIFF

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rowing up in Grass Valley in Linden Lovett, a sophomore at UC Nevada County, the county with Berkeley who attended Nevada Union the highest white population in High School in the Nevada Joint Union California, 2014 Bear River High School School District, similarly noticed the alum Alex Moses always felt different lack of diversity and multiculturalism at due to his multiracial identity. Moses, her school. As a member of the Social who is Jewish and Latino, had ample Justice Club, Lovett felt her school exposure to diverse cultures — he would failed to make adequate efforts towards spend his summers visiting family in addressing racism and promoting Mexico, partake in cultural activities and inclusivity. traditions, and L o v e t t celebrate Jewish remembers a holidays. Yet, he white supremacist Racial Demographics at NJUHSD didn’t fully realize group called the Asian Multiracial how normalized Proud Boys — a far2% 5% Hispanic instances of right, new-fascist 12% racism towards political faction — n o n - w h i t e that would spread students and racist posters staff were until he around the school. graduated from Lovett also recalls high school. the normalization White 80% After studying of non-Black peers in Reed College’s saying the n-word more diverse and racial slurs. environment and Despite these *according to Public School Review mentoring lowoccurrences, she income students remembers little of color on the college process at action being taken to address racism.

Pepperdine University and Minds Matter While it frustrated Lovett to see in L.A., he recognized that he often felt the dismissive reactions of the a cultural disconnect while growing up administration, she acknowledges in a predominantly white environment. the greater feelings of isolation that He remembers that he did not learn students of color at her high school felt.

Spanish from his family, but from a white In high school, Moses often felt that teacher who learned Spanish during a he and his peers weren’t taught the mission trip in Argentina. proper vocabulary to discuss race or

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racism. His history teacher would say “cringy things,” and didn’t want to focus on Native American or Asian American history because he didn’t consider them as important. Moses finds that the microaggressions he was subjected to stick with him today “because [he] knew it wasn’t right.”

Currently a senior at Nevada Union High School and social media managing officer for the Future Voters of Nevada Union Club, Yema Paez, as a Latina-American student, shares a similar perspective on the lack of race education in the district’s curriculum.

After reading books in English class last year with anti-semitic and racist ideals that were glossed over in class, Paez wished that her school culture would not neglect discussions of race.

She believes her school administration should work to bring more minority individuals’ opinions and experiences into the classroom — for example, during Black History Month and Pride Month — to create an inclusive setting where “people feel OK to be who they are.”

“It’s not hard to implement [more diversity into the curriculum] because there are set [curricula] that you can get approved that you don’t even have to make,” Paez said. “[The administration] make[s] it seem like it’s so hard, but if you just get a curriculum that is already made [to be] approved, it’s right there.”

Since the time Lovett and Moses and afford community members of graduated high school, community color an unfair advantage. They also members at NJUHSD have pushed for stated that CRT would teach students more equity education in the district, to hate the U.S., as “a systemically and forming the Anti-Racism Taskforce in irredeemably racist” country.

September of 2020. It was established NJUHSD Superintendent Brett in response to a petition that Nevada M c F a d d e n Union High School describes the alumni spread Racial Demographics at FUHSD recent debate over online. The AntiMultiracial CRT as a “wedge Racism Task Force 5% issue” sparked aims to address Hispanic from wider media issues in the district 15% coverage and by establishing national dialogue student affinity surrounding racism groups, hiring a in recent years. more diverse staff,, White 17% He believes that and developing Asian the “hyperactive, anti-racism training 62% highly charged for instructors. environment” of Ben York, an the debate on CRT eighth grade *according to Public School Review makes it difficult teacher at Grass to have “coherent Valley Charter dialogue” on the School, believes that more inclusivity could be achieved issue.

“With the issue of CRT, it has been through leadership from instructors at tied up with a lot of emotion,” McFadden individual schools.

“I hope to see more courage on the said. “It is tied up with a lot of folks side of educators in standing up to that perhaps don’t particularly have a falsehoods,” York said. “They’re still not complete idea of what it is and what teaching evolution in some states … I it isn’t. And then finally, there’s often a hope to see educators as a professional lack of understanding in terms of how group, really standing up and pushing particular curriculum is taught in public for [a] more empirical, fact-driven schools.”

McFadden clarifies that CRT is not curriculum.”

York feels that the support he taught nor will be taught in NJUHSD receives from his school administration schools, though themes of equity and allows him the freedom to teach civil rights are explored in the curriculum. curriculum without fear of pushback. He also references the upcoming Lovett similarly emphasizes the implementation of California legislation importance of school administrators requiring high schools to incorporate supporting teachers to make positive Ethnic Studies into their curriculums change. She remembers that her high as an example of the foreseeable and school teachers were well-intentioned immediate future of education on race.

Though York is “astounded” that but frustrated at the lack of support, and acknowledges the difficulties that both CRT has become a debate at all, he students and staff face in underfunded would rather people voice controversial opinions than not have an opinion at all. school systems.

“I actually prefer that people be Over a year later, on Nov. 10, 2021, the NJUHSD Board of Trustees held its allowed to speak their mind because first in-person board meeting since the then at least you know what they’re start of the pandemic at Nevada Union thinking — they’ve self-identified,” York High School’s gym. At the meeting, said. “I know this group exists. I know the conservative group, “Protecting what they’re up to. Once it’s part of the American Ideals” shared a 20-minute public record, you’re able to point back presentation on their fears of CRT being at that and say, ‘Hey, look, this is clearly taught in schools. The group argued something you said. You were clearly that teaching anti-racism would erase lying.’ Suppressing that kind of speech equality of opportunity and meritocracy, [makes] it grow.”

OVERHEARD IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SAY NO TO CRT “Two wrongs don’t make a right!

Discrimination for ANY reason is wrong and illegal by federal 1965 Civil Rights Law and CA law against discrimination.

CRT is Marxist and meant to divide us.

All Americans, NO matter their skin color, age disability, OR Covid Jab status, should be accepted. This is Democratic. CRT is Marxist, UNAMERICAN and wrong. I repeat two wrongs don’t make a right.” -Sally Mitchell

“[CRT] is a very destructive idealogy, and has no place in our education system. It is in fact, an unconscionable abuse of our children. People should be measured by their character and integrity, not by how they look. All people have the potential to be what they desire to put their effort into becoming. CRT does nothing, but cause division, and take away people’s self-worth. It also steals their hope for a bright future.” -Cindy Kennard

SAY YES TO CRT “Censoring history is not only a racist practice but an infringement on freedom of speech. It is important to learn about America as a whole nation, meaning its failures and systemic issues, as well as its victories. CRT is in favor of creating a more inclusive and accepting environment by actively denouncing racism and teaching a well-rounded and all-encompassing overview of this nation’s past and its effects on current events.”

-Caitlyn

“The folks behind ‘Protecting American Ideals’ would like to have you believe unequivocally that the United States is a ‘force for good,’ that every man, woman, and child is provided an ‘equal opportunity for success despite the race, gender, or economic status that they are born into, and that every person’s future is determined solely by ‘hard work and personal choices.’ They would have you believe that racism is a part of our country’s past and not its present, and they would refuse to acknowledge that the systems of oppression and exploitation perpetrated by the white patriarchy for millennia have not left universal trauma that we as a society haven’t even begun to heal from.” -Josh Wolf

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CRT’S IMPACT ON CURRICULUM Analyzing feedback from the MVHS community on the integration of CRT

BY ALEX ZHANG

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onors American Literature of the N-word,” Carpenter said. “And teacher Mark Carpenter first so through experiences with students learned about the book “Citizen: and conversations with colleagues, it An American Lyric” bay Claudia Rankine was clear that the course would benefit when a student from a more recommended contemporary that the book approach to the be integrated WHEN WE DISCUSSED construction of into the school’s race and racism c u r r i c u l u m . [RAISIN IN THE SUN], in the U.S.” C a r p e n t e r STUDENTS WOULD After the remembers implementation reading it and TALK ABOUT RACISM, of Critical being instantly AS THOUGH IT WERE A Race Theory, “ f l o o r e d , ” PROBLEM OF THE PAST. Carpenter d e c i d i n g describes immediately overall ENGLISH TEACHER the to work on feedback and MARK CARPENTER “teaching it and reception working it into as being our curriculum.” overwhelmingly Carpenter felt that this need for newer positive. Although the topic of CRT has texts largely stemmed from a lack of been a polarizing issue in other schools literature that accurately reflected across the country, Carpenter feels that today’s diverse world.

MVHS’ community seems to welcome “We taught ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ this change.

by Lorraine Hansberry, which is a “The anti-critical race theory hysteria phenomenal text by a Black author, but that has saturated right-wing media in it [was] published in 1960,” Carpenter the last year or two [has been] preying said. “And when we discussed this text, upon people’s legitimate fears, and I students would talk about racism in the don’t see our community falling prey to past tense, as though it were a problem that,” Carpenter said. “There are going of the past.” to be valid critiques of ‘Citizen,’ but it’s Beyond outdated texts, Carpenter not a text I’ve had pushback on. It’s a also expressed concerns that many text that often students report back of the older books might convey is their favorite text [and] the most misleading messages on racism. As a enlightening text in this class.” result, they state that the integration Junior and Honors American of modern literature was in part to Literature student Lance help rectify and correct these existent Fuchia also feels the student inequalities. response to modern texts “We taught Mark Twain’s that the class investigates ‘Huckleberry Finn,’ which is a text that with a CRT lense has has a great deal to analyze, a text that I been positive. He says think has an anti-racist intent behind it, that students especially but [it] is a text written by a white author appreciate being able to that contains more than 200 instances step outside of the Bay

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Area’s more sheltered community, emphasizing that CRT is a real world concept and extends beyond the classroom, “applying to politics and everything that goes on in life.”

Senior Ashley Twu, who took Honors American Literature with Hannah Gould similarly values this relevance and highlights teaching CRT helped create a more inclusive environment at MVHS. “CRT helped students come to terms with their own bias living in an Asianprevalent community,” Twu said. “I really hope that CRT expands to both the Bay Area and across the country as a whole because I definitely feel like this is something people can learn from.”

Fuchia further emphasized that on a more personal basis, CRT helped him look at his own life from a different perspective.

“I think that it is really awesome and important because it enables us to learn about real world issues and mentally allows us to escape from the bubble of MVHS,” Fuchia said. “I think all the other students understand why we are teaching CRT, some may find it annoying, but for the most part everyone agrees that we should be learning CRT and they thoroughly understand and enjoy the content.”

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SHOWCASE OF STUDENT ART MVHS artists share excerpts from their portfolios

BY NAMEEK CHOWDHURY

S

enior Ivy Wang describes her piece “Fading Vision” as an intersection of her culture and beliefs. The woman’s dress, reminiscent of art from ancient China, depicts Wang’s familial background. Wang used techniques such as color mixing and the application of highlights in certain areas, such as the crystal ball.

Her stylistic decision to use primary colors also highlights a message of environmental conservation, one she believes is central to her oil painting.

“If humans are still not paying attention to the environmental damage, the beauty of nature will fade away,” Wang said. “In my painting, yellow and yellowish colors represent nature and in it the nature is in broken pieces.”

The oil painting depicts a woman wearing a dress inspired by ancient Chinese art and looking through a glass ball of industrialization.

!"#$%&'(%)'(*% "'+*(#,*

ART BY IVY WANG | USED WITH PERMISSION

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ARTS & ENT

For senior Cecelia Carbone, the part of her piece “Open” that she’s the most proud of is the amount of work she put into it. To her, the piece isn’t trying to convey a message and instead emphasizes a “quaint” look. A key part of her planning was figuring out the order of the mediums she used.

After starting the sketch with a pencil, Carbone transitioned to using pens to draw the background and add finer details. “[The piece] has a lot of my interests,” Carbone said. “I love nature and I love fantasy and so it just kind of encapsulates everything that I enjoy into one thing, and it’s probably my favorite piece right now.”

ART BY CECELIA CARBONE | USED WITH PERMISSION

The ink drawing depicts a personified mushroom residing in a densly populated forest.

A skill that junior Karan Goel focused on while taking his photograph “Rememberance” was using the correct aperture on his camera, which is based on the lighting conditions of the subject. His picture specializes in contrast, and he is proud that the image retained clarity through defined blacks and whites as the film developed.

The photograph reminds Goel of his younger self.

“Being where I am now, after so many years, having gone through so many things, I wish I could go back to when I was six or seven,” Goel said. “[The photograph] just feels nostalgic.”

ART BY KARAN GOEL | USED WITH PERMISSION

Photograph in film in the perspective of looking at branches agaisnt the sky from under a tree

ARTS & ENT | FEBRUARY 2022

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Senior Manvi Kottakota’s small gold jewelry business and brand Kanak celebrates South Asian people

BY ANUSHKA DE

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he first shipment of materials from her vendor yielded a slightly unexpected result for senior and small business owner Manvi Kottakota: a strong desire to not sell anything.

Hours of researching, tinkering with designs, communicating with vendors and making jewelry for her business Kanak had manifested in her creating a product she liked so much, she wanted to keep it for herself.

Kottakota’s jewelry-making journey began with a trip to a craft store sophomore year and blossomed from a hobby to a passion, and finally into a business during quarantine.

Kottakota’s entrepreneurial journey, however, actually started years before. Creating a business had been a dream of hers since childhood, and she experimented with starting a clothing line with a friend in her freshman year. Though that particular idea never came to fruition, Kottakota’s passion for business began with this first exposure to researching a supply chain and trying to build something new.

Kottakota ended up trying several other business ventures, but among all her entrepreneurial expeditions, Kottakota explains that jewelry was the business that stuck for two reasons.

From a business lens, she emphasizes the importance of a product appealing to a large audience, and she explains that she prioritized this versatility with each piece of jewelry she designed. She also believes that businesses should be formed around products and ideas that the creator is passionate about.

“Accessorizing and jewelry was something that I not just enjoyed making sometimes, but also enjoyed wearing and buying for myself,” Kottakota said.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF KOTTAKOTA | USED WITH PERMISSION

Senior Manvi Kottakota poses in her handmade earrings, rings and necklaces.

“When you start small businesses rather than indulging your own in fast fashion is “higher prices,” but she b u s i n e s s , believes that the tradeoff for quality and it has to be supporting a brand she believes in is something that well worth the cost.

As she was constructing her you could see yourself investing a lot of money in, and this is something that I brand, Kottakota kept South Asian representation really love and I wear at the forefront. all the time.”

SEEING OTHER The name of her Senior Shreya PEOPLE WHO business, Kanak, is Mantripragada first LOOK SIMILAR TO a word of Sanskrit learned of Kottakota’s YOU EMBRACING origin meaning aspirations to start “gold” or “seed.”

THEMSELVES MAKES a jewelry business After considering junior year, and was YOU FEEL MORE both Western and immediately inspired.

BEAUTIFUL. Indian names, Mantripragada has !"#$%& Kottakota landed invested in multiple '(&)$*!+(+ on Kanak because Kanak pieces — “symbolically, it not just because she wants to support Kottakota’s was like a seed, or a foundation to this entrepreneurial efforts, but also new idea [she] had.” Senior Parmi Shah, because she appreciates the quality who has modeled multiple pieces of of Kanak products. Mantripragada jewelry for Kottakota, emphasized the acknowledges that a part of supporting importance of representation in brands.

feels a

“I think South Asian representation is important just so Indian people can feel seen since they are often neglected or overlooked whether in fashion or cosmetics,” Shah said. “It’s important for anyone to feel beautiful.

Having representation, and seeing other people who look similar to you embracing themselves makes you feel more beautiful.”

Similarly, Mantripragada believes that Kottakota’s emphasis on brown girls in her business is indicative of a broader effort to succeed in the predominantly white fashion industry. Mantripragada Senior Parmi Shah models multiple pieces of jewelry for Kanak.

empowered

by She tests each part to ensure that it “brown woman” meets her business standards and owning a business collaborates with the vendor to make and creating changes until she’s satisfied with the jewelry that individual parts. Once she actually specifically suits decides on an item, Kottakota asks for brown skin. an actual document item to be shipped Mantripragada to her. She then assembles each piece f e e l s of jewelry by hand and packages each e m p o w e r e d order. by a “brown The entire process of creating Kanak woman” owning — from researching supply chains, a business in a to finding her niche to marketing predominantly white her product — has served as a industry and creating tremendously valuable experience, jewelry that specifically Kottakota believes. She feels grateful suits brown skin. that she took the plunge and pursued Kottakota explains that finding the her passion, and would encourage materials to create the type of high others to do the same. quality jewelry Mantripragada and other “If there’s anything that you’re customers interested in, it’s so worth fell in love trying it out and so worth IT’S SUCH A GOOD with required pursuing it,” Kottakota said.

FEELING MAKE several hours “It’s been so wonderful to SOMETHING THAT conducting genuinely see so many research people at Monta Vista who OTHER PEOPLE LOVE. before finally randomly come up to me and settling on !"#$%& say, ‘Hey look, I’m wearing a vendor. )(#,$*-%..(-%.( your ring’ or ‘I’m wearing After several your necklace.’ It feels like conversations the work that you put into with different sellers, she encountered something and the time you invest a custom jewelry maker located in pays off. And it’s such a good feeling to Istanbul, Turkey. To create a piece, see that you’re not only able to make Kottakota takes inspiration from the something that you love, but something vendor’s catalog for parts and gives that other people can the vendor input from her own love as well.” ideas to receive an initial shipment.

ARTS & ENT | FEBRUARY 2022

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ARUNE SARMA | USED WITH PERMISSION

THE DISTRICT RAP GAME A look into the FUHSD rapping scene

BY JUSTIN KIM AND ADITYA SHUKLA

I

n a pandemic-ridden 2021, Fremont High School sophomore Swayam Rayanker created a new personality, taking on the name YNR Sway as an Indian rapper focused on carrying the Indian community beyond its academic and STEMcentric stereotypes. Starting out with a phone and an autotune voice editor, Sway rapped his way into prominence within the FUHSD community.

A mixtape and debut album later, Sway continues to rap due to his previous successes. He shoots for mainstream recognition and the popularity of his idols like NLE Choppa and Juice WRLD, with an end goal of signing onto a major record label. But Sway recognizes the risk he’s taking by pursuing a music career, so he wants to first complete high school and college and have a stable enough income to support his goal. While that appears to be a multi-year process, he’s started to make steps toward his dream.

“Basically, I just do my [own thing],” Sway said. “There is zero cap in my s--. [Music] is a side hobby now, but I put my emotions in that s--- too.”

MVHS’s sophomore Ethan Wang has a different story for his rise to rapping fame. Starting off as an apsiring YouTuber, sophomore Ethan Wang gained traction on his debut single, “Circles Around.” Wang’s debut currently holds over 2,100 views on Youtube, the most viewed video on his account. Later, he would publish his first-ever music video for a remix of his hit.

Wang started his career three however, Sarma had begun to split years ago on Soundcloud and Spotify away from this group to collaborate under the name Ethanerino, where he with fellow friend and producer continues to publish his latest singles Joshua Kim, aka JMoney, with whom and records. As he would release his his career has EVERYONE HAS THEIR first mixtape titled progressed, his “Quarantine Tapes.”

OWN STORY TO TELL goal has shifted “It was really just ... SO IF YOU THINK into finding in the height of the IT’S CHEESY, JUST recognition for quarantine,” Sarma his art, focusing said. “[Music] was SAY IT. on life and its something you could problems in his attain when you lyrics. really couldn’t attain Wang often anything, because in receives criticism for his muffled quarantine you couldn’t do anything. I voice, but he refrains from putting any was driven with a goal, just producing thought letting it get to him, instead something. It wasn’t trying to be a welltaking comfort in his open supporters polished thing, but a fun expression at MVHS. Wang finds people to be for all of us.” entitled to their own opinions, and After his experiences rapping with states that the hate makes him “do Cupertino Mafia and JMoney, Sarma better.” concludes that starting a rapping “I think I’m being more respected career isn’t an easy task, finding by people — I’m making better music producing compelling music difficult. constantly,” Wang said. “When I’m However, he ultimately focuses on growing and have more people who the joys of the journey and telling the like me, that’s very cool. I like hearing narratives he wishes to tell, rather advice from other people, or what than the end product and trivial flaws.

I should do with myself, so I can be “You think about the stuff you make [successful] in the industry.” and you start thinking it’s starting to Senior Arune Sarma’s rapping sound cheesy,” Sarma said. “But then origins began when he rapped a verse reflecting on it with my mind now, I during a dance portion of the 2019 think everyone really has a story to Homecoming skit. Since then, Sarma tell. It can be anything, but everyone has been expanding his horizons in has their own story. So if you think it’s the music scene by starting a group cheesy, just say it.” with four other students known as the Cupertino Mafia, known for their energetic and comedic songs.

By the beginning of the lockdown

SENIOR ARUNE SARMA

ARTS & ENT | JANUARY 2022

31

THE DETRIMENTS OF A LOVELY HOLIDAY The MVHS community reflects on downsides of Valentine’s Day

BY CRYSTAL CHENG

W

ith a childhood focused on or chocolates being sold a month academics, Chinese teacher ahead. It just feels [like] a little bit too Zoey Liu says she didn’t have much.” much time to think about romance On the other hand, senior Daniel as a teenager. She recalls the culture Mathew views the myriad of chocolates in China emphasizing that finding a and other treats during Valentine’s Day significant other in high school would to be a benefit, making the holiday be “immature, not appropriate and a “easily accessible.” He feels that the distraction from your academic work.” pressure surrounding couples to do a lot However, arriving in America opened for each other, especially in high school her eyes to a where showcases new perspective of love commonly YOU JUST SEE [AN] on romance, include grand OCEAN OF PINK, RED, where Valentine’s gestures, such as a CHOCOLATES AND Day brought poster or a bouquet of STUFFED ANIMALS... forth couples flowers, is an aspect everywhere of the holiday that is IT JUST FEELS [LIKE] A engaging in grand problematic. Mathew BIT TOO MUCH. gestures of love, says that feelings of so common it competitiveness can !"#$%&%'(%)!"%* surface about which was almost to be expected. +,%-'.#/ couple conveys the “Growing up, I greatest amount of think it was a taboo to have a boyfriend appreciation for each other. or girlfriend in school,” Liu said. “There “I just dislike the pressure wasn’t a culture like [how it is] here that it puts on some couples, [where] there’s singing [and] gifts. You the need to be overly can see people [here] being very open r o m a n t i c and comfortable about it … but that or show wasn’t the case growing up in China.” e x t r a While she now appreciates the tradition of expressing one’s love on Valentine’s Day, Liu finds that the commercialization of the holiday can be overwhelming. The abundance of advertising that comes with Valentine’s Day is a stark contrast to the attitude surrounding romance with which she grew up.

“Going to Walmart or any kind of a grocery store you just see [an] ocean of pink, red, chocolates and stuffed animals,” Liu said.

“Especially in supermarkets, you start seeing decorations

32

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

appreciation on that day,” Mathew said. “I know [a] few couples that were together on Valentine’s Day, and a lot of them, especially [being] in high school, … make posters, [gift] flowers, chocolate, that kind of stuff, so couples who don’t really want to be a show … are seen as not so ‘in love’ as other ones.”

The competition Mathew speaks to, as well as other feelings of unhappiness that may result from Valentine’s Day, is something sophomore Cara Constant attributes primarily to the influence of social media. She sees some people feeling “jealous” at couple posts by captioning their own posts with “I’m single again on Valentine’s Day.” Constant also thinks social media pressure has resulted in exclusivity towards those not in a relationship to express their appreciation for close family and friends.

“Just spend it with whoever you want,” Constant said. “It’s Valentine’s Day, you shouldn’t have to just appreciate one person, you should appreciate all the people around you.”

GRAPHIC | LILLIAN WANG

SPORTS ATHLETE OF THE MONTH VIVIAN ONG

BY ANNA JEROLIMOV

S

ophomore Vivian Ong began playing basketball in fifth grade after her dad’s encouragement to try the sport. After playing in Amateur Athletic Union for a year, she joined the basketball team at Kennedy Middle School while also playing for the San Jose Spartans. Ong says that the high skill level of her teammates at Spartans was a major factor in improving her basketball skills.

Currently, Ong plays for the Varsity Girls Basketball team as a shooting guard. As the team’s league record is currently 7-0, Ong attributes the team’s success to the fact that various team members stepped up to “do their part” this season, which allowed the team to come together. Ong says that this contribution, when “everything just goes right and the whole team gets involved” is her favorite aspect of playing basketball.

Ong’s hope for this season is that the team’s success will continue and it will win first place in the El Camino division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League as it did the previous season. She shares that for her, the most important quality when playing basketball is being able to “let your mistakes go,” whether that be recovering after a bad pass or block or moving on after losing a game.

10.16 2 22 POINTS PER GAME*

YEARS ON VARSITY

POINTS: CAREER HIGH* *from the 2021-2022 season

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

33

CHASING Senior Lauren Ruckstuhl explains the significance of surfing in her life

BY MICHELLE ZHENG

T

PHOTO BY KELLY RUCKSTUHL | USED WITH PERMISSION

34

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

hree years ago, the summer after her freshman year, senior Lauren Ruckstuhl curiously watched her cousin surf in the Atlantic Ocean in Montauk, New York. Interested by this new sport, Ruckstuhl eagerly tried surfing, but she was not able to explore her hobby further due to her tight school schedule. When school went remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic and her schedule was cleared due to cancellations of her other sports, Ruckstuhl took the opportunity to start surfing regularly.

At first, due to her lack of experience and practice, Ruckstuhl had trouble adjusting to riding the waves, and she constantly fell into the water.

Nevertheless, she was able to get back up on her surfboard and continuously practiced her skills on the waves.

“I’ve totally been humbled by waves over and over again, and just [decided], you know, today is not my day to be surfing,” Ruckstuhl said. “I’ve never feared for my life or [for] my safety. I’m a lifeguard and I know how to swim pretty well. So it’s always been more of an ohgod-now-I-have-to-go-under-the-wateragain feeling.”

Throughout her surfing journey, Ruckstuhl has encountered “annoying” experiences, such as when waves knock her off her surfboard, and embarrassing moments, like the time she and her friend accidentally interrupted a surfing competition while they were cruising along the waves.

Ruckstuhl’s friend, senior Lia Vorthmann, adds that there have also been some encounters with waves that are as high as the cliff, which most

THE WAVES surfers would have trouble getting out surf it. Also, if I hadn’t started surfing, I of. However, according to Ruckstuhl, wouldn’t have had this realization about surfing has mostly been a “calm” and the environment [and] I would not have relaxing sport, where she could “really [started my swimsuit brand].” forget about the stresses” in her life.

Ruckstuhl says that surfing not only In addition, Ruckstuhl believes that connected her with nature but also surfing has prompted her to develop created and strengthened relationships a “deeper connection” with nature. with the people around her. Ruckstuhl Due to the reminisces sport’s heavy the Sunday dependence m o r n i n g s HAVING STARTED on the ocean, during summer SURFING, I FEEL MORE Ruckstuhl has where she and become more her sister would CONNECTED TO NATURE conscious of the drive out to the AND I APPRECIATE IT environment. farmers market MORE. IT REALLY INSPIRED A f t e r after surfing on A CHANGE IN MY MINDSET. recognizing the the beach and importance eat the food !"#$%& of improving while listening '()&"#*&)+,!-).' environmental to music on h e a l t h , Highway One. Ruckstuhl Senior Sophia started an eco-friendly swimsuit brand.

Bokovikova, a friend who often surfs “Having started surfing, I feel more with Ruckstuhl, also explains how cnnected to nature and I appreciate it her surfing trips with Ruckstuhl have more,” Ruckstuhl said. “It really inspired improved their bond. a change in my mindset. I started “I think that [surfing] has strengthened thinking more about our environment our friendship a lot,” Bokovikova said. around us. A lot of sports that I play, I “The conversations that Lauren and I don’t rely on nature for, but [surfing is] have had while surfing have been some so unique in the fact that it is tied with of our best because the environment nature [since] if there’s no waves, you’re that [surfing] creates really allows us not going to be able to catch waves and to share things that we might not have GRAPHIC | MICHELLE ZHENG

done in a different environment.”

Besides connecting with people she already knows, Ruckstuhl adds that she is able to meet new people while surfing, bringing up her encounter with a friendly surfer during her trip to Maui over the summer.

“I was talking to [this older surfer], and in the middle of our conversation, [he would] be like, ‘no turn around and go go go go’,” Ruckstuhl said. “And then I would turn around and go and those would be the only waves that I would catch that day because he knows [which waves to catch since] he knows the spot really well.”

Ruckstuhl plans on continuing surfing in the future because it has become an important part of her life. To her, surfing is not just another hobby; rather, it holds a more significant meaning.

“It’s not just a sport,” Ruckstuhl said.

“It’s more of a culture, a community.”

SPORTS | FEBRUARY 2022

35

Examining two different fencers’ experience with the sport

BY TARYN LAM

J

unior Arti Gnanasekar nervously boarded a plane that would take her over 400 miles away to the BladeRunner fencing tournament at UC San Diego. Gnanasekar’s first time traveling on a plane by herself, during ninth grade, was a jarring experience, yet she remained eager for the competition. Little did she know that the tournament would become one of the most memorable moments of her fencing career, filled with excitement and new opportunities that would allow her to meet fencers outside of her small, local bubble.

Gnanasekar began fencing in sixth grade after watching the 2016 Summer Olympics. Though there are three different forms of fencing, Gnanasekar solely focuses on épée, the form that allows fencers to target all areas of their opponents’ body except their back. Not only has practicing épée built strong hand-eye coordination skills for Gnanasekar, fencing has also helped her navigate the real world.

“I finished eighth grade in private school and then I came to Monta Vista which is public,” Gnanasekar said. “The advice my coaches gave me helped the transition [flow] smoothly, [mainly because] the obstacles I faced while transitioning from private to public paralleled moving from different levels in fencing.”

Gnanasekar says that épée’s popularity among young fencers is mainly because épée is “the style that most people go into first because it’s the slowest.”

Similar to Gnanasekar, junior Arya Srivastava, who also practices

36

épée, believes that fencing has a lot of positive benefits beyond just exercise. “[Fencing] definitely keeps me busy and gives me something to do,” Srivastava said. “A lot of the time I get really lazy. Sometimes, I just don’t want to do anything, but [fencing] helps add a good two hours to my day and it makes me feel productive.”

However, contrary to Gnanasekar’s initial positive experience, Srivastava admits that her first fencing club wasn’t a great fit for her.

Looking back, she wishes that she “started [fencing] with a m o r e positive mindset” in order to feel more

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

confident about herself.

“I wasn’t really happy with fencing when I first started and I guess it was just the competitive mindset that I was in,” Srivastava said. “I was [also] really hard on myself, so that took a toll on my mental health and that’s why I took a break [from fencing] for a pretty long time.”

After Srivastava’s break, she resumed fencing at a new club, Maximum Fencing Club, and felt like she became a “more holistic person who [was able to accomplish] a lot of things.” She attributes this strong comeback to the

change in environments. Currently, at Maximum Fencing Club, she feels more comfortable and confident while participating in the sport. She believes that her growth in character has helped her mature and break free from her fixed mindset that prevented her from accepting failure. Srivastava’s childhood friend, Jocelyn Tan, agrees that fencing can influence one’s mindset.

“When you win a competition or [when] you can feel yourself getting better at fencing you can feel very empowered,” Tan said. “But then when you’re not making much progress, it gets pretty frustrating.”

Tan began fencing with Srivastava at the same club, but later took a break before rejoining Srivastava’s club.

According to Tan, their friendship has improved because they faced similar challenges throughout their fencing careers. Gnanasekar also agrees that fencing has allowed her to create friendships, mainly because the sport closely relies on teamwork. While working with experienced fencers at the academy, Gnanasekar has learned important lessons from them. “[Older academy fencers] were

heading into college as D-1 athletes,” as soccer or tennis. [If] you go into Gnanasekar said. “I thought [it] was competitive levels of other sports, you’re really cool that spending the you could go same amount of into college with time, energy and I WASN’T REALLY HAPPY WITH a sport because money as you FENCING WHEN I FIRST STARTED being brought are in fencing.

AND I GUESS IT WAS JUST THE up in Cupertino, [Fencing] could COMPETITIVE MINDSET THAT I everything is branch out if WAS IN. I WAS [ALSO] REALLY always STEM and more people HARD ON MYSELF, SO THAT academics.” were exposed TOOK A TOLL ON MY MENTAL Her widened to it.”

HEALTH AND THAT’S WHY I perspective on Throughout TOOK A BREAK [FROM FENCING] life has also taught middle school, FOR A PRETTY LONG TIME. Gnanasekar fencing followed about the Gnanasekar !"#$%& importance of throughout the '&(')*&$+'*,'+' fencing and the ups and downs scarcity of the of life, which sport. allowed her “I feel like the fencing community is to “build bonds with [her] teammates super small,” Gnanasekar said. “I think and coach.” This helped her learn the a lot of people love the experience of important lesson that “there’s always fencing because it’s not as different next time to revisit the subject,” which she not only applied after lost bouts but also throughout her day-to-day life.

“I don’t regret [fencing] because I learned so much from it,” Gnanasekar said. “I was able to get rid of everything around my peripheral and just think about my hands, my footwork and where my next action was going to be. I’m glad I did [fencing] in my lifetime.”

MASK An insulated mesh visor that covers the face

GUARD The part of the hilt that protects the hand

BLADE The hitting part of the sword

PHOTO COURTESEY OF ARYA SRIVASTAVA | USED WITH PERMISSION PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE ZHENG

SPORTS | FEBRUARY 2022

37

Exploring the journeys of three student rock climbers

BY MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

W

PHOTO BY MAYA TATE | USED WITH PERMISSION

MVHS alum Maya Tate ‘20 scales the rock walll in September 2021.

38

EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2022

ith nothing but a carabiner securing them onto the side of a boulder on top of a mountain in Donner, MVHS alum Maya Tate ‘20 glances at the valley from above while faced with heavy wind striking their side. Armed with the support of their friend and well-known climber Steve Schneider, Tate’s ability to trust their gear was a “big confidence booster” that was both freeing and rewarding.

Tate started climbing “as soon as [they] could walk,” and says that they are grateful for having met Schneider because it can sometimes be difficult to find consistent partners to climb outdoors with. Tate mainly climbs with their father and friends, and though they have recently been climbing at their gym three to four times a week, they “love climbing [outdoors] the most.”

“One of the big things that I get to take away and learn is how my body works,” Tate said. “It’s given me an awareness of the way my body moves and what it can do — that’s really unique to having done the sport. And there’s also a lot of trust that I’ve had to learn and develop that you have to place [in] other people and gear.”

In the last year, Tate has been crosstraining more regularly, dedicating themselves to the sport as opposed to climbing casually. Similarly, junior Robin Ready first went rock climbing at 11 years old but has only consistently practiced the sport for the last six months. They share that the sport is good upper body

training and that they climb three times a week at the gym Movement, hoping to eventually climb competitively.

As Ready increased their strength and confidence, they began studying higher climbing routes. Whether it is the fear of heights or the “sketchy” nature “[Rock of higher routes, they share that the climbing] feels most difficult part of rock climbing is like a puzzle, “committing in the moment.” where your physical Junior Brooke Frei, who started strength is important, but climbing three months ago and practices how you do it and your proper climbing once or twice a week, enjoys form is also just as important,” Frei bouldering, or climbing closer to the said.

“But I also ground without do enjoy the a harness. Frei feeling of being agrees with up at the very Ready that [THE SPORT HAS] GIVEN top of the wall. climbing can ME AN OUTLET FOR HOW I And it’s very be intimidating FEEL. AND IT’S GIVEN ME A satisfying when since there you clock in FORM OF MEDITATION THAT is only a mat once you finish in case she I REALLY APPRECIATE. a climb.” were to fall. To Tate agrees overcome her !"#$%&'(!%)*+ that focusing fears, she “just !&,&%-&-. on “the puzzle” [goes] for it and gear is [since] there’s essential to no way to get completing the route and not falling. over it without actually doing it.”

Frei says the first time she fell To them, focusing is a tool they use to while climbing without a harness was stay centered on climbing that also acts a great learning experience that was as a “good distraction” from their world “even more rewarding than finishing outside of rock climbing. They also note the climb normally is.” Throughout her that they have a group of transgender time climbing, she has understood the friends who also rock climb, providing importance of using both strength and them with a sense of belonging in and out of the gym. strategy to scale the rock wall.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BROOKE FREI | USED WITH PERMISSION

“This sport has given me a community,” Tate said. “It’s given me slightly larger biceps. It’s given me an outlet for how I feel. And it’s given me a form of meditation that I really appreciate.”

!"#$%&'(%)'(*% "'+*(#,* SPORTS | FEBRUARY 2022

39

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