Volume 52, Issue 7, May 26, 2022

elESTOQUE MAY 2022

35 PROM

Prom returns to MVHS for the first time since 2019

VOLUME 52 ISSUE 7

elESTOQUE

21840 McClellan Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014 elestoque.org mv.el.estoque@gmail.com

Editors-in-Chief: Krish Dev, Anna Jerolimov Managing Editors: Melody Cui, Gauri Manoj, Kripa Mayureshwar, Mira Wagner Copy Editors: Crystal Cheng, Minjae Kang, April Wang News Editors: Lillian Wang, Angela Zhang Opinion Editors: Meggie Chen, Tvisha Gupta, Sarah Liu, Jisha Rajala Features Editors: Taryn Lam, Aashna Patel, Irene Tang Entertainment Editors: Nameek Chowdhury, Jiya Singh, Aashi Venkat Sports Editors: Kalyani Puthenpurayil, Michelle Zheng Graphics Editor: Sonia Verma Design Editors: Mikaylah Du, Sophia Ma Staff Writers: Diya Bahl, Michelle Chen, Sophia Chen, Ishaani Dayal, Anushka De, Devin Gupta, Gavin Hung, Jayanti Jha, Anna Kaminitz, Justin Kim, Jefferson Le, Shivani Madhan, Tanish Mendki, Riya Ravuri, Jannah Sheriff, Aditya Shukla, Geethi Tarra, Prisha Tiwari, Lance Tong, Shivani Verma, Matthew Yoshimoto, Nika Zamani, Alex Zhang Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite, MJE 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 Dear Class of 2022,

Your spirit inspires us.

In March of 2020, you were only sophomores when we were all thrown online.

None of us expected that we would stay online for as long as we did, but we did. Yet throughout everything, your optimism and strength was evident. You were thrown into the most challenging year of high school online: there’s no rule book for that. Despite that, the classes that you were in were the highlights of our day: your determination to make the most of an unideal situation shone through the computer screens into our rooms, brightening our lives.

But COVID has taken enough away from us. Let’s talk about what you were able to do this year. This year, you were tasked with leading the school: the senior class of 2022, with only one full year of high school under your belt. We looked to you to lead.

Homecoming: it’s ironic — you had been so excited to defeat the class of 2021 in 2019, not knowing that your next Homecoming would also be your last. But the tenacity that carried you to that victory was what was needed in you as role models this year. We looked to you to demonstrate school spirit, and you did. On spirit days, the effort and cohesion of your outfits blew the rest of us away. At sports games, your cheers echoed and ricocheted from every wall. We needed you to show us how it was supposed to be done, and you did.

Your willingness to share and give advice is admirable. Through columns, seven of you shared stories of growth as a result of overcoming grief and conquering challenges.

And in our Features package, others of you shared the things from high school that have most shaped you: your biggest fears, favorite classes and staff members and the most important things you’ve learned, including the importance of communicating with teachers, maintaining a balance between academics and fun and focusing on ourselves despite social pressure.

Now, to end the year, you finally get to go to prom, can celebrate during the senior all-night party and have a fitting farewell during graduation. As you plan your senior trips, we hope that you get to enjoy a final shared experience with the friends you have made during your time at MVHS. Class of 2022, we know that you will all be successful in whatever you decide to do with your future. The same optimism that has carried you through the challenges of high school, the optimism that we admire in you so dearly will make it support you in your journeys to accomplish whatever you desire. While it is difficult to say goodbye, we are grateful for all that you have given us and are prepared to carry on your legacy with the same spirit and optimism that you showed throughout your four years of high school. Class of 2022, we will miss you.

PHOTO | MIKAYLAH DU

COVER PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

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Krish Dev

Anna Jerolimov

PHOTO | MICHELLE CHEN

8 IN

PHOTO COURTESY OF VAISHNAVI SURESH

8 THIS

What’s your sign?

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2022

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Main gym renamed

Honoring Harry Bettencourt’s 32 years of service to FUHSD

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PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

ISSUE

What’s your sign?

PHOTO | SARAH LIU

Class of 2022

Seniors reflect on their experiences and memories at MVHS by answering various questions

32

One last time

Delving into the senior trips students at MVHS go on

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Sports recap: CCS edition

Examining the CCS runs of spring sports teams

10

Learning our limits

Understanding the value of balancing grades and PHOTO BY SOMEONE | USED WITH PERMISSION homework with mental health

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Teachers discuss possible agreements on reducing homework load

BY ANNA JEROLIMOV AND LILLIAN WANG

O

n Tuesday, April 26, journalism teacher Julia Satterthwaite led a faculty meeting during collaboration to discuss the homework related stress at MVHS. The presentation reviewed perspectives from students, parents and guidance counselor Clay Stiver and referenced a study by Challenge Success conducted in August 2020 which found that students’ academic performance was best when they had a maximum of two hours of homework each night. Then, staff interest on the idea of possibly making a collective commitment to reduce students’ daily homework loads was gauged.

At the end of the meeting, teachers were asked to participate in a “fist of five,” rating their agreement on the statement, “I would be interested

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PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

in a collective commitment about Shivani Verma, who spoke at the homework load” on a scale from one meeting, recalls seeing “a lot of fives to five, with one being uninterested and a few ones.” and five being At the the most meeting, Verma interested. spoke about Ty p i c a l l y, her experiences those who with homeworkheld up zeros, related stress at ones and MVHS. Verma twos would stated that as a be given an member of the opportunity MV Dance Team, consider homework to be a to share their she has struggled concerns, but primary source of stress in the past to there wasn’t *According to a survey of 132 people balance her enough time workload with for that follow-up, which Satterthwaite other commitments. She notes that says will happen at a later date after although MVHS staff have attempted the Leadership Team has time to to relieve student stress through reflect on the exit ticket data. Senior means such as bringing animals on

65%

of MVHS students

NEWS campus and implementing Tranquil related student stress would be to stressed. And when you go out of Tuesdays — teacher-led sessions make homework smarter and more Cupertino, and you break out of this of relaxing activities — in previous efficient. She believes that the work little bubble, you realize there’s a lot of years, these solutions have failed to she assigns can be divided into three ways to succeed in this country — you “address the issue, which is that we’re categories: input, in which students don’t have to go to an elite college. I stressed because we have a lot of are first exposed to material at home think that’s a big piece of the puzzle homework.” The root of the issue, she before class, in-class practice and right there. It’s that sense of being believes, is a lack of standardization review. stuck, of there being no other option.” between classes and an abundance Spanish teacher Joyce Fortune Satterthwaite points out that of unnecessary work. has a similar approach to Lerner the academic standards for many “ [ E xc e s s in assigning students at MVHS have become homework] homework: she disconnected from the standards of definitely uses homework to American students in general. She affects the allow students to cites the results of a recent Western amount of preview material Association of Schools and College rest I get,” before class, report surrounding academics at Verma said. practice and then MVHS, which found that students “Sometimes, review before were held to a much higher standard by the time assessments. One academically, even in college prep I’m done suggested solution classes, than students at other have three hours or more of doing the at the meeting was schools. things I homework every day to limit the amount “Because I’ve worked in another l i t e r a l l y *According to a survey of 132 people of homework to district at a school that was very have to do, under 30 minutes different from this one, I’ve seen like eat to survive, I don’t want to do per class on block days and under different types of high schoolers, and anything else because I’m tired from 15 minutes per class for days with not all teachers have that experience the entire day. And the reason I’m all seven classes. Fortune believes of having worked at a more ‘normal’ tired from the entire day is because that strict restrictions could end up high school,” Satterthwaite said.

I’m already sleep deprived. I didn’t impeding students’ learning and “Then they come to Monta Vista and sleep the niWWght before because I that cutting down get conditioned was doing homework. So it just carries homework as a to have extremely YOU DON’T HAVE on every single day.” whole is “not the high expectations TO GO TO AN ELITE Biology teacher Lora Lerner answer,” especially that are maybe believes collectively reducing in a language class, above and beyond COLLEGE. I THINK homework load would not allow where repetition what actually THAT’S A BIG PIECE teachers necessary flexibility in and memorization needs to happen.”

OF THE PUZZLE assigning work and would hinder are necessary for Overall, Lerner RIGHT THERE. teachers’ abilities to cover content, long-term learning. believes that especially in AP classes, where there Lerner and although most SPANISH TEACHER is a preset amount to cover. She Fortune agree JOYCE FORTUNE teachers showed adds that quantifying learning into a that frustration that they were minutes per day standard is difficult s u r r o u n d i n g willing to consider because students are fundamentally homework is indicative of a bigger a collective commitment, actually different. problem surrounding work culture at establishing a concrete time limit “You give the amount of homework MVHS. Lerner is unsure if reducing on homework could be difficult, as you think the average student, homework would resolve the problem most teachers “don’t want to be whoever that is, would need to be — less homework in one class could micromanaged to that level.” able to learn [a concept],” Lerner said. mean more space to take on an extra “It’s a little bit of a tough sell,” Lerner “But of course, for some students, AP class. Fortune believes the focus said. “I think most teachers, if you talk they don’t need to do that much. And should be on eliminating the pressure to them, don’t want your lives to be then for other students, that’s either of getting into an elite college, rather stressful and horrible, right? There’s not enough or takes them a really long than cutting homework. a sense of compassion for the issue, time because they may be struggling “[Our students] are super dedicated, but the actual implementation of that more with the basics.” super careful, thoughtful, organized, is very hard.”

However, Lerner agrees that a all these wonderful things,” Fortune possible solution to homework- said. “But they’re also extremely

50%

of MVHS students

NEWS | MAY 2022

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PHOTO | MICHELLE CHEN

Community members gather to celebrate the naming of the Bettencourt gymnasium at a ceremony on May 7.

MAIN GYM RENAMED Honoring Harry Bettencourt’s 32 years of service to FUHSD

BY MICHELLE CHEN AND DEVIN GUPTA

M

onta Vista’s main gym was renamed the Harry Anthony Bettencourt Jr. Gymnasium on May 7 in honor of former FUHSD principal and administrator Harry Bettencourt, who passed away in 2020. Assistant Principal Mike White and Superintendent Polly Bove held a naming ceremony to unveil the new signage and a bronze plaque for the public.

The event, held in the Rally Court, began with a performance from the MVHS Jazz Band led by band director John Gilchrist. MVHS Principal Ben Clausnitzer, Superintendent Polly Bove, FUHSD Trustee Bill Willson, Bettencourt’s wife Paula Bettencourt and his son Matt Bettencourt then spoke to the audience describing his impact on the school and district. The event concluded with a viewing of the new signage in the gym lobby and an ice cream social — one of Bettencourt’s

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favorite bonding activities, according “One of the [people] on the [class of to White.

‘82] tour reached out to me, and they The naming process began wanted to know how to have something at Fremont High School, where named after Mr. Bettencourt,” Bettencourt had briefly worked as White said. “I emailed Associate a principal.

Superintendent After starting Trudy Gross, as a business and I got [an] and social email back from sciences Superintendent t e a c h e r Polly Bove saying at MVHS, ‘Oh Mike, let me Bettencourt call you.’ There served as was a process to an assistant believe buildings should be name something principal at renamed in honor of influential for Harry at FHS C u p e r t i n o community members. because he was a High School principal there.” *According to a survey of 108 people and FHS, a However, after principal at considering both FHS and the Student and Community sites, Paula and Matt Bettencourt, Services and HR director for the ultimately decided to name MVHS’s district office, totaling over 32 years in main gym, where Bettencourt was the FUHSD. advisor to the first graduating class.

48%

of MVHS students

Following their decision, a request in the district and more importantly, for facility naming was submitted helped me become a school and approved by the MV School Site administrator. He was a mentor when Council and the FUHSD Board of I was hired and someone I knew and Trustees. loved dearly for a long time.”

“I think it’s very appropriate that the When Dong learned about the building that will be named after my dedication of the gymnasium to Harry dad is at Monta Vista,” Matt said. “My Bettencourt, he describes being dad was one of the first teachers ever “hopeful” and “happy” that a plaque at the school when it opened. That’s will inform visitors about the details of where he started his career with the Harry Bettencourt’s life. district, and then obviously, my dad “I was really happy to hear that lived in the community for his whole the district was going to honor him in adult life. It’s where I was born and some way,” Dong said. “To me, more raised, I went to high school there, and than just having the name on the my dad had a long standing presence building, when there are times to tell and relationship with the campus and his story [at] senior games or rallies or with the community. And I really think when that gym is being used, the story that a lot of the things that my dad of Harry Bettencourt is also being and his coworkers did set the table portrayed there.” so [MVHS] could be the high level Similarly, Matt hopes renaming the academic institution that it is.” gym will provide students with the When Matt first heard the news, he opportunity to learn more about his recalls feeling both happiness and father. When he was a kid, and Harry sadness. On the one hand, he was was the principal at FHS, Matt recalls “thankful and asking Harry really grateful” about the history IT WOULD REALLY MEAN and namesake of that the school A LOT TO MY DAD TO had decided Diesner field, the HAVE A BUILDING NAMED football field at to honor his AFTER HIM IN A PLACE dad in that way.

FHS. WHERE HE ACTIVELY However, Matt “Hopefully TRIED SO HARD TO also describes that’s something HELP SO MANY PEOPLE experiencing “a that’ll happen for AND TO POSITIVELY formal feeling my dad too,” Matt INFLUENCE SO MANY of complete said. “Down the PEOPLE. loss” because line, some kids will MATT BETTENCOURT ask their parents, it cemented the loss of his dad.

‘Who’s Harry “I think it would really mean a lot to Bettencourt, and why are we here my dad to have a building named after at the Bettencourt gymnasium?’ and him in a place where he actively tried hopefully that’ll give people a chance so hard to help so many people and to to talk about my dad and reinforce positively influence so many people,” what a positive role he played for so Matt said. “But it also made me really many people and how other people sad because I’d rather have my dad like him and his co workers and back than have a building named after their generation really gave a lot of him.” themselves, not just to the classroom, Homestead assistant principal Brian but to an entire campus and entire Dong, who was best friends with Matt student body and community.” since kindergarten and throughout high school, describes Harry as both a parent and friend to him.

“He had seen me grow up at Monta Vista and [had] given me opportunities because he was employed by the district,” Dong said. “When I graduated from college, he helped me get a job

COURTESY OF MATT BETTENCOURT | USED WITH PERMISSION

Harry Bettencourt poses with his son Matt during the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2000.

NEWS | MAY 2022

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PHOTO | KRISH DEV

THE ARTS GET A MAKEOVER Exploring the impact of F building construction

BY ALEX ZHANG

T

he F building, which is home to art classes and principles of engineering, will undergo its first major construction beginning June 6 and is slotted to be completed by the end of October.

According to Facilities Manager Eddy Medal, this renovation will include “a new roof, paint, drop down electrical components from the roof as opposed to the floor, LED upgrades and flooring in there as well.” Medal notes that unlike in previous years, where the F building has seen “bits and pieces of updates and hand-medowns, this is probably its first time ever having a real renovation done to it.”

Unfortunately, Medal describes setbacks including supply chain related issues like getting the necessary raw construction materials that resulted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, making the end of October a wishful completion goal.

Medal recalls encountering problems including “the simplest things like flooring where last year we couldn’t get carpet … [or that] we were waiting for a motor shaft, which was the only thing missing out of the whole build for the H Vac units, but we

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couldn’t put it in for two months. It’s year. Junior Vincent Zhao, who takes just things that you would never think Introduction to Engineering in the F about and just take for granted, and building, states that he is especially then all of a sudden it’s gone.” interested in seeing the new lighting From an administrative perspective, and setup.

Assistant Principal Sydney Fernandez “I feel like a lot of MVHS buildings, says teachers are excited for the especially those like the F building reconstruction and have begun the and other art departments, have been process of boxing up their classrooms. really neglected so this reconstruction “We’ve been is long past due,” Zhao working with said. “A lot of my friends THE F-BUILDING teachers and who spend a lot of time HAS BEEN REALLY starting to both in the F building due NEGLECTED SO THIS to Robotics have also clean out and RECONSTRUCTION IS mentioned that they’re pack up their rooms, figuring also super excited for LONG PAST DUE. out what needs to what the building is stay and what can gonna look like later this JUNIOR year.” go — what they’ll VINCENT ZHAO need for next Sharing this year as they won’t sentiment, Medal says have access to their current rooms,” he is looking forward to the success Fernandez said. of the F building reconstruction, so Administration has worked to place then construction can extend to other art classes in classrooms with sinks in buildings in need of repair. the fall and shifted other courses to “We’re starting on one of the arts the only empty classrooms on campus buildings, but obviously there’s several until the F building renovation is more,” Medal said. “So drama would complete. be the next one, the choir room, the Many students report being band room, kind of just circle around enthusiastic about the potential to this whole campus.” have new classroom spaces next

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

5

Twitter

7

CRT

Who was the leading How much did Elon Republican candidate Musk agree to pay for during the California ownership of Twitter? recall election?

6

Physics

Which project did AP Physics 1 students tackle on April 28 and 29?

BY KRISH DEV, RIYA RAVURI AND LILLIAN WANG

1

Warfare

Who was the leading Which state rejected 41% Republican candidate of new math textbooks during the California over topics like social recall election? emotional learning and

Which territory bordering Ukraine was attacked on April 25?

Critical Race Theory?

2

Dance

8

What was the theme of MVHS’s first dance on campus in two years?

Staff

Which staff member announced their retirement during Challenge Day?

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Grammys

9

Who was the leading Which artist received 11 Republican candidate nominations in the 64th during the California Annual Grammy Awards? recall election?

Space

Who wasApril, the leading During which Republican candidate planet was revealed to during the California have experienced an recall election? unexpected temperature shift?

4

Festival

Which annual music festival took place in Southern California from April 15 to April 24?

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Spotlite

Which vocal group opened Spotlite on India with an a cappella performance?

ILLUSTRATIONS | LILLIAN WANG 1) Transnistria; 2) Neon Lights Dance; 3) Jon Batiste; 4) Coachella; 5) $44 billion; 6) Egg drop; 7) Florida; 8) Richard Prinz; 9) Neptune; 10) Curryations

Answers:

NEWS | MAY 2022

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LEARNING OUR LIMITS Understanding the value of balancing grades and homework with mental health

T

he amount of homework MVHS students should receive has been a popular source of discussion in our community among school administration, teachers, parents and students alike. On Tuesday, April 26, at a staff meeting, attendees explored the research and testimonies from a student, teacher and guidance counselor regarding this topic. One proposed solution to homeworkrelated student stress was to assign a maximum two hours of homework per night across all of a student’s classes.

According to a Stanford study, more than two hours of homework a night may be counterproductive and diminish its effectiveness. This suggested homework policy was met with a variety of reactions, with some attendees agreeing with the policy while others felt hesitant about its potential effects.

Only 24% of MVHS students have two hours of homework or less, meaning that 76% of students may be spending more time doing extra hours of homework that may not most effectively cultivate learning and development.

In addition to exploring this two-hour maximum as a collective commitment among staff, other measures to reduce student stress must also be implemented. MVHS staff should implement more learning opportunities to help students and parents understand the impact of their choices when planning their course schedules. It’s important for students and families to understand that it’s not possible to take multiple AP or honors courses without facing significant stress.

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College students typically take four courses at one time, so if MVHS students are taking four AP or honors courses, that’s consistent with a college student’s workload. If they are taking seven courses, that can be nearly double the workload of a college s t u d e n t .

Students also have to attend school each day, more classroom contact hours than a college course, which may meet two to three times per week, which also greatly increases stress levels.

FUHSD should develop a policy for helping kids take on a reasonable course load. According to the

Progressive Policy Institute, 86 percent of the top 153 universities and colleges in the United States restrict the awarding of AP creditAs a community, MVHS should reassure students that getting into their idea of a “good” college is still an option with fewer AP classes and that there’s no such thing as a college that’s universally “good” for everyone. MVHS should provide information about other factors besides rigorous classes or grades that can help with college admissions and avoid overloading students. For example, the school can provide more college informational seminars to educate families on the importance of other aspects of a student’s college application, including combining students’ interests with extracurricular activities so students can pursue their passions. By implementing programs to reduce the pressure of taking

opinion more classes one can handle, we will be able to foster a better learning environment for all.

Additionally, MVHS should work to better educate parents on an optimal balance of students’ mental health and rigorous courses to help students push their limits while keeping stress levels at a healthy point. According to a research paper on the effects of advanced placement science on students, more AP classes have been correlated to higher amounts of stress in students.

Pressuring students to take AP

| SAR PHOTO

classes they aren’t committed to test scores as part of the admissions does not necessarily give them process, thus adding more weight to an edge when it comes to college other aspects of a student’s application admissions, especially if the student like outstanding performance in a is not passionate about the subject of certain subject, special projects and the class. Taking unnecessary classes other awards in subjects students may make the are actually student feel interested in more stressed versus purely and decrease academic the amount achievements. of time the Colleges student can should work spend on to make their subjects they admissions are genuinely think two or fewer hours of more holistic so interested in. homework is most helpful that students If a student *According to a survey of 132 people can do well in genuinely subjects they enjoys learning about a subject that are passionate about. Students would may not align with their goals in be less stressed if they focused their higher education, the student can time and energy on doing well in and should take the class as long activities they truly found joy in. as they are able to balance it with While MVHS can — and should — their mental health. commit to reducing homework load to On a broader scale, help students optimize their school-life the college admissions balance, it’s ultimately up to students processes should be re- and families to choose classes that will evaluated so students help them grow but not break. Thus, don’t worsen their mental it’s crucial that parents and students health in trying to be take an active role in seeking out more competitive for these resources to better understand admissions. The UCs their students’ own limits. have recently omitted using standardized

71%

of MVHS students

AH LIU

OPINION | MAY 2022

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DISCIPLINE ABUSE Examining emotional and physical abuse in parent-child relationships

BY TVISHA GUPTA AND JISHA RAJALA Content warning: This story contains descriptions of physical and verbal abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

The student source in this story is anonymous due to safety concerns and will be referred to as Student A.

over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the CDC. While the media currently plays a large role in bringing child abuse cases to the forefront of public attention, too often, we as a community fail to recognize that such situations run rampant in our own atmospheres. t all starts with fury. The anger Such actions are often influenced by builds rapidly, a wave that becomes cultural standards. Often, disciplinary taller and more threatening until it actions thought to be normal in one overflows, crashing and spewing out culture can be perceived to be abuse in a tsunami of words. by another. Eastern forms of parenting “He’ll start saying all these curse (undertaken by Asian and Indian words and us[ing] the worst language, cultures) are typically seen as more the worst insults, and he yells in my authoritarian, aggressive and, at times, face,” Student A said. “He gets up abusive by those in the West, while close to my face and just screams and Western parenting tactics (utilized by I don’t know what to do.”

American families) are seen as more According to the CDC, physical tolerant and supportive, coupling abuse is defined as the purposeful firm rules with explanations for them. use of physical force with the intention Similarly, certain cultural healing of causing physical injury, and practices can be perceived as abusive emotional abuse includes behaviors as well. Guasha, a common healing that threaten to harm one’s emotional practice in Chinese culture, involves well-being. In 2018, at least 678,000 rubbing a spoon-like tool made of children nationally were victims of porcelain, jade or similar materials on child abuse, and the severity wet skin to remove illness. However, of these only got the practice results in skin eruptions worse on the patient’s body, which may mirror bruises that appear on one’s back or face as a result.

I

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School-based therapist Richard Prinz characterizes authoritarian parenting as strict and heavily focused on obedience, with little room for responsiveness from children.

Authoritarian parents tend to focus more on control, saying, “I’m telling you what to do. It’s my way or the highway,” as put by Prinz. Authoritative parenting, on the other hand, focuses more on discipline through nurturing, explanations about decisions and support. Authoritative parents tend to be more open to discussions about certain rules, Prinz says, suggesting, “OK, let’s work [it] out.”

Within certain cultures, assertive forms of parenting aren’t seen as abuse, and thus, the misinformed parenting tactics continue. A survey conducted by the Hindustan Times in 2018 of 1,790 Indian parents showed that 78% of parents hit their children, with 28% doing it on a regular basis, indicating that Indian culture tends to lean towards physical violence in order to discipline their kids.

Similarly, research conducted by the Journal of Global Health suggests that many Asian-heritage parents employ authoritarian parenting styles, which include a lack of involvement in children’s personal and academic development as well as high levels of strictness. These parenting styles often stem from a heavy focus on cultural standards that prescribe academic excellence and parental authority. Such disciplinary tactics have been the norm in Eastern cultures for generations. Growing up in rigid, autocratic structures establishes a b u s i v e actions as

the norm, which are then undertaken are often at a higher risk for facing or contact any of the school-based and utilized by upcoming generations trauma-driven side-effects, such therapists or psychologists to request of parents. as PTSD or CPTSD, both of which help. “[My dad] grew up in a really poor are post-traumatic stress disorders.

“I think [my parents] need to learn family situation, [and] also lived in Children are entirely dependent on that I’m growing up,” Student A said. a really rural community in India,” the adult figures in their lives, and “I understand why they wouldn’t want Student A said. “I think his dad was a lack of emotional and physical me to party and stuff. Most parents abusive to his mom, so maybe he comfort from them often results in the don’t. But they know that is who I am. learned it from there.” inability to live life in normal, healthy That is my life. That’s what I want it to Actions ways. Abuse or neglect be. And I think now they should just that constitute victims may experience accept it. It should be like if [I’m] going HEARING IT FROM p h y s i c a l a stunt in the physical to party, [I] have to be able to come MY DAD MAKES IT 10 abuse include growth of brain home to us in case anything happens, hitting, kicking, structures, which may [rather] than do it in college and not TIMES WORSE. THE slapping and lead to psychological have anyone to go to if anything goes WAY HE IT TO ME, scratching, problems later on in wrong.”

WHICH IS, “YOU’RE while verbal their lives such as Parent Lavanya Singhmahanti A SLUT,” I START TO abuse involves low self-esteem and echoes a similar sentiment in which BELIEVE THAT. the usage of substance abuse she expresses the importance of negative or issues. being open and fostering friendly STUDENT A derogatory “It’s really relationships with children in order to words in order traumatizing,” Student ensure their safety. to maintain power over someone. A said. “I already believe that males “Try to be friendly and be open so Statistically, parents are the most should not have a right in what women that the kids are also open to you and likely figures to neglect or abuse do or say. But hearing it from my dad, then they tell you the truth, so that their children, which can destroy the a male, makes it 10 times worse. The they don’t get into trouble anywhere,” relationship between them. way he says it to me, which is like, Singhmahanti said. “It’s just being “What [my dad] says it’s like, when ‘you’re a slut,’ I start to believe that.” truthful to each other and being open.” he comments on my clothes, saying, Reporting and intervening in child Recognizing the importance of ‘What you’re wearing is slutty, you’re abuse situations is vital in order to reporting and preventing child abuse a whore, you look like a prostitute,’ prevent psychological and physical is crucial in order to to ensure the when I’m wearing normal tank tops harm to involved youth. Such well-being of all members of a family. around the house,” Student A said. “If situations can Healthy it gets to a really bad point, then they’ll be reported Santa Clara County recieves over f a m i l y just start hitting me. My mom used to by anyone relationships do it a lot, like push me to the floor, to State have been kick me, then my mom usually uses a Child Abuse proven to [slipper].” and Neglect be a source Prinz points out how an example R e p o r t i n g of comfort, of advocacy against parental abuse Numbers or to guidance child abuse reports every year is “Ferdinand the Bull.” In this famous the Childhelp and security, children’s story, while the other Spanish N a t i o n a l *According to data from County of Santa Clara’s Child and can Abuse Prevention Council bulls were urged by their parents A b u s e have positive to fight in the bull ring, Ferdinand, Hotline.

By impacts on being introverted, preferred smelling taking action, individuals can help one’s health, and fostering these flowers. Although his mom was protect children and families from greatly helps the emotional stability of worried about his lack of engagement harm. Additionally, fostering open and all those involved. with the other bulls, she refrained from friendly relationships between parents “I want to just live my life on my pathologizing Ferdinand, and didn’t and their children can allow for open own merit,” Student A said. “After push him into being “a true bull,” but communication and a reduction being trapped for so long, once I’m rather embraced him for who he is, in abusive situations. Using family free, I’m free. I’m going to do what I something Prinz recommends to all counseling or having discussions want to do.” parents. arbitrated by a third party can help “Parents have to be really careful move a family towards healing. not to misunderstand and not to MVHS students can fill out the assume they know [about their kids],” Wellness Check-In Form or the Student Prinz said. “There’s emotion in there.” Safety Report to report mental health Those experiencing child abuse or events that threaten their safety,

20,000

OPINION | MAY 2022

13

Seasonal Weather

From heatwaves to rainy days, last year’s summer weather was really something else. Let’s hope it’s a little more cooperative this summer.

BY SOPHIA MA

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2022

Summer, give Break! me a

Finals are almost over and June is right around the corner, but I still don’t know what I want to do over summer break!

BY SONIA VERMA

OPINION | MAY 2022

15

Recalling the lessons I’ve learned from my relationships

BY JISHA RAJALA question that constantly clouds that seemed fun — so who better than my head is, do I have any the “popular kids”? In a blink of an eye, friends? Don’t get me wrong, I know a I was sitting with a group of five other lot of people. I talk to a lot of people people in front of Room E under a tree every day. I have “friends” in classes, that would sprinkle leaves onto our clubs, meetings and of course, family lunches. Upgrade, eh? At least I had a friends, but are they really genuine? bigger, better, more fun group, right?

It all started in middle school. But little did I know there was much Coming from Garden Gate, a different more than that. elementary Undeniably, I had school from great experiences THAT GROUP WAS FUN, with them. Halloween most of my peers, I didn’t making, BUT THAT WAS IT. AND costume know anyone at watching “Frozen DEEP INSIDE, OUR Kennedy. I was 2” while downing RELATIONSHIP FELT worried — did Icees — that in itself SHALLOW. WE WERE was much more fun I really have a CLOSE YET SO FAR than hanging out in chance to make AWAY. AND ALL ALONG, the library during friends?

On the first day of I KNEW THAT, BUT I lunch with my head middle school, STAYED, MERELY FOR shoved into books.

I wore a plain THE SAKE OF HAVING A That group was yellow shirt fun, but that was it.

GROUP. with thick pink And deep inside, glasses, my hair our relationship felt tightly secured shallow. We were in a ponytail scraped back with a close yet so far away. And all along, pink headband. Looking back, I think I knew that, but I stayed, merely for the answer was pretty clear: making the sake of having a group. To show friends would be a … challenge. But others they were my “friends.” lucky for me, there were two other kids During the summer before high who were equally as out of place as I school, I wanted to start tutoring was. Without hesitation, we became middle school students math. But friends, merely so I could hang out with to do any of that, I needed a team. someone. But that didn’t last very long. As I was vigorously listing people Every day when the lunch I thought could help bell rang, I would dart to the umbrella me with t h i s benches and reserve a spot for my two initiative, I new “friends”. Yup, I was that girl. One only had “friend” would eat her lunch and go to three in the library, and the other one — all I can m i n d . remember is that she spat a lot. And T h r e e there I was, trying to save my lunch people. from the pellets of spit in the air.

And in After several months of this, I decided a matter that I’d had enough. I didn’t want any of one more spit landing in my food, and s e c o n d , especially did not want to be spending e v e r y t h i n g my lunches in the library. I needed a changed. There change. I set off on a mission to find was me, who was some new friends. I didn’t care about initially blinded by the thought that sharing interests, I just wanted a group I had a lot of friends, but when it

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2022

came time I really needed someone I could really trust, who had my back, I had no one. Not even one person.

And that summer, I learned that I had no friends. I had acquaintances. I had aquaintances in each class. I had acquaintances in Speech. I had acquaintances outside of school. I had acquaintances. But more than connections, more than a friend group, I just needed one friend — one friend that I could genuinely trust. I didn’t look for the number of people in the group. No one is the same, and I understand that, and more than anything all I wanted was someone who I knew I could trust.

All I wanted was someone to who I could relate. Someone who listens.

Someone who cares. Someone more than just a “friend”.

When in-person high school started, I had to start over with the friend-making progress. I figured I could branch off the connections I had from middle school, and after joining their friend group, walking to 7-Eleven and ranting about physics I think now, I may have found the friend.

PHOTO | JISHA RAJALA

02 2 2 TO O N

Y AR |T

Seniors reflect on their experiences and memories at MVHS by answering various questions

PH

BY DIYA BAHL, ISHAANI DAYAL, ANUSHKA DE, JAYANTI JHA, ANNA KAMINITZ, TARYN LAM, AASHNA PATEL AND MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

M LA

FEATURES | MAY 2022

17

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR GOING INTO MVHS?

BY ISHAANI DAYAL AND JAYANTI JHA

PHOTO | JAYANTI JHA

Vyshnav Venkatesh

“

“

My biggest fear was being introduced to a lot of people that I didn’t know, because I’m not really good with large groups of people that I’m not really comfortable with.

I think being exposed to a lot of new people [was my biggest fear], because when you’re in eighth grade, and you’re at the top, [it] doesn’t really matter. You can’t be intimidated by sixth or seventh graders. When you’re a freshman, you have to deal with three new grades of people that you’ve never met before. It wasn’t a big trouble while I was [actually] in Monta Vista. [The fear] was more like before [I began], but when I started school, it wasn’t that bad.

My biggest fear going into high school was finding fun extracurriculars that I wanted to be a part of. When I came into high school, I decided that I wanted to branch out and decided to do theater, which was something that I was nervous about because I didn’t have much prior experience. But, once I joined it, I found my place quickly.

And then, by the end of high school, I’ve been in Drama for four years, and I’ve done a show every year. I just really let go of those stereotypes or expectations and let it just be something that I was fully into. Being a part of theater helped me a lot with social situations, coming into myself and being more confident.

“

PHOTO | ISHAANI DAYAL

Shriya Dwivedi

My biggest fear [was] making friends because Monta Vista’s really big, and to overcome that, I joined Speech, [where] I made a lot of friends. I was also in Leadership, and I made friends with people who were older than me. That was helpful to [me] because they eased my anxieties [since] they’d already been through things. If I hadn’t joined some [clubs], I probably would have been different, like I don’t know if I would have friends. I think it was a legitimate fear.

PHOTO | JAYANTI JHA

Ajit Chamraj 18

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2022

“

Going into high school, my biggest fear was not being able to find [a] community here. It seemed like everything was really academic, so finding time to tend to relationships was something that seemed foreign to me. But I think after four years, you realize that you not only find communities in your little friend groups, but [also in] a lot of activities or classes on campus [which] help you get to know a lot of different types of people on campus.

I’d say for more definitive [communities], I guess it’s clubs. I do FBLA and I’m also part of the senior class office, [where] I work with cool people too. But even in classes like Stats, I meet very outgoing and friendly people.

PHOTO| |JAYANTI AASHNA PATEL PHOTO JHA

Cindy Zou

“

[My biggest fear] was talking to new people and introducing myself. In middle school, I didn’t really talk to other people outside of my own friend group.

And even in ninth grade, I didn’t introduce myself to other people. But as I went through high school, I learned that it’s better to just talk to new people and get to know people [because] you learn a lot of things from them. You make new experiences [with] them. I think after quarantine, mostly, I started talking to people [and] I learned a lot of new things. [Now], I’ve made some really good friendships. And I’ve expanded from my four or five main friends, and from that, [I’ve] gotten to do things I probably couldn’t have done without them.

“ PHOTO | AASHNA PATEL PHOTO | ISHAANI DAYAL

PHOTO | ISHAANI DAYAL

Neelkanth Shitolay

[My biggest fear in high school was] making new friends because [MVHS] seemed like a really big school. I slowly started building [confidence] by talking to more people and talking to more teachers. The biggest thing [in] freshman year was that I was so scared [of] what the teachers [were] going to think of me. As soon as I started answering more questions and [began] talking out loud, I was able to break out [of my] shell. Now I know a lot of people, and I feel more comfortable getting out of my shell. I represent a lot of stuff, like Student Equity Task Force. And in AVID, I’m one of the head leaders in talking to younger advocates. I know how to talk to kids now, so I feel like I’m more confident now that I’m a senior.

Viyata Ruta FEATURES | MAY 2022

19

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CLASS?

BY TARYN LAM AND AASHNA PATEL

“

My favorite class was World Core in 10th grade. I had Ms. Kaufman and Mr. Victorine.

It was really fun because a bunch of my friends were in the class. For [the] World War One [unit] in Mr. Victorine’s class, we did a simulation where we had to fight for our country. [Originally, we thought that] they were all made up countries [but] then it turned out that all of those were real countries, and we went through what those countries went through during World War One. Being able to see an actual account of what people were going through during those time periods of history was really interesting.

Karunya Ramamoorthy

“

[My favorite class] is Drama Honors [with Ms. Gould], because it’s really fun. I get to express a lot of personality in that class and I am able to be myself. I also have a lot of friends in that class, so it’s a really cool environment where you have a lot of agency over what you do. It’s a space where you can [show] your emotions [through] your art. I grew [through this class] because I learned to take responsibility for a lot of things, and I’m a lot more loud and free in my personality. I was lighting lead so I had a lot of work and responsibility I had to take on all of a sudden and that made me hold myself accountable.

“

Mahati Varanasi

My favorite class was Physio with Ms. Smith, [which] I took last year on Zoom. Ms. Smith was the main reason why I found the class so enjoyable. For instance, she went out of her way to contact students who she knew were struggling, to help us keep up with our grades and help make sure we were staying on track. [For the final] I chose [to present about] psychedelics and how they affect the brain. I did research on the positives and negatives of [psychedelics] and gave a presentation about [whether or not] it should be looked into for treatments, which was my favorite project.

Kayla Leung 20

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2022

“

At Monta Vista, my favorite class is currently AP CS P. I’m a CS major, so CS P really taught me the fundamentals of computer science. I took [AP] CS A as well, which taught me Java, but [AP] CS P really helped me understand web[site] dev[elopment] and its intricacies and the basics of computer science. In this class, you just learn computer science and its effects on the world, and I find that really interesting. One thing [I enjoyed] was the collaboration. Specifically, in my class, you were able to collaborate with your friends [on the] AP test to build a great performance task. I did that with one of my friends, and we had [a great time] bonding.

PHOTO | AASHNA PATEL

Raj Gokidi

“

Taking Physio with Ms. Smith was a really fun class. The class is really engaging and I’m also interested in the topic of physiology. It doesn’t feel as bland as some other classes that I’ve taken, [so] it’s a good class environment. [Ms. Smith] is really funny [and] she makes sure the class isn’t boring. My favorite unit from the class was when we were learning about the cardiovascular system because that’s the unit [where] we got to dissect a sheep heart, which was interesting. We [dissected] pigs in Bio freshman year and frogs in middle school, but I’d never done a sheep heart before, so it was really new to me.

Even if you’re not really interested in the subject, it’s still a fun class.

“ PHOTO | AASHNA PATEL

Ananya Rupanagunta

Connor Gorts

My favorite class was Honors American Literature [with Ms. Nava, where] we looked at [literature through] critical lenses. My perspective on my life and the world changed [due to the class]. We live in a bubble at Monta Vista, so when you go to college, your world just expands really quickly. And it’s useful to have this knowledge of class, race and gender to be able to understand the nuances in society. Taking American Honors [Lit] has prepared me in understanding the different experiences of different people who are not always represented in Monta Vista. I myself cannot identify with all the things that we talked about in class, but I think being able to understand opens your mind and makes you more accepting of other people.

PHOTOS | AASHNA PATEL

FEATURES | MAY 2022

21

WHICH TEACHER ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

BY DIYA BAHL

“

Compared to most teachers, [science teacher Kyle Jones] is very lenient and chill, which is why I’m thankful for him. As long as you get your work done, his AP Environmental Science class is very doable and enjoyable. A memory I have with Mr. Jones is specifically when he graded the wind turbine designs that we made in class during a lab. He implied that my group’s turbine was the best. He didn’t say it though, because you have to be impartial to the other students.

“

— Adithya Iyer

[My relationship with English teacher Megan Choate] is different [compared to] other teachers because I can talk to [Ms. Choate] more naturally. A part of it [is that she’s] younger and more relatable to us. In that sense, I can talk to her about anything very casually and in a friendly manner, so I appreciate that about her. I respect her a lot because of that, [and] I genuinely want to be there every time I go into class. I feel like she enjoys me being there, and that makes me want to be there all the time. Every day when I walk into class, I’ll say good afternoon, and she’ll always say good afternoon back, and I really love that.

­— Arune Sarma

“

I’m grateful for [economics teacher Pete Pelkey] because he volunteered to be a host for MV SNL. It’s a big commitment, but he volunteered a couple times a week at lunch, and he made the show a lot better. He went out of his way so that he could host which we really appreciated. He added in his [own] personal touch, and everyone in Drama was really grateful. He acted as Machine Gun Kelly in one of the sketches I directed, and I really enjoyed getting him into costume and makeup backstage He would always tell everyone what a good job they were doing and he was very supportive.

“

I’m thankful for art teacher Jodi Johnson because of how amazing she is at teaching us photography. She is always the guiding light in photo presentations.

She’s opened doors for me to improve my photo-taking skills as well as learn about famous photographers, and she’s taught me a lot of photography techniques that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. A memory I have with her is that a few weeks ago, I was out taking pictures in the Rally Court and she came and told us that we were doing a great job which made me feel really good. But unfortunately, she also wanted us to come back inside.

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2022

­— Siddhartha Mishra

— Roma Hashemi

PHOTO | AASHNA PATEL

PHOTOS | DIYA BAHL

WHAT IS AN IMPORTANT LESSON YOU LEARNED?

“

BY ANNA KAMINITZ AND MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

I learned to ask for help and the importance of forming an open and communicative relationship with my teachers. Going to tutorials was a big thing for me during my junior year, especially because in remote learning, communication and direct help from teachers were limited. [While] taking hard classes and APs, reaching out to my teachers really helped me do well on all of my exams. I will take this lesson with me in college: [to be] communicative with professors and friends — it helps you be a better person and helps you grow to your full capacity as a student.

“

— Ritvi Ranka

I learned the importance of having a good balance of fun and academics and making sure that my idea of ‘fun’ is beneficial to me and not harmful to my future. I’ve realized how important academics are and how everyone underestimates them at some point. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, a lot of MVHS students forget to have fun. I’ve seen people being burnt out [since they weren’t] able to balance out their work. I have realized that having a good balance of both is key and that I can still have a fun [school] experience while ensuring my future is secure.

­— Remy Haghighi

“

[My time] at Monta Vista [has taught me] that you need to focus on yourself, [and] not on what [the MVHS community] says. There’s a lot of social pressure for people to [get into] UCs. But I think what’s most important is that you focus on what you want to do with your life and what makes you happy, [which] will [ultimately] make you successful. I didn’t start noticing this until I started talking to Mr. Pelkey [who] pointed a lot of this out to me, [and] allowed me to figure out what makes me happy, what I want to do with my life, where I want to go to college and where I want to live.

“

—Ian Keneally

The most important thing I have learned is how to deal with stressful situations while completing work or basically how to manage your priorities. As everyone grows up around you, people start to form their own opinions, which might bring up more friend drama, relationship drama or family drama, which forces a person to work on the skill of maintaining a schedule while juggling so many things. In this way, high school acts as a mini look into ‘real life’ where you’ll need to take care of yourself and your priorities as an adult no matter what things come your way.

­— Auria Polefka

PHOTO | AASHNA PATEL

PHOTOS | ANNA KAMINITZ

FEATURES | MAY 2022

23

SENIORS IN THREE S’S An overview of the Class of 2022 based on a sample of 175 seniors

BY ANUSHKA DE

56.1% 51.8% 71.5% would not attend MVHS again

have cheated on a test in high school

are content with their choice of college or university

SCHOOL

17.7%

33.3%

have been under the influence on campus

have been high

14.3%

have smoked or vaped on campus

42% have been under the influence of alcohol

SUBSTANCES

18.5% 45.7% have had sex

have been in a relationship at some point in high school

4.6% have had sex on campus

ILLUSTRATIONS | ANUSHKA DE

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2022

SEX

Like father, like daughter How my dad inspired my love for sports

BY SOPHIA CHEN

D

ear Dad, You were my superhero in a lot of ways, but one thing that always amazed me was the sheer amount of sports you played. Even in your 40s, your weekends and lunch breaks were filled with basketball games and tennis matches. You would always drag me and my sister to some gym or park for whatever sports game, running around soaking your shirt in sweat with other middle-aged men.

Of course, I was a lot more interested in playing games on the iPad in the bleachers than actually watching your boring baseball games that seemed to drag on forever (I’m sorry). I would barely glance at the old TV when you had an NBA game on — but I do remember you had always loved Jeremy Lin and always watched whatever team he was playing on.

But these moments that didn’t mean anything to me as a kid became like all the other memories of you over the years after you died — blurred to a point beyond recognition and just out of reach. Yet, as I delved into sports beyond the swim classes at the YMCA that you and Mom signed me up for since kindergarten, those mundane moments started becoming … a lot more mundane.

It’s not just missing memories of watching you enjoy something you were so passionate about; throughout the seven years I’ve played basketball, I’ve sometimes imagined what kind of basketball player I would have been if you were still here — what you could have taught me, what we could have practiced in the off-season, what we could have talked about as people who understood the game. I’ve wondered what it would have been like to have someone who I could share this passion.

Beyond every second of every basketball game I played, there are so many other moments that I wished I could have shared with you: fumbling my way through my first middle school

PHOTO | KRISH DEV AND SOPHIA MA

volleyball game, running my first cross country meet sub-7:00 pace, nearly tripping over my first-ever hurdle at my first track meet. I feel like the highs and lows people experience while playing sports are universal — I’m sure there’s so much we could have talked about.

Even without you, I’ve still had my moments. There are little moments of triumph — like when I scored 17 points on your birthday — and pressure — like when I knew your former basketball buddy was going to be at the game.

But the moment that has stuck with me most was the small, innocuous comment Mom made after a game when she peeked through the door for the last couple of minutes.

She said that I reminded her of you when I was on the floor scrambling for the ball.

Every loose ball I dive for, every single shirt I’ve soaked in sweat from exertion, every time I push myself to my limit show that you’re a part of who I am as an athlete. Your drive, your dedication and your ability to just enjoy the moment has shaped me into

who I am as an athlete, and in turn, have made me a better person.

For all the sports I’ve done before, for every single sport I’ve added to my repertoire, I did them in part because of you, Dad. And even without you, I believe that I got everything out of sports you would have wanted me to.

While I regret rarely looking up from my iPad to watch you play basketball, tennis or baseball, and while I wished you could have seen who I became beyond fifth grade, I know that sports will still be a huge part of my life as I navigate the world of college and beyond even that.

And maybe I’ll still be playing sports in my 40s like you did. Maybe I’ll wake up and run four miles before work, fill my weekends and lunch breaks doing something that I love. That you loved.

And I thank you for still being a part of my life.

With so much love,

FEATURES | MAY 2022

25

TAKING THE WHEEL

How I finally got to know myself better through driving

BY ISHAANI DAYAL

D

o you have road rage?”

“What?”

“I think you have road rage.”

Those were not the words I was hoping to hear from my mom after exiting I-280 for the first time. Yes, I had been honked at several times while attempting a lane change. And yes, I had missed the exit twice and had to drive an additional 15 minutes to our destination. But I couldn’t pinpoint a time while driving where I had contributed to the chaos due to my own anger or frustration. In fact, I couldn’t pinpoint any fault of mine on this drive — and that was the problem.

When you get your learner’s permit, the law requires you to always be accompanied by a parent or guardian until you get your license. The COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantine put me in a close proximity to my parents at all times, so I figured this would be a piece of cake.

I was wrong.

I didn’t account for the fact that I would have to be in a small, enclosed space with my mother — the parent I drove with the most — for long periods of time. So for six months, she and I experienced the highs and lows of motherhood and daughterhood together: having excruciating arguments where our voices echoed through the car, but also forming sweet memories on boba runs after school on Fridays.

Driving with my mom for so long also meant that my mistakes were pointed out very bluntly. In fact, it was often what sparked most of our car-guments; I wouldn’t stop for long enough at a stop sign or would drive too fast on a sharp turn, making my mom fly into the passenger-side door.

We would disagree on my decisions as a driver, and I was never willing to acknowledge that I had done something wrong.

In hindsight, a lot of these mistakes weren’t just specific to driving; they were tied to deeper shortcomings

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EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2022

PHOTO | KRISH DEV AND SOPHIA MA

of mine. Now that I have my actual license, I often spend long periods of time in the car alone with nothing but my thoughts and whatever music is playing on AUX. It’s here that I witness aspects of my own personality that I’ve never had to come face-to-face with before.

I’ve learned that I don’t handle high pressure situations as well as I’ve always believed, which can sometimes lead to some pretty rash decision making. That’s clear whenever I freeze and hit the brakes at the slightest altercation, even when I’m not at fault.

I’ve also realized how impatient I am: I instinctively inch forward at any red light that doesn’t turn green in 0.5 seconds, and I get frustrated at the car in front of me for driving at the exact speed limit. And that’s just to name a few.

Of course, there’s more beyond just the faults. It turns out I’m pretty open to feedback and always willing to learn what I don’t know, so when my friends tell me my parking job sucks, I really try to get it right the next few times (and I’m more responsive to my mom’s feedback too now). I’ve also learned that I love having other people in the car with me. Over time, the five seats of

my SUV have become an extension of myself, a space that feels like a part of me, and I love sharing that with others.

I genuinely enjoy carting around a car full of people from one adventure to the next, or spending quality time with one or two people who mean a lot to me while getting food or coffee.

These are all character flaws and traits that have probably been with me since birth. But I never bothered to crack myself open and inspect them until I had to climb into the driver’s seat.

It’s a bit extreme, but I never looked deeper into myself until it concerned my safety and driving capacity.

Next year, I won’t be driving very much. My college doesn’t allow freshmen to have cars on campus, so I’ll miss all the moments of learning and failing and growing that I experienced within these four doors and tinted windows. Not to worry, though, I’ll be doing all that from within a dorm room, which I can’t imagine is much bigger than my Acura. I’m looking forward to all the future opportunities to recognize my real parts and imperfections, but I’m glad that I was given the chance to explore myself from behind the wheel first. And no, I don’t have road rage. At least I don’t think so.

ALL I AM

Tracing the story of my mom and me

BY ANUSHKA DE

T

he story of my mother and I begins with me watching her getting ready.

I’d stand next to her, my head barely clearing the countertop, and watch her blow dry her long black hair in the mirror. She’d pop in contacts and paint dark lines around her dark eyes using a Bobbi Brown eye pencil. The more glamor the better — I lived for the light dusting of blush, the swipe of glittery eye shadow, the smudge rouge of lipstick.

A lot of my memories with my mom as a little girl are of us dressing up. I remember her combing through my tangled hair after showers and putting together my outfit before the first day of third grade. I remember stealing her sweaters so I could wear them to school and digging through her makeup and drawing on kajal on my waterline, thinking she wouldn’t notice. In a lot of ways my mom and I are extremely similar — eyeliner is our armor that gets us a little more ready to face the world.

As I got older, the story of my mother and I shifted to her getting me ready. Innocent conversations always seemed to devolve into fighting in the car. In her eyes, I felt like I was always a little too loud, a little too sensitive and a second from saying something rude. She corrected my behavior and I got offended by her interventions. She believed she was preparing me for the world, I believed she was trying to change who I was. Our cycle became predictable — I’d say something rude, she’d get upset and our little spat would culminate in a TJ Maxx shopping trip. Because in a lot of ways, we are totally different. But the two of us being TJ Maxx’s most prolific customers gets us a little more ready to face the world.

The story of my mother and I starts with her arrival in this country on a one-way plane ticket that transformed the only life she’d ever known into a memory. She entered this new life already jaded by the old one; hardened by a living in a house that flooded for

three months a year with a foot of snake-ridden water, sharpened by the hour-long commute through two trains and a bus that she used to get to school every day, calloused by the years of tiny sacrifices because there wasn’t enough money. My mom also ranked first in every class she took in high school, attended one of the best universities in India and received scholarships for every bit of education she received in the states.

I, of course, never explicitly saw any of her struggle or early success.

But her story, her struggles, have appeared in small ways throughout the story we share. When we moved in fifth grade, she insisted that my brother and I attend public school and live close to our friends because she never had that. The people who were unkind to her during her career because they thought she was too loud or too sensitive made her fearful for me; fearful that I, with almost the exact same personality, would experience her hurt. I never saw my mom undergo a lot of the pain and joy that has shaped our story. But I love to indulge in this reconstruction of her life sometimes, of her teenage years in India and the young adult ones here. The gravity of her experiences

reminds me of the strength she had when she was my age.

The story of my mother and I has culminated in me helping her get ready.

We’re the same height now, so I seat her on a stool before I do her makeup.

She watches in the mirror as I curl her hair and brush on concealer, dust her eyes with glitter and her cheeks with rose blush. Now, I use my own eyeliner to clean up hers. Now, our armor is shared.

My mother is my picture of beauty, my example of strength. First, she taught me to take care of myself, to put my armor on before I faced the day.

Then, she taught me to be tougher, kinder, a better listener — to hone the person under the armor. No one has critiqued me more than my mother, no one has ever been as proud of me as my mother, no one has had more faith in me than my mother.

The story of my mother and I is the story of me getting ready for the world.

As I stand on the cusp of a limitless future, I am grounded by her words and lifted by her faith in me. My mother is my armor, my strength and my ability to see beauty in the unknown.

The story of my mother and I is the story of all that I am.

PHOTO | KRISH DEV AND SOPHIA MA

FEATURES | MAY 2022

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FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES Looking back at the journal entries from my childhood

BY JAYANTI JHA

I

’ve kept a journal since first grade, and let’s just say, there’s some pretty juicy stuff in there. I’ve spilled what I thought the letters in DECA stood for (Dolphins Eat Cute Apes) when my sister attended her first conference, crafted haikus about my love for Olympic gymnastics and documented every meal I ate at 5th grade science camp.

So no, my journal is not a gratitude journal or a daily mood tracker. It is where I put my unfiltered thoughts when they sporadically came to me.

From when I moved schools in first grade — “I miss my old teacher. This one got mad at me when I colored my snowman with the wrong colors.”

— to my freshman year goals for high school — “I hope I find my place at Monta Vista.” — this journal has all the hot goss.

A few days ago, I opened my journal for the first time after an eventful semester, whipped out a pen and decided to write in it. But unlike my past, pen-rating self, I didn’t know where to start — there was too much to say, too many thoughts to rehash, too many updates from an eventful senior year for my poor journal to handle. There was an easy solution though, one that didn’t require much thought or reflection — only laughter and entertainment.

So, I put my pen down and began perusing the pages.

But most of all, flipping through these entries made me nostalgic. I’ve always been a sentimental person, and I often find myself looking back on days that were not as glamorous as they now appear to be in my head.

If I ponder hard enough, I can even glass-half-full my dehydration during 110-degree weather days out on the field hockey turf or when I would wake up hours before school to study for tests later that day. I’ve even started to anticipate nostalgia about the present: I can already imagine reminiscing about sitting in my friends’ cars to grab

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donuts at midnight, laughing with my Statistics table groups and eating my mom’s homemade Indian food every night.

But at the same time, flipping through this journal grounded me — it took me out of my head and reminded me that sometimes, the past wasn’t all that. The entries about the peak of my life when I was the queen of the playground bars were entertaining, but I also skimmed through my unnecessary anxieties about entering high school freshman year — ”I hope I make friends. I hope I do well on the field hockey team. I hope I can find balance. I hope I’m not too stressed.”

I saw those documented moments of anxiety I felt throughout high school, but now I felt proud for how I had tackled some — not all, that’s for sure — with determination and drive.

Every, “She made me so mad,” finished with “We talked about it, and we got a lot closer,” and every, “I can’t believe how hard I studied and still got a bad grade” finished with, “The next test was breezy. I’m so dramatic.”

Even when I end up cringing at what I said to my mom or how I reacted to feedback on the lit essay I had worked so hard on, I look back on both types

of entries and experiences fondly and with pride. They remind me that my hypotheses about what my life would look like were all deemed true, and those bad moments really did end up being temporary.

After reading through my old entries and the ups and downs of the past 11 years, I realized I wasn’t afraid to pick up the pen anymore: I was excited for what the future held.

So as I head to college, I’m going to close the old pages in my journal and live in the present, filling up the pages with the new memories I’m going to make, the new fears I’m going to have and the new goals I’m going to set.

Throughout high school and with my trusty journal by my side, I’ve learned that feeling overwhelmed with memories, fears, goals and doubts and not knowing where to start writing is a blessing — it means you’re doing something right. Making memories that you just know you’re going to reminisce about in the future is a privilege.

And I’m incredibly excited to have even more entries to fill up my journal with, more entries to re-read, more fears to ridicule and more experiences to be nostalgic for one day.

PHOTO | KRISH DEV AND SOPHIA MA

SENIOR YEAR IN CORE MEMORIES The epic highs and lows of this year

BY SHIVANI MADHAN Peak fall

Peering out into the parking lot of the Crossroads shopping complex, I curse myself for the seventh time that day for forgetting my umbrella at home.

My sweater does nothing to protect me from misdirected droplets of rain, and I become gloomier than the weather with every second that passes.

Luckily, Olivia exits the store and holds a (slightly broken) umbrella over my head. Marlys steps out from the other side wearing her new white boots, and smiles.

“Let’s get some soup.”

And so, I shove away my sheer hatred for rainy weather and venture into the unknown with my friends to secure my promised food.

It goes well for about four seconds until Olivia’s umbrella snaps backward, gets caught by the wind and flies out of her grasp. I stand there and watch with drenched socks, as she and Marlys chase after the runaway umbrella.

When we finally step into Boudin, broken umbrella in Marlys’s hand, I can’t even bring myself to care about the sorry state of my clothes. After all, my friends are doubled over in laughter and soaked from head to toe as well.

Cusp of winter

I always have a checklist racing through my mind, reminding me of the tasks I need to complete over and over in a nagging voice. And on Tuesday evenings, it’s all about Speech.

Check the watch schedule, fill out the attendance sheet, prepare for the drills, oh yeah, the tournament’s com– “SURPRISE!!!”

I stumble back, jolted out of my thoughts, and blink in confusion at the nine heads sticking out of the doorway of B215 with grins on their faces.

“Surprise for …?”

They move to the side, and when the classroom comes into view, I’m hit by the sight of assorted colorful cupcakes, gallon containers of juice and mochi donuts expertly arranged on the desks.

“Your birthday,” one of my kids responds, and I immediately whip around to my co-captain who looks at me with a knowing smile on her face.

As I realize that my branch has organized this for me to make my day memorable, gratitude and joy swell up in my chest. And despite my long lesson plan for the day, I decide we can spare a few minutes to enjoy their thoughtful surprise together.

PHOTO | KRISH DEV AND SOPHIA MA

Start of a new year

“It sounds like you have depression and anxiety.”

My arms and legs, which had been huddled inside my shirt, immediately shoot out at his words, and I sit up in my chair, alert.

“I’m sorry…? What did you say?” I question in a trembling voice, heartbeat pounding in my ears.

“These symptoms, they’re very characteristic of depression and anxiety,” my psychologist repeats. “We should schedule an appointment for …”

I tune out the rest of his sentence, too hung up on the words “depression” and “anxiety” to register his suggestions for what to do going forward.

Somewhere deep inside, I knew that the way I felt every day for the last three years — an unending pit of sadness, insurmountable waves of exhaustion and never-clearing fog — wasn’t normal.

Perhaps it hit me so hard because I’d known all along, but I just didn’t want to accept it.

Nearing spring

Barely managing a whispered “thank you” to the person holding the door open, I sprint into Ms. Nava’s classroom and set the giant cardboard box down with a loud thud.

The other La Pluma officers come in behind me and with a glance, we grab scissors and tear the boxes open. The magazines that wait inside are worth everything.

While flipping through the page, satisfaction and pride flood through my body as I cherish the vibrant artwork and moving poems united through thoughtful graphic design.

As the rest of the management team finishes poring over the freshly printed magazines, we turn towards each other and collectively jump into a hug, nearly toppling to the floor — faintly aware of the cheers and laughter of the staff writers and artists who helped us create our beloved magazine.

FEATURES | MAY 2022

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MY MOM, MY DAD AND ME How I realized the two versions of myself were one all along

BY SHIVANI VERMA

W

hen I was in first grade, I had to do an “All About Me” presentation in front of my class — one of those show-and-tell things where you showed off your stuffed animals and made a poster where you had to fill out boxes about your hobbies, what you wanted to be when you grew up and … your family.

“Why do you have two pictures instead of one?” someone asked at the end of my speech.

I glanced at the My Family box, where I’d glued down one photo of me and my mom, and one of me and my dad, overlapping in my meager attempt to make them look like one photo.

“Um,” I responded, “I don’t know.”

At that age, I didn’t know how to tell her that this was the best I could do.

My parents unsealed the deal when I was only 3 years old, so I don’t have any memory of my parents being together, let alone them fighting in my infant years. I didn’t become a child of divorce, I was raised as one.

Having divorced parents has never really been about the mundanities.

Sure, it’s been weekdays at mom’s house, weekends at dad’s house, the opposite in the summer. Enduring the thinly-veiled hostilities each says about the other one, being traded off in Safeway parking lots and forgetting my P.E. clothes with one parent. But really, it boils down to those two photos from that “All About Me” poster — me and my mom and me and my dad — the two versions of myself that have always existed in the two lives that I’ve led.

One might think I’d have gotten used to it by now, but leaving one of my parents standing in the doorway, watching me as I drive to the other’s house, still causes pangs of guilt in my chest. And yet I’ve always been hesitant about having both of my parents with me, because I never know what to expect. But this past

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PHOTO | KRISH DEV AND SOPHIA MA

school year, through discussing what I want to do as a career and filling out FAFSA forms, the three of us have been forced to interact more than ever.

And so last month, when I was planning to go on my college’s campus tour, I asked them both to come with me. I tried not to overthink the trip, but I couldn’t help feeling that everything might go badly.

Yet the trip went more smoothly than I could’ve ever imagined; they didn’t argue once. In fact, they split an omelet at IHOP our first day there and laughed at each other’s quips from time to time. They still kept their distance, but the three of us were there, together. That three day trip was the longest time I’ve ever consciously spent with both of my parents at the same time. It was surreal.

On our last night there, I scrolled through my camera roll and swiped to a selfie I had snapped earlier. Behind me were the smiling faces of my mom and dad.

My breath caught in my throat.

Finally, for the first time in my life, I had a photo of all three of us together.

Staring at the three of us captured against the blue California sky, I abruptly understood why I had wanted them both with me on the trip.

It’d been weird, hugging my mom with my dad watching and engaging in playful banter with my dad when my mom was around. The two versions of me kept so carefully separate were finally colliding. But maybe they had never been that separate at all.

The truth is, I’ve still only been one girl, no matter how far apart from each other my lives have seemed. In a few months, there won’t be a mom’s house life and a dad’s house life, just my own, which is both thrilling and terrifying.

So, I’m going to need both of them at my side, just as they’ve always been — even if they’re at opposite shoulders.

And from now on, when I show people my family, there’s no need for two photos — this one picture will be more than enough.

REDEFINING MY GRIEF Reflecting on how I dealt with the loss of my dog

BY MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

A

t 2:45 a.m., sprawled across my bed in pitch darkness, I was startled by the sound of my door creaking open and the sight of my mom’s silhouette in the doorway.

Before I even got a chance to sit up, my mom blurted out a sentence: “Matthew, we have to say goodbye.”

“What?”

“We have to say goodbye to Kirby.”

At that moment, my mind grew disoriented and overwhelmed with denial. My disbelief persisted even as I sat in the ICU petting him for the last time. Only six hours earlier, my dog’s veterinarian had estimated that Kirby had two months to live — which in itself was difficult to hear. But all of a sudden, the unthinkable became a reality. Just yesterday I was outlining exactly how I wanted to spend his final months, from taking him on a walk whenever he pleased to going on

PHOTO | KRISH DEV AND SOPHIA MA

daily night drives so he could peek his head out the window. But now, he’s no longer here.

During the months following his passing, it felt like I was reliving the loss over again every time I got out of bed. His sudden and unexpected absence in my daily life created changes that I did not anticipate. He was no longer there at the foot of the bed, wagging his tail with his eyes lit and ears alert. Every breakfast without him searching for crumbs under the table, every afternoon without him jumping on me when I returned home and every night without our routine game of fetch became an unwanted reminder that he was gone.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not hide from the reality of the loss.

Initially, I tried my best to run away from my grief by distracting myself with schoolwork and watching TV. Yet

ironically, watching TV is what helped me come back to reality and come to terms with his passing.

A phrase I heard during my re-binge of the Marvel series “WandaVision” sparked this change in mindset. In an episode, one of the characters, Vision, said to his loved one, Wanda, after the loss of her brother: “What is grief if not love persevering.” When I heard that simple yet profound sentiment, every emotion I was too afraid to confront flooded my mind. Instead of viewing grief as a detriment in my life, I redefined my grief as love with nowhere to go, which prompted me to embrace the process of grieving for the first time.

My new perception of grief encouraged me to direct my “persevering love” toward something productive rather than tarnishing Kirby’s memory by surrendering myself to negativity. I acknowledged that these intense emotions were temporary and would subside in time, which reignited my desire to live my life fully in honor of Kirby.

By allowing my grief to permeate my mind as opposed to deflecting the harsh reality, I learned how to accept his passing and move beyond my own sorrow. Although he will never again swipe one of my snacks from the table, vigorously chase a squirrel around the backyard or yank his leash upon seeing another dog, his shadow still follows me everywhere I go. And by imagining that he is watching over me, his memory provides me with the comfort he did when he was still here.

Only when I gave myself permission to face my emotions head-on did I discover the benefits of embracing the grieving process. Despite how unwilling I was to accept the truth, I recognized that understanding my grief was an imperative step that not only preserved the legacy of my loved one but also equipped me with the armor to face adversity later in life.

FEATURES | MAY 2022

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ONE LAST TIME Delving into the senior trips students at MVHS go on

BY NAMEEK CHOWDHURY

A

“shared memory” and a a road trip to the Tahoe area during “shared experience” is how which they spent hours-listening to senior Siddhartha Mishra music, talking and looking out of the describes senior trips, recalling how window.

“We drove to Tahoe from [Cupertino] his journey to Lake Tahoe was one of the last times he will be together with on Friday morning and that was a his closest friends before they will three hour drive,” Mishra said. “There were 11 of us, so move on to we took two cars their separate that night, [and] c o l l e g e we explored lives. For his Truckee [while] it upcoming was snowing. We summer trip built a snowman to Honolulu, and went to the Mishra hopes frozen lake. The that the next day we trip will be plan to or have already gone on went to Northstar a senior trip memorable. [ski resort], [and “This will *According to a survey of 133 people because] it was be the last time we’re ever going to be together,’’ the first time I skied with my friends, Mishra said. “For these six days, we it was extremely fun to ski the whole are just going to be us [before] we day. [In] the next morning we hung out go to colleges all across the country. at the house, ate breakfast, ate lunch I don’t think we’re ever going to have and then we drove back.”

Senior Vaishnavi Suresh, who went a moment where we’re going to be as to San Diego with friends in March closely connected.”

Senior Roma Hashemi shares that of this year, says senior trips should planning and prepping are essential revolve around the experience with components to successful senior friends rather than the location itself.

“It’s a really valuable experience trips. Through outlining the finances of her trip to Bend, Oregon, Hashemi thinking about what you’re [going was able to display her finance to do] and who you’re going with management capabilities to her instead of where you’re going with going,” Suresh said. “[My friends] were parents.

“The first thing we did was [book thinking about random, but really an] Airbnb that we stayed in and cool places like Mexico and Hawaii, based [all the planning] around that,” which were completely out of our Hashemi said. “Another part was food. budget. But sometimes, you can go to There were six of us so we split up [places like] Santa Cruz and [still] have into groups of two and each night a a really good time. It’s really about different group was responsible for making dinner. We really wanted to focus on making meals at home or packing lunch ourselves when we went on hikes or skiing because we were already spending a lot of money on Airbnb.”

For Mishra, planning made the trip a better experience as he describes that he and his friends did a variety of activities: the memorable one being

64%

of MVHS seniors

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the company and the activities that you do with the company. For people who are on the fence about it, 100% I recommend going on a senior trip.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SIDDHARTHA MISHRA

ARTS & ENT

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROMA HASHEMI

PHOTO COURTESY OF VAISHNAVI SURESH

ILLUSTRATION | ANGELA ZHANG ARTS & ENT | MAY 2022

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ONE DAY OFF Examining seniors’ adventures from the 2022 ditch day

BY TANISH MENDKI SENIOR AARAV DHOLAKIA

PHOTO COURTESY OF AARAV DHOLAKIA | USED WITH PERMISSION

Senior Aarav Dholakia went minigolfing at Golfland USA since “there’s nobody there on a Monday morning” and watched the new film “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” with his friends. While Dholakia believes ditch day isn’t needed since students are able to skip school on any day, he feels the tradition gives seniors a “muchneeded” break.

“I don’t really see the point since it’s unexcused, but it’s a nice break from school,” Dholakia said. “It’s up to the person to [decide whether to] ditch or not, but I think you might as well. We’ve put in all this work doing college applications and [coming out of a] pandemic, it’s a good break from everything.”

Dholakia (far right) poses for a photo with friends and other MVHS students at Golfland.

SENIOR BHAVIK SHEORAN Senior Bhavik Sheoran rented a limousine with his friends and took a day trip to San Francisco, stopping at Half Moon Bay on the way. As it was his first time riding in a limousine, Sheoran enjoyed the drive just as much as his time in the city itself. He believes that in addition to a break, ditch day is a good way of celebrating the last few weeks of school with close friends.

“Ditch day lets us be kids before we head off to college and we start to have more responsibilities,” Sheoran said. “We already know which college we are going to, we have much more time on our hands so we should savor the final few weeks we have left in high school and end on a good note.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF BHAVIK SHEORAN | USED WITH PERMISSION

Sheoran poses for a photo at Pacifica Beach near Half Moon Bay.

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

ALL ABOARD!

Prom’s return to MVHS serves as a release from end-of-the-year stress

BY JIYA SINGH

A

fter being canceled for the last two years due to the pandemic, prom is back for MVHS. This year, as a combined event with juniors and seniors, aspects of both Junior Prom and Senior Ball were taken to create a masquerade-themed experience. Prom took place on a boat in the San Francisco Bay, and students and staff were transported to and from the location via buses, a tradition different from other schools.

In fact, Assistant Principal Mike White has worked at schools such as Lynbrook High School and James Logan High School where proms have been a “come and go dance,” where students would drive themselves and sometimes only stay for an hour before leaving. White prefers MVHS’ united transportation to the event as he says it encourages a collective celebration of the end of the school year. Because this year’s prom is combined with the junior and senior class, a first for MVHS, it will have a higher attendance than ever before with 725 students, over 200 more students than in 2019’s prom, the last prom before the pandemic.

“I think bigger is better,” White says.

“The boat just looks empty [with both classes split into their own events].

I’m just excited that people are going.

I want people to come, have a good time and get the dance floor busy.”

Social Studies Department Lead Bonnie Belshe is also excited for the combined prom. Just like White, Belshe

has been to 12 proms at MVHS, and agrees that such excitement for prom, is chaperoning again this year. At the including large promposals, group beginning of each school year, Belshe shopping events and photoshoots looks forward to sign up to chaperone are all part of the fun of the “magical Junior Prom and see her AP U.S. evening,” he also believes they can History students in an elevated light perpetuate heightened expectations than they are in the classroom. for the night, when really, he just “Getting to see what [my students] wants everyone “have a great time” choose to wear, [how they] style their and ditch the glamorized version of hair, do their makeup, the event that is get their dress or often portrayed tuxedo, is such a incorrectly in glimpse into seeing movies. the adult that they are B e s i d e s becoming,” Belshe the media, it’s said. “You see this timing is also a kind of next person, of MVHS juniors and seniors large motivator this next stage of for students attended the 2022 Prom their life emerging, to attend, as and it’s so neat to be it occurs after *According to a survey of 74 students able to see that after the end of AP having a student in the classroom.” examinations and before the start of Having witnessed tugboats senior finals. MVHS has a long-lasting ushering the prom ship back to the reputation for students working dock during low tide and seen a extremely hard throughout the year, teacher get proposed to at prom as and Belshe hopes that prom can they crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, serve as a final break from this stress Belshe is excited to see what prom this for students to ease their shoulders, year will bring, especially because she relax, and dance the night away. is amazed at “how remarkably [proms] “Let’s give students and teachers have stayed the same” throughout her this chance to just breathe,” Belshe years teaching. says. “[Prom] serves as a moment What has changed, however, is where you don’t have to worry about prom fashion. Fashion plays a large what happened before or what’s part into the excitement leading up coming after. Take one night to enjoy to prom, inspiring Instagram accounts and have fun. It is a good reminder such as “montavistaprom2022,” that school means so much more of where students post pictures of their a larger community piece than just outfits before the big day. While White classroom and work.”

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| ANGELA

ZHANG

EL ESTOQUE | MAY 2022

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SPORTS RECAP: CCS Examining the CCS runs of the spring sports teams at MVHS

PHOTO | LANCE TONG

BY LANCE TONG

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Swimmers Michael Ding, Nilay Kundu, Leo Matsumoto, Tan Kang, Ryan Tang and Davina Huang all qualified and competed in the State Finals at Clovis West High School.

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

The Boys Golf team qualified for CCS as a team with senior Calvin Kong (pictured) finishing in second place with 69 shots, moving on to compete in the sectional tournament.

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Junior Rohin Inani serves during the team’s match against Saratoga High School on March 22. The MVHS Boys Tennis team qualified for CCS, but lost to Crystal Springs 3-4 in the second round, ending their season.

SPORTS PHOTO | MICHELLE ZHENG

Junior Lance Fuchia lunges to return a shot on senior night, which took place on April 28. Badminton players Daphne Huang, Aidan Ruan and Audrey Huang all qualified for CCS as individuals and competed on May 14.

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Senior Sotirios Kougiouris, sophomore Alice Ross (pictured) and freshman Clara Fan all competed in the CCS Semifinals track meet on May 14. Kougiouris and Fan both advanced to CCS Finals, Kougiouris in the 300 meter hurdles and Fan in high jump. The top three from each event will qualify for CIF State Track & Field Championships.

Junior Jesse Li and sophomore Elijah Kang jump to block a hit in the team’s game against Mountain View High School on March 25.

MVHS Boys Volleyball won first place in CCS, winning their second ever CCS title. The team defeated Homestead High School in the finals with an overall score of 3-2.

SPORTS | MAY 2022

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ATHLETE OF THE MONTH HAYDEN ANCHETA

BY MICHELLE ZHENG

J

unior Hayden Ancheta dabbled in many sports as a child, ranging from team sports such as volleyball to individual sports such as track and field. However, the sport that managed to capture Ancheta’s interest was wrestling. While Ancheta initially thought that wrestling was “weird,” he realized that he actually “really liked [the sport]” when he decided to join the team in eighth grade. His passion for wrestling led him to participate in the Sunnyvale Wrestling Club, which, according to Ancheta, is the “biggest reason why [he’s] as successful as he is right now.”

As he progressed into high school, Ancheta states that his focus on prioritizing both wrestling and academics meant his “social life went out the window.” However, according to Ancheta, he is willing to make this “sacrifice” if it meant that he could “accomplish [his] goals and dreams of wrestling in college and [possibly] pursuing the sport past that.”

Ancheta placed third overall and second in the junior section at the nationals qualifying tournament after defeating two of the 2020-21 national qualifiers and will compete in the national tournament Fargo as a part of the junior team this summer. With this important event in mind, Ancheta tries to not let the “pressure” get to him. His plan is simple: “train hard, mentally be in the right zone, [and] go out there with confidence.”

Although Ancheta is uncertain about what his future with wrestling will look like, he knows for sure that wrestling will always be an important aspect of his life, regardless of whether he goes “pro [or] international” with wrestling, or becomes a part-time wrestling coach.

“I don’t know how far I will go in the sport,” Ancheta said.

“Honestly, with my mindset I [can] go as far as I want. But the fact of the matter is, your mind can take you to unimaginable places but your body can only hold out for so long. ”

74-22 3rd

MONTA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL RECORD

IN FREESTYLE 18U CALIFORNIA USA WRESTLING

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PHOTO | SHIVANI VERMA

TAKING PRECAUTIONS

Sophomore Michelle Zheng throws a shotput while wrapped in caution tape.

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

Students examine the risks they take in playing sports while participating in other activities

BY CRYSTAL CHENG AND MIRA WAGNER

W

hile catching a ball during basketball practice in P.E., freshman Saanvi Goyal was struck by a sharp pain in one of her fingers. A visit to the doctor revealed the impact of the ball pulled one of Goyal’s tendons to the side, chipping a bone.

“Especially in basketball, when you injure your finger, the first thing you [hope] is that it’s [not] broken,” Goyal said. “So initially, I was like, ‘OK, it’ll blow over eventually.’ But, it wasn’t until we actually went to the doctor when [the finger] was purple [and] I realized that it’s probably not going to be possible to do [some] things.”

Not only did this injury result in Goyal’s inability to play basketball for four or five months, but it also prevented her from fully participating in other activities such as music. As a percussionist, Goyal couldn’t audition for Wind Ensemble, MVHS’ top level band, due to her hand injury.

Although sophomore and wrestler Noah Vin hasn’t sustained an injury similar to Goyal’s, he voices his fear of the possibility. Vin recalls a time during a wrestling tournament and an

orchestra concert where he was to be of ignoring caution. Similarly, junior featured as a soloist fell around the Aditya Mishra considers his safety same time, which sparked a worry in when playing a sport, and references him about the possibility of sustaining it as the reason he quit piano. an injury during the tournament.

“I started playing football and I Although Vin recognizes that realized that maybe I’d have to give some parents lean more towards something up [if I] get injured,” Mishra encouraging their child to choose one said. “Honestly, it just comes up to activity, he what you want more in says that his your life and what you I FEEL LIKE YOU parents are are willing to risk to keep GET INJURED WHEN supportive that stuff in your life.”

YOU DON’T PAY of his Vin understands the ATTENTION, SO IT’S involvement fear of the potential in wrestling danger of being unable IMPORTANT TO ZONE and other to achieve a task in IN ON WHAT YOU’RE activities, another activity due DOING. as they are to his sport. However, SOPHOMORE he emphasizes the aware of his NOAH VIN important role of staying deep interests in all of them. focused in reducing the In wrestling, Vin’s parents have played possibility of injury. a role in helping him make sure that “I feel like you get injured when you he doesn’t get injured, reminding him don’t pay attention, so it’s important to constantly take precautions like to zone in on what you’re doing,” Vin wearing headgear and mouthguard said. “It’s the same for everything: while wrestling. stay really concentrated because you Goyal also echoes the importance don’t get injured when you are really from being careful, especially now concentrated, you get injured when that she has faced the repercussions you’re zoning out.”

SPORTS | MAY 2022

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PHOTO | TVISHA GUPTA

PHOTO | ANNA JEROLIMOV

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