Volume 46, Issue 9, May 18, 2016

el ESTOQUE ISSUE VIII VERSION XLVI MONTA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL

MAY 18, 2016

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5 OPINION 13 A&E 32 SPORTS 38 NEWS

Housing crisis presents difďŹ culties to teachers Discussion about the new face on $20 bill This year's favorites of the entertainment world Athletes plan to balance academics with Division III sports

NEWS

SPECIAL

5

16 Cost of staying

Teachers leave MVHS due to increased house pricing

7

When every word counts Students and teachers reflect on changes in UC prompts

Major change The changes seniors plan to make in their fields

A&E

Fight or flight

18 20

Sharing your voice

One Step at a Time

30 Three seniors and their plan to trek across Europe

The past four years in Facebook profile pictures

Senior stats

22 The class of 2016 in

10

numbers

24

No room

Bay Area housing crisis forces teachers to leave

14

Seniors talk about their shift to extrovertedness

Examining the choice to stand up for what we believe in

OPINION

12

Hidden in plain sight

28

A new age Growing up between election years

32

Year in Review

No offense, but

The best of Entertainment this year

Milennials should not be labeled as “oversensitive”

Harriet Tubman on the twenty The new face of the 20 dollar bill

A wave goodbye

25

Four seniors replay their years

34 Oh the place I’ll miss

Holding on to memories of place close to home

21840 McClellan Road Cupertino, CA 95014 mv.el.estoque@gmail.com Editors-in-Chief: Avni Prasad, Mingjie Zhong Managing Editors: Kalpana Golpalkrishnan, Trisha Kholiya, Aditya Pimplaskar, Hannan Waliullah Copy Editors: Bill Cheng, Karen Ma, Jessica Xing News Editors: Fatima Ali, Ilena Peng, Chetana Ramaiyer Sports Editors: Amanda Chan, Akshara Majjiga, Om Khandekar, Aditya Krishnan

Entertainment Editors: Ananya Bhat, Aanchal Garg, Devika Watave, Dylan Tsai Opinion Editors: Vivian Chiang, Shriya Deshpande, Isabel Navarrete Beats Editors: Jennie Chen, Andrea Schlitt Special Report Editors: Elizabeth Han, Daniel Lin, Zazu Lippert, Priya Reddy Business Editors: Tyler Lin, Derek Shao Public Relations: Emma Lam, Derek Shao

2 / E L E S T O Q U E / M AY 2 016

Staff writers: Alina Abidi, Itay Barylka, Kristin Chang, Vijeet Chaugule, Ada Chen, Aditi Desai, Ankit Dua, Sneha Gaur, Pranav Iyer, Pranav Jandhyala, Sandhya Kannan, Justin Kim, Stephanie Lam, Amita Mahajan, Tal Marom, Anjana Melvin, Maya Murthy, Sanjana Murthy, Nanda Nayak, Issra Osman, Neha Patchipala, Renee Pu, Vanessa Qin, Malini Ramaiyer, Sarah Robinson, Zach Sanchez, Andy Tu, Sharon Tung, Anushka Tyagi, Miloni Vora, Kingsley Wang, Sebastian Zhang, Emily Zhao, Grace Zhou Adviser: Michelle Balmeo

Letter to Balmeo SPORTS 35

Season of Sweat

Students discuss plans to exercise over the summer

36

38

Under one banner Swimmers go over the differences between club and high school sports

A League of their own

Athletes reflect on their decisions to play division III college sports

Mission Statement El Estoque is an open forum created for and by students of Monta Vista High School. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the journalism staff and not of Monta Vista High School or the Fremont Union High School District. The staff seeks to recognize individuals, events, and ideas and bring news to the MVHS community in a manner that is professional, unbiased, and thorough in order to effectively serve our readers. We strive to report accurately, and we will correct any significant error. If you believe such an error has been made, please contact us. Letters of any length should be submitted via email or mail.

They may be edited for length or accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion. We also reserve the right to reject advertising due to space limitations or decision of the Editorial Board that content of the advertisement conflicts with the mission of the publication.

If you are reading this, then that means that we were successful in hiding this article from our journalism advisor, Michelle Balmeo. Believe me, this was not an easy task.

Dear Reader, from denial to anger to sorrow to fear.

A couple weeks ago, our journalism Because change is scary. We’d already advisor, Michelle Balmeo, pulled out imagined what next year would look a maroon, leathery book titled in gold like, and change tore that image up. But “El Estoque Vol. 37”, and opened it to perhaps that’s when we grow the most: the first page. 2005, a black-and-white, when we have to start over — when 17.5 by 11.5 inch newspaper. We flipped seniors become freshmen again, when through more pages. 2006, the Lam- we have to learn to make friends again, poon issue where every single story was when teachers have to move to new placfabricated: “Take Two: Soft-core por- es, when players have to move to new nographic film gets sequel”, “Sports to teams. When a journalism staff loses be replaced by new SAT section”, “El what it thought it would never lose.

Estoque: Students devour paper like savAnd so, with the publication of this age vultures”. Balmeo shook her head in senior issue, not only do we celebrate disapproval. the departure of the Class of 2016, but “El Estoque has come a long way.” we also honor those who have been ‘seShe’s right. El Estoque started as a 16 niors’ in our lives: the people who were page newspaper. In 2008, it had a web- our teachers, mentors and role models. site. In 2011, it grew to a 41 page mag- The people who are leaving to pursue azine. In 2015, it started its own news their own trail of change. show. A staff size of about 30 has more than doubled in 10 years.

AVNI PRASAD But this year, along with the 27 seniors graduating, we are losAND ing another staff member, the one MINGJIE ZHONG who’s been constant throughout all this change — Michelle Balmeo.

Of all the surprises that journalism LETTER FROM THE EDITORS has thrown at us, this is not one we expected, nor one we desired, but it is one that we have to accept.

A year ago the Editors-in-Chief before Dear Balmeo, us wrote about change. And two years You won’t be in a graduation gown. ago the Editors-in-Chief before them You won’t have a graduation cap. You wrote about change too. So this year we won’t even be handed a graduation continue the tradition. Because in the 47 diploma. But, in many ways, you are a years of El Estoque’s history, the only senior. You are leaving a home that you constant has been change. have known for so long. In the 11 years Yet accepting change is easier said you’ve spent advising El Estoque, you’ve than done. When we first heard that inspired us to keep changing, to always Balmeo was moving, some of us had to pursue the best version of ourselves. We leave the room, most of us were not will- promise you that with audacity, confiing to accept it and all of us were silenced dence, and most importantly, fear — by the news. Our emotions fluctuated enough fear to triple-check our work to ensure we are putting our best journalism forward — we will continue to strive Corrections from the last issue for progress in the El Estoque you have brought so far. And as you embark on The name of junior Alicia your change in a new school in Oregon, Marzolf was incorrectly we will be cheering you on. spelled in the print version of Love, “Nurturing Nature”.

El Estoque 3

NEWS

Cost of staying Housing crisis drives away veteran teachers STO R Y B Y A L INA A B I D I AN D FATI M A A L I I L L U ST R ATION B Y S E B ASTIAN Z H ANG

The decision wasn’t sudden. In fact, it had been years in the making: an abstract thought that became concrete last Spring. English teacher Matt Brashears and his wife knew that at some point, they wanted to own a home. And they knew that this wouldn’t happen in Cupertino.

NEWS / 5

S

o when he was offered a job in Bonney Lake, Washington at the end of his seventh year of teaching at MVHS, he took it. And next year, four more long term teachers will have left the Bay Area to teach in more affordable areas.

But for more and more teachers, settling here is impossible.

According to Zillow Group, Silicon Valley homes currently average over $1 million.

Meanwhile, public records state that FUHSD salaries stand around $100,000 for long term teachers. The district pays higher salaries than others in nearby counties, and that figure may sound like a sufficient salar y, but it isn’t enough for Bay Area residents, especially families. Teachers starting families often want to build roots in their community, and for some, roots mean owning a home — maybe even one with a backyard.

Despite the lack of affordable housing in and around Cupertino, the teacher retention rate is high at around 95 percent, according to Associate Superintendent Tom Avvakumovits. But though the overall numbers are impressive, the loss of each individual teacher is deeply felt in schools.

According to Avvakumovits, the bulk of recently hired teachers are straight out of graduate school. FUHSD maintains relations with partner universities, like Stanford, Santa Clara University, San Jose State and University of California, Santa Cruz. This makes it easier to recruit new teachers, but affordability is still an issue after these new teachers are hired.

“It doesn’t solve the long term problem; ‘Oh great, we have this great teacher that might be able to share a bedroom at their starting salary [near] $56,000.“ Avvakumovits said. “But then they get married and have kids and a family…”

“Or they might marry an Apple executive,” Bove said, laughing.

Avvakumovits also believes constant cycles of new teachers wouldn’t be sufficient.

“Now is the time to think of our craziest ideas because our human capital is our most valuable resource. I’m not sure the Peace Corps model — where you go in for two years and do great work and then move on to something else — is what we want public education to become.” Avvakumovits said.

“Sustainable long term educational progress can’t be on the backs of a constantly changing teaching force.”

The district is eager to try new options to keep these veteran teachers. The obvious answer is an increase in salary, but resources

EL ESTOQUE 6 / EL ESTOQUE / MAY 2016

AVERAGE HOME PRICE NATIONAL: $184,900 SILICON VALLEY: $1.05 million *according to real estate tracking website Zillow

are limited. Another option could be helping teachers with down payments on homes, but that veers into “gift of public funds” territory. Superintendent Polly Bove even suggested buying mobile homes for teachers to rent, or following the New York model and further dividing already cramped housing arrangements.

appealed to her as a young, single teacher.

Some, like housing advocate Sue Saroni, believe the answer lies in building more affordable housing. Saroni, who was present at Assemblyman Gordon’s Education Update event, explained that salary raises large enough to solve the problem are unlikely, and thus, more housing should be created.

But according to Avvakumovits and Gordon, more housing is not always met by public support.

“Right now in this region we’re seeing elestoque.org/housing a lot of folks saying, ‘We don’t want more housing, we’ve got enough people, we’ve On May 7, Assemblymember Rich got enough traffic,’” Gordon said. “But we’ll Gordon hosted an event at the FUHSD need to build more housing if we’re going office for the Bay Area to focus on teacher to have adequate housing for the people we retention and recruitment — a group want to work here.” brainstorm regarding affordable housing But BMR housing, or renting a condo or and more funding. There are no clear living with your parents are only temporary solutions yet, but not for lack of tr ying. options.

Some Below Market Rate options are set “For a single, unmarried teacher, it can aside for teachers and other public servants, feel easier to want to commit to this area but they’re based on a lottery system if you’re just going to rent a place or rent a and only last for about five years. FUHSD room,” English teacher Scott Catrette said.

“But your priorities change when you’re married and you have a family.”

Catrette is moving to Texas this year, and though the area will be new and different, it will be significantly cheaper, and he has family in the area. But not all teachers leave the West Coast in search of more affordable housing. Brashears, along with of students cited the couple English teacher Michelle school system as a Balmeo and History teacher Andrew Sturgill, found a new reason their parents home in the Pacific Northwest, settled down here. where purchasing house and a yard is more feasible. The *In a survey of 296 MVHS students salaries are lower as well, but compared to the price of a Coordinator of Curriculum and Assessment, house, much more in line. According to the Marianne Hew, one of the first occupants of Oregon Education Association, the average the Santa Clara Unified District’s program, teacher salary from 2013-2014 in Oregon felt lucky to be picked early in the lottery is $57,321, but Zillow Group states that the in her first year of teaching. Though she average cost of a home is only $271,500. explored other, less convenient options and FUHSD District Office employees Lena would have taught in Santa Clara regardless, and Matt Bryant managed to keep their the few years she spent in the program current jobs while purchasing a home in a

FOR MORE INFO

77%

Andrew Sturgill Moving to Oregon

Sustainable long term educational progress can’t be on the backs of a constantly changing teaching force.

Associate

Superintendent Tom Avvakumovits

History teacher

“I look most forward to the slower pace of life — to be out of the Bay Area, to be away from traffic, just for everything to be slowed down. “

Chelsa Anderson Moving to Oregon

English teacher

“I’ll miss the friends I made as colleagues, as well as everyone I’ve worked with — all the staff, and the students.”

Scott Catrette Moving to TEXAS

English teacher

“I’m looking forward to exploring the history the culture. I think there’s a lot to Texas. It’s just this mystery to me and I love that. “

more affordable area. But they had to make a different sacrifice, this one in the form of an hour and a half long commute each way.

Though the journey is long, the prices of renting a house, much less purchasing one, were impossible in the Bay Area, without including electricity, cable and car payments.

Lena feels that the pay and benefits they receive from FUHSD are great, and that they’re looking to be long term employees of an organization and eventually retire from it. The two have found jobs they love, but are not willing to give up the financial security they earn from purchasing a house in a cheaper area.

“Hollister doesn’t offer anything except a better price,” Lena said. “That’s the only reason we moved.”

Each teacher and employee finds a different way to navigate the housing crisis, but there are always sacrifices: saying goodbye to an 11 year job with your first employer, sitting in traffic for an few extra hours each day, not being able to purchase a home for your family. There’s no one clear answer, and there might never be. Catrette, who’s moving to a school district with more affordable houses, doesn’t feel like a weight is off his back.

“Life has a way of making other problems arrive,” he said. “You put out one fire and another one starts.” e

NEWS / 7

questions would have helped to reduce his their college applications, the changes stress when applying. don’t concern them. While some may have “I think it’s kind of nice to have it appreciated the shorter prompts, senior chunked so you can tackle smaller pieces at a Janani Vijaykumar actually preferred having time,” Lordan said. “There’s some flexibility the full 1,000 word essay. Other schools she for which ones you pick, so you can pick applied to, like Purdue had a short prompt prompts that are maybe more applicable to that had a 650 word limit and reflecting you.” back on college applications, Vijaykumar Other teachers, like English teacher feels like those applications were definitely Shannon Hoopes, find more benefit in the more difficult for her since the word count old college prompts. set some limitations.

“I feel like that would showcase writing “You can’t beat around the bush and add ability a little bit more, rather than having your own personal style as easily, but with discrete short answer questions,” Hoopes the 1,000 word essays, you have lots of room said. “But the ability to integrate ideas into to really talk about what you want to do and one cohesive piece of writing that really form a full fledged perception of yourself,” shows who you are... As an English teacher, Vijaykumar said. “With the shorter essays, I think I’d definitely it’s just harder to prefer that.” come across the As a Mythology way you want.” teacher, Hoopes Junior Tejal also incorporates Deshpande, who personal memoir is in Corso’s AVID writing into the class, actually curriculum. The expected the new first semester final change to result in a is a Personal Myth shorter application, Project, where but was surprised of students favor the students write to find out the new new UC prompt format about the “myths change actually of their lives,” like allowed an applicant * Out of a survey of 307 students where they came to write more. After from and what overcoming that their influences initial shock, she are. The entire came to appreciate project is a very the new change. personal reflective “I love writing, assignment. so [the new prompts But to her, are] kind of like writing about creative thoughts personal of seniors preferred the that go through your experiences mind,” Deshpande old UC prompt format doesn’t only help said. “There’s a * Out of a survey of 77 students with college essays, lot of options you but is beneficial out can choose for the of the classroom prompts.” too, serving as an But Corso easy way for students to reflect on their believes that regardless of how the UC own lives in an experience that Hoopes prompts change in the future, the desire to considers to be extremely important. go to a UC will outweigh any unhappiness “I think it’s helpful for anyone to reflect on over the potential changes. their life,” Hoopes said. “That’s a useful skill “People will probably freak out and to have as a person and certainly important complain, but at the end of the day, there’s in high school when you’re figuring out who nothing they can do about it, so they’re you are. [You] take the time to think about going to buckle in and do it anyway,” Corso that, like, ‘What has shaped you? What do said. “It’s just a matter of adapting. The you really want to do in the future?’” longer you complain, the more you put off For seniors who have already finished an inevitable change.” e

68 58

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Students and teachers reflect on new change in UC prompts STORY BY ILENA PENG

F

OUR PROMPTS, 1,400 WORDS. allows for up to 1,400 words. The new after they adjust to the change, Corso thinks Starting next year, this is how each change will affect the class of 2017, along that the new transition offers some benefits.

University of California applicants with future classes.

“There’s more variety. I think they’re will get to express what they’ve AVID classes have a curriculum that trying to offer more opportunities for you learned from their 17 or 18 to really write about yourself as years of life experiences. an individual which, in theory, College essays have is good,” Corso said. “As long become synonymous with as students are able to find and “IF IT’S JUST SHORT ANSWER, IT college applications. But access a prompt that works SOUNDS BETTER THAN WRITING AN recently, the UC system for them and allows them to changed its college essay showcase the positive qualities ESSAY BECAUSE WHEN YOU HEAR prompts, completely of themselves, it’s just a matter replacing the essay AN ESSAY YOU’RE LIKE, ‘OH NO, AN of doing it in 350 words, which altogether, saying that it’s is a challenge.”

ESSAY!’” JUNIOR JACKIE WAY their hope that the new Math and science teacher format will offer students Michael Lordan went to schools “clearer guidance and within the area growing up, more flexibility in the kind finishing his primary education of information you want to share with us.” works closely with college preparation and at Cupertino High School. He attended UC Instead of a singular essay, applicants college applications, and AVID and English Davis, and although he doesn’t exactly recall are now offered eight short answer prompts. teacher Jackie Corso’s students originally the details of his application prompt, he does Each applicant can pick four of these had mixed feelings about the change, since remember the stress he felt while writing prompts, with a word limit of 350 words per they had already done some work with the his college essays. And as someone whose prompt. While previously, an essay had a old UC prompts during first semester. But strengths lie in the maths and sciences, he maximum of 1,000 words, the new process feels like the new change with short answer

8 / EL ESTOQUE / MAY 2016

%

Tough luck, 2017.

The class of 2017 throughout the course of high school, has faced several major changes in standardized testing and college applications. Aside from the new UC prompts, the class of 2017 was the last to take the CAHSEE and the first to take the new SAT. with the new UC prompts.

The final exam The class of 2017 also took the last CAHSEE exam. The exam was cancelled before the class of 2018 was to take it.

Here’s the score

The new SAT has scoring from 400 - 1600 instead of the old scoring of 600 2400. The essay is optional and separately scored.

In addition, the quarterpoint guessing penalty was removed.

NEWS / 9

No Room

Teachers moving decreases quality of education

O

N MOST DAYS OF A N Y GI V EN ye a r, we s e e t he s ame p e ople — our te acher s.

We’ve sp ent hundre ds of hour s w it h t hem. We’ve le a r ne d f rom t hem. We’ve g row n b e c aus e of t hem. T hey have shap e d our c a re er choices and life de cisions.

A nd for t hat, we owe t hem a lot.

A gener ic draw ing of a com munit y w ill have a rest aurant, p ost office, coffe e shop, church, hospit al, hous es and a scho ol. W hat happ ens to t he image when hous e pr ices incre a s e unt il even all t he s av ings a ren’t sufficient to purcha s e a hous e? W hat happ ens when our te acher s c an no longer afford to live and te ach in t he a re a t hat many fam ilies have move d to for b et ter e duc at ion?

English te acher s Chels a A nder son,

Michelle Balme o, and Scot t Cat ret te, and so cial st udies te acher A ndrew St urgill a re just some of t he te acher s le av ing M V HS nex t scho ol ye a r b e c aus e of exp ensive housing in t he Bay A re a. In an a re a where t he me dian home pr ice ranges b et we en 1.7 and 2.5 m illion dolla r s, it is b e com ing ex t remely difficult to maint ain a fam ily f r iendly com munit y, which many te acher s who have children hop e for.

However, replacing t hese te acher s isn’t a problem. T here a re many e ager te acher s who a re finishing up t heir g raduate deg re e prog ram s and would do any t hing for t he opp or t unit y to te ach in t he Bay A re a, esp e cially in

STAFF EDITORIAL

How much did your parents pay for your house?

52%

24%

19%

$900,000 to $1.5 million

=

$500,000 to $800,000

10%

1 0 /EELL EESSTTOOQQUUEE / M A Y 2 0 1 6

More than $1.5 million

5%

Less than $500,000

*From an online survey of 209 students

compa rat ively higher-pay ing dist r ic t s.

A n average F UHSD te acher e a r ns $73,000 compa re d to dist r ic t s in ot her st ates, such a s Oregon, where te acher s a re paid an average of $42,000 st atew ide. But t hese new, OPINION young te acher s a re not ing raine d into our cult ure. T hey haven’t yet investe d in t his a re a, However, it is ex t remely difficult in us. A nd more over, when to const r uc t more public t ransp or t t hey do b e come investe d system s after p e ople have alre ady and de cide to set t le set t le d in a re a s like Cup er t ino. dow n and st a r t W hile it is difficult to simply to have fam ilies, de cre a s e t he pr ice of hous es or rent for t he cycle w ill only apa r t ment s, one p otent ial solut ion is rep e at it self. A ny to const r uc t housing unit s sp e cific ally cycle t hat hires t a rgete d for te acher s. USA To day new te acher s rep or te d t hat by 2019, t he Cup er t ino and get s r id of t hem just a s fa st is Union Scho ol Dist r ic t hop es to build problemat ic b e c ause it adver sely affe c t s t he qualit y of our e duc at ion, esp e cially if e ach new scho ol ye a r me ans new, inexp er ience d te acher s.

OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE One comp onent EDITORIAL BOARD of t he problem lies in t he s ala r ies b eing disprop or t ionate to exp ensive housing, since an average 200 apa r t ment s for it s te acher s and te acher in t he Bay A re a who e a r ns ot her facult y for b elow ma rket rate, $73,000 annually ha s to pay a which would me an under $2,500/mont h mont hly $2,300 rent for a 1 b e dro om by to day’s value, on t he site of an apa r t ment, which t a kes up ab out 38 element a r y scho ol t hat clos e d in 1983. p ercent of t he income. T hat p or t ion T he “Ca s a del Maest ro” apa r t ment of t he s ala r y le aves less to invest in complex in Sant a Cla ra is an example sto ck s, pay off debt, re ceive child c a re of affordable housing for Sant a Cla ra and insurance, and ot her daily ac t ions. public scho ol te acher s. T he rent It is e a sy to not fe el concer ne d pr ices range f rom $1,110 to $1,805 a ab out financial issue b e c ause it mont h, which is almost half of cur rent do esn’t se em like exp ensive housing ma rket pr ices. If te acher s c an have w ill dire c t ly affe c t us a s st udent s. But t heir rent cut in half, housing b e comes a s long a s veteran te acher s cont inue to a lot more affordable and allows le ave M V HS, it de cre a ses t he qualit y t hem to cont inue liv ing here, which of our e duc at ion b e c ause it t a kes new w ill p osit ively impac t e duc at ion for te acher s more t ime to get accustome d st udent s a s te acher s w it h exp er ience to t he env ironment and fig ure out cont inue work ing in one scho ol. an effe c t ive te aching met ho d. However, te acher s desir ing a big ger Conse quent ly, many M V HS liv ing space for t heir fam ilies may not te acher s don’t live in Cup er t ino b e w illing to st ay in t hos e apa r t ment s, it self but rat her sur rounding which le ads to t he s ame problem. cit ies, like San Jose, b e c ause of A s t he exp ensive housing cr isis che ap er housing. Since ga s in t he cont inues to ex ist and te acher s Bay A re a is an average of $2.97 cont inue to move out, st udent s’ qualit y p er gallon, t he cost of a long of e duc at ion w ill b e affe c te d. Mayb e com mute adds up ver y quickly. t he changes a ren’t v isible on a gener ic A p ossible solut ion, use d in cit ies cit y map, but w it hin t he com munit y, like New York Cit y, is to prov ide e a sily t he scho ol env ironment changes e ach accessible t ransp or t at ion in and out of t ime a te acher le aves. T hat’s why t he a re a t h rough buses or t rains. T his com munit y le ader s and dist r ic t officials allows te acher s to avoid mor ning and should b e t he fir st to t a ke ac t ion to after work t raffic, allow ing t hem to end t he cycle b efore t here is no ro om. e sp end more t ime w it h t heir fam ilies.

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OPINION / 11

Millennials should not be labeled “overlysensitive” just for being politically correct STORY BY AMITA MAHAJAN ILLUSTRATION BY SNEHA GAUR

T

HE PHRASE “P OLI T ICA LLY COR R ECT” H AS b e en a round for a long t ime.

You se e, back in t he 1950s it wa s considere d Ma r x ist-lingo — ess ent ially, a “p olit ic ally cor re c t worker s’ st ate!” wa s t he s ame a s a Com munist st ate. Fa st for wa rd a couple de c ades and you r un into a new definit ion: a r ude ph ra s e lab eling left ist s a s p e ople who t hought p olit ic s wa s all ab out using t he r ight words. By t he e a rly 1990s, p olit ic ally cor re c t, or “P C”, cult ure b e c ame sy nony mous w it h left-le aning ac t iv ist s.

A s for to day? Polit ic al cor re c t ness is T he Donald’s wor st enemy.

But in all s er iousness, to day Mer r iam-Webster defines p olit ic al cor re c t ness a s “confor m ing to a b elief t hat lang uage and prac t ices which could offend p olit ic al s ensibilit ies (a s in mat ter s of s ex or race) should b e elim inate d.” Ba sic ally, t his me ans t hat p olit ic al cor re c t ness is ab out using lang uage which elim inates all cont rover sy in a topic.

Do esn’t t his new definit ion sound slight ly absurd? After all, by era sing discussions which c ause discomfor t or offens e, we’re hinder ing t he oppor tunity to le a r n ab out cont rover sia l topics t hat ne e d to b e discuss e d in our so ciet y.

We’re ess ent ially placing a gag order on our cit izens to prote c t ever yone’s fe elings — which would ma ke no sens e in a count r y which pr ides it s elf on t he f re e dom of sp e e ch. T herefore, p olit ic al cor re c t ness must b e a bad t hing, r ight?

But t his definit ion of p olit ic al cor re c t ness ha s b e come to o ex t reme; you c an b e p olit ic ally cor re c t and dis ag re e w it h an opinion. T he concept of b eing P C is ab out hav ing resp e c t for t hos e who a re t he subje c t s of a discussion.

Millennials have face d considerable backla sh over b eing P C. We’ve b e en lab ele d a s “overly-s ensit ive” by sources like T IME maga zine, w it h t he differences b et we en b eing p olit ic ally cor re c t and overly-s ensit ive t r iv ialize d.

A s for t he com mon t heme? Our generat ion is to o e a sily offende d to he a r a joke.

T he v iew on our P C cult ure c an b e se en on col-

THIS DEFINITION OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS HAS BECOME TOO EXTREME; YOU CAN BE POLITICALLY CORRECT AND DISAGREE WITH AN OPINION

1 2 /EELL EESSTTOOQQUUEE / M A Y 2 0 1 6

lege c ampuses. A s aut hor s Greg Luk ianoff and Jonat han Haidt put it, p e ople fe el like m illennials’ p olit ic al cor re c t ness is ab out t ur ning “c ampuses into ‘s afe spaces’ where young adult s a re shielde d f rom words and ide a s t hat ma ke some uncomfor t able.”

Yet a s anot her g roup of m illennials le aves M V HS followe d by complaint s of b eing “to o P C” to laugh at “e dg y jokes” (lo ok in’ at you, Jer r y Seinfeld), mayb e it’s b e c ause we c a re ab out resp e c t.

Mayb e it’s b e c ause we want to he a r humor and discussions where t he punchline isn’t [inser t offensive ter m for gay]. Even in a sur vey of 298 M V HS st udent s, 59 p ercent p oint out t hat b eing p olit ic ally cor re c t is e quivalent to resp e c t ing t he t a rget s of a discussion.

Ult imately, p olit ic al cor re c t ness is not a movement to dest roy t he expression of neut ral st ances on cont rover sial issues. A nd a s P C a s m illennials a re made out to b e, not all of us supp or t ult ralib eral st ances on ever y so cial issue. A s For b es p oint s out, lib erals a s well a s conser vat ives c an “champion t hese p olicies.”

No offense, but it’s ab out resp e c t. e

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FOUR ANSWERS

Harriet Tubman on the twenty

A teacher and students discuss the new face on the $20 bill STORY BY BIll ChENg IllUSTRATIONS BY SNEhA gAUR

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he new $20 bill is projected to have one importa nt cha nge in the near future: harriet tubma n’s face will be replacing President Andrew Jackson’s as the main image. Tubman will be the first African American person to be featured on U.S. currency in its history, partially due to a campaign for change by multiple online groups and Jackson’s ownership of slaves and removal of Native Americans. She will also be the third woman to be placed on paper currency, with Pocahontas being the first on the back of the $20 bill in the 1860s and Martha Washington being the second on the $1 silver certificate in the 1880s. The Tubman bill is slated to debut in 2020 and enter standard circulation later that decade. We asked four people what they thought of this change.

Social studies teacher Benjamin Recktenwald Significant women in American history should really be considered [to be put on the bill in the future]. Bills are [also] generally worth a lot more…and are used much more in circulation, so putting a woman on money in terms of bills rather than coins is, I feel, a stronger political statement.

Junior Suhina Das I don’t think people look at money and say, ‘Oh, that’s the person on the bill.’ They don’t really think about their significance. [From what I’ve seen], they just think it’s money and look at the numbers on the top and go by how much it’s worth. I just think that another face on the bill won’t make a big difference.

I think it’s a great idea. I love the idea that we can revamp our money and show our appreciation for other historical figures besides just dead white men, though I think it’s really annoying that the Treasury is going to wait 13, 14 years before the new $20 is put out.

Senior Mira Baliga In my opinion, women of color are kind of the most downtrodden folk of America. They tend to experience the hardest everyday situations like microaggressions and whatnot. So it’s a pretty good deal that an abolitionist black woman is going to be on the $20 bill.

Sophomore Ryan Loke OPINION / 13

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SCREAM and

SHOUT I

n a word? Vocal. We stood up for what we believed in, whether we did it through the internet or in person. We screamed at the top of our lungs at the rallies to uphold our claim to royalty, and flocked to social media to commemorate important moments in history and events in our own lives. We created a chronicle of ideas and opinions that we weren’t afraid

to put out to the world, especially when it came to the presidential election. Now we’ll be the youngest to vote in it. As high school comes to an end, a hush tends to fall over seniors as they reflect on their past four years at MVHS. But we continue to look forward and speak out. Because we’re the ones who raised our voices.

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JUSTIN KIM | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

ELIZABETH HAN | EL ESTOQUE ILLUSTRATION

But when Panguluri approached her, there was no sense of fear. Her stomach felt clear of the butterflies she had felt that day in the gym. Her heart wasn’t racing, and she wasn’t thinking about her appearance.

Panguluri ties her gradual trek to her throne of confidence back to one fundamental idea: in the oceans of obstacles that high school throws at its students, the

only way to survive is to keep yourself afloat.

“You shouldn’t be scared of the people around you because the most that they can do is judge you,” Panguluri said, “so make it about yourself with whatever time you have.”

JUSTIN KIM | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

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ISHITH MODI COULD VIVIDLY recall his heart thudding in his chest, the day he’d cut his hair in his freshman year. This same hair had framed his face from the beginning

Three MVHS seniors open up on their journey to become more outgoing Story by Sandhya Kannan and Miloni Vora

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HE MIRROR REVEALS A REFLECTION UNCOMFORTABLE IN ITS OWN SHELL. IT BEGINS TO SPEAK THROUGH A PRESENTATION that appears to be thoroughly rehearsed line by line, but the only thing that goes through the speaker’s mind is the fear of stumbling.

For three seniors, this is an experience that resonates with each of their high school beginnings. However, the trials and tribulations of high school inspired each of these individuals to break out of their shells and experience the gradual transition to extroversion.

D

OES SHE THINK I’M FAT? Does my breath stink? I knew I should have chew-ed gum during fourth period.

These were the thoughts that flooded senior Sruthi Panguluri’s head four years ago during her first day of freshman year P.E., when she was being introduced to a girl who would become a good friend in the coming years. But at that moment, her stomach was turning, her heart was threatening to rip open her chest cavity, and all she can remember thinking about was what she was doing wrong.

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Freshman year was not a time of noteworthy confidence for Panguluri. In fact, confidence development was anything but a priority for her. She had convinced herself that socializing was unnecessary and projected that mindset onto her academics. But when life started to pose its challenges, she could no longer hide from her fears of finding support from her peers.

“The main reason for my change were the troubles that I had outside of school,” Panguluri said, “so when you want to forget stuff like that, you branch out and the change

kind of just happens.”

This revelation drove a change in both self-confidence and in motivation to be more outgoing and extroverted. As the months went by, she began forming emotional bonds with her peers to cope with those she lost in dealing with her tumultuous family situation.

And in what seemed to be a blink of an eye, senior year arrived.

“A new member joined our ‘squad’ and she was a cheerleader,” Panguluri said, “and I thought she would be true to the stereotype — like in the movies and such.”

S

ELF EXPRESSION PLAYED a large role in Senior Atharva Rohatgi’s confidence as well. In Rohatgi’s case however, his inability to fully express himself was literal.

“I remember freshman and sophomore year, I used to stammer a lot. I remember I was talking in front of my dad and I just froze for, like, a minute because I couldn’t say what I wanted to say,” Rohatgi said.

“The words just weren’t coming out.”

During class presentations, Rohatgi would stop mid speech. He constantly struggled to speak fluidly and coherently in front of his peers.

The fear of how he would be perceived was also something that affected Rohatgi.

In his sophomore year however, he refused to be held back by his fright and decided to join the Bollywood dance team, which completely altered his high school experience.

Rohatgi remembers being terrified for

of sixth grade to his middle school graduation. Without it, he wouldn’t be the same.

But that was the point, wasn’t it? To look different, to get noticed, to feel confident.

It occurred to him that was why he was doing this. The new hair would shape a better looking him, someone who could talk to more people, be more outgoing, and this idea kept him looking forward to whatever came next.

“I’ve been telling myself since the ninth grade to not be scared what people think of you … one of the reasons I’m so shy is because I’ve always been too scared that people might not think of me the way I want them to think of me,” Modi said.

At the end of his freshman year, Modi cut

his hair and started dressing differently, and with confidence in his outward appearance, he found himself being noticed more. The compliments he received on his new look inspired him to branch out and make new friends. The reserved, quiet freshman was replaced by a talkative one, who would participate in class activities with confidence.

Modi’s problem has always been approaching others. So when he decided to change his appearance it had been with the belief that it would help others approach him. Although he is still lacking in his ability to approach others, he has definitely noticed himself becoming more confident.

“I’d always wanted to change my appearance in a way, but never knew how, or when the right time was. This time I had decided to just try it out because I had nothing to lose. vwanted something different and so that signified the beginning of a new me, who was still the old me on the inside.”

his first performance.

He stood backstage, bubbling with nervous energy going through choreography again and again until he’d done it at least 100 times. But once he got on stage, he knew it had been worth the pain.

“When you dance on stage and the crowd cheers for you, you get this feeling of adrenaline and satisfaction because you feel that your hard work paid off, JUSTIN KIM | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION so that builds your yourself — not arrogance, but confidence in confidence,” Rohatgi said. “Being an extrowhat you do.” e vert basically means to have confidence in

SPECIAL/ 17

OR

FLIGHT

RENEE PU l EL ESTOQUE ILLUSTRATION

Seniors stand up for what they believe in S T O R Y B Y N E H A PAT C H I PA L A A N D R E N E E P U

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or not you believe in it,” Hajela said.

Sharing a similar mindset, senior Ali Zaidi believes that people should be willing to discuss about their beliefs.

When the Supreme Court announced that same-sex marriage would be legal in all 50 states last June, Zaidi ended up having an unexpected, 45-minute conversation with his friend. They started out simply talking, which then turned into sharing their opinions about the topic. The discussion then progressed to debating the relationship between religion and government.

It wasn’t a conversation that they would have normally had, as it was solely contemporary, but Zaidi felt that it was important to express his opinions.

“If you don’t stand up for your beliefs,” Zaidi said, “then why are you living? You’re kind of just going through the motions of life if you don’t have something you believe in and you’re not willing to stand up for it.”

Nevertheless, standing up for one’s belief is not always easy, and everyone has their own way of doing it.

And silence doesn’t necessarily indicate a flight, as it often leads a person to realize their belief and gather their strength for the future.

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EST l EL IPAL A A PA TCH NEH OQU E EST l EL KIM JUS TIN

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responsibility to protect lives that do not have the capacity to protect themselves.

Miranda moved from New York to California in the summer before her senior year, so this was her first time attending the peaceful rally. In California, she was introduced to this event by her mentor from the Charwick Study Center.

“I feel bothered and sad when people talk about [abortion] like that, as if it is completely okay,” Miranda said.

With new technology, Miranda and other young people in the protest are able to look deeper into abortion procedures, which have led them to believe that both the fetus and the mother will be hurt by an abortion.

Feeling a strong sense of compassion, Miranda attended the rally, determined to create a change.

Being vocal is a quality that resonates with senior Sun Hajela. Whether it be standing up for women’s rights during a Socratic seminar or commenting on a controversial Facebook post, Hajela makes it a point to speak her mind. However, even Hajela has moments in which she can’t find her voice.

During swim practice this year, Hajela swam laps in a lane with another student when the person started insulting Hajela’s best friend. Hajela froze.

“I didn’t say anything back and [the next day] when I told [my friend] what happened, she was like ‘Oh, you defended me right?’ and I was like ‘No,’” Hajela said. “It was one of the worst moments of my life.”

She knew she should have stood up for her best friend, but for some reason, she just couldn’t. It’s during moments like these that Hajela believes that it’s important to stand up for what you believe in.

“If you believe in it and nobody hears you, then it doesn’t really matter whether

JUS

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HE CROWD STARTED TO SING as it moved forward and senior Mariana Miranda sped up her pace. She looked through the posters held high in the air and tried to catch up with the youth leaders.

Miranda was among the tens of thousands of participants in the Walk for Life West Coast event protesting abortion.

The protest took place in San Francisco on January 2016. Miranda took her chance to stand up and express her beliefs to p e ople nationwide.

As a Catholic, M i r a n d a developed her view toward abortions at a young age, and she felt a personal

Senior Juhi Shah was sitting in If you believe in dissatisfaction, Shah was her AP Statistics classroom during determined to be more it and nobody prepared and stand up a tutorial when she overheard two underclassmen arguing. She special needs kids in h e a r s y o u , for didn’t pay much attention to the future events. then it doesn’t conversation. Up until the she Ever since she started heard the word “retarded.” volunteering the r e a l l y m a t te r Organization ofatSpecial Shah put down her pen and turned to face the two students. whether or not Needs Families, Shah has She opened her mouth and developed unforgettable you believe in it connections with special attempted to point out how they were not supposed to use the term needs kids. as a way to belittle each other, “Outsiders usually but the students went on to other SENIOR see those children as topics. In silence, Shah shook her SUN HAJELA people who need a lot head and turned back. Although of help and can’t do Shah was eager to defend special anything for their lives,” needs children, she still felt uncomfortable Shah said. “However, working as a volunteer, butting into a conversation and to say I can see that [special needs kids] are really what’s right or wrong. With a slight sense of smart; they just have trouble communicating

UNPOPULAR OPINIONS

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[with others].”

Although Shah did not talk to the two students, she became more protective toward her special needs children.

She decided that next time, she would speak up and tell others that it is not acceptable to judge someone else, especially these kids, without knowing what it is like being them.

“I want to speak up for them,” Shah said, “because they have a special place in my heart.” e

NEHA PATCHIPALA l EL ESTOQUE

FIGHT

RENEE PU l EL ESTOQUE ILLUSTRATION

S T O R Y B Y E M I LY Z H A O

n every community there’s bound to be a mainstream.

From being politically liberal to the light-hearted things like enjoying PMT, most of us have preferences that are the norm. But there are also those who stray from the typical,

who bring diversity, interesting ideas and controversy. Some of them end up in the center of attention, others go unnoticed. Here are three seniors who deviate from the conventional but make up part of our community.

Humor in the Dark

Spotlight on the Controversial

We showcase our ideal selves on social media, by posting photos of beautiful scenery, sharing uplifting posts and cracking humorous puns. The rest of the rather unpleasant moments in our lives happen behind the scenes, out of the spotlight. Senior Jayson Chao, however, shares his unfortunate experiences on Facebook—posting witty jokes, comments and stories.

As someone who’s experienced anxiety, Chao shares his dark and humorous insight on sensitive topics.

“The funny thing about mental disorders is that I ended up diagnosed with the ones that I always made jokes about having,” Chao said in a recent Facebook post.

Facebook is an outlet to act differently than he would in person, allowing him to express his negative experiences in unconventional ways.

“On the internet, I like to be a more exaggerated version of myself,” Chao said, “so a lot of [my Facebook posts] are just me taking my viewpoints or things that have happened to me and just blowing them up or adding a comedy element...If I use comedy or some selfdeprecating thing, then people can go ‘hahaha’ and think about [the issues].”

54 comments, 17 likes. That’s the reaction that senior Kareeda Kabir received for her Facebook post. The post criticized students who choose to attend colleges with academic environments similar to that of MVHS and refuse to leave their comfort zone. After seeing the 54 comments, most of them disparaging, Kabir hopes for people to ask her more questions and recognize that she’s trying to improve MVHS, not simply criticize her peers.

“I think people did misunderstand me ... [but] I don’t really mind; I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing,” Kabir said.

“I invite people to talk to me and some people do.”

MVHS is notorious for its highly competitive and academically-driven atmosphere, and though her views aren’t necessarily surprising, she’s not afraid to share them in a controversial light.

“A lot of what people are saying about Monta Vista is like, ‘People are so kind’ and ‘We’re so supportive of each other,’” Kabir said, “but when you actually go behind the scenes and talk to people one-on-one, they say really awful things, specifically now about college...

People really do capitalize off of other people’s failures.”

Introverted Extrovert Usually, introverted ones shy away from the center of attention, but that’s not why senior Eliot Hsu is out of the spotlight—he’s an extrovert who chooses his social events selectively.

Hsu focuses on small-group interactions and enjoys taking initiative among his close friends. “[For] small social events like my friend group, I try to organize them pretty regularly. It’s a different dynamic... whenever I try to hang out with friends, it’s more like something we just want to do. I’m an ENFP [Myers-Briggs personality type] but it means in all of my friendships I often put everything in more and that often means that I don’t have a lot of bandwidth for a lot of people.”

Hsu rejects the popularity-based events that attract school-wide attention.

“For the people who are [nominated for Homecoming court], they deserve to be there because they’re outgoing with everyone, but personally I don’t really care because for me, that’s not what’s important,” Hsu said. “Different people have different priorities.”

SPECIAL / 19

SHARE YOUR VOICE STORY BY ADITI DESAI AND SANJANA MURTHY

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ooking back at the past four years, Facebook profile pictures have taken a major role in the student body’s voice and community involvement. From the MV Cares graphic to the Pray for Paris filters, MVHS students changed their pictures to demonstrate their opinions on various issues and show support.

In October of 2014, members of MVHS and the local community gathered together in a candle-lit vigil together to share their memories of Ethan Wong, who passed away in a bike accident.

Regardless of whether they knew him personally or not, students showed their support by changing their profile picture over the course of the couple weeks after the incident. Following the incident, a memorial with a white bicycle and flowers was placed on McClellan Rd. and the city improved bike safety by painting the bike lanes green.

MV CARES

26%

For senior Mihir Gokhale, the thought of changing his profile picture is an ineffective way of educating himself or actually making a difference in comparison to other techniques. “People are going to want to feel like they did something even if they didn’t do anything,” Gokhale said.

Social media has a huge platform to allow people to voice their opinions, but if everyone is voicing the same opinion, it doesn’t say anything profound. Specific to the Paris filter, instead of changing his profile picture, he decided SENIOR to support various organizations that aid refugees or those MIHIR GOKHALE displaced by the violence. “Preventing terrorism abroad is going to take more than changing your profile picture,” Gokhale said. “It’s going to need political action on the international level.”

of seniors changed their profile picture to the rainbow filter

*out of 61 MVHS seniors

69%

64%

of seniors changed their profile picture to MV Cares

October 2014

On Dec. 14, 2012, former MVHS literature teacher Matt Brashears was subject to a bomb threat that was found spray painted onto a wall at Kennedy Middle School. The event both shocked and united students and teachers alike, as they banded together in support of Brashears and his family during the difficult and frightening time. To physically represent the community’s support and solidarity, a graphic was created that found its way all over Facebook throughout the profile pictures of all grade levels by the end of the day.

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SENIOR AJAY MERCHIA

PRAY FOR PARIS

31%

of seniors changed their profile picture to MV Loves Mr. Brashears

MV LOVES MR.BRASHEARS

On Nov. 13th of 2015, those present in Paris’s northern suburb suffered death or injury due to a series of planned terrorists attacks. The attack served as a shock to communities around the world and had massive media coverage. Facebook created a Paris filter in which a translucent Paris flag overlapped the user’s original profile picture, and MVHS students changed their profile filters to bring awareness to the tragic situation and support those affected. Out of all the ISIS attacks around that time period, the one in Paris received the most news and social media attention, causing concerns of the filter being eurocentric.

of seniors changed their profile picture to the Pray for Paris filter

Senior Ajay Merchia created the Facebook profile picture called “MV Cares” to show his support in an effective and efficient way. “[The profile picture] does serve as a voice for students online,” Merchia said. “The simple notion of changing a profile picture to the affected individuals shows that we as an entire school, as a community, and as a city can come together.”

The purple and gold background represented the school, the heart shows the community’s love and support for Wong’s family and the phrase “once a matador, always a matador” was used to signify that he would always be a part of our community.

MARRIAGE EQUALITY After decades of effort on the part of LGBTQ+ community and its allies fighting for the legalization of same-sex marriage, the US Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage legal nation-wide on June 27, 2015. Despite the event occurring over the summer, several students shared lengthy posts showing their approval of the ruling, and even more decided to apply the rainbow flag (a symbol of gay pride) filter, made available by Facebook, to their profile picture.

SENIOR MAY CUI

“If I change my profile picture, it’s because I think I know enough about the issue to actually understand it,” senior May Cui said. While most MVHS students changed their picture to the Pray for Paris filter, she used one that included the flags of all countries directly attacked

by ISIS. In the caption of her picture, she explained the reasoning behind the multiple flags, stating that it conveyed eurocentric beliefs, and included links to further information about ISIS and ignorance surrounding religion. “I didn’t want to use the Paris filter, but I also wanted to show my opinion, so this felt like the perfect solution,” Cui said.

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ZACH SANCHEZ l EL ESTOQUE ILLUSTRATION

will be % 58 voting

in the upcoming election

66%

have become more extroverted in high school

78 %

consider themselves to be opinionated people

80%

know what they will major in

opinionated.

The word most frequently used to describe the class of 2016.

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30%

got into their dream school

34 %

said out of all 4 years, they would relive their senior year

have been in a % 58 relationship

at some point in high school

92 %

will be going to college in the united states

are feeling the effects of % 82 senioritis

45%

have cheated academically SPECIAL / 23

a new age A presidential election and a graduating senior class: one happens every four years, and the other happens annually. When these pivotal events coincide, seniors are often launched into conversations about who they’ll vote for, what

2016 Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders v Donald Trump

2012

Barack Obama v Mitt Romney

1996 Bill Clinton v Bob Dole

Senior Allegra Ziegler-Hunts will be voting for the first time this June, and if her parents have anything to say about it, she’ll be doing it the proper way.

“I think most of my family mails in,” she said, “but my parents said for my first one I should probably show up to the polling place.”

This election is the first she, along with the rest of the class of 2016, is eligible to vote for, and they couldn’t have asked for one that is more interesting.

“I think, at the time, every election feels kind of like a circus but this one pushes it to an extreme,” she said.

For class of 2012 alumnus Parul Goyal, the election was a little less exciting. She, like many Californians, already knew she was going to vote for Obama.

“Obama had already been in office and so

they’ll do and how much they care. For the class of 2016, and for many other election-year alumni, graduating amidst a presidential campaign influences not only their interest in politics, but how and why they participate. people kind of knew what we were going to expect from him going forward,” Goyal said, “versus now where obviously someone new has to be elected.”

While the 2012 election failed to capture the attention of the year’s senior class, Goyal believes that most of her classmates were eager to simply exercise their right to vote.

“There was just that kind of a vibe,” Goyal said, ‘Oh yeah we just turned 18 and have the right to vote and will actually be able to practice that right to vote.’”

In contrast, Ziegler-Hunts believes that voting in this election is about the candidates. Especially, because she, along with many others, is dissapointed in the final two candidates. “I think there’s a lot of who I want to vote for, versus who I’m voting against,” she said. “I think the selection is going to have a lot of who I’m voting against.”

Jason Jabson, alumnus of the class of 1996 didn’t “I voted right next to Lincoln Elementary,” class care for any of that year’s candidates: Bill Clinton of 1980 alumnus Trudie Wellick said. “I was really seemed insincere, Bob Dole seemed like a sleaze, excited, I couldn’t wait to get my ‘I Voted!’ sticker.” and who in the world was Ross Perot, anyway?

In history classes, her teachers had discussed Now, years later, Jabson feels he’s both candidates, emphasizing that as seniors who could missed and gained something from his practiced vote, research was important. But Wellick didn’t indifference. need to be reminded: some of her earliest memories “I see seniors now were accompanying her caring a lot,” Jabson said. mother at the phone bank “Getting into arguments. for Republican candidates, And I see how they of her father telling her elestoque.org can joke about it easily, that voting mattered. and want to change the So she wrote to all system.” three of the candidates: Republican Ronald Reagan, It’s this desire to change the system, he believes, Democrat Jimmy Carter and Independent John B. that’s key to participation. It’s what he was missing Anderson. And only one write back. his senior year. What he observes now about high “I was surprised it was Anderson,” Wellick said. schoolers is that they want to build something new, “But that definitely influenced how I voted.” In the which also means they want to tear things down. fall, that’s exactly who she voted for. She had already Enraged Facebook posts and sarcastic comments liked his views, but receiving his letter — even amuse him, but they also inspire him. though it was a form letter — was enough to make “I think to myself, ‘Wow, this is a culture of being her feel like she counted. active,’” Jabson said. “Because with social media, “It makes a difference., Wellick said, “one vote everyone wants to be connected, and I see that makes a difference.” there’s so much possible.” e

FOR FULL STORIES

1980

Ronald Reagan v Jimmy Carter

STORY BY KRISTIN CHANG AND MAYA MURTHY

2 4 / EEL LE E SS TO - QUE / MAY 2016

MAJOR CHANGE

BY TAL MAROM AND SHARON TUNG Oftentimes we think of college as a time for personal change, an essential part of picking one’s focus and finally entering adulthood. But through our studies, through our future professions, what do we seek to change about the world? MVHS seniors discuss how they want to take their skills and college experience to improve not only themselves, but society at large.

VIRTUAL REALITY College of Design. One day, she aims to marry Robots such as Roomba have been making her art with her stories to create movies that appearances in homes, and senior Ajay Jain will change her watcher’s views of the world.

(1) took it a step further by building his own “I chose animation because I like how with code and hardware. He constructed a motion works,” Hsiao said. “I like when I draw nursing robot out of a laptop and wheels to many, many frames and it forms something distribute medicine to the beautiful or it looks like it elderly during his sophomore actually could happen.”

THE year. In the future, he hopes Hsiao finds that in a lot his current research will ADVANTAGE of stories, there are all-pure reach consumers. heroes, but with real people, Jain will major in computer OF STARTUPS she thinks they are allowed to science at Massachusetts IS THAT YOU be heroes even though they are Institute of Technology. He not perfect. plans to launch his own CAN BUILD A “When I write my stories, startup after graduating.

I try to explore something PRODUCT THAT “The advantage of about the human condition and startups is that you can build ACTUALLY human nature, and have some a product that actually hits HITS THE of the characters be relatable the customers,” Jain said. “In for people,” Hsiao said. “When the industry, if I join a big CUSTOMERS you can relate to characters, company, then I am a little that’s how you really get SENIOR cog in the whole system.” engaged in the story.”

Jain is still trying to figure AJAY JAIN She hopes that one of her out which branch of computer stories can one day become a science he wants to pursue — movie or a show. If Hsiao had he sees himself mainly working in software the chance to direct her own films, she would with some mechanical engineering. In terms want to make a film with a deep concept that of a career, he believes he can make a huge can help people change their mindset. impact with an educational technology.

“In educational technology, there is a LEFT BRAIN RIGHT BRAIN lot of power for simple projects to make big When senior Priyanka Agarwal (3) entered improvements in existing manual processes,” high school, she knew from the start that she Jain said. would go into medicine. It’s a path taken by However, with the prices of robotics some students at MVHS: majoring in a sciencehardware dropping, Jain hopes the advantage related field in college and then moving on to will help him start his own robotics company medical school to become a doctor. instead. He sees a large market in the future To broaden her breadth in other STEM for caretaking robots, which will improve fields, Agarwal decided to take AP Computer quality of life and help the elderly avoid Science. “I really saw the applications of nursing homes, which are expensive. computer science in the world around me and its role in health care,” Agarwal said.

ANIMATED WORK Although Agarwal was still very Although the characters animated on the passionate about healthcare, she decided to screen move and talk so effortlessly, behind- pursue her interests through the avenue of the-scenes, filmmakers and producers clock computer science. While she’s still pursuing a in hours of work animating to make each STEM-related major at Harvey Mudd College character so unique and impressionable. this fall, Agarwal stresses the importance of Senior Anna Hsiao (2) will study character interdisciplinary education. animation when she attends Art Center “[At Harvey Mudd], one third of our classes

have to be in humanities, and we have to specialize in a humanities subject,” Agarwal said. “[Through the humanities], we learn how our fields of study apply to the world around us and how we can actually make a difference.”

Agarwal plans on potentially concentrating in a foreign language to help fulfill her goals of developing medical tools and software that are more accessible to people in developing countries.

For Agarwal, the humanities and STEM a r e

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inseparable for a wellr o u n d e d education.

More specifically, she believes that computer science can serve as a bridge between STEM and the humanities. “I think now people are realizing that computer science is very applicable to everything,” Agarwal said. “I think that it can be applied to almost anything that someone wants to do.” e

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A WAVE GOODBYE

Seconds forever

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dancer suspended three feet off the ground. A football player, trying to shake off the four arms wrapped around his torso, charging toward the endline. That shy, bashful, rosy smile that sneaks across a girl’s face as she hands her boyfriend a box of Star Wars collectibles and candy that she hopes and almost knows he’ll like. No one really gives these moments a second glance, these small events that exist only for a heartbeat, but if you capture it through a lens in that exact moment, they end up being cherished for years to come. Blink, wait a second too long, and they disappear. In my four years at MVHS, I suppose that’s one of the best lessons.

S o m e o n e once told me that “10% of good photography is the equipment.

The other 90% is the person and the moment combined.” What makes a good photo, beyond the technique, is the story it tells and the way it touches people.

Like the National Geographic picture of the Afghan girl. Or the American troops on the hill erecting the Stars and Stripes up on Iwo Jima. Sure, the focus and the exposure were right. But a perfectly lit, in-focus picture of a fried egg doesn’t tell the story that way. That egg doesn’t become a symbol of the era.

Being a perfectionist, as a photographer, I kept trying to take the perfect picture with the perfect lighting and perfectly sharp edges because that perfection fed my ego

while ‘bad’ shots hurt it. I would review photos in the middle of a football game while the ball was in midair or during a play while the actors took their bows. I obsessed over getting the perfect picture, waiting for the exact moment when everything would be right. Now, more so than the failures — the shaky and overly bright or dark pictures focused on the background — I regret the shots I missed. I let moments slip by because I was afraid of screwing up. I ended up missing moments that could’ve been the “perfect picture.” The celebration immediately after an unexpected goal that ties the game. The actors huddled in a tight ball and chanting “Energy, energy, all around…” for the last time together. It’s such an abstract idea: perfection.

I remember one moment: the end of the field hockey senior game. I was busy reviewing the shots I had already taken when my partner poked me and said, “Look, take a picture.” Junior varsity field hockey coach Bonnie Belshe was hugging one of the captains, a senior who Belsha had known for since freshman year. For a moment, they just stood there, surrounded by the darkness and cold air, with steam drifting off their cheeks into the night. Isn’t it funny how moments like that pop up in life? A chance to make yourself better or to gain something or to just be happier. And sometimes you miss it because you were stuck focusing on what already happened and whether or not it was perfect. By the

They were all chances, all moments that disappear after that instant. I’m glad I took those chances.

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Justin Kim time I turned to take the picture, the perfect picture of the night, they had already parted.

That moment was gone.

There are countless moments like that one, every day of every year, especially at our age. High school is a time of discovery and experimentation, where each day is a new chance to learn and grow. Even if we don’t want to learn anything from the hours of lectures that grow ever quieter as our eyelids slip and our heads quiver in an attempt to resist gravity, we inevitably learn about ourselves and what we want to do.

What we can do. To find those things and to take a shot at them.

When I entered high school, I thought that writing was going to be my ‘thing.’ My sole passion, my main pursuit. Sometimes, when I’m developing a roll of film, I think about that thought and chuckle a little.

I’ll remember the moment I took my first photograph. I’ll never get the moment back, but I’ll remember it fondly for a good while.

Just like those first steps into A111. Talking to all the people I know in journalism for the first time, joking with them, running away from them after telling them terrible puns, tackle hugging them while ruffling their hair and whacking them on the head with the magazine. They were all chances, all moments that disappear after that instant.

I’m glad I took those chances. The one thing I wish, at the end of my senior year when everything is winding down to a halt, is that I took more shots, more pictures, more opportunities to do more and discover.

So, as a photographer and a person who’s done with high school, my advice for anyone here is this: take that shot.

A GUT FEELING

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et me tell you my favorite childhood story. In second grade, my friends and I used to play this game where we’d see who could push their stomach out the most. There we stood, every morning before we entered Mr. Hodge’s Room 9: second graders holding our breath, hoping that we didn’t get an outie in the process.

It was cutthroat, but I always won.

“How’d you do that?”

“Cheater!”

“Are you stuffing anything under your shirt?”

As reigning champion, I’d nervously laugh because, you see, I never actually pushed out my stomach.

This is the first story I share with people I’ve just met because I feel it’s telling of who I was and who I’ve become. When I tell the story or show people baby pictures, I play it off as a joke: “Haha look at fat Malu...” It should be a joke because I know that I’m not literally fat. That word, however, can seem relative at times.

In these past four years, I still remember the times I felt “fat”. I didn’t win that one class office election. I didn’t make the volleyball team. I didn’t get that A in first semester Pre-Calculus Honors. I didn’t get

Malini Ramaiyer

asked to homecoming.

Now, I’m sitting here laughing at everything I attached my confidence to.

Back then, I’d go running to the bathroom in between the girl’s locker room and the swimming pool. Yeah, that’s the bathroom I always cry in.

High school is weird. Sometimes it felt like it was just meant to break down the confidence I never had. But as I found my people and my voice, mostly here in A111 (and A103 during seventh period), I stopped feeling like “fat Malu.” When you have to go up and ask strangers for interviews or when you have lead a 70-person staff, you find your confidence. In journalism, you publish your own work for others to criticize, to scoff at, to throw in the trash. In journalism, you have to lead your peers — a lot of the time you have to tell them to shut up and listen so you can finish teaching your lesson.

In these past two years of madness, of journalism, the need to hide in that bathroom grew smaller and smaller. The confidence that came from being a part of El Estoque not only gave me a voice, but also made me more secure about my looks.

Confidence works in a strange way.

Sometimes I still find myself looking at my stomach to make sure I won’t be winning any contests that second grade Malu would have won. I still dread doctor appointments

High school is weird.

Sometimes it felt like it was just meant to break down the confidence I never had.

A NEW LOVE

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veryone falls in love in a peculiar way.

I was in third grade, wandering the Cupertino Library, looking for a book to write a biography report about.

After rejecting most of my mother’s selections, I stumbled upon a biography of NFL star quarterback Brett Favre. Reading his story, I learned about all the eye-opening accomplishments he’d amassed on and off the field. As a kid always looking for new things to explore, I soon fell in love with the sport. My first love, that is, excluding my kindergarten girlfriend. Shout out to Kelly O’Brien if you ever end up reading this.

At that moment in third grade, I promised myself that I would make it to the NFL. I trained nearly every day without fail throughout elementary and middle school

because I know I’ll have to check my weight.

At our school, it’s so easy to default to self-deprecation, and while it’s funny, somewhere along the way it becomes toxic.

So I think I’ll find a new story as I head out to college and meet new people. Perhaps, it’ll be about that time when my favorite pair of Vans were so far gone and some people on staff pooled money to buy me new shoes.

The story about how I got stuck in the middle of a spat between two petitioners. Or maybe I’ll tell them about the time no one would hug me at late night because I had poison oak. Either way, I have a gut feeling that it’ll be good.

Pranav Iyer

and stuck to an extremely strict diet. People around me had no idea why I was doing this to myself. I was an Indian living in Silicon Valley. To them, I should have been taking Java classes instead.

Then came Aug. 20, 2012. My first day at MVHS. I’d been fearing this day for years. And by no means was I ready. I never enjoyed school. I never had any academic interests. I never studied for tests. All I ever cared about was football. Never once did I think of what my future would be like if that didn’t pan out.

It wasn’t long until reality kicked in. As a freshmen on the junior varsity team, I barely received any playing time even though I was one of the hardest workers. Eventually, after a year or two, I came to terms with the fact that, despite the hundreds of hours I have and would invest into bettering myself as a

player, I would never come close to where I needed to be to make football into a career.

I realized it was time to reevaluate what direction I wanted to travel in life. Although I never could fully accept my fate, I began to think about finding a new passion. I just didn’t know where to look to. I still had zero interest in any of my academic subjects and

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interest in any of my academic subjects and was at best a mediocre student.

Sophomore year course selections came along and I did my best to avoid signing up for any honors classes so that I could make the most of what I’d accepted to be my final three years of playing football. Against my will, I decided to take Writing for Publication as my elective. I was introduced to this course by one of my closest family friends, who advised me to take it because she thought it’d be a great way to express my love for sports. I, however, hated writing.

Especially my writing. I was always the one in Lit class who conveniently forgot their essay at home on peer review days or had to make an excuse for why their writing was so bad. “I wrote this in 15 minutes,” was my go-to excuse, when in reality I spent hours

crafting my essay, knowing it would never turn out half-decent.

My first few weeks in Writing for Publication lived up to my expectations. In a class mostly consisting of the best freshmen writers at MVHS, I stuck out. Not only was I one of the few sophomores, I was also one of the poorest writers.

For months, I was miserable in class and regretted taking it. That all changed when we reached the sports unit at the end of the semester. I finally found something that I was passionate to write about and through my passion, I realized my potential as a writer. For the first time, I was proud of my writing and wanted it to be shared.

A few months later, in March of 2014, I decided that I was going to apply for the

For the first time, I was proud of my writing and wanted it to be shared.

Today I am a senior

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journalism staff, and as you can probably guess reading this now, I made the team.

In my fourth month as part of the staff, I joined the sports section and within my first day, I had eagerly volunteered to write several stories and had been assigned to be a sports columnist. Just minutes after publishing my first in-depth column, I witnessed firsthand how I was able to inspire so many readers, from fellow classmates to people across the country.

And just like that, I’d fallen in love again.

I had fallen in love with sports journalism.

Besides my football team, my two years as part of the El Estoque staff has been the only other group of people I could truly call family. Through my columns, broadcasts, articles, highlight reels, and my half-hour documentary that I poured my heart and soul into, I have realized the impact I can have as a journalist. And that is why it is something I plan to continue doing for years and years to come.

Anjana Melvin

Note to reader: This is an adapted version of Eleven by Sandra Cisneros

hat they don’t understand about high school and what they will never tell you is that when you are a senior, you are also a junior, sophomore and freshman. And when you wake up your first day of senior year, you expect to feel like a senior, but you don’t.

You open your eyes and everything’s just like yesterday, only it’s today. And you don’t feel like a senior at all. You feel like you’re still a junior. And you are — underneath all the things that make you a senior.

Like some days you might stay up all night pulling your hair out, and that’s the part of you that’s still a junior. Or maybe some days you may have time for doing things you once loved to do — read, paint, hang out with friends — and that’s the part of you that’s a sophomore. And maybe one day while you’re college touring you’ll feel the nerves of starting something new like if you were a freshman, and you’ll feel like running back to the safety of the life you’ve always known, and that’s okay. That’s what I told myself when I was about to step onto my future college campus for the first time, and the butterflies in my stomach were trying to eat their way out. Maybe I was feeling like a freshman.

Because your years in high school are really like the training wheels on a bike or your mom holding you steady even when the training wheels come off. As a freshman, sophomore or junior you are so, so

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ready to just go. You’ve been waiting for this moment. Freedom. Independence.

That’s how being a high schooler is.

As it gets closer to graduation, there are certain days when I think to myself: not yet, not yet, not yet, but these last few weeks of May are passing faster and faster. Sometimes I get this awful feeling, these waves of sadness that come out of nowhere and I don’t know why but all of a sudden I’m feeling sick inside, like those training wheels were ripped off unexpectedly and my mom let go of my hand even as I begged her to hold on and please, please don’t let me go.

When this part of me that’s a freshman wants to come out of my eyes, I squeeze them shut tight and grit my teeth really hard and try to remember that today I am a senior, a senior.

But you don’t feel like a senior. Not right away. It takes a few days, weeks even, sometimes even months. I mean there are the little things, like walking around with your car keys or standing on the senior bleachers or complaining about how #sss was the biggest lie you had ever heard. But you don’t feel “old” senior, not until you’ve almost graduated and you start to rethink every moment you’ve ever spent in high school. That’s the way it is.

Today I’m a senior. My senior portrait is hanging on the wall, I have college acceptance letters in random places around my house and rejections hidden deep inside my gmail inbox. In a month I will be getting my

diploma and that night we’ll have the senior all night party, and the next morning I will be 18 and suddenly I will be shoved right into the next phase of my life completely and utterly and hopelessly unprepared for the uncertain future. And, at least a few more times before June 3 this year, I will walk down the hallways in the upstairs C building remembering my freshman self walking down the exact same path trying to avoid getting mowed down by the thenseniors and with a hope beyond hope that one day that will be me. And now they are me, or I am them, or both, and I’m sure that some part of all of us wants to go back to being that scrawny, wide-eyed freshman.

So yes, today I am a senior, but I am also a junior and a sophomore and I wish, more than anything, that I were still a freshman.

I want that finish line to be far, far away, like SATs and prom and college were four years ago. So far away you can only begin to imagine it. e

OH, THE PLACES I’LL MISS S

SAN ANTONIO RANCH enior Mariana Miranda has only attended MVHS for one year.

She’s been visiting San Antonio Ranch for just as long, but her impressions of it are all the stronger.

Miranda first visited with her mother, father, two sisters, and brother. Together, they hiked to one of the highest points. Once there, Miranda was awed by the full view of Sunnyvale and STORY BY DYLAN TSAI all of the surrounding cities.

“I come from upstate New York, ILLUSTRATIONS BY ILENA PENG where there’s a lot of suburbs,” said Miranda.

“Seeing all the cities from While faraway colleges can bring new scenic up there was like, ‘whoa, sights, they can also flush out old gathering this is California.’ It opened places. Some students were born here in my eyes to ‘this is where Cupertino, while others have recently moved I’m living now.’” here. Some students’ colleges are a four-hours Miranda and her family of flight away, while others’ are merely an hours’ continue to visit San car ride away. But every student moving away Antonio Ranch twice a for college, no matter their interests, has places month, but it’s not always that they’ll miss. From restaurants to local parks for the view. They explore to tourist attractions, countless local jewels have the park’s labyrinth of shaped MVHS students’ lives and will continue to trails and show Miranda’s do so until their high school experiences come to

Seniors moving for college reminisce about places they will remember

an end.

HALF MOON BAY etsuits, calming water, Taco Bell and a Venus Flytrap named Fredrick Wilson III. Ever since her mother first brought her to Half Moon Bay in elementary school, senior Audrey Li has made day-visits to Half Moon Bay whenever school is on break and her mother is free.

Li, who plans to attend a college in landlocked Missour i, cherishes her final visits to the beach.

“I just like the sound of the waves,” Li said. “It’s nice to walk around with just my feet in the water.”

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During the car ride, the smell of the surrounding forest relax Li and the various shops entertain her. One time, Li and her mother visited a greenhouse plant store on the way that boasted a line of carnivorous plants. Li and her mother left the store with a small pamphlet, a tiny pot, and a Venus Flytrap that would become Fredrick Wilson III. At the beach itself, Li enjoys both the view and the atmosphere. Since her first visit, the site’s serenity has astounded her. Though there are many visitors, their presence does not detract from the clean air, sound of waves and expanses of sand. From ocean walks to shell collecting to beachhouse sightseeing, every second spent at Half Moon Bay, every time she visits, relaxes Li.

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third grade sister — an avid animal lover — the various animals along the trail. During one of the first visits, they were able to watch a mother deer drinking from a stream with her baby fawn. Sometimes, they visit the farm to see the cows. Recently while hiking on the trails, Miranda’s friend heard a pecking sound. They followed the sound until Miranda’s friend pointed to the branches of a tree, and in that tree was the first woodpecker Miranda had ever seen, pecking at the tree.

“There’s always new things to look at,” Miranda said. “If you just keep an eye out, there’s just so many animals and things going on.”

The last time Miranda went to San Antonio Ranch, she and her friend saw a wild bunny. Because bunnies are a rare sight, they did not want to risk scaring it away. So they stood there quietly, and together, they watched until the bunny finally hopped away.

PIZZA MY HEART n his junior year, current senior Eliot Hsu found his plate filled with seven classes. Without the time to leave school to eat out during lunch, he resolved to bring the food he wanted to school.

“I didn’t really have time to go out for lunch and all my friends stayed on campus,” Hsu said.

“So, we would order pizza deliveries every Friday or every other Friday.”

Of the nearby pizza places, Hsu most prefers Pizza My Heart due to its taste and affordability.

His favorite pizza at Pizza My Heart is the Big Sur, a loaded pizza with garlic, organic tomato sauce, pepperoni, sausage, portobello mushrooms and green onions.

Hsu first began ordering

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pizzas just to try it out, but it soon evolved into a tradition. Almost every Friday at the end of brunch last year, he would call Pizza My Heart to request a delivery straight to the bus circle. For the occasional Pizza Hut lunch, he could order online Thursday night, since he and his friends planned their pizza lunches in advance.

This year, Hsu can drive to eat out since he has several free periods. Even with new openings such as Pieology, Hsu still stays loyal to Pizza My Heart because he finds Pieology too expensive despite preferring the taste of Pieology’s pizzas.

In the end, Pizza My Heart is Hsu’s happy medium. e

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ONE STEP AT A TIME

A group of friends cap off senior year with a trip across Europe

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STORY BY ANANYA BHAT AND JESSICA XING

HEY’LL START IN IRELAND. After maybe three days, they’ll move on to France. Then it’s Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary and finally, the Netherlands. At least that’s the plan — for now. For one whole month, seniors Eric Pala, Duncan Levy and college freshman Rohit Khandekar will be traveling across Europe by foot, EuroRail and whatever other local transport they can find. Although they say that they’ll make it up as they go, they do have a rough plan: a plan that Pala’ s dad constructed when he took the exact same trip across Europe after his senior year of college.

Europe they decided was the best place to go because while this trip is about freedom and independence, there is some comfort in familiarity. After all, Pala had family in Italy and Levy had his parents’ home in France, a reliable safeguard in case they ever ran out of money. Levy’s mom plans a family trip to Europe almost every summer, so it was easy to get her to assist in planning in terms of destinations, airfare and cost.

“For the first month of summer I’m always in some different European country,” Levy said. “My mother’s really good at planning these trips — I mean she just finds a house in just the perfect spot, she’s really good at finding places along the way.”

It started in freshman year as a romanticized idea. The idea of having a senior trip has been on their minds for four They already had their game plan laid years and has gone through many changes: out for them about 30 years in the past, at first they wanted to bike across Europe as Pala’s dad backpacked across Europe (later scrapped for convenience, safety and with some of his buddies after his last year comfort reasons), then they wanted to road of college. They all had money saved up trip to N.Y. — they even briefly considered with little else to spend it on. Being able to going to Japan. But now that the dream has use it on something big and worthwhile, actually come true, the boys are hesitant to Pala said, was a way to mark his transition call it one. into adulthood. For Khandekar, spending “I guess this is our his own money meant he senior trip, but it is could grow independent not the classic ‘going We didn’t care, at from his parents. to some resort in “[My parents] definitely the time, about Hawaii,’” Pala said. wanna cancel it the moment “This was going to having a lot of they can,” Khandekar said. be something more “The only the reason they worthwhile and fun or anything. can’t is because it is my different.”

We just wanted to money. They don’t actually have access to the money THE THREE OF make sure it was I’m using toward this trip.”

THEM always knew a senior trip worth For Khandekar’s father they were going to do Milind Khandekar there are something like this; it remembering. the general safety concerns. was just a matter of COLLEGE FRESHMAN What happens if Rohit when, where and how. loses his passport? Misses ROHIT KHANDEKAR “That was our idea his train? Europe, according to in freshman year,” Khandekar said. “We Milind, has an entirely different culture than were like, ‘Dude, we gotta have an all out the U.S., and having his son, who is barely senior trip.’ We didn’t care, at the time, 18, backpack through Europe makes him about having a lot of fun or anything. We feel apprehensive. just wanted to make sure it was a senior trip “Different country, different languages, worth remembering.” different culture, different system, just Each of them had ideas but it finally the three of them, all barely 18, 19 all came together around September of backpacking,” Milind said. “Not enough last year, when they decided to pool in money, not mature enough — we were all their efforts to make the trip happen. completely freaked out.”

“Then, we realized, you know, he’s 18, we don’t have much choice,” Milind said.

“It is going to happen. So we might as well just embrace it, help him out. We bought him a new phone so we can stay in touch. Told him over and over and

at one point we were just like, you know what, we’re just gonna put it all together for this,” Khandekar said. “I feel like this is a young enough age where I can do stupid stuff like that.”

But the month-long trip is also about month they have together before they pushing boundaries in preparation for leave for college. While they are sad to say college independence. goodbye, the boys feel After depending on their that they are ready for parents for most of their When you are 16, this. lives, this one month out 17, 18, that’s always “When you are 16, on their own might be 17, 18, that’s always SENIOR TRIPS CAN BE a lot of tough, but it’ll give them when something when something things — a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a feel for the freedom happens,” Levy said. a taste of freedom, a goodbye. For Pala, happens. You want they’ll experience now “You want something Khandekar and Levy, it’s all of the above. that they are adults. something to happen to happen, and if While they do have some party “I feel like it would something doesn’t Sneha Gaur I El E stoq excursions planned, this trip and if something happen, you have ue I isn’t meant to be all be a good way to llus sign off on our high to make it happen fun and games. doesn’t happen, tra tio experience yourself.” e n Pala wants school and transition into you make is happen to explore something new,” Pala yourself. t h e said.

“So we’re kind SENIOR DUNCAN LEVY of leaving our family for a month, and the three of us went through high school together, so I guess in a way it’s kind of sadly saying goodbye.”

Four years of friendship: FOR VIDEO COVERAGE laughs, games and memories, like building their own custom elestoque.org bikes. This trip will be the last College freshman Rohit Khandekar, senior Eric Pala and Duncan Levy in San Francisco . The three of them have planned a month long trip backpacking across Europe. Photo used with permission of Rohit Khandekar.

over again how to protect his important documents. And to take lots of pictures! I hope he is able to reach us in Europe and is willing to reach out to us.”

Rohit understands why his parents are a little wary, but this trip has been something he’s always wanted to do — he’s been saving up for awhile now, so in his opinion, it wouldn’t have mattered if his parents had been involved or not. “[Planning the trip] has just been in places — saving for this, saving for this, but

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culture and get to know each country for what it is, moving away from the Instagram-worthy landmarks to discover the heart and soul of each city he’s in.

“I want to really dive in and involve myself with the people,” Pala said. “Like when Duncan [Levy] went to Ireland, he made a bunch of friends. I thought ideally, I want to make connections like that everywhere.”

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BEST OF 2016

TOP 4 facebook messenger features

Students’ favorites of the entertainment world during the 2015-2016 school year STORY BY MINGJIE ZHONG AND GRACE ZHOU chat nicknames

23% 21% 17%

38%

Star Wars: The Force Awakens deadpool

12%

15%

The Hunger games: mockingjay part 2

27%

36%

hoops

23%

TOP 5 MOVIES

TOP 5 songs

5%

One dance drake ft. wizkid and kyla

32 / EL ESTOQUE / MAY 2016

11%

lazy dog restaurant and bar

rubio’s coastal grill

zootopia

the martian

6%

13%

chat emoticon

13%

chat color

seven years lukas graham

hello adele

7%

blast pizza

All information taken from a survey of 256 students

25%

pieology

TOP 5 restaurants work rihanna

panda desiigner

7%

the melt

7%

7% A & E / 33

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Season of sweat

Athletes discuss ways to stay fit over the summer

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SPORTS

STORY BY AMANDA CHAN AND STEPHANIE LAM

UMMER MEANS A TIME FOR RELAXATION, for people to take a break from their normal school activities. But for many athletes, that’s

Fast friends

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l Camino League Trials and Finals for 100 meter sprint, league finals for 200 meters — all first place. These are just some of freshman Evelyn How’s accomplishments during her track and field career. But when it comes to preparing for races How admits she doesn’t really train in the offseason.

Instead, How likes to experiment with non-track activities like soccer, basketball and swimming. Though all these sports are completely different from each other, they share one thing in common — her friends.

“I like working out with friends because if you’re tired they [can say], ‘Come on, one more lap,’ or something,” How said. “They just motivate you to go further.”

How usually runs with her close friends

not the case. For these athletes — freshman Evelyn How, sophomore Camille Goenawan, and junior Oliver Stoklosa — summer vacation means a time to get their bodies into

shape. Whether it’s to prepare for the next season of their sport or just to stay in shape, these athletes go through personalized routines and workouts over the summer.

freshmen Reema Apte, Lauren Ling and Alisha Gao. The girls have been planning and attending weekly Sunday running sessions with other track members — a ritual they have followed since the beginning of track season. Even when How or one of her friends can’t make the Sunday runs, she says that having at least someone there to sprint and do other core exercises with makes working out more enjoyable.

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Tip: “Always have a motivation. If you don’t have a motivation, then you don’t know what to do or why you are doing it. Hang out with your friends to have a good time [while] also exercising.”

Swimming spirit

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Photo used with permission of Patrick Yeung

Right routine

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prints. Chest workouts. Shoulder workouts. Thirty minute sprints again and arm workouts. The mental routine runs through junior Oliver Stoklosa’s head as he goes to the MVHS weight room every weekday after school.

Each day, Stoklosa aims to work out a certain body part. Stoklosa admits that he wasn’t concerned about staying fit until last summer, when he realized he gained a significant amount of weight. After testing out his workout routine this year, Stoklosa

hen it’s swim season, sophomore Camille Goenawan swims. When Santa Clara Swim Club hosts swim training in the summertime, Goenawan swims again.

And when Goenawan finally has free time — she still swims.

Goenawan started swimming 10 years ago and she hasn’t stopped since. When MVHS swim season ends, the varsity swimmer attends SCSC’s morning workouts six days a week and afternoon workouts three days a week, for two hours each. It’s a lot of time in the pool, but she doesn’t mind.

“As a swimmer, I spend a lot of time practicing...I have become emotionally attached to the sport,” Goenawan said. “I could never imagine quitting it.”

Goenawan credits her growing passion to

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STEPHANIE LAM l EL ESTOQUE

the many ups and downs she has faced over the years. There were times, most recently when she was 14, when she didn’t feel like she was improving.

“At some point in a swimmer’s swimming life, you stop improving and you hit a plateau,” Goenawan said. “This happens usually when you stop growing because you don’t have ‘the edge’ that you get when you’re growing.”

Goenawan grew more passionate for the sport because she was able to go through these ups and downs and still love swimming in the end.

Tip: “Keep on swimming. I know for me, there’s always ups and downs. If you don’t go through a down phase of something, you’re never going to get back up.”

was inspired to make this summer different.

“I’m planning to do at least an hour of exercise four days a week,” Stoklosa said.

“I’m planning to do more running, more cardio so I can slim down a little bit.”

Tip: “Stick to it. Because if you say you’re busy one day and you say, ‘Oh I can do it tomorrow,’ you keep that mentally [and] you’re going to skip many more days.

Even if you’re busy, you can squeeze in 30 minutes of exercise.” e

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Under one banner Athletes reflect on the dynamic between club and high school teams

by Om Khandekar and Aditya Pimplaskar

Seniors Keven Shang (left) and Lucca Martins (right)

36 E / LE LE SE-S T O Q U E / M A Y 2 0 1 6

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n til the final weeks of Janua r y, t hey a re r ival sw im mer s on r ival te am s. T hen Febr ua r y rolls a round and t hese r ivals b e come te am mates. Come May, senior Keven Shang c an b e se en sp e e ding into t he wall, finishing his p or t ion of t he relay just a s s enior Lucc a Ma r t ins le aps off t he st a r t ing blo ck. T he t wo sw im mer s f rom t wo r ival clubs come toget her to sw im in one race for one high scho ol.

Most at hletes join t heir club te am s ver y e a rly on, and f rom t here t hey follow a st r ic t prac t ice rout ine on t he pat h of g row t h and prog ression t hat includes ye a r-long com m it ment s w it h an o cc a sional we ek long bre a k.

A lt hough it may se em like at hletes on comp et it ive club te am s would c a r r y t heir r ivalr ies w it h t hem to a scho ol te am, t heir sp or t s se em to bur y any animosit y t hat club te am s could foster.

“You’re definitely pump e d to b e at ot her high scho ols,” Ma r t ins s aid.

“W het her or not your club f r iends a re on t hose [te am s], you’re deter m ine d to w in b e c aus e most sw im mer s a re pret t y comp et it ive, [but] in general I wouldn’t s ay t here’s animosit y.”

"In ter m s of our te am dy nam ics, t he p e ople who go to CCS a re mainly club

b eyond high scho ol. hour s a day, somet imes five if I have “[T he M V HS] sw im te am is re ally doubles, w it h t hem,” Ma r t ins s aid. go o d,” s enior Nicole De acon s aid. “We go t h rough pain ever y single day “A nd it’s b e en like t hat for t he pa st toget her, so I fe el like we under st and s everal ye a r s. e ach ot her b et ter.”

So , t he main Nissen ag re es t hat p e ople t hat involvement in t he sp or t comp os e t he of sw im m ing, rega rdless te am and of one’s club, br ings t he main sw im mer s toget her. p oint scorer s “You have t hat sha re d a re t he club exp er ience where mayb e swimmers you didn’t t rain toget her who have ever y day, but you did b e e n t he s ame t y p e of t raining sw im m ing for ever y day. T he s ame a long t ime.” de dic at ion. T he s ame D e a c o n s acr ifice,” Nissen s aid. s t a r t e d “A nd t hat never go es swimming away. It’s ver y sp e cial.” coach Troy Nissen when she In an a re a where a wa s five, comp et it ive dr ive is and her t ime inst ille d in sw im mer s on DACA and t he M V HS sw im te am b ot h in and out of t he p o ol, t hese ha s given her a new p er sp e c t ive on club sw im mer s a re renow ne d in t he t he dy nam ics w it hin t he te am. From sw im m ing com munit y. Different clubs her p er sp e c t ive, alt hough t he te am is push t heir at hletes to fa ster t imes, mainly made of club sw im mer s, t here more prac t ice and a prosp e c t ive isn’t any signific ant conf lic t b et we en f ut ure wait ing to b e scoute d by college sw im mer s of different clubs. te am s. T hey t ravel across t he count r y “You get some p e ople t hat a re to comp ete, but also to hone t heir craft usually comp et ing against e ach ot her in ways t hat a high scho ol te am c an’t fiercely all ye a r, and t hen for t h re e compa re to, according to Shang. mont hs out of t he ye a r t hey a re But for t he sw im mer s hailing f rom comp et ing for e ach ot her,” sw im m ing different clubs on t he s ame high scho ol he ad coach Troy Nissen s aid. Nissen te am, t heir club te am affiliat ions don’t b elieves t hat t he M V HS sw im te am affe c t t heir scho ol spir it. ha s effe c t ively brought sw im mer s of “W hat I rememb er f rom my comp et ing clubs toget her to comp ete f reshman ye a r is conne c t ing w it h t he for t heir high scho ol. ot her club sw im mer s in a way t hat Ma r t ins move d to Califor nia a s a is just like t hey’re my high scho ol sw im mer pa r t icipat ing on t he ot her cla ssmates,” Shang s aid. “We're at t he end of t he sp e c t r um for Palo A lto s ame high scho ol, I k now you f rom t his St anford Aquat ics. He b egan sw im m ing cla ss, now we’re sw im m ing toget her.” comp et it ively at t he age of 10, for t he A s Shang put s it, sw im m ing isn’t a Nor t h Balt imore Aquat ic Club and sp or t where animosit y reigns supreme.

Ge orgia D y namo. A s opp ose d to his T hey may s epa rate t hem s elves by t heir shor t high scho ol c a re er, his t ime on t ime, but in t he end, t heir high scho ol highly comp et it ive te am s gives him a ye a r s a ren’t going to b e rememb ere d dr ive t hat pa rallels Shang’s. For him, t h rough t he lens of club te am s and sw im m ing ex tends pa st t he relat ively te am affiliat ions. shor t high scho ol s e a son.

“T hat’s one of t he re ally nice “My b est f r iends a re not ne cess a r ily t hings w it h sw im m ing,” De acon s aid. here at Mont a Vist a. T hey’re at PASA “T he f r iendships t hat you build, it’s just b e c aus e I sp end t h re e indescr ibable." e

[SWIMMERS] HAVE THAT SHARED EXPERIENCE.THE SAME DEDICATION. THE SAME SACRIFICE. AND THAT NEVER GOES AWAY. IT'S VERY SPECIAL.

OM KHANDEKAR | EL ESTOQUE

sw im mer s, and what t hey're us e d to is sw im m ing for t hem s elves,” s enior Keven Shang s aid. “It's ac t ually ver y ra rely in sw im m ing t hat we s e e p e ople sw im m ing for te am p oint s."

Shang ha s t ravelle d t he count r y comp et ing w it h t he De A nz a Cup er t ino Aquat ic s nat ional te am. Comp et ing at big me et s in places like Oregon, Texa s, Wa shing ton, Minnesot a and Nor t h Ca rolina put him pa st t he confines of t he Cent ral Coa st Se c t ion and let him comp et e

OM KHANDEKAR | EL ESTOQUE

SPORTS / 37

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY VOLLEYBALL

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO WRESTLING

Li’s current volleyball coach at MVHS, especially from her parents.

Paul Chiu, first saw his potential when “I think [my parents] generally supported teaching his class in eighth grade at Kennedy my decision to swim but they had a specific MASSACHUSETTS Middle School. Chiu soon connected Li to type of college they wanted me to go to,” INSTITUTE OF Bay to Bay, one of the most competitive club Wu said, “so I was very limited on the TECHNOLOGY teams in the area, and from there Li has shot colleges that I could swim for.”

SWIMMING up, both in height and talent. As early as If Wu was a Division I caliber athlete, Li’s sophomore year, Chiu brought in NYU’s which in her own mind she is not, she head coach to see Li play. Through his son, believes that her parents would not allow who currently her to pursue swimming plays volleyball at that level. They worried at NYU, Chiu about the time commitment believes he and the limitations Division A lot of people tell me understands I swimming would put on that I’m passing up an the recruiting her academic opportunities. process and These restrictions put her opportunity to play playing Division at around six to 10 colleges D1 and go big with I compared to where she could compete at the sport. I could be Division III. the varsity level for swimming “A lot of these and have a top rate education on national television athletes who play in engineering. every weekend and D1 get trapped in Wu picked MIT because playing for glory rather the sport,” Chiu she knew she’d be able to find said. “You go to a balance between playing than playing for fun a D1 program, her sport and studying and in the meantime, they’ll encourage engineering. getting a degree and you to take “The coaches are super classes that meet understanding and your bettering myself. the demands of teammates are on the same the sport and boat as you, so they know Senior Alex Li not necessarily that you have to juggle your your personal schedule a little bit more interest.” than Division I kids would,” Wu said. “[D1 Wu described the rush she gets every athletes are] there mostly for the sport. time she stands on the podium after a swim We’re here for both things at the same time.” meet — that’s what makes swimming for Li and Rizk also knew that a professional four more years worth the effort for her. career in their sport was not something they However, like Li, Wu also knew she envisioned in their future. But unlike Wu, wanted to excel in academics in college and they both had offers to play at Division I pressure to choose a Division III school came schools. Li and Rizk’s sports, volleyball and wrestling, lack popularity both in America and worldwide and don’t promise much professionally, even for some of the top tier athletes.

Another reason, why Rizk is willing to forgo multiple Division I offers is because he believes he can have a greater impact on society with a different career.

Wu and Rizk are still undecided on their future and hope that their devoted time to academics will help them figure that out. Li, on the other hand, has it all mapped out.

“I’d probably move back to Silicon Valley or somewhere in L.A. to seek a normal job just like a normal person.” Li said.

The one thing that keeps all three of these athletes going for four more years is their devotion to the sport. None of them would bother without the overwhelming desire.

“I think it’s just the passion for the sport and the love for your teammates,” Wu said.

Senior Alex Li passes the ball in the second round of CCS Division “Wanting to work hard and knowing that I playoffs on May 12. This is Li’s fourth year on the boys volleyball there is something at the end of the tunnel.” e

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LEAGUE

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Athletes find a middle ground between playing the sport they love and pursuing academics in college through NCAA Division III sports STORY BY PRANAV IYER AND MALINI RAMAIYER

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college scholarship.

National television. Celebrity status. These are just a few of the perks that Division I athletes receive. These are also what senior volleyball player Alex Li and other athletes around the country pass up for what truly matters to them down the road.

“A lot of people tell me that I’m passing up an opportunity to play D1 and go big with

38 / EL ESTOQUE / MAY 2016 EL ESTOQUE

the sport,” Li said. “I could be on national television every weekend and playing for glory rather than playing for fun and in the meantime, getting a degree and bettering myself.”

Division III is the lowest level of NCAA competition. It’s the only division that does not offer any athletic scholarships and is compiled of mostly private schools

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that consist of a few thousand students.

Compared to Division I athletes, the probability of a Division III athlete going pro is extremely slim. So why do a handful of students at MVHS pick Division III? Li and seniors Nanette Wu and Adam Rizk explained that it was a matter of priorities.

Knowing that men’s volleyball has little to no professional scene in the United States, Li thinks he made a logical decision to prioritize his academics. He got an offer to play for the Division I school University of California, Los Angeles, but he knew that he wouldn’t have enough time to successfully pursue a different career as a Division I athlete.

varsity team and he will continue to play at NYU next year.

SPORTS/ 39

More froM this issue

ON THE WEB

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT online exclusives

SPORTS: Intramural basketbal semifinals and finals SPECIAL REPORT: Students say what their mothers mean to them

ENTERTAINMENT: MVHS’S ANNUAL ART SHOW

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NEWS

Find out why athletes choose Division Three athletics

Get a glimpse of Cupertino Earth Day celebrations

SPECIAL REPORT

OPINION

MVHS students cultivate urban farms

Reevaluating the role of activity points

WHEN YOU’RE OLDER e²: EL ESTOQUE ON SCREEN Each month, we look at the wide range of stories found in our community and pick a handful to closely examine.

NEWS: Students enjoy ice cream sundaes at Bring Your Own Banana Day OPINION: Missing Out of the Blue? Read it online.

ON INSTAGRAM

THE FOURTH STRIKE: A coach and player discuss their baseball careers COFFEE FOR THOUGHT: Developing a taste for the bitter drink DANCE TO YOUR OWN BEAT: The importance of cultivating passion COMING OF AGE: Exploring students’ coming of age through celebration HEART TO HEART: Junior reflects on :

inherited heart disorder

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