Seeing you and your school spirit always made me feel happy. Thanks for being here for the past four years of my high school career and I hope you continue to be with us in spirit! Thanks for looking our for us! I only met you once, you wanted to keep us safe. Thanks for caring about your job! Sorry I never got to meet you. With all I’ve heard of you, I wish I did. You will be missed. Although I only got to meet you once this week, your compassion for your job and the safety of students touched me. You will be missed. Thanks for your dedicated sevice to the school all these years to keep the students safe. We really appreciate it and will greatly miss your smiles and good mornings. Although I didn’t know you well, thank you so much for keeping the school safe. You will be darly missed Ruben. We will miss you! All you hard work made the world a better place. MV will miss you! R.I.P. Ruben. Monta Vista High School will truly miss you. Your presence on campus was one of reassurance. Everyday I would see you here or there, between classes, brunch, lunch, when I snuck out to buy food and would be reminded that I’m still here, at Monta Vista. It’s hard to explain but you were always a friendly and welcoming presence on campus and I can tell you were a good person. You will be missed for sure. You always made my day! You were such a nice man and never failed to say hi. You will be missed by MV. I remember when we used to talk about my field hockey games and your boring teacher conferences. My family and the staff will miss seeing you at teacher conferences. You were one of a kind and such a great man! Shine in heaven! R.I.P. I will miss all the times you told me to “smile because it’s going to be a great day today!” Thank you for making me smile every morning! <3 You made us feel safe at school. Thank you for watching over us. Hope you’ll go to heaven! Happy Birthday Ruben! RIP Ruben, Monta Vista will miss you. Thanks for being a good football coach. We all miss you. Hi Ruben, You always made me smile whenever I saw you in the hall. I really appreciated the time you put into teaching us JV football players proper football. I’ll admit, I didn’t know you on a personal level, but your passing will leave a hole not only in MV’s heart but mine as well. Even though you didn’t know me, you would always smile and wave when I saw you. MV will miss you. Although I’m pretty much one of the troublemakers you look after, you were always nice and genuine and I’ll miss you! RIP. Ruben, you will be missed dearly by all of MV. Thanks for always saying hi in the morning and making me smile! Ruben, I had the chance to know you both on and off the field. You were a fantastic human being and your amicable demeanor and daily “hello” will be missed from me a lot. I can say without a doubt this school will not be the same without you. God bless your soul. Ruben, you were such a happy man and bright spirit. You always took the time to say hello and ask how I was doing. I will not forget your great presence at MV. You will be greatly missed. I never got the honor of talking to you face to face. I have seen you around the school and was always grateful for seeing you helping other students. In the few short moments my dad saw you directing traffic he was so grateful. He and I both loved how you truly cared for everyone. Thank you for being here, already I am missing you dearly.We all love you, thank you for making such a great legacy at Monta Vista. Rest in peace, may god bless you and send you back to us. Monta Vista will never find anyone as great as you are. Thank you for your life, your work, your legacy. Mr. Delgado, you were such a nice person, and I loved talking to you everyday. You were always really easy to talk to, and it meant a lot to me how you would always wave to me. You always had a smile on your face and just looking at you put a smile on my face. I’m going to miss you a lot. Great smile! I will miss you. Best wishes. Mr. Delgado, thank you for always saying hi. I enjoyed talking to you during practice and on campus. I will really miss you. I will miss the confidence lectures you used to give me. It was great knowing you. RIP. Best wishes! Thanks for everything. You always had a smile on and said hi to me everyday! You cared so much for all MV students. Dear Ruben, we will mourn your loss forever. You are the reason we felt safe at MV and it won’t be the same without you. Thank you for making my mornings. Mr. Delgado, your benevolent presence at this campus will be gratly missed. We love you. Ruben, thank you for all you’ve done for Monta Vista. Mr. Delgado, thank you so much for all you have done. We will not forget you. Mr. Delgado, Thanks for your service to our school. You will be missed. Mr. Delgado, we will all miss you so much. You will always be in our hearts. Mr. Delgado, during football season I always looked up to you to be the man to make everyone a better person. You will be missed but never forgotten. Thank you. Hey Coach, it was fun doing football drills with you, you were always fun on the field and off the field. I will miss you. Mr. Delgado, we will all deeply miss you. You are a really kind and pleasant person. We all enjoyed your presence. Thank you for all you have done. Ruben, you were always a bright spot in my day. I will miss all our walks and sparse banter. You’re one special person. MVHS won’t be the same. Dear Ruben, we will miss you greatly! Thank you for helping MV become a better place. Mr. Delgado, your presence at our school will never be forgotten. You were a great human being with a heart of gold. Thank you for everything you have done for every student on campus. May your soul rest in peace. My deepest condolences to the family of the amazing human being. Mr. Delgado, you will never be forgotten. Thank you for everything. Thanks for keeping Monta Vista safe. Mr. Delgado, you became someone who I always looked forward to seeing. Your smile was enough to brighten up anyone’s day. We had built up a great relationship, had become great friends. I’ll miss seeing you everyday, miss your coaching, but I know that you’re coaching football, protecting wherever you are now. Rest in peace, my friend. Dear Mr. Delgado, I am truly sad that you are gone and I thought your mustache was pretty sick. I am also a Raiders fan and I respect that about you too. P.S. Happy B-Day. Dear Mr. Delgado, even though your position made you appear intimidating to most, I know you were actually a warm person deep down. I’ll miss you. Mr. Delgado, Thank you for everything you have done for us here at MV. Know that you will always be remembered and held dear to our hearts. Hi Mr. Delgado! Thank you for always keeping Monta Vista safe. We will miss you. MV won’t be the same without you. Mr. Delgado, every morning as I would come to school, you would be the first person to say hi, and the last to say goodbye, or have a good weekend. No one can replace you here, and we will all surely miss you. Mr. Delgado, you will always be remembered at our school, you were such a graet guy and I got along with you really well. You would always say hi to me and always tell me to have a grat wekeend. We will miss you. RIP. Thank you for watching me in the mornings when directing traffic. Much appreciated! Ruben, Tahnk you for all the times that you brightened up my day by saying HI. I can’t put into words how much your presence will be missed at Monta Vista. Thank you for all you have done! Best of luck! Rest in peace. Thank you so much for your guidance and help and support for our school! You will be truly missed. You will never be forgotten. I never really talked to you but I’ve always seen you around campus and your presence will be missed. Thank you Mr. Delgado! Walking to school everyday and having someone smile was wonderful, and rest in peace. Dear Ruben, I will miss you so much and I love you for helping us cros severy day. Thank you so much and RIP and may god bless your soul. Mr. Delgado - best man on earth. Thank you so much for all your help and support! MV was so fab with you! Rest in peace and god bless you! Thank you so much Mr. Delgado for making Monta Vista such a beautiful place. You made everyone’s day joyful and fun. Rest in peace Mr. Delgado and everyone here at MV will remember you as a kind and caring man. We’ll always miss you, Ruben. Thank you for everything. You were always there to help watch over us. We’ll be alright. Thanks to you. Forever in the hearts of the MV student body. Dear Ruben, so good to have known a special person like you. We’ll miss you! From the class of ‘08. We’ll miss you. Dear Ruben, Thank you so much for your dedication to Monta Vista. We remember saying good morning to you everyday and it really made our days a lot brighter. We will all miss you. Rest in peace. We will miss you so much! I never got the honor of meeting you but I’m sure you were awesome! Dear Ruben! Seeing you every morning, every lunch, every passing period always makes my day. Thank you for your dedication for Monta Vista. It will never be the same wihout you! RIP and you will be missed! Thank you for your help at MV. Saying good morning to you every morning brightened my day. I will miss you. Thank you for your dedication to us! I will miss you. Ruben was the type of guy that would make you feel safe. Although I didn’t know him very well, from the few times I did talk to him he seemed like a great guy. Thanks for watching over us everyday and giving us your biggest smile. We will miss you. Thanks for being so supportive for the school. We will miss your happy smile. Thank you for making Monta Vista a great place to be! You are great, loving, helpful! We all love you. Dear Ruben, thank you for keeping the Monta Vista Campus safe for all three years. we will all miss you. Hello Ruben. For the past three years at MV, I never got to say thank you to you, and it is very hard for us, as students, to lose such a special person like you. Thank you so much and rest in peace. Lots of love. Dear Ruben, even though I never got to know you, I’m really sad you weren’t here today. You will be missed. Football season with you last year was awesome. You will be dearly missed. “Lay some wood on someone!” Thanks for coming every morning to aid traffic congestion! We will all miss you! You took care of MV and kept us all safe. You will always remain in our hearts. You always encouraged me to become stronger as a person and as a team member. You will be remembered. RIP Coach Delgado. Thanks for everything! I’ll miss you! Thank you for all the efforts you contributed to the school.

page 10

Redefining what it means to ‘ditch’

page 21

Local coffee hotspots

Monta Vista High SchoolIssue 7, Volume XLIIIelestoque.orgApril 10, 2013

page 31

Badminton’s competitive edge

OUR

UNSUNG HEROCampus Supervisor Ruben Delgado, through the eyes of students and staff

22

EL ESTOQUE2

Contentsnews

7 Bringing education back

4 A friend to everyoneThe community remembers late Campus Supervisor Ruben Delgado

A new law prohibits schools from charging fees for participation in “educational activities”

OPInIOnSTAFF EDITORIALStudents might not need to ditch class if their time at school is well spent

13

ARTs & enTeRTAInMenT

As music teacher John Galli retires, he looks back on his career as the longest-standing teacher at MVHS

sPecIAl RePORT

Students test the extent of the law in their hurry to get on the road sPORTs

31 Smashing the competition

34

The badminton team’s competitive edge makes them one of the school’s top sports teams

Parental involvement continues to be an integral part of athletics

9 COLUMN: Little Lessons

39 SpORTSFLAShRecaps of boys volleyball, girls softball and boys baseball

Drawing the line between the rules we follow and those we break

COLUMN: The Deep End16

elestoQUe

37 Learning to play cricketBreaking down the rules of an internationally played sport

Driving on the edgeWe’re not always aware when we’re not following the rules of the road

29

What makes students disobey the law even when they know the consequences?

14 pulse

Confessions pages are not a properly executed outlet for students

Students shouldn’t have to pay for school materials

COLUMN: Family Matters

18 The Galli years

BOTTOM LINE14

Defining piracyPiracy isn’t considered the most serious crime, but it has a serious impact

26

20 Morning Joe

23 COLUMN: 17 going on 71

Students thrive in the culture that has evolved around coffee

Minors at the wheel28

The limits of the law25

From the stands

10 Ditching school to learnSome students find it more effective to skip school to study at home

how could we screw it up so quickly? El Estoque had built up this legacy over the past 54 years, and now we were in a position to uphold it. It’s hard to explain why working for a publication can foster such attachment to a room or a corner of a room, but it has. The two of us have been on this staff since our sophomore year, and so much of our personal growth has been been documented in A111.

After we finished our first Friday late night in 2010, then managing editor Jordan Lim c o n g r a t u l a t e d us. “And next Monday,” he announced as we filtered out the door at 9 p.m., “we do it all over again!” We did do it again, and

again, and again, and next month, we will do it for the last time as staff writers. Full circle.

This year, after every late night, it’s become common for us to run into Balmeo driving home on Stevens Creek. We pull up next to her, roll down the window and make faces until she notices. She is always in the left-turn lane, and we are always to her right. When the light turns green, she turns left, and we go straight.

We’re headed in different directions.

APRIL 10, 2013

Editors-in-Chief: Cynthia Mao, Anushka PatilManaging Editors: Smitha Gundavajhala, Patrick Xie, Amelia YangCopy Editors: Daniel Fernandez, Forest LiaoWebmaster: Karen FengPhoto Editors: Margaret Lin, Catherine LockwoodNews Editors: Rachel Beyda, Amrutha Dorai, Athira PenghatSports Editors: Carissa Chan, Karen Feng, Atharva FulayEntertainment Editors: Yimeng Han, Gisella Joma, Yashashree PisolkarOpinion Editors: Simran Devidasani, Mihir Patil, Bryan WangSpecial Report Editors: Mihir Joshi, Jennifer Lee, Morahd ShawkiDesign Editor:Alexandria PohBusiness Editors: Albert Qiu, Varsha VenkatPublic Relations Editors: Ankita Tejwani, Angela Wang

Staff Writers: Anjali Bhat, Shriya Bhindwale, Anupama Cemballi, Nathan Desai, Ashley Ding, Soumya Kurnool, Yuna Lee, Steven Lim, Shannon Lin, Alaina Lui, Shuyi Qi, Namrata Ramani, Ruba Shaik, Christopher Song, Eva Spitzen, AlexaThea Suarez, Robert Sulgit, Joyce Varma, Neesha Venkatesan

Adviser: Michelle Balmeo

CreditsSome images in this publication were taken from the stock photography website sxc.hu.

Mission StatementEl 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.

21840 McClellan RoadCupertino, CA 95014mv.el.estoque@gmail.com

el ESTOQUE

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

c.mao@elestoque.org | a.patil@elestoque.org

CynthiaMAOAnushkaPATIL

&

Balmeo’s desk is located in a corner of the room we call “The Cave.” It’s separated from the rest of the room by two

bookcases full of yearbooks and a metal cabinet with doors that won’t close properly.

It’s quiet in there. It’s where we talk to Balmeo if we’re having problems. It’s where we can take a break to escape from the chaos of late night.

On the Wednesday our first issue of the year came out, all the head editors gathered in the Cave. We should have been lugging the magazines in from the office and stacking them in tens for distribution. Except there weren’t any magazines to stack. The papers were supposed to come that morning, but by 2 p.m., they still hadn’t arrived.

We waited in the Cave, some of us lying on the floor, others sitting against the wall. We’d called our printer. We’d tried to track down the truck with the magazines in it. We’d briefly considered driving up to Pleasanton and picking up all 2600 magazines ourselves.

And then, at 2:30, the printer called to say that the truck had arrived in the bus circle. The class sprinted out of the room and we carried in each cardboard box of magazines, one by one.

At the start of this year we worried about running the publication into the ground, and that one moment made us consider: We just got this job,

3

Cover text from posters signed by students for the Delgado family.

what makes this place

ours?

EL ESTOQUE4

He was our Campus Supervisor for over 15 years, but his title does not begin to capture the impact he had on the school community

by Rachel Beyda, Amrutha Dorai and Anushka Patil

Spanish teacher Maria Autran will never forget the afternoon almost a decade ago when she injured her lower back. She couldn’t move, couldn’t walk; she needed to make it down to her car but didn’t know how. A fellow teacher went down

to the office for assistance, and Campus Supervisor Ruben Delgado returned shortly thereafter with a wheelchair in tow.

All Autran wanted was to be taken to her car, but Delgado disagreed: she needed an ambulance and a trip to the hospital. Well, Autran said, nobody could pick her up — her sister was working.

It has been a decade, but Autran still remembers what he said then. “You go to the hospital, because I think it is the best for you. If you

cannot get ahold of your family, call me, and I will go the hospital and pick you up and take you to your home or your mother’s home, wherever you want me to take you,” Autran remembers Delgado saying, writing his phone number down on a piece of paper. “But I think you need to go to the hospital. Don’t worry about anything else.”

For Autran and so many others at this school, Delgado was an unsung hero. On the evening of March 23, he died of a heart attack. He has left behind eight kids, 13 grandchildren, 2,419 students and an

empty spot between the cafeteria and rally court where he once kept his vigil over the school. To most, he was a familiar if imposing figure. To those who knew him, he was much more: a coach, a caretaker and, most importantly, a friend. To all, his absence is tangible.

According to Principal April Scott, Delgado’s job was to ensure MVHS was a safe place. As a former police officer, Delgado used his knowledge of the penal code and easy rapport with students to handle discipline issues with grace. He worked here since 1997, and was planning to announce his retirement March 27, according to Delgado’s friend, MVHS maintenance worker Chi Ma.

Delgado wore many hats over his 60 years — he would have turned 61 on March 25. But who he was to the different people in his life — and there were so many different people — never really changed. His son, Gabriel, spoke on the point at his memorial service. It was held the morning of April 1 at St. Victor’s Church in San Jose, and from the back rows of the church, the mix of people in attendance was remarkable. A few teenagers shuffled in late with mops of green and pink hair. Murmuring elderly women in cardigans. A little girl in a pink frock with a pacifier, who squirmed out of her

remembering

rubenMargaret Lin | El Estoque Photo Illustration

5APRIL 10, 2013

mother’s arms and brought smiles alongside the welling tears as she tottered down the aisle. At some point, Delgado had been there for all of them.

“He never changed for anybody,” Gabriel said at the podium of the church.

In recent years, Delgado spent much time taking care of his wife, who has been

battling bone cancer for almost a decade. “Never once did you hear a word of ‘Why

me?’” Scott said. “It was, ‘She is who I am, and I would do anything for her.’”

One of Delgado’s daughters, Andrea, is a paraeducator at Fremont High School. In 1998, at eight years old, she visited MVHS for the first time. “My dad brought

me as a part of Bring Your Child to Work Day,” she said via email. “We started off at McDonald’s, a rare treat because he hated that place.”

At the school, Delgado took her around to the weight room and the cafeteria. “He let me run around in the quad and showed me

continued on page 6

IN HIS HONOR (Left page) The custodial staff has planted flowers in Campus Supervisor Ruben Delgado’s honor between the gym and the tennis courts. (Right) Delgado helped coached JV football from 2010 to 2012. (Center) Students sign commemoratory posters in the Rally Court which have been passed on to the family. (Top left) Delgado coaches a player one-on-one on the sideline. (Top right) Delgado stands with his line watching a game against Los Altos High School unfold.

NEWS

Margaret Lin | El Estoque

He was tHat familiar face. it doesn’t feel tHe same because i always see ruben standing tHere or directing traffic. it’s a loss wHen you don’t see someone you expect to see every day.

“”-principal april scott

Used with permission of Stephen Choy

Used with permission of Stephen Choy

Used with permission of Stephen Choy

EL ESTOQUE6

NEWS

r.beyda@elestoque.orga.dorai@elestoque.orga.patil@elestoque.org

the old film room, but the thing I remember most was that he held my hand everywhere and said, ‘These are all good kids, but I never want to lose you, anywhere.’”

* * *In addition to being the campus supervisor, Delgado was the defensive line coach for the junior varsity football team from 2010 to 2012. Sophomore Amol Pande, a freshman when he was on the team, remembers him as “hilarious.”

“He managed to make everything about practice fun,” Pande said.

He remembers the day Delgado moved him to the defensive line because the team was short on linemen.

“Mr. Delgado was like, ‘You’re a fatty! You can do it!’” he laughed. “And then I got down and he was like, ‘Oh, you’re actually decent at this!’” Pande said. “There was a lot of joking. We’d be running, and as we ran by he’d go, ‘You know what? I’m feeling a little tired.’”

To Attendance Secretary Calvin Wong, Delgado was much the same way. One of Wong’s favorite memories of him was after a farewell dance. The two of them went to Jack in the Box like “a couple of high schoolers,” Wong recalls. They later returned to MVHS to do overnight security and make sure no seniors were on campus planning pranks. At 2:30 in the morning, Delgado played a prank of his own: he snuck up on Wong in a truck and honked his horn. Wong was startled then but cherishes the moment now.

Ma’s memories of Delgado are as poignant. He had dinner with Delgado the evening of March 22, and said that his last memory of his friend will be of them eating and laughing together.

“He never turns down food,” Ma said.

“Every time we were there eating he’d be like, ‘You gonna finish that?’”

For Ma, who has been friends with Delgado outside of work for over 16 years, Delgado was not merely a friend but a mentor. Delgado’s passion for his work as the president of the Chapter 237 California State Employees Association encouraged Ma to speak up about his beliefs.

“He always told me, never be ... never be afraid to be right,” Ma said, in tears. “He’s been a great inspiration for me to join the union and speak up on behalf of all the classified workers here — secretaries, custodians, maintenance people, printshop people... just a huge inspiration to fight for what’s right.”

As much as he was an inspiration, Delgado was also a listener, particularly to Andrea, who says her father always took care of her, always listened to every “story, rant, or dream” she had.

The rest of that 1998 day when Delgado brought her to work was full of fun and people, but her father remains the focus of her memory.

“The one thing I remember the most is the feeling of my dad’s hand the entire day,” she said. “And even though I’m sure I slowed him down, he never let go.”

* * *DelgaDo was simply a presence at this school. The picture of him, a big, gruff looking guy watching over the rally court from his place in front of the cafeteria, is as impressed in the school’s memory as his deep voice. “How you doin’?” he would say to nearly every student that walked past, with a big smile and a nod.

“He was that familiar face,” Scott said. “It doesn’t feel the same because I always

see Ruben standing there or directing traffic. It’s a loss when you don’t see someone you expect to see every day.”

Administration has plans to unveil a garden in Delgado’s memory; as of right now, the custodial staff has planted purple flowers and posted photographs of Delgado off the side of the gym near the tennis courts. Also in the works are a brick dedicated in his name and a service to be held on campus after Spring Break.

At the conclusion of his memorial service, Delgado’s large family filed out of the church, followed by the rows of people in the pews. There were soft smiles and nods of greeting. Outside, a friend of his for decades announced a nearby reception for all those in attendance before being corrected by a member of the family: it was a party, not a reception. As several loved ones remembered during the service, Delgado would have wanted them to “cry a little, and then party hard.”

Much of the crowd continued to linger in the small foyer before leaving, reading the posters students signed and taking in a photo collage that runs through Delgado’s life, from a black and white picture of a boy no older than six to a beautiful photograph from only a few years ago, where the big man we all knew smiles at the camera, walking his radiant daughter down the aisle. The photos are sweet, heartwarming — the epitome of Delgado’s presence at this school. In so many of them, he is wearing Matador gear.

He’s been a great inspiration for me to join tHe union and speak up on beHalf of all tHe classified workers Here. just a Huge inspiration to figHt for wHat’s rigHt. “

”-maintenance worker cHi ma

7APRIL 10, 2013

$1,833. That was the fee to join the cheer team at San Diego’s Madison High School in 2010. That $1,833 — along with many other similar illegal fees on school activities — was also the impetus for the American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit that led to the creation of Assembly Bill 1575, effected in January. El Estoque puts AB 1575 into perspective: what it really is, how FUHSD is dealing with it and what it means for you.

According to Clark, “student organizations” are groups that directly represent the school itself. MVHS takes specific precautions to ensure that financially disadvantaged students in these teams are offered financial aid.

For example, members of the dance or spirit teams at MVHS are required to attend mandatory summer training camps, but if they are unable to pay, they may notify their advisor and use team funds. According to Dance Team advisor Hilary Maxwell, the Marquesas’ funds are raised through ticket sales to annual showcases and corporate sponsorships.

Dance Team does not have a booster group; however, according to Clark, booster groups for many other student organizations will likely have to step up to ensure that activities will keep running as they currently are. Since booster groups are not composed of school employees, they face no restrictions on charging parents.

the PRICEonEDUCATION

MATERIALS COMPLAINTS ACTIVITIES

by Anjali Bhat and Amrutha Dorai

AB 1575 officially bans the charging of fees for “participation in an educational activity.” It outlaws the charging of fees for any materials necessary for classes or participation in student organizations. It also makes it possible for students to use the uniform complaint process to report violations of the law.

a.bhat@elestoque.org | a.dorai@elestoque.org

If students or parents within FUHSD feel that their school denies them of the free public education they are entitled to, they can file a complaint using Board Policy 1312.3 — otherwise known as the Uniform Complaint Process.

“If you have a complaint, what do you do with it? Prior to [AB 1575], what your remedy would be is you could file a lawsuit,” said FUHSD Associate Superintendent Graham Clark. “But now, the new remedy is you can use the Uniform Complaint Process, which means you fill out a complaint form and you take it to the principal, and the principal tries to resolve it, and if they can’t resolve it, it comes to the district, and if the district can’t resolve it, it goes to the county, and if the county can’t resolve it, it goes to the state.”

Board Policy 6145, written in compliance with AB 1575, outlines regulations for extracurriclar actitivities, co-curricular activities and student organizations and is also subject to complaints.

The school cannot legally require students to pay for textbooks, lockers, locks, musical instruments, sports uniforms or P.E. uniforms. It is, however, the school’s responsibility to ensure that students have access to these materials or an alternative.

If a student cannot afford to purchase a P.E. uniform, he or she must have the option to wear something else to class; if a student cannot pay for an expensive wood like mahogany for woodshop, he or she must be supplied with a basic wood to complete a project.

“We always provide alternatives for kids. [AB 1575] is making sure that you’re not charging for compulsory educational things,” Dean of Students Mike White said. “If it’s part of the curriculum, it should be provided to you. That’s what free public education is, and that wasn’t happening in some districts.”

Any items that do not have an educational purpose — such as food or parking passes — do not need to be provided by the school.

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President Barack Obama. Allegedly, Kim Jong-Un is a huge basketball fan. I wonder how his bracket turned out this year. It must have been better than mine. (Never pick against a team with a nickname as good as “Dunk City.”) Needless to say, he has been the subject of a lot of March Madness.

Imagine how bizarre it would be if Rodman actually turned out to be correct. What if Kim Jong-Un and Obama are able to sort everything out and Dennis Rodman (of all people) would be heralded as the person who saved the world? If that ends up being the case, I can’t wait for Hollywood to get started on a “Space Jam” sequel (as long as it turns out better than “Kazaam”). I’m sure Bas Lansdorp would be ecstatic to provide the funding for that space-inspired project.

Though Kim Jong-Un apparently has a “friend for life” in Dennis Rodman, that doesn’t mean he is showing any more sympathy to other Americans. Furthermore, I don’t think he understands what he’s getting himself into. Even China is slowly trying to back out of this situation. North Korea is practically on its own at this point, and since the country is about the same size as Ohio, it really is taking the Napoleon complex to a whole new level.

And just like Mars One, North Korea is getting a little carried away. It seems like they are both a bit too overconfident in their abilities. The only way NASA was able to create a machine as spectacular as the Curiosity Rover was by knowing what it was capable of. Maybe North Korea and Mars One should try to do the same. But if Kim Jong-Un does instigate a worldwide nuclear war, Lansdorp better put me on the list for

that Mars One program.

9APRIL 10, 2013

LITTLE LESSONS Nathan Desai

Korea-sity Mars Rover

n.desai@elestoque.org

The Earth is enormous. With a surface area of almost 200 million square miles, the third rock from the Sun should

supply a sufficient amount of living space for mankind. However, with the Curiosity rover’s latest discovery, our habitable area may include the red planet as well.

On March 12, NASA announced in a press conference that by digging into rocks on Mars, the Curiosity Mars Rover discovered that the planet once had the potential to support primitive life forms. Though this doesn’t really open any doors toward the possibility of interplanetary habitation, there are already some people who are itching to get on the new planet.

A project called Mars One is attempting to set up a permanent colony on Mars by the year 2022. On March 16, Bas Lansdorp, the co-founder of Mars One, announced that he is looking for people who would be willing to undergo eight years of training in preparation for the revolutionary cosmic voyage. And to make things even better, he wants to make it a reality show. “Dancing with the Stars” just took on a brand new meaning.

Though the concept of having a space-themed reality show is a stellar idea, we need to

keep in mind that this is Mars we’re talking about. It has been 44 years since we landed on the moon and we still don’t have any bases set up there. I don’t want to sound like a pessimist here, but it seems like Lansdorp may be getting ahead of himself.

However, when you consider what has been going on with North Korea, Lansdorp’s idea of inhabiting other planets doesn’t seem so bizarre. From shredding their armistice with South Korea to preparing a “U.S. Mainland Strike Plan,” North Korea ends up in the headlines almost every day. They must have been taking notes from their neighbor,

PSY, because just like “Gangnam Style,” Kim Jong-Un just won’t go away.

But according to the always entertaining Dennis Rodman, Kim Jong-Un just wants to chat with

Mars One and North Korea get a bit carried away

Shuyi Qi | El Estoque Photo Illustration

Though the concept of having a space-themed reality show is a stellar idea, we need to keep in mind that this is Mars we’re talking about.

EL ESTOQUE10

NEWS

CUT to CHASEStudents’ attempts to maximize study time reveal an atypical definition of “ditching” school

by Shannon Lin and Athira Penghat

A junior begins making plans of her own when teachers reveal their lesson plans ahead of time. The junior, who spoke

anonymously to avoid disciplinary action, plans for which school day of the month she will miss. On select days throughout the year, she convinces her parents to call her in sick and spends the morning catching up on sleep. After a slow start to her day, she begins studying — learning content at her own pace, and, according to her, spending her time more effectively than she would have if she had gone to school.

On average, the effect of attending class in college, as investigated in a study published in the Journal of Economic Education in 2008, corresponds to a 9.4 to 18 percent improvement in exam performance. However, when applying this conclusion to MVHS, the gray area lies in the students’ definition of ditching. According to the April El Estoque survey, 33 percent of students defined ditching to include the failure to attend school in order to buy more time to study for a test, and 29 percent defined it to include missing school due to the belief that class time would be spent ineffectively. Regardless, 42 percent of the surveyed students admitted to skipping school for one or more of the aforementioned reasons.

According to Attendance Secretary Calvin Wong, lack of attendance isn’t really a problem at MVHS because the monthly attendance rate average is approximately 95 percent. However, there are no statistics that account for the difference between falsely excused absences, such as calling in sick when a student is not actually ill, and honestly excused absences. With regard to planned absences, 87 percent of the survey

respondents who admitted to skipping school to study had a parent or guardian call them in sick to excuse the absence. In other words, even if such a lack of attendance is consistent for a particular student, these absences cannot be marked as unexcused. Therefore, these students cannot be

considered truant — defined by the California Department of Education as pupils missing more than 30 minutes of instruction without an excuse three times during the school year.

“If a parent decides to call in and not completely give the truth, then we can’t do anything about that,” Wong said. “There are some people out there who will try to cover up for kids ditching. We still consider that an [excused absence], but ultimately we

understand that it happens and that it’s just how society is.”

The “ditching” debateFrench teacher Lise Gabet points out that

over her years teaching, she has found that students who miss tests on purpose don’t usually do well on the make-up tests.

“They have to take it anyhow when they go back to school,” Gabet said. “It’s a fear of responsibility. Later on in work, if you don’t do your job sometimes, then you’re going to get fired.”

Although she views the practice of skipping assessment days as cheating the school, the junior feels “ditching” isn’t an accurate term to characterize cutting an “easy” class to catch up on other schoolwork. She credits this to the fact that cutting class for academic reasons is a matter of organizing her time and studying at her own pace, which she believes ultimately helps her get ahead and should thus not be labeled as “ditching,” a term that carries with it a negative connotation.

“They make these [attendance] rules for a different type of person,” she said.

But even in the case that students cut class because they assume nothing important is being taught that day, Gabet contests the idea that this strategy gives students an advantage academically. In her words, this is because in the days before an assessment, teachers are often talking about the test or giving hints as to how and what to study, and absent students miss out on this information.

According to math teacher Scott DeRuiter, students should still show up to their classes because the “one day won’t hurt” attitude that students abide by is irrelevant. He says that, in his experience, students whose attendance drops on test days or are characterized as “self-studying” are not the top students and are thus not optimizing their study time.

However, self-studying isn’t the sole reason why many students cut class. According to the junior, in classes such as Spanish and AP Biology, the information taught during lectures can, for the most part, be found in the textbook, and PowerPoints or notes are posted online. For this reason, she often notices herself not paying attention in class, especially when the teacher’s method of teaching is also unengaging. And when she is exhausted, these issues are made worse: She feels as if she isn’t getting anything out of the class at all.

Still, science teacher Pamela Chow feels that the materials posted by teachers online are often only supplements to the actual lessons in class.

Although Chow agrees that in an ideal world, she would prefer a student taking a test on the day that it is assigned, she understands that students have other commitments and classes. However, even on class days when there is a lesser workload, she says every lesson is usually part of a bigger plan, and it’s likely that students will fall behind when they assume they can teach themselves all of the material.

“I would hope that the students would trust us to know that what we do, we do for a reason,” Chow said. “We’re not just giving

the

percent of students admitted to skipping school to study at home.

42*based on a survey of 355 MVHS students

11APRIL 10, 2013

by Shannon Lin and Athira Penghat

s.lin@elestoque.org | a.penghat@elestoque.org

Athira Penghat | El Estoque Photo Illustration

percent of those who admitted to skipping school to study had a parent or guardian call them in sick to excuse the absence.

87

them busy work to fill the time. I would like to think that teachers exist for a reason and that we are not just warm bodies.”

Parents’ perspectiveAt the root of this practice to call in sick to

skip class, though, are the parents. DeRuiter thinks it’s unfortunate that some students make use of their parents’ willingness to help them out. But according to the junior’s mother, as long as these planned absences don’t occur frequently, she doesn’t have a problem because she thinks her daughter gains significantly from studying at home.

“She’s able to get a lot of work done, catches up on her sleep, and it works well for her,” she said.

According to a study published in the December 2011 issue of New Horizons in Education, class time spent reviewing content before an assessment provides no benefits to students who are not caught up on the material. In addition,

student perception of teacher effectiveness strongly influences performance in school, encouraging teachers to make their lessons more meaningful.

The junior still feels wary about missing school for reasons other than illness; she has yet to face any repercussions from administration or her teachers on account of the fact that she spaces out her absences. However, she is paranoid of the potential consequences. If it weren’t

for this concern, she would encourage what she considers a dual learning environment, which consists of self-studying at home in addition to seeking extra help.

To ensure that these planned absences occur only rarely, the junior must make a solid case to her mother on the days she plan to miss, proving

that the classes that day consist of light work that can be easily made up.

“I don’t want her to miss any critical days when there are tests or quizzes,” her mother

said. “That behavior I don’t encourage.”The junior admits that from time to time,

her parents aren’t completely comfortable with skipping school. She brings up the fact that on occasion, her parents think of planned absences as a bad habit for college, ultimately highlighting her own inability to manage her time well.

“It is a problem on my part,” she said. “Some people can come home from school and work continuously, but I can’t. I need to take breaks.”

But at the same time, she says her parents feel pity when they see her working hard during the days she misses. Ultimately, she believes her parents trust her to do what she needs to in order to keep up in school.

Gabet believes that students can always learn something when they attend class, but she also sympathizes with them.

“In general, I don’t agree with that type of attitude [to skip class],” Gabet said. “But I should say that it has happened to me when I was under a lot of pressure in school, and I had a really important math test coming up, I thought to cut geography class and catch up on the material later. I don’t think it’s a good habit, but nobody is perfect.”

*based on a survey of 122 MVHS students

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Students commonly complain about being tired, and the 7:35 school start time is a big contributor to this problem. According to the Mayo Clinic and many sleep studies, teens have trouble falling asleep before 11 p.m. due to hormonal imbalances within their body that change their internal clock. In addition teens need even more sleep than adults: about nine hours a night. However, only 8% of teens get enough sleep on school nights because of the unfortunate combination of homework and early school start times. According to the National Sleep Foundation, many schools have actually changed their schedules to begin school later and have not only reported increases in student mood and attention, but test scores as well. A 2010 study conducted by Judith Owens, a sleep expert at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, linked a delay of school start time of just 30 minutes to significant benefits for students. Such a minor time shift would not be a big commitment for the school and would improve student performance while giving them significant health benefits.

13APRIL 10, 2013

OPINION

STAFFEDITORIAL

OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE EDITORIAL BOARD

clocksmartera

Small changes can optimize the schedule

Structured TutorialThe purpose of tutorial is for students to get more personalized help from teachers in subjects that they are struggling in, or make up work. Unfortunately, students don’t gain anything from this extra time if they waste it. Because the school allows students to choose what to do during tutorial, many students use tutorial as an extra brunch. There are many simple solutions to this problem.

The first is to require students to “check into” a classroom at the beginning of tutorial and stay in that class until the end of tutorial. This puts students in a study environment for the whole period, where they can get help from a teacher of their choice. Although some argue that some people have to travel to multiple classes during tutorial, students don’t get much done by traveling to different areas during this short 30 minute period. It would teach students to prioritize where they want to spend their time.

Another solution is to build a 20 minute tutorial period into the end of each block period once every two weeks. Teachers mandate which students have to stay and work with them, determining how to best help the students whether it be through individual tutoring or extra lecturing. Other students basically have a much-needed study period to finish work. Tutorials would begin the sixth week of school, so that teachers will have time to assess which students need more help. Pioneer High School in Whittier, California reported a decrease from 17.1 to 9.6 percent in F grades after implementing the new tutorial schedule in 2006. The built-in tutorial forces low achieving students to get the help that they don’t usually seek out and would further benefit busy students who have packed after-school schedules. At MVHS, extra time to do work would be well received.

Although reforming our education system will undoubtedly require large-scale changes of school curricula and teacher training across the nation, we shouldn’t overlook the changes that we can make right now. Although these changes are relatively small, we believe that they would have a positive effect on student performance without overturning the current system.

It’s obvious that America needs to improve its education system. For years, education reform has been on the political agenda at the national, state, and local levels, yet the U.S. schools still lag

behind those of many other countries. According to the Huffington Post, the U.S. is globally ranked 31st and 23rd in mathematics and science respectively, even though the U.S. requires its students to be in class for more hours than nearly every other country. Clearly, the U.S. needs to make more effective use of its school time. Here are two simple schedule changes we are proposing that would help students get more out of school.

Later Start Time

Namrata Ramani | El Estoque

the bottom lineby Ashley Ding

PULSE extends the conversation from El Estoque to you, the student body, concerning the current issues of the day.

EL ESTOQUE14

a.ding@elestoque.org

OPINION

Monta Vista Confessions: A pointless enterprise

MVHS has joined in the nationwide phenomenon of Facebook confession

pages, where students can anonymously confess their thoughts on school and student life. All schools in our district have one of their own as well as universities like Stanford and UC Santa Barbara. Despite its title, “Monta Vista Confessions,” the page does not truly contain confessions. Some of the comments are simply things students find funny or witty, such as “I sometimes put on a horse mask and gallop with other horses at Saratoga Hills.”

While funny comments are okay and are a part of our experiences, they must be limited and managed so that the page is not being misused. Unfortunately, the page has quickly turned into a place where students make inappropriate jokes that add no value whatsoever. One student even observed, “Confession #60: I like how the confessions are getting worse and worse.”

It is disappointing to see this because the page has the potential to be something beneficial for the MVHS community: a place

by Anupama Cemballi, Simran Devidasani and Mihir Patil Photography by Catherine Lockwood

MVHS students recognize that they are committing every day crimes, yet nothing stops

them. In fact, 73 percent of surveyed students are conscious that when they torrent copyrighted material, drive before possessing a license for one year and jaywalk, they are committing crimes.

These laws are in place for a reason, but students choose to ignore them. In the case of torrenting copyrighted material like music, TV

shows and movies, the production companies lose money and publicity. In fact, according

to a recent study by the Institute for Policy Innovation, $2.7 billion in revenue and more than 71,000 jobs are lost each year in the entertainment industry due to pirating. Of course MVHS isn’t the only cause of all of this, but we do contribute to it as 63 percent of MVHS

students admitted to online piracy. What many students fail to realize also

is that with the newly established Copyright Alert System, internet providers like Comcast and AT&T can now punish customers who use software services like Bittorrent to download content illegally. Torrenting is legal, but it is illegal to download copyrighted content like software and movies. With CAS, customers will have up to six strikes to stop torrenting copyrighted content. Depending on the number of strikes, consequences include slowing internet speeds and going through educational material about copyright, and torrenting illegally can lead to up to 10 years in prison and/or $250,000 in fines. Even though some may consider this system an

where students are able to share their feelings as a therapeutic way to escape work.

Tighter moderation can help regulate the content and preserve the relevance of the page. This way comments that don’t qualify as a “confession” or lack value, either funny or serious, wouldn’t be allowed.

The concept of a confession page is not a bad idea. It is the way students treat it that should be changed.

$35The first-offense fine

for driving minors with a provisional license

jaywalking

$125fine in Cupertino

of MVHS students have jaywalked97%pedestrians die in U.S. car accidents5,900

Jaywalking refers to crossing a road without a crosswalk or crossing a road before the traffic light changes to the hand symbol. In Cupertino, jaywalking can be fined up to $124.50.

EL ESTOQUE

Restrictions on student fees necessary for equalizing education

APRIL , 2013

a.lui@elestoque.org

by Alaina Lui

On August 2010, the bill AB 1575 was passed to “help identify, prevent,

and address the charging of student fees in violation of a student’s constitutional right to a free public education.” Since then, there have been mounting lawsuits on this issue until recently. On Oct. 1, 2012, Governor Jerry Brown finally approved this bill, reinforcing every public high school student’s rights.

However, many courses at MVHS continue to “require” or “strongly urge” students to pay a class fee for various materials at the beginning of the year. For example, it is not

uncommon for students to pay for P.E. and sports uniforms, field trips, computer access, etc. What most students don’t realize, however, is that these payments are not mandatory and they should not feel pressured to contribute.

With over 16 million U.S. homes living under the federal poverty level, many students cannot afford the materials some schools are charging students for. This leaves students feeling too embarrassed to request aid. Over 73 percent of citizens living in Cupertino have a household income higher than 60,000,

which allows most citizens to pay the fees anyway, so this bill may seem less relevant at MVHS.

Yet even with this status difference, it is wrong to assume all students are capable of paying additional fees in school. Learning in public schools should stay solely funded by the government and not depend upon student pocket money. In fact, It is the school’s responsibility to educate all students on their rights to refuse payments.

15

invasion of privacy, it aids those artists whose work is frequently pirated.

Our generation is technologically savvy, but with this advantage comes the downfall of having easier accessibility to do illegal things, thus making it more frequent. If we did not have this knowledge, we would not be able to access such softwares as easily.

Even with such measures students at MVHS still participate in piracy, reaffirming our assertion that MVHS students feel that they are not at risk for getting caught for their everyday crimes.

Other everyday crimes like jaywalking do not have as high a monetary consequence, but still have other repercussions. According to the National Safety Council, 5,900 people are killed every

year from jaywalking. However, not only do jaywalkers put themselves at risk, but they also endanger the life of the drivers and cause unnecessary mental stress. By implementing crossing guards or police officers who punish jaywalkers, we can fix this bad habit and

reduce accident rates. Many argue that

driving rules are too strict, yet a recent study by the Governors Highway Safety Association reported thteenage driving accidents are on a drastic rise. Driving others with a license before the age of 18 without completing a full year can put you and

others at risk as well. Twenty-nine percent of MVHS students who drive, admitted to driving others illegally. This can lead to a

higher rate of accidents as friends can distract one another, so nearby pedestrians and cars are also in danger if something happens while you are driving.

Despite us knowing the consequences of torrenting illegally, jaywalking and committing other petty crimes, we still continue to disobey the law. The blame is to be put on two parties: teenagers and law enforcement. If a teenager can commit a crime such as jaywalking several times, yet never get caught, they are very likely to commit that crime again because of the security in having done something wrong, yet getting away with it. Only 5.4 percent of MVHS student drivers who commit such crimes have been caught.

Preventative measures such as CAS and implementing strict jaywalking regulsa fines will help to decrease the frequency of our bad habits.

Students share their views on the consequences of

torrentingelestoque.org/torrent

internet piracy

$250Kfine in the U.S.

of MVHS students have pirated online63%of global internet traffic is illegal24%

Sixty-three percent of MVHS students torrent, a method of internet piracy. Torrenting carries a fine of up to $250,000 or 10 years in prison in the United States.

All MVHS-related statistics were computed from an online survey of 357 respondents.

APRIL 10, 2013

a.cemballi@elestoque.orgs.devidasani@elestoqueorg

m.patil@elestoque.org

EL ESTOQUE16

OPINION

THE DEEP END Forest Liao

EVERYTHINGHyperion” by Dan Simmons was about

seven pilgrims who were going on a space quest or something. Each one

had to tell a story about why they were going, and I only got through the first two. The first one was about a remote tribe of people with down syndrome that attached parasitic crosses to themselves and others. They also killed people. The second story was about a soldier who had “relations” with someone during virtual wargames. (Extra kinky, I know.) Then she turned out to be a monster with blades all over her body. Not the greatest place to put your smallest member.

All this trying to do everything at once reminded me of a theory I had. What if the world, or even the universe, had only one consciousness, and it just moved through every single organism amazingly fast? So fast, in fact, that it never realized it was only one being. Me writing this, you reading this, we’d be the same person. Whenever you would have a conversation with another person, you’d be having a conversation with yourself. Go try it out while keeping this in mind. It’s trippy and people will keep asking you why you’re looking at them weird.

A bonus effect was that it absolved me of all blame. In fact, that’s what most of my theories did. If you think about it, that’s what the many-worlds interpretation does, too. It means that anything that can happen is happening right now. Basically EVERYTHING is happening. There could be a slightly different version

TED Talk raises questions about why I don’t have EVERYTHINGof you who’s a better person, but because there needs to be a version of you that isn’t as great, you’re stuck being who you are. How noble of you to make that sacrifice.

If you think about the theory a little more, it could also mean that all your favorite novels and movies and television shows are actually happening in real time right now, an infinite amount of times. It also means that The Cure has covered every single song in existence, and is simultaneously the most popular band on Earth, but let’s not get into that. I

have trippier ideas that riff off of the many-worlds, and if you want to know about them, you can contact me at 1-408-LIKE-YOU-EVEN-CARE.

I was so happy with my new decision that I decided to share it with the most important person in my life.Me: Hey! I can simultaneously have everything while being absolved of all blame! It’s like reverse religion!

My brother: You’re an idiot.Me: You know you could just be

calling yourself an idiot.My brother: You’re an idiot.Me: Somewhere out there is another version of you that actually loves me and my amazing ideas.

My brother: There isn’t.Me: Yes there is. According

to the many-worlds int—

My brother: No. There. Isn’t.

Sadly, my brother was right. I couldn’t have every— NO. I am sick of learning a

fake lesson at the end of every freaking

column. I am sick of the dirty way writing

these stupid endings makes me feel. I want EVERYTHING and I

should have EVERYTHING. Period.It’s downright idiotic how the world

doesn’t cater to my every whim.Think about it. There is a possible you out

there that has everything and is completely happy. If you’re already happy with your pathetic life, then good for you. Have fun frollicking with all your HAPPY friends in HAPPY land. But me? I should have everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. End of story. Piss on maturity. Thank you. Goodbye.

f.liao@elestoque.org

Catherine Lockwood | El Estoque

5MARCH 13, 2013

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EL ESTOQUE18

‘78

Goodbye, Galli

‘79 ‘80

When band and orchestra teacher John Galli first came to MVHS in 1974, the campus was only

five years old — many buildings didn’t exist yet, and others were completely shiny and new. But it wasn’t just the school that was different. The entire city around it was a striking contrast to our community today.

He has taught band and orchestra ever since, experiencing firsthand how the school, and the city around it, has changed in size and make-up.

“When this school started it was [full of] blonde Mormons, and they were tall, and sports were really big.”

Galli’s career at this school started after

he heard about the job through a friend, and has been here for as long as many students and staff members can remember. Many find it difficult to imagine what the music department would look like without him — he has been here since it first began.

“I was teaching in a junior high school and I couldn’t stand it because the kids are immature and the boys’ voices are high like [those of] the girls, so I said, ‘I gotta get out of here,’” Galli said.

The choir teacher and school administrators drove to Daly City to see him work, and offered him a chance to

interview. Although 57 other people applied, Galli won the position and stayed at MVHS,

Music teacher John Galli retires after 39 yearsby Yimeng Han and Neesha Venkatesan

long enough that some teachers today still remember him from their school days.

Choir teacher Shari D’Epiro was a freshman at MVHS in 1975, as a member of the drill team, and fondly remembers Galli.

“He was the same energetic person; he hasn’t lost any of his energy since then,” D’Epiro said.

But after 39 years, Galli is finally ready to move on. He wants to take time off to pursue some of his other passions and spend more time with his family.

“He’s really enthusiastic about music, and it’s fun to be around him,” chamber orchestra student junior Neha Kidambi said, reflecting on his retirement. “We can see his dedication when he teaches us.”

That dedication has never wavered, despite Galli’s initial worries that his job

He was the same energetic person; he hasn’t lost any of his energy since then.Choir teacher Shari D’Epiro

Photos used with permission from El Valedor

19APRIL 10, 2013

‘83 ‘89

would become tedious one day. However, the music program at MVHS constantly changed and made his experience every year unique.

“The neat thing about this job was that there was always something that came along that changed everything … there was always something to keep it fresh,” Galli said.

Galli was one of the pioneers of the new jazz band, featuring smaller combos rather than a large class. He emphasized the necessity of smaller, more intimate groups so they could develop their musical styles with a few of their peers, instead of 30. Today, the jazz band class contains about 30 students, with combos ranging from seven to 14 students.

Additionally, he was one of the people who started up the chamber orchestra for more advanced string players.

“[Galli] is dedicated to all his classes, but I feel like he knows that we are serious musicians, so in chamber orchestra he really interacts with us,” Kidambi said. “He makes sure we are comfortable with the music and he gives us a lot of resources for us to be [better musicians]”

D’Epiro find its hard to imagine MVHS without Galli since he has been able to make numerous changes to the music department.

“I think the school is really going to miss him because he really defined the instrumental program,” she said. “[The music program] will carry on and do just fine, but it’ll just be his presence that people will miss … He has worked hard during these past 40 years. He definitely deserves a good, fulfilling next chapter in his life.”

Like D’Epiro, Galli hopes that his next

chapter brings him as much enrichment as his previous one.

“I’m going to stay active in the music scene,” Galli said. “I already sent out volunteer [applications] for the San Francisco Symphony, Carmel Bach Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival … Hopefully they will say, ‘Hey, he’s got a little bit of music background,’ so I’ll start out there.”

Galli pauses for a moment.“I’ve got to break 80 playing golf,” he

added. “I’ve gotten close, 82 a few times, but I want to break 80, and that will take a lot of dedication and practice … I’ll do more things with my family.”

I think it’s about time to try something different.“ ”Music teacher John Galli

‘13

n.venkatesan@elestoque.orgy.han@elestoque.org

A&E

Neesha Venkatesan | El Estoque

EL ESTOQUE20

A&E

cultureCoffee shops promote social interaction in the community

coffee

coffee society

10 percent discount for De Anza students with valid photo ID

Outside patio seatingAccess to bookshelf with

selective titles

Your match1.3 miles from MVHS

Unlimited, free Wi-Fi

Secluded lounge area with comfortable sofa seating

Coffee. It’s a bitter, black liquid, often taken with cream and sugar. But coffee isn’t just a popular drink — it is a focal point for socializing. In fact, a recent El Estoque survey revealed that almost 20 percent of students visit a local coffee shop at least twice a week. Although students might not fancy the drink, they enjoy visiting smaller, coffee-themed businesses. In either scenario,

students hangout with friends, host study sessions or just work on homework.

by Steven Lim and Yashashree Pisolkar

“I really hate the word hipster. It sounds too mainstream. But [Coffee Society] does have that indies vibe,” senior Sruti Mamidanna said referring to the relaxed

atmosphere she values at the Coffee Society in The Oaks shopping complex. “They play my type of music … it’s kind of electro-jazz, benovo, very jazzy. And everyone here has a very unique character.”

Mamidanna spends time at Coffee Society not only to study or hang out with friends, but also to screenwrite. As an aspiring film major, Mamidanna finds the welcoming atmosphere fit for the screenwriting process. The natural

cafe lattea

LIVIN’ La VIDa mochalight from the glass walls also contributes to the work friendly environment. Sometimes she draws inspiration from the mercurial f lamenco guitarist who jams every now and then, and students from De Anza College who also work at the shop frequently.

According to part-time Coffee Society barista Mi Hwangbo, she often sees creative minds like Mamidanna sitting in the lounge area collaborating on school work while enjoying a Vanilla Mocha. Hwangbo notes that since this particular location is a 20-year-old establishment, many community members — the older ones and younger ones alike — appreciate the collaborative experience Coffee Society offers.

Cafe LaTTea offers a wide variety of teas, coffees and other treats to choose from at its Stevens Creek location in Cupertino. Drinks on the menu range from standard espresso drinks like the Americano to more exotic choices like the Taro Latte. You can try their gourmet coffees in a spacious tasting room by yourself or with friends. For those looking to stray away from tea and coffee, toasts (like the Caribbean Wave) and cakes (like the Green Tea Cake) are another option. Cafe LaTTea also boasts a modern and trendy interior as well as free wifi, which helps attract a younger crowd, to create a lively and inviting environment.

Your matchUnlimited, free Wi-Fi

Exotic items like the Taro Latte, Green Tea Cake,

Caribbean Wave

Trendy interior decor with stone architecture

Larger items like cakes allow large groups to share

Brewed with syphon burners

Yashashree Pisolkar | El Estoque

21APRIL 10, 2013

Senior Darren Yau walks up to the smallest table in Panera’s seating area and pushes it up against the big window pane. He sets his book down and grabs himself a glass of water — the

manager walks by and gives him a nod. Yau pulls out his copy of Beloved by Toni Morrison and picks up where he had left off.

“Reading in a coffee shop is actually recreation on two levels,” Yau said. “First, although I am reading for fun, I’m also accomplishing work. And second, the surrounding crowd is entertaining.

Yau, a regular customer at local coffee shops such as Bitter + Sweet and Cafe LaTTea, personally doesn’t rely on coffee to power

espresso YourseLf

bitter sweet+

verde tea cafeLocated between Cupertino High School and MVHS, this cafe often has a long line of customers waiting to indulge in speciality pearl milk teas and fruit smoothies. Although the cafe flaunts a fine-dining interior with high ceiling accents and dimly-lit dining booths, customers can easily enjoy a more casual seating area located right outside the shop. Also featuring unlimited wi-fi throughout the cafe, Verde emphasizes the fusion of PMT with traditional Taiwanese snacks such as popcorn chicken, brick toast and chicken katsu. The cafe is a common pit stop for Cupertino High School and Hyde Middle School students.

through the day. For him, Bitter + Sweet offers a quiet workplace and the soothing background murmurs of neighbors set the pace for productivity.

According to Bitter + Sweet owner Janice Chua, tech savvy students appreciate the Wi-Fi and secluded working area. Chua, however, also believes in the integration of community collaboration in addition to individual work.

“I want [my shop] to be a gathering place where people can meet and converse with community members. That’s why there is a two hour Wi-Fi limit — we want to build community and interaction.”

0.5 miles from CupertinoSquareOpen late on Mondays through Thursdays (11 a.m. to 11 p.m.) as well as Fridays through Sundays (11 a.m. to 12 p.m.)

Offers reservations for special events such as fundraisers and exclusive parties

Your match

Your matchItalian coffee, artisan bakery and specialty ice cream

Sleek architecture designed for group collaboration

Productive environment for independant web surfing or group media projectsLunch items like paninis from Top Nosh

Popcorn Chicken, then try Verde Tea Cafe

Vanilla Mocha, thentry Coffee Society

Gelato, then try Bitter + Sweet

If you like...

Honey Toast, then try Cafe LaTTea

Alexandria Poh | El Estoque Photo Illustration

FAMILY MATTERSCarissa Chan

With three kids and a dog running around, my family’s daily routine usually consists of frantic shuttling

from school to sports to music. But because I’m now a second semester senior — and my sister thinks that the end of eighth grade is the same as being a second semester senior — my family has recently had more time to watch TV.

At first, I thought it would be the perfect way for us to relax and not talk to each other. Turns out, they have plenty to say about the people on the big screen.

My sister squinted at the TV one night and declared, out of nowhere, “See that man? He had plastic surgery.”

I was surprised that she could identify this with such certainty, so I asked how she knew. My sister promptly scribbled shapes on the whiteboard in front of her:

“His eyebrows look like that,” she replied,

pleased with herself. “He was getting Botox and someone walked into the room, so he was surprised and made that shape with his eyebrows. Right at that moment, the doctor injected that chemical stuff into him and froze his face.”

Being particularly harsh to actors was also enjoyable for her; she suggested that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have another kid and name him “Harry.” No one in my family understood for days — until she finally insisted that we refer to this unborn child by his full name. (Think for a while and you’ll get it, too.)

My mother, on the other hand, asserted that everything on TV is trash. She especially despised reality shows, soap operas and anything with the Kardashian-contaminated letter “K.” However, I swear I saw her watching “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Trying again to remain rational, I

asked why she was so zealously following something she heavily disapproved of. To this she replied: “I have to watch every episode! How else can I know exactly how much nonsense it is?”

Apart from all the not-worthy-to-be-watched shows, my family particularly enjoyed “The Amazing Race.” In fact, my sister immediately went online and signed us up to be potential contestants for next year. She has been told that our arguments are very entertaining.

The chances of us actually being on the show are slim, but that obviously doesn’t deter my sister; she’s already planned out exactly how we’ll win and enthrall the country while we’re at it. I suppose this will involve a lot more singing, jumping, shrieking — and impeccably shaped eyebrows.

Tough luck, televisionIn which my family becomes increasingly critical of media stars

c.chan@elestoque.org

I started to really wonder: Was I melting into an incoherent blob?

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD WOMENSoumya Kurnool

When I was a junior in Kavita Gupta’s AP Chemistry class, I was forced to watch my senior classmates

be eaten alive by senioritis. Once attentive and engaged in class, they were drooling (literally), lethargic remnants of the esteemed academic individuals they once were.

Obviously, the logical thing to do was to solemnly swear on my chemistry textbook that I would never become like that. And that if I ever did digress, I would no longer be called Soumya Kurnool.

Flash forward to March 26, 2013, when I found out I had gotten into my top choice school. Suddenly, it just seemed logical that I should stop reading about resistors in series and start watching Spongebob and then take that nap I’d been meaning to take for the

past few days and then go on Facebook for a few hours and then eat some yogurt and then watch some more Spongebob...

Before I knew it, it was 11 o’clock, and I still hadn’t started my homework.

I was ready to slap myself, pinch myself, do anything to convince myself that I wasn’t doing what I was doing right now, which was sitting on the couch staring off into space.

I started to really wonder: Was I melting into an incoherent blob? Would drooling on the desk come next?

For all the 12 years of schooling that I have undergone, I have never, not even once, felt that lack of drive. Okay, I am not at the point where I am running out of AP Statistics to go to Santa Cruz like some of my more senioritic peers, but I think I have developed

a granny-specific variety. Here are some of my symptoms:

(1) Excessive Spongebob Squarepants consumption.

(2) Lack of focus until 11 p.m., which is when I commence running around in a circle like a decapitated chicken.

(3) Late sleeping hours (1 a.m., for Pete’s sake!).

(4) Zoning out during lectures. However, this is counteracted by compulsive notetaking. Scratch that, I am not zoning out.

So basically, this will probably be the closest I get to senioritis, and I think I will stop here because the last thing I want to see myself doing is sleeping through the Physics Honors final.

So here’s to Spongebob. As long as I get my homework done.

Charged with senioritis A prior goody two-shoes gets caught red-handed mid-snooze

s.kurnool@elestoque.org

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25APRIL 10, 2013

after

Every year 5,900 jaywalkers are killed. A person committing piracy can spend up to five years in prison and lose $250,000. Drivers with provisional licenses can have their licenses legally revoked by a judge and also be fined $50 the first time they’re caught.

Certain crimes are so regularly committed by our population that we consider them minor and continue to perform them, time after time. But as commonplace as they may be, these crimes still have legal consequences.

When it comes down to it, we must ask ourselves what makes committing these crimes more acceptable than others — and where do we draw the line between what’s petty and what’s serious?

SPECIALREPORT

EL ESTOQUE26

SPECIAL REPORT

THEEVERYDAYCRIMINAL

Though illegal and ethically questionable, piracy remains rampant among high school students

Senior Larry Xu likes watching movies in his free time — more frequently when he is bored. Either way, it’s free.Xu pirates two things: software and

media. He downloaded Adobe Creative Suite, which costs around $2,000, along with regular updates. Xu also torrents television shows and movies on a weekly basis.

His reasoning? The service providers will not lose profit if he is never going to buy the product anyway. He believes that as long as consumers uphold this mentality, the fault is on the companies and their incapability to correctly market their product to make it affordable or available to their consumers.

“There is no limit to how much I should

download,” Xu said. “Downloading one episode of a show or downloading three seasons of a show — I don’t really see a difference if I’m not going to purchase them anyway ... I’m aware of the consequences of being found out and possibly being fined, but there’s a very low p r o b a b i l i t y of something like that a c t u a l l y happening. I honestly don’t feel any guilt wha t s o eve r

for doing it.”At MVHS, 63 percent of 345 survey

respondents have admitted to participating in Internet piracy. However, students are not oblivious. 74 percent said they are aware of the consequences of Internet piracy.

Junior Sophie Min presents a similar justification. She pirates music, through a Youtube to MP3 converter, only on the occasion that she cannot afford or does not have access to it. And even if she

by Yuna Lee and Angela Wang

they’re trying to make the situation

look worse than it actually it is.

senior Larry Xu

27APRIL 10, 2013

pirates it, she does it with the intention of purchasing it later.

For junior Michelle Chang, it simply isn’t reasonable to purchase hundreds of songs.

“Everyone knows [pirating is] not legal and that it’s not beneficial to the artist,” Chang said. “But because everyone has thousands of songs in their devices, it’s not practical for us to just buy everything.”

Business teacher Carl Schmidt acknowledges some of the purported aspects of piracy that keep the conscience free of guilt, but ultimately disagrees. For Schmidt, defining a crime entails determining the rational basis for the crime and who will be injured. He notes that although companies may be receiving free publicity, their intellectual property rights are still being violated. And thus, piracy is a crime.

“It really is theft ... and I don’t see how we can be in favor of theft in any way,” Schmidt said.

The Motion Picture Association of America claims to lose $20.5 billion per year to piracy in the American market. Critics, however, have argued that the outcomes of consumer decisions without piracy are hard to account for. Studies like the ones conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office often provide inconclusive results, as they consider every occurrence of piracy as a direct loss of sales.

“They’re trying to make the situation look worse than it actually is so that the government will help them eradicate the problem entirely,” Xu said.

The controversy over the negative impact of piracy allows individual consumers to act at their own discretion. Xu, Min, and Chang have acknowledged that they do not feel guilty about piracy because of the little impact their actions may result in for the global economy. The extent to which each student pirates, however, varies.

“[Piracy is] okay occasionally. But if you do it all the time for everything you want, then it’s not okay,” Min said.

For many, the line between what is acceptable and what is not remains blurred. What becomes acceptable, Schmidt says, depends on the attitude of society. And these social norms may differ depending on the environment.

“The issue is, are there absolute standards or are they variable? Quite frankly, standards vary with the culture in society,” Schmidt said. “What was unacceptable two generations ago is acceptable today.”

HOW DO WE PIRATE?

7 out of 10 think pirating is acceptable

know the consequencesof piracy74%

60% 62%have pirated music have pirated TV shows

and movies

INCEPTION the darkknight

MOST PIRATed MOVIES

20 million

Sources: CNBC, NBC NEWS Technology

19 million19 million

transformers

y.lee@elestoque.org | a.wang@elestoque.org

of students

*342 students responded to an online survey

*340 students responded to an online survey *333 students responded to an online survey

Source: NBC NEWS Technology

EL ESTOQUE28

SPECIAL REPORT

Nationwide, the number one age group that gets in accidents is between the age of 16 and 18,” said Deputy Thomas

Bond of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department. “The number one fatalities age group is between 16 and 18.”

This, according to Bond, is the reason why the provisional license law is in place today. As defined by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, provisional license restrictions require drivers under 18 to be supervised during the first 12 months when transporting passengers under the age of 20 or when driving between 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Because these restrictions are often violated during lunchtime, police traffic units are especially alert during those hours — officers have the right to pull over students coming out of school to verify their licenses. According to Bond, the first violation allows a judge to revoke the license immediately, while a second one calls for the DMV to revoke it from anywhere between 30 days to a year.

However, only 27 percent of the driver respondents in our April survey reported that they had never bypassed any of the restrictions spelled out above. In addition, 94.5 percent of those who have violated the restrictions were never caught or punished by the police for their actions.

“[The rule] shouldn’t apply to everyone, because realistically, every teenager on the planet will drive their friends around when they get their license ... For those of us who are mature, responsible drivers and won’t

do stupid things, it’s just an unnecessary restriction,” wrote a survey respondent, who plans on getting licensed in a month.

But due to the high national average of teenage drivers who get into car accidents, Bond disagrees. In fact, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found in 2008 that the risk of crashing is highest for drivers who are 16. The crash rate per mile driven is four times higher for those between 16 and 18 than it is for older drivers.

“[It’s] in order to better protect that age group, better protect everyone else on the road,” Bond said. “If you were following the law ... you should have no problems whatsoever with your provisional law, and it shouldn’t be an issue ... If you’re breaking the law, you’re breaking the law; you’re going to have to deal with the consequences.”

Senior Tommer Schwarz is one of the few drivers who never tried to bypass the legal restrictions. However, he likely would not have done so if not for his parents’ insistence.

Schwarz did find the restrictions irritating at first. Constantly looking out for the curfew

and always having to say no to friends meant that he was criticized by peers for his decision. Eventually, however, his vigilance brought about an ironic result: his father one day suggested that he drive someone somewhere, even though his year wasn’t up.

“I told him, ‘No, no, it’s not legal,’ and he said, ‘Eh, whatever,’” Schwarz said. “So at

the end it was all me, but at the beginning it was definitely enforced by my parents.”

As such, he understands both sides of the argument. The independence, according to Schwarz, is his favorite part about being able to drive, and that was especially tempting for him when he first got his license.

“You want to use that freedom, get out and hang out with friends ... A year

feels like a long time in the middle of it, but once it passes — I’ve been driving for almost a year and a half and it hasn’t felt like a year and a half. So I guess my view on the rule is that though it’s annoying, it’s probably just,” he said. “Maybe a year is too long, but some such rule needs to be in place.”

Reasons why students face many limitations on the roadby Jennifer Lee with additional reporting by Albert Qiu

S t u d e n t D r i v e rC A U T I O N

If you're breaking the law, you're

breaking the law; you're going to have to deal with the consequences.

Deputy Thomas Bond

j.lee@elestoque.org | a.qiu@elestoque.org

Jennifer Lee | El Estoque

The California driving laws you didn’t know you were breakingStory and photo illustrations by Shriya Bhindwale

4. EXCESSIVE DISPLAY OF ACCELERATIONThe Law: This commonly unknown law is based on the judgement of the law enforcement that was present at the time, making it very difficult to define the ways to breach this law. A driver who goes from zero to 50 in a few seconds can be accused of violating this law even if 50 miles per hour is less than the speed limit.Penalty: A ticket for excessive display of acceleration isn’t common, and more often than not, it doesn’t appear on insurance or driving records, but the ticket can range anywhere from $90 to $100.

1. INCORRECT PARKINGThe Law: There are several ways that a driver can park a car incorrectly, but the most common is the illegal occupation of two parking spaces by one car, a habit usually developed due to callousness and lack of awareness of surroundings. Penalty: The penalty for double parking varies from city to city just in California, but in the Bay Area, the ticket for double parking recently increased from $80 to anywhere from $90 to $120.

3. NOISE VIOLATION: The Law: The California Penal Code 415 states that a person can violate the law commonly known as “disturbing the peace” in a car by “disturbing another person by loud and unreasonable noise,” especially a motorcycle engine or blasting obscene music. Penalty: The maximum penalty for a breach of the California Penal Code 415 is up to 90 days in county jail, a fine of up to $400 or both county jail and a fine.

2. TURN SIGNALSThe Law: California law requires the use of turn signals before reaching a turning point, at least five seconds before changing lanes, and before pulling next to or away from the curb.

Penalty: Turn signals are the only communication that vehicles can have with nearby bicyclists, pedestrians and other cars. Apart from a serious safety concern, the tickets for not using an indicator are $108.

s.bhindwale@elestoque.org

ON THE WRONG SIDEOF THE ROAD

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31APRIL 10, 2013

SPORTS

As a birdie soars through the air, a badminton player scrambles toward the net and positions herself for a long-practiced power shot. She misses.

Instantly, head coach Charley Situ’s voice echoes from the other side of the field house: “Hey! Faster next time. Don’t just stand there like a Charley’s Dummy.”

Serving

Successup

by Daniel Fernandez and AlexaThea Suarez

Charley’s Dummies, an affectionate nickname for the badminton team inspired by the television series “Charlie’s Angels,” reveals the chirpy side of Situ that has pushed players to CSS

finals the past nine out of 10 years, in multiple divisions. In addition, several players on the teams are nationally ranked — one member, sophomore Justin Ma, has won the Pan Am Junior Badminton tournament, marking him the best singles player in the Americas for his age group.

Yet, given this impressive wealth of accomplishments and dedicated athletes, the team surprisingly manages to stay out of the school spotlight.

“I think people view badminton as sort of a joke and that anyone who can hit a birdie can get on the team ... but you really do have to be good to make the team,” varsity player junior Anu Vaishnav said. And you do have to be good — MVHS badminton team is a prominent, accomplished team, with a dominant reputation and multiple CCS championships.

The badminton team’s success can be largely attributed to the motivation of the players themselves. Although school practices run every weekday for two to three hours during the spring season, many team players train year round at prestigious clubs such as Bing Tang Badminton Academy, where they participate in regional and national tournaments.

EL ESTOQUE32

SPORTS

EL ESTOQUE

“There are lots of coaches, it’s really competitive, and there are tournaments all over the place,” senior Ryan Ke said. “It’s much more serious than high school badminton.”

Other team players, like senior Erika Sporkert and her sister freshman Madeleine Sporkert, have been playing the sport since they were young children.

“My mom’s from Malaysia, so she used to play a lot of badminton when she was younger. When my sister and I were little, the three

of us used to play on the driveway together. My mom was really good. I looked up to her for that,” Erika Sporkert said.

Many students claim the success of the team is due not only to players’ individual passion, but also to the coaching of Situ. “He’s a really tough coach, and he always pushes us to do better,” junior Melissa Wang said.

Given their devotion to practice, the team has a strong sense of community. Outside of practice time, players meet at events such as

“Baddy Buddies,” where team members exchange gifts anonymously. The goal of these events is to foster a sense of closeness within the team and to forge friendly bonds between players. Because badminton is a sport where players can feel isolated from one another as they play individual games on the court, this sense of friendliness is a crucial aspect of the team’s success, since it reinforces the impression that the players are unified as a team within a school.

Like the majority of high school sports, the team is divided

I think that most people view badminton as sort of a joke, and that anyone who can hit a birdie can get on the team.

junior Anu Vaishnav

A COMPETETIVE COMMUNITY Junior Anu Vaishnav prepares to return a birdie served by one of her teammates during practice on April 4. Many players on the varsity team also train with professional coaches at badminton academies and compete in high-level tournaments outside of school.

Neesha Venkatesan| El Estoque

the hours spent practicing, can cause tension between teammates.

Despite this, the team guarantees that the competitive spirit in their relationships with each other is healthy, and that it allows each player to polish their skills throughout the season.

into varsity and junior varsity levels, with each group broken into single and doubles counterparts. Inside of this structure, badminton members are made to constantly compete for higher spots — or to even keep one at all.

Each week, players participate in a series of inter-team matches to determine their position for that passing week. With badminton sporting over a 60-player roster, and only around 45 spots needed per game, this fluid change of ranking pushes players to remain competitive at all times, or to risk being demoted to a lower position.

The tight-knit community of the team is sometimes challenged by this extreme competition between players. Ke explains that arguments between members do occur, if only rarely. Passion for the sport, coupled with the amount of talent on the team and

d.fernandez@elestoque.org t.suarez@elestoque.org

TOUGH TRAINING A badminton player reaches for a birdie. During

the spring season, the team practices two to three hours a

day for five days a week.

Margaret Lin| El Estoque

“In the end, the competitiveness brings us closer together. It drives us to improve, rather than driving us apart,” Erika said. “It’s a different type of bonding.”

EL ESTOQUE34

SPORTS

Eyes on the Team

About 30 proud parents cheer on their students from packed bleachers on the baseball field in a varsity game against Kennedy High School. Meanwhile, only a couple hundred feet

away, a swim meet takes place. Only three parents are in the stands.The attention that the baseball team receives motivates the

players.“Just coming out to the game is supportive enough,” senior Peter

Stern said. “It‘s good to look in your stands and see people cheering

Parent involvement varies in high school sportsby Atharva Fulay and Joyce Varma

for you. Just having their presence of people there. You don’t necessarily have to be the loudest guy, which my dad usually is.”

Nearly 11 of the 18 students on the baseball team have parents who watch a large majority of their games. Since baseball stands are usually filled, the players can tell when parents aren’t present.

“We will notice [if there aren’t as many parents],” Stern said. “We’ll see if the stands are filled up. I don’t think it bothers us in any way, but we definitely notice.”

Margaret Lin | El Estoque

Margaret Lin | El Estoque

j.varma@elestoque.org | a.fulay@elestoque.org

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parents in teaM traDitiOns

Our team mom this year was James Whall’s mom Carol, and she helped organize the entire banquet.

”

Linda Orvick

Q&a with athletic bOOsters presiDent

Kelsey Hsing’s mom made a DVD full of pictures from the year and parents get invited to the banquet and some also come to Nationals.

el estOQue: How does Athletic Boosters get parents involved in school sports?linDa OrVicK: Every athlete is invited to join boosters. We have liaisons on the board that reach out to every coach and every team in order to invite parents to become members and we’ve really worked on that.

ee: How can parents support their student athletes?lO: One [way] is by becoming a member of boosters. For each sport, we ask that the players of parents join. It costs $65 and $40 of those $65 goes directly back to that sport ... and $25 goes to boosters, which we then pay for different things for different sports. We pay for parts of facilities, the trainer, we pay for track equipment, and then everything that we have left over we distribute to the teams each year.

ee: How is parent participation in boosters currently?lO: With this new membership director that really improved this year. Also, you can join boosters by using Paypal, and that’s made it easier for people to join.

juniOr wrestlerlOuie lin

juniOr cheerleaDerelena huang

Parents are invited to [the banquet] and then we have the whole awards ceremony. All of us dress up real nice.

seniOr fOOtball playerhunter DOng

Sometimes parents come cheer on the players or act as line judges, if we need them.

juniOr tennis playerMatthew cheung

Photo courtesy of Linda Orvick

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Cricket

Sophomore Rutvij Bhise discusses baseball’s cousin, popularly played in Commonwealth countries

by Karen Feng and Eva Spitzen

Illustrations by Yuna Lee

sophomore RUTVIJ BHISEBhise began playing cricket at the age of six after watching

the Cricket World Cup in 2003 with his family. He has since participated in the California Cricket Academy and represented both the region and the nation.

RECEIVING BATSMAN

WICKETKEEPER

BOWLER

BATSMAN AT BOWLERS END

UMPIRE

“It’s pretty much the same as catching, but the ball can deviate and you need to be able to jump and catch it.”

“As a batsman, you protect every part of your body that can get hit.”

“In baseball, you have a specificed number of balls ... and another chance once they get out. In cricket, you only have one chance and you can’t waste that chance.”

Bowlers usually bowl off a bounce on the pitch and have a larger strike zone than in baseball, giving them a wider variety of approaches.

In cricket, you have to place the ball into a gap where the fielders aren’t, and in baseball, it just looks like someone’s blindly swinging at the ball. I like that aspect of cricket, that it’s as much a mindgame as it is a physical game.

“”

CRICKET BASEBALL

Pitching technique:bowl off a bounce on the pitch, arge strike zone

can be either overhand or underhand, but cannot bounce

Ball:made of cork sewn with leather, bigger and harder than baseballs

Bat:cane handle attached to a flat willow blade

rubber or cork center, wound in yarn, covered in white cowhide with red stitching

hard round poles: tapers to a narrower handle and knob

ball bounces past the boundary

SCORING RUNSboth batsmen cross the pitch without the stumps being hit

ball hit without a bounce past the boundary

146

outfield

infield

close-infield

pitch

Used with permission of Rutvij Bhise

37APRIL 10, 2013

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39APRIL 10, 2013

SPORTSFLASH

The spring season opened with eight athletics, including baseball, softball and boys volleyball. Many of the teams are taking advantage of the new field facilities. In this issue, El Estoque provides updates on the three aforementioned teams. For more sports coverage, visit elestoque.org.

by Forest Liao

Junior Shiron Drusinsky (Top) bats in the March 29 game against Kennedy High School. The 18-player baseball team is 8-6 overall and third in league play with a 3-2 record. Senior Peter Stern leads the Matadors in batting average, hitting .458, while seniors Spencer Rodrigues and Kendall Yamauchi are tied for second with .318 averages. Despite quality performances from the starting pitchers, the team trails Los Gatos High School (6-0) and Milpitas High School (5-3) in the El Camino league.

Senior Raychel Cruz (Bottom right) repares to field the ball. After five players graduated last year, the young 13-member softball team has only six returners. Seniors Kalani Seaver and Kylie Page have sparked offensive production while pitcher sophomore Tamanna Ahluwalia is backed by strong defense from seniors Nikita Agarwal and Carissa Chan and sophomore Janaye Sakkas. The Matadors are 2-7 overall and 2-4 in the upper division De Anza league.

Seniors Cory Low (Bottom left No. 8) and Derrick Chiu (Bottom left No. 7) go up to block against Mountain View High School on March 29. The volleyball team has had a strong start to their season with an overall record of 15-2. After winning two tournaments, the Matadors are 4-1 in league play and ranked second in the De Anza league behind Mountain View High School (5-0). Chiu and junior Ryan Manley have been standouts on the team with consistently aggressive play; Manley currently leads the team in kills. f.liao@elestoque.org

Used with permission of Ray ChanMargaret Lin | El Estoque

Margaret Lin | El Estoque

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