pg 9 // perspectives

Point for Point:Is prom tooextravagant?

pg 18 // sports

Baseball team in year of rebuilding

pg 13 // entertainment

Students model original creationson runway

preview

pg 10-11 // centerspread

Zooming InArranged marriages

page 5

Q & AOpen mic night

page 15

SnapshotBoys swimming

page 20

April 11, 2007

pg 6 // news

Jammed Up: Student lot overflows with unpermitted cars

see AXELSON on page 4

Surge in support for those in serviceGroup sends care-packages, letters to military Lunchtime hunt benefits veterans memorialby Cheryl Ho design editor

A young middle schooler sat at her desk in class, twirling her pencil with a blank paper on her desk. Wondering what to write, she contemplated when the desert storm soldier she was writing to would

receive her letter. That same teacher grew up to be history teacher Maria Carter-Giannini, who is now bringing back memories of her past and applying them to the present.

Within a week, Carter-Giannini riled up over 60 students to write letters and send packages of beef jerky and Otter Pops to strangers overseas.

by Jordan Kolb editor in chief

With a rally court not used for rallies and a cafeteria more frequented by break-dancers than snackers, name-sense is not one of MVHS’ strong points.

But thanks in part to the school’s selfless student body, another Monta Vistan hot spot may finally live up to its name: Memorial Park is finally getting a memorial. And with it, a deserving MVHS graduate will be honored.

Matt Axelson grew up in Cupertino, making his way through local schools and graduating from MVHS in 1994. A year after graduating from Chico

see HOMEFRONT on page 6

Senior Cameron Burns reflects on time in drug rehab

Due to liability concerns, FUHSD pulls support of program, denies resources and endorsement

www.elestoqueonline.com

INSIDE: Turning points in MVHS students’ lives

Breaking the habit

District hangs up on Saferidesby Anagha Vaidhyanathan managing editor

It has become a well-acknowledged custom that high

school students spend the prime hours of the weekend partying with friends. However, a team of MVHS students has a different plan in mind. At 11pm, senior Hamish Ferguson and his peers gather at a common house, armed with pizza, video games, and a cellphone. The Saferides team knows well that their focus is not to just enjoy the night: it’s to save lives.

S a f e r i d e s , the program created by Leadership, to prevent students from driving home intoxicated by providing a safe alternative, flourished during the fall of 2006. With a fresh team and new advertising mediums, Saferides was receiving between six and seven calls each night. Earlier this year, the team sought an opportunity to expand the program to the four other schools in the District. Although students showed interest,

larger lawsuit could occur.”The result of the meetings came to a

roadblock for the team: Saferides could no longer be affiliated with MVHS or any other high school in the District. With the District’s inability to sponsor the program, Saferides is now on an independent mission.

December 27, 2005.The date rolls off senior Cameron Burns’

tongue clearer than anything. Dressed in a black hat conspicuously labeled “Black Hat,” and a plain white tee shirt, his austere appearance is misleading; Burns has gone through what practically no other student has gone through.

On December 27, 2005, Burns disappeared.At 4 am that morning, several men came into

Burns’ house and took him away. Not mentally awake, Burns felt completely confused as the strangers drove him to the airport, and one of them accompanied him on a flight to Utah.

Following his arrival, Burns went on a two-and-a-half hour drive through what Burns described as “the middle of nowhere.” Only desert sand and sparse

CHANGED MAN At top, Burns strikes a pose with his sister Mallory in 2004; At right, Burns is shown at Second Nature wilderness camp in 2005.

see BURNS on page 10

plants remained in his line of sight.“We just stopped somewhere, and I looked

around, thinking ‘Where am I?’”His destination was Duchesne, Utah, at a place

called Second Nature, a wilderness camp for students who need to reevaluate their situations. Burns’ mother Sandy Boyd chose to send Burns there because he had been heavily using drugs.

“I tried having him work with a therapist. I tried putting restrictions on him. I tried grounding him. I tried talking to him, working with him. We got him jobs. All kinds of different things, trying to help him figure himself out.”

“When somebody really gets into drugs, they need someone to pull them out of it.”

Burns first tried smoking marijuana when he was

see SAFERIDES on page 4

by Carolyn Chuang sports editor

parents and Administration presented strong arguments against it, alluding to the possibility of district lawsuits. The liability concerns led to multiple meetings with both District and school representatives.

“We showed them the proof of insurance and tried to explain that we were fully covered,” Ferguson said. “The District, however, feared a

photo illustration by Aniqa H

asan

Substitute Meshes Math and HumorBecause of math teacher Ed Puccinelli’s leave of

absence, substitute teacher Dick Klokaw has taken over his classes for the rest of the year. Klokaw was an electrical engineer at Lockheed Martin for 30 years and taught at MIT for two. His path to substitute teaching was rather accidental.

In 1990, Klokaw saw an advertisement for a position as assistant coach of MV’s JV football team. Since then, he has been substitute teaching for 16 years, an expert at taking over entire classes when teachers leave for the year.

“I’m 82 and I can still do a little math. It’s a privilege to work with students from Monta Vista,” Klokaw said. “Now if there weren’t any freshmen boys, it would be total pleasure.”

Chance to Renew Honor, Sleep InStudents were treated to an extra 15 minutes of sleep

time on the morning of March 27. Representatives of the California Department of Education came to visit MVHS before renewing MVHS’ Distinguished School Award. The recognition is awarded to schools that show comprehensive excellence, involving not only grades but clubs, activities, sports, support services, and more. The award is not contingent on test scores.

The visitors came at 7 am to first meet and talk with students, parents, administration, and community sup-porters. They then introduced themselves to the teachers and explained their purpose in coming. The early meeting and introduction gave way to the late start. The visitors stayed until 4 pm, visiting every classroom on campus throughout the day.

Assistant Principal Brad Metheany said, “This is a special place. I want to see a high school better than us, giving a balanced comprehensive program.”

Orator Breaks Decade-long Nationals Drought

The Speech and Debate team competed at the National Qualifying Tournament at Bellarmine High School on March 24-25.

Although only five members attended, three received awards and commendations.

They even proved able to adapt when in a clinch. When senior Mindy Chu’s partner was unable to attend, freshman Sabrina Ghaus stepped in for her. They made it to the final round and won sixth place in the Duo Interpretation event.

“Although we had a low turnout, if students maintain their commitment, they’ll continue to do well,” said Speech and Debate adviser Sharon Prefontaine.

Junior Janhavi Athavale took third place in the Original Oratory event and qualified to attend the National Forensic League’s National tournament in Wichita, Kansas this summer. This makes her the first Speech and Debate member in ten years to qualify for the tournament.

elestoque 2006-2007

Editors in ChiefJordan KolbSteffi Lau

Managing EditorsAniqa HasanAnagha Vaidhyanathan

Copy EditorJohn Ho

News EditorsJune KimSamika Savanur

Perspectives EditorsNandini DasarathyAudrey Feldman

Centerspread EditorsJenny SunDaniel Yang

Entertainment EditorsSymrin ChawlaIshita Mitra

Sports EditorsEllen CasavantCarolyn Chuang

Design and Layout EditorCheryl Ho

Photography EditorAustin Cheng

Online EditorShibi Murali

Staff WritersJanhavi AthavaleRadhika ChandrasekharCameron LeeEric LuChris MoeAhmed NaguibHarold PanKevin RagothamanBilwa RavikiranPooja ShahShawn ShahCasey WongCindy Yeh

AdviserMichelle Balmeo

DisclaimerOpinions expressed in this publi-cation are those of the journalism staff and not of Monta Vista High School or the Fremont Union High School District.

Mission StatementEl Estoque is an open forum created for and by students of Monta Vista High School. The staff of El Estoque seeks to recognize individuals, events, and ideas and bring news to the Monta Vista community in a manner that is professional, unbiased, and thorough in order to effectively serve our readers. We strive to report accurately, and 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 e-mail or mail. They become the sole property of El Estoque and can be edited for length, clar-ity, or accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at El Estoque’s discretion. El Estoque also reserves the right to reject ad-vertising due to space limitations or decision of the Editorial Board that content of the advertisement conflicts with the mission of the publication.

Contact UsEl Estoque21840 McClellan Rd.Cupertino, CA 95014Attn: Michelle Balmeo, C210elestoque07@gmail.comwww.elestoqueonline.com

highlightsflashback

Senior’s Self-Portrait Best in ShowSurprise can be a wonderful thing. For senior

Rosa Ng, it came in the form of winning an art competition. Ng won the Best of Show award when she submitted a self-portrait to the Olympiad of the Arts competition.

“I was really surprised,” Ng said. “I didn’t believe [art teacher Jay] Shelton when he told me.”

Ng plans to use her $250 cash award for art supplies in college.

Cheer Team Soars High at NationalsThe MVHS Cheer team placed first in the High School

Spirit Nationals on March 23 – 25 in Anaheim, California. The team received the highest score of 16 teams, making them the Super Varsity Novice champions.

“We were really excited to make finals because we didn’t think we could. Then our coach told us we had the highest score,” freshman Amber Myerholtz said.

The next day, the team moved to the final four, where they placed first and claimed the title of national champi-ons for the first time in MVHS history. As champions, each member received backpacks labeled “#1”, medallions, a large trophy, and a banner to hang in the gym.

by Jordan Kolb and Steffi Lau editors in chief

The stress is almost over and the terror of our reign is coming to a close. Soon we pass the torch and hand over the fate of our newspaper to a new set of hands. We say our goodbyes and move out of our

Cupertino bubble into a foreign land known as College. Still 8 weeks from summer, and it seems that our time here is over and our futures decided.

And we have a secret to tell you: we are scared. For the first time, we’ll be completely independent, and

make decisions on our own—everything from what to have for dinner to what career path to take. And as much as seniors talk about how they can’t wait to get out of here, under that bravado is a trembling, insecure teenager not ready to grow up and leave childhood. In the same way, as much as late nights have driven us to insanity and we cringe at the thought of having to hear Balmeo sing one more time, we don’t want to leave this niche we’ve found. It’s rare that you find a place where you are the boss of 30 adoring fans, you know exactly what to do, where you’re headed, and where you belong. Leaving that haven, both C210 and MVHS, is at once both thrilling and terrifying.

One of the things that makes it so scary is the thought of change. As editors of a paper on the bridge between the new world of online journalism and our own world of old-fashioned print, we know exactly how scary change can be. Next year, El Estoque will be moving towards a more

modern approach, creating an online paper that will be an integral part of MVHS news. The entire staff structure will be revamped and reorganized.

We just can’t fathom the idea. Jordan is afraid that the online paper will overshadow the tangible one while Steffi fears that the new editors just won’t be as good at whipping lazy staff members as we are. But this isn’t a first. See, change is a cyclical thing. Last year’s editors thought we were out of our minds for putting a garden gnome on our back page, thinking it was silly and juvenile. Now, they scramble to be the first to find Pawkit—from across the country, at that! And as great as we like to think

we are, they too were worried sick about leaving the paper in our hands, wondering if we were ready and if we would live up to them. (But as you can see, this paper PWNS last year’s! BURNNNN!) And back in Balmeo’s dinosaur days, they worked by painstakingly laying out cutouts piece-by-piece onto a paper and were nervous about transitioning

into today’s methods of mouse clicks and computer screens. So far, every apprehensive thought has been proved wrong.

So let’s let this cycle thing start over again. The uneasy thoughts have already started. Will next year’s journalism structure pan out? Will we be able to handle hundred-person lecture halls and insanely long midterms? At first, no. But after kinks are worked out and new lifestyles adjusted to, everything will turn out fine, just as every changeover has. Ask us in one year’s time and we will probably be El Estoque Online’s biggest fans.

Change is scary. Change is necessary. And best of all, change has its perks--just ask a two foot, bearded man with a walking stick.

EDITOR’SLETTER

From our vault of El Estoque archives...

Fresh Plants Take Root at MVHSStudents who find the inside of the locker rooms a

bit of an eyesore may find the outside a relief. A wave of fortune recently swept over the MVHS campus in the form of greenery. Because of cash donations, the perimeters of the locker rooms have been lined with plants donated by the city of Cupertino.

Bombarded with multiple construction projects over past few years, the Administration had not made any immediate plans to beautify the locker rooms. The price for the design to cover 5000 square feet of barren ground was approximately $25000. Principal April Scott said, “We were unable to afford landscaping when the remodeling was finished. We were just planning to nickel and dime it.”

Mayor Kris Wang approached Administration with an offer to donate Aloe plants to beautify the Monta Vista campus, so long as the soil was mixed and ground was broken by March 17. “I really need to sing the praises of our grounds crew. They put in an extraordinary

amount of time seven days a week,” Scott said. It took approximately 280 overtime hours to prepare the flower beds.

On the day of planting, many volunteers joined the ranks of the custodians in planting the ice plants and installing sprinkler lines, including 50 students and MVHS alumnus Sherman Wang at the forefront of the project.

School facilitator and director Gilbert Zamora said, “By graduation in June, the

parents will be able to come and see the hard work the students poured into the area.”

School expands with new courses

To those who have taken just about every class offered on campus, course selection opportunities will expand next school year. The school currently plans to offer of AP Statistics, American Studies and potentially AP Music Theory. Although Statistics is already an offered course on campus, it is currently open only after school.

English teachers and social studies teachers Michelle Balmeo, Stacy Cler, Andrew Sturgill and Bonnie Belshe will be teaching American Studies, an integrated American Literature and American History course.

Cler said, “There are so many natural connections between American History and American Literature that it seems natural to teach it together.”

In order to foster a stronger relationship with their students, the teachers plan to collaborate their block day lessons for groups of 60 students.

AP Music Theory is still undergoing a District survey to determine whether or not it will be offered. The course, should it be passed, will consist of the basic components of music composition including music reading and writing and chords. Unlike any of the other music courses offered on campus, Music Theory will not include any performances, but rather important groundwork.

When the Saturday School Program existed atMVHS,itsusewasunfortunatelyviolatingthelaw.ThepurposeofaSaturdayschoolwaspunishmentforstu-dentswhocutclassorviolatedschoolpolicy.TruantsarerequiredbySection48260oftheCaliforniaEduca-tionCode“toattendmake-upclassesconductedononedayofaweekend.”

Truantsarethosewhomissmorethanthreedaysoftheschoolyear,butMVHSstudentsweregivenSatur-dayschool formissingonlyoneday.MaribethSmith,theAssistantSuperintendentsaid,“TheDistrictbelievesthatschoolsusingSaturdayschoolprogramsinlieuofsuspending students...these truant students fall underthecategoryofinsubordinationandcouldbesuspend-ed.”Itwashighlyunlikelyforanyonetobesuspendedbecauseoftruancy.

“Thisviolationofthelawshouldnotgounnoticed.ThelawistheretopreventSaturdayschoolfrombeingusedasapunitivemeasure,”thearticlereads.Adminis-trationsawSaturdayschoolasaneffectivepunishment,whilestudentssawitasawasteoftimeandmoney.Af-ter Administration was informed about the use of theprogramatMVHS,thepolicywentunderareview.To-day,onSaturdays,theonlyobjectsstilloncampusarepiecesofunpickedlitteracrosscampus.

1994 April 15,

Top Story: “Saturday SchoolMayViolateStudentRights”

Letting go and embracing the gnome

It’s the middle of junior year and there are two more days before the SAT. Students are scattered around desks in the library with

their heads buried in SAT books. However, one boy seems to be oblivious to the fren-zy that has gripped the others. With head-phones in his ears, then junior Chris Parcel is stress-free as he fiddles with the touch-wheel to change songs. No one could guess that Parcel was, in fact, studying.

Ever since he was in eighth grade, Parcel has taken the less trod upon path in life. While most eighth-grade boys would waste the day with thoughts of skateboarding and afternoon snacks, now senior Parcel was a little different. Different in that he was ready to get down to business.

“My dad quit his job to start his own venture, which really inspired me to get into the whole world of business,” Parcel said.

When Parcel entered MVHS, he joined FBLA, of which he is now an officer, took business electives, and even converted the typical community service hours into doing taxes for the elderly. It wasn’t until his junior year that he created his own company.

“When I was a sophomore, I realized you could put notes on your iPod, but that no one used [it],” Parcel said. “I started to build a software application to make a program where you could upload SAT words.”

Although he had little knowledge about creating computer applications, Parcel continued in hopes of creating a helpful program that students could use and learn to love. He recruited the help of friend and fellow FBLA member senior Seong-Won Youm to help him create a professional looking web page to promote his product.

“[Chris] basically already had the logistics of his program ready, but he needed a new

website that could advertise it,” Youm said.With Youm’s company, www.

sagetreecreations.com already in the works, Parcel’s final product was ready for public viewing in less than two months.

Parcel built the study tool on the basis that “it won’t replace good old fashioned studying, but if you have a spare minute while waiting for a ride, you can go over the words and listen to music at the same time, which is always a plus.”

The program is ready for downloading on www.istudytogo.com, with a set of 1000 words for $9 and 5000 words for $12.

“I’m still in the process of fine-tuning, but you should expect to see it on the market in a month or so,” Parcel said.

His target audience includes freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Parcel hopes that even when he’s in college he will be able to keep the business alive and profitable.

Taking business courses has paid off for Parcel. He has done everything from incorporating a coupon code to make his product a possible fundraising option, to contacting SAT prep centers for publicity.

“I am optimistic about it at this point. A good number of people know about it so I’m hoping for the best,” Parcel said.

Whether it becomes a hit or not, Parcel got something else out of developing the program: $40,000 to be exact.

Earlier this year Parcel received a scholarship from the McKelvey Foundation for his active entrepreneurship.

“It was cool because the guy in charge is the same guy whose company owns Monster.com, which is a really popular website,” Parcel said. “There were 50 other winners, and at the end of June we’re all flying out to New York to meet each other and listen to what everyone achieved.”

Most of us have heard the story of the weak but determined Little Blue Engine that Could. Despite the

weather, the terrain, and, most importantly, the repeatedly articulated skepticism of the more powerful engines around him, the Little Blue Engine kept chugging and chugging, sustained only by his own reassurance that he thought he could.

By this point in your life you’ve been told the importance of taking charge of your own situation, that you are responsible for the at-titudes that will shape the outcome of your successes or failures. You’ve been reminded of this by family, teachers, and friends, and now it’s gotten a little cliché.

Sometimes it can be daunting to face a reality that seems to be intent on ruining you. The picture painted by the whimsical tale of the Little Engine entails a huge departure from reality. Just ask presidential candidate John Edwards, whose situation was care-fully picked apart by the media when he announced on March 23 that his wife had been re-diagnosed with an incurable form of breast cancer, but still assured the public that “the campaign goes on strongly.”

Swiftly and surely, the media pounced on the news, with several pundits and ana-lysts claiming that citizens would be unlikely to vote for a candidate that they saw as bogged down with his personal life. In the end, skepticism begets more skepticism and the scrutiny surrounding his situation could end up doing more damage to his campaign than the situation itself.

In other words, no matter how hard he keeps chugging along, Edwards is going to run into some formidable critics of his feasi-bility as a candidate. The concept isn’t un-common. Others’ skepticism of our choices shape our everyday lives, whether it’s be-cause it changes the way that others treat us or we feel that we have to fulfill some expec-tation. Consequentially, many of us end up in a situation in which what people expect from us can dictate our behavior even more so than what we expect from ourselves.

It’s not dissimilar from the way that many high school seniors can feel pressured to ac-cept an offer at a prestigious school that they may not want to go to. Yes, it’s that prover-bial “big envelope vs. small envelope” time of the year and the senior class is abuzz with who got in where and who should pur-sue what waiting list, and, of course, the all too common “oh-my-god-I-can’t-believe-what’s-his-face-got-into-XYZ.”

Even if their ideal school might be an obscure liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere, most seniors will say they feel pressured to matriculate to the “big-name” school, or in other words, the one that was ranked highest in last year’s US News and World Report. Rankings are helpful, but in light of how heavy the consequences of this decision can be, that’s a lot of merit to place upon a few sheets of paper.

Students can be looked down upon for choosing a school that is an all-around fit. Not that this bizarre ideal is justified, but those who succumb to this type of peer pressure are failing to do what Edwards has managed in spite of the criticism surround-ing his personal decision: to refuse to let the skepticism of others define his continuing choices of action.

Edwards made the choice to continue with his campaign despite his hardships. He’s earned a lot of praise and attention as a result, and it may not hurt his campaign.

We could all learn a lesson from John Ed-wards and the Little Blue Engine that Could, even if our own self-assurances will never save us from the doubts of others. By refus-ing to accept the negative predictions and labels of critics, we can set ourselves apart from others who raise a white flag and call it quits in the harsh face of skepticism.

Senior Chris Parcel markets new SAT vocabulary program for students to use on iPods

SAFERIDES: District decision halts promotion

The harsh reality

Austin Cheng | photography editor

iLearn Better Senior Chris Parcel demonstrates studying his SAT vocabulary on an iPod.

continued from page 1

Tunes to SATs: a student venture

1. Click the Notes sec-tion on the main menu of your iPod and select your iStudyToGo Start.

2. Select the iStudyToGo Words on the iStudyToGo menu.

3. Select the word that you would like to learn the defini-tion of.

4. Study the spelling, part of speech, and mul-tiple definitions of the selected word.

Since the Every 15 Minutes event in 2005, Saferides has been through a tremulous three-year journey. In 2005, with the persuasion of a small group of students, the team finally managed to run two sessions on Friday nights, where students accepted phone calls for rides home over a four hour period. Unfortunately, the phone never rang.

This past school year, when Saferides became a focus group in Leadership, Ferguson chose to take part in reviving Saferides. The Saferides committee spent hours training volunteers to recognize the effects of alcohol poisoning and the importance of confidentiality. Supported by funding from the PTA and backed with liability insurance from the Boy Scouts of America, they was ready to go. Saferides took advantage of funding and school resources to promote the program to students using a Donut Hole campaign, a Keychain promotion drive, and other mediums. By November 2006, more students began to use the program and Saferides’ services shot through the roof.

“We were operating every single Friday from 11pm to 2am without fail,” Ferguson said. “We knew that advertising was going far.”

After the District’s decision, Saferides is no longer allowed to use any school materials for publicity, conduct operations on school property, or affiliate themselves with MVHS or the District.

“If anybody asks, we say that we’re just a bunch of students who all happen to attend Monta Vista,” said sophomore Natasha Desai. “We still believe in it so we do it as a part of our private lives.”

District Director of Guidance Shelby Spain explained how Saferides’ insurance coverage is roughly $30,000 for accident and injury, and if the damages exceeds that amount, the sponsors would become liable and be required to pay the remaining.

“In this case, if the District sponsored Saferides and something terrible happened, the District must carry liability over and above what the insurance covers,” Spain said. “The District can’t sponsor Saferides, but that doesn’t mean we won’t support it.”

Spain also explained how Saferides is found more in colleges rather than public school districts, where liability concerns are large.

“I totally understand [Saferide’s] concerns regarding publicity but there are other ways to get the message out there,” Spain said. “We don’t sponsor programs like this but it’s not just us. Our board policy is common to all districts in the area.”

Representatives at the IDC meetings also claimed that Saferides was promoting alcohol use because students were no longer being punished or “taught a lesson” for drinking under age.

“The liability is huge in this situation and it makes total sense but I like the positive concept behind the program,” Principal April Scott said. “It provides a safe avenue for students who need a ride home for a variety of reasons – not just because they were drinking.”

Despite the liability concerns and new limitations, the Saferides team strives to continue their program. The students’ main concern is the sudden drop in calls.

“It’s really shocking because you can see a direct correlation between the amount of promotion we did and number of lives saved,” said ASB President senior Kimberly Ang.

Saferides now uses Facebook, e-mail, and other sources to promote their services.

“The irony is that we still receive calls from students from Homestead and other high schools in the District,” Ferguson said. “We know they need the services but right now, we’re the only ones that can provide it.”

Although the familiar stickers on the backs of ASB cards no longer serve as reminders, the Saferides team still meets every Friday night from 11pm to 2am, waiting for the phone to ring.

“We’ve acknowledged that it’s a problem and we don’t expect students to stop [drinking alcohol],” Desai said. “All we want to do is give them a safe ride home.”

by Ishita Mitraentertainment editor

continued from page 1State, Matt enlisted in the military and became one of the elite few to become a Navy SEAL. On June 28, 2005, Axelson was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan, and on September 13, 2006 was awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery. According to the Cross recognition, Axelson had “to-tal disregard for his own life and [thought] only of his teammate’s survival… [with] un-daunted courage, fortitude under fire, and unwavering dedication to duty, Petty Officer Axelson reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Unit-ed States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for the cause of freedom.”

One of Axelson’s friends suggested honoring him with a plaque in Cupertino’s new library; after hearing the idea, ex-city council member Sandy James and the city thought they should do more.

“We wanted to build a real veterans me-morial to all the veterans and people current-ly fighting in the military because we had never done that before,” James said. “All we had at Memorial Park was the flagpole.” So she and Donna Axelson, Matt’s mother, started the nonprofit Cupertino Veterans Me-morial Corporation to fund the project.

The memorial will have three parts: a bronze sculpture, a wall of honor, and a walk of remembrance. The statue will be of Axelson and his partner James Suh, who also was killed in Afghanistan. Although Suh was not from Cupertino, mother Donna Axelson said, “In the SEALS, they always talk about teams. You’re never alone…Matthew and James were a two man team.”

The Wall of Honor will list those killed in the military who graduated from Cupertino schools, while the walk, which Axelson said “opens it up to the world” will be for anyone wishing to write a quote or dedication. The opening of the memorial will be held Veter-

AXELSON: Coming together to honor an MVHS alumnus

SERVING OUR COUNTRY Late Navy SEAL and MVHS graduate Matt Axelson, (top left) poses with his combat partner James Suh (top right) in Afghanistan. (Below) A sketch of the monument, subject of the fundraising efforts, to be placed in Memorial Park.

ans Day, 2007. Until then, only $350,000 stands in the

way, which is where MVHS—and other Cu-pertino schools—come in.

According to Community Leadership adviser Maureen Deal, “lucky timing” got MVHS involved. Deal had spoken with Prin-cipal April Scott about the Community Lead-ership class holding an event for the troops, and the next day, Donna Axelson contacted Scott about fundraising for the memorial.

Putting the ideas together, the “Treasure Trail for the Troops” was held by the Global Outreach commission. At lunch on April 6, twelve teams of students dashed all over campus, picking up different colored clues leading them from shed to locker to class-room. Once all clues were found, winners sped back to the start to pick up a prize. Stu-dents paid approximately $8 apiece to par-ticipate, although those not racing around campus were also given an opportunity to donate. A photo display was also set up.

At the scavenger hunt’s end, Matt’s moth-er got up to speak and thank the crowd. Talking about Matt, and looking out at the “amazing support” around her, she was moved to tears, and silence fell over the north end of the Rally Court. “We are just so appreciative. I just want to thank you all for doing this.”

Junior Sukrutha Sujai believed it was the mother’s emotions that truly gave the partici-pants a feeling of what they were there for.

“Before she spoke, [the hunt] was about competition and beating your friends,” she said. “After [she spoke], we came back to reality and realized what were doing was for the troops and it was a great feeling.”

Matt’s dad, Cokie Axelson, was also moved by the experience.

“I think back to the time that Matt went to school here and just to be here where he was is pretty special,” he said. “Kids come

up and talk you and introduce themselves and ask questions—it’s really special that young people care about what these men and women [in the military] are trying to do.”

“We had a great turnout,” said sopho-more Devina Khanna, Global Outreach commissioner. She estimated they raised

around $300 to support Axelson and the memorial.

“He was very proud of this school and enjoyed going here,” said Spanish teacher Maria Coughlin, who once had Axelson as a student, and stopped by the event to greet the Axelsons. “I’m glad that Monta Vista is returning the favor.”

“I don’t want people to know because they tend to have pre-determined negative responses

to prearranged marriages.” - Purvi*

:

P urvi, a sophomore whose name has been changed to maintain her privacy, considers herself a leader. Dy-namically involved in clubs, sports, and other activities,

Purvi is a natural when it comes to paving her own path. Her teachers, peers, and friends all consider her to be a stead-fast student, capable of making her own decisions.

Yet, while Purvi is in charge of many aspects of her life, socially, she is bound by tradition and culture. Purvi isn’t allowed to go to dances, is forbidden from dating, and will never be allowed to choose her own husband.

In the MVHS commu-nity, pre-arranged mar-riages may appear to be obsolete; however, behind the veil, students such as Purvi are very familiar with the concept. She knows that her parents will arrange her with a suitor.

“Everyone in my family so far has had an arranged marriage,” Purvi said. “There are some exceptions but for the most part, all of them are happily married. My parents see this as proof of why I should also get one.”

Purvi’s parents believe that she should follow their ex-ample and stay true to her culture by having an arranged marriage.

“I know that it is a cultural thing,” said Purvi. “In India, people are still expected to have one. It’s more lenient than it used to be, but the parents are still make he final decision.

At MVHS, students who are in Purvi’s position feel the need to hide their future marriage plans. The skepticism that this concept receives in public has made students hesitant toward revealing this part of their culture.

“I don’t want people to know because they tend to have pre-determined negative responses to pre-ar-

ranged marriage,” she said. “They see it as op-pressive and old-fashioned.”

Although it is prevalent in many other parts of the world, pre-arranged marriage is virtually unknown in the US. Second generation students are often torn between what they’ve come to regard as marriage in this modern society and their cultural customs.

The custom of arranging marriages is an ancient tradition and still occurs in many

countries around the world.“People have been doing it for

years,” said Purvi. “The family con-sults a local priest, and

he looks at the horoscope of the person in question. The priest then compares it those of potential

‘candidates,’ and sees which are compatible.”Contrary to popular belief, the soon-to-be newlyweds are

given the opportunity to meet each other before they actu-ally accept the proposal.

“People think that the man and woman are just thrown together, without having ever met,” said Purvi. “But that’s not true. It’s not as strict as most people think it is.”

The man and woman meet privately and person-ally introduce themselves. After going on multiple “dates,” the two decide whether or not they are the best match. Then, the families of the two par-ties negotiate the logistics of the proposal because in the end, the parents make the final decision.

A few weeks later, the families finish the wedding prepara-tions together, and the couple ties the knot.

Purvi also disagrees with the gender-based differences regarding pre-arranged marriages. Traditionally, women were the ones who needed to showcase their personality because the men had more freedom of choice. This can still be seen today in that the women still go to the men. How-ever, nowadays, both the man and woman have an equal opportunity to voice their opinions of one another.

While Purvi’s parents choose her husband, Purvi still wants to have a say in who she marries. “If my parents don’t let me choose my husband, I will most likely rebel,” said Purvi. “I think that they should

have a say in who I marry, but I should have the fi-

nal decision.”As Purvi begins to

look more into her future, she can be well assured that one aspect will be determined; she will be having an ar-ranged mar-

riage. However, the extent to

which it is “ar-ranged” will be up to her.

on prearrangedmarriage

Is it “happily ever after”?

“I am totally against it. It isn’t fair to force two strangers to spend the rest of their lives together. Marriage is one of the big-gest decisions you can make in your life. I think it should be love then marriage, not the other way around.” – Leslie Kon (11)

binding thoughts:

“I think they’re a bit pointless. Marriage is a special thing so if you don’t get a choice it seems like it would create lots of problems. I think it used to work better as tradition in the past but now that there is gender equality, both can express their own opinions.” - Ryan Satterlee (10)

“I’m in the middle. I’ve seen both positive and negative aspects of arranged mar-riage through my family. This has allowed me to form a balanced view on the topic.” - Indranil Karmarkar (11)

by June Kim and Shawn Shah news editor, staff writer

Inspired by an article of a third grade class writing to deployed troops, Carter-Giannini recalled on her junior high memories of writing to a desert storm soldier and decided to start the program at MVHS. Her program, Matadors on the Home Front, reaches out to deployed soldiers to establish personal connections. The process is rather simple; the students must write a letter at least once a week, and send out a care package at least once a month.

Carter-Giannini said, “If the article said third graders are doing it, our high schoolers definitely can do it as well.”

Still, the program seeks much more support and funding that it has at the moment.

“I can provide for these troops for a while,” Carter-Giannini said, “but I can’t keep on supporting 140 people.”

Even so, the challenge of the program is finding truly committed students who will continue the relationship built.

“I have been emphasizing to my students that it’s crucial they cannot drop this; their letter may make the difference in soldier’s lives, and whether they make it through, or not.”

Such a student is junior Chery Sutjaho, who plans to write two letters a week instead of the required one.

“It’s often hard to understand and relate to these people,”

BEYOND THE LIMIT In the student parking lot, parking spaces are commonly difficult to find due to permitless parkers taking away the “guaranteed spots” from those with permits.

Steffi Lau | staff photographer

by Ellen Casavant sports editor

Returning from a doctor appointment, junior Amita Sharma is anxious. Not because her appointment was

a disaster, but because she knows that a disaster awaits her in the student parking lot. Arriving at the lot, she notices a spot in the farthest corner from campus and takes it.

But Sharma deems herself lucky. On any other day, finding a spot would be like winning the lottery. After all, people without permits are parking in the student lot, meaning people with permits are not guaranteed their spots.

“You walk by and see all the cars without permits,” she said. “It’s annoying because you know you could have a better spot.”

As a holder of an MVHS parking permit, Sharma said, “It’s annoying because if I’m even a little bit late all the spots are full and I know there should be a spot for me.”

While in past years MVHS staff used to hand out more permits than parking spots, this year they have been careful to not make this error through a seminannual lottery.

However, people often receive their licenses later than these dates or have other reasons for missing the pool, which results in people parking illegally in the student lot.

On March 26, a count of the number of cars parked in the student parking lot without permits was taken and of the 250 cars, 67 lacked permits. Had a law enforcer come on that day, he could have issued $2,010 in ticket fines.

The police work alongside Ruben Delgado, MVHS Student Conduct Specialist, to stop the crime. “When I’m walking through the parking lot and see quite a number of cars without permits, I’ll call the police and they come and ticket the cars,” Delgado said.

If a car is ticketed two or three times for the same infraction, Delgado will call the tow company. “I’ve come pretty close to towing a few cars,” he said. “The kids were lucky and got out to the parking lot right before the tow truck arrived.”

The police have come without Delgado’s calls too. “We have an agreement worked out where they can ticket people anyime,” Delgado said.

With the police’s cooperation he has noticed “quite a bit of improvement” in the student parking lot.

The school is not only concerned with fairness. There is a large safety hazard from students parking without permits.

“The kids without permits will come to school earlier,”Principal April Scott said,

“and so the seniors with the permits will find no spots. And, because there aren’t any spots, they’ll park in a red zone.”

On April 3, a tally was taken of how many students were in prohibted spots in the student lot. Five cars were guilty of parking where there was no designated parking spot, and one had even parked in the handicapped zone.

Permitless parking amplifies frustration

Though the school tries to monitor the parking lot regularly, and even hands out warnings, the safety issue forces them to call the police.

But, unless new parking spaces are created, students with permits will have to continue fighting for their spots

“All I hope for is that they’ll be able to fix the situation,” Sharma said.

HOMEFRONT: Students convey gratitude across bordersshe said. “They’re so far away. Taking part in this helps me gain a stronger sense of connection and involvement.”

Carter-Giannini also feels strongly about removing the war from political contexts.

“Whether or not we agree, those soldiers are there, and they need our help,” she said. “These are individual soldiers, and we have to support them as human beings, let them know we haven’t forgotten, and thank them for their sacrifice. We have to take care of our family. I want my students to understand that no matter how far away, the war still does affect our own.”

Support has been flowing steadily—teachers and students are working to take the program a step further. Last Friday, Community Leadership’s Global Outreach commission held the Scavenger Hunt for Troops in the Rally Court, designed to spread awareness and collect donations.

Despite these efforts, funding and support for Matadors on the Home Front is still lacking. Carter-Giannini’s plan of further action includes a military support drive – one that will last approximately a month, and a Coin Wars to raise money for shipping expenses.

As the organization grows, Carter-Giannini hopes to convince Cupertino to adopt the military troop and help

with the effort.“I know that cities can actually volunteer to adopt a

troop as their own,” she said. “I hope to speak with the mayor about this in a few weeks, and hopefully they will be supportive of the cause.”

So far, Carter-Giannini’s efforts have proven rewarding. While the program is still early in foundation, Carter-Giannini still feels the importance.

“I have had students personally come up to me and say thank you,” she said. “They said that they always wanted to do something like this but never had the resources to do it.”

Recently the issue has become more timely. Just recently, news of the deaths of four paratroopers from a suicide bomb became available. With these deaths in mind, students like junior Ram Sachs decided to take an active stance.

“I think it’s really important that in light of the recent death in the unit that we continue to show support regardless of opposition to the war,” he said. “I think it’s important for everyone to get involved, even if it’s just a letter, it means a lot to the soldiers abroad.”

The program is expected to run as long as troops are deployed. For this one, it is scheduled for anywhere between 6-9 months.

continued from page 1

“Not having tables makes lunch a little less formal and you can go wherever you want. People can so-cialize where and with who they choose.”

“There should be lunch tables because having to walk around with your lunch is annoy-ing. People should be able to sit for five or ten minutes while socializing at lunch.”

freshmanChristopher Chui

“I don’t mind not hav-ing lunch tables. When you aren’t sitting down in one place, you have more freedom to sit where you want and how you want.”

“I’m okay with stand-ing up or eating on the stairs.”

sophomoreJay Voigt

Audrey Feldman | staff artist

Do MVHS students need tables during lunch?

matador ( (v ibe) )

To the ASB officers, for hosting MVHS’ second movie night this year.

To the seniors who brag incessantly about college acceptances.

To giving teachers sexually explicit lyrics to sing during Take On Your Teacher Week.

StaffEditorial

ASB positions should stay limited to more experienced seniors

Eager to open opportunities to the school, the Leader-ship Council recently debated whether to alter the ASB eligibility to include lower grades, after which the

proposition was voted down. From a glance, it does seem fitting for the ASB slots to be opened up to all grades. ASB, after all, caters to the entire school through prominent events such as Homecoming and Winterball, so it is only fitting that the members who form it come from all classes. However, allowing lower grades to enter the ASB officer group would undermine the effectiveness that seniors bring to the table. The three years of experience and understanding of the way the school works that seniors have is the reason a senior-only ASB has worked for so many years.

When a person is inducted into a leadership role of the school, he or she is burdened with the responsibility of keep-ing the student body satisfied. Seniors carry with them the

staff writer

by Eric Lu

Leadership Council’s vote to keep ASB positions unavailable for underclassmen and juniors completely justified

juniorKatsuri Malaviya

“We should have lunch tables because right now people have to sit on the ground or in the dirt. It would be nice to sit down and chill.”

seniorShree Chowkwale

“I’m used to it because they didn’t have them at Kennedy [Middle School] either. It’s nice to not be confined to a cafeteria.”

seniorAmy Young

Saferides program needs supportDistrict’s refusal to affiliate itself with Saferides puts student well-being at risk

To the new landscaping that now adorns the area around the gym.

seniorHarry Li

As children, our parents covered our eyes from the world’s vices. They plugged our ears at the swear words

in movies, and hurried us past accidents on the road in an attempt to protect us from the unhappy realities of life. However, with age came the discovery that the trials in life do not disappear if we close our eyes. Although we may understand this, FUHSD has decided to close its eyes to the tricky issue of drunk driving, in hopes that it may disappear.

Students in the MVHS Leadership pro-gram have taken the initiative to organize Saferides, a confidential pick-up service aimed at curbing drunk driving. The Saf-erides program has seen great success in the past months after publicizing its ser-vice around campus. On-campus lunchtime promotions during first semester resulted in many more callers. And yet, though the service has been well received, the District does not want to have any association with it. Rather than embrace the organizers’ at-tempt to save lives, FUHSD has not allowed the Saferides program to affiliate with MVHS or the District in any way, in fear that liabil-ity problems may arise if someone gets hurt. The District refuses to take legal responsibil-ity for Saferides, even though it increases the safety of its students.

By not allowing Saferides to be associ-ated with MVHS or the District, the District is thwarting the program’s effectiveness. The coordinators can no longer publicize their service at school, which was their principal means of promotion. The District’s decision has limited Saferides’ resources and expo-sure. It is clear that the program needs the support of the school and the District in or-der to reach the most students and in turn save the most lives possible.

The District’s first priority should be pro-tecting its students, not protecting itself from

petty liability issues. Their re-sponse to Saf-erides shows that FUHSD has a higher

value for maintaining its legal well-being than the well-being of its students.

By denying Saferides any affiliation with MVHS or FUHSD, the District is essentially cutting off all resources which the operation enjoyed during its previous months. Now Saferides cannot be publicized on campus or on Schoolloop, and the promotions which increased knowledge of Saferides last se-mester are no longer an allowable option. Any materials needed by the students who

run Saferides must be bought out of their own pockets. The effectiveness of the ser-vice is seriously dampened when its only on-campus publicity is through word of mouth.

FUHSD may not feel that the necessity of Saferides outweighs the District’s neces-sity to maintain a sound legal report card, but Leadership should be commended on their proactive approach to a vital matter. Rather than just passively studying alcohol use, Leadership has gone a step further by taking action to save lives, even if students choose to use alcohol. Although some may argue that Saferides promotes alcohol use, since students know they have a secure way home, the bottom line is that Saferides saves lives, rather than waiting for lives to be lost before addressing the issue.

Until the District realizes the importance of this program, and the value of using school resources to promote it, Saferides will have to continue being run from the homes of proactive students. Hopefully, students will embrace the service responsibly, real-izing that there is always an opportunity to make a good decision after making a poor one. Perhaps then, the District will correct its own poor decision and open its eyes to the potential lives being saved each week by Saferides.

high school experience that underclassmen lack. If a sopho-more led the ASB, would he or she know what works and what doesn’t in events such as Homecoming? They would have one year of experience compared to seniors’ three. Every year, students are exposed to mistakes and success of key events; they take note of these, accumulate them in their minds, and come senior year, can use that knowledge to make the most effective and rewarding choices. Leaders can be more effective in their senior years if they become accustomed to their own high school experiences.

Another flaw in this system is that sophomore ASB officers would most likely win their positions again in the following years. Currently, the ASB also allows a range of contenders every year to lead the school. Having the same ASB leaders throughout a series of three years would discourage poten-tial students from trying out for the spot. The worst mistake of a democracy is instilling fear in candidates who want to try out. A tenure of more than three years would backfire on the

ideal of diversity. The school needs an assortment of ideas and not forcing a change of leaders every year would elimi-nate the spontateneity that every new candidate brings.

Moreover, ASB should be an experience worth treasur-ing. The people holding the positions should be motivated to do an exciting job, not bored of completing work that has become monotonous after three years. Every person in this school has the opportunity to run for ASB as soon as they reach senior status---this makes it the final frontier for those involved in student government, and a lucky and memorable one-time experience for those involved. ASB is a learning experience, not a domination.

The current system of seniors in ASB fits the school well. Seniors, in their last year, carry knowledge on their backs to inspire the school. Our Leadership program thrives, with many thanks to our strong ASB team; the system ain’t broke, there’s no fixing to be done, and Leadership Council made the right choice.

Two students lock eyes and grip their steering wheels tightly, in front of the last open parking space. All thoughts of chivalry are forgotten as each thinks of the same

thing: the concern that they will not make it to first period on time. Little do they know that a good majority of the parked cars are there illegally. As one student finally pushes through, makes a swift turn and pulls into their victory space, the other grimaces at the prospect of being late to class, once again.

There has been an ongoing problem of parents and students without permits parking in the student lot. These unauthorized drivers take spaces away from students with permits, for whom the parking lot is reserved. About a month ago, Administration contacted police officers to issue parking tickets to offenders. Sure enough, tickets were soon seen sticking up from multiple windshield wipers, and the number of parking violations decreased.

Administration must be commended for the steps taken toward making the student parking lot less congested. In a school of roughly 2500 students, it is reassuring to know that they are still able to identify the problems facing students and take the time to try to solve those problems.

However, that is not enough. This situation calls for more than just a one-time slap on the wrist, and there is still work that needs to be done. Obstinate parents and students are still stealing parking spots, and although the police are helping the problem, it has not been fixed.

The fact that parking tickets are insufficient to discourage individuals from parking illegally sends a clear message: the current consequences are not intimidating enough. To resolve this issue, Administration needs to bring in greater enforcement, or has to make the current repercussions more severe. Such punishments could include fines for parents (the ultimate penalty for parents is money spent on something other than their kids’ college tuition) or the paramount horror of any teenager’s life: the suspension of his or her license.

Another way that the demand for parking can be decreased is setting up carpool networks and urging students to form carpools with their peers who live in the same neighborhood. This will decrease the amount of cars on the road, and subsequently, the number of cars

scouting parking spaces, as well as benefit the environment. Although the majority of MVHS students are frustrated

because of this problem, there are a few who hold a dismissive view of the current situation. Administration should introduce appropriate incentives for students to form carpools and to apply for parking permits.

Lastly, because of the high density of schools in this area, the problem, stemming from overbearing traffic, can be solved by introducing school buses. Granted, Cupertino isn’t exactly a “send-your-kids-off-to-school-with-a-brown-paper-bag-lunch-made-with-love-and-a-kiss-before-they-get-on-the-

bus” kind of town, but both students and parents will benefit from the reduced congestion, and more available parking.

Administration has done a good job tackling the parking problem in the student lot, and the parking tickets have helped. However, to fully eradicate the problem, more action needs to be taken. If students, parents, and Administration implement the above-mentioned suggestions, the student parking lot will no longer resemble the climax scene of an old Clint Eastwood movie. Students with parking permits, for whom the lot is reserved, will no longer have trouble finding a space to park. Of course, first period teachers will also greatly appreciate it.

Rogue vehicles don’t belong in student parking lotAdministration takes stringent but necessary measure in working with police to issue parking ticketsby Janhavi Athavale

staff writer

John Ho | staff artist

Man in the mirror

forp o i n t p o i n t

pro

9

A58

“I have been thinking about what I should do in the future,” I ventured to say. My alter ego looked up

with a genuinely astonished expression. I frowned, wishing that I hadn’t made him so unnaturally honest. One should always avoid overindulging in the truth. It makes outcasts out of perfectly decent citizens.

“One of these days, and only one of them, I want to write a famous novel. All literate people will read it and finish without knowing what any of it meant. Then they shall make their children read it in schools.”

“People who can’t understand it will have no reason to finish it,” he said. He stopped stroking his beard and smoothed his long wavy hair. I like to think that he represents everything I aspire to become.

“Those would be the illiterates and the clinically hysteric,” I informed him. “I’m afraid I can’t do anything about them; every winner must make a loser, you know. I shall make the novel so spectacularly vague that everyone respectable would have to read it through. And the novel will have its share of unexplained coincidences and symbolic moments. They will stimulate imaginations, and people will invent all sorts of reasons for why I put them in.”

“You’re more likely to be rewarded posthumously than not,” he said. “Famous novels are always obscure until their authors die; they do it to make it fairer for the untalented writers. You can’t have money and great artistic books at the same time.”

I heaved a sigh. “I suppose. What of poetry? I think I would make a brilliant poet. I have a great mental collection of vague, overarching themes on subjects like Peace and Love. And as long as they can fall on paper in lowercase with ample white spaces in between, it will at the very least appear in one of those great, thick collections of poetry, begging to be discovered.”

Again, he shook his shaggy head. “All distinguished poets must die horrific deaths. It adds to their intrigue. Only then can one read through their works with that distinctive tingle that comes from knowing someone psychotic was behind the words. There are the few who were excused from accidentally dying in a normal fashion, but you can’t always count on being an exception.”

I scratched my head viciously. “What of a musician? It shouldn’t be all that hard. I imagine that it would be much like the athlete, only with more mental activity and fewer physically enhancing chemicals. I would only have to sit around, practice, and wait for inspiration to strike. It seems to be a generous life.”

He must have already had an answer prepared, because he neglected the beard stroking and the head shaking. “Musicians must be child prodigies. If you failed to do something exceptional by age five, I fear you’re destined for musical mediocrity. Musicians are quite an exclusive group; there is all this stuff you absolutely must be born with. ‘To have reached age three and not attained perfect pitch is to fail in life,’ someone once told me. Given the noises I’ve endured from your instruments, I think you would do the public a favor by following the fate of a poet.”

I rose from my seat and paced about like those novelty caged lions. “It’s so difficult to argue against oneself. You’ve shattered just about every one of my plans. I won’t lie. I’m beginning to reconsider my future plans as a respectable citizen. Nowadays, it seems that one must either enter life horribly contorted or leave in some unwholesome manner.”

He shrugged, “You could always be a doctor or a lawyer.”

Are formal dances excessive?

Limitless extravagance unnecessary

It’s the most demanding test for the male sex in their four years of high school—one that requires them to sing, invent cleverly rhyming clues, maintain an

element of surprise, and maybe even tap dance—all in front of a crowd of 30. A freakish circus act? Not quite. More like a typical prom ask.

It used to be that flowers and a “Will you go to prom with me?” were reason enough for a girl to be excited. These days, it’s a sure sign that the asker is downright lazy if he didn’t at least put on a scaven-ger hunt. With higher standards from askees, askers are pressured into racking their brains for the most outlandish asks they can think of.

While there is nothing wrong with creativity, it is unreasonable of askees to consider it a prerequi-site. The pressure to ask extravagantly undermines what asks should be about: sincerity. When it comes down to it, it should be enough that someone liked you enough to screw up their courage and ask. After all, the fear of rejection by a crush can be enough to convince someone to not ask in the first place. Askers should not have to face the added stress of worrying if their poem is catchy enough to snag a date to the dance. They are the ones risking embarrassment to ask you.

But it is not only askees who need to take responsibility. Lately, more and more askers are proposing in front of classes or even the whole school—turning a very private thing into a public spectacle. But asking someone in public is just plain inconsid-erate and downright cocky. Askers have no way to be sure that the askee will say yes, nor can they be sure that the askee won’t be absolutely humiliated. Public asks put askees on the spot, pressuring them to say yes whether they want to or not. Askees must be given the freedom to answer as they wish---meaning, in private.

This extravagance concerning prom has infested itself not only in prom asks but prom as well. It is ex-pected that couples splurge their money on one night for limousines, corsages and high-class restaurants. Add the price of the bid and prom attire and expens-es can add up to a startling several hundred dollars. There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel like a VIP for one night. However, when these expectations put pressures on people to empty their pockets, they become unacceptable. Not everyone has the finan-cial means to spend so freely. Others are required by their parents to pay for their own costs. When you look back on your prom years from now, your memories will not be about the finely braised lamb you tasted, but the people you laughed with.

Next time prom season rolls around, Monta Vistans need to go back to the heart of prom and recall what it truly is—a chance to spend a night hav-ing fun, not a race for extravagance. Let us simplify, simplify, simplify. After all, it’s just a dance—not a circus freak show.

Prom: A one-time spending event

It’s the one occasion when MVHS students get to shed their sweats, free themselves of their textbooks, and indulge themselves in a night of

extravagance. No other dance besides prom re-quires the same level of preparation invested in it—and that’s a good thing. After all, students only get four years of high school, and two chances to break free of their usual down-to-earth habits.

As prom only comes around once in a while, it makes sense that students will put in all of their money, efforts, and hearts into making it the best possible experience. A big part of prom is the ask itself. With so much competition, askers need to de-viate from the standard bouquet of roses in order to stand out. An ordinary ask for an extraordinary event is not acceptable—like wearing flip-flops to the White House. Additionally, the only way to cre-ate this once-in-a-lifetime experience is to indulge in limos, corsages, and fancy dinners.

A big part of prom is a student’s date. Askers should make asks spectacular, which in itself fits the whole system. Simple and bland asks detract from the whole “special” aspect of prom. An asker needs to show effort and creativity in the ask in order to prove that he or she will be a good date,

one who does not try to avoid paying for bids, securing reserva-tions, and other necessary obliga-tions in the preparation for prom.

Creative asks also show a asker’s true feelings for the askee, demonstrating to that askee that she is not just some last minute pick.

With the askee’s desire to have creative asks, more askers tend to ask in public where everyone can watch. Even though public asks cause pres-sure to say yes, in most cases, askers will not risk such embarrassment to ask someone who will most likely say no. Such public asks are done for girl/boy friends, close friends, and absolute locks for a date, and thus, are not embarrassing.

As for all the money that goes into the prom experience, it is well worth it. Let’s face it: most ju-niors and seniors may not be able to participate in such an extravagant evening until their wedding. What’s the point of a prom if all you’re going to do is go to McDonald’s for dinner and have your parents drive you to prom? You might as well just go to a regular school dance. Such an informal attitude towards the one night when high school students get to feel like VIPs is not acceptable. It also makes prom less memorable. After all, a din-ner at McDonald’s is certainly not going to make prom stand out in one’s mind years from now. All it shows is a lack of respect for the formal nature of prom.

The large amount of effort and money that goes into preparing for prom is what makes it special. It may cost time and money, but it is well spent as one of the most memorable events of high school.

Statistics1) What are you planning to do before prom?

A. Going to a formal dinner with my groupB. Going to an informal dinner with my groupC. Other private plans

2) Would you reject somebody if they didnt make a big enough deal out of asking?A. YesB. No

3) How much do you expect to spend on prom, including dresses, tuxes, limos, and dinner?A. Less than 200B. 200-300C. 300-400D. 400 or more

Audrey Feldman | staff artist

by Steffi Lau editor in chief

by Ahmed Naguib staff writer

A B C

10

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A B

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A B C D

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through the lensthis monthby Austin Cheng, photography editor

MARCH 24: NEW YORK FLAVOR Volunteers work backstage, scooping pasta for Octagon’s 7th annual Cure Cancer Cafe. While eating a full course meal, attendees enjoyed a night of many performances including a ventriloquist, the MVHS Bhangra team, and singers. Octagon raised $10,000 that night; all proceeds went to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

MARCH 30: MONTOYA!!! Senior Andrew Segal makes an improv move during Open Mic Night, crying in vain for history teacher Vivianna Montoya-Hernandez. The song was tributed to Montoya Hernandez, put on by the Chris Moe John Kho Experience

APR. 6: EGG SCRAMBLE Sophomore Kristie Woo gathers plastic eggs during the Water Walkers Club’s egg hunt in celebration of the Easter holiday.

MARCH 29: RUNNERS TO YOUR MARK Freshman Natasha Sakel-lar finishes first in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.5 seconds at a dual meet in Palo Alto.

MARCH 26: THE GRASS IS GREENER AT THE LIBRARY New foliage was planted around the school in a project to give the school a greener look. The beautification was carried out with great effort by the custodial staff.

APR. 4: HEALTHY TREATS FOR A HEALTHY START Bagels and fruit line a table outside of the bike racks as treats for incoming students who participated in ‘Walk or Bike to School Day.’

MARCH 24: WALK THIS ‘HEALTHY’ WAY Sophomores Vanessa Ing, Connie Wu, and Irene Steves walk at FBLA’s ‘Walk for Healthy Life’ Campaign. Senior Sante Kotturi ran the longest distance of 20.6 miles.

MARCH 21: GET TESTED CSF members stand by a board displayed for the five days of HBV Awareness Week. Heptatitis B affects one in ten Asian-Americans.

Freshman Catherine Ong in her own design

Freshman Shreya Shankar in fresh-man Maria Chimishkyan’s design

Junior Kelly Dennis in senior Rena Cheng’s design

Sophomores Helen Fan and Rock-xanna Garajehdaghi in sophomore Toni Louie’s designs

Freshman Lenira Chan in fresh-man Doris Yeung’s design

Senior Dominique Kraft in sopho-more Christine Yu’s design

Dianna Kuo in junior Tiffany Kuo’s design

Junior Monica Ho in sophomore Christine Yu’s design

Senior Melody Fu in senior Rosa Ng’s design

Senior Melody Fu in Rosa Ng’s design

Senior Laura Leong in Rosa Ng’s design

Senior Pamela Ho in Rosa Ng’s design

Sophomore Christine Yu in Rosa Ng’s design

sketch by sophomore Maria Chi-mishkyan

Katya Zorko in Maria Chimishky-an’s design

sketches by senior Rosa Ngsketches by junior Jennifer Wen

Walk the lineDesigner: Maria ChimishkyanModel: Katya ZorkoTime spent: 1 month or soMaterials: Chair covers, pajama cloth, coat lining, hats, chiffon Cost: $10Inspiration: The idea of spring butterflies floating in mists of magenta, the little things in life

During this year’s Fashion show on March 31, bud-ding student designers from MV’s Fashion Club showcased their daring designs. Models walked the runway in everything from lace and chiffon to grocery bags and seat cov-

ers. With so much haute couture, the temperature won’t be the only thing bringing in the heat this spring.

Designer:Jennifer WenTime spent: one weekMaterials: blue fabric with sequins and plaid fabricCost: $7Inspiration: cute, spring, sky blue

“I wanted my collection to be themed off of fun clothes you

can wear when you go out with your friends for a night out.”

— senior Rosa Ng on her collection, pictured on the runway

a loosely knit, halter-necked top that took more than a week to piece together

“At first it was scary walking down the runway, but then you just want to keep going again and again.”

— sophomore Rockxanna Garajehdaghi

“I had a crazy quick change backstage because I was modeling for both [sophomore] Christine Yu and [senior] Rena Cheng.” — junior Kelly Dennis

a strapless empire waist dress with in-dividually sewn fabric strips

a flowing strapless muslin and polyes-ter dress with red lace embellishment

runway playlistplastic stars by freeze pop

my doorbell by the white stripes

romeo and juliet by pink

dress you up by madonna

you and me by cassie

my lady by lenny kravitz

“The dress took me two days to make. I combined things that I had seen in fashion magazines and Vogue.”

— freshman Katherine Ong

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With more loyalties falling towards Face-book, the era of HTML backgrounds has come to an end. After all, myspace is for friends, not showing off your tech savvy-ness.

Listen:

Godspeed by Anberlin

Leave The Piecesby The Wreckers

—sophmore Jenny Michaelfelder

in th

e[hallways]The days of tree-hugging, shaggy hair, and Woodstock may be long gone, but hippies are making a not so ‘dazed and confused’ come-back. It’s time for peace, love, and headbands.

Click:WeeMee- aim.weeworld.com/welcome.htm

Tamagotchi Version 4.0

Buy:

—sophomore Becca Wagner

Lazy Eyeby Silversun Pickups

—senior Kendall Lawson

INit’s

ONit’s

E-40 Featuring. HoodstarzDoors open at 8 pm at the Club Barcelona in Sunnyvale. Tickets sell for $25

MVHS Film FestivalSubmit your original films to the annual Film Festival and view the creative genius of your fellow peers in the Gym

The KooksLive at Slim’s in SF with tickets on presale for $13 and at the door for $15

Watch:San Francisco International Film FestivalFrom London to Paris to Tokyo, the Interna-tional Film Festival is making its final stop in San Francisco from Apr 26 to May 10, showcasing hundreds of indie movies. Visit www.sfiff.org/festival/index.html for more info about times and locations.

With humor, wit, horror and of course a whole lot of severed limbs, writers and directors Rob-

ert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have done it again. Famous for unconventional films, the talented moviemakers teamed up to create the double-feature “Grindhouse,” an action-packed thriller that keeps its audi-ence on its toes.

“Grindhouse” includes two film fea-tures --- “Planet Terror,” written and direct-ed by Rodriguez and “Death Proof,” by Tarantino. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, a “grindhouse” refers to a theater from the mid 1900s that played low-budget and unusual cinema, containing pri-marily violence, gore, crude language, and sexual situations. Most grindhouses showed a series of movies per night, with trailers between each film from the next. In this production, Rodriguez and Tarantino cap-ture all essential elements of a grindhouse, breaking all the conventions of 21st century moviemaking.

For anyone craving a film unconvention-al in structure and genre, look no further. Modeled after the showing of movies in the actual grindhouses, the production begins with fake trailers for western horror films, moves on to “Planet Terror,” shows more fake advertisements, and concludes with “Death Proof,” totaling a well-spent three and a half hours (two movies for the price of one!).

In “Planet Terror,” the most unlikely few try to a stop highly contagious disease of sores from spreading to the rest of the world, which would otherwise eliminate the human race. Robert Rodriguez does not fail to sat-isfy an audience looking for an integration of blood and mayhem, and romance and

humor. It is the perfect integration of gag-worthy boil-covered “sickos” and exploded guts with romance and perfectly timed hu-mor.

A message displays on the screen from the “management of the theater” to apolo-gize for missing reels. This is not only a re-alistic portrayal of a true grindhouse, but is also an atypical tactic to skip straight to the climax of the plot, leaving the audience to decide what happened during the missing plot points.

Following the excitement of “Planet Ter-ror,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof,” with its own style, strongly contrasts yet complements Rodriguez’s film. The film involves Stuntman Mike’s plots to murder young women, using nothing but his deadly car.

Though it has its own share of suspense and gore, Tarantino’s approach to this mov-ie involved highlighting his characters’ con-versations and personalities, rather than fur-thering the plot through action sequences. However, sometimes the dialogue seemed a little lengthy. What saved the film were not only the action sequences, but Kurt Russell’s portrayal of Stuntman Mike, the villain of the film. Russell depicts Mike as a multidimen-sional character, rather than a flat villain. When he is shot in the arm by one woman, Mike has a nervous breakdown and begins to flee from the crazy female trio.

As the movie wound down to the closing seconds, the classic “The End” displayed on the screen and the audience began to rise, expecting the credits to role. However Tar-antino, as always, had other plans in mind. The scene resumed, only to end with Rosa-rio Dawson’s character bringing her stiletto heel down on Stuntman Mike’s face with a deafening crunch.

Fade to black. Now that’s a classic Tar-antino ending.

by Radhika Chandrasekhar staff writer

‘House’ worth visiting twice

Concerto ConcertSatisfy your classi-cal music craving by listening to Orchestra and Wind Ensemble in the Auditorium

Texas Is South

by Devil Wears Prada

—junior James Jang

Lonely? Want a friend who never dies and can be reset whenever you wish? These new Tama-gotchis, a blast from the past, have come back with a variety of backgrounds to choose from. It seems like some things just never get old.

Dr. Evil took the concept of twins to a whole new level when he created his own Mini-me. Now AIM let’s you join in the fun by making your own WeeMee. Use it as your buddy icon, and when you type ‘LOL’ your WeeMee will laugh out loud too. Visit Wee-World with your online twin to

play games and make friends.

Lexby Ratatat—junior Alex Wu

OUTit’s

Flashy Myspace layouts

4/15

Volta - Bjork

4/27

4/30

When most artists say they have a sound like no other, they’re just exaggerating. Bjork on the other hand has a little more credibility with a sound like trance meets opera meets country. It’s about time she released her latest album to show the world her latest vocal stylings.

5/18

For most five-year olds, marriage might seem like a far-off fantasy encoun-tered only in Disney movies. During

the Renaissance period, though, marriage most likely would have felt more tangible for young children. Back then, betrothals weren’t only accepted at that age; they were expected.

Just ask ASB Secretary Deb Mandac, who volunteers at Renaissance faires around 12 times a year. In fact, one of Mandac’s roles as a volunteer is to play the part of an antiquated woman to give the general public, especially small children, a better understanding of what Renaissance life would be like.

“It’s fun to see the little ones who are five years old and ask if they’ve been betrothed and if they know how to do their sewing, or ask something like, ‘You don’t know what your dowry is?’ It’s just kind of fun,” Mandac said.

All this acting is with a purpose; through her role in Renais-sance faires, M a n d a c hopes to

Renaissance faire renews heritage Beyond the realm of MVHS, ASB Secretary Deb Mandac is a medieval royal maiden

Don’t wish me luck

Friday should be considered a bad word. After all, what other day unites a murderous Bio AP test, a killer math

quiz and an in-class literature essay? On Thursday night it’s safe to assume what most Monta Vistans have their heads buried in. But unlike my studious peers who are hop-ing for last minute textbook-brain osmosis, I have a very important appointment to take care of before studying. What is it, you ask? Why, to pack my lucky ballpoint pen, calcu-lator, and pencil, of course!

No joke, I have a black belt in dabbling in superstition. Though some believe supersti-tions to be frivolous, I find them invaluable. Is there anything else that acts as a one-way pass to ultimate success? They’re easy too; I simply avoid ladders, hope that I never see a black cat, and hold my breath under any-thing that resembles a tunnel. I look forward to birthday cake candles (trick candles are ruin) and I dream of the day I can find my first four-leafed clover. I am— or was— a firm believer in superstitions- until I found my-self in a patch of dandelions.

It was just last weekend that I came upon a whole field of white, fuzzy flowers just ask-ing to be wished upon. Dandelions are what people call these flowers, and it’s textbook: if you blow off all of their seeds in one breath your wish will come true. (Does anyone else think this is an amazing ploy to urge people to help this weed reproduce?) I leapt at the chance to have my wish granted by simply exhaling and promptly plucked a flower.

Sizing up the dandelion, I raised it to eye level. It was just the dandelion and me. Unfortunately, I had picked a generally chubby one, but I figured a plumper flower for a plumper wish. Making my wish and laying it on the line of a couple hundred seeds, I closed my eyes and blew. I huffed and puffed until there wasn’t any air left in me. And then I opened my eyes.

To my utter embarrassment, two mock-ing seeds stood upright, undisturbed, on the dandelion head. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach and, after hastily blowing off the last two seeds (maybe because two was my lucky number it would still come true?), I dropped the dandelion and got out of that field fast.

Sulking along, my spirits were not only dampened, but doused with icy water. Had there been any flame of hope ignited by the possibility of a successful execution, it had been fully extinguished upon my inability to deliver. I had never calculated what would happen if I failed to fulfill a superstition and frankly, I’m not sure I wanted to know.

But, notorious for never giving up, I thought about what exactly would happen. And that’s when the clouds parted, the sun shined, and my previously doused self be-came drier than a raisin. Nothing would happen. Just as nothing happened when I blew on an eyelash (the pony I wished for when I was seven never did arrive), the world would not swallow me whole for fail-ing to deseed this dandelion.

And then I connected another dot: that superstitions were simply for my mind; a pil-low for failure, a step for success, and only that. They were not responsible for getting me that A in math class (so perhaps I don’t actually need my lucky calculator) or for al-lowing me to write that perfect essay (and all the credit couldn’t be given to that black pen). No, my preparation, hard work, and self-sufficiency had been the ultimate factor of getting the gears in motion. The supersti-tions had just jumped on the bandwagon.

It looks like on ‘F’ day (refer to my first sentence) I may have to put my trusty mag-ic 8 ball away. It’s time to get my fingers caught up in something other than a cross, and plus, my lucky sweatshirt probably isn’t sending me genius ideas through diffusion.

The audience cheered as they saw the bhangra performers, each of whom carried a dazzled expression

in response to the applause of the student-filled auditorium. As they stood atop the stage with their scarves and bangles ready to float through the air in a synchronized fashion, a fervent student bellowed, “I love science!”

Looks like sucking up does not have to be saved for the classroom.

As Take on Your Teacher Week came to a close in a dramatic tie, the class of 2007 and the Staff Relations committee of MV Leader-

ship capped off the annual festivities with a fusion of Open Mic Night and MVHS’ first ever Teachers Got Talent show on Mar. 30.

Students worked hard to show their peers their various talents and teachers were given a little homework of their own, having to set aside their lectures and lesson plans to show students what talents lay beneath their com-posed stature in the classroom.

“This is the first time that teachers came out to show a different side of their lives,” Staff Relations Commissioner senior Anee-sha Nilakantan said. “At Monta Vista, we are so academically driven that we fail to realize that teachers are people too.”

Students roared in excitement as physi-cal education teacher Jeffrey Thomas threw out his running shoes and taught a lesson in turntablism for change. The science depart-ment, along with a little help from the modern language and math departments, heated up the stage with their bhangra while Japanese teacher Minako Walther unveiled hidden talents with a tango performance.

“We wanted to make sure that teachers felt accommodated... like the stars of the event,” class of 2007 President Alicia Kim said. “They probably appreciated that peo-ple are interested in what they offer.”

What did you feel was the best performance of the night?&question

answer

“[Junior] Ryan Walker, because he is the culmi-nation of talent, wit, and confidence.” senior Eric Katz

“I’m not a big rock fan, but I really enjoyed all of the acts.” junior Justin Dahmubed

“The stalling part be-cause it was improvised and hilarious.” sophomore Ethan Lin

Talented teachers dazzle audiences by Kevin Ragothaman

staff writer

see MEDIEVAL on page 16

see TALENT on page 16

photo courtesy of Deb M

andac

by Audrey Feldman perspectives editor

KILTS AND DRESSES ASB Secretary Deb Mandac catches up with a friend at the faire.

help educate the general public about the Renaissance period. As such, she views Renaissance faires as living history books. Mandac volunteers with a group called the St. Geniseus guild, which performs and teaches Renaissance dancing. All Renais-sance faires are comprised of groups called “guilds,” with each guild centering on a spe-cific activity that it is responsible for. Some exhibit sword fighting, for example, while others reenact the lives of royalty.

The St. Geniseus guild has set times for performances at every faire where they exhibit their dances and also educate and instruct members of the public about Renais-sance dancing. Mandac describes Renais-sance dance as “a fancy type of square dancing,” and indeed even square danc-ing has its roots in the refined and elegant dance style of times past.

This is all in good fun, but Mandac emphasizes that dancing was an integral

part of Renaissance so-ciety. In old times, all

the nobility would be expected to know this type of dance.

“[Dancing] was a social norm at the time and if you didn’t

dance or know how to dance you

were frowned upon,” Mandac said, noting the importance of dancing in renaissance life.

Even though a large part of her role in-volves dancing, her favorite part of perform-ing is playing music. Mandac has been playing the flute since she was seven years old and she continues to do so for both her church and guild.

“The music was really what finally drew me to the games,” Mandac said, “which is what initially catapulted me into this whole Renaissance thing.”

In fact, music acted as the catalyst for Mandac to attend her first Renaissance faire. In 2000, she attended the Pleasanton Highland Games for the first time, hoping to explore her Scottish heritage and listen to the music that would be played there, espe-cially on pipe instruments like bagpipes.

She quickly became intrigued with the faire and found herself caught up in a con-versation with a few members of the St. An-drews guild.

MANDAC: Curiosity of heritage leads to cultural adventure

ROYAL DINING ASB secretary Deb Mandac, with the Queen of the Faire and her subjects, eats a tradition-al feast of bread and pie in a fleur de lis and a coat of arms decorated tent at a recent Renaissance festival.

continued from pg 15“I went to go hear the bagpipes at the Highland Games, and ended up fall-ing in love with the Renaissance games and the big dresses and what they did,” Mandac said, “and that’s how I got involved.”

As for the organizational structure of Renaissance faires, the hierarchy of authority is certainly representative of the Renaissance period. At any faire, an actor impersonating the “monarch” dominates the events at the faire; he or she is the main person responsible for coordinating perfor-mances and engaging crowds.

“At an actual faire we act as if we lived in that time period, so whatever the queen says, we do,” Mandac said. “If the queen decides to play cro-quet at 2:00 and wants you to be the human wicket, you’ll bend over and be a wicket for the rest of the game.”

It is this type of authenticity that intrigues Mandac about Renaissance faires. To her, faires are not only a weekend outing, but an opportunity to live in a completely different world.

“Character development is a large part of our role,” Mandac said. “You talk to [the people at faires], and they know nothing of TV or electric mix-ers.”

ACTIVATION ENERGY Science teachers Katheryn McElwee and Supriya Moore impress the audience with their hidden Bhangra dancing talents on Mar. 30 in the auditorium.

Austin Cheng | photography editor

TALENT: An exhibition of new talents takes MVHS by stormThe student acts caught the audience’s attention with

performances driven by music and comedy. Rock band “Slak” shook the audience with their

pounding guitar riffs while “Dead Alchemist” returned without their drummer to show a bluesy side to their usually hard rock side. “The Winnie Chans” took to amusing the audience with an Ode to History while “Dumplings and Samosas” entertained with their stage antics and familiar song selections.

The auditorium was filled with laughter when sophomore Jason Lindstrom and junior Ryan Walker each took the reigns of the stage, poking fun at familiar quirks of everyday life.

Junior Jennifer Chuu altered the humorous mood of the show with an original Speech and Debate piece titled “Crazy” about a hospital employee who is seeking psychological help.

“This performance was very different from what I normally do in Speech and Debate,” said Chuu. “I’ve never actually performed [my piece] in front of so many people. The audience is definitely more supportive than my competitors.”

By the end of the show, however, it was easily noticeable that the number of student acts greatly outnumbered those of the teachers.

“During the show, it seemed like there weren’t enough teacher acts,” junior Puja Gupta said. “A couple more of them would have been good.”

“I wish more teachers would have participated,” science teacher Katheryn McElwee said. “It would have made the experience more fun.”

However, lack of interest does not appear to be the root of the problem. In this case, it was the teachers’ turn to use the excuse of not having enough time.

“Teachers were very supportive of the idea to have a teacher talent show,” Nilakantan said. “Unfortunately, a lot of teachers had to drop out because they had other engagements. It is more of a time commitment than teachers are used to, since they almost always have their own stuff going on. We didn’t get as many teacher acts as we had

hoped, but each of the ones that we had, exceeded our expectations.”

The class of 2007 was riddled with problems of their own, having to postpone Open Mic Night to the same date as Teachers Got Talent. As a result, they decided to ask the Staff Relations Committee to combine the two events and pitch the show as a culmination of Take on Your Teacher Week.

“This is the first time that I’ve helped the kids organize a show,” Leadership adviser Brian Dong said. “I let the kids take care of most of it themselves. It’s a good experience for them.”

The class of 2007 and the Staff Relations Committee used their inexperience with theater to their own advantage expressing an element of actor and audience interaction

that cannot be seen too often in theatre. Such a situation took place before the teacher Bhangra act, in which the music refused to play over the sound system.

Unprepared for such an occurrence, senior MCs Chris Hara and Andrew Segal took to entertaining the audience with games while the class of 2007 officers and the Staff Relations Committee rushed to find a suitable amplification device to play the music. The humor that ensued involved Hara searching his memory for suitable Link Crew games while Segal made an instrument out of his Adam’s apple.

“At first, it was kind of scary,” Segal said, “but then you have to remember that [the audience] is here for you and that the show must go on as planned.”

As Hara and Segal’s ingenious ideas began to dwindle, members of the audience volunteered to showcase some of their own talents.

“It was good that whoever wanted to speak got the chance to, since that is what the show is all about,” Alicia said, feeling that the show lived up to its name. “I even heard people say that it was their favorite part .”

Despite the minor setbacks, Open Mic Night vs. Teacher Got Talent showed an array of talent that both the

“wE ArE so ACADEMiCALLy DrivEN ThAT wE fAIL To rECogNizE

TEAChERs ARE pEOpLE TOO”— senior Aneesha Nilakantan

continued from pg 15

student body and staff possess. The class of 2007 and the Staff Relations Committee hope that the talent displayed in the future will continue to increase.

“Hopefully it will become a tradition and more teachers and students will come out to show us their unique talents,” Nilakantan said.

photo courtesy of Deb Mandac

Up to Par copy editorby John Ho

by Daniel Yangcenterspread editor

Wearing Two Hats: Assistant coaches and their daughters find balance between bond as family and team

Safe at home, both in and out of the ballpark

With newfound success, golf team strives to perfom well and create a separate, competing girls teamOut of the bunker, onto the green

see SOFTBALL on page 18

The course is silent, aside from the distant hol-low thud that signals the flight of another golf ball some hundred yards across the

field. There are three players who stand perfect-ly still, along the edges of a box marked in

the grass. The fourth stands at the edge and makes a tentative swing, flinging a chunk of grass into the air before a final solid stroke sends the ball after it. By the numbers, the match seems even, but numbers speak nothing of the team’s drastic improvement.

While the golf league does not rank its divisions, the team, in pre-vious years, has made its place among others as a strong competi-tor, but never a threat to Los Gatos

and Saratoga, the schools that regularly lead the division.

The golfs team’s season began this year with a surprising win against the top seed Los Gatos. This put the team at the lead of its division, though most expected that it would be quickly put back down. But by the time they defeat-ed Saratoga, it became obvious that its success was no fluke. The MVHS golf team would join the others for the bid for the CCS title.

“Before it was just Los Gatos against Saratoga playing each other for first place,” senior Alex Huang said. “Then this year we came and took it.”

Interestingly, the team is not com-posed of only boys.

Junior Jiin Park plays fourth pos-tion of the six that compete during games. She is not entirely alone; since last year, three more have joined the team at the training level.

Female golfers have also sur-faced in several other schools in the District this year, though they still must compete with the nomi-nal boys golf team.

“We have considered creat-ing a separate girls golf team,” golf coach Travis Hambleton said. “Funding is a problem since golf is an expensive sport, but more importantly

we need more interest. There need to be at least six participants be-

fore we can create any team.”While a fully competing girls golf team

remains a far-fetched goal for next year, Hambleton suggests that a District team could be formed first. The team would merge the fe-male golfers from across the District; it would meet regularly for practice but not compete outside its own members.

The coordinators hope that the team can attract enough players to eventually create a fully functional girls golf league. There are still a number of prerequisites to forming a team, and the decision still must be approved by the athletic directors.

Placing girls on a team composed of pri-marily boys also seems to skew the games. “Of course it’s unfair,” junior Trevor Sambyal said. “[Girls] on the team can’t compete in our CCS, but still have to play at the men’s level.”

The most striking difficulty for the girls on the team is the difference in starting point, or the ‘tee box.’ In normal play, women begin at the red ‘forward’ tee, however, under the current system they are obliged to play from the blue ‘back’ tee, where the boys began as well.

The difference is usually significant, rang-ing from ten yards to sometimes almost a fourth of the course. This makes golf perhaps the only sport where girls must compete di-rectly against boys without handicap.

“Guys can hit much farther because they have more chest muscles,” sophomore Nich-ole Yee said. “We have to hit from the men’s tee even when we can’t hit as far. I guess it’s fair in that we have equal [footing], but it’s not balanced.”

While disadvantaged, the girls have con-tributed to the team’s success.

Led by senior Philip Lee, the golf team has racked an impressive five wins against only one loss so far. Lee has been playing golf for over 10 years and is one of the only two se-niors on the team. In second position, junior Michael Shwe has also been invaluable.

“We’ve become much more consistent on this team,” Lee said. “That’s a large part of why we improved over last year.”

The team has since qualified for CCS, and based on previous matches, they are confident that they can place at least second overall. Of course, the guys must still play their part when playing against girls.

“There’s pressure for us to win,” Sambyal jokes. “We’ll be disgraced if we lose to a girl.”

Albatross: Three strokes under par for a given hole.

Dunk: When a ball lands in water.

Fat Shot: When the club strikes the ground well before hitting the ball.

Brush up on these golf terms and sound like a

pro on the green

Lip-out: Ball touches the edge of the cup but doesn’t drop in.

Fried Egg: When your ball is semibur-ied in the sand.

Pigeon: An oppo-nent you should beat easily.

Sweet Spot: Perfect point on the clubface with which to strike the ball.

It was a rainy afternoon. Instead of going through their usual stretches, warm-ups, and hitting and defensive drills, the girls of the MVHS varsity softball team were

clustered together on the wrestling mat. Loud cheers and high-pitched screams erupted from their close-knit huddle as the girls flipped softballs at one another in a good-na-tured game of bonding.

The softball team is a close bunch, maybe even in more ways than one might expect. They are family. Literally. In addition to being assistant coaches for the varsity team, Pete Vernazza and Brian Barry are also team dads. Their daughters, junior Jes-sica Barry, sophomore Ashley Vernazza, and senior Monica Vernazza, all play on the team.

Jessica started playing softball when she was about seven years old. She first started in the little leagues. Now, she plays for the MVHS varsity softball team and her travel team outside of school. She also hopes to continue playing

PUTTING PERFECTION Senior Philip Lee demonstrates a putt on April 6.

softball in college.For the entirety of Jessica’s softball career her dad, Brian

Barry, has been there to support her. In addition to currently serving as an assistant coach on the MVHS team, Brian has been coaching his daughter ever since she first picked up a softball.

“My dad is really involved in my softball,” Jessica said.

“He comes to as many tournaments as he can. He takes me to batting cages or to extra practices if I need it. He has always been huge on softball. It’s his thing. He loves it.”

Being a dedicated father and coach has given Brian a busy schedule. He gets up at about 5 am, and works until 2 pm. After work, he is usually at softball practice for much of the rest of the day.

“It’s nice to have your dad as your coach because he’s always there to help you with anything that you need,” Jessi-

ca said with a laugh. “But sometimes it’s like ‘Okay, I need a break from softball. I don’t want to talk about it right now.’”

Ashley and Monica, who have also been playing softball since their little league days, agree that it can sometimes be awkward.

“I love having my dad around,” Monica said. “But at the same time, sometimes I find it a little hard to balance

because I have to react to him as a coach and not as a dad. And sometimes he doesn’t react as a coach but more as a dad.”

Teammate senior Anneliese Fetterman said, “I know that [Monica, Ashley, and Jes-sie] feel a little weird having their dads as

their coach, but the rest of the team totally loves have Pete and Brian around.”

All parents want their children to do well. Pete and Brian, being dads, are no exception. Whether consciously or not, their aspirations for their daughters sometimes translate into tougher standards during practice.

“My dad doesn’t want to favor us,” Monica said. “So

“IT’S NICE TO HAVE YOUR DAD AS YOUR COACH BECAUSE HE’S ALWAYS THERE TO HELP YOU WITH ANYTHING YOU NEED.”— senior Monica Vernazza

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Badminton todominate CCS

Badminton is one of the most consistently successful sports at MVHS, and this year, senior top boys singles player Emmanu-el Pun will be contending for his fourth straight CCS title. Pun has gone unde-feated in all matches through four years.

Making the Marquesas

Tryouts for the nationally acclaimed dance team take place for next year. All interested should pick up an application in ASB.

Baseball team unites despite lossesPlayers use team chemistry to work through an abrupt coach departure and rocky recordby Shibi Murali

LOOKING BEHIND where we’ve been

Sneak peek beforecheer nationals

The cheer team participated in a cheer exposition at Homestead High School with some of the most elite teams in the Bay Area. Spectators had an opportunity to view the routines before the teams traveled on to nationals.

SCOREBOARD

RUNNING AHEAD

where we’re going

staff writer

Senior Danny Ahnwins the NCAA

The mens basketball bracket tour-nament, that is. Ahn’s submitted bracket beat out about 25 other entries, with three out of four teams in the Final Four, the championship teams and the winner correct, win-

ning him a $15 grand prize.

24

that was then. this is now.

March MadnessBasketball

The school-wide March Mad-ness three-on-three basketball tournament is taking place this week in the gym. Check out your own peers bringing their skills onto the court at lunch.

SOFTBALL: Dads and daughtersteam up

JV softballstrikes back

Even with their rocky start of losing seven pre-season games, the JV girls softball team has performed strongly in league. The team takes on Milpitas this date at home on the lower field.

All-star footballcoaches and seniors

Senior football players Alex Atkins, Kota Kojima, and Marcus Woo were selected to play in the 33rd Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game sponsored by the Almaden Valley Rotary Club. On top of that, coach Jeff Mueller was cho-sen to be head coach for the North team. The game will take place on July 18 at Spartan Stadium.

Goosey leader

The varsity boys soccer team carried on the tradition of pass-ing on a plastic goose to a junior who they felt would lead the team the following year. Senior and previous goose possessor Nick Eulau presented it to junior Kenta Akaogi.

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22may

scores updated on 4/7/07

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20mar

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27feb

12apr Rivalry...swim meet?

After having lost to Palo Alto High School in swimming for many years, the girls swim team defeated them last year in a neck-to-neck competition. They hope to add another win this year.

A loss. They’re always hard to deal with. The varsity boys baseball team walks away from the game silently.

They know they lost and that, in time, they will commit to fixing their mistakes.

The baseball team came in to the new season confident after a season opening win against Cupertino and a blowout win against Menlo Atherton.

“Their goal was to make it to CCS,” their self-proclaimed number one fan Michael Gottwald said.

However, these ambitions soon came to a halt; the team suffered three routs in which their opponents posted a combined 29 points, puting only one point on the board all three games. It became clear that the season wouldn’t go as smoothly as planned. Instead of planning a comeback, the team focused on rebuilding the program.

Now, as the team goes into the final stretch of the season, the rebuilding scheme isn’t getting easier. The team recently lost Jon Gass, baseball coach of three years.

“Last year, when Coach Gass left for one game, the team was really unspirited and we lost,” sophomore Denny Sun said. “But when he came back, the team really stepped up.”

The only difference is that this time Gass isn’t coming back. After receiving his M.D. from Stanford University, Gass returned to Pennsylvania. Although the team accepts his decision, his absence is still felt.

With the help of strong chemistry, the

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So long to agood run

Though the girls track team has gone years without defeat, it suffered a loss this year to rival team Los Gatos. The two have been closely matched, and they will be competing for CCS spots in the future.

15mar

Awards for our athletes

The annual athletic awards night will be held to recognize outstanding athletes and teams for their contributions to sports at MVHS this year.

21mar Surprise(un)Birthday

Senior Shawn Voigt and junior Jason Hogan organized a sur-prise birthday party for junior Dustin Brown, though it was not his birthday. They decorat-ed Brown’s house, invited the team over, and had cake.

23mar

New song girls

The new song team was an-nounced after a main tryout day the day before.

23may

OUT OF THE BALLPARK Junior Niyanth Anand takes a swing at the incoming ball pitched by his coach. Batting practice is a daily routine for the players on the MVHS baseball team.

Shibi Murali | staff photographer

SOFTBALLVarsity

4-0Junior Varsity

3-1

BASEBALLVarsity

2-5Junior Varsity

6-1

GIRLS SWIMMINGVarsity

3-0Junior Varsity

3-1

BOYS SWIMMINGVarsity

2-1Junior Varsity

3-0

BOYS VOLLEYBALLVarsity

4-6Junior Varsity

6-3

BOYS TENNISVarsity

7-6Junior Varsity

9-3

BADMINTONVarsity

6-0Junior Varsity

5-1

GOLF8-2

TRACK AND FIELDGirls: 1-2, Boys: 0-3

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sometimes he will overcompensate by being harder on [us]. It’s hard because it’s not really fair. But overall, the girls really like him.”

Even Brian himself admits to sometimes holding his daughters to a higher standard. “I think every coach is a little harder on his own daughters,” he said. “I try not to, but I think I end up doing it.”

Jessie also acknowledges that her dad acts tough because he wants her to do well, but she added, “It gets annoying at times because I don’t like him telling me what to do. I don’t mind when the other coaches tell me what to do, but it’s different coming from my dad. I guess he’s pretty good about not always being on my case.”

Monica feels having a dad as a coach leads to endless arguments. However, everything is taken in good humor.

“We are both very stubborn,” she said. “He’ll nag me and nag and nag and nag and I’ll argue back. And he’ll keep on nagging. It’s how we are.”

While the girls don’t always act like it, they value the dedication their dads have put into their sport, even though it means being aware of the scrutinizing eye of a parent.

“I think I’ll appreciate it more when I get older,” Monica said. “I definitely will.”

continued from page 17

team is able to look to the problems in front of them. During games, the coaches and players make mental notes of what the team needs to improve on. Even during their drills, it isn’t uncommon to see the coaches beck-oning players over with advice.

To keep their spirits alive, the players always joke around, calling each other by nicknames, or making an exaggerated scene over missing Gatorade. In warm ups and drills, there are no groans, but rather avid chattering about everything from school to the latest games coming out for the Wii.

Much of this team unity is due to the team-

mates’ long history together.“We all grew up together,” Voigt said.

“We know our strengths and weaknesses.”However, the chemistry hasn’t translated

to wins on the field. The 4-10 baseball team recently lost a pair of games at the Lion’s Tournament, an event put together by a group of schools. The Tournament’s purpose is to garner attention to promising teams and help add points to a team’s CCS bid.

Although these losses hurt, the team is staying steadfast to their goals and focusing on what’s important, rebuilding the team in hopes of a promising future.

Among the fastest fish in the sea Talented sophomores bring fast edge, dedication, and spirit to support swim teamby Nandini Dasarathy perspectives editor

The last relay. The last teammate. The last chance to make it or break it. Feeling the pressure, then freshman Megan Fischer-

Colbrie pushes hard through the water. She’s the anchor for the relay and the outcome of the race and the meet are all up to her.

It’s one of these moments that, amidst the cheers of fans and the adrenaline rush, sometimes can become a defining moment in an athlete’s sports career. It was such a moment at last year’s swim meet between MVHS and Palo Alto High School that became a milestone for Fisher-Colbrie.

Fischer-Colbrie and fellow teammate sophomore Emma Drysdale had been in this situation before, but this particular meet was a moment of awakening after years of commitment to swimming. Drysdale and Fischer-Colbrie are not only leading members of the MVHS swim team, but are also national level swimmers, CCS qualifiers, and Junior Olympic participants. Unlike many competitive swimmers of their caliber, Drysdale and Fischer-Colbrie have found their passion and dedication as ways to avoid being burnt out by the sport.

Drysdale reflected back on that moment and laughed. “We ended up winning, but it took that meet for me to realize the competitive spirit and the fact that there was no turning back…those were the reasons why I swim and why I love it.”

Fischer-Colbrie agreed; swimming provides her the exciting opportunity to race against people. As the anchor for that race, she calmly and swiftly led the team to victory. Both Fischer-Colbrie and Drysdale did exceptionally well in their freshman year on the MVHS team and outside. Fischer-

My parents ask me one question when they catch me playing video games: who are you playing with?

That leaves me with two options, either say “single player” and be banished towards AP studying oblivion, or sputter “socializing with friends through World of Warcraft in the dungeons on Kalimdor” and continue playing for another fifteen minutes. I most certainly appreciate the latter but the burning question still exists: why are adults so supportive of communication? To answer this question, I decided to venture into the sport that was composed of absolute teamwork and balls flying at a sizzling speed: volleyball.

The first thing I noticed was that the nets were set up high, so high that my fingertips could barely reach over the top. Though I am slight embarrassed to say this, my dreams of spiking the volleyball with ease while wildly yelling like an animal were dashed.

The team kept the humor light even during stretches. The leader motioned for everyone to do junior Marc Chew’s exercise, which consisted of twisting one’s back in a model pose. A JV player whispered to me, “He brought sexy back.” I was absolutely puzzled by the confessions of the team.

Coach Jeremy Ebbink called for time to practice serves. As an instinct, I tried slapping the ball as hard as I could to get it over the net. It honestly felt like slapping Sylvester Stallone in the face as John Rambo. I struggled with each serve but it gradually got better as I applied my fingertips.

We practiced transitions next. The task was composed of passing a serve and rotating. Every time the serve came, every member of the team yelled “short” or “long”, including Coach Sarah Jensen. This didn’t just occur once, it happened every single time. When the ball is served, it plays tricks on the eye. A seemingly monstrous serve can actually be a baby shot. I unfortunately had to learn the hard way. After everyone yelled short, I thought I had it but the volleyball landed in front of me. Every member was involved in the yelling regardless of whether they were on the court or not. The only stop to their team chemistry was, sadly, me.

I saw the team as a whole at the end of practice. One side served while the other practiced transitions. In the course, the team would point out potential serve spots and adjust to fill it in after the serve. They blurted out numbers over and over as attack plans. “Free” stood for a pass bumped to the other side. “Two” was for a middle attack and “four” was a corner spike. Over and over, I listened to numbers being yelled by everyone. Rather than becoming mere chatter, the numbers loomed as everyone moved as a whole. I felt schizophrenia clutch my mind like I was Jim Carrey in the film “The Number 23.” The only thing different was that it was a volleyball team repeating the numbers two and four. The only period of rest was during a miscommunication. Two people froze over a spot and induced a moment of silence that disrupted the mood.

There are other miscommunications off the court. Sexual innuendos or the wrong interpretation of seemingly harmless phrases, are common. For instance, some members enjoy whispering the Facebook phenomenon “That’s what she said” after a member may call out to “Smack that [volleyball]!” The phrase in today’s urban dictionary, stands for much more than just hitting a ball.

After watching the team, I thought I had it all down. Communication determines your entire team. A missing slice makes a pie so much worse than a whole pie. Teamwork is what makes the volleyball team stand where it is today. I still can’t serve or slap, but now all I need to do is figure out how to communicate with my parents to let me play more World of Warcraft.

The number game

Colbrie placed first in the 100-meter dash and sixth in the individual medley at CCS, with a time that was 1.6 seconds behind the Olympic trial qualifying time.

Although both Drysdale and Fischer-Colbrie are an integral part of the MVHS swim team, both have been involved in club and competitive swimming and often find the need to balance both. Drysdale and Fischer-Colbrie’s practice schedules are rigorous and consist of daily practice for around two and a half hours and additional morning practices three times a week.

“A lot of my friends don’t get it; they say you know a swimmer is good if he or she barely has any time to do anything else or

talk to anyone else,” Drysdale said. Fischer-Colbrie was recently at a

tournament in Florida where she qualified for the national meet, the fastest meet in the country. The next stage after the national meet is Olympic trials, where Fischer-Colbrie and Drysdale hope with hard work and discipline, they will be able to attend in 2008.

“Swimming is a significant part of my life, not only because of the competitive aspect, but also because of what it has taught me in my life,” Drysdale said. “I have now learned to set more goals for myself time wise, I’ve become more committed to the things I do and I now take action and be assertive when making choices.”

Many athletes, specifically swimmers, tend to get burnt out after the continual practices and their frustration with the sport. Fischer-Colbrie attributes her interest in swimming due to the fact that she belongs to a good team, in and out of school. “I personally think my huge passion for swimming is what prevented me from leaving it,” she said. “You need to absolutely love it in order to stay in it for so long.”

Girls swimming coach Dan Kemnitz agreed. “[Drysdale] and [Fischer-Colbrie] are both very hard workers who are motivated not only to do their personal best but also to do well for the team,” Kemnitz said. “Every kid burns out for a different reason, but aside from the external motivators such as winning or qualifying, they motivate themselves internally to achieve a personal best and not get too caught in what can be tiring and mundane.”

In swimming, one often gets frustrated if he or she is unable to meet certain goals. “It’s hard when you have setbacks, but you need the perseverance and you need to be able to deal with not improving,” Fischer-Colbrie said. “Last year, I became frustrated with swimming and talked to my coach who helped me work around it. A lot of the time, the frustration is about how you performed.”

Often, swimmers tend to overuse their bodies and develop injuries. As much as swimming is beneficial to individuals health-wise, competitive swimmers know the difficulties behind excessive practice.

“I always try to avoid overuse by setting realistic goals for myself to make sure I’m improving day to day. At the same time, it’s not good to be too conservative and each person needs to believe in their own potential,” Drysdale said.

Currently, both Fischer-Colbrie and Drysdale are in the process of being contacted by college recruiters, but the formal process will not begin until they are juniors in high school. They both intend on swimming in college before deciding if they want to pursue it further as a career.

“You can’t let yourself be intimidated by things,” Drysdale said. “If you know yourself and your true potential, you’re good.”

THE PERFECT STROKE Sophomore Emma Drysdale overtakes her competition in the 100 yard freestyle event at a swim meet against Mountain View High School on Apr. 5.

Kevin Ragothoman | staff photographer

Boys Swimming

Pawkit the gnome has gone hiking at MVHS, but where is he on campus? The first person to reach the location shown will find instruc-tions to claim a fabulous prize.

“When I dive for the ball, these make it hurt less. I have had to replace them before, but they still last for a really long time.”

“Volleyball tournaments are really early in the morning. I always wear my beanie before competing to stay warm.”

“When getting shoes for volleyball, I look for

style, brand, and com-fort. I always make sure they look cool.”

As Wang heads towards the hurdles, Spelick stops him.

“Not just yet,” Spelick said. “We have to warm-up first.”

After their warm-up run, Spelick told Wang to stretch out so that he would not pull anything. Then Wang saw the hurdles.

“These look pretty high,” Wang said. “They come up to my waist!”

Thankfully, however, Spelick moved the bar of the hurdles three notches down.

“Make sure you get a running start,” she instructed. “The point is to get your leg high-er so you make it over the hurdle.”

After Spelick told him how to jump over the hurdle, she asked, “Do you want an ex-ample first?” Wang nodded.

After watching Spelick’s example, Wang then took off and managed to jump over the hurdle.

“Remember what I showed you?” asked Spelick. “Make sure your leg is over to the side. You could have hooked your foot to the hurdle and taken it down.”

“I guess I just need a lot more practice,” Wang said with a laugh.

Serving the birdie over the net, Wang’s opponent, Spelick, lunges to return the shot.

“Keep your wrists loose,” Wang said. “Don’t keep your arms so stiff.”

“Okay,” said Spelick with a laugh. “I’ll keep my wrists loosey-goosey.”

Before playing a set with Spelick, Wang taught her some of the basics of badminton. He showed her the proper way to carry out an underhand stroke, how to hit a drive, and he also taught her how to serve properly.

And so, the two began playing a set of badminton. And, with Spelick just starting this endeavor, this set lasted for an abnor-mally long time.

“You’re pretty good,” Wang said to Spelick. “Just make sure to mix up your shots and focus on staying loose.”

“Thanks,” Spelick said. “I’m doing my best to stay as loose as I can.”

And while Spelick doubted herself at the beginning, at the end she even received a few compliments from her ‘coach.’

“She was able to hit most of the shots that came her way,” Wang said.

Junior Ted LandaSport: Volleyball

“We use the whistles when we referee at tournaments because we referee for the other teams when we don’t have a match.”

beanie

kneepads

whistle

sophomoreMara Spelick track and field

sophomoreMichael Wang

badminton

Congratulations to senior Sanjana Dey and junior Gillian Decker for finding Pawkit be-hind the F building next to the custodian of-fices on Mar. 15.

wrist brace

T w o p e o p l e . T w o s p o r T s . o n e d a y .

“I had sprained my wrist previ-ously, and I wear this to prevent that kind of injury from happening again.”

5

With the weather finally warming up, a trip to the beach seems like the best idea for some fun in the sun during spring break. But no visit to the beach is complete without a supply of cold drinks to cool off with, and here’s the fastest way to get the drinks as cold as possible.

Fill your cooler with enough ice so that your beverages will be covered by it on all sides. The more surface that is exposed to the ice, the colder the drinks will be.

Pour enough regular table salt on the ice so that the entire surface of the top layer of the ice has salt on it. The salt is what will make the cooling happen so fast. Ask a Chemistry teacher about the details!

Close the cooler so that you can then shake the contents around, allowing the salt to spread around. Within two minutes, the ice will be able to reach -5 degrees Celsius, and your drinks will already be ice cold.

shoes

photo illustration by Ellen Casavant | staff photographer