Physics teacher Jim Birdsong reviews concepts covered during the in-class lecture with Physics Bowl winner Marvin Qi. Most of the Physics Bowl winners cited Birdsong as the source of most of their knowledge. Photo by Karen Feng.

Each year, about 10,000 students nationwide participate in the Physics Bowl within one of 15 regions nationwide and in one of two divisions, with Division I participants having one year of experience and Division II participants having two or more. They have 45 minutes to answer 40 multiple-choice questions based on basic physics concepts, with school team scores based on the sum of the school’s top five students’ scores. Out of the 16 MVHS students who competed in the Physics Bowl this year, the top five Division I MVHS students were sophomore Prem Nair (with a score of 34 out of 40), sophomore Marvin Qi (32), sophomore Anna Liu (30), junior Vincent Wang (28) and sophomore Ashutosh Jindal (26), scoring a total of 150 points out of a possible 200 to take fifth nationwide. Additionally, Nair scored fifth in the nation for his individual score.

To Birdsong, the students’ success is a validation for their hard work.

“It’s a yardstick they can use to measure themselves to see what they’ve learned in this year to make it seem more valuable to them,” he said.

Both Liu and Nair expressed that they were already interested in math and science, but that their success in this event strengthened their resolve to enter math and science fields in the future.

“I used to think that I’m not that good but [after this, I think that I] can actually do something like this in terms of pursuing physics in the future,” Liu said.

Despite their record-setting achievement of winning the school’s first team physics competition and Nair’s personal accomplishment of placing individually, the students did not prepare much for the Physics Bowl outside of class.

“I learned some physics on my own over the summer,” Nair said. “But the thing that prepared me the most was Birdsong’s class.”

However, Birdsong reasons that the students succeeded because of their own dedication to the subject, as he did not consciously try to help students prepare for competition. Even so, he’s happy for them.

“I got lucky, I guess. I’m glad that they valued [my teaching], but they’re good students who remembered what they were taught, “Birdsong said. “That’s the main thing. It’s a very impressive achievement.”

You would be hard-pressed to find a musician more politically aware than Killer Mike. Album cover from Williams Street Records

“You are witnessing elegance in the form of a black elephant.”—Killer Mike on the track “Untitled.”

That about sums it up.

It’s a wonder rapper Killer Mike isn’t more popular. He has an easily identifiable, deep, southern accent that spits absolute fire. In the truest sense of the word he’s hardcore. Not like your average skater or punk rocker, but like your seasoned war veteran. Killer Mike has seen things that would turn your hair gray, and it really has an impact on his music. For example, his hatred for police isn’t unfounded—his father was a cop, allowing him to recognize dirty cops when he sees them. His latest release “R.A.P. Music” sounds like a cathartic culmination of these experiences and certainly makes an impression.

To call Killer Mike a political rapper would be accurate, but it doesn’t do him justice. Killer Mike’s staggering range of topics is impressive, but he ultimately represents the people, and if that means he has to comment on politics, then so be it. On the track “Reagan,” Mike very harshly criticizes former president Ronald Reagan and his legacy. He swears allegiance to no political party, grouping in Barack Obama and Bill Clinton as liars too, instead claiming to represent the people. He touches on points of the government that seem to be too evil to be true. He believes the 13th Amendment to be the reason behind drug users’ lengthy prison terms and that slavery and free labor are illegal unless the person in question is a prisoner. It is this kind of insight that Killer Mike uses to blow the listener’s mind consistently through the album.

Mike isn’t all politics and rage though. In tracks such as “Wilie Burke Sherwood,” he details how he would prefer to spend time with his wife and two kids instead of partying like most rappers, though he makes sure to display his appreciation for a good ol’ strip club every once in awhile. He also speaks about his cousin who lost his mind and how he would give up his entire career in exchange for his cousin’s sanity. “If I could fix his brain. Take back the crack in his mind, give it all back. You can have the racks and fame. Give it all back in exchange.”

As for the actual sound of the album, the beats are just as and harsh as the lyrics. The production was done entirely by fellow underground rapper El-P, creating an underground dream-team, so to speak. El-P’s beats can speak for themselves, somehow containing just as much story as Killer Mike’s lyrics. The listener gets the sense that the two are great friends, or at least work fantastically well together. At the very beginning of the track “Jojo’s Chilling,” Killer Mike and El-P shed their pseudonymsProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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nd announce that “This album was made by Jaime and Mike” as if they are about to present an elementary school book report.

“R.A.P. Music” is at times potent and chilling, and at times fun and heartwarming. It feels like an album that encompasses an entire career. As Killer Mike himself says, it truly is his “classic album.”

With less than a month until graduation, seniors received some unexpected news.

At lunch on Tuesday, May 10, all the seniors were called into the rally court for an announcement: They would be graduating at MVHS this year.

Because of the field construction, plans had previously been made for graduation to take place at Foothill College on June 8. But because of quick progress on the construction, as well as the exceptionally good weather this spring, field construction has been moving along at a speedy pace, and the field will be ready in time for graduation.

But while the field will be the site of graduation, it is still far from completion. According to Scott, stairs, ramps and safety measures will all be in place, but finishing touches like landscaping and the ticket booth will not. The current projected deadline for the grand reopening of the track and field on Jan. 7, 2013 still stands.

The senior class officers and administration had scheduled a meeting during fifth period that day and had a seemingly normal discussion about baccalaureate before taking what Assistant Principal Brad Metheany called a “field trip” to the field.

“[Metheany] actually messed with us a little,” said senior class vice president Craig Boman. “He was giving us reasons to tell people why we’re not having [graduation] at home.”

Then Principal April Scott dropped the big news.

“She said, ‘We are going to have graduation at home,’” Boman said. “We ran around and it was awesome and we took a lot of pictures.”

Superintendent Polly Bove had directed the construction company to focus its work on the upper field, and construction continued work despite some mud in the few rainy days this year. Because manpower was aimed toward the upper field, progress there is much farther along than on the lower field. Their efforts were, in a way, an extra gift to the class of 2012.

“[The Board and Trustees and Bove] were trying to provide something for the seniors,” Metheany said. “So they drove it, and when you’ve got the bosses of bosses driving that, that helps a bit.”

According to Boman, the senior class was elated to hear the news.

“[Telling the rest of the class at lunch] was really exciting,” he said. “We’re going to be the first class at [MVHS] to graduate on the new field which a lot of people think is really cool. Having underclassmen and juniors being able to come a lot [more easily is also a plus]. And just that whole spirit of being at Monta Vista.”

The new field will bring some changes to the way graduation has traditionally been held at the school. In the past, anyone could attend the ceremony; this year, each senior is receiving six tickets — which are required for attendance — to hand out to family and friends. Receiving a ticket, however, does not guarantee a seat. The new bleachers only seat around 2,500, while graduation attendance is usually around 4,000. Attendees are welcome to stand around the field, but those who want a seat will probably have to come early to claim one.

Because of the turf, girls will also not be allowed to wear high heels.

In addition, the continuing construction on the lower field means parking will be even more of an issue than usual this year. Last year, the lower field held over 200 parked cars; this year, attendees will have to look for other solutions. Kennedy Middle School and Lincoln Elementary School will both still be in session on June 8, so attendees will not be able to use those parking lots either. The school staff and faculty are planning to park in Blackberry Farm, and Metheany is encouraging seniors to carpool.

Seniors will first walk on the new fields on Monday, June 4 for the first day of graduation practice.

“On the 4th at 11:45, we’ll take the senior kids out there, set it up, and practice for an hour and a half,” Metheany said. “Tuesday, we’ll go at 8:45 in the morning and [practice] for two hours plus. Wednesday we’ll go, and Thursday we’ll go, and then Friday, we’ll do it for real.”

On Tuesday, May 14 at 10:22 p.m., a correction was made. Girls will not be allowed to wear high heels on the new field.

On Tuesday, May 14 at 10:56 p.m., a correction was made. “Scott” refers to principal April Scott.

On Wednesday, May 15 at 8:52 a.m., a correction was made to superintendent Polly Bove’s name. 

The complementary appetizer, a bruschetta-like bite topped with creamy miso tuna, was a nice start to the meal. Ludlow easily establishes itself as a unique Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant with this starter dish. Photo by Angela Liu.

We ordered the Octopus Risotto ($12) and the Tomato Chirimenjako salad ($7.95). Shortly after, the waiter brought a complimentary starter dish with two small tuna bruschetta-like bites served on a bed of mixed greens. It was a little strange to see a creamy mixture of miso and tuna topped with exactly three pieces of orange zest in each piece, and even stranger that it tasted a little bit too strong and very salty. However, it definitely solidified the Italian-Japanese seafood concept surrounding the fusion restaurant.

For a salad, the tomato chirimenjako was high quality. The warm grilled tomatoes and fresh greens made for a salad that satisfied. Photo by Angela Liu.

Our Tomato Chirimenjako salad arrived first in a huge portion. It was a large plate decorated with grilled cherry tomatoes, avocado slices and wonton strips. The salad itself primarily consisted of fresh mixed greens tossed in some honey dressing, which gave the dish a subtle sweet, tangy flavor that nicely contrasted with the salted chirimenjako fishes. The table behind us ordered the Ludlow salad, which was the exact same thing except in dressing (with a few extra sashimi) and in price, which was $12.50.

The octopus risotto ($12) was filling and steaming hot. The small amounts of bell pepper, octopus, and spicy sauce were quickly consumed, leaving the not-so-delicious risotto. Photo by Angela Liu.

The Octopus Risotto came later in a boat-shaped dish filled with creamy rice and four slices of slightly overcooked octopus. An extremely spicy sauce marinated in chili for a week until it looked slightly like salad dressing, called Hakke, was brushed along the side of the dish, which was supposed to be lightly dipped with the risotto with every bite. The risotto itself had a few bell peppers folded into it to balance out its rich, creamy texture for the first few bites of the dish. However, after the bell peppers and octopus were consumed, you were left with a hearty amount of risotto that, by itself, was unappetizing and a bit to thick.

As for the service, the waiter mumbled something quickly when he placed our complimentary appetizer dish down, but the chef stopped by just a few minutes later and we were able to get a very comprehensive description of the dish. It was slightly strange when, throughout the meal, the waiter gradually disappeared, occasionally emerging to deliver dishes and awkwardly poke his head out to offer water to the table closest to the door, but the dishes were able to come in a very timely manner.

Overall, the dinner was satisfactory, with the food surpassing the service. The restaurant decor was very simplistic, with white walls and minimalist painting, and contrasted with the upscale flair of the fusion dishes. It looks like it would be a more formal dining experience for families, but not a teenage hangout (disappointing considering its proximity to MVHS). All in all, a very average fusion dinner at an average fusion restaurant.

A full menu of Ludlow’s dishes can be found here. Ludlow is located at 21267 Stevens Creek Blvd, Ste 205, Cupertino, CA 95014.

From about noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday, they tackled the tasks at hand: purchasing vases, peeling the stickers from their glass bottoms; buying bunches of roses, carnations and baby’s breath, snipping the stems; compiling addresses and routes before congregating at 7 a.m. to deliver flowers on Mother’s Day.

As a loose tradition, the annual Mother’s Day flowers fundraiser has been jointly coordinated by the freshman and senior class officers. This year, the class of 2012 opted out, leaving the freshman officers to pursue the fundraiser themselves. Yet, about a week before Mother’s Day weekend, the class of 2015 realized they might not have enough time to pull it together. Upon hearing this, the sophomore class officers, who organized the fundraiser last year, stepped in.

“We sold flowers all week, we handed out flyers all week. It was really fast-paced,” freshman class president Anna Tedijanto said. “It was kind of fun, it was really fun doing things on a whim, spontaneously.”

Sophomore class secretary Sriya Srinath estimated that there were more orders this year than last year, when the class of 2014 completed the fundraiser on their own, possibly because the two classes joined forces to promote the fundraiser. According to Tedijanto, the fundraiser generated about $1000 in profit to be divided between the two class office groups. She also noted that the $500 sum each class received was larger than the typical amount of $200 to $300 from other fundraisers.

Licensed upperclassmen volunteered to help the freshmen and sophomores deliver on Sunday morning, between 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. According to sophomore class treasurer Timmy Kuo, the recipient of flowers would ideally hear the doorbell ring and open the door to find roses or carnations on the doorstep.

“I mean, a Mother’s Day flower, it’s a nice surprise,” sophomore class treasurer Timmy Kuo said. “A lot of mothers wouldn’t suspect that their son or daughter would go to the trouble of buying a flower for them.”

According to senior Chanel Zhan, the current structure of the bike racks is inconvenient for bikers. Some racks (above) are spaced out enough to allow a little space between the rear wheels of the bikes for students to walk through. Other racks (below) are too close, making the student lift their bike over the others. Photos by Christophe Haubursin.

“I began to bike this year and the first day that I came it was a mess,” Zhan said. “I didn’t know where to park. I wanted to park out of other people’s way, but the way the system was designed was not feasible for everything to be organized.”

About a month ago, Zhan began drafting her petition and organizing her thoughts. For the next two weeks, Zhan talked to other bikers to get their opinions for her petition. She collected signatures for the petition over the following five days from staff members, bikers and other students.

With the vibrant and warm weather, students, parents, and coaches were all the more excited for some strong competition. On May 11 and 12, MVHS Swimming sent 25 students, 11 girls and 14 boys, to the CCS Championships at the Santa Clara International Swim Center. For most of the season, the swim coaches push the swimmers to their limits to build up their strength and about a month before League Finals and CCS, they begin begin tapering in which the practices become shorter and less strenuous to save energy.

““This is a beautiful time of year. Taper is always awesome, the weather is great, things smell good, and swimmers feel good. They boys have a chance of finishing in the top four and that 400 free relay is going to be battling Bellarmine for first place,” said head swim coach Don Vierra.

After a few significant changes made to the boys and girls swimming and diving program, the boys were able to finish 8th place overall and the girls 12th schools. The boys 400 freestyle relay included juniors Kevin Su and Evan Li, senior Michael Leung, and sophomore Colin Hong. They were on their way to breaking a CCS record and first place in the event when they were disqualified after Leung was thought to have entered the water before the other swimmer touched the wall.

Even with dashed hopes, three other underclassmen, sophomore Carly Reid, freshmen Sayeh Faridnia and Christina Cheng, competed impressively. Reid continued her successful season by placing second in the 50 yard freestyle with a 23.14, which qualified her for AAA (All American Automatic) and fifth in the 100 yard freestyle at 51.12. Those who are considered AAA swimmers can apply to be on the Scholastic All-American Team sponsored by USA Swimming. Freshmen Sayeh Faridnia and Christina Cheng both experienced their first championships and Faridnia was able to make 16th place to move on to finals, where she got 1:56.48. Still Bellarmine College Prep extended their dominance in boys swimming by placing first overall while the girls placed 12th overall.

Senior Jeffery Zhang jump-serves the ball during varsity boys volleyball team’s last home game on May 4. The team defeated Lynbrook High School 3-0, ending their season with an MVHS record 29-4. Photo by Kevin Tsukii.

With the crowd cheering in the background, the MVHS seniors stepped on to the floor for the last home game of the season. Key blocks and scrappy defense helped the varsity boys volleyball team (29-4) during their last home game of the season against Lynbrook High School on May 4, defeating them 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-21). According to senior Edward Wang, the crowd that showed up to support the seniors contributed greatly to keeping their energy high and spirits up.

In the first set, the possession of the serve shifted 24 times between the two teams, as both the Matadors and the Vikings frequently had issues with serving and hitting balls in court. Multiple times, the Matadors were able to dig for and reach the ball but ended up making errors in actually getting it over the net. However, Lynbrook trailed behind 14-10 when they called their first timeout of the set, unable to block strong kills by seniors Jeffery Zhang, Brandon Tiongson and sophomore Ryan Manley, while the Matadors’ defense saved many of the Vikings’ surprise tips and rolls. More consistent serving streaks toward the second half of the set by Zhang, Manley and senior Alex Balus kept MVHS in the lead until the set ended 25-18.

“We were full strength; we had everybody,” coach Paul Chiu said. “We were missing a few guys last time [we played Lynbrook]; we had a few guys hurt. [This time] we played a more normal lineup.”

The second set started with a kill by senior Avery Hua to sideout for the Matadors, followed by longer rallies and tied scores. Zhang, Hua and junior Cory Low put up multiple blocks that prevented Lynbrook from gaining points. The Matadors had a few ball handling errors such as lifts and center-line violations, but their quick hustle contributed to their lead. Low surprised the opponent by using tips and rolls that fell in the middle of the Vikings’ court short of their back row defense, making the score 18-12. Balus and Manley made three and four kills respectively, ending the set 25-18.

Toward the middle of the third set, Lynbrook pulled ahead for the first time in the match 9-10 due to their increasingly effective blocks as well as the Matadors’ serving and ball handling errors. However, once MVHS regained possession of the serve, they were able to capitalize on the opportunity to tie the game at 11-11 and continue pulling ahead similarly to the previous two sets. Kills by Manley, Balus and junior Derrick Chiu were aimed at both sidelines and back corners — weak spots in Lynbrook’s defense.The match ended with Zhang’s tip to the Vikings’ side to secure the third set by a score of 25-21.

The Matadors ended the season with one of the best records in MVHS history at 29-4.

“The team pushed themselves to get better,” Chiu said. “Some played club [volleyball]; others came to the off-season workouts. It was a commitment from the entire team. I got comments from the alumni parents telling me how all the kids improved so much and that’s what made a big difference.”

The crack of palm against ball echoed loudly in the gym, cutting through even the crowd’s chatter. With powerful hits like these, the Matadors hoped to defeat Homestead High School in a rematch, this time at the CCS quarterfinals on Thursday, May 10.

Despite strong plays, the Matadors lost three sets to one. After winning the first set, they were worn down by the re-energized Mustangs and lost the next three  by close margins.

The first set began with solid serves and tight teamwork from the Matadors. Taking advantage of the errors committed by the Homestead team, the Matadors gained momentum through powerful plays by senior Avery Hua, junior Derrick Chiu and sophomore Ryan Manley. Senior Edward Wang also contributed last minute digs to prevent Homestead from gaining the upper hand, giving the Matadors a 10-8 lead. The first set ended with the Matadors winning 28-26.

The Mustangs started the second set with a 5-1 lead. Despite that the Matadors, led by Manley and Chiu, pulled together to tie the score until MVHS led 12-11. However, the Mustangs regained their lead as they capitalized on a series of errors and outs by the Matadors. Combined efforts by Manley, Chiu and Hua, along with supporting plays by senior Brandon Tiongson and sophomore Kevin Szelong, led to a tense rally. It ended with a Matador miss, resulting in Homestead scoring a point. The set ended in a close loss of 29-31.

“[Between the first and second set], Homestead definitely pulled it together and we weren’t able to catch up as well,” Wang said. “We got discouraged … We just got down and didn’t have energy and that’s why we lost all those points.”

Junior Cory Low takes a powerful swing past Homestead blockers as teammates seniors Jeffrey Zhang and Edward Wang look on. Though the Matadors won the first set, they lost the game 3-1. Photo by Cynthia Mao.

The third set started strong for the Matadors — Hua began with a powerful serve and both Szelong and Manley played off a weak Homestead defense, securing an early lead. Chiu, junior Cory Low and senior Jeffrey Zhang maintained that lead through well-aimed kills, with the Matadors up 11-7. However, in the middle of the set, the Matadors were met with a string of errors and gave up the lead to the Mustangs with the score at 20-17. Even with efforts to catch up, the third set ended with a Mustang win of 24-18.

The Mustangs picked up with a 4-0 lead early in the fourth set, but Chiu and Hua attempted to keep the Matadors close with strong hits and serves. Multiple passing errors and outs by the Matadors, however, gave the Mustangs a 18-14 set lead.

“After we lost the second game, everyone just got really down on themselves,” Chiu said. “No one was cheering, the defense was quiet and when we scored a point, maybe one person was yelling … The fourth set, actually, we called a timeout and got ourselves back together.”

Following the timeout, the Matadors took advantage of their boosted morale, with Chiu and Manley scoring several kills.The set ended with a Matador loss after a block that could have led to a tie fell just a few inches short of the bounds in a tense last play.

Up in the air, junior Derrick chiu tips the ball over a homestead block. Though the team rallied back following a streak of misses, they were not able to overcome the Mustangs. Photo by Ashley Wu.

“It was a hard fought match,” head coach Paul Chiu said. “We didn’t get all the breaks. We could’ve use the breaks here and there, [like] that last block. A couple inches and the ball [would be] in to make it 24-24.”

Instead, the Matadors lost the fourth set 25-23. Part of the reason for this loss, Paul Chiu believes, was that the Mustangs’ whole team was present this time, including several key blockers that had not played at the last match. Yet he says he is not disappointed, noting that this season has been one of the best so far.

“We finished [the season] 29-4, so we’re super competitive,” Paul Chiu said. “We cracked California’s top 45, ranking sixth in the nation. The kids put the program in a pretty special category, and it’s all the returning players that keep it up there … We’ll be really competitive [next year] and frankly, I think we’ll come back as probably favorites.”

For seniors like Wang, the end of their last season has made them realize how close the team has gotten.

“We definitely have a chemistry that we can’t find anywhere else,” he said. “Everybody’s willing to talk with each other. You can always find something to talk about and cheer each other up and be supportive.”

On May 13 at 4:48, a correction was made to the caption of the second photo.

On May 16 at 10:05, a correction was made to the article.