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The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

Jayanti Jha

Jayanti Jha, Co-editor-in-chief

Jayanti is currently a senior and a co-editor-in-chief for El Estoque. She plays field hockey on the MVHS Varsity team as a forward. In her free time, she loves to rewatch “Dance Moms,” try new foods and play the only song she knows by heart on the guitar: the theme song for “The Office.”

All content by Jayanti Jha
The class of 2022

The class of 2022

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

Flipping the pages

Looking back at the journal entries from my childhood
Jayanti Jha
May 25, 2022
Yang Yang Liu, MVHS alum '07, passed away in a fatal car accident on November 25th. She was a wonderful friend and vibrant member of her community.

The life and legacy of Yang Yang Liu

Friends and family reflect on the impact that the MVHS ‘07 alum had on their lives
Jayanti Jha, Anushka De, and Michelle Chen
April 26, 2022
What is professionalism?

What is professionalism?

Students share their thoughts on what a professional acts and looks like
Jayanti Jha
April 23, 2022
Chit-Chat

Chit-Chat

Exploring various types of conversations in our community
Diya and JJ on the streets: Women's History Trivia

Diya and JJ on the streets: Women’s History Trivia

Testing students on their knowledge of women's history
Diya Bahl, Jayanti Jha, and Ishaani Dayal
March 22, 2022
What are MVHS students most guilty about?

What are MVHS students most guilty about?

MVHS students share what they feel most guilty about on our anonymous survey
Jayanti Jha
March 18, 2022
Celebrating gossip

Celebrating gossip

A different kind of gossip column
Jayanti Jha
March 17, 2022
Critical Race Theory

Critical Race Theory

Analyzing Critical Race Theory's impact on the MVHS community and beyond
Defining Critical Race Theory

Defining Critical Race Theory

Understanding CRT and how it is taught and understood in classrooms
Mira Wagner and Jayanti Jha
February 12, 2022
COVID-19 through the years

COVID-19 through the years

MVHS community reflects on the impact of COVID-19 two years later
Jayanti Jha, Minjae Kang, and Riya Ravuri
February 11, 2022
Man on the street: Moving forward with the Omicron variant

Man on the street: Moving forward with the Omicron variant

Examining the option of remote learning after breaks to stop the spread
Jayanti Jha
February 7, 2022
Understanding Grief

Understanding Grief

Exploring how grief has affected community members' lives
The total number of international COVID-19 deaths according to Worldmeter.

MVHS students face loss during the COVID-19 pandemic

Reflecting on the hardship of losing loved ones to COVID-19
Jayanti Jha and Aashna Patel
December 10, 2021
The Shaikh family poses for a family photo

Unique Cupertino families

Different types of families in Cupertino share their history and dynamics

Mobley family members share about their preschool

Examining the behind the scenes and history of running Montecito Preschool as a family
Jayanti Jha
December 8, 2021

Diya and JJ on the streets: Song association

Playing a game of song association with students and staff
Jayanti Jha, Diya Bahl, and Ishaani Dayal
December 7, 2021
Jay Shelton (left) dances with Stacey Cler (right) at colleagues Michelle Balmeo and Andrew Sturgill's wedding.

Remembering Stacey Cler

Celebrating the life of English teacher Stacey Cler
Anushka De, Michelle Chen, and Jayanti Jha
December 7, 2021
A look into the future

A look into the future

Students examine what lies ahead
Culture and the future

Culture and the future

How MVHS student and staff expectations of the future are affected by cultural and religious factors
Taryn Lam and Jayanti Jha
November 12, 2021
The tricks and treats of Halloween

The tricks and treats of Halloween

Featuring the various aspects of celebrating Halloween
The Mobley family celebrates Halloween in their different costumes. Photo courtesy of Erin Mobley

MVHS community members share their favorite Halloween memories

Recollecting past Halloween experiences from being a DJ to creating a haunted house
Jayanti Jha and Gauri Manoj
October 30, 2021
Junior Sydney Su and senior Marissa Jensen embrace in a tight hug. The four seniors were given speeches and gifts from the juniors before the start of the game.

Girls Volleyball falls to Los Altos High School on senior night

The Matadors lose with a final score of 3-2
Anna Jerolimov, Jayanti Jha, and Lance Tong
October 24, 2021
The music for the girls’ dance consisted of three energy-filled songs — “Instruction” by Jax Jones, “Just Got Paid,” and “Low” by Flo Rida.”

Class of 2023’s Homecoming performance

Juniors wins 2nd place for their performance during Homecoming week
Jayanti Jha, Tvisha Gupta, and Devin Gupta
October 7, 2021

Diya and JJ on the streets: MVHS Trivia

Testing students and staff on their MVHS knowledge
Diya Bahl and Jayanti Jha
September 26, 2021
Junior Kristen Hsieh participates in the preparations for co-ed dance. Photo illustration by Gauri Manoj

The Class of 2023: Juniors jump forward

Juniors have high expectations after an increase in participation and organization
Jayanti Jha, Stephanie Xu
September 24, 2021
California wildfires threaten safe air quality levels

Live coverage of California wildfire responses and protocols

Updates on air quality and wildfire safety policies
Anushka De and Jayanti Jha
August 26, 2021
Seniors Diya Bahl and Anika Somasundaram take a selfie to capture their memories at the event.

Class of 2022 keeps up annual tradition of Senior Sunrise

Seniors commemorate the beginning of their last year at MVHS
Jayanti Jha and Nika Zamani
August 24, 2021
FUHSD athletes found ways to resonate with Lydia Jacoby, Suni Lee and Simone Biles. Graphic by Jayanti Jha, Aashna Patel and Kalyani Puthenpurayil

Twisting the game

Three Olympic winners resonate with local athletes
Senior Rohan Shah sets up for a free throw as the team's deficit decreases in the second half. Photo by Elena Khan

MVHS Boys Basketball defeats Fremont High School 52-50

MVHS comes back strong after ending their first half with a 16 point deficit
Kelli Kosakura dribbes the ball before an opponent after the MVHS team gained posession.

Girls Basketball defeats Fremont High School 37-23

MVHS maintains a lead throughout all four quarters
Subbing Out

Subbing Out

Seniors reflect on their time as athletes on MVHS sports teams
Shanker says he has built a tight bond with the seniors on the MV Dance team over the past three years.

Graduation gratitude

Juniors reflect on their last seasons with the class of 2021
Jayanti Jha
May 21, 2021

Man on the street: What do MVHS athletes first think when they hear ‘conditioning?’

Exploring athletes’ thoughts about a typically dreaded aspect of sports
Jayanti Jha
May 20, 2021
Despite solid shots, the MVHS team could not keep up with Harker HS as the game went on. Photo by Jayanti Jha

Boys Water Polo falls to Harker HS 11-22

The team loses its energy in the second half after a promising first half
Sophomore Irene Chon reaches for the ball during a tight first half. Photo by Elena Khan

Girls Water Polo defeats Wilcox HS 8-7

The Lady Mats secure a win after a tight game that went into overtime
Satterthwaite says the cold winter months in Michigan made it hard for her to be physically active during her recovery. Photo courtesy of Julia Satterthwaite | Used with permission

ACL injuries

Athletes share how one of sports’ most difficult injuries changed their lives
Jayanti Jha
May 15, 2021
Warming up: Reopening sports at MVHS

Warming up: Reopening sports at MVHS

Examining how athletes, coaches and administration have adapted to the pandemic
Junior Mukta Uparkar found the match to be more chaotic with COVID restrictions.

Girls Tennis: MVHS defeats Homestead in its first match of the season

MVHS wins 6-1 despite COVID changes and restrictions
Jayanti Jha
February 21, 2021
Photo illustration by Jayanti Jha and Lance Tong

Sprains, strains and pains

Athletes reflect on their experiences with various injuries
My parents always told me the key to success was eating well and sleeping well.

Eating well and sleeping well

The importance of giving yourself some grace
Jayanti Jha
January 22, 2021
Recycling and reusing are one of the values my parents have instilled in me.

Recycle, reduce, reuse BournVita jars

How I dealt with a bout of eco-grief
Jayanti Jha
December 16, 2020
Exploring juniors and seniors who are preparing for college through athletics.

Ready for commitment

Local student-athletes share their past, present and future goals for collegiate play
MVHS alumna Sara Haller shares about her collegiate career as a multisport athlete

MVHS alumna Sara Haller shares about her collegiate career as a multisport athlete

Haller describes the backstory of how she chose between collegiate diving and field hockey
Jayanti Jha
December 11, 2020
Players on the Boys Volleyball team give the Girls teams high-fives at the end of the game. Photo used with courtesy of Sammi Dunn

Intersport friendships

MVHS athletes continue forming friendships between teams during a challenging socially distanced time
Jayanti Jha
October 30, 2020
Each student-athlete had their own lane line during practice to maintain social distancing.

Water Polo holds its first preseason practice

Boys and Girls Water Polo teams share their impressions of their first conditioning with COVID-19 restrictions
Jayanti Jha and Elena Khan
October 19, 2020
From serving as bonding events to fueling athletes in reaching their maximum potential, food is an integral part of an athletes’ experience. Whether it’s increasing intake of specific food groups to compensate for dietary restrictions or making their own meals, MVHS student-athletes have taken their diets into their own hands to make sure they’re “fuelin’ up.”

Fuelin’ Up

Exploring how food affects athletes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Man on the street: MVHS fall athletes on playing in a different season

Athletes reflect on the differences between playing in the fall and winter or spring season
Jayanti Jha
September 9, 2020
Senior Lauren Lee began playing softball when she was 5 years and was on varsity all 4 years.

Softball: Class of 2020 Seniors

Remembering the seniors of the MVHS Softball Team
Jayanti Jha and Collin Qian
May 23, 2020
Athletes continue practicing virtually

Athletes continue practicing virtually

How students use online tools to continue training during quarantine
Jayanti Jha and Jefferson Le
May 13, 2020
Senior Triya Roy is part of the varsity track team and participated in the Rustbuster Invitational Track Meet in March.

Athletes continue preparing for their sports next year

Students focus on improving sports performance at home
Jayanti Jha
May 2, 2020
Finding sympathy for the MVHS administration

Finding sympathy for the MVHS administration

Why we need to cut the administration some slack because of the recent COVID-19 epidemic
Jayanti Jha and Lance Tong
April 3, 2020
The Bachelor franchise has a diversity issue, even over the course of 10 years. Photo courtesy of Public Domain Pictures

The Bachelor franchise needs to increase diversity in its cast

Exploring one of the biggest issues within the franchise
Jayanti Jha
March 20, 2020
2020 Rustbuster Invitational track meet

2020 Rustbuster Invitational track meet

Athletes from across the Bay Area compete in Rustbuster Invitational track meet
Jayanti Jha, Elena Khan, and Kamyar Moradi
March 13, 2020
The Rise of MV Gymnastics

The Rise of MV Gymnastics

How the once deserted team is being restored
Rucha Soman and Jayanti Jha
March 11, 2020
Sophomore Edin Kraja steals the ball from a MHS player.

Boys’ soccer: MVHS defeats Milpitas HS

The Matadors win with a final score of 5-1
Jayanti Jha and Elena Khan
February 12, 2020
Girls Who Code members work on their projects.

Girls Who Code reflects on what female representation in STEM means to them

Members share their beliefs on the importance of women in STEM fields
Jayanti Jha
February 12, 2020
Junior Eshani Patel attempts to catch the ball after a rebounding shot off the hoop.

Girls Basketball: MVHS falls to Homestead HS

The Matadors lose with a final score of 34-60
Jayanti Jha, Elena Khan, and Neysa Singh
February 10, 2020
Photo by Anish Vasudevan

Ball in the family

Sisters Emi and Kelli Kosakura share the girls varsity basketball court
Anish Vasudevan and Jayanti Jha
February 7, 2020
Wrestling: MVHS loses to Santa Clara HS 27-54

Wrestling: MVHS loses to Santa Clara HS 27-54

The Matadors lose 24-0 lead against Santa Clara HS in its first home meet
Jayanti Jha and Elena Khan
January 12, 2020
Spanish teacher Molly Guadiamos (far right) poses with her high school swimming team. Photo used with permission of Molly Guadiamos

Teachers’ athletic pasts

Teachers share their experiences on being on a high school sports team
Jayanti Jha and Elena Khan
January 7, 2020
Hassan sprints with the ball down the field. Photo used with permission of Zaid Hassan.

From coach to future olympian

Exploring JV coach Zaid Hassan’s field hockey career
Jayanti Jha
December 9, 2019
Mock Trial members cram for an upcoming scrimmage. Photo by Jayanti Jha

[Video] Mock Trial reflection

Examining club members’ favorite aspects of the team
Jayanti Jha
December 3, 2019
Photo by Claire Yang and Jayanti Jha

Women of impact: Chemistry teacher Kavita Gupta featured in National Geographic documentary

How Gupta and her students feel about her accomplishments outside of school
Claire Yang and Jayanti Jha
November 23, 2019
Left in the dark

Left in the dark

Examining the effects of the PG&E power outages
Jai Uparkar and Jayanti Jha
November 23, 2019
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

President Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry

Exploring students’ opinions about the President’s ongoing impeachment inquiry
Claire Yang and Jayanti Jha
October 24, 2019
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