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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

Alan Tai

Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief

Alan is currently a senior and an Editor-in-Chief for El Estoque. He is an active member of MV Speech & Debate and enjoys exploring technology. In his free time, he plays video games, messes with people and scours the internet for random topics that pique his interest.

All content by Alan Tai
The ReSole project placed a bin in the Cupertino Library for the month of October. Photo | Alan Tai

MVHS students work to give used shoes a new life

The ReSole project distributes shoes to local shelters and families in need
Sophia D'sa and Alan Tai
October 30, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 30, 2024 Mini

Crossword: Oct. 30, 2024 Mini

Solve EE’s mini crossword
Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 30, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 29, 2024 Mini

Crossword: Oct. 29, 2024 Mini

Solve EE’s mini crossword
Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 29, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 28, 2024 Mini

Crossword: Oct. 28, 2024 Mini

Solve EE’s mini crossword
Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 28, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 25, 2024 Full

Crossword: Oct. 25, 2024 Full

Solve EE’s bonus full-sized crossword for the weekend
Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 25, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 24, 2024 Mini

Crossword: Oct. 24, 2024 Mini

Solve EE’s mini crossword
Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 24, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 22, 2024 Mini

Crossword: Oct. 22, 2024 Mini

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Liz Liu and Alan Tai
October 22, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 21, 2024 Mini

Crossword: Oct. 21, 2024 Mini

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Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 21, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 18, 2024 Mini

Crossword: Oct. 18, 2024 Mini

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Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 18, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 11, 2024 Full

Crossword: Oct. 11, 2024 Full

Solve EE's bonus full-sized crossword for the weekend
Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 11, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 11, 2024 Mini

Crossword: Oct. 11, 2024 Mini

Solve EE’s mini crossword
Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 11, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 9, 2024 Mini

Crossword: Oct. 9, 2024 Mini

Solve EE’s mini crossword
Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 9, 2024
Crossword: Oct. 7, 2024 Mini

Crossword: Oct. 7, 2024 Mini

Solve EE’s mini crossword
Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
October 7, 2024
The MVHS community may experience culture shock returning to their home countries, showing contrasting lifestyles and reinforcing cultural connections.

Unaccustomed to customs

MVHS students and parents share their experiences of culture shock traveling to their home country
Erin Liu and Alan Tai
September 29, 2024
Photo illustration | Sophia D'Sa

50 fresh faces

The Class of 2028 shares its thoughts on MVHS
Global Friendship Club officers Luna Endo and Nanako Takamatsu gather during the first meeting of the school year. Photo | Alan Tai

The ELD transition

ELD students share their experiences transitioning out of the program
Jason Chu and Alan Tai
September 28, 2024
Crossword: Vol. 55, Issue 1

Crossword: Vol. 55, Issue 1

Solve El Estoque's debut crossword with wordplay and clues from our October magazine. Scroll down for the solution.
Alan Tai, Editor-in-Chief
September 27, 2024

Citizenship Test

Do you have the knowledge to pass a citizenship test?
Aletheia Ju and Alan Tai
September 23, 2024
Cell phone use during school hours has become increasingly common among MVHS students.

California Gov. Newsom calls for cell phone restrictions at schools

Newsom aims to improve students’ mental health and education
Graphic by Leah Desai

Artistic ambitions

From self-expression to building community, MVHS students utilize art for many different purposes
"A Film to Remember" by Tanisha Sood

Painting the right picture

MVHS students and alum explain how they use art to express their identities and experiences
Arshiya Sen and Alan Tai
May 21, 2024
Sophomore and middle blocker Pratham Kannan alongside senior and outside hitter Varchas Athreya get ready to receive the ball from Mountain View High School.

Boys Volleyball defeats Mountain View High School 3-0

The Matadors play consistently to take an easy victory
Riya Murthy, Alan Tai, and Eric Zhou
May 7, 2024
Creating culture

Creating culture

From clubs to holidays, MVHS students use a multitude of methods to stay connected to their cultural identity
Various cultural clubs exist around MVHS, hosting events, shows and meetings. | Photos by Dylan Canoglu, Lily Jiang, Michelle Zheng and Yutong Zhong

Club hub

El Estoque's Features section showcases all of the cultural clubs on campus
School Resource Officer Aalok Patel poses for a photo. | Photo courtesy of Aalok Patel | Used with permission

Behind the badge

School Resource Officer Aalok Patel discusses the challenges, inspiration and joys of his job
Alan Tai, Mihir Vishwarupe, and Eric Zhou
April 6, 2024
A ban on TikTok would have far-reaching effects on the United States.

The TikTok ban is political theater

The ban’s repercussions will impact the very nature of digital communication and freedom
Riya Murthy and Alan Tai
April 5, 2024

The City of Cupertino hosts the Big Bunny 5K

Participants ran, walked and hopped down a 3.1-mile course through the streets of Cupertino
Alan Tai
April 2, 2024
Work hard, play hard

Work hard, play hard

The MVHS community plays a variety of different games from pay-to-play experiences to educational tools
A still from "Before I Forget," a game about the experiences of dementia. | Illustration by Lauren Chuu

Gaming with a purpose

MVHS students play games that spread social awareness and comment on social issues
Lauren Chuu and Alan Tai
March 6, 2024
After years of debate, a key lesson emerged, much of it alongside my high school debate partner Saanvi Goyal. | Illustration by Alan Tai

Unresolved

The lesson I’ve learned from my six years in debate
Alan Tai
March 3, 2024
Freshman Riley Chow and senior Pranay Gangaram attempt to steal the ball from an opponent.

Boys Soccer defeats Wilcox High School 3-2

Matadors fall short in the first half but take the lead in the second
Liz Liu and Alan Tai
January 28, 2024
Sleep

Sleep

From their dreams to their sleep schedules and behaviors, MVHS students have wildly varying experiences with sleep.
A climate protest takes place in New York City, urging action against fossil fuel emissions.

Advocacy in action

Diving into how the MVHS community participates in activism
Photo of three YEPI members at an event presenting their posters. Photo taken by the YEPI team.

Organizing change

Exploring the role nonprofits play in social activism
Arushi Singh and Alan Tai
December 8, 2023
Elders of cupertino

Elders of cupertino

Exploring the impact of local elders on the community
The West Bay Community Band, displaying patriotic flair, delivers a performance to commence the ceremony. The MVHS Band provided the stands and chairs for the musicians.

Veterans Day Ceremony 2023

Annual Veterans Day Ceremony honors veterans, active duty military and first responders
Alan Tai and Eric Zhou
November 14, 2023
2023 Costume Contest

2023 Costume Contest

Exploring the competitors’ costumes in MVHS’s annual costume contest
Alan Tai, Brandon Xu, and Eric Zhou
November 13, 2023

Elders in policymaking

Looking at how elders contribute to the city’s political scene
Ethan Eisler and Alan Tai
November 13, 2023
The new faces of MVHS

The new faces of MVHS

Discovering the new staff on campus this year
MVHS students may be inclined to write trauma essays in response to college essay prompts, creating a problematic mindset. Illustration by Kathryn Foo

Trading trauma for admission

Exploring the consequences of students sharing their deepest traumas for college admissions
Kathryn Foo and Alan Tai
October 19, 2023
Photo illustration by Alan Tai | El Estoque

Solving for success

Exploring sophomore Nolan Yiu’s cubing journey
Alan Tai
September 24, 2023
Ming Wood prepares coffee for customers at the Moonwake Coffee Roasters’ booth.

The stories behind the Cupertino Farmers Market

Highlighting the stories of the vendors and their products
Alan Tai, Mihir Vishwarupe, and Alyssa Yang
September 23, 2023
An opponent moves to take possession of the ball from junior Erin Handelsman. Photo by Ethan Eisler

Field Hockey beats Cupertino High School 3-1

The team improves passing and communication to win a second preseason game
Ethan Eisler and Alan Tai
September 9, 2023
The switch from the traditional paper SAT and PSAT exams to online has some students uneasy about possible technical difficulties.

Testing the digital divide

Examining how changes to the PSAT and SAT will affect MVHS
Photo illustration by Alan Tai | El Estoque | Photos courtesy of Architha Dhavala, Alan Tai and Aashi Venkat

Shifting interests

Exploring how seniors have changed their ideal career over time

Behind the blossoms

Exploring the story of the MVHS Garden
Alan Tai, Yash Thapliyal, and Eric Zhou
May 30, 2023
Gail Fretwell-Hugger stands in the Cupertino Historical Museum holding two books about Cupertino's history. Photo by Alan Tai

From past to present

Highlighting the people working to preserve Cupertino’s history
Alan Tai
May 13, 2023

The people of the Earth and Arbor Day Festival

A look into how the community supports the environment
Kathryn Foo and Alan Tai
May 1, 2023
Principal Ben Clausnitzer works in his office responding to an email.

Staying in the loop

Examining how MVHS stays transparent with the community
Alan Tai and Mihir Vishwarupe
April 12, 2023
Spring into the hunt

Spring into the hunt

Looking at the Cupertino Easter Egg Hunt’s return after COVID-19
Alan Tai
April 7, 2023
AI art has raised fears of human artists being replaced by machines.

A thin line

Exploring student and staff perspectives on artificial intelligence art
Mikaylah Du, Alan Tai, and Lillian Wang
March 12, 2023
A look at lockdowns

A look at lockdowns

With gun violence on the rise, students and staff reflect on active shooter drills
Alan Tai
February 14, 2023
The MVHS team celebrates and poses for a photo after winning the game. Photo by Brandon Xu

Boys Soccer beats Milpitas High School 3-2 in an intense game

Matadors crush the MHS comeback with a goal in the last five minutes of the game
Pranati Kotamraju, Alan Tai, and Brandon Xu
January 29, 2023
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