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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

Benjamin Zhang

Benjamin Zhang, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Benjamin is currently a junior and an Arts & Entertainment editor for El Estoque. In his free time, he likes to play soccer, collect vinyls and review bad movies.

All content by Benjamin Zhang
The plot of “Red One” revolves around the kidnapping of winter demigod St. Nick and the attempt to rescue him just in time for Christmas. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures | Used with permission

‘Red One’ makes the naughty list of holiday films with charm

The star-studded movie takes a unique approach but fails to stand out from average Christmas cinema
Sagnik Nag Chowdhury and Benjamin Zhang
November 16, 2024
Photo Illustration | Benjamin Zhang

Rome wasn’t built in a day

MVHS Drama shares the work and hopes behind their adaptation of Shakespeare’s 'Julius Caesar'
Sana Karkhanis and Benjamin Zhang
October 28, 2024
“Joker: Folie à Deux,” despite its $200 million budget, turned out to be the worst possible fate for its already tortured characters. Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures | Used with permission

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ is a double dose of pure delusion

The ‘Joker’ sequel is a pathetic shadow of its former self
Jillian Ju and Benjamin Zhang
October 8, 2024
A beautiful sunset was visible as Mitski began her “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We” concert. Photo by Benjamin Zhang

Mitski’s ‘The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We’ tour saves itself with emotional intimacy

Mitski captures hearts with pure lyricism and vocals in spite of a disappointing atmosphere
Isabelle Kok and Benjamin Zhang
October 7, 2024
The theme of Homecoming 2024 is childhood TV, featuring "Teletubbies," "Spongebob," "Ninjago" and "Phineas and Ferb." | Illustration by Isabelle Kok

Homecoming from another lens

MVHS students and staff share experiences leading up to the 2024 Homecoming week
The 2024 Homecoming theme is childhood TV shows, including the beloved Spongebob and many more | Illustration by Benjamin Zhang

2024 Homecoming dance by the numbers

Breaking down key statistics behind the highly-anticipated dance
Benjamin Zhang, Arts & Entertainment Editor
September 27, 2024
El Estoque reviews the media released in the summer of 2024 — one of which is the wildly popular album “BRAT” by Charli xcx. | Graphic by Benjamin Zhang

Summer 2024 in review

A brief recap of popular movies and albums released over the summer
Sih Yu (Melody) Lin and Benjamin Zhang
September 15, 2024
Cupertino City Council candidates Kitty Moore and Ray Wang pose with Councilwoman Liang Chao and supporters at the end of the rally. Photo by Sophia D’Sa

Cupertino residents rally behind “We deserve better”

Cupertino City Council candidates Kitty Moore and Ray Wang hold weekend rally
Sophia D'Sa and Benjamin Zhang
September 1, 2024
SEL Curriculum Wayfinder, promotes the skills Purpose, Self-awareness, Empathy, Adaptability, Collaboration and Agency throughout the FUHSD school district through interactive activities and informative videos.

Finding the way

FUHSD implements Wayfinder to promote Social Emotional Learning
Adorned with rainbow heart stickers, a  participant of Assembly Member Haney’s parade group waves a rainbow pride flag and a bisexual flag to the beats of the parade music. Photo by Benjamin Zhang

San Francisco Pride Parade 2024

The Golden City wraps up Pride Month with its annual LGBTQIA+ parade
Jillian Ju, Isabelle Kok, and Benjamin Zhang
July 19, 2024
The sophomore year World Literature curriculum dives deep into many books such as George Orwell's "Animal Farm." Graphic by Isabelle Kok

Kush Mathur’s guide to sophomore year literature

Sophomore Kush Mathur reflects on running kites, sifting nectar and surviving World Lit
Isabelle Kok and Benjamin Zhang
May 29, 2024
The popularity of items considered retro are steadily on the rise. Graphic by Isabelle Kok and Benjamin Zhang

Retro-activity

MVHS students share their experiences with old models of media
Isabelle Kok and Benjamin Zhang
May 24, 2024
A series of diss tracks exchanged between Kendrick Lamar and Drake have captivated the public and brought new allegations against each rapper to light. Photo illustration by Jillian Ju

Diss-graced

An interactive timeline of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef
Jillian Ju and Benjamin Zhang
May 17, 2024
Sarah Howell (Carshena) tries to win Sam Putney (King Ahasuerus) over by singing “You Belong with Me.” Photo by Isabelle Kok.

The First Congregational Church of Palo Alto brings ‘Eras of Esther’ to the stage

FCCPA’s community production offers a unique musical mashup of Taylor Swift and the Bible
Isabelle Kok and Benjamin Zhang
April 29, 2024
Abigail (Alisha Weir) dances onstage while covered in her victims' blood. | Universal Pictures

‘Abigail’ bleeds its tired premise dry

Predictable plot, shallow characters and juvenile scripting hammer the last nail in the coffin
Jillian Ju and Benjamin Zhang
April 25, 2024
Syzygy refers to the opposition between two objects, such as the sun and moon | Sonia Verma

La Pluma: Syzygy

Members share their works in La Pluma’s fall issue “Syzygy”
Stella Petzova and Benjamin Zhang
April 13, 2024
Playing with pixels

Playing with pixels

MVHS students share their experiences with sports video games
Lillian Wang and Benjamin Zhang
April 13, 2024
Junior Kimika Shimazaki poses with a baton after performing at the Welcome Back rally.

Belonging in baton

Junior Kimika Shimazaki reflects on her journey in baton twirling
'Kung Fu Panda 4' leaves audience bored and bamboo-zled

‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ leaves audience bored and bamboo-zled

A poor script and predictable plotline result in the iconic franchise’s fall from grace
Jillian Ju and Benjamin Zhang
March 13, 2024
Aarushi performs with a saap during MV Bhangra's performance

Balancing the beat

Students share the differences between the coach-led MV Dance team and student-run dance clubs
Aaryan Sharma and Benjamin Zhang
March 7, 2024
Dessert Detectives: Ume Tea

Dessert Detectives: Ume Tea

Reviewing popular menu items based on quality and taste
Benjamin Zhang
February 12, 2024
“Argylle” features numerous superstars and celebrities, but none fulfill expectations

‘Argylle’ laughably fails its own mission

Matthew Vaughn’s creation proves to be too dysfunctional to be redeemed by its over-the-top comedy
Jillian Ju and Benjamin Zhang
February 6, 2024
Darren Lin sets up in his starting position while practicing for long jump.

Time Out! Ep. 15: Darren Lin

A leap into Darren Lin’s experience with track and field
Benjamin Zhang
February 5, 2024
Instrumental Music Director John Gilchrist takes a pause in directing the orchestra during its 2023 Winter Concert, “Forces of Nature.”

Striking the high note

John Gilchrist wins the Richard L. Levin Orchestra Educator Award
Alyssa Yang and Benjamin Zhang
January 26, 2024
Protestors gather at Harry Bridges Plaza, San Francisco in a demonstration against the APEC convention.

On the streets of SF

San Francisco reflects on the 2023 APEC summit’s impacts on community issues
APEC: A business perspective

APEC: A business perspective

Looking into the convention’s impacts on local businesses and organizations
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Examining how the computer science teacher shortage in California impacts FUHSD
Sophia D'Sa and Benjamin Zhang
December 6, 2023
Stylestruck

Stylestruck

Taking a glimpse at the impact of fashion at MVHS
Costume director Lynda Cameron-Bayer fits a costume for the Queen of Hearts, a character in MV Drama’s “Alice in Wonderland.”

Costume couture

Featuring the MVHS Drama costume department
Lillian Wang and Benjamin Zhang
November 1, 2023
Carrot cupcake earrings from Madeleine Ischo's Etsy shop @FunSizedStudio. Photo courtesy of Madeleine Ischo.

Making cents of crafts

Taking a look behind the scenes of three MVHS art small businesses
Isabelle Kok and Benjamin Zhang
October 28, 2023
Sophomores Megan Liu, Sophia D'Sa and Shannon Yu take the first position of the girls dance.

Gotta catch ’em all

Sophomores battle their way through the Pokemon world on the second day of Homecoming
Ananya Chaudhary and Benjamin Zhang
September 27, 2023
Violent themes are prevalent in music. Graphic | Benjamin Zhang

Finding the beauty in violence

Examining the careful balance between artistic expression and the romanticization of violence in rap music
Benjamin Zhang
September 18, 2023
Academic experieces may range across classes based on how coherent curriculum is implemented.

Working towards a coherent curriculum through equitable grading practices

Exploring FUHSD student and staff opinions on implementing ‘Grading for Equity’
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