A portrait of pride
Exploring how the Bay Area community celebrates pride
Benjamin Zhang, Editor-in-Chief
The Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club hosts its annual SHARE Panel
Students part of the queer community answer questions from freshmen and share their experiences
EE Tries: Minecraft Speedrunning
El Estoque faces off against two experienced speedrunners in the popular game Minecraft
11:11
How an angel number taught me to stop fearing uncertainty
Seniors in 4 S’s
A closer look at the class of 2026 through a survey of 62 seniors
‘The Sheep Detectives’ is sheariously worth a watch
The ewe-nique premise makes for a surprisingly meaningful experience
‘Animal Farm’ (2025) is boar-ing slop
Andy Serkis’ adaptation drags ‘Animal Farm’ through the mud
The Hot SEEat Ep. 1 with Alisa Vendrow
Senior Alisa Vendrow talks about kickboxing concussions, surviving HAmLit and favorite high school memories
Badminton Club offers a welcoming environment for players of all skill levels
Badminton Club officers explain the growth of their club and their goals for the future
March Madness: Stiver Edition
How accurate was MVHS guidance counselor Clay Stiver's bracket?
EE Tries: 3-Point Contest
El Estoque faces MVHS Boys and Girls Basketball in a 3-point shooting contest
Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics Recap
A closer look at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy
Super Bowl recap
Discussing the Super Bowl and making predictions about next season
MVHS alum ‘10 Diane Keng reflects on her entrepreneurial path in founding the AI company Breinify
The 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 honoree speaks about the highs and lows of her journey and gives advice about starting a business
San Francisco residents march in annual commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Civil Rights contributions
NorcalMLK concludes a week of celebrations with commemorative events, including speeches by mayor Daniel Lurie and congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
‘Marty Supreme’ drops the ball
Josh Safdie's solo debut serves up a spectacle but loses itself
EE-SPN Ep. 13: 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery
Discussing the projected top 5 picks of the 2026 WNBA Draft
MVHS students share their experiences participating in the Cupertino-Toyokawa Student Delegation Program
The annual exchange program sends 16 delegates to Toyokawa, Japan, with the goal of cultural immersion
MVHS alum ‘25 Allen Li speaks on his experience in physics
Li shares his journey leading up to the U.S. Physics Team’s history-making 2025 International Physics Olympiad performance
The Guitar course makes its way back onto the MVHS course offerings after its temporary departure
The new course offers much to students just starting out in music
The Class of 2026 swings for the fences in their last-ever Homecoming skit
Seniors conclude the Homecoming skits with a nostalgic and confetti-filled “Spider-Verse” celebration
Homecoming 2025
El Estoque's Arts & Entertainment section documents Homecoming 2025
Scandals in sandals
El Estoque's Arts & Entertainment section explores 2025's problematic summer
The ‘performative male’ takes over social media
The MVHS community shares its critiques regarding the recent trend of performative men
‘Coldplaygate’ is another addition to the long list of issues trivialized through entertainment
The recent internet-sweeping cheating scandal reflects an issue all too familiar at MVHS
New Mary Avenue Villas housing project faces opposition from nearby residents
The 40-unit apartment complex for low-income residents is facing major backlash supported by an online petition
San Francisco Pride Parade 2025
San Francisco Pride wraps up Pride Month with an annual parade celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community
Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japanese culture and the city’s ties to Toyokawa
The 41st annual festivity puts on display the beauties of Japan
Spring sports recap
MVHS athletes bring the spring season to a finish
Dessert Detectives: ZERO& | Cupertino Village
Reviewing popular menu items based on quality and taste
MVHS Saturday Night Live 2025 brings laughter and farewells
MVSNL 2025 embraces first-year teacher Rachel Cassar and marks a bittersweet capstone for senior producers
Crossword: March 14, 2025
Solve EE's mini crossword
Crossword: March 12, 2025 Mini
Solve EE's mini crossword
Crossword: March 11, 2025 Mini
Solve EE’s mini crossword
Restaurant rundown
El Estoque’s Arts & Entertainment section reviews four archetypes of Bay Area restaurants
Breakfast bunch
El Estoque’s Arts & Entertainment section reviews three local breakfast restaurants
Food truck faceoff
El Estoque’s Arts & Entertainment section reviews three local food trucks
Dessert Detectives: Xing Fu Tang
Reviewing popular menu items based on quality and taste
Artificial Intelligence is increasingly taking a larger role in our daily entertainment
MVHS students and staff explore the effect of AI’s growth on entertainment
San Francisco hosts annual Martin Luther King Jr. march
Participants march a mile down Third Street in commemoration of King and the Civil Rights Movement
Crossword: Dec. 13, 2024 Full
Solve EE's bonus crossword for the weekend
‘The Party Never Ends’ is a forgettable farewell
Juice WRLD’s final album is a sad reminder that all parties come to an end
Morgan Mayhew’s journey to becoming an animation producer
MVHS alum Morgan Mayhew ‘19 breaks down her favorite animated films, what it’s like to be an animation student and more
The generational gap
MVHS students and staff reflect on how different generations perceive current media
Crossword: Nov. 26, 2024 Mini
Solve EE's mini crossword
‘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
Rome wasn’t built in a day
MVHS Drama shares the work and hopes behind their adaptation of Shakespeare’s 'Julius Caesar'
‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ is a double dose of pure delusion
The ‘Joker’ sequel is a pathetic shadow of its former self
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
Homecoming from another lens
MVHS students and staff share experiences leading up to the 2024 Homecoming week
2024 Homecoming dance by the numbers
Breaking down key statistics behind the highly-anticipated dance
Summer 2024 in review
A brief recap of popular movies and albums released over the summer
Cupertino residents rally behind “We deserve better”
Cupertino City Council candidates Kitty Moore and Ray Wang hold weekend rally
Finding the way
FUHSD implements Wayfinder to promote Social Emotional Learning
San Francisco Pride Parade 2024
The Golden City wraps up Pride Month with its annual LGBTQIA+ parade
Kush Mathur’s guide to sophomore year literature
Sophomore Kush Mathur reflects on running kites, sifting nectar and surviving World Lit
Retro-activity
MVHS students share their experiences with old models of media
Diss-graced
An interactive timeline of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef
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
‘Abigail’ bleeds its tired premise dry
Predictable plot, shallow characters and juvenile scripting hammer the last nail in the coffin
La Pluma: Syzygy
Members share their works in La Pluma’s fall issue “Syzygy”
Playing with pixels
MVHS students share their experiences with sports video games
Belonging in baton
Junior Kimika Shimazaki reflects on her journey in baton twirling
‘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
Balancing the beat
Students share the differences between the coach-led MV Dance team and student-run dance clubs
Dessert Detectives: Ume Tea
Reviewing popular menu items based on quality and taste
‘Argylle’ laughably fails its own mission
Matthew Vaughn’s creation proves to be too dysfunctional to be redeemed by its over-the-top comedy
Time Out! Ep. 15: Darren Lin
A leap into Darren Lin’s experience with track and field
Striking the high note
John Gilchrist wins the Richard L. Levin Orchestra Educator Award
On the streets of SF
San Francisco reflects on the 2023 APEC summit’s impacts on community issues