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

Claire Wen

Claire Wen, Entertainment Editor

Claire Wen is a senior at Monta Vista and an entertainment editor for El Estoque. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching random videos on YouTube and playing with her cat, who tends to be too naughty for his own good but adorable nonetheless.

All content by Claire Wen
Represent.

Represent.

Understanding the impact of diverse representation in various facets of the American entertainment industry
Hyphenated Americans in Media

Hyphenated Americans in Media

Examining how the hyphenated American experience is portrayed in films and TV shows
Claire Wen and Brian Xu
May 18, 2021
Freshman Jennifer Long and her mother Catherine visit a water park in China when Long was three years old.

Appreciating Mom

Students reminisce about memories with their mothers
Shivani Madhan and Claire Wen
May 9, 2021
Gaming with Genshin Impact

Gaming with ‘Genshin Impact’

Exploring student experiences with the video game
Claire Wen
April 2, 2021
Thumbnail of the Zoomcoming livestream

Zoomcoming 2021

Leadership prepares for a virtual Homecoming week
Claire Wen
March 23, 2021
Singing Valentines: Quarantine Edition

Singing Valentines: Quarantine Edition

MVHS Choir revises their Valentine’s Day tradition
Vivian Jiang and Claire Wen
February 14, 2021
Cupid in the classroom

Cupid in the classroom

Examining teachers’ perspectives on student relationships
Claire Wen
February 12, 2021
Love is in the air

Love is in the air

Exploring romance in the MVHS community through different facets
Senior Daniel Kao and his family taking a selfie at the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day.

A twist on tradition

Sharing the different ways that MVHS students celebrate winter holidays
Claire Wen and Vivian Jiang
December 17, 2020
Junior Tyra Lin’s corgi Mina sits for a photo at Yosemite National Park in January of 2019.

Pet Instas

Students share about the Instagram accounts they created for their pets
Claire Wen and Melody Cui
November 8, 2020
Seniors react to their professional portraits.

Picture perfect

Seniors react to their professional portraits
Claire Wen
October 13, 2020
Junior Jacob Vrabel began learning to play the guitar over the summer with help from his parents, as his dad has played guitar for 15 years, and his mom has played since she was young.

Budding musicians

Students share about learning new musical instruments during quarantine
Claire Wen
September 25, 2020
Fifteen years after its initial release, Avatar: The Last Airbender becomes a hit on Netflix.

New and returning fans share in the excitement of ‘Avatar’

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ increases in popularity after Netflix release
Shivani Verma and Claire Wen
September 13, 2020
Sophomore Alysa Phattanaphibul went to a local park with her brother on her birthday. Photo by Alysa Phattanaphibul

Quarantine birthdays

How students’ birthday celebrations have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Claire Wen
May 27, 2020
One of the desserts junior Roma Ankolekar
baked was cookies. Photo by Roma Ankolekar

Quarantine chefs

Students take up cooking and baking during shelter in place
Claire Wen
May 23, 2020
Saviors of Humanity

Saviors of Humanity

Recognizing the people who are working to keep the world going

Local governmental efforts

Santa Clara County Public Health and Sheriff Departments respond to COVID-19
Claire Wen
April 10, 2020
Tiger parents in quarantine

Tiger parents in quarantine

Examining how the shelter-in-place order has impacted parent-child relationships
Claire Wen
April 10, 2020
Senior Elena Chen performs at Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall during the National Youth Orchestra program.

Senior Elena Chen’s cello playing experience

Elena Chen describes her path to becoming a member of the National Youth Orchestra
Claire Wen and Tyler Cho
March 13, 2020
The faces behind COVID-19

The faces behind COVID-19

Exploring the stories of members of the MVHS community impacted by the novel coronavirus
Photo courtesy of Ramachandra Srinivas

Science Olympiad officers’ humble beginnings

Leaders reflect on why they joined the club and their favorite memories
Claire Wen
March 12, 2020
Implicit bias

Implicit bias

Exploring the internalized discrimination within MVHS
Alyssa Hui, Tanish Mendki, Collin Qian, and Claire Wen
February 25, 2020
What we have learned from our friendship

What we have learned from our friendship

How our friendship has shaped who we are
Claire Wen and Iman Malik
November 25, 2019
World at stake

World at stake

MVHS community responds to the dire effects of climate change
Tyler Cho, Devin Gupta, Hannah Lee, and Claire Wen
October 18, 2019
The tale of the traveling mint plants: what flea extermination taught me about a change in routine

The tale of the traveling mint plants: what flea extermination taught me about a change in routine

What an experience of flea extermination taught me about the benefits of breaking from routine
Claire Wen
October 12, 2019
A game well played: how Chess Club officers began playing chess

A game well played: how Chess Club officers began playing chess

Chess Club’s officers share their experiences with chess
Claire Wen
September 27, 2019
Physics and chemistry teacher Julie Choi poses at her graduation ceremony.

Teachers being pushed out of the comfort zone

Teachers share how they overcame their reserved personalities
Tyler Cho and Claire Wen
September 26, 2019
The F-Word: Failure

The F-Word: Failure

Examining the influence of failure in the MVHS community
Sul & Beans: Sampling Sul & Beans’s most popular dessert items

Sul & Beans: Sampling Sul & Beans’s most popular dessert items

Sampling Sul & Beans’s most popular dessert items
Tyler Cho, Andie Liu, Alyssa Umino, Claire Wen, and Brian Xu
September 17, 2019
Sul Searching: dessert cafe manager opens Sul & Beans and SomiSomi

Sul Searching: dessert cafe manager opens Sul & Beans and SomiSomi

Dessert cafe manager reflects on opening two Main Street restaurants
The Class of 2020 recount their silver linings and worst moments of junior year

The Class of 2020 recount their silver linings and worst moments of junior year

A look into the Class of 2020's "gold coins" and downsides of the year
Annie Zhang and Claire Wen
May 14, 2019
Fifty Not-So-Fresh Faces

Fifty Not-So-Fresh Faces

Seniors interviewed for Fifty Fresh Faces in their freshman year follow up on old questions
Marvel vs. DC Comics

Marvel vs. DC Comics

MVHS community debates between Marvel vs. DC
Claire Wen and Sarah Young
April 10, 2019
Bouquet of orchids

Bouquet of orchids

The Malihini Orchid Society hosts the 2019 Annual Orchid Sale and Culture
A night of dreams

A night of dreams

2020 officers discuss the process of holding the 2019 junior prom
Jasmine Lee and Claire Wen
March 31, 2019
New rides of MVHS

New rides of MVHS

Three cars, three drivers, three stories
Claire Wen and Helen Chao
March 13, 2019
The beginning of Animal Protection Society

The beginning of Animal Protection Society

APS’s inspiration and plans for the future
Claire Wen
March 10, 2019
Highlights of the 2019 Winter Rally

Highlights of the 2019 Winter Rally

Experiencing the first rally in the new gym
Claire Wen and Jahan Razavi
February 22, 2019
The truth about lying

The truth about lying

Exploring the reasons behind lying and how it changes with age
Claire Wen and Claire Chang
February 6, 2019
Bringing back Winter Formal

Bringing back Winter Formal

Class of 2020’s perspective on preparations for the winter dance
Claire Wen
January 28, 2019
A funhouse for all: Science teacher Julie Choi implements stress relievers in the classroom

A funhouse for all: Science teacher Julie Choi implements stress relievers in the classroom

Science teacher Julie Choi provides items in her classroom for stress relief
Annie Zhang and Claire Wen
January 27, 2019
Vibrant stories: unique aspects of 10 MVHS students

Vibrant stories: unique aspects of 10 MVHS students

We selected 10 students from a list of everyone at MVHS using a random number generator, and discovered the stories that make MVHS students who they are
Subtly humorous traits

Subtly humorous traits

Examining Subtle Asian and Curry Traits’ influence on MVHS students
Claire Wen, Ishani Singh
December 16, 2018
A roll of the dice

A roll of the dice

Examining the impact luck plays on games
Claire Wen
November 21, 2018
Recommendation letters from a different perspective

Recommendation letters from a different perspective

Examining teachers’ perspectives on writing college letters of recommendation
Claire Wen
November 20, 2018
Astounding animes: Seven Japanese animations worth knowing

Astounding animes: Seven Japanese animations worth knowing

Seniors of MV Anime Club recommend their favorite animes, mangas and movies
Annie Zhang and Claire Wen
November 12, 2018
Self-deprecating humor

Self-deprecating humor

The stigma surrounding jokes about racial backgrounds
Claire Wen and Lakshanyaa Ganesh
October 24, 2018
2-0-2-0 po-ta-to

2-0-2-0 po-ta-to

2020 leadership share their contributions and experiences throughout homecoming
Claire Wen and Jasmine Lee
October 18, 2018
Booked up

Booked up

Students and teachers express their opinions on the books taught in literature courses
Claire Wen and Oishee Misra
October 15, 2018
Just teach it

Just teach it

Helen Chao, Claire Wen, , and
September 27, 2018
The buzz at school

The buzz at school

Students and staff share their opinions on the new bell schedules
Claire Wen and Brian Xu
August 31, 2018
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