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

Justin E Kim

Justin E Kim, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Justin Kim is currently a senior and an Arts and Entertainment editor for El Estoque. His pastimes include playing piano, teaching music and swimming at De Anza Cupertino Aquatics. In his free time he prefers to hang out with friends, dye his hair, play games on his Switch and stay up all night reading.

All content by Justin E Kim
The word COLORS is written in an explosive, rainbow font, depicting a theme similar to graffiti.

Colors

Delving into the colors of the rainbow

Homemade Hipster: French macarons

An easy yet tasty snack to entertain your appetite
Justin E Kim
May 17, 2022
Jude Law and Dan Fogler as Albus Dumbledore and Jacob Kowalski respectively in Secrets of Dumbledore. Photo | Warner Bros.

‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ is a spectacular mess

The success of Harry Potter glooms down on a film that flounders to stand by itself
Justin E Kim
April 20, 2022
Graphic by Justin Kim

Dancing forward

Taking a look at the goals and memories of MVHS's dance organizations
Korean Clubs Dance Crew performs a circular pose from K-pop group TWICEs What is Love in MVHSs Duo Rally. Photo by Krish Dev

What’s in store for KCDC?

Korean Club’s Dance Crew explains the motivations and challenges behind their performances
Justin E Kim and Minjae Kang
March 3, 2022
The Book of Boba Fett features a number of familiar characters from other Star Wars media. Poster | Disney+

‘The Book of Boba Fett’ fails to carve out an unique identity

The Star Wars series struggles to define the titular character amid an incoherent plot
Justin E Kim
February 14, 2022
From left to right: YNR Sway, Ethanerino, Arune Sarma. Graphic by Aditya Shukla | El Estoque

Rapping provides escape

A look into the FUHSD rapping scene
Aditya Shukla and Justin E Kim
February 13, 2022
MVHS teachers utilize classroom playlists as a medium to make the learning environment more comfortable. Graphic by Justin Kim

Breaking down classroom playlists

Teachers explain the philosophy behind listening to music with their students
Justin E Kim, Arts and Entertainment Editor
February 1, 2022
Graphic by Justin Kim

Seasonal consumables to try

Students share their favorite holiday dishes
Justin E Kim
December 10, 2021
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl are remakes of the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl released in 2006. Photo | The Pokémon Company

‘Pokémon Brilliant Diamond’ and ‘Pokémon Shining Pearl’ are faithful to a fault

The remakes of the original Nintendo DS games are a refreshing reimagining, but stay disappointingly true to their inspirations
Justin E Kim
November 28, 2021
The tricks and treats of Halloween

The tricks and treats of Halloween

Featuring the various aspects of celebrating Halloween
Graphic by Justin Kim

Bringing out the child in everyone

Reflecting on how pointless the socially perceived age cut-off of Halloween is
Justin E Kim
October 29, 2021
Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle is set in the Forest of Okoya, putting Koko, a human raised by Pokémon in the spotlight. Photo | The Pokémon Company

‘Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle’ has something for everyone

The 23rd movie in the franchise expands on the Pokémon world while staying true to what makes it so beloved
Justin E Kim
October 13, 2021
Performers hold up the sophomore banner after finishing their skit.

Class of 2024’s Homecoming Performance

Sophomores win 3rd place for their performance during Homecoming week
Pokémon Unite is a deviation from RPG titles to the MOBA genre. Photo | The Pokémon Company

‘Pokémon Unite’ is simple but appealing

The newest Pokémon spin off succeeds at a unique take on the MOBA formula
Justin E Kim
September 30, 2021
Star Wars: Visions is an anime anthology series consisting of nine episodes. Photo | Lucasfilm Ltd.

‘Star Wars: Visions’ breathes new life into the franchise

The newest Star Wars spinoff breaks all the rules to create a revolutionary anthology anime
Justin E Kim
September 30, 2021
Sophomore Gracie Lee leads Class of 2024 girls dance practices. Photo Illustration by Gauri Manoj

The Class of 2024: Pushing past COVID-19

Sophomores aim to overcome their inexperience and make their first Homecoming memorable
Justin E Kim and Priscilla Cho
September 17, 2021
Simu Liu as Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.  Photo | ​Marvel Studios

‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ is a refreshing entry for a new phase of Marvel hits

The newest addition to the MCU successfully tests the waters of classic martial arts flicks
Justin E Kim
September 7, 2021
The Class of 2022 wins the 15 second chant-off at the Welcome Back Rally. Photo by Aditya Shukla

MVHS hosts its first rally of the year

The Class of 2022 wins the annual Welcome Back Rally
Club leaders share their objectives for the 2021-2022 school year

Club leaders share their objectives for the 2021-2022 school year

Exploring what’s in store for clubs as MVHS returns to in-person learning
Streaming in the MVHS community

Streaming in the MVHS community

Students and faculty describe their experiences with streaming video games
Justin E Kim and Aditya Shukla
May 21, 2021
The culinary world

The culinary world

Exploring the diverse aspects of the culinary world at MVHS

The ambiance of global restaurants

Students share their experiences from culturally and aesthetically restaurants
Aditya Shukla and Justin E Kim
May 14, 2021
The Bad Batch with Omega. Photo | Disney

‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch’ proves a captivating spinoff to ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’

The 70 minute premiere revamps what could have been its predecessor’s eighth season
Justin E Kim
May 7, 2021
A year of Zoom

A year of Zoom

Exploring how the MVHS community’s feelings toward the pandemic have shifted an entire year later
A year of strange time

A year of strange time

Reflecting on COVID-19’s effects on my family members’ perception of time
Justin Kim
March 23, 2021
Photo by Claire Yang | Used with permission

Diminished club attendance during the distance learning school year

Taking a look at how various clubs have become inactive during the pandemic
Justin E Kim and Abdullah Memon
February 10, 2021
Biden speaks with attendees at an event in Iowa in 2020, || Licensed under CC

America’s future with Joe Biden

What to expect from Biden's first hundred days as President
Abdullah Memon and Justin E Kim
January 20, 2021
A close up shot of a Diya, a candle used to illuminate houses during Diwali.

Acknowledging Cultural Celebrations

The MVHS administration’s stance on cultural awareness and reducing workload for traditionally celebrated holidays
Abdullah Memon, Aditya Shukla, and Justin E Kim
December 5, 2020
Graphic by Annie Zhang

This is ________: Music and the human condition

The role of music in building interpersonal connections
Promotional Worlds 2020

Take Over: League of Legends Worlds at Shanghai

Insight into the massively popular Esports championship
Justin E Kim and Aditya Shukla
October 6, 2020
Evolution of style in quarantine

Evolution of style in quarantine

A look into how fashion and makeup preferences have changed in light of COVID-19
Photo by Jodi Johnson | Used with permission

Transitioning from a hands-on to hands-off classroom proves challenging

Students and teachers explain the adjustment to learning over Zoom
Justin E Kim and Mira Wagner
September 18, 2020
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