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

Samika Bhatkar

Samika Bhatkar, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Samika is currently a junior and Arts & Entertainment editor for El Estoque. She loves listening to hip-hop and rap music and playing with her dog. In her free time, Samika watches NBA games or cooks Indian food with her mom.

All content by Samika Bhatkar
Hip Hop W(rap) Up

Hip Hop W(rap) Up

Celebrating Hip-Hop’s Fiftieth birthday at MVHS through exploring the community’s favorite hip-hop songs
Samika Bhatkar and Dylan Nguyen
September 16, 2023
Donning a custom, lavender layered gown Swift performs the song “Long Live” from her third album “Speak Now.” The singer played from a blue guitar decorated with koi fish, a tribute to the same guitar she used during her “Speak Now” tour. Photo courtesy of Kiana Mark

Taylor Swift’s ‘Enchanted’ effects on Santa Clara

Exploring the social and economic impact of Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’
Senior Mikaylah Du poses  in front of a computer as someone who pirates content.

Movie marauders

Examining the MVHS community’s personal experiences with pirating movies
Samika Bhatkar and Vincent Zhao
May 30, 2023

Man on the street: What are your NBA Finals predictions?

MVHS students share which teams they think will win the 2023 NBA playoffs
Samika Bhatkar and Alyssa Yang
May 20, 2023
Graphic by Kathryn Foo

Going to the gym

Observing MVHS students experiences with the gym
Samika Bhatkar, Kathryn Foo, and Sophia Ma
April 13, 2023
Trade talks

Trade talks

Exploring the recent trades in the NBA and issues in basketball free agency
Samika Bhatkar and Mihir Vishwarupe
March 20, 2023
Pedestrians cross one leg of the Bubb/McClellan intersection during the walk phase of the Pedestrian Scramble

Scramble to amble

Examining the effects of the new Pedestrian Scramble
Samika Bhatkar and Angela Zhang
February 8, 2023
Junior Matthew Lau pushes through an MHS defender for a layup

Boys Basketball loses to Milpitas High School 58-51

Matadors fall short in securing a win in a close game
Samika Bhatkar, Kathryn Foo, and Alyssa Yang
January 29, 2023
A photo showing the front of the HHS cafeteria and its mustang statue.

Mustang to Matador

FUHSD Board passes proposal to help with MVHS’s declining enrollment
Samika Bhatkar and Krish Dev
December 22, 2022
Senior Alexa Baxter scores with a header off of a corner kick.

Girls Soccer defeats Capuchino High School 7-0

Matadors dominate in their second game of the league season
Samika Bhatkar, Yash Thapliyal, and Vincent Zhao
December 12, 2022
According a survey of 160 people, 31% of MVHS students wear makeup regularly.

Cover up

Delving into pressures and ways the MVHS community chooses to cover up
“Heroes and Villains” album cover depicts Metro Boomin shaking an identical version of him engulfed in fire, a sentiment paying homage to rock group Pink Floyd.

Metro Boomin proves producer albums shouldn’t be disregarded in “Heroes and Villains”

“Heroes and Villains” rich and dark ambiance perfectly pairs masterful production with feature artists
Samika Bhatkar
December 9, 2022
Sophmore Haneen Moharram with her hijab

It’s just a choice

Observing what the hijab means to MVHS’s Muslim community
Samika Bhatkar and Jiya Singh
November 17, 2022
String Orchestra students perform symphonies at the Fall Concert which took place Oct 28.

MVHS Band and Orchestra capture Halloween spirit in its Fall Concert

Ensembles enchant audiences with a mysterious and enthralling performance
Samika Bhatkar
October 31, 2022
Targeted advertisements tend to pop up on social media platforms such as Instagram, and typically advertise products the user has shown prior interest in.

Ad 2 Cart

Understanding thoughts behind fashion and social media advertising
Why are consumers fixated on apparel logos?

Why are consumers fixated on apparel logos?

Observing the effects of brand culture on MVHS students
Chiran Arumugam and Samika Bhatkar
October 9, 2022
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story features actor Evan Peters, with the series poster portraying Peters staring menacingly into the audiences eyes.

“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” is an unethical monstrosity

Examining the internet’s disturbing obsession with Jeffrey Dahmer
Samika Bhatkar and Aashi Venkat
October 8, 2022
Jabari Smith cradles his love interest Meadow on the Entergalactic album cover.

“Entergalactic” is nothing out of the ordinary

Despite its tranquil production and lyricism, “Entergalactic” fails to stand on its own
Samika Bhatkar
October 6, 2022
Teachers take on new positions

Teachers take on new positions

Examining how students and teachers adapt to position changes
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