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

We must reinforce the idea of consent in everyday situations such as showing affection: not liking physical affection does not mean you care about someone any less.
Illustration | Anika Bhandarkar

High five, please

Anika Bhandarkar March 9, 2024

Meeting relatives often goes like this: my parents greet them first, exchanging a customary “how have you been,” followed by my brother getting a wave or a high five. Eventually, they turn to me, extending...

I have often let my fear of not perfecting a piano piece get in the way of practicing at all, causing a huge amount of stress in the weeks before competitions. Staying consistent and putting in just a little each day has massively helped my improvement and has helped me not burn out in the long term. Photo courtesy of Mangesh Bhandarkar | Used with permission

The price of perfection

Anika Bhandarkar March 2, 2024

I have always been a procrastinator. Despite numerous attempts to fix this bad habit through time blocking, staying ahead of classes or simply being more disciplined, I have always strayed off schedule...

LGBTQ+ individuals should not be expected to come out — it can put an enormous mental and emotional strain on them and also reinforces heteronormative and cisnormative societal standards.

Coming out quietly

Anika Bhandarkar January 28, 2024

From the initial “Hey, I need to tell you something,” to the eternity of watching the three dots appear as my best friend typed back, I anxiously waited, because I was going to come out to her. The...

Junior Clara Fun jumps to shoot the ball during a varsity girls basketball game.

Hitting the breaking point

Anika Bhandarkar and Alyssa Yang December 23, 2023
Examining how athletes at MVHS have experienced and overcome burnout within their sports
Culture plays a nuanced role in someones identity, which is why we must take it into account before asking someone to share their political opinions.

Culture: the elephant (and donkey) in the room

Anika Bhandarkar and Meggie Chen December 6, 2023

With all the social justice movements in recent years and the upcoming 2024 presidential election, politics is on the forefront of many people’s minds. As tensions between parties continue to rise and...

During a pause in his live forging demonstration, blacksmith Lester Markarian explains the techniques he used to create a handle.

Forging demonstration lights up Baer Blacksmith Shop

Anika Bhandarkar and Alyssa Yang November 28, 2023
Restored historical Cupertino shop holds monthly blacksmithing demonstration
Swearing must be destigmatized — teaching students not to swear purely because swear words are bad is ineffective and allows the harmful stereotypes behind some swear words and slurs to persist.

F— this

Anika Bhandarkar November 3, 2023

“I know the f-word, do you?”  As early as elementary school, I can remember swear words being akin to a form of currency — students exchanged swear words, often whispering them at recess or when...

Tika, my brother, and I pose for a family photo. Photo courtesy of Mangesh Bhandarkar | Used with permission

Down memory lane

Anika Bhandarkar October 28, 2023

I promise this will be the last story I write about my old dog Tika.  I’ve written a lot of “dead dog” personal narratives since my first dog, Tika, passed away when I was in third grade. Nearly...

Local politics are just as important in the lives of MVHS students as federal news, if not more.

National concern, local impact

Anika Bhandarkar and April Wang September 30, 2023

Often, world issues take center stage in our lives — we tend to follow national and global politics closely, focusing on the big, scary or exciting events from far away while overlooking the way national...

The pressure I put on myself to set personal records soon left me exhausted, and negatively impacted my relationship for running.

Overambition: the enemy of my improvement

Anika Bhandarkar September 23, 2023
How letting go of the time on the clock helped me run faster
Students note that parental controls can sometimes feel overly restrictive, with 52% of MVHS students reporting that they feel dissatisfied with the controls on their device(s).

Under CTRL

Anika Bhandarkar and Megha Mummaneni May 31, 2023
Examining student and parent opinions on parental controls
The mentality that the lighter you are, the better you perform has woven its way into many sports, particularly endurance sports and performing arts.

Would I be faster if I were skinnier?

Anika Bhandarkar May 8, 2023
Rethinking how MVHS addresses body-image issues in sports
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