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El Estoque Online El Estoque is the print and web-based student news publication at M***a Vista High School in Cupertino, Calif. Are you always the last to know? Know it now.

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On Friday, Feb. 27, ASB hosted MV’s Got Talent in the Auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m. Acts featured in the show included sla...
03/03/2026

On Friday, Feb. 27, ASB hosted MV’s Got Talent in the Auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m. Acts featured in the show included slam poetry, musical performances, mental math and cultural dances. Alongside a ten minute intermission where audience members were served snacks, members of ASB hosted trivia games and a round of Simon Says to entertain the crowd. Final winners were tallied through judge and audience votes, with sophomore Janmejay Khandelwal winning first, senior Jayden Tang and junior Richie Yu coming in second, and junior Eddie Fan claiming third.

Khandelwal, who earned a commemorative plaque and a choice between a two-week staff parking spot and front-of-the-line pass as the first place winner, chose to participate in MVGT with his math tricks performance simply because he was free during the lunch period when auditions for the show were held. Khandelwal says that he came into the experience without expecting to win, and that his biggest takeaway from the show is to just be yourself.

“I was like, ‘I’ve got nothing to lose,’ and that’s how I got in here,” Khandelwal said. “It was amazing. I enjoy math. I learned math tricks, and that’s how I got here.”

Photos and reporting by Kate Yang and Benjamin Zhang

Varsity Boys Basketball fell 63-22 to Palo Alto High School on Tuesday, Feb. 17. MVHS kept up with PAHS throughout the f...
03/03/2026

Varsity Boys Basketball fell 63-22 to Palo Alto High School on Tuesday, Feb. 17. MVHS kept up with PAHS throughout the first quarter, trailing by only a few points at 14-10. However, in the second quarter, PAHS widened its lead with a strong offense, leading to a score of 29-14 by halftime. Throughout the second half, MVHS suffered many turnovers, but despite their best efforts, the end of the third quarter ended with a score of 46-20.

Head Coach Wade Nakamura attributes the loss in part to the lack of spirit on the bench, as well as the many core players on the team who have recently recovered from injuries or are currently injured. However, Nakamura hopes that this game can be a source of motivation for players.

“We beat them the first time we played them,” Nakamura said. “This is their senior night, so they’re going to be extra motivated, and they have something to prove. So, since they were motivated, and they’re at home, we have to match that intention. And we weren’t able to do that, at least not consistently.”

Photos and reporting by Raj Thapliyal and Owen Liu

On the fifth day of Scholastic Journalism Week 2026, El Estoque celebrates the leaders in our journalism program.In our ...
02/28/2026

On the fifth day of Scholastic Journalism Week 2026, El Estoque celebrates the leaders in our journalism program.

In our newsmagazine, leadership plays a crucial role in the work we publish. Read more to hear from three of our editors about their perspectives being role models and mentors.

On the fourth day of Scholastic Journalism Week, we recognize Student Press Freedom Day.El Estoque is proud to announce ...
02/27/2026

On the fourth day of Scholastic Journalism Week, we recognize Student Press Freedom Day.

El Estoque is proud to announce its selection as a 2026 First Amendment Press Freedom Award recipient from the Journalism Education Association. As journalists, press freedom allows us to report freely and without censorship. Check out our post to see examples of our work showcasing our publication’s devotion to transparency and accountability.

MVHS’ and Kennedy Middle School’s choirs held a collaborative Valentine’s Day-themed concert on Thursday, Feb. 12. The p...
02/26/2026

MVHS’ and Kennedy Middle School’s choirs held a collaborative Valentine’s Day-themed concert on Thursday, Feb. 12. The program began with a set from KMS’ Advanced Dynamics class, led by KMS choir teacher Hannah Sun, including arrangements of “For Good” from the 2025 film “Wicked: For Good” and traditional Latin song “O Nata Lux.”

The KMS section was followed by Singing Valentines performances by MVHS Esperanza and Advanced Choir classes, in which groups of performers called up audience members and serenaded them with love songs. The final piece of the night featured a combined performance from both the KMS and MVHS choirs of “Edelweiss” from the 1965 musical drama film “The Sound of Music.” Senior Sahasra Anand participated in two Disney Singing Valentines of the songs “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “Once Upon a Dream.”

“I’m feeling a little bittersweet because this is my fourth and final year,” Anand said. “Because this is my last one, I’m feeling it a lot more. This is a program where even though I’m working, it doesn’t feel like work. I’m going to miss having that so much.”

Photos and reporting by Isabelle Kok and Stella Petzova

On the third day of Scholastic Journalism Week, El Estoque celebrates trends, ideas and technology.To keep up with the e...
02/26/2026

On the third day of Scholastic Journalism Week, El Estoque celebrates trends, ideas and technology.

To keep up with the evolving digital landscape, El Estoque publishes video stories, audio stories and multimedia packages that incorporate interactive features. Check out our post to view some of our favorite stories from this year that utilize mediums beyond text.

On the second day of Scholastic Journalism Week, El Estoque celebrates press rights in action.California’s Ed Code 48907...
02/25/2026

On the second day of Scholastic Journalism Week, El Estoque celebrates press rights in action.

California’s Ed Code 48907 empowers student journalists to report on issues that matter, free from administrative censorship. This protection ensures that our community stays informed. Check out our post to learn more about how Ed Code 48907 safeguards student voices and supports a free press.

On the first day of Scholastic Journalism Week, El Estoque celebrates the First Amendment, which guarantees our freedoms...
02/24/2026

On the first day of Scholastic Journalism Week, El Estoque celebrates the First Amendment, which guarantees our freedoms of speech, press, religion, petition and assembly.

At El Estoque, we strive to uphold the power of expression by reporting on stories that demonstrate its impact. Check out our post to see some of our top stories from this year that highlight the importance of exercising our First Amendment rights.

MV Drama hosted its annual rendition of the famous sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live on Friday, Feb. 6 from 7 to 10...
02/11/2026

MV Drama hosted its annual rendition of the famous sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live on Friday, Feb. 6 from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Black Box Theater. The show was produced by seniors Shaurya Sane, Rowan Chang, Chloe Schiavo and junior Beck Poltronetti and starred English and AVID 12 teacher Megan Voigt and her husband, Head Baseball Coach and Study Buddy Society Lead Shawn Voigt.

MVSNL also featured a 10 minute intermission in which drama students sold snacks and drinks. Students across all grade levels performed skits like “The 1948th Annual New York City Mayoral Debate: Brought to you by Izzy,” “Dr. Eviler and the Legal Form OF DOOM” and a senior skit about long bathroom lines. “Weekend Update” featured a cameo from one of last year’s hosts, Doug Leresche, and two musical appearances from seniors Shiva Chaganti and Ozzy Kawasaki topped off the night. MVSNL concluded with a heartfelt video created by Cameron Polidoro, Vikram Mallya and Shrey Savur to showcase the MV Drama program’s graduating seniors.

Sane believes that effective communication is the key to managing a large production like MVSNL. Sane has been involved in MV Drama since his sophomore year, and is currently enrolled in the Advanced Tech class. Sane explains that due to the low number of students who wanted to participate in MVSNL, he had to act in more sketches than he originally anticipated. However, even though Sane’s role in MV Drama lies predominantly off-stage, he still loves getting to take on acting roles.

“I have fun acting because I just try to be funny a lot,” Sane said. “Bringing people laughs is something I like to do, and through acting, you can do that. When you see people laugh, it’s amazing. It’s because of all the work you put in. It feels all the better.”

Photos and reporting by Meghna Dixit and Vaishnavi Katukam

MVHS defeated Homestead High School 64-43 on Friday, Feb. 6 in a home game. Contrasting their 43-47 loss to HHS earlier ...
02/10/2026

MVHS defeated Homestead High School 64-43 on Friday, Feb. 6 in a home game. Contrasting their 43-47 loss to HHS earlier in the season, the Matadors redeemed themselves with the 21-point difference in the final score. The first quarter started out with extremely fast-paced and aggressive drives from both teams, ending at 17-11, with MVHS ahead. Both teams continued to play with high energy during the second quarter, though HHS slightly picked up its offense, resulting in a closer score of 30-26. However, as MVHS increased its defensive pressure in the third quarter, obtaining steals and scoring on fast breaks, it built a massive lead of 50-28. Keeping the lead consistent until the end of the game, MVHS came out victorious with a final score of 64-43.

One prevalent skill throughout the game was how cohesively the team played. Notably, sophomore and small forward Ethan Lin felt that he was able to connect with his teammates on the court throughout the game and implement all the work they have been practicing as a team over the season. However, Lin says that he and his team had initial doubts based on their last game facing HHS.

“In the first half, we were hesitating on what we were going to do, because last time we lost to them,” Lin said. “But in the second half, we were up by four, and realized we had a chance of winning. Because we had healthy players, we got to pull them out by 20.”

Photos and reporting by Nylah Gehani and Lora Lee

Varsity Girls Basketball won against Fremont High School 44-27 on Friday, Feb. 6. MVHS started off with a strong defense...
02/10/2026

Varsity Girls Basketball won against Fremont High School 44-27 on Friday, Feb. 6. MVHS started off with a strong defense, ending the first quarter 7-4 and consistently pulling ahead for the rest of the game.

Junior and captain Rachel Bergendahl attributes the win to the tactical communication between players, especially because FHS used an offensive overload strategy — a strategy used to overcome zone defenses by placing more players on one side of the court — forcing MVHS to properly communicate on defense. She also notes that the team had been in a slight slump, and so the win felt like a comeback.

“Bouncing back, recovering and being resilient tonight was really good to see,” Bergendahl said. “We’re getting towards the end of the season, so it’s knowing that we’re capable of this, and we know how good we can be. Just doing it tonight was a good way to show ourselves what we can do and what we can continue to do in the postseason.”

Photos and reporting by Radhika Dharmapurikar

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