El Estoque Online

MVHS Student Life Commission and administrators announced reinforced club policies for the 2026-27 school year, including stricter requirements for online communication, during its Club Council meeting on Sept. 2, in the leadership room. One particular policy requires clubs to use school-approved platforms like Minga or Google Chat for all club communication.

Every February, students carefully plan and select their courses for the upcoming school year, considering their unique schedule demands and preferred course rigor while optimizing for their future goals. Word-of-mouth plays a large role in schedule decisions for students, with those who have previously taken courses commenting on course quality — including how much homework is given and how hard tests are.

The counseling office is alight with laughter — questions and quick replies make their way from door to door as the counseling team works through another school day. The sparkling tinsel lining each door sways with the whirl of students weaving their way in and out of their counselor’s office. However, this school year, in the back of the counselors’ building is a new addition: a bright paper sign with a drawn arrow pointing into a room that reads “MS. VANG & MS.

MVHS’s new enforcement of restrictions on club communication is grounded in an obligation towards student safety. A school responsible for minors has both an ethical duty and, in relevant circumstances, a legal responsibility to protect students from harassment and other forms of misconduct. The execution of this policy, however, deserves much reconsideration.

Varsity Girls Flag Football beat Mountain View High School 34-13 on Monday, Sept. 21, improving their league record to 4-0. Mountain View started the first quarter strong, swiftly passing through the Matadors’ defense and scoring the first touchdown of the match, taking an early 7-0 lead. The Matadors responded with patience, keeping the opposing team attentive and actively on their feet.

MVHS alum ‘25 and freshman at University of California Santa Barbara Hursh Shah, CEO of Edviro, pitched his energy management startup to potential investors for 30 minutes. Then he did it again. And again. Each pitch was directed toward a new audience of potential investors. As the clock ticked with every pitch, he grew frustrated and exhausted; nevertheless, he saw the experience as an opportunity to grow through the unique feedback and perspectives of others.

Photo albums hold picture-perfect memories: the ones we want to look back on. But for me, I used to compare and contrast the images in my albums, looking for a sign that I was changing. The thought that I would become someone who looked — and felt — totally different from who I was allowed me to silence my comparisons and keep going. Spoiler: I haven’t felt any different since.

Meta — the parent company of Instagram and Facebook — reached a multistate settlement on Aug. 26, ending a major lawsuit. The suit involved attorneys general from 47 U.S. states, including California, and multiple U.S. territories, with $18 billion in payments. This decision was a culmination of years of litigation alleging that Meta’s platforms were designed in ways that kept teens hooked to its products, contributing to mental and physical harm.

The New York Times recently released an article detailing statistics on global emoji usage in 2025. That year, over 6% of all emojis used was the Loudly Crying Face, which was closely followed by the Rolling on the Floor Laughing Emoji and Face with Tears of Joy Emoji. El Estoque aimed to learn what the most popular emojis among the MVHS population are.

Every February, students carefully plan and select their courses for the upcoming school year, considering their unique schedule demands and preferred course rigor while optimizing for their future goals. Word-of-mouth plays a large role in schedule decisions for students, with those who have previously taken courses commenting on course quality — including how much homework is given and how hard tests are.