THEMVCSVISTA
Monte Vista Christian School Newspaper
Read writer opinions on different topics and issues.
Ever since the integration of the iPad, Monte Vista Christian has continued to advance its pursuit of technology integration in everyday high school academics. However, this diligent pursuit to be on the “cutting edge” has led to a few drawbacks and a variety of opinions from the student body.
From the outside, Monte Vista is seen as a school that relies on a spirit of inquiry, with Google glasses, iPads, and computers used as a means to answer academic curiosity.
Yet on the inside, technology has led to a spirit of apathy. Academic integrity, attentiveness in class, and curriculum have spiralled downward. As a student at MVC since 6th grade, I have witnessed a positive correlation between the use of technology and a lack of academic integrity.
Although the use of technology in an academic setting is not inherently bad, the integration of tech at Monte Vista has led to the school changing its priorities. Instead of focusing on building a strong Christian community, and being a college preparatory school, Monte Vista has dedicated time to producing pristine commercials that illustrate a tech-filled utopia that is flawless and gorgeous. Not once have I personally used Google glass, or the Oculus tech at Monte Vista. This inaccurate depiction of Monte Vista causes me to wonder if the school’s vision is still “Fidei Defensor,” Defender of the Faith.
“I think that the idea of using them is cool,” senior Ella Halliday said of Google Glass and Oculus devices. “But we don’t actually use those things, so it’s totally misrepresentation.”
Some students at Monte Vista feel as if the technology is too much.
“iPads are unnecessary, and paper and pencil are better,” senior Olivia Howard said.
A definite change in how tech is integrated and advertised at Monte Vista Christian is needed, but, more importantly, a change in priorities for the school needs to occur as well. When the big picture ideas of building a strong Christian community and creating rigorous academics become more important, the smaller priorities, like integrating technology, will fall into place. If administrators, teachers, and students all work to reach a common goal of academic excellence, the ways to implement technology to accomplish that goal will become clear.
WATSONVILLE--A few days ago, I was driving behind a car that had a sticker reading ‘Feel the Bern.’. The saying is common enough, but I didn’t think it existed outside of the Internet.
Bernie Sanders took the lead in the New Hampshire primary for the Democratic party, Hillary Clinton took the lead in the Nevada and Iowa caucuses for Democrats, Ted Cruz won the Iowa caucus for Republicans, and Donald Trump took the majority of votes for the Republican party in New Hampshire and South Carolina Republican caucus.
And the entirety of it is a freak show.
How Trump is continually winning is finally making sense in this entertainment-based election. While he may not be a good candidate, there are too many Republican candidates running, which split the votes in the Republican party so that Trump is able to win with only 35.3% of those voting Republican as he did in New Hampshire. And he gets the airtime because of it, crowing louder than Sanders so that even though he had only half the percentage votes of Sanders, he is seen as a winner.
There had been fifteen candidates to choose from in the NH Primary, many of which have now dropped out from their poor showing. Maybe if there had been less candidates in the Grand Old Party, there might have been a better showing for someone against Trump. But as more continue to drop out as more primaries and caucuses pass, Trump continues to win.
It’s in direct contrast with the Democratic side, where there were only three candidates that show up in the results. Sanders took a little bit more than 60%. Clinton followed with about 38%, and the last one doesn’t need to be mentioned because he received less than a percentage of the votes and has dropped out of the race. In Nevada, Clinton won 52.6% and Sanders 47.4%.
I’ve lived in New Hampshire. I experienced the political atmosphere and I assume that the other states with early primaries and caucuses are in the middle of the chaos. I have friends who are first-time voters there, now officially targeted by campaign ads--and all who I’ve talked to have ‘felt the Bern’.
“I voted for Bernie Sanders,” said Faith Gardner, a first-time voter in New Hampshire and friend of mine. “Mainly because my brothers voted for him and so I thought, ‘He’s probably a chill choice’. I just jumped on the bandwagon. Most of my friends voted for Bernie, too.”
With New Hampshire being the first primary, it is a huge battle ground for the candidates. It’s not like California, which is primarily a democratic state. In California, it’s very rare to see political ads. I think I received one in the mail a few months ago. New Hampshire is slammed with ads. There is no way to avoid it.
“There were so many ads this year,” said Jackie Boucher, a first-time voter who also voted for Bernie Sanders and another friend of mine. “It seemed like every other commercial was a political ad.”
I remember being in New Hampshire for the 2012 election. I remember the ads and how overbearing they were--and I remember tuning them out because of the direct attacks against other candidates. With such a controversial election this year, with Clinton’s email and Benghazi scandal, Marco Rubio’s robotic debate demeanor, and Trump’s crass remarks and ‘circus’ campaign, I imagine it must have been 10 times worse over there.
And maybe the worst part of it is that it is now an entertainment-based event. Politics are now being broadcasted on entertainment shows. It’s reaching wider audiences, but it’s only telling them the gossip of the race rather than the facts of which people need to be informed to let them have an informed vote.
So let’s make this election a little more serious and let people be more informed instead of rashing out Bernie Sanders memes and photoshopping Trump’s face onto an animated character from Monsters, Inc. Then the real candidates who will do good for this country will appear after being overshadowed from the flash bulbs that have failed to be focused on true politics.
Campaigns, Caucuses, and Primaries: Oh My
By Hannah Poole
Multimedia Editor
hannahpoole@students.mvcs.org
New Cafe Layout Solves Some Lunch Line Problems, but Not All
By Stuart Buie
Opinion Editor
stuartbuie@students.mvcs.org
Returning from winter break, students have faced a similar, yet more organized situation at the cafe after a $15,000 renovation. The new entrance creates simpler lines, but the same number of students still enter the cafe. With the student body growing to 825 high school students, the lunch lines have become long and unmanageable.
As a student at Monte Vista Christian since 6th grade, I have witnessed the growth of the student body and its effect on the lunch lines. The past two years have become nearly unbearable for students to get food. I often have found myself waiting in line, only to have the cafe run out of the meal I wanted, or to be frequently cut in line by other students due to the disorganization of the line.
With the new cafe layout, the organization of the lines has improved, and students now wait in line inside, instead of facing the elements outside the cafe.
Well, at least that was the expectation of the renovation.
Students still line up and crowd outside the cafeteria, and the overall wait time to receive food has diminished only slightly.
The underlying problem is the difference in opinion between the students and faculty.
Senior Katie Schmitzer noted that the renovation doesn’t resolve the issue of the long and crowded lunch line.
“If anything were to fix the cafe fiasco, it would be having a bigger cafe,” Schmitzer said.
Justin Cong, a senior, also addressed concern about the lines.
“If they could of done a split lunch that would have really helped,” he said.
For the faculty, the lunch line dilemma doesn’t sound like much of a dilemma.
“I don’t go to high school lunch, so I’m not aware of how well the renovation is working,” Admissions Officer Joan Bresley said.
Drama teacher Dawn Hoy said she’s fine with the current structure.
“I’m okay with it,” she said. “I don’t know if there’s a way to avoid it honestly,” she said.
Truthfully, the only way to avoid it is if you are a faculty member and you’re granted the privilege of skipping the lines. Because of this, Monte Vista faculty are unaware of how bad the lines truly are.
The unaddressed problem that allows the mad dash to the cafe is the lack of a senior early dismissal. When I was a freshman and sophomore, the lines were manageable and seniors were always the first to be dismissed. Now early dismissal has become ubiquitous, and all four classes swarm to the cafe before the bell has even rung.
“It sucks” Cong said. “There are no senior privileges anymore. Some teachers are good at giving early dismissal, but plenty of others are not.”
With the realization that renovation alone won’t fix the long wait, it’s time for administration to turn towards other options like split lunches or a larger cafeteria. With the proven success of split lunches seen on Mondays after chapel, it should become apparent that a schedule change will pay huge dividends to the overall lunch experience at Monte Vista.
