NewsHidden musical talent thrives outside the music department
Hidden musical talent thrives outside the music departmentTo most people, senior Jonathon Stutchman is a student, a leader, a classmate, a friend, and even a musician, yet few people know that behind his quiet exterior Stutchman harbors a hidden talent: He is a composer. His talent and passion for both writing and playing music has remained generally unknown because he has little involvement in the school's music department. Stutchman is a self-taught composer who has penned more than 40 full pieces of music, of which two have been published. Proposed schedule that would end first semester before winter break seems to be popular
Proposed schedule that would end first semester before winter break seems to be popularIn recent years, Monta Vista, Lynbrook, Terra Linda, Pioneer, Leland High and other nearby schools have all decided to end their first semester before winter break. Now after years of complaints from students and parents alike, it looks as if the idea has become more of a possibility here, though many hurdles remain before Saratoga and Los Gatos High Schools can make this switch. As projected deficit for 2010-11 reaches $3 million, district moves closer to action
As projected deficit for 2010-11 reaches $3 million, district moves closer to action As the budget deficit for next school year nears a staggering $3.06 million, the Los-Gatos Saratoga Union High School District (LGSUHSD) has started taking steps to deal with the growing crisis. Student teacher joins social studies department
Student teacher joins social studies departmentSecond semester usually brings a few new faces to Saratoga High, but it is rare that any of those are among the faculty. That is not the case this year, however, due to the addition of new student teacher Jeff Scott, who has just taken over Rick Ellis’ third-period geography class and Mike Davey’s fourth-period World History class. BAY Mag recruiting draws teens from around the area
BAY Mag recruiting draws teens from around the areaThirty-five students from Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monta Vista and other local high schools gathered in Room 805 on Jan. 9 with the shared interest of becoming part of the student-run BAY Magazine, which covers issues and trends that affect teens in the area. The group listened to a 30-minute recruitment presentation by editor-in chief T.T. Tu about the magazine's goals and sections in hopes of possibly becoming a staff member themselves. OpinionArenas should to stick to shooting threes, not teammates
Arenas should to stick to shooting threes, not teammatesGilbert Arenas, superstar guard for the Washington Wizards, has always been known around the NBA as a prankster and a character. Fans enjoyed reading his quirky "Agent Zero" blog on the league's website and watching comedic videos of him joking around during practices on YouTube. However, on Christmas Eve 2009, Arenas took the joke too far. After losing a bet to teammate Javaris Crittendon, Arenas reportedly pulled out an unloaded gun stored in his locker intending to make humor of the situation. Limbaugh's comments on Haiti display ignorance
Limbaugh's comments on Haiti display ignorance In life, there are certain events and tragedies that transcend the bounds of politics and bring people together for a common cause. Without a doubt, the recent devastation in Haiti qualifies as one of these events. Unfortunately, conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh seems to be incapable of feeling, choosing to downplay the tragic event throughout his commentary in the aftermath of the earthquakes. The Iranian struggle: the students' revolution needs to be known to be successful
The Iranian struggle: the students' revolution needs to be known to be successfulOn June 20, 2009, a 27-year-old woman was killed by a sniper in the Iranian government paramilitary forces, the Basij. Her death was videotaped by two others, both of whom were protesting the fraudulent June 2009 elections that reinstated President Mahmoud Ahmidinejad. Finals before break not so bad, especially for students
Finals before break not so bad, especially for studentsTeachers and administrators have been thinking of instituting finals before winter break for several years now, and some teachers have taken the matter into their own hands by scheduling their own early finals—sometimes to the dismay of their colleagues. Shaggy-haired boy should not tangle with school's rules
Shaggy-haired boy should not tangle with school's rules No matter how ridiculous a rule or law may sound to some people, most rules and laws exist for a reason. They help keep society in order and citizens somewhat sane. Rebellion against rules, especially in an elementary school, can cause much havoc and unnecessary publicity. Photo gallery World famous violinist Midori visted campus Tuesday. She performed briefly and offered advice and instruction to members of the orchestra. Personal columns It was an intense wrestling practice. The room felt like a sauna. Sweat was steaming off of the hard-working athletes. The team was preparing for a tough tournament that they would attend the following weekend, and everyone was anxious. The only thing I remembered from that day was the face of the person I was wrestling. The rest was a blur. Falcon in print December 18, 2009: In this issue: financial crisis, end of college application season, the leadership class's various projects, PTSO parents' efforts, holiday traditions, teachers' high school days, sports updates and multimedia journalism's first broadcast.
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Spotlight: Stoffers to compete in Jeopardy semifinals on WednesdayAnswer: This Jeopardy contestant and 2008 graduate's list of achievements includes being yearbook editor and senior wrestling captain.
Who is alumnus Ryan Stoffers?
If you tuned into Jeopardy on Feb. 1, you may have noticed a familiar face. Stoffers, now a sophomore mathematics/economics student at UCLA, got a shot at stardom this past Monday night when he became a contestant on College Jeopardy.
Also in the Spotlight:  Souper Bowl aims to score big for ceramicsFor most, the Super Bowl brings to mind heavy padding and players tackling each other, but at Saratoga High, the Souper Bowl, a clever play on words, brings to mind big ladles and volunteers tackling vegetables and broth. After a four year hiatus, the ninth Souper Bowl, a fundraiser for the ceramics program, is returning on Wednesday, Feb.10 from 5-7 pm.m in the cafeteria.  Second-year MAP electives further program's growthFirst introduced to last year's sophomore class, the Media Arts Program, or MAP, has grown to include three engaging new electives for second-year Media Arts students: advanced animation and two video production classes: filmmaking and multimedia journalism.  Giving backEvery two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. Saratoga High students helped save these individuals' lives by generously donating blood in the Stanford Blood Drive Jan. 29. The bi-annual blood drive was hosted by the SHS Community Commission and was scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Small Gym. Although many appointments were pushed back because the Stanford Blood Drive truck broke down along the way to the school, the drive had a good turnout of 69 donations, according to head commissioner Daryl Chang. FeaturesTypewriters and chalkboards: Life without technology
Typewriters and chalkboards: Life without technologyiPhones, netbooks and hybrid cars are just some of technological innovations that have come about in the past decade. Technological advances that have become so commonplace in the past 10 years could not have even been conceived of in the '90s. The school has also experienced changes in these past years and many teachers who have been teaching here since the '90s can recall a simpler time when the school only owned three computers total. A passion for sound: singer/songwriter Vienna Teng urges students to cultivate their love for music
A passion for sound: singer/songwriter Vienna Teng urges students to cultivate their love for musicIn today's society, simply wanting to be an entertainer is not enough; aside from being talented, getting noticed takes a lot of effort too. One such persevering entertainer is Saratoga High alumni and singer Vienna Teng, the stage name for 1996 graduate Cynthia Shih. She sings from four main genres: folk, pop, indie folk and chamber pop. Since her debut in 2002 she has produced four albums, including "Waking Hour" and "Warm Strangers", which once reached No. 2 on Amazon.com's bestseller list. Teng told The Falcon that she found her passion in music early on. Current weight room once housed the auto shop
Current weight room once housed the auto shopWhen students enter the weight room, they probably don't realize it was once home to an auto shop class. English teacher Bill Peck, who graduated from the school in 1971, said students used to bring their cars in and they would work on the vehicles all day, fixing mechanical errors and learning a valuable skill in the process. One of the former teachers of this class is current MAP teacher Tony Palma who reintroduced the class as an elective in the late '90s and taught it until it ended in 2003. Returning/New TV Shows of 2010
Returning/New TV Shows of 20101. Lost: (Season 6) Feb. 2, 2010 Recap: When we last saw them, Sawyer and Juliet were put on a submarine off an island along with Kate but they took over the submarine and steered it back to the island to save its residents. Locke was being transported through time where he met Richard and discovered that Richard doesn't age. Sun went back to the island to look for Jin where she was given her wedding ring back. Ben tries looking for Jacob and realizes that he is "fake" and kills Jacob. ESL Teacher connects with students
ESL Teacher connects with studentsTonio Galoic raises his hand, confused about the English words he has never learned that stare back at him. Teacher Sara Tseng walks over and spends time with Galoic, helping him to comprehend what he is reading. Galoic is a foreign exchange student from Croatia who is learning English and one of 15 students taking Tseng's English Language Development class, or ELD. The class focuses on developing students' English reading, speaking and writing skills. SportsBoys' basketball: Streaky Falcons look to improve in league
Boys' basketball: Streaky Falcons look to improve in league After a slow 1-7 start, the boys' basketball team finished the non-league season strong, posting a 3-1 record over the winter break. This four-game surge came at a good time for the Falcons, who rolled into their first league game versus Cupertino with some positive momentum. Saratoga's winning ways continued against the Cupertino Pioneers, as senior shooting guard Daniel Chou exploded for a career-high 27 points on six three-pointers while shooting an astounding 71 percent from the field. Senior Suciu skates to success
Senior Suciu skates to successOut of 250 top skaters, senior Mark Suciu placed ninth at the 15th international annual “Tampa Am” competition in Tampa, Florida, in early December. The contest was open to all skateboarders worldwide, and each participant was sent by a sponsor to compete. "It's a little ironic to me that skateboarding competitions get the most coverage, because competitions are such a small part of skateboarding," said Suciu, who does not particularly like contests, and says most true skateboarders share the same anti-competitive attitude. Boys' soccer climbs ranks in hope of league championship
Boys' soccer climbs ranks in hope of league championshipOne new coach ready to bring home a victory? Check. Two sophomore captains ready to lead their team to the top? Check. Twenty-two skilled soccer players ready to play their hardest to become league champions? Check. The boys' soccer team is now in second place out of eight teams in the El Camino League as of Jan. 25. They credit this newfound success to good chemistry. "We all play really well together," said senior goalie Kevin Benzing. "Even though we all come from different teams and different grades, we manage to put that aside on the field." Sky High: Bouncing off the walls at trampoline-filled facility
Sky High: Bouncing off the walls at trampoline-filled facilityPeople dream about being weightless and traveling 30 yards in one hop. However, unless you have a few million dollars to blow on a trip to the moon, the closest you're going to get to such an experience is at Sky High. Athlete of the Issue: Guy excels on and off soccer field
Athlete of the Issue: Guy excels on and off soccer fieldShe's been on varsity soccer for four years. She was the school's fastest 100 meter sprinter as a freshman and remains a top sprinter. She's a head of the Invisible Children club and spends hours working on projects for the leadership class. No, she's not Wonder Woman. She's senior Sarah Guy. Saratoga High TVTreats for Troops Saratoga High TV
Posted on 11/12/2009 6:39 PM by Priya Arunkumar and Zara Sheikh |
