Saratoga Falcon

May 7, 2013

As students enter into their last few weeks of school, several groups on campus have begun to establish their new leaders for the coming year. So far, the new editor-in-chiefs of the Saratoga Falcon and drum majors for the marching band have been announced.

May 7, 2013

Charged with monitoring over 60 clubs, ranging from the French Club to the App Developers’ Club, the ASB has its hands full keeping up with auditing existing clubs and making room for new ones. 

This year, and continuing into next year, the ASB is taking steps to make sure dormant clubs are no longer recognized by the school.

May 8, 2013

A sense of shock settled like thick fog on the morning of Friday, April 12, after students found out about the alleged causes of sophomore Audrie Pott’s suicide last September.

May 16, 2013

 

The Falcons ousted the Wilcox Chargers 6-1 to win the De Anza League Championship on May, 10. 

For the Falcons, it truly was a season of firsts.

Juniors honored at CSF award ceremony
Honors to be omitted at graduation
School receives recognition for academic achievement and exemplary practices
Super Quiz provides fun relief for AP Chemistry students
Financial state of classes
Huge success at History Day state competition
History Bowl makes history at Nationals
May 23, 2013 — by Amy Lin

The annual California Scholarship Federation Junior Award Ceremony, which took place May 22, honored 13 juniors who were chosen by their teachers for their outstanding work in science, English, history, math or leadership. Teachers nominated students in late March and presented awards during teacher collaboration early Wednesday morning.

May 23, 2013 — by Sanj Nalwa and Helen Wong

In the past, the names of students on graduation day have been listed in order of academic standing in the program. This year, that’s going to change. 

On graduation day, the class of 2013 will not be ranked in very high honors, high honors, and honors in the graduation pamphlet. 

May 23, 2013 — by Maya Ravichandran and Sabrina Chen

The school was recognized recently for its achievements by both the California Distinguished School Program and by the magazine US News and World Report. 

May 22, 2013 — by Nikil Ramanathan

With AP testing finished and the stress of junior year beginning to decrease, students in teacher Kathy Nakamatsu’s AP Chemistry have embarked on a whole new challenge. 

May 22, 2013 — by Catherine Tang and Carol Suh

As the year comes to an end, each class is looking at its standing regarding its financial state.

May 22, 2013 — by Nelson Wang

This year, SHS students participating in History Day had a strong showing at the state competition. The school sent a record 16 entries, created by 31 students, to represent the Santa Clara County at the State Competition in Sacramento on April 27. 

May 10, 2013 — by Nick Chow and Bruce Lou

The History Bowl team crossed the finish line at the 2013 national tournament, 3,000 miles away in Washington, D.C, with the varsity A team and JV team placing within the top 20 and top eight in the nation respectively. But most importantly, the trip was the culminating experience to a successful season.

Softball triumphs in first round of CCS, falls short in second
Golf Team wins El Camino Division, goes to CCS
Swimmers perform at CCS
Banner baseball season ends in first round CCS loss
Star player Stevie Berman Santa Clara University bound
History teacher shares love of basketball
Boys’ determined to end strong
May 23, 2013 — by Bruce Lou and Arman Vaziri

Capping an amazing season, the softball team defeated Valley Christian 6-3 in the first round before finally being stopped by Los Altos in a 6-0 defeat.

May 23, 2013 — by Arman Vaziri

After winning the El Camino division championships with a 12-0 season and then coming second to Palo Alto in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League finals, the boys’ golf team qualified for the first round of CCS on May 8 at Rancho Canada golf course. 

May 22, 2013 — by Amy Lin

A total of 21 swimmers from both the boys’ and the girls’ teams attended CCS at the Santa Clara International Swim Center on May 10 and 11, with swims in seven events and all three relays. Although 11 athletes swam for individual events, only junior Cameron Borch and freshman Bradley Newton finaled, both in the 500-yard freestyle.

May 22, 2013 — by Derek Sun

The Falcon baseball team’s season came to a heartbreaking end after losing to St. Ignatius 11-3 in the opening round of CCS on May 16. The Falcons finished the season with a 22-9 record.

May 10, 2013 — by Derek Sun

Senior Steven Berman grew up around baseball. His father starred for the UCLA Bruins and continued to play in the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system for three years during the 1980s.

May 10, 2013 — by Megana Iyer and Maya Ravichandran

At the SHS-Redwood charity game on Feb. 27, many students were surprised to find out that their history teacher was actually athletic.

May 10, 2013 — by Ingrid Hong

The boys’ lacrosse team had a bittersweet ending at their senior game on April 27 against the Leland Chargers, winning 13-1. 

Adding to the American landfill: Businesses wasting good merchandise
Cannabis is the new biz
Why have field trips become a thing of the past?
Current AP program should adopt aspects of IB program
+1 for SHS: get rid of the plus-minus system
Scientists should not revive extinct species
Pension funds eating away at California
May 22, 2013 — by Grace Ma

We live in a society full of abundance. The United States’ resources are in such great excess that dumpsters are flowing with fresh produce, and bonfires are no longer made of wood: They are made of thousand-dollar handbags.

May 10, 2013 — by Nikhil Goel

Soon after Colorado and Washington approved the recreational use of marijuana, pot users in both states began taking advantage of this trailblazing law. One group of people in particular is looking past the taboo of smoking weed and is snatching at the opportunity in this recently legalized market: entrepreneurs.

May 3, 2013 — by Carol Suh and Catherine Tang

Gone are the days of elementary school, when students were able to hop on a bus and travel to a zoo, museum or historical landmark to further their studies in school. It’s high school now; lunchables have been replaced by off-campus vehicular sprints, “hands-on” education by grade-stressing labs.

May 2, 2013 — by Michelle Leung

In an era of standardized testing, there are two programs vying for ultimate supremacy: the Advanced Placement (AP) program and the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.

 

May 1, 2013 — by Ariel Liu

“Just Be Kind” was the anthem of the school a month ago, in a stirring push by the ASB to improve school atmosphere and combat student stress. Those hardworking student government members spent hundreds of hours trying to help their school—yet the most cost-effective solution to the school’s dog-eat-dog competitive environment might be a lot simpler.

April 30, 2013 — by Carolyn Sun and Helen Wong

Woolly mammoths and sabre-toothed tigers, dodos and Chinese river dolphins, thylacines and passenger pigeons — these animals no longer walk the face of the Earth, but what if they could once again?

April 30, 2013 — by Michelle Leung

In nearby Alameda County, a county supervisor receives more money in income and pensions than the president. 

Cinematic offenders horrify students
‘Gatsby’: stellar cast, but serious missteps
Students become worldly during summer
PSY-cho fan speaks out about artist’s success
The League of Saratoga
Stupid TV shows entertaining?
Sequels and Prequels: Pixar edition
May 23, 2013 — by Michelle Leung

Some movies inspire tears. Some win Oscars. And according to freshman Amy Zhang, some movies just drag on until they are “torturing [your] brain.”

May 22, 2013 — by Cristina Curcelli and Sarah Finley

The hype started long ago: Everyone’s expectations were high for Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of “The Great Gatsby,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved American classic. The star-studded cast, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan,  looked promising and the score intriguing to say the least, with Luhrmann and Jay-Z as producers. 

May 22, 2013 — by Nikhil Goel

From backpacking to taking classes in foreign countries, some students are planning to do much more than sleep or watch TV all day.

May 22, 2013 — by Matt Foley

On April 13, South Korean K-pop artist PSY posted the music video for his new single “Gentleman” to YouTube. In just two weeks later, the video had garnered 250 million views.

Among admirers of PSY is Junior Patrick Wang.

May 22, 2013 — by Nelson Wang

Junior Andrew Chang, eyes glued to the screen, pounds the keyboard buttons  furiously in an attempt to overtake the enemy team. Chang, a League of Legends player, is one of many participants in Saratoga High’s League of Legends tournament which began in March and will probably continue through May. 

May 19, 2013 — by Devin Zhao

Before the fabulous inventions of mobile applications and video games, TV was often my only form of entertainment.

While I did have my favorite shows, such as “Crime Scene Investigation: Los Angeles” or “Hell’s Kitchen,” I mostly found myself flipping through dozens of TV shows that often had no point or value. 

May 19, 2013 — by Jade Bisht and Lauren Louie

As if there isn’t enough perfection in the world — sit down for this one — Pixar has graced the world with the promise of more sequels, leading to a joyous celebration for all those who love the fantastic animated movies. 

Meet my frenemy....
An artist’s problem: the pursuit of perfection
Veteran drivers terrorize students drivers
Truth be told: I am a tiger child
What are we to make of a Falcon’s suicide?
Role swap: my parents are more ‘hip’ than I am (as evinced by my use of the word “hip”)
Here’s a smart idea: Check out ‘3 Idiots’
May 7, 2013 — by Allison Chang and Deepti Kannan

Allison: So ... how do we begin our story?

Deepti: Once upon a time there was an old hag named Allison Chang ...

May 7, 2013 — by Carolyn Sun

Although some people have small faults such as gum-snapping or knuckle-cracking, as an artist, I have a different bad habit: I obsess over miniscule details, trying in vain to perfect my paintings and drawings.

May 7, 2013 — by Michelle Leung

As I was parking along one of the roads, a giant truck full of high school girls passed by. I’m not the most skilled at parking (yet), so I took some time. It could not have been more than a few extra seconds. Being cautious is hardly a crime worth screaming about.

May 2, 2013 — by Devin Zhao

“Why did you make these simple mistakes? How are you going to improve next time?” my mom threateningly asked me while going over test scores, her every word nipping on my mind.

April 30, 2013 — by Aria Hooman

Despite the loss of a fellow Falcon, Audrie Pott, to suicide last fall, it seems many at this school are confused or misguided in their view of the incident as a whole. 

April 29, 2013 — by Sabrina Chen

"PRETTY PRETTY PLEEEAAAAAAASEE, if you ever ever feeeeel, like you’re nuhhhthing, you are perfect to meeee,” my middle-aged dad all but belts out as he rushes into my room.

March 12, 2013 — by Michael Lee

I’ve always been a fan of Indian cuisine (I’m always down for some mo’ samosas), but until a short while ago, I would have naively dismissed the idea of watching a Bollywood movie. 

 

Upcoming Events

May 31: First Period Final

June 3: Senior Awards Night

June 3: Second and Third Period Final

June 4: Fourth and Fifth Period Final

June 5: Sixth and Seventh Period Final

@saratogafalcon

  • Boys' tennis vs. Serra in CCS semis; girls' softball plays Milpitas for league championship; girls' lacrosse @ Paly at 7 in SCVAL playoffs.
  • Boys' Tennis stunned No. 2 ranked Monta Vista 11-4 on Monday in CCS.
  • Varsity baseball starts a best of 3 series with Wilcox for the League Championship. Today's game is @ Wilcox 3:30
  • The swim team is competing at League Finals today at Palo Alto.
  • The baseball team beat Palo Alto 4-3 on May 2, sweeping the season series against the traditional powerhouse. Kyle Dozier pitched 6 innings.

Poll

Is it better to have first period final a week before the rest?

Falcon In Print

Spring Fling, valedictorian, salutatorian, full block schedule debate, and the pros and cons of AP classes.

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