Quote of the week
On the new SHS-themed websites: “I think the blogs are a great way to make jokes about how unique Saratoga is, but it’s important not to be cocky about it. As long as it remains a joke, I'll be a fan.” — 2011 alumnus Nick Renda
NewsIs cheating on the rise?
Is cheating on the rise? Relieved after their fourth-period final exams on Dec. 20, most students streamed into the hallways and looked forward to enjoying their lunches. But students from teacher Margarita Morelle’s AP US History class remained in the classroom and looked on as first their teacher and then assistant principal Kevin Mount searched each backpack for a missing test copy. Assistant principal continues breakfast tradition
Assistant principal continues breakfast tradition“It was my first time there because this is my first year on student council as well as on spirit commission,” senior Shayda Khorasani said. “Everyone just got their own food and sat down and talked to everybody else. It was a nice community event, and it was the first day of break also, so it was really relaxing.” Junior clubs commissioner Sasan Saadat said that besides the ASB, the students there were mostly juniors and seniors from the leadership, rally and events commissions. Winter guard starts off season
Winter guard starts off seasonWinter break ended early for members of the Winter Guard members arrived at school on Jan. 7 ready to practice and head to the first performance of the season. The Winter Guard performed a show entitled “Juxtaposed” at the California Color Guard Circuit (CCGC) Evaluation Show held at James Logan High School. Administration considers implementing stricter dress code
Administration considers implementing stricter dress codeWith more and more fashion pushing the boundaries of appropriateness, the school is considering beefing up its dress code to make it more specific and less open to interpretation. Saratoga graduate's work published in Australia
Saratoga graduate's work published in AustraliaA flutter of pink in a large city, a girl hurries through the rain and hops into a cab. 3 Cheerleaders perform in London’s New Year’s Day Parade
3 Cheerleaders perform in London’s New Year’s Day ParadeSenior Sarah Hull and sophomores Abigail Small and Stephanie Tsang traveled to London over winter break to perform in London’s 26th annual New Year’s Day Parade as part of the All-American program hosted by Varsity, a leading cheerleading corporation. More than 500 high school cheerleaders and dancers from across the U.S. participated in the parade, which was viewed by thousands of people live and was broadcast internationally. Mock trial newcomers experience first competitions
Mock trial newcomers experience first competitionsAfter losing half its members to graduation last year, the mock trial team competed for the first time against other schools in an invitational on Jan. 17. This Mock Trial Invitational, hosted by the Santa Clara County of Education, invites 20 teams from across the state to take part in a practice competition. “It was very different from [weekly] practices,” senior co-captain, prosecution attorney Michael Chang said. “The case booklet is over 80 pages of equally important factual materials, and each team has the freedom to create a unique case.” Tech crew enters contest to win new lightboard for McAfee Center
Tech crew enters contest to win new lightboard for McAfee CenterWhile many students spent their winter break skiing in Tahoe or vacationing in Europe, the McAfee Center was alive with stage techs filming a music video over the break. OpinionSan Jose single-use plastic bag ban a step in the right direction
San Jose single-use plastic bag ban a step in the right directionIn society today, one of the earliest lessons taught to children is the importance of conservation. New finals schedule provides for genuine winter vacation
New finals schedule provides for genuine winter vacationDuring winter break in the 2010-2011 school year, senior Vivian Tsai and her family visited her grandparents in Taiwan. On her trip, she had to bring along her calculus textbook, her Barron’s AP Chemistry prep book and the AP History textbook to study for finals in January. Drop in rankings doesn’t show school's whole story
Drop in rankings doesn’t show school's whole storyIn 2007, U.S. News and World Report magazine released its first annual high school rankings. Saratoga High ranked No. 72. Teachers should inspire students, not just feed grade mania
Teachers should inspire students, not just feed grade maniaAn average student spends 5,320 hours in high school with roughly 28 teachers. Clearly teachers play a large role in a teenager’s life and affect how students view the world. Asian disadvantage reveals flaw in college admissions process
Asian disadvantage reveals flaw in college admissions processIn the nationality section of the Common App and other college application forms, students are asked to check the boxes that apply most to their ethnicity. According to a recent article from the Associated Press, Asians have a disadvantage at getting into elite colleges, and students who are half Asian, half Caucasian are advised to only check the Caucasian box. Photo gallery Alumnus and Phantom of the Opera cast member Kyle Barisch talks to a group of choir students. Personal columns Hello noise, my old friend. Now that winter break is over, I have resumed back to my daily life of clamor: chatter in the school hallways, music playing constantly in my room, rings and pings from the phone and computer, et cetera, et cetera. Falcon in print Dec. 16th, 2011: AP Euro may be added, Brackets predict GOP nomination results, Elementary schools need more science education, Can you: Get Santa to admit he isn't real?, Staff members extend commitment, Age gaps make relationships unusual, Girls' soccer competes in higher league
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Spotlight: Change at the helm: Anderson stepping down as principal, moving to District Office at end of school yearPrincipal Jeff Anderson has announced that he will be stepping down as principal to accept the position of assistant superintendent for the Los Gatos-Saratoga Unified School District. Anderson will continue to serve as principal until the end of the school year, after which he will assume his new position at the district office.
Also in the Spotlight:  Senior’s Tumblr reply gives her 15 minutes of Internet fameOnce upon a time, she was just an ordinary student. Then one day everything changed. Senior Maddie Emery logged on to Tumblr, a personal blog site, and five minutes and 40 words later, she leapt from the bottom rung of Internet obscurity to superstar status.  Triathlete achieves miracles, one step at a timeGasping for breath, a sixth grader stumbles past the finish line with a mile time of over 10 minutes. His classmates had completed the run minutes ago. A few years later, a high school student crosses the finish line of a half Ironman—1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking, and 13.1 miles of running. Senior Eren Veziroglu was both of these students.  School considers using Khan Academy in classroomsTurn on many “space-age” movies, and chances are you’ll find a virtual classroom. Students are shown watching holograms of teachers instead of a physical teacher, and using tablets to complete their assignment. FeaturesA family's gift: The Bedards tell their inspiring story about the loss of Andrew Bedard (1995-2004) and how his organs have saved lives
A family's gift: The Bedards tell their inspiring story about the loss of Andrew Bedard (1995-2004) and how his organs have saved lives
Honors courses demand more time, effort
Honors courses demand more time, effortA student stands where two roads diverge. He looks down one as far as he can, savoring the potential fruit of hard work after a year in an honors (or AP) course. He gives the other one a look—less stress, more time for extracurriculars. “Honors or regular?” he asks himself. Rea to the rescue: Sophomore does charity work with animals
Rea to the rescue: Sophomore does charity work with animalsTails wag rapidly as sophomore Laura Rea walks through the Furry Friends shelter on Sunday afternoons in Fremont. She bends over to pet the many panting puppies and frisky felines in their chain link enclosures. After acknowledging all the staff members with her dimpled smile, Rea quickly gets to work. The generation gap: has the advent of the Internet blocked our ability to focus?
The generation gap: has the advent of the Internet blocked our ability to focus?Sophomore Henry Ling glances at his Facebook home page. Without scrolling down, a quick count reveals around 80 links, but he quickly ignores them and switches to another tab. YouTube offers outlet for students
YouTube offers outlet for studentsWithin the game Call of Duty, one of the most popular war games on the market, soldiers are shot down as they try to defend their bomb sights from the enemy. AP Lit course focuses on poems, plays, novels, short stories
AP Lit course focuses on poems, plays, novels, short storiesAP Literature (Lit) follows previous English classes’ structure as students read novels, short stories, poems and plays, but the course is not just a continuation of the first three years of high school. The class delves further in-depth and students read at a faster pace. Service clubs spread holiday cheer
Service clubs spread holiday cheerThe holiday season was a time of giving back to the community, and many clubs on campus were in the holiday spirit. National Honors Society, Red Cross and Interact all did activities to help the needy this holiday season. SportsGirls' basketball: Sophomore excels with older competition
Girls' basketball: Sophomore excels with older competitionAll the starters on the girls’ varsity basketball team are upperclassmen. All but one. Girls' soccer needs to unite to further season
Girls' soccer needs to unite to further seasonSenior right midfielder Sneha Shivkumar jockeys for possession of the ball with an opposing player in the 30th minute of a Jan. 5 game versus Mountain View. She manages to fend off her opponent nevertheless, passing the ball to a streaking teammate down field. Wrestling captain uses mind to conquer muscles
Wrestling captain uses mind to conquer musclesTo become fearsome on the mat as a wrestler, one must not only have a conditioned body but also a strong mind. According to wrestling coach Joe Pele, having a strong mindset is what separates senior captain Connor Mullaney from the average wrestler. Senior rows her way to Tulsa
Senior rows her way to TulsaWhen senior Lennie Char began rowing as a sophomore, she never really expected much out of the sport except a new hobby. Now two years and dozens of matches later, Char’s dedication to rowing has given her more than she ever imagined—a spot on the University of Tulsa rowing team. Boys’ soccer: Star senior does not fall short
Boys’ soccer: Star senior does not fall shortAt 5’5”, senior center midfielder Rajiv Ramakabir is not the biggest player on the field, nor is he the fastest or the strongest, but that has not stopped him from being one of the star players on a talented varsity boys’ soccer team. Saratoga High TVSenior Talent Show 2011 Saratoga High TV
Saratoga High's Third Annual Senior Talent Show |
