Saratoga Falcon

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.

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. 

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

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. 

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

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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?

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

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

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. 

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

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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

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

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.

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.

“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.

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. 

"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.

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.