A new school year is always accompanied by a variety of changes. As for senior Kellie Chiou, this year was no different. Yet, as Chiou rushed to her classes on the first day, there was something outside the usual change of classes and teachers that she couldn’t put her finger on. It wasn’t until later that she noticed that the campus had received a makeover.

Teaching English in Thailand

In a stuffy classroom near Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, students ranging from 5 to 15 years old blurted out various animals as guesses to a round of animal charades between waves of laughter. The boy at the front of the room, who was acting out an elephant, brought his arm up to his face to mimic the elephant’s trunk. “Ostrich. Giraffe. ELEPHANT!” the other students shouted.

Thirty-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.