iPhones, 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.

Christina Wu sits down at her Yamaha C-5 grand piano at home, turning the metronome to a fast pace of 176 beats per minute. A second passes, then a burst of sound as Wu starts her daily warmup: several scales of 16th notes, going up a fifth each time until she reaches the top, then coming back down.

Wu, a junior, has been studying piano ever since she was six after discovering a liking and skill for the instrument.

"I've always been very intrigued by piano," said Wu. "I had a natural talent for it."

In 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.

In 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.

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.

On 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.

1. 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.

When 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.

In one's wallet, there are always a few key things to have. Along with the normal charge cards, cash, some kind of identification, a few people may have some useful business cards, phone numbers, and membership cards. I have all of these things in my wallet too. However, I have one more item that is of great importance to me: my trusty, reliable "Will It Lead to Trouble?"card. In times of need, it is supposed to help me make the right choice by asking me questions that can help me decide what is smart.

The Card

First 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.

Tonio 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.

Second 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.

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.

Cast members of light-hearted musical “Anything Goes” set sail with the premiere of their long-anticipated show this Thursday. Other performances take place Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and there will also be a matinee on Sunday at 2 p.m.

"This show is different from others we've done in the past because of all the extra effort that has gone into directing each specific aspect of the production," said junior Chaz Main, who plays Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, a wealthy Englishman with a quirky accent.

With AP courses weighing a student down and SATs and college applications in their imminent future, it’s no wonder junior year is thought to be the toughest year for any student.

Counselor Dona Feizzadeh says junior year may seem more difficult because of these pressures.

"In general juniors may seem more stressed out because in addition to their rigorous course load, they are also planning/various standardized tests," she said.

Out 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.

More than $18,000 worth of instruments and equipment was stolen from the music department's band and choir rooms in two separate incidents in early and mid January, though there was no evidence of forced entry.

Two privately owned violins, a school-owned bass clarinet, a computer system belonging to the choir, some percussion instruments and several tuners were missing after students came to school on Jan. 12.

Among the violins stolen, one belonged to junior Yuning Yang and another to junior Anthony Sutardja. The violins were worth $600 and $5,000, respectively.

“I’m obsessively opposed to the typical.”

Truer words have never been spoken by Lady Gaga, who created an unprecedented change in the entertainment industry by reshaping music for the new generation. Unlike many of today's popular musicians, Lady Gaga can give an eye-opening performance that is always completely different from what other artists offer .

Out 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.

Many things can happen at school within the span of 50 years. The flow of new ideas, new technology and new people all contributed to what Saratoga High has become today. Those trends and changes have often shown up in the form of what clubs and classes are on campus.