Synthia Ling

The earthquake, reaching a colossal 9.0 magnitude on the Richter scale, set off a 10-meter high tsunami in Northern Japan that ripped buildings off their foundations and swept homes, cars, and ships away in its destructive waves. More than 10,800 people have died and thousands more are missing after drowning in the waves or being trapped underneath the rubble.

Gunshots rang out in front of the Arizona Safeway store on Jan. 8, transforming the line of eager local citizens waiting to speak with Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords into a screaming, chaotic crowd. Jared Loughner, 22, stood in the parking lot randomly shooting. In the aftermath: six dead, 13 injured and plenty of controversy.

In the morning, Nada Macesic arranges and sorts English novels and science textbooks at the textbook room. In the afternoon, she generates countless papers and packets at the copy room. And in the evening, she constructs cake masterpieces with fondant and frosting at home. Look at your textbooks and your binders full of handouts, and chances are Macesic is the one who copied your papers or checked out your textbook for you.

DVDS/CDS Toy Story 3 Woody and Buzz are back again to save the day in this timeless classic from Disney. “Toy Story 3” provides humor, adventure and emotion all packed together in this final adventure of the Toy Story series. The heartwarming storyline of “Toy Story 3” is perfect for the holidays, by bringing back childhood memories that will make you both laugh and cry. This DVD is an essential addition to any movie collection and a perfect gift for anyone who grew up in love with the series.

Players on the girls’ field hockey team celebrated their senior day on Nov. 2 in style: decorations, gifts and speeches were showered upon the six graduating seniors who were dressed to the theme of “Looney Tunes.”

Having competed in the playoffs every year since 2000, field hockey has consistently been one of the school's strongest sports teams. This season, however, with key losses early in the season, and the injury of senior attacker and co-captain Vanessa Block, the team may not even make it to the CCS playoffs. At an away game on Oct. 14 against Gilroy, the Mustangs came away with a 2-1 victory against the Falcons after managing to score two early goals. Senior forward Whitney Hansen scored the lone Falcon goal late in the second half, hoping to spark a comeback.

Wearing baggy worn-out jeans and a black zipped up sweater, junior Frederick Lee takes an ostensibly ordinary-looking coin out of his jean pockets and places them on a girl's hands.

Senior Colleen Garland was set to be an important leader in the center back position—the last player in the defense before the goalie. However, during a preseason tournament in the end of August, she broke her left finger and was forced to sit out while it recovers. Now, sophomore defender Hannah Johnson has had to step up and fill the empty spot. She played as center back during the rest of preseason and will now remain there for league games during the regular season until Garland can return midseason.

Rally commissioner Leah Capek's black 2003 Volkswagen Jetta seems more like a storage closet for costumes, props and equipment used in past rallies rather than a form of transportation. "My stuff is all pretty much from the rally, give or take a few things," said the senior who has been on the rally commission since the end of last year. "There are flags, my clothes from the rally, skates and in the backseat of my car I have my blanket and binders. I also have some nice robes and a bra." Capek, embarrassed by the blue leopard print bra, explains how it got in her car.

Disappearances of items, an elusive criminal and a high-tech police scheme—Saratoga High School, located in a sleepy suburb known for its low crime rate, hardly seems like the place for all these things to occur. But while students relaxed over summer break, police and administrators worked to track down a thief.

For senior Tim Lycurgus, his blue 1999 Lexus SUV is more than something that takes him from point A to B. It's also a storage device that he lovingly calls “Waldo" and a place where he hangs out with his best friend senior Kevin Darchuk, who claims to be Waldo's uncle. Just to get a glimpse of the inside of his trunk, Lycurgus has to fold down the back seat of his car and crawl into the trunk to open it from the inside.

A typical varsity team is usually dominated by upperclassmen, but this season the field hockey team, after losing the majority of its players to graduation last June, has an unusual dynamic. With eight out of the 16 team members being sophomores, the team must look increasingly to its younger players to fill in some of the gaps left behind from graduation.

1.Season Record: 4-12-0 2. Highlight: "Bonding I'll never forget that, it's always crazy and fun. Our best game was Harker because it felt great to win, but I also really liked the game against Leland even though we lost in overtime because everyone put 100 percent into it and more," said Jodi Huang

The administration tested out a new pilot Wednesday bell schedule with tutorial between fourth and fifth period rather than after sixth on May 17 and May 24. Assistant principal Joe Bosco said the experimental schedule resulted from a schoolwide student survey, in which 63.8 percent of students answered that tutorials would be better utilized between fourth and fifth period and 62.5 percent of those who answered such said they would not mind having lunch 30 minutes later.

On a typical game, junior attack wing Vanessa Block rapidly sprints down the field, shaking defenders until there is nothing between her and the goal but the poor, defenseless goaltender. Quickly she heaves a shot that lands triumphantly in the net, to the cheers and high-fives of her teammates. "She's really fast and she has a lot of drive," said head coach Leni Lodgers of Block. "She is intense and keeps up her intensity up 100% of the time, so it helps bring the whole team to be aware that we need to stay in the game and try to focus on what we are supposed to do."

It's only the second year since the girls lacrosse team first started at Saratoga. The relatively new team has had new coaches and a string of losses this season, but they are gaining experience and skill as the season progresses. "They've improved immensely," said head coach Leni Rodgers. "The whole JV team, none of them knew how to play before the season started, so now they know how to throw and catch and play on the field. On varsity, now we are incorporating plays and we have a stronger defense." During an away game at Gunn on March 26, the team lost 11-6.

"And for individual paper, Stephen Louie." said the announcer. Honored and shocked, junior Stephen Louie was so amazed he started physically shaking as he went up to collect his ribbon at the annual Santa Clara County History Day competition. At the competition, which occurred on March 20 at Lincoln High School , Louie, along with 14 other Saratoga students qualified for the state History Day competition in Pasadena on May 8.

No application fee, no essay, no letters of recommendation and a decision within three weeks—fast track applications, also known as "snap applications," seem like a breeze. In fact, with such lax requirements, they are a breeze. A growing number of colleges and universities have begun to send out these fast-track apps, hoping to entice essay-weary seniors to their school; however, students are should fill out these applications with a grain of salt.

“There is one dancer in this room whose performance has excelled far above the rest, whose passion and enthusiasm for dance stands out from the rest.” These were the words of Christian Vincent, of "So You Think You Can Dance Canada," said this at an LA Dance Magic convention of 1,000 girls last January. He then pointed to junior Lauren Mather, whose cheeks turned bright red. She was overwhelmed from being singled out in the immense group.

After placing second at the CCS finals last year, the Lady Falcons may not be able to live up to last year's success this season. A rough start and several disappointing losses are pushing CCS hopes beyond reach. To qualify for the playoffs, they need to win almost all of the remaining games. Beginning that difficult task, the team managed to improve its CCS prospects with a 1-0 overtime win at Los Altos on Oct. 22. Both teams had five short corner plays each, but the Falcons pulled through in the end.

Fifth place. That might not sound like rank worthy of boasting, but for the field hockey team, fifth place in the Mount Hamilton league was all they needed to snag a spot in the CCS playoffs. Throughout the season, the girls struggled to come out on top as several losses to daunting opponents such as Los Gatos, Saint Francis and Archbishop Mitty broke the team momentum. However, when the chances of even making the CCS playoffs were becoming slim, the team stepped it up and managed to get one of the final spots. The team was scheduled to play North Salinas Nov. 12 at home.

Looking at her planner at 9:30 p.m. on a Thursday night, junior Kaitna Shankar feels overwhelmed. She has an environmental science exam, a math quiz and an English essay all due tomorrow. But after a harsh day of school and Color Guard practice in the evening, she feels her eyes begin to droop as she lethargically sifts through a chapter about global warming. Shankar, frustrated by her lack of focus, decides to hit the sack and instead sets her alarm for 5 a.m., at which time she will wake up and complete her homework and studying.

Dressing up in crazy costumes, having backyard overnight camp outs and playing a night game of capture the flag—these and other similar fun activities are common for the field hockey girls as a way to get closer as a tight-knit team. The girls believe that success in the season stems from building a strong team morale through such team bonding activities. "Team bonding is really important, because if we don't get along outside of the sport, there's no way we would play well together on the field," said senior co-captain Sam Li.

Dressing up in crazy costumes, having backyard overnight camp outs and playing a night game of capture the flag—these and other similar fun activities are common for the field hockey girls as a way to get closer as a tight-knit team. The girls believe that success in the season stems from building a strong team morale through such team bonding activities. "Team bonding is really important, because if we don't get along outside of the sport, there's no way we would play well together on the field," said senior co-captain Sam Li.

Although the field hockey team has not had any official games yet, the girls are already off to an impressive start, having won all three of their preseason games. The team crushed Branham 7-0 in their third preseason game on Sept. 10. In the first half, senior midfielder Jordan Leonard scored off of a deflection from Branham's goalie, followed by a goal from senior forward Sam Li off a pass from Leonard. At the end of the first half, junior forward Shea Sullivan slipped in a goal off of an assist from junior midfielder Vanessa Block.

A major factor that determines a student’s acceptance into a college is their SAT score. Most college admission officers use the SATs as the basis upon which to judge their applicants, as grades can be dependent on a student's school. As a result, students spend a large portion of their time studying and cramming for the test along in addition to their other load of homework. It is a test of a student’s knowledge, but it appears to be more and more an indication of the income of a student’s family.

In the last two minutes of the CCS finals last November, Los Gatos edged out Saratoga for the CCS title. This year, the Falcons are out for revenge. 
                There have been many changes this season, as last year’s head coach Amber Wilson recently had a baby and doesn’t have enough time to make it to every practice and game. Wilson will be the assistant coach, replaced  as head coach by Saratoga and UC Berkeley alumnus, Kellie York. The girls, however, do not think this affects the team much. 
              

Instead of buckling his seatbelt in a car, sophomore Matt Kemble straps on his helmet before riding to school on his bicycle during Bike to School Month. The event, organized by senior Nyssa Spector and freshmen sisters Meghana and Antara Rao, has created to promote physical activity among students. Spector said she started this event as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, which with creating was the new sidewalk near the back parking lot. Spector continued her project with a Bike to School month.

The senior class is filled with excitement as they imagine throwing up their caps at the graduation ceremony, and then afterwards attending Grad Night, one of the most memorable nights of their lives. There, graduated seniors enjoy one last night of fun with all of their friends and classmates before they go on their separate ways to different colleges. To attend this long-anticipated event, however, requires a bid of more than $225. Some seniors, however, may not be able to pay for this pricey ticket with the current situation of the economy.

In desperate attempts to solve the state’s long-term fiscal problems, lawmakers recently passed the 2009 state budget plan that involves cutting $2.6 billion from K-12 apportionments. These apportionments are what generally provide the support for local school districts throughout California and nearly 1/5 of the budget cuts are coming from reducing these funds. When all is said in done this leaves the educational community with a loss of $787 per student, according to the California Progress Report. With the news of the budget cuts, districts all over California are struggling to scrap up what they can from what’s left of the budget. With the rapidly increasing California budget crisis, the district has decided that for the 2009-10 school year, they will increase class sizes to cope with the devastating financial limits.

Nadya Suleman is the mother to six children. Suleman is jobless. She has no husband. She relies on food stamps and disability payments to support her family. She lives in her bankrupt mother’s three-bedroom home that’s in pre-foreclosure. And oh yeah, Suleman just gave birth to octuplets, bringing her total number of children to 14.

Dozens of students dressed up as war and peace, cowboys and Indians, beauty and the geek and in black and white filled the Small Gym during the Sadie Hawkins dance themed “Opposites Attract” on Feb. 27.

The math club is being praised for its exceptional students after placing 11th nationally at a recent contest.

Senior Christina Lauro looked at the faces of the two judges staring at her. She took a deep breath before she sang the first note of the Italian art song she had rehearsed for months. After finishing the song with a perfect pitch, she had to sight-sing 10 measures of music that she had never seen before. Following that, she listened to notes randomly played on the piano and sang them back. Finally she sang a major, minor, augmented and diminished triad, as well as a major and chromatic scale. This long process is what Lauro and many other students went through for their audition for the Regional Honor Choir in early fall. Juniors Josh Liu, Thomas Denq, Bryant Bae, and seniors Jennifer Hansen and Lauro made it through the audition and earned a spot in the Regional Honor Choir. The Regional Honor Choir is the first level of prestigious choirs followed by State, then National Honor choir, that takes in between 800 to 900 students.

Senior Christina Lauro looked at the faces of the two judges staring at her. She took a deep breath before she sang the first note of the Italian art song she had rehearsed for months. After finishing the song with a perfect pitch, she had to sight-sing 10 measures of music that she had never seen before. Following that, she listened to notes randomly played on the piano and sang them back. Finally she sang a major, minor, augmented and diminished triad, as well as a major and chromatic scale. This long process is what Lauro and many other students went through for their audition for the Regional Honor Choir in early fall. Juniors Josh Liu, Thomas Denq, Bryant Bae, and seniors Jennifer Hansen and Lauro made it through the audition and earned a spot in the Regional Honor Choir. The Regional Honor Choir is the first level of prestigious choirs followed by State, then National Honor choir, that takes in between 800 to 900 students.

The SHS Sports Booster program is selling a holiday CD titled “Home for the Holidays,” featuring classic Christmas songs are performed by the Spirit Squad, varsity football team and various Saratoga students. The songs performed include well known tunes like “Santa Baby,” “White Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland.”

The SHS Sports Booster program is selling a holiday CD titled “Home for the Holidays,” featuring classic Christmas songs are performed by the Spirit Squad, varsity football team and various Saratoga students. The songs performed include well known tunes like “Santa Baby,” “White Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland.” “It was really cool because we got to go to a professional recording studio,” said sophomore Arianna Paranzino. “It is so fun to be with the other girls on the [cheer] team singing.”

When the lunch bell rings, upperclassmen rush to their cars and drive off campus to restaurants like Chipotle, Togo’s and McDonald’s, while underclassmen line up to buy pizza or pasta from the cafeteria. On December 19, however, students are scheduled to eat lunch on-campus and be catered food from both Chevy’s and Red Robin. The event will be hosted by the leadership class in order to raise money for the school. Fifteen percent of the money paid will go to the school. The food was previously ordered; each student who wanted some had to fill out a form and turn it in to the office. The menu includes burgers with fries, quesadillas, flautas and tacos.

Most students have been unaware of the fact that they are part of the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program, which provides funding for education opportunities for individuals identified as gifted and talented. This year, however, the program will change and not everyone will be considered gifted and talented.

Whether it was to ease the feelings of students wanting to be part of the election or to see how they would vote, mock elections were held in many junior and senior social studies classrooms with Democrat President-Elect Barack Obama winning the presidency.

A student’s life is already brimming with confusion and chaos from homework, sports and extracurricular activities. And yet another element has been added to their troubles: the weather. Even though it is already fall, the weather remains as though it is still summer, causing many students to complain.

This year, 32 seniors qualified as semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships, by scoring among the top 1% nationally on the PSAT.

New students from different districts, even countries, were welcomed on Aug. 21 at the annual new student barbeque in the quad. About 45 new students, as well as some students not new to the school, attended the barbeque planned by the new student commission with the help of the ASB and administration. During the barbeque, students mingled and conversed with each other while eating hamburgers and hot dogs. The barbeque gave students who already attended the school a chance to talk with the new students.