Girls’ basketball: Branham tops Falcons in CCS quarterfinals March 12, 2013 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang The girls’ basketball team lost in the quarterfinal round of CCS division III, marking the end of the Falcons’ first season in the De Anza League after three years. read more » Girls’ basketball: Branham tops Falcons in CCS quarterfinals March 11, 2013 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang The girls’ basketball team lost in the quarterfinal round of CCS division III, marking the end of the Falcons’ first season in the De Anza League after three years. read more » Souper Bowl raises over $4,000 February 26, 2013 — by Jennifer Jin On a cold winter evening, the cafeteria buzzed with over 500 people searching for the perfect bowl to drink their “all you can eat” soup. read more » Application developer’s club works on next big project January 24, 2013 — by Dylan Jew and Jennifer Jin After the release of the SHS App on Sept. 27, the Application Developer’s club has been working on its next project: creating an app for The Saratoga Falcon’s website. read more » Girls’ basketball wins Santiago tournament January 18, 2013 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin The girls’ basketball team took first place at the Dec. 26-29 Santiago Garden Grove Tournament in Los Angeles. read more » Girls’ basketball: Team moves up to De Anza League November 15, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang With the team mostly unchanged from last year, the girls’ basketball team will face stiff competition in the De Anza League. read more » Student consensus says ACT easier than SAT November 10, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin At the end of their sophomore year, rising juniors must make a choice: prepare for the SAT or the ACT? read more » ASB hopes to introduce class representatives November 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang Every other Monday evening, a group of 25 students gathers at the office to attend ASB meetings. That number may soon be greatly increased as the ASB plans to introduce a new class representation system. read more » Common Core standards beneficial for all October 14, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin While Saratoga High prides itself on its rigorous academics, the same cannot be said for many other schools in California. For example, while only 12 percent of Saratoga High School students scored below proficient on California Standards Tests (CST) exams, 50 percent of California high school in the state did not reach the proficient benchmark. read more » Adventures in water polo: a tale of a fish out of water October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Columnist attempts to play water polo read more » Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Girls’ basketball: Branham tops Falcons in CCS quarterfinals March 11, 2013 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang The girls’ basketball team lost in the quarterfinal round of CCS division III, marking the end of the Falcons’ first season in the De Anza League after three years. read more » Souper Bowl raises over $4,000 February 26, 2013 — by Jennifer Jin On a cold winter evening, the cafeteria buzzed with over 500 people searching for the perfect bowl to drink their “all you can eat” soup. read more » Application developer’s club works on next big project January 24, 2013 — by Dylan Jew and Jennifer Jin After the release of the SHS App on Sept. 27, the Application Developer’s club has been working on its next project: creating an app for The Saratoga Falcon’s website. read more » Girls’ basketball wins Santiago tournament January 18, 2013 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin The girls’ basketball team took first place at the Dec. 26-29 Santiago Garden Grove Tournament in Los Angeles. read more » Girls’ basketball: Team moves up to De Anza League November 15, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang With the team mostly unchanged from last year, the girls’ basketball team will face stiff competition in the De Anza League. read more » Student consensus says ACT easier than SAT November 10, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin At the end of their sophomore year, rising juniors must make a choice: prepare for the SAT or the ACT? read more » ASB hopes to introduce class representatives November 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang Every other Monday evening, a group of 25 students gathers at the office to attend ASB meetings. That number may soon be greatly increased as the ASB plans to introduce a new class representation system. read more » Common Core standards beneficial for all October 14, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin While Saratoga High prides itself on its rigorous academics, the same cannot be said for many other schools in California. For example, while only 12 percent of Saratoga High School students scored below proficient on California Standards Tests (CST) exams, 50 percent of California high school in the state did not reach the proficient benchmark. read more » Adventures in water polo: a tale of a fish out of water October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Columnist attempts to play water polo read more » Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Souper Bowl raises over $4,000 February 26, 2013 — by Jennifer Jin On a cold winter evening, the cafeteria buzzed with over 500 people searching for the perfect bowl to drink their “all you can eat” soup. read more » Application developer’s club works on next big project January 24, 2013 — by Dylan Jew and Jennifer Jin After the release of the SHS App on Sept. 27, the Application Developer’s club has been working on its next project: creating an app for The Saratoga Falcon’s website. read more » Girls’ basketball wins Santiago tournament January 18, 2013 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin The girls’ basketball team took first place at the Dec. 26-29 Santiago Garden Grove Tournament in Los Angeles. read more » Girls’ basketball: Team moves up to De Anza League November 15, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang With the team mostly unchanged from last year, the girls’ basketball team will face stiff competition in the De Anza League. read more » Student consensus says ACT easier than SAT November 10, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin At the end of their sophomore year, rising juniors must make a choice: prepare for the SAT or the ACT? read more » ASB hopes to introduce class representatives November 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang Every other Monday evening, a group of 25 students gathers at the office to attend ASB meetings. That number may soon be greatly increased as the ASB plans to introduce a new class representation system. read more » Common Core standards beneficial for all October 14, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin While Saratoga High prides itself on its rigorous academics, the same cannot be said for many other schools in California. For example, while only 12 percent of Saratoga High School students scored below proficient on California Standards Tests (CST) exams, 50 percent of California high school in the state did not reach the proficient benchmark. read more » Adventures in water polo: a tale of a fish out of water October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Columnist attempts to play water polo read more » Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Application developer’s club works on next big project January 24, 2013 — by Dylan Jew and Jennifer Jin After the release of the SHS App on Sept. 27, the Application Developer’s club has been working on its next project: creating an app for The Saratoga Falcon’s website. read more » Girls’ basketball wins Santiago tournament January 18, 2013 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin The girls’ basketball team took first place at the Dec. 26-29 Santiago Garden Grove Tournament in Los Angeles. read more » Girls’ basketball: Team moves up to De Anza League November 15, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang With the team mostly unchanged from last year, the girls’ basketball team will face stiff competition in the De Anza League. read more » Student consensus says ACT easier than SAT November 10, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin At the end of their sophomore year, rising juniors must make a choice: prepare for the SAT or the ACT? read more » ASB hopes to introduce class representatives November 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang Every other Monday evening, a group of 25 students gathers at the office to attend ASB meetings. That number may soon be greatly increased as the ASB plans to introduce a new class representation system. read more » Common Core standards beneficial for all October 14, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin While Saratoga High prides itself on its rigorous academics, the same cannot be said for many other schools in California. For example, while only 12 percent of Saratoga High School students scored below proficient on California Standards Tests (CST) exams, 50 percent of California high school in the state did not reach the proficient benchmark. read more » Adventures in water polo: a tale of a fish out of water October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Columnist attempts to play water polo read more » Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Girls’ basketball wins Santiago tournament January 18, 2013 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin The girls’ basketball team took first place at the Dec. 26-29 Santiago Garden Grove Tournament in Los Angeles. read more » Girls’ basketball: Team moves up to De Anza League November 15, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang With the team mostly unchanged from last year, the girls’ basketball team will face stiff competition in the De Anza League. read more » Student consensus says ACT easier than SAT November 10, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin At the end of their sophomore year, rising juniors must make a choice: prepare for the SAT or the ACT? read more » ASB hopes to introduce class representatives November 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang Every other Monday evening, a group of 25 students gathers at the office to attend ASB meetings. That number may soon be greatly increased as the ASB plans to introduce a new class representation system. read more » Common Core standards beneficial for all October 14, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin While Saratoga High prides itself on its rigorous academics, the same cannot be said for many other schools in California. For example, while only 12 percent of Saratoga High School students scored below proficient on California Standards Tests (CST) exams, 50 percent of California high school in the state did not reach the proficient benchmark. read more » Adventures in water polo: a tale of a fish out of water October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Columnist attempts to play water polo read more » Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Girls’ basketball: Team moves up to De Anza League November 15, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang With the team mostly unchanged from last year, the girls’ basketball team will face stiff competition in the De Anza League. read more » Student consensus says ACT easier than SAT November 10, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin At the end of their sophomore year, rising juniors must make a choice: prepare for the SAT or the ACT? read more » ASB hopes to introduce class representatives November 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang Every other Monday evening, a group of 25 students gathers at the office to attend ASB meetings. That number may soon be greatly increased as the ASB plans to introduce a new class representation system. read more » Common Core standards beneficial for all October 14, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin While Saratoga High prides itself on its rigorous academics, the same cannot be said for many other schools in California. For example, while only 12 percent of Saratoga High School students scored below proficient on California Standards Tests (CST) exams, 50 percent of California high school in the state did not reach the proficient benchmark. read more » Adventures in water polo: a tale of a fish out of water October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Columnist attempts to play water polo read more » Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Student consensus says ACT easier than SAT November 10, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin At the end of their sophomore year, rising juniors must make a choice: prepare for the SAT or the ACT? read more » ASB hopes to introduce class representatives November 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang Every other Monday evening, a group of 25 students gathers at the office to attend ASB meetings. That number may soon be greatly increased as the ASB plans to introduce a new class representation system. read more » Common Core standards beneficial for all October 14, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin While Saratoga High prides itself on its rigorous academics, the same cannot be said for many other schools in California. For example, while only 12 percent of Saratoga High School students scored below proficient on California Standards Tests (CST) exams, 50 percent of California high school in the state did not reach the proficient benchmark. read more » Adventures in water polo: a tale of a fish out of water October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Columnist attempts to play water polo read more » Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
ASB hopes to introduce class representatives November 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang Every other Monday evening, a group of 25 students gathers at the office to attend ASB meetings. That number may soon be greatly increased as the ASB plans to introduce a new class representation system. read more » Common Core standards beneficial for all October 14, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin While Saratoga High prides itself on its rigorous academics, the same cannot be said for many other schools in California. For example, while only 12 percent of Saratoga High School students scored below proficient on California Standards Tests (CST) exams, 50 percent of California high school in the state did not reach the proficient benchmark. read more » Adventures in water polo: a tale of a fish out of water October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Columnist attempts to play water polo read more » Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Common Core standards beneficial for all October 14, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin While Saratoga High prides itself on its rigorous academics, the same cannot be said for many other schools in California. For example, while only 12 percent of Saratoga High School students scored below proficient on California Standards Tests (CST) exams, 50 percent of California high school in the state did not reach the proficient benchmark. read more » Adventures in water polo: a tale of a fish out of water October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Columnist attempts to play water polo read more » Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Adventures in water polo: a tale of a fish out of water October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Columnist attempts to play water polo read more » Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Students wish for more variety in school sports October 11, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Dancing. Yoga. Equestrian. Though these unusual sports are not offered at the school, dozens of students devote hours to them each week. read more » School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
School finishes painting, renovates copy room over summer September 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Katherine Chang For the maintenance crew, summer break passed in the blink of an eye as they worked tirelessly to improve various parts of the school. read more » Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Electoral College should reflect popular vote September 4, 2012 — by Katherine Chang and Jennifer Jin In the upcoming presidential election, some seniors have to face the decision of choosing the best candidate. However, what they don’t know is that their vote for Obama or Romney or anyone else will hardly matter. read more » Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Track: Athletes reflect on season May 24, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Although the track team may not have had a lot of success at meets after they moved up to the De Anza league this year, a couple of athletes have kept the team on the radar during CCS. read more » Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Team looks forward to CCS May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Over spring break the school was pretty empty—except for the track team who was busy at work, diligently running laps during practice. read more » Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Spicing it up with Indian food May 4, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin Although I call myself a food fanatic, I try to avoid Indian food as much as possible. read more » SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
SUSD parcel tax would help schools March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A furlough day? Sounds fantastic for the students who are elated to skip a day of school. However, to teachers, it means something different: less instructional time, a rushed curriculum and an indicator of a school that is struggling for monetary support, not to mention a day without pay when they are probably grading tests or preparing for upcoming lessons. read more » Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Team adjusts to A league March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Sophie Mattson Last year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams enjoyed strings of victories against opposing schools in the West Valley League. This year, the track teams have been moved up to a higher degree of competition in the De Anza League. read more » Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Senior learns from the best during week in D.C. March 30, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin and Denise Lin Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today. read more » Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Trip to China cancelled March 26, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin A trip to France was recently cancelled when not enough students signed up, and now another trip—this one to China—has met the same fate. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin Any person walking by history teacher Matt Torrens’ class on Feb. 2 or 3 may have encountered a scene that was far from ordinary. But what appeared to be utter chaos was actually a simulation of trench warfare in World War I. read more » Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Freshmen take on academic challenges February 8, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin In a typical Chinese class, almost all of the students will be Chinese. But freshman Neel Bedekar is not the typical student who takes Chinese—he is Indian. Bedekar has been learning Chinese for the past five years from a private tutor. He is currently in Chinese 3. read more » Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Torrens’ APUSH classes re-enact World War I with socks February 8, 2012 — by McKenna Galvin and Jennifer Jin “Hey! I killed you!” “Watch out!” “Give me a sock!” read more » Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Full block schedule would be more beneficial February 1, 2012 — by Jennifer Jin It’s 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, and everyone in the house is sound asleep—except for junior Aneesa Mazumdar who is frantically scrawling down her AP U.S History notes. Finally at 3 a.m., she collapses onto her bed. read more » Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Babbitt takes leave for hip surgery December 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Drama and English teacher Karin Babbitt took a temporary leave of absence starting on Nov. 21 to get a second hip replacement since her first hip replacement was found to have a defect. She will be recuperating from the hip surgery until Jan. 9, the beginning of the second semester. read more » Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Christmas cheer declines as students get older December 1, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Freshman Atulya Vishwanath fondly remembers Christmas when he was in elementary school. read more » Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Fall play takes students back to France October 27, 2011 — by Allison Chang, Andy Fang and Jennifer Jin As the curtains slowly opened on Oct. 20, audience members were faced with a sofa, dinner table and various chairs scattered around, which constituted the Orgon household. Then, senior Penny Burgess began the play, “Tartuffe,” with a long-winded speech about the failings of humanity, drawing the audience into the play for the next two hours. read more » School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
School continues with makeover October 17, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Looking around the school, it may seem like the beautification process has stopped, but little changes are slowly being made. read more » Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Parcel tax proves effective September 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Joanna Lee Bigger classes, one fewer guidance counselor, a shorter school year. read more » Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Cutting off cellphone service infringes upon free speech rights September 19, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin For three hours during peak commute times on Aug. 11, officials at BART turned off electricity to cellular towers in four stations, after the officials learned that protesters planned to use cellphones to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. They were planning to protest the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. read more » Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Runners persevere through thick and thin September 15, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Members of the track and cross-country teams are expected to grind out their workouts and put in their miles—even it means getting pelted by hail or slogging through rain and mud. Some even enjoy what other would consider torture. read more » Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Boys’ Lacrosse: Team loses key seniors, has hopeful future May 30, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Aasim Naqvi The boys’ lacrosse team played its last game on May 4, losing to Los Gatos 9-6 and ending a difficult season after which the team will say goodbye to 13 seniors. read more » Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Lacrosse ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Requirements for ASB justified May 25, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Posters and signs with catchy slogans hang on the walls in the hallways—all urging students to vote for specific candidates. However, with the slew of people running for class office positions this year, the question has arisen over what the requirements to run should be. read more » Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Girls’ Lacrosse: Season ends with hope for improvement next year May 25, 2011 — by Megan Benzing and Jennifer Jin Girls’ lacrosse players had their senior day game on May 3 against Pioneer High. Dressing up as “Super Mario Bros.” characters during the day, the underclassmen gave speeches and roses to their graduating seniors during the pre-game ceremony. read more » Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Students get involved in government over summer May 24, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As junior Megan Yen read about Gary Locke, the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American governor in U.S history, she realized that she would like to join their ranks or work for them. Through a program called Vision New America, she realized that she can begin to carve her political career. read more » Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Girls’ lacrosse: Underclassmen add to games April 4, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Although the girls’ lacrosse team was formed only three years ago, the team has steadily been growing. With more interest in the sport, especially from underclassmen, coach Merryl Geisse believes that the team will become a force in the Santa Clara Valley League in the coming years. “It's really encouraging to see the program expanding because I know when I started as a sophomore, there was a shortage of girls but now we almost had an excess [with 17 players] this year,” said senior attack wing Vanessa Block. read more » Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Relandscaping beneficial to education and environment March 14, 2011 — by Giulia Curcelli and Jennifer Jin The first impression, the most repeated descriptor, the one phrase most often used by students to characterize our school's appearance might just be: "It looks like a jail." read more » Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Sophomore fears department stores March 10, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As a 3-year-old, Rohan Cotah went with his mother to shop at the department store Dillard’s. But suddenly, the store was swarming with shoppers, and he quickly got separated from his mother. Only after two torturous hours was he able to find his mother again. read more » Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Bell Tower offers scrumptious variety of food February 5, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin As I walked into Bell Tower Bistro and Patisserie for lunch, two buildings away from Planet Juice, I heard some jazzy music and the grill was humming. The girl at the register was smiling and customers were chatting happily with each other. read more » Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Taking down the stress monster: Professionals offer advice on dealing with stress January 26, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin and Evaline Ju The star basketball player was in a scoring slump and despite studying for hours each night, her grades had dipped. Her parents noticed the changes and told her to see a therapist. She thought it was a crazy idea, but after a few appointments, she felt like she had more control over her life again. read more » Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Stress Profiles January 22, 2011 — by Jennifer Jin Todd Nguyen: -Hours of Homework per day: 2 -Number of Tests per week: 3 -Extra Curriculars: Robotics club, swimming, band -Number of Classes: 6 -Stress Scale (1-10): 6 -Stressful events: Kucer Chem Tests -Hours of sleep: 6-7 -Goal for the school: get straight A’s -Quotes: “I would say that the most stressful event would be taking Mr. Kucer’s chemistry tests. Also, I have band, swimming...and more band. ” Karen Sung: -Hours of Homework per day: 3-4 -Number of Tests per week: 3 read more » Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Falcon Focus: Computer builder hard at work December 3, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you’re ever in need of a new computer, ask senior Arthur Chang to build you one, from scratch. Chang became interested in building computers in 2005, when he got his first computer to mess around with, an AMD 3700+. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
This or That?-Jennifer Jin’s View December 1, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin James Potter vs. Severus Snape James is popular, good-looking not to mention a super quidditch star, traits that make him an automatic win. Plus he is the father of the hero, Harry Potter. Yes, James was mean to Snape, but Snape was also mean to James. Also, remember that James was a teenage boy, and like many teenage boys, they liked to tease others and be immature. In the end, Lily married James, which shows that he had matured a bit. read more » Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Legacy admissions should be abolished October 16, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin Students are often told that all that is needed to get into a good college are good SAT scores, good grades and good extracurricular activities. But for some students, all it takes is their parents. A legacy admission is a type of preference given by educational institutions to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. A study led by Princeton University sociology professor Tomas Espenshade claimed that having a legacy at a university gives an applicant an advantage equivalent to an extra 160 points on the SAT. read more » Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Teacher rides both grade curves and waves October 14, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin If you give world geography teacher Rick Ellis a map, he can point you to a lot more than just the Bering Strait, Zimbabwe or the Dead Sea. He can also show you some of best local spots to catch some waves. read more » Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »
Student plays ancient chinese instrument September 22, 2010 — by Jennifer Jin The sound of the yangqin, an instrument known as the Chinese piano, rings through junior Kristal Kung's ears as she lifts the mallet again. Kung has played the yangqin since fourth grade. The yangqin is a trapezoid-shaped instrument made of wood with around 144 metal strings. It is played using two mallets made of bamboo with rubber on the ends to hit the strings. "I started because one of my friend's mom introduced us to this Chinese instrument teacher and we all thought it was nice and joined," said Kung. read more »