Melissa Magner

Dear freshman Melissa,  

Spanish teacher and activities director Rebecca Marshburn reflects on her job before moving to San Antonio 

It was, perhaps, senior Marcus Emery’s favorite moment during a film festival earlier this month when producer, playwright and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin told him to “go to hell.”

When director Sarah Thermond submitted a snippet from the 2015 fall play “Pride and Prejudice” to the California Play Marathon Contest last December, she wasn’t sure whether they had a chance of being selected. So, when she learned three months later that the play had been one of three performances chosen, she said she was beyond “thrilled.”

At first glance, this year’s valedictorian and salutatorian are not so different from those of previous years: Both excel at what they do, and in particular both are known by their peers for their stellar performances in science and math. But for the first time since 2008, both are female.

With second semester in full swing, the drama department is busy at work with not only numerous student productions, but also this year’s spring musical “Guys and Dolls,” which began rehearsing Jan. 25 after roles were announced over the MLK three-day weekend.  

With talents, high fashion, sheer guts and even an attempt to solve a tricky calculus problem, nine males of Saratoga High walked down the runway of the McAfee Center on Jan. 27 in front of an audience of over 100 people for the second annual Mr. Saratoga.

'Tis the season of college apps, and as application deadlines approach, teachers and counselors are putting the finishing touches on a key part of the application process: letters of recommendation.

After a month, temporary Psychology and Government/Economics teacher Erik Axelsson is no longer teaching the class and replaced by substitute Scott Nelson.

As an intern at The Fibroid Treatment Collective and at The Center for Surgery in Beverly Hills, Senior Bita Naimi spent eight weeks building experience and knowledge about medicine. There, she worked with gynecologists, cardiologists, general surgeons and plastic surgeons, observing and assisting them with everything from heart generator change outs to uterine fibroid embolization.

Humor, romance and scandals are at the heart of Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice,” the show that drama teacher and director Sarah Thermond has chosen to be this year’s fall play.

Junior Nate Ney’s interests span beyond simply just STEM courses and activities, and recently he has become more involved in humanity-related activities like History Bowl — an involvement that has inspired him to expand his comfort zone.  

This coming summer, the Saratoga Library will host its annual summer program  that encourages children and teens to read.  The program has been renamed “Summer Challenge” this year, and the library has added several activities besides reading

Junior State of America (JSA) Club hosted an Open Mic at Blue Rock Shoot Cafe on May 15 in an effort to bring more foot traffic to downtown Saratoga and boost business. During the Open Mic, students and adults alike sang and played the piano and the guitar. 

On the opening night of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” students, parents and teachers knew the ending would consist of something quite different from the norm. 

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), an international student press association, released the winners of the Gold Crown award for the 2013-2014 year, and among the 13 schools awarded with the “High School Newspaper Gold Crowns,” the Saratoga Falcon made the list.

Forty members of the SHS drama program will travel to Upland, Calif. on March 27 to meet for a statewide conference.

If you read the Falcon regularly, you know it has a lot of opinions from students and not many from teachers. In an effort to correct this imbalance, Falcon staffers decided to host a 'fishbowl' discussion with three teachers. 

Actors finished "Honestly, Now!" and are now preparing for the student production "Cyrano de Bergerac" and the spring musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood."

With about 1,350 students on its campus, Saratoga High has an average class size of about 28. 

Senior Neesha Malik reflects on the time she spent in Karachi, Pakistan, during her junior year.

The drama department held auditions on Nov. 6 for two new student-directed productions: “Honestly, Now!” and “Cyrano de Bergerac.” 

Lunch lady Diane Ray has made over 60,000 sandwiches for students in the 21 years she has worked at SHS, calculated by multiplying the number of sandwiches made per day by the total number of days she has worked.  

The fall play "The Matchmaker" debuts on Oct. 10. Cast members have only three weeks to prepare.

Students from the three drama classes are going to Mountain View to see a professional production of the musical “Sweeney Todd” on Oct. 23. 

Opening on Oct. 10, this year’s school production of “The Matchmaker” promises an entertaining comedy with eclectic characters and a talented cast.

The Saratoga Union School District (SUSD) Board of Trustees approved new math courses that focus on Common Core concepts and methods during a meeting on Feb. 25, resulting in a new math track for younger students. This math track, however, has caused some concern from parents. 

During a time in which teens often feel the need to compare themselves with others, being ranked solely on looks is usually the last thing teenagers want to face — especially when that ranking is carried out by their peers.   Teens tend to struggle with confidence and self-worth, and being “rated” is most likely not on their wish list. Unfortunately,  the boys at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, California did exactly that. 

At the league finals on April 29 at the Santa Teresa Golf Course, senior Christian Galvin, the Falcons’ No. 1 player, became league finals champion.

Students and teachers alike filed into the McAfee Center, eagerly anticipating the long-awaited “Les Misérables” opening performance on April 25.  On May 3, the cast performed for the last time.  All five performances resulted in enthusiastic applause, and some even received standing ovations.

During a recent lunchtime, we walked around the school and took notes on the friendship groups. Our goal: to discover the divisions among students that are formed either intentionally or unintentionally.

The boys’ golf team is off to a good start this year after beating Lynbrook on Feb. 27, Monta Vista on March 3, and Los Gatos and Milpitas on March 10, leading to a 4-0 record for the Falcons as of March 10.

For Gou, who has been fencing competitively since age 6, each tournament is a test of the mind.  Not only must he study and analyze his opponent, but he also must balance himself between an appropriate level of intensity and relaxation.   

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry conducted a national study in 2011 and found that a shocking one in three 12th graders have used marijuana in the previous year.

From April 27-30, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) will visit Saratoga High in order to assess and certify the school’s accreditation.  

Senior Zofia Trujillo goes through the lyrics of “I Dreamed a Dream,” marking off her staging to refresh her mind of the last  rehearsal. Trujillo and around 60 castmates are investing numerous hours to this year’s spring musical, “Les Miserables.” Among the challenges of “Les Mis” is that it is narrated with only music and no dialogue. “Les Mis” showcases a serious plot, which presents challenges and learning opportunities for the actors and director and drama teacher Sarah Thermond.

Many students here work day and night for stellar grades, outstanding test scores and excellence in extracurriculars, in the meantime, other students who may not work as hard be as naturally gifted have something else in their corner: legacy.

It was June 2009 when senior Kushal Haran, who was 13 at the time, took part in his own Upanayana, or “String Ceremony,” a common Hindu tradition for all boys.

If the rally commission has its way, students hoping to enter classrooms on rally Fridays will find doors closed and locked.

"God of Carnage", "Up" and "Les Miserables" are the drama departments latest productions.    

On Nov. 16, students from Cuernavaca, Mexico visited the school, and are currently staying with host families until Dec. 2.

I had always pictured being a librarian as a generally relaxed and stress-free job — one that consisted mainly of helping students check out books and maintaining quietness in the library. Of course, as I soon learned, this is an incredibly inaccurate assumption.  After I spent two periods observing the tasks of Kevin Heyman, who has worked as a librarian for 12 years.  

There was no time to react. Riding downhill at nearly 30 mph on a bike with faulty brakes, history teacher Jim Chin — then an undergrad at UC Berkeley — didn’t have time to see the pickup truck just around a corner. Seconds later, after an abrupt turn, Chin barreled head-on into the truck’s metal racks. 

Last fall, members of the drama department tackled serious roles for their production of Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible.” This weekend, though, the drama department will take on a play of a very different tone: William Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Recently, the Clubs Commissioner and ASB have tightened their enforcement of the clubs policy. This policy ensures that all clubs stay active, adding value to our campus and benefiting all students.

Last fall, members of the drama department tackled serious roles for their production of Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible.” On Oct. 19, though, the drama department will take on a play of a very different tone: William Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado About Nothing.”  

It had taken weeks of dedication, memorizing lines, running chaotic dress rehearsals and suffering through glitchy tech runs. Yet, even with all of the preparation and hard work, nerves were bound to prevail, for it was the first time junior Jack McCarthy had ever directed a performance.

At the beginning of summer, seniors and co-directors Manini Desai and Jason Tatman held auditions for the early fall student production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde.