The Student News Site of Saratoga High School

The Saratoga Falcon
Mothers of middle and high school students from across the Bay Area listen to MomsConnect 2024 panelists on Sept. 22.
Safine among panelists for non-profit Chai with Moms inaugural event
October 10, 2024
Ward talks to a representative from Hult International Business School as part of a college fair on Sept. 23
The CCC’s services are here to help students through the application process
October 5, 2024
To conserve paper and reduce the risk of cheating, College Board has made the decision to transition toward an almost fully digital testing model for their Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
Changes to AP testing procedures set to take effect in 2025
October 5, 2024
“A Dark Future” currently holds three titles: Lift-off Global Network Sessions Official Selection, Official Winners of the One Earth Film Festival Young Filmmakers Contest and Regeneration International Youth Film Selection.
MAP grade 11 project “A Dark Future” wins International Environmental Film Award
September 29, 2024
During their first meeting on Sept. 12, Slime Club members mix a large bowl of glue with an activator to make slime.
New Slime Club is drawing over 60 members each meeting
September 26, 2024
A screenshot of SHS Fizz where students post content ranging from academics to shower thoughts
New SHS-focused Instagram confessions page stirs concerns
October 4, 2024
The crevice is widening between the ideologies of America’s two leading parties.
Deepening political divides are fragmenting America
September 26, 2024
History classes rely on using reliable sources when discussing political events.
When politics intrude into the classroom
September 26, 2024
Big data corporations like Disney are more involved in data stealing than you may think.
Behind a curtain of ‘transparency,’ many companies process user data undercover
September 25, 2024
A name like that might just give poor X a case of torrential bullying.
Elon Musk cursed his son by naming him X æ A-xii Musk
September 24, 2024
Young NFL stars James Cook and Marvin Harrison Jr. celebrated their breakout campaigns in blowout victories.
Fantasy Football Overview Weeks 1-4: Wild breakout performances and disappointing injuries
October 5, 2024
On Aug. 24, Zhang competes in the 50-meter freestyle in the preliminary round at Junior Pan-Pacific Championships.
Talented swimmer goes to Australia to compete at 2024 Junior Pan-Pacific Championships
September 30, 2024
Freshmen Delsin Dizoglio and Kaylee Ren play physical tic-tac-toe in period 6 P.E.
New mandatory P.E. rule for freshmen goes into effect
September 29, 2024
The Falcons huddle before their first scrimmage of the season against Evergreen on Sept. 5th.
Football team sees hard work pay off as a dominant 42-7 win against the Pioneers places them 2-0 in league
September 29, 2024
In last year’s matchup with Santa Clara, senior Sydney Riera controls the game from the middle of the field.
Field hockey team hopes to find improvement during rebuild
September 24, 2024
The balance of power at the school sites is heavily outweighed by the district.
Staff editorial: As the board levels up on district office personnel, LG and SHS staff suffer negative impacts
October 10, 2024
The Monopoly theme is a mere shadow of what it could have been.
This year’s Homecoming theme for the senior class is a major disappointment
October 10, 2024
Kamala Harris represents the U.S. in international politics.
Kamala Harris brings long-awaited and indispensable gender and ethnic representation to U.S. politics
September 30, 2024
No phone use on campus will prove to be a health and safety hazard.
Cell phones have a healthy and necessary role in schools
September 26, 2024
In the dark reality of social media, family channels have let money and fame blind them.
YouTube Family channels too often lead to child exploitation
September 24, 2024
Real-life image of my friend with AirPods while studying.
Top-10 classical music pieces to take a listen to
October 5, 2024
The library is the perfect place to work
100-word rave: A love letter to tutorials
September 26, 2024
An example of a WeTip poster depicting the impact of negative comments hangs in Meghan Laws’ English classroom.
WeTip posters aim to provide a way to report harassment, bullying and other issues
September 26, 2024
Stationery products from Muji
Top 10 best stationery brands
September 24, 2024
A paper knife is like trying to become an academic weapon — it’s not as magnificent or sustainable as it appears.
New year, new habits: I tried to become an academic weapon
September 24, 2024

The Saratoga Falcon

The Saratoga Falcon

Amy Miao, Lifestyles Editor

All content by Amy Miao
A paper knife is like trying to become an academic weapon — it’s not as magnificent or sustainable as it appears.

Photo or Graphic for: New year, new habits: I tried to become an academic weapon

Madhura Natarajan
September 24, 2024
Too often, students instinctively reach for the calculator.

Photo or Graphic for: Stop and think: Do you really need that calculator?

Florence Hu
September 15, 2024
Amanda Lupoli fills out a Venn diagram with input from students in her 6th period AP U.S. History class.

New history teacher emphasizes instilling critical thinking skills

Amy Miao
September 15, 2024
There are multiple great times to arrive to class.

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10: times to arrive to journalism in the morning

Nika Svizhenko
September 4, 2024
The runners explore many routes in Saratoga, venturing to roads such as Elva Avenue.

Cross country season preview: Tippetts returns to coach boys while professional runner steps up to coach the girls

Annika Gho, Jessica Li, and Amy Miao
August 31, 2024
Beach volleyball is a great way to exercise and have fun with your friends.

Photo or Graphic for: Discovering our new favorite summer pastime, beach volleyball

Bill Huang and Andy Zhu
August 24, 2024
After being drained from studying, state testing provides a recharge.

Photo or Graphic for: State testing provides a good break from junior year

Derek Liang
May 22, 2024
Assortments of college ranking list with factors such as acceptance rate, major, ranking and cost.

Photo or Graphic for: While flawed, college ranking systems remain necessary tools for constructing college lists

William Cao and Nikhil Mathihalli
May 15, 2024
Disney+ has plummeted down my ranking of streaming services, while apps like Netflix maintain their quality.

Photo or Graphic for: The disappointing downfall of Disney+

Anthony Luo
May 11, 2024
Emily, Shirina and Amy hold up the finished tanghulu while sugary water drips onto the floor.

The viral sweet treat tanghulu: Is it worth all the hype?

Shirina Cao, Jessica Li, Amy Miao, and Emily Wu
May 10, 2024
Council members Tina Walia, Chuck Page, Kookie Fitzsimmons; Saratoga Foothill Club President Nancy Miller; Mayor Yan Zhao and Vice Mayor Belal Aftab (left to right) pose with the Tree City USA award.

Japanese maple tree planted during annual Arbor Day celebration

Amy Miao and Sasha Prasad
May 8, 2024
Some foods garner positive attention, and some garner negative attention.

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10 cafeteria delicacies

Bryan Zhao
May 3, 2024
Whether it’s gardening or studying for a class, there’s a lot to do over the summer.

Photo or Graphic for: A guide to make the most of your summer

Ruiyan Zhu
April 29, 2024
More and more jobs will now be taken over by automation, making Computer Science less appealing as a major.

Photo or Graphic for: Is studying comp sci still the golden ticket to wealth?

Alec Guan and Richard Fan
April 29, 2024
Breaking will make its debut in the 2024 Summer Olympics in an effort to draw in more attention from a younger audience.

Photo or Graphic for: Break Dancing to be introduced at 2024 summer Olympics

Richard Fan and Alec Guan
April 18, 2024
English and Map 10 teacher Marcos Cortez surfs in the Santa Cruz shoreline.

Surfing in Santa Cruz: Junior and English teacher find relaxation riding waves

Amy Miao and Emily Wu
March 29, 2024
Freshman Peyton Steffen prepares to shoot a basket in an away game against Mountain View High School.

Sports legacies: 2 athletes follow in the footsteps of their family members 

Amy Miao and Sasha Prasad
March 24, 2024
If you waltz into my room, there’s a high possibility that my desk is covered with snacks.

Photo or Graphic for: Caving into my cravings: my go-to comfort snacks

Jessica Li
March 21, 2024
Avadhanam uses geometry techniques to solve Team Selection Test (TST) problems.

2 seniors now one step away from making national Math Olympiad teams

Jessica Li, Parav Manney, and Amy Miao
February 10, 2024
Sample drawing of solar panels at the senior parking lot.

Photo or Graphic for: Board picks Centrica as solar panel provider; work is set to begin this summer

William Cao and Eric Shi
February 8, 2024
Spice up your love life with these activities.

Photo or Graphic for: Ideas for the next big date after Valentine’s Day

Shirina Cao
February 8, 2024
AP Statistics Teacher Seema Patel picks up a barbell in a deadlift while Speech Language Pathologist Ronda Vierra practices her freestyle technique.

Photo or Graphic for: Working out at work: Teachers take advantage of campus weight room and swimming pool

William Cao and Eric Shi
February 6, 2024
Anatomy and Physiology teacher Kristofer Orre achieves a deadlift personal record of 460 pounds at his gym.

Fitness pursuits keep teachers healthy, happy and focused

Jessica Li and Amy Miao
February 6, 2024
New Wellness Center coordinator Thea Widmer works at a desk and checks in with students as they arrive on Nov. 27. 

Wellness Center reopens under new coordinator

Amy Miao and Emily Wu
December 7, 2023
Food trucks were missing on the Nov. 21 Turkey Trot, and will continue to be banned in most future events involving them.

Photo or Graphic for: Policy change eliminates food trucks during school-day events like Turkey Trot

Derek Liang and Eric Shi
December 7, 2023
Team Saratoga 1, consisting of students Bryan Li, Lawson Wang, Advaith Avadhanam, Alan Lu, Skyler Mao and Victoria Hu (left to right) proudly hold up their second place trophy.

Mathletes place second at highly competitive Berkeley tournament

Jessica Li and Amy Miao
December 7, 2023
Selina Chen anchors at “Maroc TV”, Mohammed V University’s TV Station in Rabat, Morocco.

In her gap year, alumna becomes reporter in Morocco and learns real-world lessons

Amy Miao and Emily Wu
December 4, 2023
Students unload boxes of cookie dough into the music building for distribution on Nov. 13.

Music Boosters cookie dough fundraiser raises $10k+

Amy Miao and Emily Wu
December 3, 2023
Athletes taking challenging classes often have to make tough decisions to balance their packed schedules.

Photo or Graphic for: Athletes must navigate academic hurdles as they take difficult classes

Anthony Luo
December 2, 2023
Cis-gender men overshadow women as they enthusiastically wave resumes at recruiters.

Cis-gender men crashing the 2023 Grace Hopper Conference serves as a dangerous reminder of the tech industry’s gender imbalance

Amy Miao and Emily Wu
December 1, 2023
Parcel taxes fund teacher salary and support programs.

Photo or Graphic for: Board investigates possible parcel tax campaign

William Cao, Eric Shi, and Agastya Vitaldevara
November 9, 2023
Jennifer Lee sifts through information and drafts a report on Oct. 24, preparing for the upcoming midterm review.

Biology teacher takes on new role as WASC coordinator

Jessica Li and Amy Miao
November 8, 2023
After a long period of declining enrollment, SHS has finally seen an increase in freshman class size this year.

Photo or Graphic for: School sees unexpected influx in freshman enrollment

Kevin Yang and Eric Shi
October 21, 2023
One of Green Committee’s projects last year was creating posters for the trash bins around campus.

Photo or Graphic for: Green Committee takes aim at single-use plastics, advocates for water refill stations and solar power

Jane Lee
October 21, 2023
Freshman Vivian Zhong (right) and junior Ishani Agarwal (left) win medals at the MP4G awards ceremony.

7 SHS female mathletes travel to MIT for elite contest

Jessica Li and Amy Miao
October 21, 2023
Sophia Tsives (back row, left) poses with her team after winning bronze at the World Championships.

Sophomore wins bronze with national team at the 2023 Artistic Swimming World Championships

Amy Miao and Emily Wu
October 18, 2023
As the SAT is getting ready to completely transition to digital from nearly a century of being on paper, students, particularly ones abroad, should expect many benefits.

CollegeBoard’s new digital SAT is a step toward accessibility and sustainability — so don’t snap your pencils yet

Amy Miao and Beverly Xu
October 14, 2023
The average overheating Macbook is good for frying eggs for breakfast.

Photo or Graphic for: 100-word rant: What do people see in MacBooks anyway?

Alec Guan
September 29, 2023
Tired of sweating? Try the sports on the right!

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10: unathletic sports

Richard Fan and Alec Guan
September 24, 2023
Load More Stories