The Student News Site of Saratoga High School

The Saratoga Falcon
SHS students, faculty, and alumni pose after their final performance with BDB.
Students participate in prestigious Blue Devils Drums Corps over the summer
September 18, 2024
Sophomore Alma Garniek begins her shift at TEAZENTEA.
New bubble tea store opens in downtown Saratoga
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
September 15, 2024
English teacher Amy Keys makes masks as part of a Día de los Muertos workshop in Oaxaca.
Veteran teachers return to the classroom after taking leaves last year
September 15, 2024
Junior Nolan Woo introduces his club, League of Programmers, to junior Jack Dong.
This year’s Club Rush features off-beat new clubs and traditional old ones
September 14, 2024
The album cover for “Bando Stone and The New World,” where Donald Glover plays the titular character in the accompanying movie with the same name.
Bando Stone and The New World is an exhilarating sendoff to the Childish Gambino persona
September 18, 2024
The new installment in the “Quiet Place” series originally hinted at an emotionally impactful story about the tragedies of the apocalypse, increasing fan expectations.
‘A Quiet Place: Day One’: not worth all the noise
September 18, 2024
Olivia Rodrigo engages with the audience while singing “enough for you” during her concert.
Buying last-minute Olivia Rodrigo tickets is a good idea, right?
September 17, 2024
Absolutely hooked, I can’t stop myself from watching true crime, such as the Slenderman case.
The allure of true crime documentaries
September 17, 2024
Ao3 reigns supreme as the #1 fanfiction site.
A review of popular fanfiction sites — are they worth the read?
September 17, 2024
The 2024 F1 season has already crowned 7 Grand Prix winners — the most since 2012.
The rise and appeal of Formula 1 racing
September 18, 2024
Junior Millie Wang hits a 54-degree wedge out of a bunker at Saratoga Country Club.
With only 7 players, girls’ golf hopes to ace its season
September 17, 2024
Awaiting the inquiry results, Jordan Chiles looks at the screen anxiously.
A devastating — and unfair — loss of a medal for gymnast Jordan Chiles
September 16, 2024
The Niner’s chaotic offseason has been interesting to watch mainly due to the recently-resolved contract situation of wide-receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
After a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss, the 49ers are ready to move on
September 14, 2024
In March 2024, freshmen Kayley Ren placed seventh out of 94 fencers at the Fortune Fencing Super Youth Circuit in Ontario, Calif.
Blade and balance: Freshman excels at competitive fencing
September 13, 2024
I say my line during my annual spring program.
From private school to public school, the benefits and downsides I experienced
September 15, 2024
Too often, students instinctively reach for the calculator.
Stop and think: Do you really need that calculator?
September 15, 2024
Six ants crawl on bathroom sink.
Clean up after yourself before the ants take over the school
September 12, 2024
The skibidi toilet horrors that popped up in our Instagram reels less than a year ago.
Gen Alpha has a word for that — but you probably won’t know what it means
September 12, 2024
Glasses and Contacts
Contacts vs. glasses: Which one works better?
September 12, 2024
One of the three vending machines on the school campus.
Top 10: vending machine items on campus
September 17, 2024
My teachers are fast asleep while I rush to submit the assignment.
100-word rant: Homework should always be due at the start of class, not midnight of the night before
September 17, 2024
I carry an 8-month-old baby Io.
Never again: a girl, her dog and her keyboard
September 17, 2024
Moments before we (unfortunately) tasted our least favorite boba.
Our sweet adventure: uncovering the hidden boba gems in the Bay
September 16, 2024
Some productive and unproductive ways to combat after-school slump.
A guide to productivity: How to combat the after-school slump
September 16, 2024

The Saratoga Falcon

The Saratoga Falcon
All content by Annie Liu
Dear sophomores, you are already halfway through!

Sophomore year: the interlude between middle school bliss and high school nightmare

Annie Liu
April 2, 2024
Which one would you choose?

Photo or Graphic for: Are we truly living in a simulation?

Victoria Lin
March 15, 2024
Senior Angela Luo works on urinalysis at Silicon Valley Career Tech Education.

Senior gains experience working alongside veterinarian in Career Tech program 

Annie Liu and Isabelle Wang
March 14, 2024
Untitled Artwork

Photo or Graphic for: National Cereal Day: an ode to my midnight best friend

Sunny Cao
March 11, 2024
A timeline of the course change dates and drop dates of first and second semesters.

Drop now or drop dead: District should remove drop date

Annie Liu
March 11, 2024
Hopkins and me sitting in the snow outside of his house 

My comfort game: ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’

Annie Liu
March 7, 2024
The only background noise to give me complete serenity.

Photo or Graphic for: Colored noise is a hidden gem among distracting study music

Divya Vadlakonda
February 15, 2024
Why unlearn this if I’m right?

Photo or Graphic for: The ‘neither-either’ grammar police need to check themselves

Divya Vadlakonda
February 13, 2024
The rude awakening I receive every night from my friend. 

Photo or Graphic for: Living on Facetime: the secret method to being productive 

Sunny Cao
February 13, 2024
“Five Nights at Freddy’s” live-action movie poster

Five Nights at Freddy’s film adaptation aptly satisfies expectations of video game fans  

Annie Liu
February 6, 2024
op_100WordAnyway graphic

Photo or Graphic for: Please stop adding an extra “s” to anyway

Nicole Lee
February 4, 2024
newyearresol

Photo or Graphic for: New Year’s Resolutions are useless — it’s better to reject them

Skyler Mao
January 25, 2024
Me time traveling back to my younger self.

Photo or Graphic for: Going back in time, I would like to relive a random day of nothingness

Sunny Cao
January 25, 2024
Herzman and Tyler enjoy music on the ride to school.

Teachers grow friendships through daily carpools to school 

Sam Bai and Annie Liu
January 24, 2024
Two geese stare each other down as they compare their superiority.

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10: Geese on campus

Nicole Lee
January 16, 2024
Class of ‘23 alumnus Eli Tsives pursues club water polo at UCLA.

Photo or Graphic for: Alumni further their athletic careers in college outside of NCAA

Agastya Vitaldevara
January 9, 2024
Untitled Artwork

Photo or Graphic for: Despite cheating concerns, many teachers remain optimistic about use of AI in classrooms

Skyler Mao
December 15, 2023
Adorable Sedum Ogons (Golden Japanese Stonecrops) at Yamagami’s.

Four nearby flower shops worth shopping at this holiday season (or anytime, really)

Annie Liu
December 14, 2023
The vacancy of Speaker of the house left the Republicans in disarray.

Photo or Graphic for: The latest, greatest embarrassment of the GOP —  the election of a speaker — shows the party is incapable of leading

William Norwood
December 7, 2023
The love, head and life line reveal secrets about your personality.

Photo or Graphic for: Your fate is in my hands: my one-day journey as an underqualified palm reader

Divya Vadlakonda
November 8, 2023
I cover my ears up when I hear “Best Day of My Life” playing.

Myth: Believing ‘Best Day’ song brings bad luck

Annie Liu
November 6, 2023
Me on my daily quarantine dog walk.

Photo or Graphic for: If you’re bad at drawing, try photography

William Norwood
November 6, 2023
Young children are always hooked on their iPads, refusing to leave their screens.

Photo or Graphic for: New ‘iPad kid’ phenomenon reflects unsettling reality of screen time addiction — and it’s time for parents to do something about it

Skyler Mao
November 6, 2023
Munching on the watermelon seeds is now a lifelong habit.

Photo or Graphic for: Busting the watermelon seed myth: No, they DO NOT grow in your stomach

Victoria Lin
November 6, 2023
Totoro, Chu Totoro and Chibi Totoro march together.

Photo or Graphic for: Guide for newbies: A step into the whimsical world of Studio Ghibli

Isabelle Wang
October 28, 2023
 Renovations to the school’s gym and additions of solar panels.

Photo or Graphic for: Board cancels gym renovations but continues with plans for solar panel carports for front parking lot

William Cao, Eric Shi, and Agastya Vitaldevara
October 21, 2023
The extremely destructive effect of the Maui wildfires on the communities nearby.

Photo or Graphic for: Although climate change exacerbated Maui fires, faulty power lines are prime offenders

Nicole Lee
September 29, 2023
Budlight released rainbow-colored cans to celebrate their partnership with Mulvaney.

Photo or Graphic for: Bud Light’s controversial advertisement highlights worrying social media trend

Aiden Ye and Victoria Lin
September 29, 2023
Students in Laws’ fairy light-lit classroom during tutorial.

The soft glow of fairy lights fills Laws’ classroom

Annie Liu
September 25, 2023
Rector sits inside of his homemade jungle.

Plants enliven Rector’s classroom

Sam Bai and Annie Liu
September 20, 2023
The clash of colors for graduation gowns. 

Photo or Graphic for: Choose white for the senior graduation gowns

Victoria Lin
September 19, 2023
What happens when seniors get home from school. 

Photo or Graphic for: Seniorly tired all the time: lessons we’re learning with our newly minted status

Victoria Lin and Aiden Ye
September 19, 2023
If we can hear teachers breathe, they are too close to us.

Photo or Graphic for: A layperson’s guide to students’ classroom pet peeves  

William Norwood and Divya Vadlakonda
September 14, 2023
Students do not bond over useless facts during introduction games.

Photo or Graphic for: 100-word rant: Teachers, please stop with the introduction games

Skyler Mao
September 11, 2023
collegemusic1

Photo or Graphic for: Seniors to pursue music at prestigious universities

Zachary Zinman
June 1, 2023
Rihanna continues to stun the public with her bold looks.

Photo or Graphic for: Rihanna makes strong return to spotlight despite backlash

William Norwood
May 10, 2023
@MinsuiTang July 21, 2023… be there.

Photo or Graphic for: Here’s what to do with your free time in the Bay Area this summer

Sarah Zhou
May 8, 2023
I spy with my little eye the sky and the stars — not my future. 

Photo or Graphic for: Can the stars see my future? I tracked my ‘horrorscope’ for a day

Beverly Xu
April 3, 2023
The dreaded phone pockets make their unwelcome appearance in every classroom.

Photo or Graphic for: 100-word rant: Sequestering phones in class is pointless

Divya Vadlakonda
March 30, 2023
Consider choosing the College and Career center over the convoluted, costly and sometimes unethical world of private college admissions consulting.

Photo or Graphic for: Staff editorial: Reject private counselors for free school resources

Nilay Mishra
March 30, 2023
The signs of Sagittarius, Libra and Aquarius join together in the unique brew that is my personality.

Photo or Graphic for: Studying the stars: finding out if my personality was developed or divined

Divya Vadlakonda
March 30, 2023
Senior fuses meditation and neuroscience passions into research paper

Senior fuses meditation and neuroscience passions into research paper

Howard Shu and Annie Liu
March 24, 2023
With superscoring, students combine their best scores from each section of the SAT.

Photo or Graphic for: Superscoring exacerbates existing inequity in the SAT

Tara Natarajan
February 15, 2023
adam accomplishments

Photo or Graphic for: Senior wins New York Times award for 2022 personal narrative contest

Mitchell Chen and Skyler Mao
February 15, 2023
The handbook outlines the school’s academic integrity policy. 

Photo or Graphic for: Staff editorial: Policies on academic integrity need updating, clarifying

William Norwood and Divya Vadlakonda
February 13, 2023
The Falcons face off against Homestead on Jan. 12.

Girls’ basketball: Challenging season comes to a close

Victoria Hu and Annie Liu
February 13, 2023
Braised crucian carp

Photo or Graphic for: Dumplings and crucian carp: an irreplaceable dish of Lunar New Year in China

Kevin Yang
February 10, 2023
A typical BBL dress can be found on websites like PrettyLittleThing and Fashion Nova.

Photo or Graphic for: BBLs and beauty standards: the damaging effects of the trend cycle

Tara Natarajan
February 9, 2023
Students experience increased stress with current deadlines.

Photo or Graphic for: Teachers: Please make homework due times right before class

Skyler Mao
February 9, 2023
Students and teachers both highlight the importance of asking questions.

Photo or Graphic for: Upperclassmen and teachers reflect on skills necessary to succeed in widely perceived ‘most difficult’ classes

Sarah Zhou
February 8, 2023
A student shadow sits in on their matched volunteer’s classes.

Photo or Graphic for: Prospective students get a peek into campus life through shadowing program

Sarah Zhou and Victoria Hu
February 3, 2023
My yearly family dinner conversation.

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10: worst questions to ask at a family gathering

William Norwood
January 25, 2023
A student opens up to a therapist.

Photo or Graphic for: The winding road of wellness: Therapy offers a map forward but finding the right path takes time and patience

Martin Xu
January 26, 2023
maggiesnowman

Photo or Graphic for: How to build the perfect snowman

Maggie Zeng
December 23, 2022
I hope Santa won’t realize his missing elf!

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10: Things that happened when Santa came down the chimney

Mitchell Chen
December 21, 2022
Female politicians face sexism as a part of their day-to-day lives.

Photo or Graphic for: America needs to speak out against violence directed towards female politicians

William Norwood and Sarah Thomas
December 10, 2022
The Falcons play against Aptos on Dec. 5.

With only eight players, girls’ basketball lacks full roster as season begins

Annie Liu and Victoria Hu
December 10, 2022
Untitled_Artwork

Photo or Graphic for: It might sound crazy, but 16-year-olds should have the right to vote

Zachary Zinman
December 10, 2022
I vote to ban “All I Want For Christmas is You”.

Photo or Graphic for: ‘All I Want for Christmas’ … is this song to end

William Norwood
December 2, 2022
Our holy grail of afterschool snacks.

Photo or Graphic for: After-school snack connoisseurs point out their top choices

Divya Vadlakonda and Kevin Yang
December 1, 2022
Taking notes is a difficult yet necessary task.

Photo or Graphic for: Good note-taking strategies improve study efficiency

Skyler Mao
November 30, 2022
I grow concerned about slipping on the track before races in the rain.

Rain is good, but not during a track meet

Annie Liu
November 8, 2022
Autumn is my favorite season of the year. The weather is perfect, and time with family is memorable.

Photo or Graphic for: It’s autumn and time to celebrate

Nikhil Mathihalli
November 6, 2022
Students struggle to find a place to stay during tutorial.

Photo or Graphic for: Library’s discarded 75-student limit promoted a positive learning environment — and should return

Skyler Mao
October 25, 2022
Fall weather gives way to a cozy wardrobe.

Photo or Graphic for: An ode to fall clothing

Divya Vadlakonda
October 19, 2022
Woeful tears of the Halloween bowl.

Photo or Graphic for: The grievances of a Halloween bowl decimated by trick-or-treaters

Maggie Zeng
October 19, 2022
There is no place better than Reddit to waste your time.

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10 subreddits

Nikhil Mathihalli and Aiden Ye
September 29, 2022
The class of 2023 is experiencing senioritis while drafting college essays.

Photo or Graphic for: Dear seniors, get a grip

Allison Tan
September 25, 2022
You can enjoy a warm mug of hot chocolate in a matter of seconds thanks to hot tap water.

Good tap water: a privilege to be enjoyed

Victoria Lin and Annie Liu
September 24, 2022

New CBI teacher teaches vital skills to students

Skyler Mao and Annie Liu
September 24, 2022
Personal devices are more efficient than shared school devices.

Photo or Graphic for: Bring Your Own Device policy has many upsides

Skyler Mao
September 24, 2022
The crying emoji with streaming tears and the otter, unlike the laugh crying emoji, will forever be your best friends.

Photo or Graphic for: My three cents: a dummies’ guide to emojis

Anika Kapasi
September 24, 2022
Not all words are created equal.

Photo or Graphic for: The real deal behind lol and lmao

Beverly Xu and Divya Vadlakonda
September 23, 2022
The number of students who do not receive federal financial aid for college after graduation must change.

Photo or Graphic for: Current merit-based college aid system needs rethinking

Sarah Zhou
September 22, 2022
Three geese and their offspring parade across campus.

Photo or Graphic for: And about those geese on campus . . . they’re not so cute

Aiden Ye
May 30, 2022
Students advocate for various changes to the school, which mostly go ignored or take a long time to be addressed.

Photo or Graphic for: Board needs to focus more on student concerns

Sarah Zhou
May 19, 2022
I remember squatting around the dam I built with my friends

Photo or Graphic for: Elementary school memories: playing the engineer and building an illegal dam

Jonny Luo
May 15, 2022
courserequests

Photo or Graphic for: Course registration patterns look to be consistent with past years

Howard Shu
March 18, 2022
scotusjudge

Photo or Graphic for: Controversy over new SCOTUS justice nomination divides minority communities

Hannah Lee
March 16, 2022
Farmers market: a bustling market of reminiscence

Farmers market: a bustling market of reminiscence

Annie Liu
March 16, 2022
classpolicy

Photo or Graphic for: Same-subject classes should have similar policies, assessments and difficulty

Nikhil Mathihalli and Aiden Ye
March 16, 2022
emptyhousetax

Photo or Graphic for: Vacancy taxes are a pathetic attempt at funding and creating affordable housing solutions

Sarah Zhou
March 12, 2022
Screen Shot 2022-03-04 at 11.18.02 AM

Photo or Graphic for: Cut the toxicity: Parents need to stop competing with their kids’ academic accolades

Sarah Zhou
March 4, 2022
The boys’ varsity soccer team huddles up to end their practice.

Boys’ soccer finds early league success

Annie Liu, Nikhil Mathihalli, and Tiffany Wang
January 21, 2022
Screen Shot 2022-01-18 at 10.45.43 AM

Photo or Graphic for: Overturning Roe v. Wade threatens more fundamental rights than just abortion

Stephanie Sun
January 18, 2022
meta bad

Photo or Graphic for: The ‘metaverse’ may be the internet’s next big thing, but it shouldn’t be Meta’s

Tara Natarajan
December 2, 2021
clashroyale

Photo or Graphic for: ‘Clash Royale’: the pinnacle of mobile gaming

Atrey Desai and Arnav Swamy
December 1, 2021
sexualviolenceOP

Photo or Graphic for: Normalizing sexual violence through media fuels rape culture

Hannah Lee
November 22, 2021
Senior Nathan Zaragoza dribbles during a game last spring against Milpitas as part of Season 2.

Boys’ soccer looks forward to a promising season

Tiffany Wang and Annie Liu
November 19, 2021
Two juniors achieve rare perfect scores on AP Comp Science exam

Two juniors achieve rare perfect scores on AP Comp Science exam

Annie Liu and Howard Shu
November 16, 2021
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