The Student News Site of Saratoga High School

The Saratoga Falcon
Courtesy of LGSUHSD board The official map, decided during the April 14 public hearing.
School board finalizes district map for new trustee elections
June 1, 2025
Courtesy of Saratoga High School Junior Arjun Krish is one of 20 students in the country who have a shot at representing the US at the International Biology Olympiad.
Junior qualifies for International Biology Olympiad training camp at Harvard
May 27, 2025
French 1 classes are switching to the “Reporters Francophones” textbook for next year.
Language classes to try new textbook options next year
May 25, 2025
Seniors gather in the quad to celebrate their college decisions.
Seniors showcase post-grad plans on Commit Day
May 23, 2025
Choir and AP Music Theory teacher Beth Nitzan conducts a choir class during a rehearsal for their end-of-year concert on May 19.
Nitzan to leave school after four years in music department
May 21, 2025
Me conducting taste evaluations with two drinks at once.
The *actual* best boba places in the Bay
June 2, 2025
Courtesy of Aidan Smith Finn and Aidan pose together in the backyard for pictures before prom.
The Duality of Man: Aidan and Finn Smith
June 2, 2025
Keys works on an essay with an English 11 Honors student.
The first day of school in August requires months of planning for teachers
June 1, 2025
Hector and I pose with our first target after eliminating her in San Francisco.
Senior Mag 2025: We were eliminated in Senior Assassin — but that only made the game more fun
May 29, 2025
Seniors Annette Li and Kayla Nguyen anchor on an SHSTV broadcast.
Senior Mag ‘25: Duo evolves from GNNers to SHSTV head producers
May 27, 2025
(left to right) Audrey Wong, Summer Shen, Hannah Bui and Angela Tan prepare for a football game.
Senior Mag 2025: From Europe to the Bay, Flute seniors bonded over marching band
June 1, 2025
Courtesy of Annette Li We pose after our victory against Fremont High on April 30.
Senior Mag 2025: The chemistry and chaos of a 4-year badminton partnership
June 1, 2025
Junior Garrick Chau faces off sophomore William Dechlick and mental health therapist Victor Thompson in the Falcon Nest.
Foosball club brings in a professional to coach members skills
May 31, 2025
Many physical therapies consist of stretching and light exercises.
Student athletes navigate a long rehabilitation process after injuries
May 31, 2025
Courtesy of Lauren Nguyen Smiling proudly, the team stands together and celebrates their awards.
Dance team reflects on Nationals and what’s next
May 28, 2025
A wide variety of euphemisms impact perception in different ways.
Words that need to be heard: euphemisms are dangerous tools for desensitization
June 1, 2025
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Universities have no right to revoke diplomas for political speech
May 30, 2025
Courtesy of Charles Edward Miller People protesting against unlawful deportations.
Universities need to take action to prevent students from being deported by ICE
May 30, 2025
11th grade classes are full of interesting material.
100-word rant: teachers, five tests in two days is just cruel
May 29, 2025
Campaigning on popular social media apps such as Instagram shouldn’t be the norm.
For school leadership elections, candidates can rely too much on social media advertising
May 28, 2025
Courtesy of Nathan Shows The view from the dinner cruise on the Vltava.
The last class to remember being stranded in Prague, 2022
June 4, 2025
Courtesy of Rani Khanna Rani and Krishen in their childhood.
The Khanna twins: more like regular siblings than twins
June 4, 2025
Courtesy of Saratoga High School Grace Liu and Luke Zhang are the valedictorian and salutatorian of the senior class respectively.
Class of 2025 valedictorian and salutatorian announced
June 3, 2025
Courtesy of NBC Bay Area Saratoga High’s field shot from above.
Senior Mag: How anti-turf advocacy became my turf
June 3, 2025
Five houses apart, four years together on after-school walks
Five houses apart, four years together on after-school walks
June 2, 2025
Volume 57, Issue 6
Volume 57, Issue 6
April 23, 2025
Volume 57, Issue 5
Volume 57, Issue 5
April 23, 2025
Volume 57, Issue 4
Volume 57, Issue 4
April 23, 2025
Volume 57, Issue 3
Volume 57, Issue 3
April 23, 2025
Volume 57, Issue 2
Volume 57, Issue 2
April 23, 2025

The Saratoga Falcon

The Saratoga Falcon
All content by Leyna Chan
Senior Alexi Grebert is leading the top soccer team France Ligue 1. 

Photo or Graphic for: Senior Mag 2024: Senior takes gap year to explore soccer management interests before college

Kevin Yang
Mmmm…

Senior Mag 2024: Reviewing dorm-friendly microwave mug recipes so you don’t have to

Victoria Hu, Leyna Chan, and Sanjoli Gupta
I loved to experiment using different ingredients in my slime. 

Photo or Graphic for: How my fifth-grade slime obsession led to a small business

Meher Bhatnagar
The name of your college doesn’t guarantee you immediate success.

Photo or Graphic for: Attending a prestigious college doesn’t guarantee future success

Anika Kapasi and Angela Tan
Natalie and Victoria’s tentative first bites.

Spicy ‘reaper’ tenders at Dave’s Hot Chicken fail to bring the heat

Leyna Chan, Natalie Chua, Victoria Hu, and Sarah Zhou
Seniors trying out new activities.

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10 things to do as a senior

Victoria Lin
High schoolers compassionately taking on new responsibilities and stepping into the real world.

Photo or Graphic for: Upperclassmen fit jobs into their busy schedules

William Cao and Andy Zhu
Many teachers resented the five-day leave policy that detracted from their personal sick days.

Photo or Graphic for: COVID leave mandate for school employees reduced from five days to 24 hours after symptoms

Parav Manney
As their high school journey closes and practical incentives disappear, many seniors find themselves lacking the motivation to do schoolwork. 

Photo or Graphic for: Combating senioritis: trying to keep students engaged all the way to the finish line 

Natalie Chua and Parav Manney
The moment I realized swimming in the rain was no longer a pleasure. 

Photo or Graphic for: My damp and unpleasant experience: swimming under the pouring rain

Kevin Yang
Life as a third wheel.

Photo or Graphic for: Rolling through life as a certified third wheel

Anika Kapasi
Tote? More like NOPE.

Photo or Graphic for: Don’t buy the hype: Tote bags aren’t the holy grail

Nika Svizhenko
Gish Jen’s ‘Thank You, Mr. Nixon’: encapsulating a 50-year legacy in 272 pages

Gish Jen’s ‘Thank You, Mr. Nixon’: encapsulating a 50-year legacy in 272 pages

Leyna Chan
A student is uncertain about whether their borderline grade will become an A or B.

Photo or Graphic for: Teachers, a more standardized grading scale would vastly help reduce students’ stress levels

Sasha Prasad
Admins reeling us back from escaping to our cars in the parking lot.

Photo or Graphic for: Let us skip our non-essential classes

Daniel Wu and Sarah Zhou
Checking your decision on college portals.

Photo or Graphic for: Early Action decisions should be released sooner than January

Victoria Lin
In the future, the Falcon may have no print issue.

Photo or Graphic for: Falcon works to boost digital presence as print platform declines

Parav Manney
I am fully convinced Mary and Sara would’ve made great friends.

Measuring timelessness: re-reading and rating my favorite childhood classics

Leyna Chan
The fight for the bottle never ends.

Photo or Graphic for: Please bring back ketchup packets in the cafeteria

Meher Bhatnagar
Sometimes I sleep for 12 hours if I’m extremely exhausted.

Photo or Graphic for: Why I get decent sleep

Parav Manney
How to gaslight.

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10 manipulative behaviors

Victoria Lin
The office Giving Tree, tags completed and gifts delivered.

Cunningham: Change from Family Giving Tree donation campaign possible in future year

Leyna Chan and Natalie Chua
Winter Formal at Dave and Buster’s was not the move.

Photo or Graphic for: Staff editorial: Why holding Winter Formal at Dave and Buster’s this year was a bust

Anika Kapasi
sanjoli_lemonpopcorn

Photo or Graphic for: The best at-home movie snack: lemon popcorn

Sanjoli Gupta
My Christmas in 2022 was completed perfectly with a bowl of clam chowder despite a sprained shoulder.

Photo or Graphic for: Shared experiences and togetherness are the essence of Christmas

Richard Fan
a2a2855b0ae38988

Photo or Graphic for: Banning cellphones in school is counterproductive

Sarah Zhou
I’m hoping that this is what my graduation will look like.

Photo or Graphic for: How am I a senior already?

Meher Bhatnagar
Waiting for pick-up used to take an unnecessarily long amount of time.

Photo or Graphic for: School’s new drop-off and pick-up system keeps traffic flowing

Parav Manney
Setting up the new Wi-Fi is very tedious.

Photo or Graphic for: District’s new Wi-Fi system unnecessarily frustrating and complicated

Nika Svizhenko and Skyler Mao
Tirelessly working late at night 

Photo or Graphic for: Living the night owl life: As the clock ticks toward midnight (and beyond), productivity increases

Victoria Lin
sarahz_ai-pro

Photo or Graphic for: AI tools could democratize the college admissions landscape — if used properly

Sarah Zhou
The aquatic sequences in “Avatar 2: the Way of Water” look breathtaking in 3-D. 

Photo or Graphic for: 3-D cinema can enhance viewing experience when applied correctly      

Parav Manney
Butterflies are the ultimate master of disguise, creeping up when you least expect it.

Photo or Graphic for: Butterflies and moths: Two sides of the same horrid coin

Meher Bhatnagar
The wind can be bothersome in autumn and winter.

Photo or Graphic for: 100-word rant: I like the doors closed in classrooms

Parav Manney
A graphic of an onlooker watching as their uninsured home is flooded.

Photo or Graphic for: Climate change leaves minorities at risk due to lack of home insurance

Sanjoli Gupta
Both sides for and against affirmative action hold valid arguments, adding onto the complexity of finding a balance in between. 

Photo or Graphic for: All in all, it’s good affirmative action is gone from college admissions

Zack Zhang
🤫

Photo or Graphic for: Ask the Falcon: Life advice

The Falconistas
Tasting the blissful flavors of sugar tomatoes always makes me feel nostalgic.

Photo or Graphic for: Sugar tomatoes blessed my childhood

Andy Zhu
Say no to sparkling water; it’s bad.

Photo or Graphic for: Sparkling water is trying too hard

Victoria Lin and Nicole Lee
The dates we all dread to see on our calendars…

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10: Ways to get out of MOSAIC

Sarah Zhou
“Clash of Clans” has been my go-to mobile game ever since elementary school.

Photo or Graphic for: ‘Clash of Clans’ and ‘Cut the Rope’: Revisiting the games of my childhood

Eric Shi
Students confused over MOSAIC’s purpose

Photo or Graphic for: Reflecting on MOSAIC this year: An expectantly unnecessary class 

Parav Manney
The unknowns of AI make for a more dangerous world.

Photo or Graphic for: Why ChatGPT and other deep learning models should be banned from the public

Parav Manney
My ongoing fight with the unbearable substance known as Styrofoam.

Photo or Graphic for: Styrofoam is my kryptonite

Andy Zhu
The dryers are not only slow, but spread germs.

Photo or Graphic for: 100-word rant: Restrooms should provide paper towels, not just dryers 

Parav Manney
Join the license gang and rejoice in your newfound freedom.

Photo or Graphic for: Driving earlier in life will prove to be a better decision

Victoria Lin
Screen Shot 2023-04-27 at 7.09.08 PM

Photo or Graphic for: 100-word rave: Final exams for AP classes are rightfully before APs

Sanjoli Gupta
movievstheater

Photo or Graphic for: Why you should watch your next movie in theaters

Sanjoli Gupta
Moments before disaster

Photo or Graphic for: One little Victoria jumping on the bed …

Victoria Lin
The different types of pasta.

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10 pastas

Victoria Lin
The piece creatively encapsulates her many passions and priorities.

Senior places first in ‘To Be Honest’ fall art contest 

Leyna Chan and Natalie Chua
Newsflash: the tests didn’t know.

Photo or Graphic for: My MBTI changes on every platform I take it

Sarah Zhou
Boppana and her teammates’ satellite won 2nd place at the MIT BWSI CubeSat Competition in May 2022.

Photo or Graphic for: Junior Sannidhi Boppana wins Honorable Mention in prestigious women’s STEM competition 

Natalie Chua and Sanjoli Gupta
A student plays Tetris on their computer.

Photo or Graphic for: School WiFi should not block students from playing video games

Sam Bai
f04f4016aa6f61a4

Photo or Graphic for: Diary of a Wimpy Kid will always be my favorite series — the first 10 books at least

Saachi Jain
Yale Law School began ignoring U.S. rankings in Nov. 2022.

Photo or Graphic for: Opinion: Harvard and Yale Law Schools’ decisions to drop out of U.S. News ranking merely symbolic

Victoria Lin
Patroclus and Achilles, playing the lyre, share an intimate moment together. 

Why you should read most of ‘The Song of Achilles’

Jonny Luo and Leyna Chan
There should not be such a notable lack of differentiation between honors and college prep electives.

Photo or Graphic for: Opinion: Honors-weighted elective classes should offer CP alternatives

Sarah Zhou
Trying to levitate a book in vain, I slowly came to the realization that I, in fact, was not a wizard.

Photo or Graphic for: Why Harry Potter remains one of the best book series of all time

Emma Fung
Many MAP students are excited to travel to LA.  

Photo or Graphic for: MAP plans first post-COVID era LA trip

Natalie Chua and Sanjoli Gupta
Many students ask teachers for recommendation letters, but what really goes on behind the scenes? 

Photo or Graphic for: From surveys to substance: 3 teachers tell how they craft recommendation letters

Sunny Cao and Nicole Lee
Just sitting calmly as you sip a hot coffee and stare into the autumn leaves…

No love in February? Don’t give up hope

Sunny Cao and Leyna Chan
This show sucks.

Photo or Graphic for: I just cannot finish the ‘Big Bang Theory’

Sarah Zhou
Understanding how an application was reviewed would ensure equity and that a holistic admissions process is truly being followed.

Photo or Graphic for: Staff editorial: Colleges should release internal numerical ratings to all applicants

Nilay Mishra and Arnav Swamy
Language learning allows for a collaborative, applicable and social challenge to your brain. 

Photo or Graphic for: Teenagers should relish the chance to learn a foreign language

Saachi Jain
saachi-valentine

Photo or Graphic for: V-Day please: Rather than a celebration of ‘love,’ let it be a celebration of me!

Saachi Jain
The new school bell doesn’t sound too bad.

Photo or Graphic for: 100-word rant: The new school bell is fine

Parav Manney
Despite an increase in public awareness and advocacy, gun violence continues to rock the country now more than ever.

Photo or Graphic for: Ten years since Sandy Hook: No week has passed in 2022 without a mass shooting

Sunny Cao and Saachi Jain
Fitness on YouTube skyrocketed during the pandemic as a safe and accessible way to stay fit. 

Photo or Graphic for: Extreme fitness advice on YouTube is doing more harm than good

Saachi Jain
772_20221204001827

Photo or Graphic for: Athletes, both pros and amateurs, often face mental health challenges

Anirudh Iyer
An overflow of people rush to get discounts on Black Friday.

Photo or Graphic for: For the love of Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Natalie Chua and Sanjoli Gupta
Merry Birthday to me.

Photo or Graphic for: The most important holiday of the year: my birthday

Beverly Xu
A Black doll was found hanging from a noose in the main quad on the morning of Nov. 13.

Photo or Graphic for: Staff editorial: Racist incident a reminder of the work we need to do

Shaan Sridhar
Fentanyl’s potency is well-known, but it’s important to differentiate between its medical and recreational roles.

District preps staff to handle fentanyl overdoses

Leyna Chan
Student research supervised by professions pays its dividends in experience.

Photo or Graphic for: High school research: A mismarketed resource

Anthony Wang
No caption necessary.

Photo or Graphic for: Teachers: If you give group work, please let us assess our group members

Sarah Zhou
A fresh bowl of Laksa.

Photo or Graphic for: Food connoisseur recounts a day of dining in Malaysia

Natalie Chua
Languages like Wichita have gone extinct as a result of diminishing native cultures. 

Photo or Graphic for: Guest column: To save our world, we need to save our languages

Zeyneb Kaya
Haunting wolves turned my sweet dreams into the worst of nightmares.

Photo or Graphic for: My experiences with the Big Bad Wolf

Emma Fung
Every year, Algebra 2 Honors tends to have a large number of students who drop to Algebra 2 after the start of the year. Unequal movement contributes to unbalanced class sizes.

Photo or Graphic for: Too big or too small — class size issues emerge this year

Christina Chang
Having the same name as others causes confusion.

Photo or Graphic for: Having a common name poses a minor burden

Victoria Lin
The minions are set on fire and run frantically in the background while an annoyed Gru continues to work.

Photo or Graphic for: ‘Minions: the Rise of Gru’ movie adds insight to Despicable Me trilogy

Sanjoli Gupta
period products graphic

Photo or Graphic for: Scotland is the first country to make period products free; let’s join them

Sunny Cao
The upcoming midterm elections will be the first chance for some seniors to vote.

Photo or Graphic for: Seniors channel hope for change into political actions in upcoming midterm elections

Sarah Thomas and Sarah Zhou
Some of the topics the School Site Council hopes to address this year are installing solar panels and improving the school’s composting system.

Photo or Graphic for: School Site Council reconvenes and works to review student concerns

Sarah Zhou and Sarah Thomas
Levine has a lot of guts to cheat for someone who has a baby angel tatted next to his right nipple.

Photo or Graphic for: Adam Levine cheating scandal reveals society’s (or at least his) descent into immorality

Sarah Zhou and Sarah Thomas
parav_pro-royalty

Photo or Graphic for: Trying to get rid of the royalty is a waste of time

Parav Manney
795_20220929160514

Photo or Graphic for: It’s time to abolish the British monarchy

Sunny Cao
A typical representation of Gen Z with swag.

Photo or Graphic for: Top 10: slang words

Natalie Chua
Bad habits influence and shape our everyday lives.

Photo or Graphic for: Bad habits undo the best of intentions

Emma Fung and Amy Luo
Elle and Noah look at each other in anticipation as the crowd chants for them to kiss.

Photo or Graphic for: ‘The Kissing Booth’ is a poorly made movie, but it’s worth seeing

Emma Fung
How students feel sitting in MOSAIC

Photo or Graphic for: MOSAIC: why the school can’t teach life

Parav Manney
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