Courtesy of DSI Spaceframes

Saratoga High remains lively far after school ends.

Within 30 minutes after the last bell on weekday afternoons, the campus hallways have only a few students left in them, but a closer look reveals there are a variety of activities going on well into the evening. 

The Falcon set out during the fall and winter to uncover the energy that keeps the school active long after classes end.

Outside of these empty hallways are sports practices, marching band rehearsals, robotics build sessions and speech and debate meetings, among others.

In the fall season, various sports occupy the track, while the marching band rehearses late into the night.

 

Lights also shine on the upper field, as the soccer club Player One Performance hosts their training camps for young children through the night. Varsity tennis coach Florin Marica sometimes hosts tennis clinics until dusk right next to the fields, keeping the area densely populated with sports activity.

 

 

Moving up from the fields to the pool, De Anza Cupertino Aquatics (DACA) holds daily swim practices for dozens of youth swimmers. With swimmers ranging from elementary school children to high school students, DACA’s daily practices add splashes of color to the night. 

 

 

In the small gym, the dance team practices in the small gym from 7 -9 p.m on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Aside from sports, robotics is also one of the most common extracurricular activities after school, with three teams — VEX, FTC and FRC — working late into the night. Members can be found in various locations of the school, including M01, Room 304 and the robotics quad. 

 

 

The cafeteria and student center are also by the speech and debate team; members of speech rehearse their lines in the cafeteria, while debaters research and prepare in the student center.

During these meetings, speech competitors write scripts and practice their roles in skits, while students in debate practice various drills to hone their skills and prepare their research for upcoming debate tournaments.

 

 

Although outside school hours our campus may seem empty at first, it is always full of student life, from sports teams and clubs to other organizations.