Alicia Lee

The Saratoga Falcon received a Silver Crown by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) on March 19 for the 2008-09 school newspaper. Winners were announced at the 86th annual Scholastic Spring Convention at Columbia University.

With every new time period comes a fashion transformation. Whether it reflects the economic standards of the people or the strife of the country, fashion is affected by its surroundings and the people who make it. The 2000s were no exception to this as trends ranged from skinny jeans to leggings; slip-on shoes to the infamous Crocs. But when the current generation reminisces about the past 10 years, fashion will be a major component by which to judge the decade.

In the cold days of February, there will be no better way to build a warm sense of community than to have a "Souper Bowl," a fundraiser by ceramics teacher Leah Aguayo's classes that will sell hot bowls of soup.

Anyone walking around the guidance area of the main office will now notice a new ATM machine resting against the wall. The ATM machine was just installed at the end of September and has proven to be popular. "We just figured it's a real pain [to not have a machine on campus]," said principal's secretary Susan Dini. In particular, it proved difficult when students need money but could not leave campus to go to the bank. Now with the easy access to the ATM machine, teachers benefit as well. If they forget money, they can head to the office to get money for lunch.

Since the day the first website was officially put online, people all over the world have used the Internet to reach out into cyberspace. While that very first site taught readers about the World Wide Web and its different purposes, government and world history teacher Kirk Abe took the opportunity to showcase his hobby of drumming.

BAY Magazine, a local magazine started by Saratoga students and overseen by SHS alumnus and editor-in-chief, T.T. Tu, has completed a full year of publication and is on schedule to release its sixth issue this winter.

While most juniors were taking their SATs the morning of May 2, juniors Cindy Chang, Layla Daryan, Vicki Ni, Karen Wai, Erika Ye and Haley Zarrin were in Sacramento, serving up a hot slice of history. The Constitutional Rights Foundation hosted its annual History Day Competition on May 2. AP United States history and world geography teacher Matt Torrens calls History Day “a research project hosted by the national competition of research projects,” emphasizing the seriousness and degree of work done for the project.

While some students of the Falcon newspaper staffs continue to pursue their interests in journalism by writing for their college publication, class of 2008 alumnus Daniel Yang has extended his journey in another, more creative direction As a cartoonist for Georgetown University’s The Hoya, Yang has free reign as to what to do with his cartoon, Disconcerted Demagogue. “No one tells me what to draw—I get to choose,” said Yang. “Only one thing matters: make the readers laugh.”

In October, 154 girls—six seniors, seven juniors, one sophomore, and one freshman—became a single unit: the Lady Falcons. The team quickly formed an unbreakable bond, one forged at Chipotle and Yogurtland then strengthened by karaoke nights and hot tubs.

The Museums of Los Gatos will be hosting the Annual Juried High School Art show from May 7 to the 29, presenting the artwork of students from both Los Gatos High School and Saratoga High School. For the two sister schools, this will be a very momentous event in more than one way. Saratoga Ceramics and Art 1 teacher Leah Aguayo hopes that the event will bring the two schools together, “without rivalry,” for the common goal of just presenting artwork.

The girls’ varsity basketball team just may succeed in CCS this year—that is, with the help of some YouTube videos and bagged lunches. To promote the team effort before games, coach Mike Davey has had the team meet at lunch on game days to go over plays and the scouting reports. At every meeting, one team member shares a motivational video or quote with the group to encourage and motivate everyone as a whole and to bond with the common goal of winning the game.

As the girls’ varsity basketball team inches into its game season, significant changes have been made this year that could influence their playing as well as their overall season results. For one, Mike Davey has switched to coaching the girls’ team after leading the boys’ team for 16 years. While his main reason for switching from boys’ basketball has to do with building up a good program over the next few years for his daughters to enter when they come to Saratoga High, Davey also hopes to bring some stability to the girls’ team.

As the school year eases in, the Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) has had to make important decisions that affect the whole school’s education programs. Grant requests for the 2008-2009 school year added to more than $47,000. While all grant requests were taken into consideration, the PTSO was only able to fund $29,000 toward staff and student grants, with some help from the school’s supplies fund. In picking which programs to fund, PTSO members particularly focused on “seeing the number of students that will benefit from a specific grant, educational value for the students and what tools a teacher may use to evaluate effectiveness of the grant material,” according to PTSO co-president Shinku Sharma.

Sometimes, due to blocked traffic on Highway 17 or other unforeseen circumstances, teachers are tardy to their own classes. While some students may bolt for the door immediately, others sit in apprehension—watching the clock and waiting, hoping and even praying for the minute hand to reach 15 minutes past the start of class: the magical moment when it’s OK for the class to leave without it being considered a cut. Right?

Homecoming is the one bright week during the beginning of the school year when students and staff alike look forward to lunchtime performances and a decorated campus. This year, however, what should have been a fun-filled week consumed with decorating and Quad Day performances was filled with exams and projects to round out the first grading period, which ended Oct. 3.

As students and teachers enter the seventh week of the school year, many are beginning to feel the accumulated stress of almost two grading periods without a break. The schedule this year does not give a day off for 10 weeks between Labor Day and Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11. This has left both students and staff in need of a break.

Homecoming is the one bright week during the beginning of the school year when students and staff alike look forward to lunchtime performances and a decorated campus. This year, however, what should have been a fun-filled week consumed with decorating and Quad Day performances was filled with exams and projects to round out the first grading period, which ended Oct. 3.

Here’s something that should surprise no one: Time and time again underclassmen go off campus, either by walking or driving, during lunch or free periods. Whether it’s for a Starbucks run or a quick stop at home, sophomores and freshmen frequently leave campus and rarely get caught—yet the rules are still, on occasion, enforced with harsh punishments. If these efforts to restrict students are futile, then why be so strict on such a trivial issue?

The Go Club recently participated and placed third in the Seventh Annual North American Ing School Team Championship, a national competition between Go teams across the country. The tournament was run by the American Go Honor Society in conjunction with the American Go Association and sponsored by The Ing Chang-ki Wei-chi Education Foundation.

A Saratoga driver sits in his car on his way to work in the morning in front of a stop sign, waiting for a line of cars to end. After a while, traffic has not lessened. The number of cars going down Saratoga Ave. is nearly endless. The driver finally attempts to rush through the traffic, barely avoiding another driver in a large SUV going 60 mph honking the horn angrily. Surviving the incident, the driver then makes his way towards his office.

A Saratoga driver sits in his car on his way to work in the morning in front of a stop sign, waiting for a line of cars to end. After a while, traffic has not lessened. The number of cars going down Saratoga Ave. is nearly endless. The driver finally attempts to rush through the traffic, barely avoiding another driver in a large SUV going 60 mph honking the horn angrily. Surviving the incident, the driver then makes his way towards his office.

Like many of my classmates, I dread reading the assigned books for English class. Agonizing hours spent hunched over a small book isn't how I like to spend my time. However, after reading Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew for English 10, I was left with a totally different state of mind. Rather than the anticipated bore, this play actually opened my eyes to an entirely new view on gender statuses.