Amanda Yi

This year, students experienced a Spring Fling unlike ones in the past. During previous years, powderpuff games as well as different themed spirit days were Spring Fling customs. A rally and dance, traditionally the Sadies Hawkins, would culminate the week. This year, there were no spirit days, and events were spread out through the month of March, not giving students the feeling of a Spring Fling week at all.

Guidance counselor Alinna Satake and her husband Hideyo welcomed a second child to their family. The baby girl was born on Feb. 10. Satake will not be returning for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year, but has an experienced replacement filling in for her while she is gone, Sandi Augustine, who previously served as a counselor at SHS before retiring in 2007. "She's been really great about covering for me and making sure everyone is well taken care of. It helps that she already knows the school and everything," said Satake.

Standing a mere 5 feet 2 inches, junior Neya Vishwanath strolls into the room to pick up her instrument. With her small hands, she finds her case, opens it and pulls out her… tuba? At the beginning of the 2008 season, Vishwanath decided to stop playing flute for marching band and instead try the tuba. “Freshman year, flute was really fun and I really liked the section, because I played flute for SWE, [symphonic wind ensemble], as well, so I figured I should do something different for marching [band],” said Vishwanath.

Think back to your first day of high school. You may have nervously entered Saratoga High, encountering new faces, heftier workloads, a bigger campus and more pressure. Now imagine going through all this while not being accustomed to the English language or American culture and not knowing a single soul.

With the completion of Senior Night on Nov. 3, the Falcons' four senior volleyball players are counting their days as members of the Falcon squad. “It’s really sad because I know I’ll never play volleyball here again,” said senior co-captain and outside hitter Nicole Gragnola. “But we do have club volleyball and CCS, so it’s not like we won’t be playing anymore. The seniors (Gragnola, Aylsia Patel, Emily Baba and Chelsea Sabella) have gone to CCS every year since freshmen year, and this year will be no different.

The school has decided to run Safe Rides for the second year in a row. Starting Nov. 14, the Safe Rides committee, consisting of about 20 juniors and seniors, will meet at St. Andrews Church every second and fourth Friday and Saturday of the month from 10 p.m.-2a.m, answer phones and give rides to students who need them.

The girls' volleyball team is relying on teamwork rather than team size for success this year. "We only have nine people [but] we’re all really close already because most of us have played together for two, some of us three years," said senior co-captain and side hitter Chelsea Sabella. "I think that’s going to be one of our strong points, [but] it’s really going to come down to working with our middles.” Because of the loss of graduated seniors, the team had to make changes and bring up underclassmen to fill its holes, especially in the middle.

As the 15 players on the varsity volleyball team met in early February, they knew they had a challenge. Looking around, they didn’t see key starters from the previous year, players like Doug Sabella, Kent Johnson, Mike Vetrone, Jason Chun and Andy Capek.

After 13 games, and working to improve, the volleyball team has fallen on hard times, with only a 3-10 overall record so far. However, the team can also fault in the fact that this year’s players were second-string players last year.

After some significant changes this year, the volleyball team has its first five matches of the regular season.

It had been threatened many times before, and now it has happened. The ASB has narrowed down the number of clubs on campus to 45, a drastically low number compared to the over 70 clubs the school had before.

New trainer Elizabeth Gilmore wants to do more than tape ankles and ice sore limbs; she wants improve Saratoga’s athletic program and help aspiring athletes stay healthy enough to play in collegiate sports. Gilmore, who is employed by the company Moor Physical Therapy, was hired last month in response to a call from athletic director Peter Jordan, who notified the company that Saratoga High was in need of a trainer.

The school board has approved a replacement for football head coach Kurt Heinrich, who was recently released after 11 years at Saratoga. The new coach, Tim Lugo, has a large amount of coaching experience from his time at Pioneer, Leland and Evergreen High Schools. He has had experience as an offensive line coach as well as a JV head coach.

Most students are sleeping in the first weekend after school ends. However, junior safety and quarterback Michael Guercio will be in pads playing football with some of the best players in the area at Cal Camp, a three-day program at UC Berkeley. Guercio is one of dozens of student athletes who participate in summer practices and camps. Teams such as football and field hockey dedicate their free days to conditioning and scrimmaging.

Long-time friends juniors Jenna Finch and Christina Robert used to meet at Starbucks every Wednesday morning for coffee and pastries, making effective use of the late-morning start. The friends eventually came up with an alternative, a way to avoid the unhealthy and expensive Frappucinos and scones. They began “neighbor breakfasts,” and invited fellow neighbor James Huang to join in on the pancake and waffle making adventure. “Christina and I used to meet at Starbucks on Wednesday mornings,” said Finch. “We thought it would be fun to make breakfast instead.”

This story first appeared in the April 4 issue of The Saratoga Falcon. Christian clubs Faithwalk and Living Water will hold a praise night called “Encounter” in the McAfee on April 4 from 7-10 p.m. The event will include dancing, live music, skits and a message from inspirational speaker Jeff Devoll.

This story first appeared in the April 4 issue of The Saratoga Falcon. Christian clubs Faithwalk and Living Water will hold a praise night called “Encounter” in the McAfee on April 4 from 7-10 p.m. The event will include dancing, live music, skits and a message from inspirational speaker Jeff Devoll.