Candice Zheng

From the moment senior Bryan Chow was introduced to the sport of badminton, a seed was planted that would take him to unbelievable heights. With blood, sweat and tears invested in what started as a fun pastime, Chow’s hard work gave rise to an impressive career.  

It all happened the week after winter break. I was sluggish and irritated at school from not getting my standard 12 hours of sleep while operating on break schedule. Clearly taking those two blissful weeks for granted, I stumbled back home red-eyed and full of unpleasant thoughts.

Saratoga High is known for its high-aiming students and equally high levels of stress. To add to the competitive atmosphere, a select group of high-scoring seniors with soaring GPAs each year become contestants in one last competition: the race for valedictorian and salutatorian.

Even 11 years later, senior Kristie Lin remembers the confusion she felt from her tutor’s words.

Twenty-sixth place in mathematics, 17th in reading and 21st place in science. It’s no secret that American students are falling behind their international peers.

Senior Gloria Liou waits for her father to come back from work. Unlike most students, however, her dad doesn’t just arrive at home after a drive from the office. He is coming back from Taiwan, and this is the only time she’s seen him in several months. Although Liou is seeing him for the first time this year, she knows she has only three more chances to see him after this visit.

It’s no secret that the administrators have made some controversial decisions. Some argue that they made little effort to gather student input on the proposed full block schedule last year. This year, they implemented the “face-to-face” dance policy and a new system to crack down on tardiness. In all of these decisions, the lack of student input led to accusations of the administration being, in a sense, a dictatorship. There should be no student laws made without student representation and ideas.

What used to be a room full of filing cabinets and conference tables is now filled with rows upon rows of vivid student art, all produced from the art students. The new SHS Student Art Gallery, commemorating the life and passion of the late art teacher Steve McCue, debuted its first show from Nov. 6-21 in the former College and Career Center, and will continue to display student work year-round.

Every year, Homecoming brings the classes together in friendly competition. Though often less than half of each class participates with the exception of the current seniors, student involvement is really what makes Homecoming week special, and this year many students who haven’t participated years prior made an effort to help out.

Recently, the Clubs Commissioner and ASB have tightened their enforcement of the clubs policy. This policy ensures that all clubs stay active, adding value to our campus and benefiting all students.

Every minute of every day working in the Activities Office is packed full of tasks that need to get done. The second she steps into the office at 7:30 am, activities secretary Anna Ybarra, who has held the position of activities secretary since 2010, is in a race to take care of all financial aspects of the school and keep it functioning. 

The women who work behind the attendance desk might be some of the hardest working people on campus. Attendance secretaries Mandy Armes and Julia Peck are the first people to arrive to the office every day, bright and early at 7 a.m. 

Imagine being stuck in standstill traffic and being annoyed out of your mind, ready to tear your hair out and and abuse the car horn. Then, while wallowing in your sadness, you turn your face toward the window, wishing you were somewhere else. But instead of seeing an average Joe picking at his teeth in the car next to you, lo and behold, an unbelievably attractive woman is in your line of sight, who also happens to look freakishly the star of one of the hottest shows on television.

Around 50 students gathered in the quad for an evening of socializing and eating at the annual New Student Barbeque on Aug. 15.  Freshmen, sophomores and juniors new to the district mingled with Saratoga students, as principal Paul Robinson and assistant principal Kevin Mount worked the grills, and mascots Freddie and Fannie Falcon entertained the crowd.

Unfortunately, the days of college applications have come yet again. Seniors everywhere are, or soon will be, crying over college essays and cramming for one last attempt at the SAT. Although senior year may seem like a dark and bottomless pit, there is one speck of light that offers relief: the new and improved Common Application.

Ever since the dance team’s departure from the school back in 2008, students with a passion for dance have been searching for a place to express their talents. 

The Music Education with Saratoga High (MESH) Program held its second annual “One Note at a Time” concert on May 13, with exciting ensemble performances from SHS, Redwood Middle School and elementary school students.

On May 5, Saratoga High will be hosting its annual Pancake Breakfast. The event, taking place from 8 a.m. from noon, features an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet and live concerts from the school choir, band and orchestra along with musical groups from Redwood Middle School. 

Ever since she was first introduced to it at the age of 9, freshman Allison Lin has been immersed in the world of Irish Dance.

Senior Sarah Kuo’s childhood pastime of backyard badminton matches turned out to be much more than a fun hobby when she joined the high school badminton team.

The harmony of the Saratoga Strings, the school’s highest level orchestra, will soon be heard in cinemas nationwide.

As the competition dates of the California Music Education Association’s (CMEA) Solo and Ensemble festival near, students are busy preparing for and anticipating the fateful day.

While standing on the podium and receiving a diploma marks the end of high school for most students at SHS, for many seniors in the special education program, their high school careers have yet to end.  

On Dec. 1, 50-year old Gabrielle Ludwig made her college basketball debut for Mission Community College in Santa Clara playing against College of the Siskiyous.

Arriving home from school on the weekdays, many students get up to date with Facebook updates, blogs, news sites, YouTube subscriptions and countless other media and social networking outlets.

Walking into junior Vanessa Wang’s fourth-period AP Biology class on a Wednesday morning, an observer would see an entire room full of students modeling cell mitosis out of colorful beads and pipe cleaner.

Starting from the Oct. 6 exam date, the College Board has began implementing new, stricter SAT regulations.  

Listening to 99.7 on the radio as I was driving one day, I suddenly heard catchy electronic beats sounding through the speakers, and the very familiar chorus of "Oppa Gangnam Style!" belting through my car.

Nuts are now included among the many substances and foods recognized as dangerous by the administration. Around campus, bright pink sheets of laminated paper warn, “This is a [nut-free] zone. Do not eat nuts in this space!”

Junior Bryan Chow grabs his clarinet as he makes his way to yet another three and a half hour Wednesday band rehearsal starting at 5:30 p.m. 

After months of careful planning by the music department, the members of the school’s choirs embarked on an ambitious tour in Italy this past summer, from July 5 to 18. Over the course of two weeks, 65 students traveled from Rome to Siena and performed at various locations on the way. 

Along with the retirement of longtime assistant principal Karen Hyde, the school saw another one of its longtime staff depart from his teaching position over the summer. 

With the whirlwind of vicious political campaigning surrounding the country at the moment, how involved are Saratoga students in this national event?