Deepthi Sampathkumar

To say I’m a picky eater is an understatement. Now don’t get me wrong: I absolutely love food.

The Falcon has won the Pacemaker award by the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) for 2014-2015 in the broadsheet category for newspapers of 17 or more pages for the second consecutive year.  

After a difficult season last year with a record of 5-9-4 in the El Camino Division, the boys’ soccer team is looking to make a name for itself as the winter season kicks off on Dec. 1 with a game against Los Gatos.

When looking for good ice cream sandwiches, reporters determine that CREAM is better than Icebox.

Reporters learn more techniques regarding interviewing, marketing, and much more at a journalism conference.

Activities director and Spanish teacher Rebeca Marshburn’s job as the school’s activities director revolves around working with ASB, the Leadership class, class officers, clubs and commissions.

As I walked up the theater steps on my way to watch “Trainwreck,” I was unbelievably excited to watch my favorite athlete of all time, LeBron James, act in a movie. At that point, I didn’t even know who Amy Schumer was. Little did I know that two hours and five minutes later, I would leave the theater fascinated by her bizarre yet intriguing character.  

The notorious Senior Ditch Day — usually the first regular day after Senior Prom — is a day seniors treat themselves to. But not so much this year on Tuesday, May 26. Many seniors were forced to stay at school due to their class schedules and activities that they couldn’t miss.  

This past month, junior Saro Acharya spent 20 sleepless hours on a weekend, eyes glued to his Macbook screen attempting to finish editing his Media Arts Project (MAP) short film: “Mishaps and Misdeeds.”  

For the 2015-2016 academic year,  provided that enough students sign up, a Calculus course without the rigor of an AP level class will be offered. College Prep Calculus, the only Saratoga Calculus course without AP credit, will be introduced as a new math course for students who have finished Trigonometry/Precalculus Regular or Honors.

For the fourth year in a row, AP Environmental Science and Marine Biology students went to the Año Nuevo Natural Preserve in Pescarado.

The 10th Annual Benefit Fashion Show, which raised money this year for the Fisher House Foundation, took place in the Large Gym at the school on March 7. 

Carmine Drohan battled anorexia for much of early high school. She has mostly recovered, but still is very much invested in the issue.

SHS and Redwood should collaborate on helping prepare middle school students for high school and on classroom content especially in math and language courses, which depend on sequential knowledge.

Arriving to school on Jan. 22, custodians found the sides of the McAfee Center and multiple poles in the parking lot covered with graffiti, a problem that has grown increasingly common in recent years. 

Reporter recounts conquering her fear of heights by climbing the Sydney Bridge.

As part of Speak Up for Change week, the Leadership class asked students and staff what wishes they would like to be granted.

Twelve brave boys have stepped forward to prove that have what it takes to be the first ever Mr. Saratoga.

Facebook and other such Internet sites’ abilities to access items entered into the search engine is outright creepy. This attempt to make money through advertisements too often feels like a breach of privacy.

The feminism fervor has increased, with stars across the entertainment industry promoting the concept.

In its first CCS match on Nov. 13 against Christopher High School at home, the girls’ field hockey team won 8-1. The Falcons lost 5-0 in the quarterfinals to Gilroy last Saturday, ending their season.

Girls With Courage hosted a movie night in ceramics teacher Leah Aguayo’s room on Nov. 8.

The Health and Community Commission will host a school-wide decoration competition and Gift Drive in December in coordination with a children’s toy donation organization.

Junior Katie McLaughlin is one of the leading stars of the music program.

The school is hosting TEDxSaratogaHighSchool in the Thermond Drama Center on Dec. 7 from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

Got Blood? This is the motto of the Community and Wellness Commission. The commission hopes eligible donors come to the Nov. 2 Blood Drive held in the Small Gym.

The evolution of cheerleading is dramatic and controversial. If the women who cheer at professional football games are supposedly the more professional and intensified versions of high school cheer teams, teenagers are making a huge mistake if they try to emulate them.

Girls' field hockey players are  seeking to redeem themselves after a difficult season last fall.

Reporter discusses going a week without watching television.

Coming off a rough year, the 23 members of the cheer team have encountered yet another difficulty: Coach Briana Terry, who began coaching the team at the end of last year, recently resigned due to health concerns.

The city council has finalized its plans to spend money on upgrading two major routes: Prospect Road and Saratoga Avenue. The improvements will occur in early 2016.

Reporter works out to improve endurance for a dance routine.

Junior Celia Kohler looked down at the ground 30 feet below her. She knew it was risky — at just 7 years old, people told her she was too little. But being the daredevil she was, she breathed a sigh, closed her eyes and took a giant leap of faith.

Teachers Erick Rector and Sarah Thermond recount their prom experiences from high school.

Earlier this spring, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association presented the Saratoga Falcon the “Gold Crown,” a prestigious journalism award.

Imagine one of the hardest decisions of your life. You have a choice. Imagine that choice determining your future. For high school seniors, this choice looms ahead: picking a major.

This summer, members of the music and language programs will embark on a two-week trip to Spain. The orchestra, band and any student in Spanish 3 or above is eligible to participate.

The whistle sounds. Junior April Khowong steps up to the white diving block along, her heart pounding. The cheers sounding on the other side of the pool sound hollow and tinny, and she stands above the still water, waiting. 

Over the next few years, students will see many changes in the format of the physics curriculum on campus. Not only will the AP Physics B class be replaced with a rigorous Physics Honors course for the 2014-2015 year, but there is also a potential plan for the addition of an AP Physics C class for the 2015-2016 year.

Life is unpredictable. Sometimes almost nothing goes as planned, which  can be frustrating.

Although  life for most high school seniors consists of college applications and senioritis, Malcomson has chosen to give up her normal high school career to pursue her dream of competing as a synchronized swimmer in the 2016 Olympics. 

After dealing with numerous setbacks and a near cancellation of the event, a few students and Spanish teacher Rebeca Marshburn took up the challenge and started plans for the annual Benefit Fashion Show. It will take place on March 29 with the main theme Wish Upon a Star, and all proceeds will be donated to the Make a Wish Foundation.

Every year during the holiday season, downtown Saratoga is filled with the bright spirit with the resurrecting of the annual Christmas tree and the bright and colorful lights that deck out the streets. 

Twenty-four girls in the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math club visited the headquarters of Google on Nov. 25 and gained insights into potential careers.

The holiday season is quite frankly my favorite season ever. The cold yet refreshing weather (#sweaterweather), the special Starbucks cups and the plethora of Dean Martin’s classic songs ringing through the malls … these are some of the many things I love about December. But I’m forgetting something — the gift bestower himself.

A power outage that affected many Saratoga buildings, including the school, occurred at 7:52 PM, according to PG&E, on the night of Tuesday, Oct. 19. According the principal Paul Robinson, the outage was caused by a tree falling onto a transformer, which went up in flames on Herriman Avenue.  SHSTV reported that a transformer on Herriman caught fire and later exploded.

On Sept. 19, 27-year-old Tae Woo was able to escape the North Korean dictatorship. He managed to cross the border through arduous means and go to South Korea. 

This year, lead guitarist Derik Nelson from the popular television show “Glee” will be on the judging panel along with Saratoga teachers. The lucky winner of Idol, along with last year’s winner sophomore Nina Nelson, will get to sing with Derik Nelson during a fundraising concert he will be giving on the next day at 7 p.m., also in the McAfee.  

As Homecoming nears and the reality of actually pulling together a quad day and creating a myriad of decorations arrives like thunder on a sunny day, students are scrambling to finish their various projects, the procrastination of weeks past a mere memory.