Denise Lin

The editors-in-chief for next year’s Falcon will be juniors Deborah Soung and Jackie Gu, who say they are excited to get to work.

Senior Alissa Zhang’s impressive science project on diabetes bought her a ticket to Washington, D.C., and a chance to interact with some of the most brilliant minds in science and technology today.

The ceramics department, led by teacher Leah Aguayo, is hosting its annual soup supper called the “Souper Bowl.” The event will be from 5 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria on Feb. 28 and will fundraise for much needed supplies for the course such as clay and glaze. This will mark the tenth year of the event.

The ceramics department, led by teacher Leah Aguayo, is hosting its annual soup supper called the “Souper Bowl.” The event will be from 5 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria on Feb. 28 and will fundraise for much needed supplies for the course such as clay and glaze. This will mark the tenth year of the event.

Get the tape rolling and let the festivities begin. Each year, the Cinequest Institute, a Silicon Valley-based company, hosts a film festival lasting 13 days. For several years, sophomores and juniors from the Media Arts Program have made a day trip to visit the festival.

The Occupy UC Davis movement was in an uproar when a police officer pepper-sprayed a line of students sitting in a peaceful protest on the ground on Nov. 18. The event, news of which spread via a disturbing video, sparked outrage across the country.

After being robbed, suffering from a broken-down bus, performing in the rain and winning sweepstakes, it has been a season to remember for the marching band. Show after show, the marching band has skillfully obtained numerous awards in every category this field season with their show, “In the Beginning.” Few will forget the amazing performance at championships, where the band placed fifth among 15 other high-caliber bands from other schools across the state.

On July 5, the choir will be touring at various cathedrals in Rome, Venice and Sienna for two weeks. Most of the students in the music department have been waiting for such an opportunity. This is especially true for the Class of 2012, which is unfortunately missing the opportunity for an international trip that other grades have enjoyed.

"We played [in not-so-great] hole-in-the-wall clubs. Bowling alleys, bars, living rooms, art galleries....[we] played to whomever would come."

In recent years, the global community has taken special interest in environmental issues, striving to make the world a greener place. This train of thought has resonated with students and administrators, who have been asking themselves: “How do we begin to make the school greener?” The answer? The green team.

Downtown Saratoga has long been considered “dead” by many students and young adults. To most, there’s not much to do, nowhere to shop and never any parking. It is always being compared to the fabulous downtown Los Gatos, which is at least twice the size and has anything anyone could ever want: diverse shopping, a variety of eateries, a central park and lots of parking lots. Saratoga’s downtown was hardly even in the running to match Los Gatos.

September 11. It’s a date that evokes images of destruction, loss and devastation. For some it brings to mind the loss of a loved one, and for all it symbolizes an assault on our nation, and the death of a simpler, safer way of life. But for the vintners at Long Island’s Lieb Cellars, it symbolized a convenient opportunity to make a profit.

Many students are unaware of the competitions and contests they can participate in, or are intimidated by them. But there is no need to worry; there is a myriad of competitions available that allow students of all talents to sharpen their skills and have fun competing with or against their classmates.

The varsity girls ended with a strong season record, placing ninth overall in CCS Championship Finals on May 27 at Gilroy High School.

"The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit."

Track athletes started the season off with a bang, securing a victory against Fremont on March 10 and against Homestead in the varsity boys and girls division on March 31, as well as multiple personal records.

Four track athletes had the opportunity to go on a road trip to Arcadia for a meet to compete against the best athletes in the state. Juniors Ailene Nguyen, Crystal Yen, Michelle Cummins and sophomore Melodie Bellegarda piled into a car and traveled for seven hours to their SoCal destination.

"The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit."

Track athletes started the season off with a bang, securing a victory against Fremont on March 10 and against Homestead in the varsity boys and girls division on March 31, as well as multiple personal records.

Four track athletes had the opportunity to go on a road trip to Arcadia for a meet to compete against the best athletes in the state. Juniors Ailene Nguyen, Crystal Yen, Michelle Cummins and sophomore Melodie Bellegarda piled into a car and traveled for seven hours to their SoCal destination.

The cost of running the Los Gatos Saratoga High School district next year is expected to be $36 million, according to recent estimates. The problem is that the district can expect revenues of $34.8 million.

The cost of running the Los Gatos Saratoga High School district next year is expected to be $36 million, according to recent estimates. The problem is that the district can expect revenues of $34.8 million.

Eight years ago, Oregon death row inmate Christian Longo was convicted of murdering his wife and three children. After he realized the gravity of the crime he had committed, Longo decided to conclude his appeals, then donate his organs to society after his death, so his life could help save others. His petition, however, was denied by prison officials.

With fewer seniors this year in comparison to last year, this year’s track and field team is considered relatively young. However, as long distance coach Danny Moon puts it, perhaps “the strength is in the youth.”

The Harry Potter-inspired class cup, introduced in the beginning of the year, has fueled school spirit through the year.

Time and time again, we hear teachers and administrators warning us not to overload ourselves with honors and AP courses. They tell us to balance our schedules, making time for academics, extracurriculars, a social life and sleep.

On the first day of school, Naomi Baptiste of North Miami Beach Senior High School stepped into her precalculus classroom … and was faced with a room full of computers. She soon learned that she would be learning math from a machine. In fact, the only adult figure in sight was a “facilitator” whose main role was to keep the computer programs running.

The Director of Research at Google, Peter Norvig, spoke to about 30 students in the Learning Resource Center on Jan. 28.

The bell rings, and students pour out of the classrooms, heading for their next class. In the hallway, they pass by several rooms that are vaguely recognizable, but which they have no knowledge about.

Rochelle Hamilton got up in the morning, just like her peers. She got ready for school and later arrived at Vallejo High School for just another school day. However, to some of the students and staff at the high school, she did not fit into the ideal of what a female student should be. Hamilton was lesbian. And that was enough to nail a target to her back. She was told by her school counselor to “change” her sexual orientation, for being lesbian was “a sin,” and would cause her to “go to hell.”

One group created a large 3-D display constructed with PVC pipes covered in black trash bags. Another group broke mirrors and other shiny objects into pieces. A third group spray painted an entire refrigerator box black.

The bell rings, and students pour out of the classrooms, heading for their next class. In the hallway, they pass by several rooms that are vaguely recognizable, but which they have no knowledge about. Such rooms serve as a constant source of mystery. Students cannot help but wonder, What is in the teachers-only science hallway? What is that tiny room next to the math quad edged in the corner next to the staff bathroom? What is in the rooms behind the library’s front desk? Four Falcon reporters decided to do some stealthy detective work and find out for ourselves. Library back rooms:

The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District school board will have one new member—a former Los Gatos High principal—following the Nov. 2 elections.

During her English class, junior Ailene Nguyen found herself participating in a heated discussion about Proposition 19, the ballot measure that would have made marijuana legal in California. The dispute grew as the students’ opinions clashed, and the situation may have seemed like a sort of intellectual battlefield, rather than an everyday classroom.

Around campus, many students, especially upperclassmen, seem to be stressing about how to get into the right college, how to find the right college and how to find out more information about potential careers. They are sometimes confused and don’t realize the answers to many of their questions can be found in the College and Career Center, located near the main office and special education classrooms.

Pregnancy stories, or more often, myths, are notoriously strange, although descriptions of massive bellies, aches and pains, and random cravings for foods such as pickles and chocolate are widely known to be true characteristics of a pregnancy. This fall, some students are getting a taste of what it means to carry a baby. Continuing a tradition that goes back several years, students in Laressa Ridge's child psychology classes had the chance to wear pregnancy vests. The vests give students a better understanding of the changes the mother's body goes through during pregnancy.

The explosion of the 50-some-year-old pipe in San Bruno on Sept. 9 scorched countless homes, leaving many injured and at least four individuals dead. But as sudden and unexpected as the explosion seemed, it is rare indeed that such a horrific disaster occurs without warning. Just two miles away from the burst pipe is another pipe that was placed on Pacific Gas & Electric's list of top 100 risky pipeline segments. Although the identified pipe is not the one that ruptured, the two pipes are located on the same line, according to Time magazine.

Donna Goodlett, a former 4th grade teacher at Vintage Math/Science/Technology Magnet School, was one of the 6,000 teachers to be ranked on the Los Angeles Times website this past August. The rankings were based on a "value-added system" that judges teachers on the amount their students improve their standardized test scores. Goodlett's school specializes in math and science, yet her "effectiveness" score was said to be only "average." Although one might assume from the label she was given that she is a mediocre teacher, the truth is, there is no way to really know.

After qualifying at CCS trials, freshman Melodie Bellegarda and sophomore Ailene Nguyen hoped to continue on their winning streak into CCS finals. Bellegarda placed fifth out of eight competitors at the CCS trial in the 400m. "I just really wanted to run my race and get another [personal record]," said Bellegarda, whose current personal record is 57.58 seconds.

Rick-rolling the announcements. Trying the notoriously spicy chicken at Smoke Eaters. Visiting the Mystery Spot and Hicks Road. These are a few of the 21 missions, some more daunting than others, that senior Lauren Henderson has set out to accomplish before she says goodbye to Saratoga High. Henderson, who is attending Seattle University this fall, documents the count-down on her blog, "21 Things, 2 Months," on Tumblr and YouTube channel under "laurenslistof21," to document her progress.

Michael Chen was at the top of his game in high school—salutatorian, president of the Key Club and editor-in-chief for the school newspaper—just to name a few of his impressive positions. He continued this remarkable streak by getting accepted to Harvard University. Acceptance into Harvard University is a goal that many top students aspire to. Not only is it hard to be accepted, but the classes there are difficult as well, even for the supremely gifted. However, Chen finds that life at college is not as daunting as he had feared.

When Craig Newmark created Craigslist in 1995, it began as a way to inform his friends of various local events in San Francisco. He had no idea that the site, an online network for classified advertisements, would eventually become one of the most popular websites in the country. And certainly, he was largely unaware that it would become a forum for the prostitution industry.

On a recent Monday afternoon, sophomore Benji Laus slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed to CAD (Computer Assisted Drafting), which is one of his favorite classes. Unfortunately for Laus, he won't be attending CAD next year, as it is one of the handful of classes that will not be offered next year. The cutting of electives such as poetry and CAD results from the classes not receiving enough sign-ups. Assistant principal Brian Safine said the cutting of these classes was not a direct result of the district's budget difficulties.

When most people think of track and field, they tend to ignore the "field" part and simply concentrate on the runners and sprinters. And, of course, the sprinters, such as freshman Melodie Bellegarda and senior Sarah Guy, to name a few, do their share for the team, but they are not the only ones.

"In eight children, the onset of behavioral problems had been linked, either by the parents or by the child's physician, with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination." This excerpt from gastroenterologist Dr. Andrew Wakefield's study was enough to strike fear into the hearts of thousands of parents, and seemed to confirm their belief that vaccines can, indeed, cause autism. However, on Feb. 2, the controversial study was officially retracted by the Lancet, the British medical journal that originally published it in 1998.

For most people, the sea conjures up images of serenity. Cool waves, glistening dolphins and the harmony of marine life come to mind. The harsh reality, though, is that this peace has been tarnished by humankind. In Japan, dolphin poaching is prevalent, and in some bays the blood has dyed the water into a sickly blood red. It is also no secret that sharks are often captured, have their fins cut off, and are thrown, crippled and vulnerable, back into the waters. Despite such appalling occurences, little has been done.

Ask physics teacher Kirk Davis about his work before becoming a teacher and he says he had worked as a trash collector for 20 years. ... After a long moment of silence, he laughs. "No, I worked as an engineer for three years, and I worked on energy and environmental things," said Davis.

As the severe situation following the major earthquake in Haiti continues to make headlines, many clubs are stepping up to lend a hand. In response, the Red Cross Club gathered donations by distributing envelopes to all classrooms at the school.

Sure, the Internet is convenient. Sure, it's fun, practical, and entertaining. However, its ability to be dangerous is no secret, thanks to the multitude of sketchy strangers lurking online.

At age 8, Ally Doles loved the view from the bleachers next to the high school football field, where she could witness the nimble maneuvers, spins and twirls of cheerleaders in the heat of the football game, fully illuminated in fluorescent glory. Amid the whistle blowing and touchdowns, spirited chants echoed as Doles watched spellbound, as the girls threw one of their own in the air and caught her perfectly. By the end of the game, when all the cheering had died down, something had become quite clear: She was going to be a cheerleader.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community has always been underrepresented and discriminated against, but the recent appointment of Amanda Simpson to the post of Senior Technical Advisor to the Commerce Department is definitely a step forward for the LGBT community. Simpson was originally a male but she eventually transitioned to female in 2000. Obama's appointment of Simpson was originally viewed as a political move to increase his support—even Simpson herself expressed her fear of being labeled a "token."

A figure dressed in billowing white robes emerged from stage right. The crowd admired junior Tim Rollinson as he gracefully "floated" into the middle of Lisa Cochrum's science classroom on roller skates as the angel Gabriel and winded skillfully in and out of the tables. He swooped into center stage and beckoned for a couple of actresses to kneel.

A crowd gathered at the top of the quad steps Nov. 30, waiting in line to buy plates of chocolatey, whipped cream goodness. Students got a good taste of French culture through gooey mouthfuls of crepe, a traditional French food. The crepe sale put on by the French club also included items such as hot chocolate, cookies, large cookies and pieces of baguette with Nutella. Junior Cassie Tran, who helped out during 6th and 7th period, said she decided to sell crepes because they usually "sell really well." The crepe sale had a nobler purpose, however.

After winning CCS for the first time in school history, the girls' tennis team managed to end its season with a second-place finish at the CIF Norcal Team Tennis Championships on Nov. 22. After beating longtime rivals, Monta Vista, to win CCS on Nov. 18, the Falcons weren't able to come away with a repeat victory against Matadors, who changed their lineup this time around, and lost 4-3.

In a famous 1964 incident, a New York city bartender named Catherine "Kitty" Genovese was walking home late one night after a day's work when she was attacked by a man. She screamed, pleading nearby bystanders for help, but the screams seemed to fall on deaf ears; the bystanders stood idly, and later, Genovese's attacker came back to finish the job. Her murder—and bystanders' indifference to her pleas—became a national outrage and the source of years of academic study.

For the first time in school history, the girls' tennis team became the CCS champions. They defeated archrival and No. 1-ranked Monta Vista at the Courtside tennis courts by a score of 5-2 on Nov. 18. Keying the victory was the team's ability to win all of their first sets except for one match.

The Falcons at first received the No. 3 seed in CCS behind Monta Vista and Mitty. They were excited about their seed due to the match up against Mitty in the semifinals. "Our league is by far the toughest league to compete in with three out of the six teams seeded top six in CCS. No other league has as many teams capable of qualifying for CCS as ours," said head coach Tom Uyehara. The team defeated Sacred Heart in the first round of CCS 6-1 on Nov. 11 and beat Homestead in quarterfinals 7-0 on Nov. 13.

Looking at her planner at 9:30 p.m. on a Thursday night, junior Kaitna Shankar feels overwhelmed. She has an environmental science exam, a math quiz and an English essay all due tomorrow. But after a harsh day of school and Color Guard practice in the evening, she feels her eyes begin to droop as she lethargically sifts through a chapter about global warming. Shankar, frustrated by her lack of focus, decides to hit the sack and instead sets her alarm for 5 a.m., at which time she will wake up and complete her homework and studying.

Following two close losses to their toughest competitors, Archbishop Mitty on Oct. 21 and Monta Vista on Oct. 20, the Lady Falcons tennis players hoped to regain some ground before the upcoming CCS tournament, which will take place at the end of November.

Head bobbing up and down, world history teacher Mike Davey sings along to his favorite songs while working during tutorial. The posters on the wall, which sport The Beatles, Lord of the Rings and prominent figures such as Audrey Hepburn and the soft, patterned beige sofa in the corner make Davey's classroom a comfortable place for students to relax and do work, though that is not the only interesting aspect of Davey's teaching style.

A second-place finish in CCS is a tough act to follow, but that's exactly what the current girls' tennis players intend to do after having achieved that feat last season. In fact, with the current impressive singles and doubles line-up, the team expects to place first or second in the league this year. “This year a lot of teams have added depth with some incoming freshmen, but at the same time we have depth too in our lineup,” said head coach Tom Uyehara, who is coaching his fourth season of girls’ tennis this year. “That’s what is going to help us.”

Twelve tennis players, decked out in nerd attire, Fresno T-shirts and red knee-high socks paraded the halls on Sept. 24, getting pumped up for their first home match against Lynbrook. Fully "nerded out," they creamed the Vikings 7-0.

Unlike most students, for whom the transition to Saratoga was already decided without a doubt , freshman Eveline Ju remembers the time when she had to choose between high schools. “Basically, I was accepted into Harker, but that’s really expensive,” said Ju. “ I also applied to Saint Francis, but it was one of the Catholic schools [where] you waste an entire period on religion, so I don’t think I would’ve really gone there anyway.” Although most freshmen come from nearby Redwood Middle School, some came from private schools. While convenience plays an influence on the decision, the cost of private schools in the current economy (which often runs as high as $33,927) is convincing an increasing number to enroll in their local public schools. The student population is projected to be 1,391 next year, an increase of 22 students from this year, according to the district.

This year, two new clubs, Quiz Bowl and Mechanical Science and Engineering Team, or MSET, plan to challenge students intellectually while also allowing them to explore different interests. Quiz Bowl will revolve around trivia competitions, while MSET members will demonstrate their skill in rocketry and robotics at various competitions as well. For those who would like to build rockets or robots regularly or want to investigate a possible career in engineering, MSET will be sure to offer these opportunities.

These days, most teenagers can be spotted, earbuds attached, mouthing the lyrics to their favorite song—idolizing the singer, imitating the singer and, in some cases, becoming the singer to the surprise and fright of the surrounding passersby. Suddenly, her headphones emit an unintentional, high-pitched hiccup and cease to play, leaving our energetic teenager in mid-strum on her virtuoso air guitar performance. Welcome to the world of illegal downloading.