Derek Sun

In the month of February, there were several students cited for marijuana offenses on campus. The number is alarmingly high in such a short period of time, which begs the question: Why are students using the drug? One of the main reasons encouraging recreational drug use is social media. On Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, there are pictures glorifying the use of marijuana. People often talk and converse about using the drug. Since our generation is so addicted to social media, the constant references and allusions to marijuana use can encourage students to experiment with the drug.

Looking to take an AP science that isn’t as math heavy as AP Physics, concept-based as AP Chemistry or as memorization-based as AP Biology? Considering taking AP Environmental Science (APES) because you’ve heard that it’s an “easy AP”?

Each year, hundreds of thousands of college applicants have a chance to receive the fated college interview. But how important is the actual interview in the admissions process? There are two types of interviews: the informal interview with a college alumnus and the coveted interview with an admissions officer. Any interview with any college admissions officer has a direct correlation to college admissions, but the actual importance of alumni interviews is less clear.  For most colleges including all Ivy League schools and many private schools including Duke and University of Southern California, the colleges require alumni interviews. More than 100 SHS seniors go through these interviews add each year.

At the end of last November, senior Ethan Gelfand was pulled over for a rolling stop. The week of Oct. 28, senior Clark Rothenberg was pulled over for speeding. Was the timing of these infractions a coincidence? We think not.

When the government shuts down for 16 days, it is natural to point fingers at one political party or one person. However, the shutdown only magnifies the country’s ever-deepening political split.

The holiday season sparks the beginning of a two-month period in which the most anticipated video games are released. But this year, the holiday season brings an even more coveted time for gamers.

A big part of a student’s initiation to high school is having his first lunch off campus. Even though the cafeteria food has improved recently, students still prefer eating food made in off-campus restaurants.  So why not bring students’ favorite eateries to the school? For a long time, students have proposed that food trucks be allowed on campus to further improve the school's food quality. 

Ten years ago, 90 percent of prospective college athletes committed during their senior year and signed their National Letter of Intent during the holiday season. Fast forward to the present, and that is no longer true. College recruiting is spiraling out of control nowadays with top-flight athletes committing to college as early as eighth grade or freshman year. These commitments are absurd, both for the athlete and for the school.

Every so often, a couple brave directors try to convert popular books into movies. This transition from text to big screen almost always proves to be a struggle.

With our backs to the wall, the 18 of us on the Falcon baseball team had nothing else to do but fight last May. Down 1-0 in the De Anza League championship series to the Wilcox Chargers in a best of three series, Game Two was win or go home. And we confronted our toughest challenge yet, coming from behind.

During an average school-day lunch, many students pile into one car and hurry off to fill their stomachs. Though the law imposes a one-year wait before new drivers can carry minors, few students climbing into cars know if the driver has had his license for that long. To these kids, waiting that year does not matter.

Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, said, “The creation of something new is not accomplished by  the intellect, but rather by the play instinct rising from inner necessity.” 

To kick off the new Red Pride campaign, the Benny Pierce turf field was dismantled during the summer and replaced with a high-tech turf field.

Baseball is defined by its highs and lows. Following their 2012 season, the Giants were riding the highest of highs, a World Series Championship. Fast forward to the following August, the Giants are suffering the lowest of lows.

The Falcon baseball team’s season came to a heartbreaking end after losing to St. Ignatius 11-3 in the opening round of CCS on May 16. The Falcons finished the season with a 22-9 record.

The Falcons ousted the Wilcox Chargers 6-1 to win the De Anza League Championship on May, 10.  For the Falcons, it truly was a season of firsts.

Senior Steven Berman grew up around baseball. His father starred for the UCLA Bruins and continued to play in the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system for three years during the 1980s.

As the school year wraps up, students look forward to the days when they can just kick back and relax. For many, that involves spending the long summer days at the movies. Freshman Michael Schillage is looking forward to enjoying the new films that will be released in the next few months.

The Falcon baseball team ended its season the on a good note, winning the last seven games and coming back from a 3-0 deficit to beat Silver Creek 8-3 for Saratoga’s senior day on April 27.  Earlier in the week, the Falcons dominated against Mountain View in their last league series of the season.  On April 26, the Falcons beat the Mountain View Spartans 4-1 behind the clutch pitching tandem of senior captains Kyle Dozier and Stevie Berman.

As a freshman, Kyle Dozier never anticipated the athletic impact he would have at Saratoga.

I like to rhyme all the time. I’m the best even without eight hours of rest. While Dr. Seuss could spin off magical rhymes whenever he pleased in his magical children’s books, it is harder than it looks to achieve this difficult task during a normal class period.

Senior Trevor Hanks has always flown under the radar. It’s pretty hard to make varsity as a freshman, but it’s even harder to let this feat go nearly unheard of.

Even though a group of Saratoga High teachers beat a group of Redwood Middle School teachers 51-36 on Feb. 27, the real winner was the charity the game benefited. 

A reporter's spoof of the end of the world.

So far, 2012 has been a disappointing year for athletes.  

Of all the thousands of football players in the U.S., perhaps only a few have a hangout spot as unique as juniors Travis Stokes and Clark Rothenberg.

The freshman class faced the challenge of their first Homecoming with a positive attitude and an optimistic mindset, hoping to impress the other classes and their teachers.

Arguably the biggest transition from middle school to high school is the block schedule all freshmen must get attuned to.

Sophomore Steven Sum ran a time of 9:50 for the 2-mile Saratoga Invitational on Sept. 18, only 2 seconds away from breaking a 29-year-old course record. 

The term “torture” has become synonymous with the San Francisco Giants. Coined in the historic 2010 championship run that won the Giants their first national title since moving to San Francisco in 1954, “torture” originated from the gritty and low scoring manner in which the Giants played: essentially, a win was never a win until the very last out.

The drug use in Major League Baseball has had an unfortunate impact on high school sports all around the US. 

The new season begins with minor changes to the basic operations of the team, with coach Dan Ambrico adding three junior captains to help keep tabs on the large team, composed of over 60 boys. Juniors Drew Bryan, Sam Guy and Daniel Johnston are the junior co-captains, along with senior captains Kabir Chandrasekhar and David Zarrin. 

By creating a video featuring My Little Red Shoes, a Bay Area charity that donates shoes and clothing to underprivileged and homeless children, juniors Stephen Ruff and Michael Hoffman won the grand prize, a portion of $10,000, in the Bay Area Social Issues Documentary Film Contest. 

During the third week of May, math teacher PJ Yim will be taking the California MathCounts team to the national math competition.     

The Falcons participated in the Valley Christian Crown Classic on the week of April 4 with one goal in mind: to make a name for the program by winning the tournament. 

Best place to eat: Rose Donuts. Next to Radio Shack, this small donut shop is a lot more than it seems. Just like the phrase “never judge a book by its cover,” the pint-sized store isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing.  

In the Wild Wild West, bounties were placed on notorious criminals like Jesse James who evaded the law. These outlaws were hunted down and brought to justice. Fast forward a century and surprisingly, bounties are in use; however, the bounties are now being issued by the outlaws themselves.

As Buster Posey was crushed at home plate, the Giants’ hopes of making the playoffs in 2011 were similarly bulldozed. With a lackluster offense, the Giants failed to score enough in the season and missed the playoffs after their Cinderella rise to the championship in 2010. 

In the week of March 19, the Falcon baseball team swept the Santa Clara Bruins winning games 3-2 and 7-1 on March 21 and March 23 respectively.

The Falcons lost to Los Altos 12-1 on March 9 in their second league match-up of the season. The Falcons were shut down by Los Altos pitcher Luke Wiechec, who has been recruited to play at Fresno State next year. Senior pitcher Will Dennis struggled and gave up six runs to a potent Eagles lineup while suffering the loss.

Hard work pays off.

The baseball team narrowly lost its season opener 3-2 to Sacred Heart Cathedral on Feb. 24. Senior pitcher and staff ace Will Dennis was credited with the loss, but kept the team within striking distance in a 5 inning quality start.

Alumnus Kenny Song, now a freshman attending UC Berkeley, remembers the day he received his acceptance letter. Thrilled, he posted the news on Facebook, expecting variations of “congrats” and “good luck in college” in response.

As the year 2010 came to a close and 2011 was only a few seconds away, I quickly closed my eyes and made a New Year’s resolution: to help out the community. And, what better way to give back than through community service?

Once upon a time, she was just an ordinary student. Then one day everything changed. Senior Maddie Emery logged on to Tumblr, a personal blog site, and five minutes and 40 words later, she leapt from the bottom rung of Internet obscurity to superstar status.

December, a month that brings up the sweet thoughts of Christmas, was no different for students at Saratoga. Although Christmas spirit is supposed to be about giving, most students would rather receive.

Each weekend, middle-aged men—many of them fathers—walk into the school gymnasium wearing dri-fit tops and perforated athletic shorts. Seemingly an innocuous instance of pickup basketball, this weekly game shows the unfairness in the treatment of adults and students when it comes to school facilities.

The girls’ golf team turned a rebuilding season into a winning one, a positive experience for not only the veterans but also the rookies. After romping through the league tournament on Oct. 26 and claiming second place, the Falcons sent three players to CCS, all of whom will return to the team next year.

The girls’ golf team has come a long way. What began as a rebuilding year has turned into a year full of victories and CCS berths.

Senior Mac Hyde was driving through town during the summer before his junior year when a glaring “for sale” sign stuck on a golf cart caught his attention. The cart belonged to his neighbor, the town butcher, and it was exactly the kind of mobile vehicle that Hyde, the son of assisstant principal Karen Hyde, had in mind for the office members at Saratoga High to use.

Blaring music and laughter fills the fourth floor of Saratoga High alumnus Kenny Song’s dorm. The UC Berkeley freshman finds that the academic yet laid-back attitude at Cal fits him perfectly.

On Sept. 24, Giants fans dipped their heads in defeat and sulked. What had seemed like the budding of a dynasty turned out to only be a one-hit wonder as the Giants failed to make it into the playoffs after a World Series championship in 2010. The San-Fran faithful were disappointed because after one of the most exciting underdog stories, the least expected team to win the World Series toppled the Texas Rangers, stunning the baseball world, failed to make the postseason.

The sophomore, junior and senior class throw taunts and jeer at the freshmen who walk in to every rally. It’s a school tradition, but this year things are different.

Sophomore Nikki Thareja sits in the crouch position, measuring the distance from her to the target, just like a tiger. Tiger Woods, that is. She has only been playing golf since eighth grade, but since the first time she picked up a club, she has been hooked. “Most people think golf is boring, but it is mentally exhausting. It requires players to plan three or even four strokes ahead to beat the opponent,” Thareja said.

A room can tell a lot about someone. For earth science and biology teacher Lisa Cochrum, her room, 1017, is a place for her to share her stories and adventures. It is filled with toys and pictures, each one having sentimental value.

Coach: Dave Gragnola, entering first season as head coach. Gragnola has a son, freshman Robert, who excels at golf, just like his father. 2010 record: 0-14 2010 recap: In a season full of close matches, the Falcons did not find much success. Out of 14 matches, the team won zero but fought well against teams such as rival Los Gatos and league champions Evergreen Valley. Even though the team was not successful overall, it sent one player to CCS.

Thirty-eight students were notified by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) on Sept. 2 that they were among the top 1 percent of all scorers on the PSAT, the guidance department said.

The administration has implemented a new finals schedule this year in which finals week will start on Dec. 19, before winter break, instead of in January. Winter break will now start on Dec. 23, and students will not be burdened by having to study for finals over the holidays.