Grishma Athavale

Armed with confidence, the desire to prove oneself and a map, 36 juniors in the Media Arts Program embarked on a race through downtown San Francisco on April 1 in a heated competition to finish various tasks and score the most points doing them.

The pressure that high school students in certain areas, mostly high income ones like Saratoga and Palo Alto, are under is unprecedented. They have to compete with their high-achieving peers by lining their resumes with high GPA and SAT/ACT scores. On top of that, parents enroll their children in numerous extra-curricular activities in hopes of impressing the best colleges. The documentary “Race to Nowhere” examines this dangerous level of stress.

The pressure that high school students in certain areas, mostly high income ones like Saratoga and Palo Alto, are under is unprecedented. They have to compete with their high-achieving peers by lining their resumes with high GPA and SAT/ACT scores. On top of that, parents enroll their children in numerous extra-curricular activities in hopes of impressing the best colleges. The documentary “Race to Nowhere” examines this dangerous level of stress.

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:

When 26-year-old Pascal Abidor, a dual U.S. and French citizen, boarded a train from Canada to New York in late May, he did not expect Custom and Border Patrol (CBP) officers to confiscate his laptop for 11 days. After he showed an Amtrak official his passport, Abidor was ordered to move to a cafe, where officials questioned him about his Hamas and Hezbollah rally pictures and forced him to unlock his computer.

As second semester approaches, many seniors begin to anticipate graduation, and, often more importantly, the fun-filled Grad Night after-party.

Former Saratoga High teachers Paul Page and Larry Bingham never thought that they would come back to SHS after they retired at the end of the 2008-09 school year, but they’re back, a year later, to help out former colleagues who are having babies this fall.

Upperclassmen in government and U.S. history classes will have the chance to go on a six-day excursion to Washington, D.C., during spring break. Students will visit and learn about the nation’s capital and the various monuments in the National Mall.

More than 100 juniors and sophomores from the Media Arts Program (MAP) went to Walden West, a multipurpose facility in Saratoga, on Sept. 10 to improve their communication and collaboration skills.

For the first time, senior prom was held at Dolce Hayes Mansion in San Jose, a luxurious 4 star mansion turned into a hotel. The memorable evening was held on May 15 with around 300 attendants to enjoy the food, dancing and friends. "The most enjoyable part about prom was being able to spend it with all of my friends," senior Andy Berman said. "I got to share lasting moments with them. Also, the location was so beautiful; everything was so fancy." The senior class made money from the event as the bid price ranged from $98 to $103.

One out of every 10 people admitted to a hospital needs blood. On April 30, 58 students helped save these people's lives with their donations to the Stanford Blood Center Drive, a biannual event hosted by the community commission. The event went on from 8 a.m to 2 p.m. in the Small Gym, which allowed students to choose the most convenient time to go. Students, however, first had to meet a few requirements.

Learning a new instrument can be challenging. The different chords, keys, and playing variations would clearly confuse even an amateur player . It usually takes at least six months for a beginner to get a foothold on their instrument, but for junior Abner Inzunza, the chords and playing styles of the ukelele came quickly.

When junior Esha Roy received an enigmatic note in her third period AP U.S. History class regarding an event called Challenge Day, the only thing she knew about it was that she would miss an entire day of school if she chose to participate. "I was intrigued by the prospect of communicating on such an essential level with my peers," Roy said.

Unlike previous years, Bombay in the Bay, the Indian Cultural Awareness Club's (ICAC) annual show will be pushed back to May 1. The date was changed because the McAfee Center was accidentally double booked in March for the intended date of Bombay in the Bay. The ICAC officers also felt that the show could be better if they had more time to prepare for the show. At least 10 acts will be performing, including several dance numbers, a capella singer and various instrumental pieces.

As seniors end their last year of high school, what comes ahead is the next big step: college. Students leave for a new place, somewhere with no one they've known for the past 18 years. It's a serious transition that determines your future, but what if you're not ready? Fortunately, high school graduates do not all have to take that path. For those who aren't ready for college, there is something called the gap year, a 12-month break before making the transition to college. More and more students are choosing to wait a year before college, and it's no surprise why.

After dreaming of going to Antarctica for 20 years, planning for five years and getting ready for three years, science teacher Lisa Cochrum finally turned her dream into a reality when she embarked on a 21-day trip to Antarctica starting on Dec. 17.

Snorkeling in the Galapagos, backpacking in the Andes and hiking up to the summit of Machu Picchu. Sounds like a dream vacation, but these breathtaking adventures will be daily fare for one lucky junior.

Junior Ashely Pollack excels in competitive horseback riding: She has won five world championships and two world grand championships in the past 10 years. World championships pit horses from all over the world show against each other in different divisions, while a world grand championship matches the best of world champions in smaller classes with divisions combined.

There is a trend growing among some boys this past month: facial hair. While the number of partcipants remains small, their beards are growing longer than ever. No this isn't some sort of infectious disease, it's "No Shave November." Ever since alumnus Matt Pearce showed off his huge beard in November two years ago, senior Nathan Kim was inspired and decided to create his own Facebook group, "No Shave November," in which, as the name implies, participants don't shave for a month.

Junior Jackie Bae talks about her passion for drawing and why she has been committed to this hobby for 11 years. Using different types of media, mainly pencil, Bae expresses herself through this type of art and will begin to prepare for a portfolio due in November to showcase her artwork in preparation to show colleges next year. Q: What types/kinds of art do you do? A: I do mainly drawing. I basically draw anything I'm capable of drawing: people, animals, objects, and scenery. I use many different types of media, but I like to use pencil and paper most often.

Junior Jackie Bae talks about her passion for drawing and why she has been committed to this hobby for 11 years. Using different types of media, mainly pencil, Bae expresses herself through this type of art and will begin to prepare for a portfolio due in November to showcase her artwork in preparation to show colleges next year. Q: What types/kinds of art do you do? A: I do mainly drawing. I basically draw anything I'm capable of drawing: people, animals, objects, and scenery. I use many different types of media, but I like to use pencil and paper most often.

In an effort to prevent an H1N1 outbreak, school officials are taking strides on campus to keep students and teachers healthy.

In an effort to prevent an H1N1 outbreak, school officials are taking strides on campus to keep students and teachers healthy. The main change in the safety precautions this year has been the purchase of six brand new hand sanitizer machines, paid for by the Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO), which have been placed in different parts of the school—the most notable ones being located in front of the library and cafeteria. the organization is called the PTSO these days.

Summer marks the beginning of a long and well-earned vacation for students. For movie producers; however, it is one of the busiest times of year; busy with plenty of red carpet premieres, that is.

Sophomore Taara Rangan came to school early one Wednesday morning recently. It was a cold morning, and she knew that English teacher Cathy Head often keeps her room open before school. Opening the door to the room, she saw about a dozen teachers sitting in a circle, all staring at her. Mumbling her apology, she quickly withdrew from the room. This teacher meeting was no accident. Every Wednesday morning, when the students get to come late to school, teachers attend a staff-collaboration, where they exchange ideas and work on making the school and classes better.

Now that students have completed the registration process for classes next year, some of the new proposed classes may now become a reality.

With the Indian Cultural Awareness Club (ICAC)’s “Bombay in the Bay,” the Alternative Energy and Fuel Fair (AEFF), Career Day and Junior Prom approaching, the next couple weeks promise excitement and lots of activity on and off campus for students.

I used to have a fish when I was seven. It was a small, orange little creature always eager to see me--well, at least it didn’t hide from me under the coral when I came to feed it. As a young girl, I used to wonder what it would be like to be a fish in a fish bowl—being stared at all the time, and having to endure people tapping on the glass, wanting you to do something more? I never imagined actually having this experience—but oh, was I wrong! I like taking risks, if they don’t involve anything too extreme. The only problem is, in the Saratoga environment, chances to go beyond the expected are rare. So when my newspaper staff decided to profile students and Falcon staff members who did something unexpected for a day, I viewed it as my chance to do something exciting and totally “Un-Grishma.”

New classes that are being offered for next year include Japanese 3 Honors, Computer Science AP/A, AP Environmental Science and three new advanced Media Arts Program (MAP) classes: multi-media journalism, advanced digital animation, and filmmaking.

The tutorial bell often signifies the mark of “freedom” from the classroom. While many students use the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday sessions to talk to teachers and finish up homework, others use it like a second lunch period, with all the usual lunchtime privileges—the most important being the right to go off campus. However, the administration has emphasized that this is a false privilege. Students are actually not allowed to go off campus during any time other than lunch. Although this rule may aggravate many students, the reason for this is that tutorial time is reserved teaching time for students. If students go off campus at tutorial; they don’t get the number of learning hours that the school is required to provide.

For high school students who dread attending impending college classes, lectures and interacting with others, there is now a new university that will allow them a different experience. This institution claims it is tuition free, and is based solely online—all prospective students need is a computer and an Internet connection to join. The University of the People (UoP)—an online university which will be open for enrollment in April 2009—was planned by Israeli entrepreneur Shai Reshef and will be the first non-profit global university that gives students, including those in Third-World countries, the opportunity to obtain their bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Unlike universities that have online courses but also require some physical attendance, such as The University of Phoenix, UoP will be completely online, with students doing everything from attending class to taking their midterms and finals on the computer.

To say that this year’s presidential election was remarkable would be an understatement. With the highest voter turnout since the 1972 presidential elections, arguably the highest amount of youth involvement ever and the first African-American presidential elect in American history, Barack Obama, the 2008 election has made a lasting mark on Saratoga High students. Since candidates began campaigning for the primary elections held in early February of this year, many Saratoga High students began identifying which stances of candidates on various issues aligned with their own.

To say that this year’s presidential election was remarkable would be an understatement. With the highest voter turnout since the 1972 presidential elections, arguably the highest amount of youth involvement ever and the first African-American presidential elect in American history, Barack Obama, the 2008 election has made a lasting mark on Saratoga High students.

Sixty seniors were recognized by the administration on Oct. 22 for their achievement of getting a admirable score on last year’s PSAT test with a breakfast for them and their guests in the cafeteria.

Spoiled? I don’t think so. My friends say that I’m lucky to be an only child, not having to fight with a brother or sister all the time. Others, however, say that it can get lonely.

The lunch bell rings and the serenity of the campus is broken. Underclassmen rush to the cafeteria, hoping to grab a spot at the front of the lunch line to buy cookies before they run out. Most upperclassmen, who have the privilege to go off campus at lunch, drive themselves to local restaurants for their meals. Or at least this is the way it used to be. A rise in gas prices seems to have encouraged more juniors and seniors to stay on campus, which causes frustratingly long lines and fewer eating areas. These crowded conditions have made lunchtime less enjoyable for many students. As more upperclassmen remain on campus, many areas have become uncomfortably crowded. The lines leading to the cafeteria now extend farther into the quad, causing many students to waste their lunchtime waiting to buy food. These long lines tempt students to cut with their friends, thus making conditions even worse.