Ian Kim

The most fortunate students walk graduation, not with a fistful of tassels hanging from their caps or their names printed almost too many times to count throughout the ceremony program, but with the knowledge that they will take with them something unique from their high school experience that others would have been just as privileged to have come across. Some are lucky enough to impart with the wisdom of a teacher, while others are blessed to have made a close friend. And then there are students like me, who will be fortunate to graduate with both.

“Get moving, senior!” said physical education teacher Yuko Aoki. I hustled down the track—fists clenched and heart pounding—before my mind did a double-take, and I realized that, once again, my name at birth had been one-upped. Jokes and references aside, I’ll make it known here: I am a senior enrolled in physical education.

Sometimes when you laugh at other people the joke turns out to be on you.

Shooting 74 in the individual qualifier, sophomore No. 3 player Andrew Cho placed seventh at CCS trials on May 16 at Rancho Cañada golf course in Monterey. Senior No. 2 player J.B. Lee also represented the Falcons at the event, but did not move on to finals alongside Cho.

The boys were holding onto their chances of winning leagues by their fingertips, but the varsity golf team fell short after losing to Los Gatos on April 2 by a score of 206-188. With no matches left in the season, the boys must hand over their league title for the first time in eight years.

Several students are facing suspension or expulsion after a recent crackdown on the use and sale of marijuana on campus. The investigation has led to a lot of rumor and worry among students and parents.

Reality television star Matt Roloff of TLC’s “Little People, Big World” delivered a speech about how he has successfully faced adversity in a world that didn’t seem to be fit for him at the McAfee Center on the evening of Feb. 12.

Taking its next leap in technological advancement, the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District has already taken measures to turn three locations, including Saratoga High, into wireless hotspots for the convenience of both staff and students. While the project still has unresolved matters regarding security and management, campuses can expect hotspots to appear in scattered locations in a matter of months.

Surviving on a budget can be a relief and burden at the same time. Sure, the freedom of having money on hand without parental consent has its perks, but the responsibility of keeping my account balance from bouncing back can get tricky at times. From what I’ve heard, others go as far as freezing their credit cards in a cup of water as a method of self-restraint from impulse purchases. Hopefully, that’s an extremity to which I won’t have to resort.

Following the debacle of Florida in the 2000 presidential election and the close call in Ohio in 2004, many were relieved to see Barack Obama elected without controversy. The fact is that the Electoral College has continually caused problems for voters and the recent elections only further show that voting reform is necessary.

I spent a week crossing my fingers, hoping I wouldn’t catch the bug my sniffling and coughing classmates were spreading. Unfortunately, I woke up with a full-blown cold in no time, feeling the worst I’d ever felt for months.

Despite the relatively minor impact of Hurricane Gustav on New Orleans in late August, many question whether protecting the city is worth the time and money. After the devastation Hurricane Katrina reaped upon Louisiana in 2005, can America afford to keep directing funds to fuel constant relief efforts in an age of horrible annual hurricanes?

The second dance of the year was a hit for many, gathering more than 700 students to celebrate the conclusion of the annual Homecoming week. As students lined up from the entrance of the gymnasium along the front sidewalk, the clock had already struck 8, and the doors had yet to open as promised. What many hadn’t realized was that up until hours prior to the event, coordinators were already facing conflicts that hindered the success of the dance.

Hundreds of students crowded around the cafeteria-faced end of the quad and waited for the long-anticipated freshman quad day to begin on Sept. 30. Some came looking for an opportunity to laugh at and mock the freshmen, and while many got what they came for, others found themselves impressed with parts of the show.

Six months ago, the name “Hillary Clinton” spurred cheers and tears of joy among crowds of hopeful Americans, as many citizens rooted for the first female president of the United States, and her nomination seemed inevitable. Fast-forward to May and the tide has turned; hope for the candidate has died to a couple of crossed fingers. Rival democratic candidate Barack Obama is destined to become the nominee to face Republican candidate John McCain in November, bringing up the question whether Clinton played her cards right during this election.

While most students were spending their recent weeks cramming for AP exams, studying for SATs and preparing for CCS qualifiers, four students were halfway around the world searching for a deeper understanding of their Jewish faith. The students, seniors Gabe Essner, Nicole Sabes and Rachel Sabes and junior Hana Pruzansky joined 10,000 Jewish students across the globe in a life-changing two-week experience called March of the Living. They ventured to Poland and Israel on April 28 to witness the remnants of the Holocaust, and they came back with a stronger sense of identity.

Administrators have canceled this year's Sadie Hawkins Dance -- the traditional culmination of Spring Fling week -- because of the drinking that occurred at the holiday dance in December. Despite the cancellation of Sadie's, three formal dances, Winter Ball, Junior Prom and Senior Prom, remain on schedule.