Jonathan Young

A senior looks at his class schedule and smiles. AP Lang? Check. AP Calculus BC? Check. Physics Honors? OK. He glances to see yet another AP class on his already filled schedule: AP Government.

The shrill beep of the school bell reverberates throughout the halls, signaling the start of tutorial. Succumbing to ritual, upperclassmen rush to the cars and some gather in circles throughout the lot while others enter the warmth of their motor vehicles.

Its 4 a.m., and you wonder why you’re up so early. For a Saratogan, the drive up to Mission Peak Regional Park can be a pain, but the experience is well worth it. 

Drivers who had previously had the bottom of their cars scraped when exiting the front parking lot got good news following February break: The problem has been fixed.  

 It’s early August and sleepy-eyed students walk toward the Small Gym. Falcon Fest 2014 has begun: Students are eager to learn what classes they’ll have with friends, but are at the same time dreading the start of a new school year.

At least a dozen seniors will be playing sports at the college level in the next few years.

Spring Fling Week, from March 24-28, is an annual celebration of school spirit normally bookended by Powder Puff football and the Sadie’s dance.

In early February, with the Super Bowl still fresh in the minds of football fans, Michael Sam decided to make history. Sam, an NFL draft prospect, came out as gay, and if signed by an NFL team, will be the NFL’s first active homosexual player.

After five league games this season, the Falcons are still without a win and are looking to find footing in league play. But players say they expect to recover from their rocky start and earn wins in their remaining league games.  

Jimmy Fallon vs. Jimmy Kimmel

From various memorabilia to a bookshelf filled with assorted books, social studies teacher Todd Dwyer’s room is probably the most eclectic room on campus.

As the NBA season nears the halfway point, the Golden State Warriors sit nine games above .500, yet they only hold the sixth place in the ultra-competitive Western Conference playoff picture.

“Did I sound abstract? I hope it sounded more confusing than that,” rapper and producer El-P said in “Tuned Mass Damper,” a song off his 2002 album “Fantastic Damage.” For the better part of the last 20 years, El-P has been a leading figure in the underground hip-hop scene and a part of some modern day classics in the genre.  

As the 2013-2014 wrestling season starts, senior Graham Grant and junior Christian Murabito are looking to build on their successes last year.

On Nov. 16, the Falcons were pitted against the No. 2-seeded team in CCS, Menlo High School. Except this game was different in that they did not have their captain and star player, senior Stephen Cho.

Junior Alana Hess emerged as the winner of this year's Saratoga Idol on Nov. 13, a singing contest that was judged by not only the usual group of teachers but also "Glee" cast member Derik Nelson.

The Falcons are off to an unprecedented start, holding a 15-0 record as of Oct. 10. This is an impressive record considering the team lost players early in the season due to injury, including junior hole set Miles Mackenzie, who missed the first two games.

The football team pulled out a tough 40-37 win against Willow Glen on Sept. 20 — their first victory of the season — but it came at a cost. Senior quarterback Jonathan Walters ran headfirst into defenders and was diagnosed with a concussion after the game. Since then, the team had a bye week but this was not sufficient time for Walters to be cleared to play and he had to sit out the Homecoming game, Oct. 4 against Mountain View.  

Aggravation is becoming common for seniors dealing with the Common App's redesigned site.

This year, the Homecoming festivities took an electronic turn with each class championing a childhood video game: Club Penguin for freshmen, Pac-Man for sophomores, Pokemon for juniors and Super Mario for seniors.

During lunch on Oct. 4, seniors gave a memorable Super Mario-themed Quad Day performance in their final high school Homecoming. 

In the class of 2015’s lunchtime Quad Day on Oct. 3, the juniors came together and delivered a solid performance, with impressive dances all around.

On the second day of Homecoming week, sophomores gave an impressive performance centered around their Pac-Man theme. Their Quad Day was a memorable one as their skit, jokes and dances ran smoothly.

On the second day of Homecoming week, sophomores gave an impressive performance centered around their Pac-Man theme. Their Quad Day was a memorable one as their skit, jokes and dances ran smoothly.

To kick off Homecoming week, the freshmen put on their first quad day performance on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at lunch. Their skit roughly told a story of two boys who searched the world to take back one of the boys’ girlfriends, who was stolen by another boy.

Going into the 2013-2014 school year, the boys’ water polo team hopes to improve on their second-place finish in league last season as both seniors Stephen Cho and Patrick Wang expect the team to win the El Camino league.

During tutorial on Aug. 23, about 1,000 students packed into the walls of the Large Gym as the room buzzed in anticipation for the first rally of the year.

For two weekends, March 8-10 and March 14-17, junior Nina Jayashankar performed in the  Children’s Musical Theatre’s adaptation of the Tony Award winning musical “In the Heights.” 

As freshman Arjun Ramanathan waits in the halls during break, his hands guide his phone, tilting to control his virtual bike that races across the finish line. 

There is a scam going on nationwide, and it’s targeting students and their parents. Here’s a short list of some of the ridiculous charges: $89 for an AP test, $50 for an SAT 1 test and $23 flat fee plus another $12 for each SAT 2 Subject test. The College Board, a “non-profit,” makes money because it has monopolized the standardized testing market. 

Students gathered at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco for Senior Prom on May 18. The theme this year was “At Last,” as seniors had patiently waited years for this event — some also patiently waited for a bus.

Recently, Dennis Rodman, a former NBA player for the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, made a visit to North Korea in February and attempted to reach out to North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un, an avid basketball fan, to discuss country relations.

As students enter into their last few weeks of school, several groups on campus have begun to establish their new leaders for the coming year. So far, the new editor-in-chiefs of the Saratoga Falcon and drum majors for the marching band have been announced.

Hoping to advance deep into Division 3 CCS play, the boys’ basketball team fell short Feb. 23 when they lost a frustrating game to the Santa Cruz Cardinals 62-52.

For the past 55 years, the Grammy Awards has celebrated musical accomplishments with an elaborate ceremony to honor the artists.

To follow up last year’s successful Spring Fling week, the Spring Fling commission has been diligently preparing for the annual event that will last from March 25-29.

When was the last time the Golden State Warriors have been fifth in the Western Conference playoff picture? Heck, it’s been a long time since the Warriors have even been above 0.500. 

We cannot believe the world is going to end on Dec. 21. In the midst of studying for finals, we made time to prepare for the apocalypse. We have prepared for everything including natural disasters, alien invasions, meteor strikes and even zombie viruses.   

On a Sunday morning in October, like every other Sunday, junior Alvin Huang wakes up at 6:30, eats breakfast, brushes his teeth, grabs his guitar and heads out the door.

On Dec. 13 at around 6:39 a.m., the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department learned about a potential bomb threat at Monta Vista High School.  

After a strong start to league play with a 4-1 record, the Falcons are second in the De Anza League.

We cannot believe the world is going to end on Dec. 21. In the midst of studying for finals, we made time to prepare for the apocalypse.

Boys’ basketball is in a new league this season, but expectations are as high as ever. 

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

"You know you’re supposed to take the plastic off the handle, right?” said senior Amy Jan, a member of the girls’ varsity team. It was safe to say that I wasn’t off to a great start. 

In 2007, U.S. News and World Report magazine released its first annual high school rankings. Saratoga High ranked No. 72. 

This year, the school has implemented some controversial  changes that are both unnecessary and frustrating to students.

Teachers Jenny Garcia and Krik Abe have had or will have jobs during summer break. 

The long awaited moment many seniors had been waiting for arrived on May 19 when they stepped into the InterContinental San Francisco hotel to attend Senior Prom, themed “A Moment Like This.”

I was nervous. Not the kind of nervous that happens before taking a test or before executing a performance, more like a what-if-I-get-caught-nervous.  

When chemistry teacher Kathy Nakamatsu’s students returned to school after February break, her classroom slowly began to fill with a wide variety of moles, each one uniquely themed. These moles were stuffed animals that students sewn and stuffed, to be submitted for competition.    

March is the best time to be a basketball fan. The frustration of brackets being busted — mine included — coupled with the thrill of Cinderellas advancing round after round makes the NCAA March Madness tournament one of a kind. Even the non-basketball fan can be enthralled in the tournament and get caught up in the madness.  

Touchdown! The crowd exploded as the senior girls scored the only points in the championship game, sealing their victory on the evening of April 5. The senior guys didn’t disappoint either as their thrilling cheer routine enthralled students during the April 6 rally.

On March 17, a sea of green sweeps through all of America as people celebrate the most famous Irish holiday. Although America often associate St. Patrick’s Day with the traditions of wearing green and pinching those who don’t, in reality, the holiday is supposed to celebrate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

A student looks blankly at the whiteboard while his teacher introduces a new concept. Thoroughly confused, the student feels too embarrassed to ask the teacher for help because his classmates appear to be grasping the lecture material with ease.

For the first time since 2005, the varsity boys’ basketball team won the El Camino league, finishing 9-3 and tying for first place with Santa Clara.

Runners gasp for air sprint as fast as they can toward the finish. Sophomore Drew Bryan is among those using their last bit of energy to finish the two-mile race, but when he finishes, he feels the sense of pride and accomplishment.

The decision between Calculus AB and BC can be like night and day for upperclassmen. BC is regarded—and rightly so—as the more rigorous class. But little attention is given to the finer distinctions between the AB and BC.

The Falcons went 2-0 on the week of Jan. 23-27, compiling wins against the the Fremont Firebirds on Jan. 25, 53-44 and the Los Altos Eagles on Jan. 27, 50-44.

In 2007, U.S. News and World Report magazine released its first annual high school rankings. Saratoga High ranked No. 72.

A student stands where two roads diverge. He looks down one as far as he can, savoring the potential fruit of hard work after a year in an honors (or AP) course. He gives the other one a look—less stress, more time for extracurriculars. “Honors or regular?” he asks himself.

At the Los Gatos Wildcat Shootout , the Falcons compiled a 1-2 record. Against Leigh on Dec. 7, the team lost 63-40. They were defeated again 54-45 by Leland on Dec. 8. On Dec. 9, against Christopher, the team bounced back with a decisive 64-53 victory. According to junior guard Brian Kim, the team adapted well defensively to the Christopher’s offensive strategy and they themselves executed on the offensive end.

When Invisible Children announced that its “Word for the Unheard” dance was to be postponed to Feb. 11, members of the MAP program were disappointed to hear that their plans to organize a dance of their own were thwarted.

The Obsession Box was a small gift shop in the heart of Saratoga’s downtown area. After struggling to attract business, store owner Pauline O-Daffer is closing her shop due to many issues that the city is neglecting to solve.

Hoya Saxa! Hoya Saxa! The chant echoes throughout the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., as Georgetown students and fans cheer for their college basketball team.

The view goes on for miles. His heart is pounding and the blood is pumping throughout his body. A feeling of accomplishment rushes to his throbbing hands and feet. Senior Jeremy Wallin gets this rush every time he climbs a mountain.

This season the Falcons will have to step up in order to fill the vacancies left by the departure of five seniors from last year. Last year the team lost in the second round in CCS; the team hopes to build on their experience and progress further this year.

The special education department has a new look this fall, including the addition of teacher Brian Elliot and SHS alumni Danny Wallace and the promotion of Courtney Crase.

After a tough day of school on Sept. 21, one of the first things students did was, of course, check their Facebook. Only on that day, they were in for a surprise—one many of them did not like.

On Sept. 16, the bleachers were full and the football team was trailing 28-0 in a tough game against San Benito. The players were tired and frustrated. During the game, some players heard a couple of band members behind their bench cracking jokes about their ill-fated athletic performance.

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 quad is packed, the lunch line is endless and students are walking sideways through the halls trying not to bump into each other. Since when did so many students walk the halls of this school?

Carnegie Hall. If there were ever a single building in the entire world that symbolized the epitome of greatness and success in any musician’s career, Carnegie Hall would be it. While some people spend their whole life working toward their moment in Carnegie, senior marimba talent Desmond Chan managed to earn his chance in the short time of three years.