Karen Lyu

On the morning of Jan. 5, Shota Hasegawa, a 2007 graduate, a passed away in his sleep. The reasons for his death are still unknown and under investigation, but in the meantime, students, teachers and parents in the school's music community have been left to deal with a tragic loss.

Winter should be all about huddling up in front of a fire, and drinking hot chocolate, but the truly best thing about winter is carving the slopes at Northstar, a resort on Lake Tahoe's north shore. Although it has recently been remodeled to become an attraction any time of year, Northstar is most famous for its winter slopes. Its welcoming atmosphere and fair prices ($79 for adults and $74 for young adults, ages 13-22, plus special group rates) make it a great vacation destination for not only family trips, but also weekend getaways with friends.

Homecoming week came to its peak on Friday, Nov. 6, when members of the class of 2010 presented their best and last quad day dance for the school. The realization of senior year being the last had never been more exposed than now and as the nature scouts, construction workers, and Kevins of the senior class got ready to perform, smiles and hugs were exchanged between the nervous performers. Anticipation built as hundreds of students gathered around the quad. The participating seniors started out with a group huddle and a class cheer. The senior class of 2010 was ready.

The 2009 Homecoming week will certainly be one remembered for changes, as it came to a close with a senior quad day, a football game and an unusually clean dance in the gym the following night, Nov. 7.

As Homecoming week continued, juniors pulled off their own rendition of the Pixar movie, "Finding Nemo,"on Junior Quad Day, Thursday, Nov. 5.

Homecoming festivities started at long last, with the freshman quad day performance on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Anticipation gathered among the enormous crowd assembled in a semi-circle formation around the quad steps, as performers were nowhere to be found for nearly 10 minutes. Finally, a group of 12 freshmen wearing color-coordinated green shirts hopped onto the scene, dancing to the familiar tune of "Disturbia." A break-dance battle, featuring Brian Minsoo Kim and Powell Huang, followed the choreographed routine.

A slight wave of disappointment struck the quad as sophomores exited the stage of their quad day performance on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The problems began before the act even started, stemming from a late start. Hundreds of students quickly arranged themselves in the familiar semi-circle huddle formation at the start of lunch period. However, nothing actually happened until nearly 15 minutes after the bell.

In schools all over the nation, school lunches are overcoming a reputation for dishing out mystery meats and greasy pizzas by teaming up with companies and programs that provide schools with healthier alternatives at lower costs. Saratoga might consider moving in this direction and take advantage of the many programs and what they have to offer.

The football field is lit up by blinding white lights. Sweat beads form on senior running back Jian Lee's forehead as he focuses on the football hurtling his way. He catches it in his arms and hugs it tightly to his chest, scoring one of his two touchdowns in SHS's first game again Westmont on Sept. 12. In that game alone, Lee rushed an impressive 41 yards, helping the Falcons dominate 52-27.

New student Johannes Stimmer, who goes by his middle name Manuel, traveled from Munich, Germany, to be a sophomore this year, and is currently staying with the Bedard family.       Although he studied English at his school in Germany, Stimmer decided to come to the U.S. so that he could “study English and learn to do things independently,” he said.
“I thought it would be nice to be a foreign exchange student.”     According to Stimmer, adjusting to the school has been going well, even with all the differences compared to his school back in Germany.   

One of the first things new student junior Reina Muroka noticed when she first arrived in California was how amazingly dark it was at night. “In Japan, everything’s all illuminated. It's really bright. You come here at 8 [p.m], and everything’s all dark,” she said. Muroka transferred here this year after her father got a new job. She was formerly a student at the American School of Japan but had also previously attended international schools in Hong Kong and Shang Hai.

The Saratoga badminton team’s CCS hopes were extinguished May 28 when its sole representative, freshman singles player Jeffrey Kuo, defaulted in his second round match against Monta Vista’s Gary Wang by arriving seven minutes late to his match. Kuo got out of school later than he wanted and ran into lots of traffic, leaving him crushed that he couldn’t compete. After a strong showing at Leagues, Kuo was optimistic heading into CCS. “I was confident and was determined to perform well,” he said.

English teacher Jason Friend and his wife, Lauren, welcomed a new member into their family on May 2. The baby boy, named Samuel Aaron weighed 7 pounds and 1 ounce, is named after Friend’s grandfather.

Varsity teams are usually studded with juniors and seniors. Saratoga’s varsity badminton team is no different with one significant exception—freshman Jeffrey Kuo. Not only does Kuo meet varsity standards, but he surpasses them. Coach John Phung considers him “the best player on the team.” Kuo plays the varsity boys singles 1 spot. “Every time he plays, [Kuo] has a fan base; at least 20-30 other players watch him,” said Phung.

High hopes and birdies are flying as the Falcons won five of seven preseason matches. The real test, however, will come on March 31 when the team plays Gunn High School in an El Camino league match. Gunn, who defeated Saratoga twice last year, is the team to beat. “I think the real challenges will start coming once the real season begins,” said senior Joyce Wu, who plays the No. 1 varsity girls doubles spot. “Playing Gunn as our first school will push our players to improve.”

Today’s Saratoga badminton team looks nothing like the group that became league champions in 2005. The Falcons have struggled for the last three years to regain their previous dominance, probably because the school has had a new coach each season since its title run. To make matters worse, the number of trained players involved in the program is now at an all-time low, as several strong athletes graduated in 2008.

The marching band performed its last show of the season and for its 48 seniors, of their high school career, in the Western Bands Association (WBA) Championships at Diablo Valley College on Nov. 22. The band first competed in the preliminary competition and then placed 11th, qualified for the finals round in which they placed 11th as well. Before and after the competition, emotions ran high, ranging from warm hugs, slapping of high-fives and even spilled tears. Many were both critical of the performance and proud of the work they had done.

For schools in the Bay Area and those across the nation, the popular dance style of freaking has increasingly become an area of concern and has staff members, parents and other adults struggling to crack down on it, ultimately proving to be a difficult feat. From dealing out detentions and suspensions to canceling dances, schools all over have tried different ways to put a stop to freaking.

Saratoga Sports Boosters introduced a new fundraising event this year, called the Football Tailgate. It was held on Oct. 3 on the evening of the Homecoming game. The social started at 4:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for one meal and game ticket, and $60 for an entire package. This covered a reserved parking space, dinner for two, and two tickets to the game. An option for three guests was also available for $75. Dinner included a full meal: tri-tip sandwiches or veggie wraps, a drink, cole slaw, baked beans, corn on the cob, and apple pie.

The popular nighttime event “Celebrate Saratoga” has been replaced this year by a daytime festival known as “Taste of Saratoga,” to be held on Sept. 20. Rather than a street dance, this year’s event will be more similar to an art and wine festival. By making this change, the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce hopes that Taste of Saratoga will create a better business environment, while continuing the fund raising effort begun by the Street Dance.