Karthik Annaamalai

In March, the speech and debate team had two of its most successful tournaments in the past 10 years. Because of this performance, the team held high expectations for the state tournament, which took place from April 15-17 in San Diego.

February break was no break for speech and debaters this year since they spent most of the nine days off at national tournaments held at Stanford and Berkeley. But don’t feel sorry for the team’s members since they brought home the best results in those tough tournaments in a decade.

Although the boys’ basketball team lost to Mills 59-43 in round two of CCS on Feb. 24, their season was filled with highlights such as beating cross-town rivals, the Los Gatos Wildcats, 57-47 and crushing the Monterey Vikings 73-56 in the first round of CCS.

After a slow start, team meetings and teamwork have changed the Falcons from a mediocre team to one with a strong 11-7 record.

Boys’ basketball coach Trevor Naas and his team knew they had one major weakness going into the season—lack of height. But so far the Falcons have made up for their lack of height with skilled play.

While senior Chris Guengerich may be known for his stellar athletic ability on the football field, leadership as a captain, and success as wide receiver on the football team, Guengerich has also developed a reputation as a stellar student in the classroom. Guengerich was recently recognized by the San Francisco 49ers for both his achievements as an athlete and his academic accomplishments through recognition as the San Francisco 49ers High School Player of the Week for Week Five.

”Team unity!” bellowed boys’ basketball coach Trevor Naas as members of his team passed the ball to each other during an afternoon practice in the gym, working their way toward the hoop. “It’s all about team unity, and that’s how we’re going to play!”

Returning to the El Camino league with three out of their five starters from last year, the boys’ basketball team looks to improve from last year’s mediocre season, in which they finished 5th place with a record of 9-15.

Anything is possible. That’s what coach Tim Lugo told his players when they beat Los Gatos 21-17 to end a 27-year losing steak. That’s also what he’s telling his players today as they look to beat the undefeated Palo Alto Vikings on Friday at home, in the team’s final regular season game of the year. After losing to Milpitas 7-0 on Nov. 5, tonight’s game is a must-win for the Falcons if they wish to advance to the CCS playoffs.

Within seconds of the game clock expiring, the green turf of the Benny Pierce field was replaced with a sea of red, as students and alumni flooded the field, screaming and chanting in celebration of the Falcons’ first regular season victory over Los Gatos since 1982. The Falcons managed to end the 27-year streak in a thrilling 21-17 victory over the Wildcats under the Friday night lights on Oct. 22.

As traditionally one of the smaller-sized teams of the California Central Coast Section (CCS), the Falcons have always been able to take advantage of their determination and stellar ground attack to match up against bigger and stronger teams of the De Anza Division. But this year, third year coach Tim Lugo has another secret weapon up his sleeve, which he believes may throw off some of his competitors.

Six future class officers ran unopposed in this year's class elections on April 30, making the elections less competitive than those of previous years. Assistant principal Karen Hyde attributes the lack of participation to a general unawareness of the immense amount of work that class officers accomplish. "The thing about ASB and student government is, it's a lot of hard work with little glory," said Hyde. "Not many know what we do, and I feel that if we publicized that more, then more people would run."

Ever since the end of World War II when the United Nations gave Jews land in Palestine, the United States has vested considerable interest in the maintenance of a close relationship with Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This violent dispute has created animosity between the Jewish Israelis and the Muslim Palestinians because both their religions share a common holy land, Jerusalem.

As of now, the boys' tennis team—maybe the best team in the history of the school—is the No. 1 ranked team in the state, having won the Wawona Peachtree Classic in dominating fashion earlier this month.

The crowd exploded into applause on March 9 in the McAfee Center as junior Brandon Pierce was crowned the winner of Saratoga Idol in front of an audience of over 150 students, friends, and family. Pierce stole the show as he sang "Apologize," originally sung by Timbaland, while playing the piano. Pierce's sweet melodic tone won the crowd's heart. Pierce is part of a screamo band "Revive the Lifeless," a type of music which is typically defined by screaming vocals, with a few of his friends. He also posts videos of himself singing on YouTube to get constructive feedback.

With just 8 percent of the state's signatures, anyone can get his or her own proposition on the California ballot. These propositions, called initiatives, mean any citizen can submit their own "law" because of California's direct democracy.

When a branch of government is defined by its ability to systematically withhold and stall major legislation, it is apparent that there is a flaw in the system.

After a long and trying season, the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts each have a chance to establish themselves as the best team in the NFL. The Super Bowl, an American tradition happening on Feb. 7, is unique because the participating teams each have 60 minutes to prove that they are the best team in the NFL. One game decides the success of their team. One game until the end of the season. One game to play their hearts out.

The terrorist attack on Christmas day has raised many concerns about the safety of flying and has had many people wanting the government to devote more time in creating new security measures. The NY Times reported on Jan. 3 that citizens of 15 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Nigeria, who are flying to the Unites States are liable to more frequent and intense searches.

When many people hear the words "community service," they usually think of felons in orange vests picking up trash on the side of a highway as a form of punishment to compensate for a crime that they had committed. But here at Saratoga High, the words community service have a different meaning as most students believe that the more extra service they perform, the more appealing they will become to colleges.

The students of history teacher Matt Torrens' second-period AP US History class walked into the classroom on Dec. 8 anticipating a field trip to the Madronia Cemetery located in downtown Saratoga .

English teachers know it's tough to get all their students to read the literature they are assigned. In attempt to combat this lack of reading, new teacher Suzanne Herzman recently had her English 11 honors students participate in a Motif Fair, an event in which students created visual and interactive aids to help their peers understand the novel better as well as an event that encouraged more students to read the novel.

The Falcons battled not only Burlingame High in their first round in the CCS playoffs on Nov. 20, but the weather as well as they beat the Panthers 30-20. The Panthers were unable to contain senior running back Grant Thomas, as he rushed for almost 200 yards in the contest. Thomas played a major role in the team's offensive strategy that gained them over 330 yards, over 200 of those yards on the ground.

With friends and family in attendance in the faculty lunchroom, three members of this year's senior class signed a letter of intent Nov. 12 stating which college they will be competing for next year: wrestler Alan Yen will go to Stanford, swimmer Elizabeth Murray will attend Loyola Marymount University and tennis John Lamble will go to Santa Clara University. Kirk Abe, Yen's wrestling coach, pointed to his dedication in all areas.

Not even an inspirational speech from 49ers coach Mike Singletary could provide enough fire for the football team to avoid its 30th straight regular season loss to Los Gatos on Oct. 23. The final score was 47-0.

Band students were sad to say good-bye to beloved former band teacher John Zarco when he announced his departure to pursue his PhD. last year; however, new music teacher Duane Otani hopes to find a place in their hearts. “Teaching at Saratoga seemed like a good opportunity for me,” said Otani. “I love working here and everything about the school. The students are great and I know we can have a successful year.”

Twenty-nine years and no regular season wins. This is the storyline as the Falcon football team heads into hostile territory for its matchup against cross-district rival Los Gatos on Friday, Oct. 23, at Helm Field. Last year, the team lost 10-7 on a field goal with 23 seconds left. This year, however, the Falcons are determined to end the infamous streak and embarrass the Wildcats in their Homecoming game. "We came really close last year. I think this is the year," said senior defensive end Adam Oreglia.

Last season, the Saratoga High football program was out to prove that they belonged in the De Anza league, one regarded as the most competitive in the area. Although many fans doubted that the Falcons would be able to contend in this tough division, the squad showed these skeptics otherwise with their 4-6 record. This season, second-year head coach Tim Lugo wants to advance to the CCS playoffs. "At the start of every season, we set a new goal for ourselves," said Lugo. "Last year, it was establishing ourselves in the [De Anza] league. This year, it's making CCS."

Students sometimes hear their parents talk about their high school experiences filled with spirit days and dances. Their academics did not seem as daunting, the activities and sports were not as intense and, overall, the environment of high school was far less stressful. But most importantly, students hear about the events that galvanized the older generation into becoming a united and spirited school.

If last year's season, which including almost beating Los Gatos, placing fifth in one of the Bay Area's toughest divisions and being just one point away from making CCS playoffs hasn't already shown everyone that the Falcons belong in the "A" League, players have their eyes set on making an even bigger statement this year as they continue to compete in the upper league De Anza Division.

The Saratoga High football team emerged victorious at Friday’s non-league contest in hostile ground, easily defeating host Westmont Warriors 52-27. The Falcons displayed particular resilience, recovering from the previous week’s heartbreaking loss to Santa Teresa. Their first game featured a second-half defensive letdown, but in this game Saratoga kept its foot on the accelerator for the entire four quarters.

If last year's season, which including almost beating Los Gatos, placing fifth in one of the Bay Area's toughest divisions and being just one point away from making CCS playoffs hasn't already shown everyone that the Falcons belong in the "A" League, players have their eyes set on making an even bigger statement this year as they continue to compete in the upper league De Anza Division.

Saratoga's first loss of the season was a tale of two halves as the Falcons dropped their opening game 42-36 to visiting Santa Teresa High. It hardly seemed like the atmosphere that would yield a Saratoga loss, with the support of a spirited, football-starved crowd spanning the length of the Benny Pierce home bleachers, not to mention being backed by a massive band and a team of spunky cheerleaders.

Although roster size has always been a problem for varsity baseball coach Manny Steffen, the dedication and perseverance of his players never has. Despite having fewer players than most teams, the team managed to clinch the El Camino League’s division title, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by Saratoga since 1994. They sealed the deal with a 5-3 home win over the Fremont Firebirds on May 7.

Despite having one of the smallest rosters in their baseball league, the Falcons clinched the El Camino League’s division title, a feat they haven’t been able to accomplish since 1994 with a 5-3 home win over the Fremont Firebirds on May 7, though the regular season did not end until May 14. The Falcons used this extra time to prepare for CCS. The last time the Falcons won CCS was in 1994, something this year’s team hopes to change.

The speech and debate season came to a close as the team competed in the California State Tournament in Culver City from April 24-26. The club sent three members from a team of over 30 participants—juniors Varun Parmar and Saniha Shankar in Student Congress and sophomore David Mandell in Humorous Interpretation.

After swimming together since elementary school, seniors Matthew Murray, Ben Hinshaw and Brad Murray will go their different ways this fall as they swim for UC Berkeley, University of Viginia, and Georgetown University.

Despite retiring from her position as an assistant principal of guidance of last year, Gail Wasserman has continued to pursue her career by starting a college consulting business. Wasserman hopes to guide students through the college process, trying to make it easier for the students.

Some time in this month, the ASB will launch its first website. Created by senior ASB officers Felix Chu, Corey Rateu, T.T. Tu and Ketaki Shriram, the website hopes to be student friendly, providing users with as much current information as it can. “I think that the website is pushing us forward and getting us closer to the school,” said Tu. “The website is an accomplishment for the ASB and it’s a big leap.”

The girl’s bag contained marijuana, a pipe, empty plastic bags, a large quantity of money in $1 bills, an index card that appeared to list students who owed her money, and two letters that implicated the girl in dealing marijuana. Tracy Lois Odem, a freshman at Piscataway High School in New Jersey was having her bag searched by her principal for cigarettes but was instead caught for illegal drug use in 1985.

After a long and trying season, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers each have a chance to establish themselves as the best team in the NFL. The Super Bowl is unique in that the participating teams only have one game to prove themselves, whereas other sports involve a seven-game series. The Cardinals and the Steelers have 60 minutes to give it their all, to leave everything on the field, because after this game, the season is over.

With 1.9 seconds left on the clock, and CCS playoffs on the line, the Falcons were tied 35-35 with the league champion Wilcox Chargers as Charger field goal kicker Cesar Duenas walked on to the field to kick. The Falcons prayed for a miss but were crushed as Duenas kicked a 30-yard field goal through the goal posts ending the Falcon’s season and also their dreams of making CCS.

An almost non existent passing game and costly turnovers lead the Falcons to be plundered by the Palo Alto Vikings 28-14 on Oct. 17, in front of a wild Palo Alto crowd. Though the Falcons had 170 yards rushing on the ground, they only had 23 yards through the air.

The rivalry between the Falcons and the Wildcats has only strengthened after the Falcons moved into the Wildcats’ division this year. Despite a 28-year losing streak to the Wildcats, the Falcons are optimistic about their chances of beating Los Gatos tonight at home. They hope that the implementation of the Wing T offense, which has thrived in previous games, will help them pull off an upset and break Los Gatos’ win streak.

The 2-2 Falcons looked strong as they dominated their past two games against Westmont and Los Altos. The offense moved the ball well and the defense played its part by forcing many turnovers, but several injuries have forced the team to shuffle the lineup.

On Sept. 29, the stock market fell a record 777 points after the House of Representative failed to pass the $700 billion bailout plan proposed by President George W. Bush. However, this economic collapse had been forecast for years, and recently started to fall apart.

In an effort to make communication easier, the school has implemented a new contact system for this school year called “School Messenger,” which takes the place of the older list serve e-mail. The old system was capable only of sending out messages by e-mail, while the new system will be more convenient for the school. “It’s a lot more user-friendly,” said assistant principal Joe Bosco. “Not only can it be used to send out emails, but text and voice messages as well.”

With what seemed to be the perfect start to the weekend’s Homecoming festivities, the Falcons crushed their division rivals the Los Altos Eagles, 48-13, on Oct. 3 in front of an ecstatic Homecoming game crowd. The Falcons moved to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the De Anza League with the victory. Unlike in their last few games, the Falcons’ running game thrived under their new Wing T offense. Senior running back Tim Yen rushed for a total 124 yards and a touchdown and Senior running backs Mat Spencer and Casey Farmer scored two touchdowns apiece on the ground.

With what seemed to be the perfect start to the weekend’s Homecoming festivities, the Falcons crushed their division rivals the Los Altos Eagles, 48-13, on Oct. 3 in front of an ecstatic Homecoming game crowd.

After losing the first two games of their season, the Falcons managed to recoup their struggling offense and crush the Westmont Warriors 27-13 in their Sept. 26 home opening game.

After a winning football season last year that ended with a heart-breaking loss to Live Oak in the CCS semifinals, the Falcons are looking to repeat last year's success. However, this year the Falcons are almost a completely different team with a new head coach, new offensive formation, new uniforms, new starters and a new league.

After a winning football season last year that ended with a heart-breaking loss to Live Oak in the CCS semifinals, the Falcons are looking to repeat last year's success. However, this year the Falcons are almost a completely different team with a new head coach, new offensive formation, new uniforms, new starters and a new league.

What’s in a name? The leaders of the formerly named PTSA have changed their name to the PTSO (Parent Teacher Student Organization) in order to get more control on where they spend the funds and generate more money for the school. It is an organization that links together parents, teachers and students. The PTSO is now independent from the national PTA (Parent Teacher Association).

In spite of a strong start in the first quarter, the Falcons were shut out 30-0 in their Sept. 7 season opener against the Menlo Atherton Bears. Six turnovers ultimately led to the Falcon’s defeat. “We told our players that this early in the season, the team with the least turnovers will win the game,” said coach Tim Lugo, the new varsity head coach from Evergreen Valley High School.