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Both boys’ and girls’ teams lack a JV team this year, and swimmers are focusing on achieving individual goals.

After a fielding team of mostly seniors in the 2022 season and not having a 2023 season, boys lacrosse looks to rebuild with a largely inexperienced roster.

Players say their 4-12 record does not accurately represent their effort and skills development this season.

The team plans on improving their ball keeping drills and execution of plays as they begin to play rematches against teams.

 Chemistry honors teacher Kathy Nakamatsu and juniors Aiden Chen, Angie Chen and Amy Pan talk about their personal struggles and how they navigated them.

I got a dub, did you?

Composed mostly of underclassmen, many of whom have improved drastically this season, the team’s future is bright. 

With two runners, we planned to crush this challenge. Instead, we got crushed.

After a rough few years with coaching issues and absence of players, the boys hope to start the program again.

The Falcons are in the thick of the race for CCS.

With a new coach, the captains of the girls’ field hockey team have taken on an important role this season.

Timothy Leung rewarded for his moving story about silence in child abuse victims.

Held on May 20 at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 507 junior and senior students had an enjoyable experience at the combined prom.

The swim team attended CIF States for the first time in four years. 

Beyond stellar academic achievements, seniors Lisa Fung and Anushka Sankaran were also involved in various extracurricular activities.

Wave of tardies sweeps Class of ‘24.

Senior Kayla Steele received a $5,000 scholarship from the Bay Area All-Star Scholarship Team.

The varsity badminton team has an improving record compared to the previous year with new team expansions.

The team hopes to send multiple individual swimmers to CCS.

Adam Xu is one of 13 winners selected for their outstanding 100-word personal narrative.

The recent accidents among student drivers raises adult concerns around SHS student driving.

From broken roofs to Christmas, love, Santa definitely spread joy at my house this year!

Senior Christina Chang’s National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) award demonstrates her journalistic abilities as well as journalism’s power to spread awareness and understand viewpoints.

The club shares their passion for music through community service performances.  

 After a week of yoga, I found no changes in my mood whatsoever: It was a waste of time and I would only recommend it for people who want to fake their exercise routine.

The gym is life, but sometimes there will always be people you will never know whether to hate or laugh at. 

After a disappointing start to the season, the boys won three of their last four games to end with a 5-10 record.

The cheer team is shifting their practice routines as they move toward the competition season.

Friends and relatives supported senior Merriam Labban in her pursuit of design and fashion.

The team has been practicing hard early in the year and has high hopes for their upcoming season.

It will take a lot of work from the team to dominate the league again.

Health clerk and supervisor Tammy Parris said she encourages students to come to the health office more frequently whenever help is necessary. 

Despite losing six of their best players to graduation, the Falcons ended the season performing better than expected. Junior Cameron Sy qualified to continue on to CCS finals.

Spring not only brings fresh colors on campus, but also new clubs for students to develop new passions

Am I the only person that cannot stop eating Uncrustables? I guess admitting I have a problem is the first step

The girls were not able to make it to state

The combined class will enable students to explore many STEM branches in a single course.

The unconditioned wrestling team struggled to find athletes willing to wrestle due to COVID-19 concerns.

Teamwork is key as a new team starts this season

People are too often uncourteous to others in the bathroom, so it’s important to scope out the best locations.

While many prefer staying cozy during winter, I enjoy the pushing myself through workouts in the cool air

Tri-M, Leo Club and Singing For Smiles plan to hold holiday themed performances.

DearAsianYouth, Females for Finance and Garden Club are among the new clubs approved this year.

Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?

Who knew getting rid of your sibling could also make you some fast cash?

Due to the small roster, athletes aren’t playing specialized positions.

Some romantic cemedies deserve credit for their hopeful sentiment and unique sappy truths about love and life.  

Why is it that Saratoga, an affluent community with nearly 30,000 residents, chooses not to offer its populace better lighting?  

Senior's walks have lead him to discover a severe lack of streetlights. 

Trump's lackluster response to Hurricane Maria reflects a history of US ignorance to Puerto Rican needs. 

Almost 300 students have to retake tests they previously took.

Indians targeted mistakenly under Trump's administration reveals falw with society. 

The Falcon recommends how to spend your March. 

Alumni, Anshu Siripurapu, reflects on his time at SHS.

It was 11 a.m. on a Saturday morning. As junior Dean Stratakos took a short break from working on his AP U.S. History homework, he switched tabs and opened up the fundraising portal to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), which he had been working on for the past few weeks, to check to see if anyone had donated money or items for the upcoming silent auction.

Movies can have alot of educational value.

Protesters agaisnt Donald Trump are good. 

Students from SHS share their experiences as part of the Trump protests. 

Junior shares opinions on Trump's victory and the use of the First Amendment in the U.S.

Students from same extended family share more experiences on their family's adventures. 

AP Gov's mock election

In response to the recent increase of burglaries in Saratoga, city councilman Rishi Kumar is trying to make sure residents are using an effective tool.

Discrimination against students with mental illnesses is still a myth.

Pricate schools like Fusion and SIL provide students with an alternative way to learn about different subjects at their own pace.

For me, the stereotypes I face are mostly because of my hair color (blonde)  and choice of extracurricular activity ( cheerleading). These two factors come with the stereotype of being unintelligent.  

Before their playoff game on May 11, the boys’ lacrosse team had hope that they could beat — or at least compete with — Palo Alto, ranked No. 1 in the De Anza League (DAL).  

Science teacher Lisa Cochrum has always been able to accept students — and treat them equally — regardless of their backgrounds.

At the beginning of the school year, ASB officers sent out a survey on the SHS Facebook page, looking for suggestions on how to spend the $276,000 that had accumulated over the years.  

Sophomore Amith Galivanche and Junior Amulya Vadlakonda share their life experiences with their 19-person family. 

The boys’ lacrosse team has rebounded from last year’s losing season with both more victories and improved play.

You’re an upset student. The administration has made a decision, and you vehemently disagree with it. You feel like they don’t know the students' side. What is the best approach?

The team is looking to improve its overall unity but because less people have signed up for track than in previous years, the team has found it hard to manage.

With 14 new players on the boys’ lacrosse team this year, coach CJ Toy is counting on strong veteran players such as junior team captain Aidan Peck, who plays midfielder and attack, to help the team succeed. 

Since the school’s switch to a rolling block schedule for next fall, some parents and students have voiced concerns about the 8:15 start time and a shorter lunch period. 

Los Gatos High School offers a whole slate of electives that some students here would love to take — classes like Physics C and Japanese and Home Economics.

Recently, the 11 SHS students named Daniel have been receiving spontaneous compliments from their friends. This is no coincidence, but is the result of an Internet video that it seems everyone not living under a rock knows about. In late February, a video titled “Damn Daniel” went viral, leading people around the world use the phrase in daily life. 

The transfer from South Korea is making an impact on the varsity team.

During a heated Jan. 12 school board meeting, a new rolling block schedule for next year was unveiled and explained by a committee that had put in months of studying and creating it. However, the change has provoked a strong negative reaction among some community members.

Saratoga High is known statewide — even nationwide — for its academic focus. With an average SAT score 300 points above the national average it wasn’t surprising that Business Insider ranked Saratoga as No. 10 on its “50 Smartest Public High Schools in the U.S.” ranking. 

According to sophomore Nayoung Kim, the purpose of the club is to create a relaxing environment to enjoy music and learn a relatively easy instrument.

The culminating assembly for last year’s Speak Up for Change week brought together a group of men and women dressed in blue work shirts, not accustomed to being in front of the entire student body. Senior Ingrid Pan presented each of the custodial staff with gift certificates, radiating with pride that she had the opportunity to recognize these “hidden heroes” to her peers.

UC Berkeley is a top-choice school for many students here. With its proximity to home, liberal atmosphere, relatively reasonable price tag and high national ranking, admission into the university is a praiseworthy accomplishment.  

In May of 2013, it was announced that the 50th Super Bowl would be held in Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. As Super Bowl Sunday approaches on Feb. 7, many students continue to follow football closely, despite the 49ers’ abysmal season. One such student is sophomore Akhil Marimuthu. Marimuthu was always a fan of the 49ers, but the Arizona Cardinals captured his interest earlier this season when they beat the 49ers 47-7.  

Seniors Brendan and Nate Ney wove up and down the badminton court, seeming to predict each other’s exact movements, easily scoring on their opponents and winning their match against Gunn High School’s varsity No. 2 doubles team 21-15. 

Our grandparents learned about current events by reading large sheets of paper covered in ink. Our parents’ generation watched local and national news on television. But our generation? We keep up through late-night comedy talk shows that poke fun at current events.

Football team loses to De Anza upper league front runner Milpitas, ends season with victory over Fremont

Many students are new to following basketball and first became interested in doing so after the team won the 2015 NBA championship.

Although Winter Formal is usually held in the Large Gym, this year’s dance will be held at the Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose. 

In HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” a group of eccentric, tech-savvy individuals work together to build up their startup, Pied Piper, into a successful company, showing similarities to Silicon Valley's technology centered culture.

It is impossible to please everyone, something the eight members of ASB have been quick to learn. 

Administrators, teachers and parents have all come together this year to focus on the issue of student stress.  

Seven students from Cuernavaca, Mexico, arrived on Nov. 14 to experience the way of life at Saratoga, especially the American Thanksgiving culture. The students will stay with host families until Nov. 30.  

ASB has begun to answer the question about what do with at least some of the $276,000 in accumulated funds from previous classes: Students can now apply for funding for small-scale projects.    

Senior Karthik Padmanabhan will head to Annapolis, Md., after graduation to play tennis for the United States Naval Academy.

Redwood Middle School underwent an after-school lockdown on Oct. 1 around 4:30 p.m. The lockdown ended with every person on campus safely evacuated.

Freshman class president Roshan Verma works hard to make the rally, homecoming and other class events  successes for his class.

This December, the cheer team is expected to welcome a new member: the coach’s newly born son.

After losing 4 games, football players are hoping they can turn their season around against Los Altos in the game on Oct. 16.

The senior class officers and class parents hosted the first-ever Homecoming Barbecue to celebrate the end of Move-In Weekend and kick off Homecoming week.

The guidance department recently started using its own YouTube channel to help seniors work their way through the college application process and benefit from the lessons learned by alumni. 

Online ticket sellers such as StubHub buy obscene quantities of high-demand tickets when they are at market price, only to resell them to eager concertgoers months later for a grossly large profit.

The History Bowl team attempts to make it back to nationals with a new roster.

In a program called the Great Ensemble of Musicians (GEM), skilled upperclassmen are now grooming younger musicians.

This past July, a Falcon reporter and his family visited India for the first time since 2006. He emerged from this trip with a new perspective on his heritage and people.

Each Tuesday and Thursday, around 20 upperclassmen are part of the school’s first American Sign Language class, taught by Evette Ybarra, an instructor brought to campus from West Valley College.

Looking around school, renovations seem to be happening in every corner. But not all have been received with enthusiasm.

The night kicked off around 5:30 p.m., with different clubs and organizations hosting booths in the quad. Showing parents their mission and purpose, each group stood hopefully as parents signed up to help or donated money. The M-SET Robotics  team showed off its prized robot, dubbed “Nessie.” Senior M-SET president Kabir Manghnani said that presenting at Back to School Night was an effective way to reach parents.

Explanations of the nince commissions on campus.

As a mere sophomore last year, Will Liddle took on the pressure-packed role as the team’s starting quarterback. One year later, he’s prepared to have an even better season.

With starting junior quarterback Will Liddle back again, the Falcons are ready to aim for a winning season, and after winning their first game against Hillsdale 22-7 on Sept. 4, the team’s morale continues to increase.  

Two seniors experience a night at Levi's Stadium for Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour.

Although the new rules allow more students to get involved in ASB, few students actually want to do so. Students should not be limited in the number of student government positions they can run or apply for simply because there are not enough people who have the desire to get involved. This leaves those who are passionate about bettering the  school unable to make as significant of an impact as they want.

The dance team is only in its second year, yet it has accomplished more than it hoped.

Leichner, now in his 80s, works as a volunteer assistant teacher for engineering and math teacher Audrey Warmuth in the Intro to Engineering class. Each day, he observes students and answers their questions. Outside of class, he helps Warmuth and engineering teacher Matt Welander develop class exercises and projects.

Today, the Saratoga Youth Commission's goal to get Saratoga's youth more involved in the city is recognized as the commission acts as a liaison between the young citizens of Saratoga and the City Council, reaching out to more of the city’s youth through engaging events than they have before.

The baseball team began playing games on Feb. 24 with a win, but as of March 5 their record is 2-2.

For the fourth year in a row, AP Environmental Science and Marine Biology students went to the Año Nuevo Natural Preserve in Pescarado.

SHS and Redwood should collaborate on helping prepare middle school students for high school and on classroom content especially in math and language courses, which depend on sequential knowledge.

The school's Junior State of America (JSA) club, which seeks to educate teens about politics and government, is making a comeback after years of inactivity.

Senior Jillian Bellamy has been selected for All-American, a chance to perform with hundreds of other cheerleaders from the U.S. in the 2015 London New Year’s day parade.

An offer for the coaching position of the cheer team was made to Dominique Davidson last week after the team went two months without a coach.  

The Dart Game is something the girls on the cheer team started playing a couple years ago and is it has become an inside joke that all the cheerleaders regard fondly.  

The Saratoga Youth Commission and Cupertino Teen Commission event “Pizza and Politics: A Political Forum For Teens" took place on Oct. 22.

Despite difficulties finding a coach both this season and last season, the cheer team has continued to prepare for competitions and successfully organized the annual Peewee cheer camp.  

The Los Gatos Saratoga Union High School District did not have a campaign this year. Three spots on the board opened up, and three candidates stepped forward.

The City of Saratoga Youth Commission and the City of Cupertino Teen Commission will host its second “Pizza and Politics,” a political forum for teens, on Oct. 22.

After much deliberation, the school appealed to the College Board and was approved to teach a two-year AP Physics course in one year.

Coming off a rough year, the 23 members of the cheer team have encountered yet another difficulty: Coach Briana Terry, who began coaching the team at the end of last year, recently resigned due to health concerns.

Downtown Saratoga does not often attract many high school students, but there is one local cafe that has been a hot spot for Saratoga residents in recent years. Blue Rock Shoot is well-known for its friendly employees, great food and cabin-like atmosphere.

Although there are few options for students who enjoy doing homework or hanging out with friends in the outdoors, Wildwood Park in downtown Saratoga is a perfect place to enjoy nature.

Last year at the “Every 15 Minutes” assembly, presenters tried to convey the importance of not drinking while driving.  During the “Speak Up for Change” week in January, guest speaker Scott Backovich used jokes and catch-phrases to emphasize how critical it is to help others.

Are you looking for a new local place to grab a bite to eat?

The senior class has made a significant effort to lower prom bids this year through a variety of fundraisers.

On March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the West Valley College Theater, Los Gatos Ballet held its annual Youth Choreography Showcase in which young dancers perform student-choreographed pieces.  

“Hi Holly, uh, you don’t really know me, and I’ve got mono, buuut, I hear you don’t have a date to the Homecoming dance.  Would you like to go with me?” physics teacher Kirk Davis, then a 16-year-old junior, stammered into the phone in 1974. 

After five seasons, sci-fi thriller “Fringe” is coming to a dramatic end.

Teachers, counselors and administrators attended a lunchtime meeting in English teacher Natasha Ritchie’s classroom last month to brainstorm ways to lessen the burden of letters of recommendation on teachers.

During the spring semester, many seniors often begin to feel disappointed after receiving college rejection letters. 

The girls’ volleyball team’s successful season ended on Nov. 10 in a disappointing second CCS match against Sacred Heart Cathedral High, the No. 2 seed in Division 3, in San Francisco. 

Most current seniors are familiar—perhaps more than they would like to be—with the Common Application, a universal online application used by over 450 colleges and universities across the nation.

 On Nov. 9 — the day of the Los Gatos game — the varsity football team served pasta, garlic bread and salad to both cheer teams in the dance room as a thank you for their support during the season through the “Guardian Angels” program.

 The History Bowl team, composed of 13 students from all grades, is scheduled to host a tournament at Saratoga High on Dec. 2 in various classrooms that have yet to be determined. 

The view out an airplane window, a young girl holding her nose in a pool, a pair of glasses on the kitchen table—everyday objects become works of art on senior Kristen Zung’s Tumblr photo blog.

“I want to tee up first,” junior Sachi Verma said enthusiastically as we walked down the dirt path single file to the first tee at the Saratoga Country Club.

After a month of preseason games, the girls’ volleyball players have refined their skills and teamwork. However, players say they have yet to learn how to perform to the best of their abilities when it matters.

For seniors Hannah Johnson and Kyle Dozier, winning Homecoming king and queen is more than a walk across the football field and a convertible ride around the track.

In a 40-minute performance that featured 10 dances, the class of 2013 certainly impressed in their “Pirates of the Caribbean”-themed quest to find the “fountain of school spirit” during their quad day performance on Oct. 12.

After a month of preseason games, the girls’ volleyball players have refined their skills and teamwork.

Imagine eating lunch at Togo’s with some friends when your phone buzzes with a text message from Saratoga High.  The message alerts you that the school is going into lockdown because of a suspicious person on campus.  What do you do?

Generally speaking, parents have a huge influence on their children’s day to day lives.  They have a say in what their children eat, when they eat, what classes they take, what TV shows they watch and when they watch them.

“M&M’s peanut butter candies are a favorite, as are Reese’s cups,” said Paul Robinson, the school’s new principal.  “I also love chocolate chip cookies. These are the reasons I ride a bike and play basketball.”

Having lost only one player from last season, much of the team has had at least one season of varsity experience.

School officials began searching for a new principal as soon as current principal Jeff Anderson announced in January that he would be taking a new position at the district office.   

World history teacher Jeffrey Scott and chemistry teacher Kathy Nakamatsu talk about their travels across the globe. 

A nun was strip searched after being arrested for trespassing during an antiwar demonstration. Men and women have also been subject to strip searches after arrests for driving with a noisy muffler, failing to use a turn signal and riding a bicycle without an audible bell.

The editors-in-chief for next year’s Falcon will be juniors Deborah Soung and Jackie Gu, who say they are excited to get to work.

From March 21 to 23, 11 juniors got a crash course in the world of business at an event called the Enterprise Leadership Conference.

It sometimes seems that there is no entity more ubiquitous in the lives of students than the College Board, the giant that runs the SAT, SAT subject tests and AP exams. Now, in a surprising rule change effective this year, the College Board is trying to prevent the inevitable.

First offense: zero on the assignment, referral and parent contact. Second offense: loss of points or grade for assignment doubled, referral and parent contact, Saturday school. Third offense: dropped from the class with an “F” grade, five-day suspension, possibility of referral to an alternative educational placement. At first glance, the penalties for cheating on a test or other “assessment activity” may seem like reasonable disciplines, but are they enough? The continuing struggle with cheating suggests that more precautions need to be taken to ensure academic integrity.

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service)

With memories of winter break and first semester finals fading fast, many students have forgotten the stress that plagued them as they crammed before each day of finals. The break was not as stress-free as it was purported to be.

With memories of winter break and first semester finals fading fast, many students have forgotten the stress that plagued them as they crammed before each day of finals. The break was not as stress-free as it was purported to be, and added an even more frantic week before it. Even though many teachers had been forced to cut down the material taught, there was still little time to study.

A constant buzz of activity almost always occupies Room 303, filled with students transcribing interviews, doing layout and typing up articles for the Falcon newspaper or the Talisman yearbook.

Shaya Pourani arrived on the first day of school with a little more confidence than a typical freshman. With his schedule memorized and expectations already set for the year, he was well prepared to start high school. As his fifth-period geometry teacher, Julie Scola, took attendance, Pourani heard the question he had been expecting to hear since he got arrived on campus: “Are you Tina’s brother?” Shaya, like many students on campus, was not the first child in his family to attend the school. His sister, junior Tina Pourani, had Scola when she took geometry two years ago.

On Nov. 11, mother Stacy Conner walked into her 10-year-old daughter Ashlynn’s bedroom to find that she had committed suicide after suffering from bullying at her elementary school for years.

It’s 9 p.m. on a Tuesday. Most of the school’s 1,392 students have gone home, as have most of the school’s 70 teachers. But in room 408 history teacher Jeff Scott is working with 18 eager members of the mock trial team. They have already been practicing hard for two and a half hours to perfect their performances before their first competition in January.

With the field marching band season at a close, members of the Color Guard are preparing for the next chapter of the year: the Winter Guard season, in which the unit competes by itself in an indoor setting.

Despite a few tough losses as of Oct. 24, the girls’ volleyball team demonstrates great potential and determination. What viewers can’t see from the scoreboard is the effort the players put into every game.

Anyone attending a field hockey home game this season may be in for a eye-opening sight: boys running across the field in Speedos.

“Go fish!” junior Miguel Bismonte shouted.

Laughter and smiles fill the room as dice roll across the board. Four players, assuming the roles of settlers, battle it out to build and develop settlements, cities and roads as they attempt to settle the fictional island of Catan.

Volunteering is not only beneficial to others but also to those who volunteer. Through integrating morals with volunteering, individuals are able to improve themselves and grow as people. Junior Maggy Liu, for example, is the vice-president of the Tzu Chi club, a volunteer organization and charity, which has been gaining traction on campus. Tzu Chi, Chinese for compassion and relief, is rooted in moral education as well as volunteering. These ideals are discussed during meetings and carried out through community service.

Interview, write, revise. Interview, write, revise. Week after week, this process is repeated as it becomes a rhythm in the life of a student reporter. Yet, contrary to what one might believe, newspaper is much more than bi-monthly cycles of monotony.

The girls’ volleyball team has some ground to regain this year after being bumped down from the De Anza league to the the less competitive El Camino league.

Tests and quizzes: 90 percent. Participation: 5 percent. Homework: 5 percent. Junior Ramya Swami stared at her AP Biology syllabus the first day of school in dread, realizing that this year, performance on quizzes and tests was going to be more important than ever before. This was not only the case in biology; practically every other class on her schedule had placed a significant weight on test scores.

Excited and eager for high school, 390 freshmen started the school year a little early on Aug. 19, for freshmen orientation. One hundred fifteen maroon-clad Link Crew leaders led their respective groups of freshmen through the school’s hallways to familiarize the freshmen with the school during orientation.