Samika Kumar

“Can I borrow a piece of binder paper?” “Will you give it back?” I cannot count the number of times that I have had this conversation—only to point out that the asker wants to keep my binder paper. This problem may sound petty, but when it happens continuously, it becomes frustrating. Soon I hear people asking to “borrow” mechanical pencil lead and some have even gone so far as asking to “borrow” gum.

A six-hour operation at Stanford University takes place to remove a cancer patient’s thyroid gland. Junior Nicole Shadman stands in the hospital room clad in a scrubs uniform. She observes the scene with bated breath. She knows that a thyroid is normally about the size of a baseball, but as the surgeon scrapes out the cancerous tissue, the segment appears as large as an eggplant.

As the school year wraps up its odds and ends, Saratoga High showed off its top entries and projects at History Day and science state fairs.

After toiling away for three hours to create a culinary masterpiece of dark and milk chocolate cupcakes, junior Varsha Ramesh only hoped that her first period peers would approve of her cooking. The treats—coated with frosting and Thin Mints—were for Suzanne Herzman’s English 11H class as a way of acknowledging the tedium of March.

“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” Winston Churchill’s insightful words demonstrate the advantages of fundraising beyond the idea of helping others for their benefit only or fundraising for the material aspect. Fundraising can come in simple forms, and though the planning may take some time, the end result is always worth it.

The school’s burgeoning repainting project along the art wing may look like a mismatched fiasco to passers-by, but for principal Jeff Anderson, it is an endeavor that will “make everybody feel a little bit better about walking around here.” Under the leadership of Anderson and plant operations supervisor Brian Moran, the school is testing out three paint samples along the art wing as possible color schemes for the school’s repainting. Moran said the current three options are not finalized.

Back in Sweden, freshman Oskar Johansson loved playing the intense sport, orienteering, with friends during weekends. It consisted of teams that had to race to different locations—control points—within a forest-like area. Each team had a map that marked the control points in the order that they had to be reached.

Because of Los Gatos High School’s growing enrollment, Saratoga students will no longer be able to transfer to Los Gatos High starting next school year.

“Why does China produce so many clever people, but so few geniuses?” The world may never know if Chinese rocket scientist Qian Xuesen asked such a question with tongue-in-cheek humor or sincere concern. However, Xuesen’s speculations carry weight on the present and future.

8:45 a.m. As the first bell rings, lethargic students flood into their English class. They are surprised to find assistant principal Karen Hyde, who informs them that their teacher cannot make it to school today because a thunderstorm knocked a tree down across the road on their teacher’s way to work.

Starbucks. It’s my best friend. A visit to Starbucks changes my day from average to spectacular for two reasons: the steaming, sweet chai tea latte I order every time I visit and the vast majority of names I can pick from when the person at the register asks for my name.

It was a Tuesday morning a couple weeks ago, when I received my first yellow campus pass with a check mark by the words, “Ass’t Principal.” I remember panicking when my teacher asked if I had done something wrong. As I sauntered down the hall to the office, I racked my brain in search of a reason for how I had earned this ominous trip to assistant principal Chris Cerbone’s office.

Though students will take all finals before winter break next year, principal Jeff Anderson has directed that teachers only give their finals during the designated week in January this school year.

Four Indian mothers lifting weights to the rhythm of Indian music under the supervision of athletic director Peter Jordan is the last sight a student would expect to see while passing by the weight room on a Monday evening. Yet this six-week adult fitness program has found its niche on Mondays and Wednesdays, mornings and evenings, for almost a dozen grown-ups.

Recruitment: the goal of all high school athletes who aspire to compete at the college level. As fall draws to a close, students from all over the country begin to choose their desired colleges. Beginning Nov. 10, athletes could sign their National Letters of Intent to Division I and Division II schools, committing to participate on the school’s team next fall.

Senior Uttara Sivaram was the only SHS golfer to qualify for the individual CCS tournament last month, with younger golfers falling short of qualifying. At CCS, Sivaram started out strong but fell short of her goals on a tough course.

For No. 4 player Hallé Champion, playing on the golf team this season has solidified her hopes to excel at the game, plow her way to perfection and develop lasting friendships. With the young team losing their most experienced member, No. 1 player senior Uttara Sivaram, next year, the freshman just may become the exemplary golfer for her peers in upcoming years. Having played golf for two years, Champion would like to hit the ball farther and be better at putting. Though she admits she has some ways to go, her acquired skills and talents remain admired by her peers.

A typical Monday morning in the Kingston household is pure chaos. Sophomore Paige Kingston, ready for school, rushes down the hall to meet and hurry up her twin, freshman Madison Kingston, as the latter finishes breakfast. From another room, the girls catch their mother talking to their fourth-grade brothers as she chooses their clothes for school. The boys' loud chattering rings throughout the house. Nonetheless, the only thing on Paige's mind is whether she will make it to school on time.

By the time Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sauntered off the stage after his speech to the UN General Assembly on Sept. 23, his audience had lost over 33 delegations, including those from the U.S., Canada and the European Union.

After a disheartening series of losses, one tie and a solitary win, the girls' golf team pitched in together for an victory against Lincoln High on Sept. 24 at the San Jose Municipal Golf Course.

The girls' golf team has an all-time high of 19 players this season. Though only six girls play in matches, all have been meeting together since school started. Most are new to to the game, but the young team prides itself on a promising future of 10 freshmen, eight sophomores and one senior. The senior is Uttara Sivaram, who coach Casey Hall is counting on to help lead the team.

It is the first day of school for freshman Paul Sung Yoon Choi. Spanish 1, his second period, has ended. Not one for many words, he quietly gets up and grabs his backpack.