Sanj Nalwa

“Freedom comes in awareness, understanding that which we are subject to if we live passively without attention.” Sound like it was spoken by a true philosopher? Well it was. 

Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, One Direction. These artists, among many others, earn hundreds of million annually. Their songs are endlessly repeated on the radio and their record companies are constantly bombarding the public with their picture perfect images.

It would appear that Joseph Stalin has returned from the grave, and through his Facebook account, is attempting to teach Saratoga students about the communist system.

The clock strikes 1 in the foggy morning as you type away on your computer. Your head throbs, and your eyes water. This is the fourth college essay you, a senior, are wearily writing.

Junior Rohith Krishna always dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps. His father, Krishna Narayanaswamy, has six Boston Marathon medals, and Krishna had often admired his father’s racing ability. In his younger days, his father aimed to break 3 hours for a marathon — 26.2 miles. He never did, but Krishna plans to do so.

The ASB for the 2013-2014 school year was recently decided through student elections. The new ASB, consisting of students who will all be seniors next year, has Nikhil Goel as president, Anup Kar as vice president, Robert Eng as treasurer, Maggie Sun as secretary, Manini Desai as board representative, Stephanie Tsang and Stephanie Chu as head commissioners and Grace Ma as clubs commissioner.

In the past, the names of students on graduation day have been listed in order of academic standing in the program. This year, that’s going to change.  On graduation day, the class of 2013 will not be ranked in very high honors, high honors, and honors in the graduation pamphlet. 

Charged with monitoring over 60 clubs, ranging from the French Club to the App Developers’ Club, the ASB has its hands full keeping up with auditing existing clubs and making room for new ones.  This year, and continuing into next year, the ASB is taking steps to make sure dormant clubs are no longer recognized by the school.

Despite being an academically high-performing school, Saratoga still has to pass the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation every six years as required by the state.

This year, Spring Fling traditions were brought back and new events were implemented, bringing the week to a more disappointing close, several students had some belongings stolen from their backpacks during Friday's rally.

The thread follows the needle closely as Nancy Flowers’ fingers dance gracefully across the fabric. The year is 1977, and this is sewing class.

Sophomore Joy Tang felt doomed.

The thread follows the needle closely as Nancy Flowers’ fingers dance gracefully across the fabric. The year is 1977, and this is sewing class.

Local Saratoga radio station TIS 1610 AM radio is offering slots for local youth groups to run announcements, offering a medium for local youth to run ads about upcoming projects and events in the community.

The Brodie Country Band came to perform as a fundraiser for the MAP program, as well as educate students about the music industry at the McAfee Center on Jan. 17.

Two years ago, senior Priscilla Chu went in search of a job selling clothes at Nordstorm at Valley Fair Mall. For two years, Chu worked at the store whenever she was needed. 

For senior Eugene Che and junior Alex Renda, robotics season means that they have to finish their homework early. From 6 to 9 pm, they are using the coding program Eclipse to write software for the M-SET robot.

The rich blue hue of the Union overcoats engulfs my retinas as I watch soldiers gasping for breath in the bubbling mud. The camera hones in on Lincoln, as he tells two black soldiers that he is uncertain whether they will receive rights but feels for them.

Doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher. For many kids, one of these occupations comes to mind when asked what they want to do when they grow up. But for alumni Michael Zuccarino, ‘12, and Patrick Soung, ‘11, their dream is to become soldiers.

A sea of orange bursts into wild cheers while a motley band of Falcons’ fans bursts into groans. And all the while we sat there silent and confused.

The 5-5-0 field hockey team recently suffered a 3-0 loss to Gilroy on Oct. 9, a 3-1 win over Leland on Oct. 11, a 2-0 loss to Mitty on Oct. 16, a 1-0 loss to Saint Francis on Oct. 18 and a 4-1 win to Los Altos on Oct. 23. Through the mixed results, the team has learned about its own weaknesses.

Anyone who visits a blood center to donate blood should be able to feel safe from infection. With current technology, safety regulations should be up to par. A few, including long time donor Christopher Bui, might have to disagree.

While Saratoga High is prolific in its production of doctors, engineers and lawyers, relatively few actors have come out of the school. 2011 grads David Mandell and Jay Lee are trying to change that.

The “Saratoga Bubble” has for the most part shielded the community from the recent budget crisis.

 As the year begins, the field hockey team is counting on senior Allison Bruno for both her skill and leadership. Starting in eighth grade, Bruno said she expected nothing more from the sport than to have a little fun and spend time with her friends. She is now going into her fifth year in the sport.  

In most schools, the students who receive tutoring are at the bottom of the class, but here, already proficient students often receive tutoring in their AP and Honors classes.

The school is widely reputed as a high-performing school, and a large portion of the student body is extremely academically oriented. It’s a place where it’s cool to be smart. However, as of late, the school’s ranking as a public school has been dropping, at least according to U.S. News and World Report.

Fred Feyzi and Shahab Moghadam are two seniors who decided to experiment in a field of political journalism. In eight months, they have built a functional news engine and created a new way to read news. 

As the school year comes to a close, seniors are elated. Twelve years of hard work is coming to fruition, and they will be attending college in the fall.  Many seniors had difficulty choosing which school they would attend.

Sirens scream as police cars and ambulances pull into the lot. Two cars smashed, totaled. Three injured, one pronounced dead.  

As the year comes to a close, seniors experience feelings of nostalgia. They remember their best memories and their worst memories. But above all, they remember the friends they made, and are prepared for the next step in their lives: adulthood.

Although many people watch and enjoy sports, there are also those who view the fan hysteria as pointless, who believe that sports serve no other purpose than to offer cheap entertainment. But for junior Jon Olsen, sports mean a lot.

The girls’ basketball team won its second consecutive El Camino League title this year, tallying an undefeated 12-0 league record and an record of 21-5. The girls’ season ended Feb. 25 when they lost 45-22 during a second-round CCS matchup at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Saratoga has long been recognized as a school centered on math and science, and numerous students have complained about the lack of humanities options.

Several new initiatives for taxes supporting education in California have emerged in competition with the proposal of Gov. Jerry Brown.

Proposition 209, passed by ballot in California in 1996, amended the state’s constitution to bar public institutions from considering race, sex or ethnicity in any publicly funded activity, including employment and education.

French teacher Laura Lizundia never expected she would do what she does. It just so happened that way.

The boat rocks violently, at the mercy of the wind and the sea. The boat has been gaining water for several days in the South China Sea, and in a couple hours, it will go under. The year is 1980.

The girls’ basketball team remained undefeated in the El Camino League, improving to 9-0 after a 59-51 win over visiting Monta Vista on Feb. 10.

The girls’ basketball team has faced numerous challenges over the course of the season, one being the lack of veteran players on the team. Nevertheless, the Falcons have managed to consistently perform well.

698 Emerson Street, Palo Alto. This is the office address of the 14th district congresswoman Anna Eshoo.

All the starters on the girls’ varsity basketball team are upperclassmen. All but one.

Senior Viraj Parmar takes Chinese 4 Honors. He says most of the kids in his class are sophomores.

The girls’ basketball team is currently in the middle of the El Camino League competition.

Two years of a foreign language are required for graduation from high school. Most kids take Spanish or Chinese in order to fulfill this requirement. When a student chooses to take French, he or she knows they will be a kind of minority in the school.

Giulia Curcelli does not go to school with most of the other juniors of Saratoga, but that is not to say she doesn’t go to school. Curcelli, who attended SHS as an underclassman, now attends the Middle College Program at West Valley College.

In December, a crew of four is slated to begin shooting a movie at SHS. The movie will depict the stress felt by many high school students, and the importance of not keeping one’s troubles bottled up. Professional actors from around the Bay Area have already been cast in the film.

Winter is the season of giving thanks, giving presents and giving back. It’s also basketball season.

It’s Tuesday at lunch. Groups of upperclassmen sit around the staff lounge as assistant principal Karen Hyde drifts around, speaking with some of the 23 or so students. The topics range from anti-bullying approaches to updates about business or other leaders coming to speak on campus.

Senior Derek Makeever owns a “35 lb. light Recurve.” It’s “not as long as a long bow, but it can be as powerful in a short frame.” Such jargon would confuse a typical high school student. But not Makeever, a practicing archer. After picking up archery around eight months ago, Makeever has fallen in love with the sport. Makeever shoots at the local range Stevens Creek County Park, and he is part of the Bow Hunter’s Unlimited Club.

9 a.m., Dec. 3. Some students will be spending the morning in a cramped classroom, taking the SAT. Others may be enjoying their day at Christmas in the Park, a holiday-themed extravaganza in downtown San Jose. And still others will be relaxing at the school-sponsored Holiday Boutique, shopping for unique Christmas gifts with their friends as holiday music plays in the background.

This year’s theme for the seniors was “Alice in Wonderland.” More than 150 members of the class of 2012 participated in senior quad day.  Burgess, who played Alice, had to try out for the role. Auditions were held the day the theme was announced.

This year’s theme for the seniors was “Alice in Wonderland.” More than 150 members of the class of 2012 participated in senior quad day. Burgess, who played Alice, had to try out for the role. Auditions were held the day the theme was announced. “The class officers cast me as Alice,” Burgess said. “I was incredibly surprised and thankful. Personally, being up there and acting like Alice, with my ridiculous high-pitched British accent was the most fun I've had all year.” According to Burgess, rehearsing and learning her lines was one of the hardest parts of the whole thing.

At around 6 ft tall, with graying hair and sea blue eyes, Bob Mistele brings to mind the image of a leader. Well, a leader he is.

Just one week before the school year began, Lisa Vlay saw an advertisement for the position of attendance secretary in the office. She applied, received the job and will work as attendance secretary for the school at least until January.

“My world would be a wonderland!” said senior Penny Burgess to the audience as a group of colorfully clad dancers streamed out into the quad on Sept. 30.

Sophomore Caytie Lee Davenport sits on a grassy patch in the main quad, as music blares from the Quad Day practices in the background. Davenport knows that after a long day, she will soon be going home to wind down—something many of us take for granted, but not her.

It’s a dog day Thursday afternoon. The phone rings. It’s your aunt and uncle. They’re going to Thailand tomorrow. Would you like to join them? History teacher Jeff Scott would. This past August, Scott spent nine days in Thailand with his aunt and uncle, learning about the southeast Asian country’s culture, landmarks and people.

On June 30, while faculty and students alike enjoyed the long-awaited summer months, a quiet but significant change occurred at the district office: Cary Matsuoka left his post as superintendent of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District after nearly five years.

Ceramics teacher Leah Aguayo has so many bags of tortilla chips stacked up against her desk in her office, adjacent to the ceramics room, that one might think she owns a salsa company. In fact, she does.

It was little before 9 on a Tuesday morning. I was in my kindergarten class in Village School Elementary, Homdel, New Jersey. My mom was in Newark, N.J., just across the Hudson River, opposite from Manhattan. The sky was a clear blue. She was in her first year of residency, training to become an OB-GYN physician.

The bell rings. Students stream out of their classrooms—off to sports, speech and debate, band, home. Teachers lock up. It’s the end of the day. However, for one Ever Guzman, the day is just beginning.