News

This year, 32 seniors qualified as semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships, by scoring among the top 1% nationally on the PSAT.

In response to the sometimes apathetic and negative attitudes at Saratoga High, assistant principal Karen Hyde is teaching a new leadership class this year. Senior Paul Stavropoulos first introduced the idea to Hyde last year after hearing some students’ take on the school.

“There’s a lot of gossip that always goes around about how the students don’t really like Saratoga [High], or there are [always] things they can fix,” said Stavropoulos. “Our goal would be to make [school] a place where our students could feel not only comfortable and accepted in but somewhere they can also have fun and some spirit.”

Prices have gone up all over the place lately including at the school’s cafeteria.

Gatorade has gone from $1.25 to $1.50. Cookies jumped $1 to $1.50. Sandwiches and wraps increased from $2.50 to $3. Last year, pizza was $2, and it is now $2.50.

When students walk into the school’s parking lot, they see a familiar scene of cars and students with backpacks. What they may not realize is that they are being watched over by something unprecedented—video cameras.

For the first time at Saratoga High, video cameras are recording what goes on in the front and back parking lot, football field and swimming pool. Administrators said they took this step based on recommendations from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation last year.

By now, most upperclassmen are used to having class interrupted once or twice a year to vote for elections. However, this system may change soon if the election commission’s new idea works.

The College and Career Center opened on Sept. 2 with a goal of getting more students to come. New staff member Bonnie Sheikh and numerous parent volunteers are helping to raise awareness and get more students to attend the college speaker sessions.

Saratoga High currently offers 76 clubs, half of which may be cut this year if everything goes according to plan. Due to the numerous inactive clubs, the Associated Student Body (ASB) reached a conclusion to reduce the number of clubs before Club Day on Sept. 16.

The ASB’s goal is to consolidate and minimize clubs, especially those that have disintegrated or become inactive since their time of formation, according to ASB president Ketaki Shriram. The ASB refused to comment on specific clubs they plan to cut.

By now, most upperclassmen are used to having class interrupted once or twice a year to vote for elections. However, this system may change soon if the election commission’s new idea works.

In the past, the commission would hand out slips of paper in manila envelopes, distribute them to every teacher and collect them all 10 minutes later, a process that was time consuming and disrupted the classroom environment.

Prices have gone up all over the place lately including at the school’s cafeteria.

Gatorade has gone from $1.25 to $1.50. Cookies jumped $1 to $1.50. Sandwiches and wraps increased from $2.50 to $3. Last year, pizza was $2, and it is now $2.50.

“I should have raised the prices in the middle of last year but I never raise prices [during] the middle of the year,” said Pam Carlino, director of food service. “I always do it at the beginning of the year so it’s not so shocking.”