Letters to the Editor: Reaction to Chin’s Dismissal May 21, 2014 — by Jerry Yang Dear Falcon editors, This message is to the administration as well as every student in this school. It has come to my attention that next year you intend to get rid of Mr. Chin. I can tell you with absolute conviction that that is one of the biggest mistakes this school could make. read more »
Chin’s forced departure a loss for the school May 20, 2014 — by Samuel Liu A senior says the school will be worse off without popular history teacher. read more »
Discussion of contemporary issues beneficial to classes May 14, 2014 — by Dorrie Tang America’s present economy, capital punishment and genetically modified organisms — we’ve all talked about these and other various contemporary and controversial issues in our classes. While some of these topics are quite interesting and thought-provoking, others are harder for us to relate to and what some teens consider a waste of time. Nevertheless, these debates are important to students’ learning. read more »
Penmanship: an outdated tradition May 7, 2014 — by Shreya Tumu and Tiffany Zheng Is handwriting as important now that our society is so based on technology? read more »
AP Psychology: a solution to the humanities deficit May 7, 2014 — by Ashley Chen and Shreya Tumu One of the favorite pastimes of Saratoga students and parents is asking administrators to add or upgrade classes, especially if they can have an Honors or AP designation. read more »
No freaking policy not working May 6, 2014 — by Gwynevere Hunger and Oksana Trifonova School dances have always been a symbol of school spirit, a time when all social groups come together, united under the pride of being a Falcon. And with more dances and more attendance comes more unity and school pride. However, during the beginning of this year, the administration decided to ban freaking, a sort of dancing that consists of two people grinding against each other, with both looking in one direction so that interaction is not face-to-face. The administration has not approved of this way of dancing for many years and finally required students to dance “face to face” in the beginning of the school year. read more »
AP testing a substitute for second semester finals May 1, 2014 — by Megan MacInnes Since the start of second semester, advanced placement classes have often been a frantic race to get everything done before May. Homework, tests and projects have all ratcheted up in intensity. In fact, one could compare the level of stress placed on AP students at this time of the year to that of finals. read more »
Underclassmen should be able to go off campus May 1, 2014 — by Miles Albert and Andrew Jiang The school should change its policies to allow underclassmen to go off campus for lunch. Since many sophomores get their license during the school year, it makes no sense for the school to prohibit them from leaving campus. read more »
What is the point? Dress code policy not known, followed or enforced May 1, 2014 — by Allison Lin If you flip through the first several pages of the student planner, you will not come across the dress code policy. Instead, you will find policies on the use of electronics, student I.D. cards and athletic eligibility. If you happen to be strangely inclined to find out the school dress code, you will have to turn on your computer, open the school website, click on the student handbook and scroll to the section under “Behavior.” There, you will see it in small font. read more »
No-hit policy needs clearer thinking April 30, 2014 — by Atirath Kosireddy In 2011, a pixelated video brought attention to Australian high school student Casey Heynes who, after years of bullying, decided to fight back. read more »