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The Saratoga Falcon

The Saratoga Falcon

Anthony Luo

Anthony Luo, In-Depth Editor

Anthony Luo, Class of ’26, is an In-Depth Editor for the 2024-25 school year. Anthony has reported on topics ranging from age in politics and university protests to the school’s speech and debate team and music program. Outside of journalism, Anthony enjoys playing the trombone and tutoring. In his free time, Anthony likes listening to music, watching movies and TV shows and taking photos with his digital camera.
All content by Anthony Luo
Courtesy of IMDb

Despite now mostly working as a writer, Mandell has acted in various productions — most recently, he starred in the self-written one-man-show “It’s a Phase” in 2022.

SHS alumnus pursues screenwriting career amid a turbulent Hollywood landscape

David Mandell, Class of ‘11, studied acting at the University of Southern California before becoming a writer for short films, movies and television.
Trustee Shawn Mortensen (far left) listens to a presentation at the district office during the school board’s March 11 meeting.

Meet Shawn Mortensen: LGSUHSD’s newest school board trustee

The Los Gatos High parent, who works in business development, is also the president of the Los Gatos Home and School Club.
The district is looking to replace the school’s security cameras, which were installed around campus in places like the corner of the music building as far back as 2016.

New district plans include updated facility rental policies and revamped campus security systems

Administrators will be standardizing the use of Facilitron to rent campus spaces alongside the installation of new security cameras.
Gragnola coaches senior Aidan Smith on how to hit a difficult shot from the rough before the boys’ golf match at the Saratoga Country Club on March 17.

Longtime golf coach brings decades of experience and traditions to the course

Dave Gragnola, a Class of ‘77 alumnus, has been coaching both the boys’ and girls’ golf teams since 2010.
Junior Richard Fan executes a backflip off of a jump at the Alpine Meadows ski resort near Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Cliff drops and beam flips: Outside-of-school athletes train and compete in dangerous sports

Student athletes competing in freeriding, freestyle skiing and gymnastics must rigorously train their bodies and minds to turn extreme risks into muscle memory.
Kanopy, founded in 2008, is my go-to source for finding hidden gems in the movie world.

Forget about Netflix — Kanopy is the perfect streaming service for moviegoers

Providing a wide range of movies and TV shows, including indie, classic and international cinema, Kanopy is ad-free and subscription-free — all you need is a library card.
Ex-trustee Alex Shultz at a board meeting last October. The candidates are applying to fill the vacancy left by Shultz, who resigned in January for personal reasons.

Board to interview 12 applicants to fill vacant trustee position at special Tuesday morning meeting

The candidates, who will be interviewed on March 11 at 8 a.m., range from former board members to teachers at local schools.
At the very minimum, active advertising of harmful, addictive substances shouldn’t be constantly exposed to children going to school.

In a bad sign, ever more marijuana shops are popping up near schools

Without strict regulation, cannabis dispensaries have crept dangerously close to high school campuses in the Bay Area and across the nation.
The board outlined the pros and cons of three options to hire a new superintendent.

Board adopts new district election system, tables superintendent decision and announces the resignation of Trustee Alex Shultz

On Jan. 14, the Board of Trustees began a district transition to “By-Trustee area elections,” and postponed the superintendent recruitment decision until a public forum is held for more community input.
Shrines like the Kotoku-in Buddhist temple in Kamakura, Japan, are great sights, but they are also filled with tourists who take away from the location’s atmosphere.

Off the beaten streets: I spent my winter break visiting Japan’s hidden gems

While tourist hotspots are certainly great experiences, I found myself most immersed and relaxed in quieter, everyday locations.
“CHROMAKOPIA’s” grayscale cover depicts a masked Tyler with an outstretched hand, a departure from his previous album covers, many of which featured his face alongside distinctive colors.

‘CHROMAKOPIA’ shines a light on the untold stories of adulthood

Exploring concepts of maturity, family, love and identity, Tyler, the Creator’s eighth studio album, released on Oct. 28, is a masterful display of musical storytelling.
Lou speaks at a campaign fundraiser on June 9. At this event and throughout his campaign, he spoke to San Francisco voters about the importance of public safety and affordability to maintaining a family-oriented community.

Alumnus reflects on campaign for Congress following defeat

Republican Bruce Lou, Class of ‘15, advanced through the open primary in California’s 11th Congressional District but lost to incumbent Nancy Pelosi in the general election, earning 18.7% of the vote in the heavily liberal San Francisco area.
With a burger, fries and pineapple-flavored frosty, the Krabby Patty Kollab Meal features various key features of the Bikini Bottom.

Wendy’s Krabby Patty Kollab highlights the missed potential of fast food

While it has its strong points, Wendy’s Krabby Patty and Pineapple Frosty meal proves that the tastiest fast food bites remain in our imaginations — or our childhood TV shows.
The chosen layout (out of two) plans for the installation of panels in the front parking lots.

Board of trustees approves solar energy system contract

The solar energy contract was signed on Sept. 24, and construction is expected to be completed in 2026.
Acting superintendent Heath Rocha speaks during the Nov. 12 board meeting.

New concerns arise over former superintendent Sanderson’s 2022 hiring

The firm hired for nationwide search was paid more than $25,000 but didn’t uncover allegations of misconduct and a suspension from his time as the principal of an Atlanta-area middle school.
Cahatol defensively waves around her electric fly swatter as she lectures on exceptions to the Aufbau principle.

Lords of the flies: How two teachers handle insect invasions in classrooms

While some teachers struggle to get students to focus amid the distractions, others have instead targeted the distractions themselves — the flies — through various means.
Assistant superintendent of business services Ruben Fernandez, superintendent Bill Sanderson, director of human resources Dagmar Derickson, assistant superintendent of student services Heath Rocha and public information officer Tanya De La Cruz listen to public comment against the amendments to Sanderson’s contract. The new contract was approved by the board in a unanimous decision.

Widespread criticism over district leadership leads to community meetings and attempts at rebuilding trust

Teachers and parents have recently raised concerns about the expansion of the district office, shrinking of certificated staff, discrepancies in pay and a lack of communication between the superintendent and community groups.
To conserve paper and reduce the risk of cheating, College Board has made the decision to transition toward an almost fully digital testing model for their Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Changes to AP testing procedures set to take effect in 2025

Following College Board’s shift to digital or hybrid tests on the Bluebook app, both Saratoga High and Los Gatos High will not be accommodating as many tests or test-takers as in previous years.
The album cover for “Bando Stone and The New World,” where Donald Glover plays the titular character in the accompanying movie with the same name.

Bando Stone and The New World is an exhilarating sendoff to the Childish Gambino persona

The album, released on July 19, accompanies the upcoming movie with the same title, which Donald Glover, known as Childish Gambino, stars in and directs.
We spent hours of our time in the music building practice rooms to film for our group projects.

Readings, role plays and really last-minute study sessions — a beginner’s guide to succeeding in AP Euro

Two survivors of the class came up with a list of top five tips to get through the year.
Approval of the job description for director of fiscal services passed on a 3-2 vote last month after public comment and tough questions from the student board members.

Board narrowly votes to add new director position

Approval of the job description for director of fiscal services passed on a 3-2 vote last month after public comment and tough questions from the student board members.
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