The Student News Site of Saratoga High School

The Saratoga Falcon
Courtesy of LGSUHSD board The official map, decided during the April 14 public hearing.
School board finalizes district map for new trustee elections
June 1, 2025
Courtesy of Saratoga High School Junior Arjun Krish is one of 20 students in the country who have a shot at representing the US at the International Biology Olympiad.
Junior qualifies for International Biology Olympiad training camp at Harvard
May 27, 2025
French 1 classes are switching to the “Reporters Francophones” textbook for next year.
Language classes to try new textbook options next year
May 25, 2025
Seniors gather in the quad to celebrate their college decisions.
Seniors showcase post-grad plans on Commit Day
May 23, 2025
Choir and AP Music Theory teacher Beth Nitzan conducts a choir class during a rehearsal for their end-of-year concert on May 19.
Nitzan to leave school after four years in music department
May 21, 2025
Me conducting taste evaluations with two drinks at once.
The *actual* best boba places in the Bay
June 2, 2025
Courtesy of Aidan Smith Finn and Aidan pose together in the backyard for pictures before prom.
The Duality of Man: Aidan and Finn Smith
June 2, 2025
Keys works on an essay with an English 11 Honors student.
The first day of school in August requires months of planning for teachers
June 1, 2025
Hector and I pose with our first target after eliminating her in San Francisco.
Senior Mag 2025: We were eliminated in Senior Assassin — but that only made the game more fun
May 29, 2025
Seniors Annette Li and Kayla Nguyen anchor on an SHSTV broadcast.
Senior Mag ‘25: Duo evolves from GNNers to SHSTV head producers
May 27, 2025
(left to right) Audrey Wong, Summer Shen, Hannah Bui and Angela Tan prepare for a football game.
Senior Mag 2025: From Europe to the Bay, Flute seniors bonded over marching band
June 1, 2025
Courtesy of Annette Li We pose after our victory against Fremont High on April 30.
Senior Mag 2025: The chemistry and chaos of a 4-year badminton partnership
June 1, 2025
Junior Garrick Chau faces off sophomore William Dechlick and mental health therapist Victor Thompson in the Falcon Nest.
Foosball club brings in a professional to coach members skills
May 31, 2025
Many physical therapies consist of stretching and light exercises.
Student athletes navigate a long rehabilitation process after injuries
May 31, 2025
Courtesy of Lauren Nguyen Smiling proudly, the team stands together and celebrates their awards.
Dance team reflects on Nationals and what’s next
May 28, 2025
A wide variety of euphemisms impact perception in different ways.
Words that need to be heard: euphemisms are dangerous tools for desensitization
June 1, 2025
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Universities have no right to revoke diplomas for political speech
May 30, 2025
Courtesy of Charles Edward Miller People protesting against unlawful deportations.
Universities need to take action to prevent students from being deported by ICE
May 30, 2025
11th grade classes are full of interesting material.
100-word rant: teachers, five tests in two days is just cruel
May 29, 2025
Campaigning on popular social media apps such as Instagram shouldn’t be the norm.
For school leadership elections, candidates can rely too much on social media advertising
May 28, 2025
General Psychology teacher Hana Chen.
General Psychology class explores the field through projects
June 15, 2025
Courtesy of Nathan Shows The view from the dinner cruise on the Vltava.
The last class to remember being stranded in Prague, 2022
June 4, 2025
Courtesy of Rani Khanna Rani and Krishen in their childhood.
The Khanna twins: more like regular siblings than twins
June 4, 2025
Courtesy of Saratoga High School Grace Liu and Luke Zhang are the valedictorian and salutatorian of the senior class respectively.
Class of 2025 valedictorian and salutatorian announced
June 3, 2025
Courtesy of NBC Bay Area Saratoga High’s field shot from above.
Senior Mag: How anti-turf advocacy became my turf
June 3, 2025
Volume 57, Issue 6
Volume 57, Issue 6
April 23, 2025
Volume 57, Issue 5
Volume 57, Issue 5
April 23, 2025
Volume 57, Issue 4
Volume 57, Issue 4
April 23, 2025
Volume 57, Issue 3
Volume 57, Issue 3
April 23, 2025
Volume 57, Issue 2
Volume 57, Issue 2
April 23, 2025

The Saratoga Falcon

The Saratoga Falcon
Saachi Jain

Saachi Jain, Editor-in-Chief

Saachi Jain, Class of ’25, is an Editor-in-Chief for the 2024-25 school year. Previously, she was an In-Depth Editor and Head Copy Editor. Saachi has reported on topics ranging from the school robotics team to national gun violence trends and medical misinformation during the pandemic. She received a JEANC Honorable Mention Award for her coverage of the school’s Speak Up for Change Rally in 2023. Outside of journalism, Saachi enjoys tutoring and volunteering. You can often find her reading, drinking boba and playing with her cats.

All content by Saachi Jain
Five houses apart, four years together on after-school walks

Five houses apart, four years together on after-school walks

These strolls resulted in a variety of traditions and memories.
Saachi Jain and Kathy Wang
Team pictures of each of the four winter sports teams, girls’ basketball, girls’ soccer, boys’ basketball and boys’ soccer.

Photo or Graphic for: This winter marks historic seasons for both basketball and soccer

Vedant Sinha
Field setup starts off with marking the perimeter of the field with a wooden wall

Photo or Graphic for: MSET’s First Robotics Competition team gears up for upcoming season

Debesh Das Sharma
3D Collectives club hosts an informative booth on printing and CADing at FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team 6165 MSET Cuttlefish’s third annual SMASH event.

Photo or Graphic for: 3D Collectives club extends outreach throughout the Bay Area

Renisha Mandal
Sisters Richa Moorjani and Sheherazaad are both pursuing careers in the entertainment industry.

Sister alumni navigate complex world of Hollywood and the entertainment industry

Richa Moorjani, class of ‘07, and Sheherazaad grew up in Saratoga with persistent dreams of acting and singing, respectively.
Saachi Jain
A child presses on the button, triggering the smasher.

Photo or Graphic for: Robotics hosts its 3rd annual SMASH event, fueling Halloween excitement and offering new activities

Florence Hu
How Proposition 28 funds will be distributed for the 2024-25 school year among the four departments.

Photo or Graphic for: Proposition 28 brings in over $140,000 to benefit school’s arts programs

Anika Kapasi
Percussion students from Redwood Middle School and Saratoga High School blow bubbles at the end of the combined band concert.

50 years of Saratoga Music Boosters celebrated at annual Pancake Breakfast

Saachi Jain, Anika Kapasi, Jane Lee, Anthony Luo, and Angela Tan
Senior Johan Amirineni lines up a shot in a match at home on April 4.

Boys’ tennis defeats Aragon 6-1, advancing to CCS quarterfinals match vs. Bellarmine

Saachi Jain
The Cybertruck is illustrated on the surfaces of Mars, emphasizing its un-Earthly appearance and functionality.

A note to Elon: Get your ugly trucks off the streets

Saachi Jain
The MSET Fish proudly hold their victory banner outside of Seaside High School in Monterey, California after winning the Regional Impact Award on March 31.

Robotics team qualifies to World Championships three years in a row

Saachi Jain

Music groups kick off season with competitions, concerts and preview performances

Saachi Jain and Sanjoli Gupta
Me with my best friends, now-juniors Juhi Karamcheti and Beverly Xu, during the May Day Parade in 3rd grade, 2016.

Elementary school: the most enjoyable time of my life

Saachi Jain
Me during my nightly study sessions, though my hair certainly never looks that fabulous.

An overextended student’s guide to tackling the beast of junior year

Saachi Jain

Behind the Saratoga Strings performance lies stories of patriotism, struggles and love

Saachi Jain
The Falcon Bass Choir wrapping up its last practice last year in May.

Photo or Graphic for: Renamed Falcon Choir returns with strong freshman and staff additions

Alan Cai
School-mandated sleepy time: the solution to all my problems

School-mandated sleepy time: the solution to all my problems

Saachi Jain
My mother lied to me: Hiccups do not make you one inch taller

My mother lied to me: Hiccups do not make you one inch taller

Saachi Jain
A bar graph of the survey results for multiple schools, comparing pre-covid levels in 2018 to post-covid levels in 2021.

Pandemic slowed substance use rates among teens; those numbers are rising again

Saachi Jain, Grace Lin, and Ruiyan Zhu
Some AP classes, such as Calculus and Statistics, are better at incorporating real-life examples into their curriculum.

AP classes need to do more than simply prepare students for the AP test

Saachi Jain
Protagonist Devi Vishwakumar from Never Have I Ever.

‘Never Have I Ever’: Hollywood finally gets it right in portraying an Indian teenager’s experience

Saachi Jain
(clockwise from top left): The VEX, FTC and FRC robots all differ in size and complexity, though all compete in similar match styles, with alliances of robots against each other.

A look at the nuts and bolts of the robotics teams

Saachi Jain
Li prepares to shoot at the Outdoor California Regionals Competition at the Black Mountain Bowmen Archery Range on Aug. 21, 2022. 

Senior’s journey through archery: Tears, plateaus, improvements and mentorship 

Saachi Jain and Jonny Luo
Students packed into the quad during Club Rush on Sept. 7 and 8.

Why cutting clubs — and expecting more of the remaining ones — makes sense

Saachi Jain
Students who are over 5 minutes late are encouraged to stop at the Attendance Office for a tardy receipt. 

Updated tardy policy discourages students from being excessively late

Saachi Jain
Saachi and Sunny at Swift’s ‘Eras Tour.’

We were enchanted to meet you, Taylor Swift

Sunny Cao and Saachi Jain
Cunningham dancing in the Teacher Quad Day during Homecoming Week in 2022.

Activities director Cunningham takes on new administrative role

Saachi Jain
The Falcons played their last league match against Monta Vista on senior night, May 2.

Despite facing tough competition at CCS, badminton girls’ doubles pair advances to States 

Sunny Cao and Saachi Jain
At long last, a decision: Seniors show off post-grad plans on May 1 Commit Day

At long last, a decision: Seniors show off post-grad plans on May 1 Commit Day

Saachi Jain and Aiden Ye
Facing the Capitol building of conservative Texas, Ward takes her first testosterone blocker pills on Sept. 26, 2022. 

Halfway into life, college counselor begins a ‘second puberty’ as a transgender woman

Saachi Jain and Beverly Xu
Sophomore Aidan Smith hits his approach shot on the 18th hole during league finals at Santa Teresa golf course en route to a birdie.

Top players qualified for CCS despite subpar team record

Saachi Jain, Amy Luo, and Sarah Zhou
Junior Shane Timmons prepares for a pitch during a game against Milpitas on April 20.

Varsity baseball secures CCS bid following turnaround

Saachi Jain and Daniel Wu
The Nichols case was covered extensively in the news, many outlets calling for reform and a unified public response.

Released footage of Tyre Nichols’s murder should serve as a breaking point

Saachi Jain
Boys’ golf ends March with just one victory in strong De Anza

Boys’ golf ends March with just one victory in strong De Anza

Saachi Jain
 Sophomore Matthew Chang lines up his next shot.

Boys’ golf loses two early matches after rain delays season

Saachi Jain and Amy Luo
The newly completed field features a fully artificial turf surface.

Following seven months of work and $4 million renovations, new baseball field opens for season

Saachi Jain and Daniel Wu
Medical misinformation has historically led to the mistreatment and misdiagnosis of countless conditions, both related and unrelated to COVID-19. 

Medical misinformation and its role in the pandemic

Saachi Jain
In San Jose’s South Hall, many students sit in chairs waiting for judges as others present their projects.

Local Synopsys Science Fair returns fully in person, 11 students win awards and four qualify for state fair

Lynn Dai and Saachi Jain
Playing on the same alliance during one of their matches, the MSET Cuttlefish and Bettafish race to stack blue cones on poles stationed around the field.

Veteran robotics team qualifies to Worlds after regional tournament

Saachi Jain and Martin Xu
The team captains play a match during practice on March 13. 

Climbing back from subpar ‘22 season, badminton wins in three early matches

Sunny Cao and Saachi Jain
Sophomores Sunny Cao, Emma Fung, Saachi Jain and Kathy Wang work hard in the kitchen to prepare a feast.

Cooking showdown: Four students compete in a cooking competition 

Sunny Cao, Emma Fung, Saachi Jain, and Kathy Wang
Diary of a Wimpy Kid will always be my favorite series — the first 10 books at least

Diary of a Wimpy Kid will always be my favorite series — the first 10 books at least

Saachi Jain
The movie was released in theaters on Nov. 23.

‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’: its brilliant writing keeps audience constantly on alert

Saachi Jain and Sanjoli Gupta
The six-part series is composed of interviews from Harry and Meghan detailing their experiences. 

Memo to Harry and Meghan: If you’re trying to privatize your life, don’t make a documentary about it

Sunny Cao and Saachi Jain
 The ALPR Cameras are mounted on traffic poles in various parts of California, including Santa Clara County and Orange County.

Post-COVID crime in Saratoga leads to implementation of camera system across the city

Saachi Jain
The Symphonic Wind Ensemble (SWE) and Freshman Band/Symphonic Band (FBSB) rehearse for numerous concerts and performances in the second semester. 

Band transitions from marching to concert season, looks forwards to performances in second semester

Saachi Jain and Shannon Ma
Lacrosse players reviewed an email from athletic director Rick Ellis detailing the reasons for cancellation.

School nixes lacrosse seasons for both boys and girls

Sunny Cao and Saachi Jain
Sophomore Timothy Leung spoke about being sexually assaulted while in seventh grade and his journey to acceptance.

At SUFC rally, trauma becomes central focus

Saachi Jain and Kathy Wang
Playing squash at the national level, junior Dhruv Nemani practices countless hours every week.

Shedding light on the thrilling racquet sport of squash

Saachi Jain and Daniel Wu
Language learning allows for a collaborative, applicable and social challenge to your brain. 

Teenagers should relish the chance to learn a foreign language

Saachi Jain
The new Engineering Lab is now the newest building on campus and features new floors and walls.

Engineering lab building renovated for first time in 60 years

Saachi Jain
V-Day please: Rather than a celebration of ‘love,’ let it be a celebration of me!

V-Day please: Rather than a celebration of ‘love,’ let it be a celebration of me!

Saachi Jain
A tree fell down on Herriman Avenue, taking down a power line and blocking the road.

Intense winter storms lead to school cancellations, power outages and other problems

Saachi Jain and Isabelle Wang
Kellen Browning, who was raised in Davis, has been working at The Times for two years.

Journalism program holds speaker event with New York Times

Saachi Jain
Despite an increase in public awareness and advocacy, gun violence continues to rock the country now more than ever.

Ten years since Sandy Hook: No week has passed in 2022 without a mass shooting

Sunny Cao and Saachi Jain
Fitness on YouTube skyrocketed during the pandemic as a safe and accessible way to stay fit. 

Extreme fitness advice on YouTube is doing more harm than good

Saachi Jain
2 teachers awarded the University of Chicago’s ‘Outstanding Educator Award’

2 teachers awarded the University of Chicago’s ‘Outstanding Educator Award’

Saachi Jain and Shannon Ma
Sophomore Pranav Rajan, who ran a PR of 17:34, races at Crystal Springs during CCS.

Cross country ends season with boys placing No. 6 and girls placing No. 7 at CCS

Saachi Jain and Kathy Wang
Zeni’s offers various meat dishes as well, including this meat combination plate.

Local Ethiopian restaurant is a favorite of all cultures and palettes

Saachi Jain
A slide from Royaltey’s syllabus describes the grading system and different weightings.

New history teacher introduces unusual grading system

Saachi Jain
Led by hardware mentor Ivan France, the Jellyfish and Bettafish discuss hardware strategies. 

Working seven days a week, robotics teams ramp up for upcoming season

Saachi Jain
The cafeteria now offers many free breakfast options, including breakfast burritos, eggs and hashbrowns, and yogurt parfaits.

Free lunch program is beneficial, but the school needs to provide more options

Saachi Jain
The Capitol of the United States in Washington, D.C. is the location of most executive decisions regarding the country.

Residents of Washington, D.C., deserve to live in an established state

Saachi Jain
All you need to know about the Nov. 8 Saratoga City Council election: a look into the five candidates running

All you need to know about the Nov. 8 Saratoga City Council election: a look into the five candidates running

Sunny Cao, Saachi Jain, and Nicole Lee
Senior Elizabeth Stoiber and juniors Raghav Rajan and Diego Rocabado cheer on sophomore Timothy Leung during the Baylands’ meet on Sept. 20.

Cross country performs well at invitationals and meets

Saachi Jain and Kathy Wang
During their Sept. 10 practice, Danny Moon hands the new Walt van Zant trophy to WVJS member Dwayne Spencer, who finished with an all-time personal record.

West Valley Joggers and Striders Club: a microcosm of Saratoga society

Lynn Dai, Saachi Jain, and Kathy Wang
The band performs a run through of the show during a Saturday rehearsal.

Kicking off competitive season, marching band spends long hours rehearsing on the weekend

Saachi Jain
Boys and girls cross country rounds up for a break after practice.

Longtime cross country coach uses his time as a runner to better guide athletes

Saachi Jain and Kathy Wang

Parents return to campus after two years of online Back to School Nights

Saachi Jain
Combined photos of each downtown

Shopping enthusiast reviews local downtowns

Saachi Jain
Though they speak the same language, the U.S. and U.K. have many cultural and social differences contributing to drastically different living experiences.

The flavours — sorry, flavors — of two different countries

Saachi Jain and William Norwood
Petersen instructs the class about an upcoming project during class on Sept. 14.

New computer science teacher joins teaching staff

Saachi Jain and Martin Xu
Junior Owen Liang mounts the new intake hardstop, preventing the intake from deploying too far down.

Photo or Graphic for: Robotics team readies to compete at regional offseason tournaments

Neal Malhotra and Beverly Xu
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