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The Saratoga Falcon

The Saratoga Falcon

The Saratoga Falcon

Sanyukta Ravishankar

Sanyukta Ravishankar, Reporter

Sanyukta Ravishankar, Class of ’27, is a reporter for The Falcon this year. She is looking forward to reporting on various areas: from school events, to student involvement in the larger community and opinion pieces, she is excited to be involved in reporting. Outside of writing, Sanyukta enjoys competing in debate, reading classics, and listening to good music.

All content by Sanyukta Ravishankar
“Morning Sun” stars a small but powerful cast of three actresses.

‘Morning Sun,’ ‘Sylvia’ and ‘146 Point Flame’: Seniors wrap up their four years in Drama with individual productions

From emotional tragedies to playful comedies, each production is the result of months of planning and rehearsals directed entirely by students.
Seniors Aria Zhang and Niraali Garg rehearse “The Little Mermaid.”

Featuring a large ensemble, new actors and musical pieces, ‘The Little Mermaid’ classic hopes to garner a larger audience

Seniors Niraali Garg, Timothy Leung and Kat Aldrete will be portraying Ariel, Prince Eric and Ursula in the family-friendly musical in April.
Students have varying opinions on MOSAIC’s effectiveness — how do we reduce the stigma around the issues it tackles?

Lessons to tackle: MOSAICs can be even more effective with a few tweaks and updates

The program is meant to help students deal with a wide range of issues and can benefit from constant updating.
Masked students cheer during a basketball game against Los Gatos High in 2022 — the first year after lockdown.

5 years since COVID-19: Students and teachers reflect on the pandemic

A full year of isolation led the way to new habits and routines — both positive and negative — which still impact the learning environment today.
A point of contact I definitely did not need.

100-word rant: Please don’t shake my hand

Specifically don’t if you’re nervous or stressed or are visibly watering from your palms. Otherwise, go ahead.
Members of the Saratoga debate team pose for a group picture during the James Logan Invitational.

Speech and debate rocks the circuit in the new year

The team has collected over 10 bids to the Tournament of Champions in just three months.
Members of the prosecution and defense team pose for a photo after winning their rounds.

Mock Trial reaches quarterfinals at Santa Clara County Tournament in best performance in years

A record that hasn’t been made in eight years, the team has made immense progress since its return to in-person competition in 2023.
The current rankings highlight percent gains for groups of 2-3 seniors based on the initial $100k each group started with.

Kirk Abe’s AP Gov class practices live trading in interactive stock simulation

Financial literacy is becoming more relevant, as early money management often determines later success.
Avery, Peter and Tina arrive in the finale scene.

Senior’s honors drama project featured emotional scenes and deeper meaning

Ryan Backhus’s ‘A Stop in Time’ play channeled his creative mind to create a series of mini vignettes.
Elon Musk has become increasingly controversial and even less penalized.

Musk’s controversies are more interesting than his plans for the future

People are drawn to the Tesla CEO’s tech bro persona — for better or for worse.
A flurry of famous tunes barrage me during tests.

Top 10: Songs that play in my head during a test

Half of them are songs I’ve used to memorize random facts.
Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in just 2023, prompting a flurry of collapses within a few months.

Bank regulation is necessary to prevent financial crises

The Dodd-Frank Act preserves the status quo with oversight.
Mrs. Hasegawa, a predicted winner, is a well-known champion weightlifter (in our hearts).

What’s the strongest department on campus (physically)?

We had each department nominate one or two teachers to compare their recent PRs against the others to determine a winner.
Papa’s Scooperia is more than the embrace of American consumerism — it’s the perfect pastime.

Games to play when you’re mentally depleted, as the Speech and Debate team frequently is

Hours and hours of devoted attention to academics warrants a well-needed break.
The Brutus Journal website features political takes, culture and science articles.

Two seniors challenge traditional reporting models with their own news site: The Brutus Journal

The journal has over 27,000 independent users and has seen immense growth over the last two years.
Personally, I really need some noodle slippers.

My 8-year-old self would be sad to see ‘5-Minute Crafts’ go — but I’m not

The famous YouTube channel has led me through all five stages of grief, primarily with false hope.
The U.S., China and Taiwan, among other nations, are engaged in one of the fastest-growing tech races in history to develop and produce the best semiconductors and AI.

The U.S. is playing catchup in the semiconductor race. Is it too late to win?

Advocates say more legislation like 2022’s CHIPS Act is needed.
The warmth of the holiday season can come from a variety of foods other than meaty dishes.

Vegetarian alternatives to staple Thanksgiving foods

Turkey is stereotypical, but it’s not necessary for a delicious meal.
One of the garden’s raised beds, home to a variety of flower species.

Campus removes foliage in an effort to save water

A new plant supervisor and work from the Gardening Club have promoted updates to campus.
Silverstein’s poetry inspires children across the U.S. to build their own opinions.

‘The Giving Tree’ and group story time gave little me lots to think about

The deeper concepts conveyed in many of Shel Silverstein’s widely banned classics hit hard, even 50 years later.
The Vance-Walz debate had many key moments, and will prove to be critical to the main election.

VP debates are becoming increasingly relevant as older politicians take office

The two key vice presidential candidates’ debate was surprisingly respectable, with both candidates able to advance their position effectively.
Liccardo (left) and Low (right) shake hands after debating a variety of issues on Oct. 11.

Laryngitis, FEC investigations and public safety: District 16 debate fails to convey concrete stances to voters

Sam Liccardo and Evan Low’s Oct. 11 debate was a series of unchecked, record-based attacks which left voters confused.
Incarcerated laborers are often overworked during California’s fire season.

Prop 6 addresses generations of discrimination and segregation

Voluntary work programs are essential to replace the fundamentally flawed system present now.
The referee introduces the rules of the night’s first game.

Comedy Sportz teams open season with new members and fun improv games

As the only returning members, captains Ryan Backus and Apollo Burgess look to prepare their teams for the nights of entertainment.
Big data corporations like Disney are more involved in data stealing than you may think.

Behind a curtain of ‘transparency,’ many companies process user data undercover

Key companies including Disney, Meta and Yahoo have deep back files that contain data about each of their users, presenting the potential for any and all data to be misused.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump engaged in a heated debate last week.

Presidential candidates duke it out on the debate stage — who won?

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump tackled a variety of issues in a memorable and, frankly, entertaining way.
Ao3 reigns supreme as the #1 fanfiction site.

A review of popular fanfiction sites — are they worth the read?

We took a look at FFN, Wattpad and Ao3 — here’s our take.
The skibidi toilet horrors that popped up in our Instagram reels less than a year ago.

Gen Alpha has a word for that — but you probably won’t know what it means

Maybe you, too, have heard some questionable phrases in the halls and classrooms, and are wondering: What is going on with these freshmen?
Youth voters are essential to elections — the Harris campaign uses a wide variety of marketing strategies to reel in these voters.

Youth representation is on the ballot in the presidential race

Kamala Harris’ campaign uses unique marketing strategies to appeal to young voters, distinguishing her from her competitor.
A map of the 16th District, which includes Saratoga.

The local district election: Ranked voting provides a way to ensure true competition

Two Democratic candidates, Evan Low and Sam Liccardo, are headed for the final District 16 election in the coming months — what does this say about our electoral process?
The Instagram post on the @toga.2028 account announcing the results of the freshman class election.

School leadership chooses to elect freshman class officers after school starts

In past years, the election for incoming freshman class officers had been conducted at Redwood Middle School in the spring, but this year, the procedure has changed.
Drama students pose for a picture outside the Central Hall Studio.

Drama program refreshes after two weeks at prestigious Fringe Festival in Scotland

New student leadership assumes roles as the program prepares for its fall production: “Radium Girls.”
The crowd collects for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Senior works at the Democratic National Convention as a member of the digital team

Anushka Tadikonda met a wide variety of political figures, such as California governor Gavin Newsom and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders.
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