Sanyukta Ravishankar, In-Depth Editor
The fears of a new driver
I don’t mind tacking on an extra 20 minutes onto my trip if it means I can avoid the near-death experience of merging onto the freeway.
Rating catchy memorization songs — how many of them are actually useful?
The go-to formula for a school song is: “In the Hall of the Mountain King” instrumental track + cheesy educational lyrics + teacher excitement.
Saratoga Foothill Club’s donor appreciation event unites community with music and gratitude
Once only a historical building, the Saratoga Foothill Club creates opportunities for events and donors who preserve its century-old history.
New director Shelley Durbin joins music department to teach choir, orchestras and AP Music Theory
She entered her 37th year of teaching in August, having previously taught 10 different classes in her career.
Local artists showcase handmade creations at Santana Row
On Sept. 13, the Row drew crowds of customers to more than 60 local vendors from around the Bay Area at the Makers Market’s Local Artist Street Fair.
Top 10: Unserious White House social media posts
The account has shifted from emergency directives and announcements to (what I hope are) satirical meme posts.
‘Dept. Q’ earns high marks as a mystery thriller series
The show placed first in Netflix’s June global rankings and is set to release a second season in 2026.
Harry Potter meets masterful Broadway special effects — ‘The Cursed Child’ is magical
The script won’t win any awards, but you won’t regret seeing the show.
New state-wide cell phone ban in public schools is necessary to protect young people’s attention spans
If a cell phone ban means I become a smarter person, I’ll gladly take it.
Freshmen class office to boast larger size
After an election and interviews took place last week, a team of six, including three class representatives, was selected on Aug 29.
Words that need to be heard: euphemisms are dangerous tools for desensitization
94% of Americans use euphemisms, and 60% admit to having used them without knowing what they mean.
Seniors showcase post-grad plans on Commit Day
Many seniors gathered in the quad, wearing T-shirts and sweatshirts from their chosen colleges.
Saratoga Peter account, while absurd and often misleading, shows why parody is an important American right
The Instagram account has been spreading like wildfire across the community and beyond.
The cheating choice
While methods for cheating have evolved, students’ incentives to cheat have been left mostly unchanged.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Indian Cultural Awareness Club puts on 20th annual Bombay in the Bay show with stunning costumes and energetic music
The show, a fundraiser for the Akshaya Patra Foundation, showcased 10 different acts.
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.
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.
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.
Americans are becoming increasingly desensitized or willfully ignorant to extinction-risking issues
Climate change? Who believes that stuff anyway?
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.
Top 10: Songs that play in my head during a test
Half of them are songs I’ve used to memorize random facts.
Bank regulation is necessary to prevent financial crises
The Dodd-Frank Act preserves the status quo with oversight.
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.
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.
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.
‘Radium Girls’ featured skilled actors, intriguing artistic choices and admirable characters who fight for justice
The production unravels a story woven in societal issues.
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. is playing catchup in the semiconductor race. Is it too late to win?
Advocates say more legislation like 2022’s CHIPS Act is needed.
Vegetarian alternatives to staple Thanksgiving foods
Turkey is stereotypical, but it’s not necessary for a delicious meal.
Campus removes foliage in an effort to save water
A new plant supervisor and work from the Gardening Club have promoted updates to campus.
‘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.
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.
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.
Prop 6 addresses generations of discrimination and segregation
Voluntary work programs are essential to replace the fundamentally flawed system present now.
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.
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.
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.
A review of popular fanfiction sites — are they worth the read?
We took a look at FFN, Wattpad and Ao3 — here’s our take.
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 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.
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?
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 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.”
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.