The Student News Site of Saratoga High School

The Saratoga Falcon
One of the school’s top-of-the-line AEDs
School ramps up AED count on campus
November 20, 2024
Students listen to Natasha Schatzman’s presentation in the student center on Nov. 15.
NASA aerospace engineer shares research in aeromechanics and aeroacoustics
November 20, 2024
Acting superintendent Heath Rocha speaks during the Nov. 12 board meeting.
New concerns arise over former superintendent Sanderson’s 2022 hiring
November 20, 2024
The flyer for this year’s Winter Formal hangs up around school and is posted on social media.
Tickets for Winter Formal sell out before purchase window closes
November 20, 2024
Saratoga Team 1, senior Alan Lu, junior Lawson Wang, sophomores Andy Lu and Seabert Mao, senior Skyler Mao and sophomore Vivian Zhong (left to right), hold their 3rd place trophy.
Math club places third at Berkeley tournament
November 17, 2024
Actress Naomi Scott playing Skye Riley brings to life a terrifying transformation through subtle changes.
‘Smile 2’ mixes traditional jump scare and psychological horror
November 20, 2024
BASIC officers at a boba fundraiser on Oct. 2.
BASIC club emphasizes youth action on humanitarian aid
November 18, 2024
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?
November 12, 2024
Highlights of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors dances during Homecoming week from Oct. 14-19.
Behind the scenes: Meet the choreographers who brought the Homecoming dance to life
November 2, 2024
Students gather around the table at the top of the quad steps during the voter registration drive on Sept. 25.
Revived Democracy Matters club kicks off the school year with successful election events
October 30, 2024
Senior Saira Ramakrishnan pitches for the Saratoga Falcons.
Senior softball player commits to University of Rochester
November 20, 2024
The team gathered around a fire during their retreat to enjoy s’mores and build team chemistry.
Girls’ basketball team aims to build winning culture in pre-season after eye-opening retreat
November 20, 2024
Recap of fall sports.
Fall Sports Recap: Toga teams fight hard to the end
November 16, 2024
The girls’ tennis team poses for a group photo.
Girls’ tennis finishes the regular season with a solid victory
November 16, 2024
Mascots and volunteers cheering runners on as they cross the finish line.
Saratoga 5K Fun Run: a blend of community and competition
November 13, 2024
Cigarette packaging should depict frightening images on the front and sides, clearly communicating the consequences of smoking.
Cigarette packaging needs to be more graphic in its dire warnings
November 15, 2024
Journalism labor unions have firmly opposed the bill, calling it a “shakedown.”
‘Undemocratic’ deal reached between Google and California news outlets
November 7, 2024
Test dates make or break our vacation
The bliss and benefits of having tests before breaks
October 31, 2024
Here’s why you should vote against Prop 34.
Prop 34’s devious methods target non-profits
October 30, 2024
Please let me understand my mistakes.
100-word rant: Let me use the answer key to check my work
October 28, 2024
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
November 20, 2024
A hearty stew such as a beef bourguignon is perfect for a cold winter day.
Winter break bucket list: cooking galore
November 18, 2024
Don’t hate until you try it.
Top 10: weirdly good food combos that might get you flamed
November 16, 2024
A girl cries as she realizes her wallet is empty.
Resisting the urge to splurge: regulating money spent on lunchtime outings
November 11, 2024
The seating chart is often like a game of Russian Roulette, you either sit next to your best friend or next to your ex.
Top 10: Reasons to request a seat change
November 5, 2024

The Saratoga Falcon

The Saratoga Falcon
Zack Zhang

Zack Zhang, Backpage Editor

All content by Zack Zhang
Kim, Wei and Eo, from left to right, doing their prospective activities.

How seniors with different majors are approaching college applications

Sunny Cao and Zack Zhang
October 28, 2024
Vote yes on Prop 2 to better fund public schools and put students first.

How Proposition 2 will help create a safer and more equitable public school environments

Zack Zhang
October 28, 2024
Results shown on Google Map after searching up “housing developments nearby,” which doesn’t include those that didn’t publicize themselves on the map.

A gentler approach to growth: Why ADUs offer a middle ground in housing development

Zack Zhang
October 21, 2024
Boycotting is a great method to let small voices be heard, but it has become less promising in recent years.

Why boycotts usually miss their mark

Zack Zhang
September 8, 2024
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

Sanyukta Ravishankar and Zack Zhang
September 6, 2024
Zack trying pickleball for the first time with Sunny.

Why pickleball is getting so much hype and why you, too, should join the trend

Sunny Cao and Zack Zhang
August 24, 2024
The tension of banning TikTok in the U.S. rises again since Trump’s last attempt four years ago.

Despite politicians’ actions to ban TikTok, eradicating would come with costs

Zack Zhang
May 15, 2024
Juniors Akshat Bora, Alan Cai and Benjamin Kuo working together on their project.

Juniors place second in state in TEAMS competition but withdraw from nationals

Sunny Cao and Zack Zhang
May 4, 2024
The third testflight of the Starship ready on the launch tower on March 14, displaying the black-covered Starship prototype atop the silver Super Heavy Booster.

Musk’s Starship hits new milestones in development and proves how close we are to space travel

Zack Zhang
May 3, 2024
The packed, overhead utility pole near my house often goes down during storms.

Undergrounding power lines prevent power outages and reduce wildfire hazards

Zack Zhang
March 21, 2024
From top left going clockwise, the artworks of Lee, Pan, Hao, and Wang.

Four students selected to display their art at ArtNow in the New Museum Los Gatos

Emma Fung, Skyler Mao, and Zack Zhang
March 14, 2024
The estimated movie tickets sold in North America took a toll in the pandemic and had yet to recover. 

An influx of prequels and sequels reveals decline in the movie industry

Zack Zhang
February 16, 2024
A nostalgic photo of my mother teaching me piano in 2012, when I was five years old.

Parents forcing children into extracurriculars can of be a blessing, not a curse

Zack Zhang
January 25, 2024
The National Geographic’s dedication in capturing the true sides of nature and humanity has created some of the most famous and classic photographs.

National Geographic’s decline reveals dangerous trends: growing addiction to screens and decrease in quality content

Zack Zhang
December 13, 2023
Members of SAG-AFTRA protest in front of Netflix and Warners Bro offices in New York on Aug 2nd.  

SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes call attention to the shortcomings in treatment of actors and screenwriters and result in major victories for unions

Zack Zhang
December 7, 2023
Students during closing ceremonies after the three day conference.

Photo or Graphic for: Model UN team gains experience from first conference at Stanford

Sanjoli Gupta and William Norwood
November 25, 2023
The library is jam packed with students during tutorial.

Teachers continue to call for hiring of credentialed librarian three years after the role became vacant

Sam Bai and Zack Zhang
November 14, 2023
The iPhone 15 series has officially switched over to the USB-C port, but the previously sold AirPods Pro and Magic Mouse still use the Lightning charger.

Three cheers for Apple’s switch to USB-C, but with one major caveat

Zack Zhang
November 6, 2023
Both sides for and against affirmative action hold valid arguments, adding onto the complexity of finding a balance in between. 

All in all, it’s good affirmative action is gone from college admissions

Zack Zhang
September 29, 2023
Toby Remmers teaching about the Columbian Exchange to his 5th period AP U.S. History class.

From kinesiology to political science, new social studies teacher enriches classroom with life experiences

Zack Zhang
September 22, 2023
A collage of my memories in Sanya.

Sanya, my family’s beloved vacation destination

Zack Zhang
September 15, 2023
Some of my favorite snacks to eat after school are honey butter chips, shrimp chips and pocky.

After-school snacks: my secret key to productivity

Zack Zhang
September 12, 2023
Sophomore Samanvi Boppana (center) and her team work on their CubeSat, a nanosatellite concept by NASA that can detect plastic in the ocean.

Sophomore’s past science projects recognized by national award

Zack Zhang
June 7, 2023
A map of SHS with the sites mentioned in the story labeled.

Many spots on campus are named after former staff and community members: Do you know them all?

Zack Zhang
June 3, 2023
Math teacher Kelly Frangieh speaking at the podium and  opposing the board’s new policy.

Teachers raise concerns over district’s move to enforce longer school time hours

Nicole Lee and Zack Zhang
May 27, 2023
From left to right, my grayed-out home screen, the restriction settings and individual apps. (Recreated to reflect what it used to be)

Parental control through screen time is a vital tool for teenagers’ development of self-control

Zack Zhang
May 22, 2023
An image of the old, golden and crunchy oats. They were beautiful. 

100-word rant: New oats are inferior to the beloved old oats 

Zack Zhang
May 2, 2023
Nichols’s family attorney Ben Crump (center) speaks during a news conference with Nichols’s father (second from the right) and mother (right) on Jan. 23. 

Tyre Nichols video: The terror-spreading camera footage of the incident shouldn’t be publicized 

Zack Zhang
April 3, 2023
ASB candidates taped up campaign posters in front of the Student Center.

ASB officers for 2023-24 school year announced

Victoria Lin and Zack Zhang
March 20, 2023
Discussion with a first-generation immigrant: Preserving traditional culture

Discussion with a first-generation immigrant: Preserving traditional culture

Zack Zhang
March 15, 2023
The finance facts revealed by Princeton University shows how little the actual student tuition fee holds up in the total annual revenue of the school.

From education to business: Elite schools have lost sight of affordability

Zack Zhang
March 15, 2023
I imagine myself on a worry free vacation in a typical, stressful school day.

A perfect day for a stressed Saratoga student

Zack Zhang
March 13, 2023
Model UN participated in the 26th SMUNC held by Stanford last November.

Model UN plans first ever conference at Saratoga High

Aiden Ye and Zack Zhang
February 16, 2023
Senior point guard Nick Tjaden shoots a floater in the game against Palo Alto on Jan. 20.

Boys’ basketball edges out Gunn, but faces tough tests in De Anza

George Huang and Zack Zhang
January 29, 2023
Rohan Chopra receives his CineSpace Best Educational Film Award from the imagery manager and co-founder of the NASA CineSpace competition, Dr. Carlos Fontanot. 

Junior wins award for best educational film in NASA competition

Emma Fung, George Hu, and Zack Zhang
December 15, 2022
Quiz Bowl Club officers teach techniques and train the team members by answering quick questions during their lunch meetings. 

Quiz Bowl wins first two tournaments, qualifies for national tournament

Nikhil Mathihalli, Aiden Ye, and Zack Zhang
December 1, 2022
Senior Mateusz Palusinski dribbles the ball down the court in the Thursday game against Aptos High School. 

Season preview: Boys’ basketball returns strong lineup for upper league

George Huang and Zack Zhang
November 18, 2022
Timothy Wei and his father run in the neighborhoods during weekends. 

Sophomore follows father’s footsteps in running

Zack Zhang
November 10, 2022
Students spent their class period watching “Amsterdam” in the theater.

History in Film takes field trip to AMC theater, watches ‘Amsterdam’

Zack Zhang
November 9, 2022
Comparison between photos taken by an iPhone 14 Pro (left) and an iPhone 11 Pro (right) suggests a huge progression in iPhone’s detail catching and AI processing in their cameras.

Apple’s newest iPhone models are worth every penny

Zack Zhang
November 1, 2022
The comfortable environment Brad Ward sets up for the new location of the College & Career Center (CCC)

College specialist creates warm, encouraging space for students during college visits

Carolyn Wang and Zack Zhang
September 25, 2022
The students sit in one of the many classrooms rented by MLCC and listen carefully to their teacher as she teaches on a Saturday morning.

Saturday Chinese school helps students improve language skills

Zack Zhang
September 25, 2022
New English teacher Mary Palisoul teaching English 10

New English teacher joins school with 11 years of teaching experience

Atrey Desai, Zack Zhang, and Andy Zhu
September 24, 2022
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