The Student News Site of Saratoga High School

The Saratoga Falcon
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
November 22, 2024
Band volunteer parents Beryl Liu and Dongni Chen set up the band room for cookie dough distribution on Nov. 15.
Annual Music Booster cookie dough fundraiser clears hurdles and sets sales records
November 22, 2024
Senior Aria Zhang and sophomore Sophie Poon (bottom right) perform in their SSAA ensemble among other talented students from other schools
Nine students qualify for the Coastal Regional Honor Choir
November 21, 2024
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
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
With a love for the warm weather in San Diego, Coghlan commits to UCSD and plans to major in molecular and cell biology.
Coghlan commits to Division I rowing at UC San Diego
November 21, 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
The student vote is one of their most powerful weapons.
Students should be allowed a vote in the school board
November 22, 2024
Shakespeare’s place in English Curriculums is indisputable
Shakespeare, though challenging, remains an essential component of English curriculum
November 22, 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
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
Bryan Zhao

Bryan Zhao, Entertainment Editor

All content by Bryan Zhao
Photo by Bryan Zhao Freshman Zisu Chen serves cotton candy to a group of students.

Photo or Graphic for: Almost 400 attend Homecoming dance in the quad

Dhatri Iyer
October 31, 2024
In high school, there are tons of homework assignments you have to do.

Top 10 homework assignments

Bryan Zhao
October 27, 2024
Huan records shots for his short form content.

Photo or Graphic for: Sophomore photographer’s video edits for football team gain traction on social media

Bill Huang and Debesh Das Sharma
October 23, 2024
Sophomores Alma Garniek and Sia Bharadhwaj performed during the group dance.

Photo or Graphic for: Sophomore quad day thrives with a boost in participation

Adarsh Peruvemba and Ethan Lee
October 20, 2024
Seniors create a mosh pit to celebrate, as their last quad day comes to an end.

Photo or Graphic for: Seniors ends week of Quad Day performances with an energetic display

Seabert Mao and Andrew Gong
October 20, 2024
Sporting green jerseys, Joseph Yu, Elaine Luo, Sophie Qi and Serena Hu went all out for their performance.

Photo or Graphic for: Freshmen pull through despite fewer than 30 participants in their first quad day performance

Madhura Natarajan and Tanvee Tirthapura
October 18, 2024
English teacher Jason Friend holds up money to the song “Money, Money, Money” by ABBA. The homecoming theme for the staff this year was “The Game of Life.”

Photo or Graphic for: Faculty’s quad day guides students through the life-sized version of the “Game of Life”

Renisha Mandal and Rohit Thomas
October 16, 2024
The crevice is widening between the ideologies of America’s two leading parties.

Deepening political divides are fragmenting America

Bryan Zhao
September 26, 2024
Freshman Chloe Zeng dives to narrowly save the ball during a game against Milpitas on Sept. 17.

Photo or Graphic for: Girls’ volleyball starts 1-1 in El Camino

Ashni Pillai and Jeremy Si
September 18, 2024
Junior Nolan Woo introduces his club, League of Programmers, to junior Jack Dong.

This year’s Club Rush features off-beat new clubs and traditional old ones

Seabert Mao and Bryan Zhao
September 13, 2024
Pan Zhanle celebrates following his 100m freestyle win on July 31.

Chinese doping allegations elicit stigma around 2024 Olympic swimmers

Bryan Zhao
September 10, 2024
Star player Brian Le takes a shot at goalie Armon Vuppula

Photo or Graphic for: Promising transfer gives boys’ water polo team newfound hope

Debesh Das Sharma and Mikul Rana
September 9, 2024
The Falcons take a brief water break to regroup and prepare to return to the field.

Photo or Graphic for: Football secures 30-7 win against El Camino in first league game

Linh Do and Vedant Sinha
September 8, 2024
Parent volunteers help serve condiments to the students.

Annual social and spirit-filled events kick off the school year

Andrew Gong and Bryan Zhao
August 24, 2024
Senior Omead Bagherian crowd surfs in the seniors following the popping of the balloons.

Class of ‘24 gets sent off with action-packed rally

Bryan Zhao
May 29, 2024
On April 18, the Deputy Ambassador of the US Robert Wood vetoed a resolution that would have recognized Palestine as a full UN member state.

Permanent membership in the U.N. Security Council: a catastrophic failure

Skyler Mao and Bryan Zhao
May 19, 2024
Senior setters Kali Duvvuri sets the ball as junior middle Ryan Backhus approaches to hit on May 6 against Summit Shasta.

Boys’ volleyball wraps up season with league win and advances to CCS quarterfinals

Bill Huang and Bryan Zhao
May 19, 2024
Used monitors and desktop stands lay below a tarp in the e-waste bin behind the Physics wing.

IT department works to lessen campus e-waste

Florence Hu and Bryan Zhao
May 15, 2024
Team 95071X executes their H-tier hang with their alliance partner 151T in their division quarterfinals match.

Three Robotics teams compete at VEX World Championships

Bryan Zhao and Florence Hu
May 11, 2024
Some foods garner positive attention, and some garner negative attention.

Top 10 cafeteria delicacies

Bryan Zhao
May 3, 2024
Falcons huddle before the game to talk about strategies.

Boys’ volleyball defeats Los Altos, holding on to top spot in El Camino

Bill Huang and Bryan Zhao
April 30, 2024
A younger me stares at a paleontologist working at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

My childhood dream job: digging up the secrets of the earth

Bryan Zhao
April 27, 2024
Sophomore Esha Verma snaps the football back as sophomore Samantha Timmons rushes forward.

Amidst delays, sophomores maintain winning streak in annual Falcon Puff Games

Bill Huang and Bryan Zhao
April 22, 2024
Julian Berkowitz-Sklar takes a short break at a beach house in Koh Samui, Thailand.

Gap-year greatness: Falcon alumnus embarks on a journey of personal discovery and life lessons

Bryan Zhao
April 19, 2024
One of the iconic caricatures of the “Clash Royale” game.

“Clash Royale”: The defining game of my middle school days

Bryan Zhao
April 19, 2024
Sophomore Vedant Padhi runs the 1600m during a home meet against Fremont High on March 7. 

Photo or Graphic for: Track coaching change signals a season of adjustments 

Sunny Cao and Annika Gho
March 19, 2024
Sophomore Eliza Lin keeps score during a match.

Photo or Graphic for: Badminton coach implements stricter practices to hone skills

Sunny Cao and Nika Svizhenko
March 18, 2024
Middle Blocker senior Eric Norris prepares to receive a spike against Los Altos on March 13.

Volleyball team starts season with winning preseason record

Bill Huang and Bryan Zhao
March 15, 2024
Speech and debate wraps up qualifications for Tournament of Champions

Speech and debate wraps up qualifications for Tournament of Champions

Bryan Zhao and Alan Cai
March 15, 2024
Saira Ramakrishnan pitching at the March 6 game against Leland

Photo or Graphic for: Softball players settle in on their season and aim for another CCS appearance

Christina Labban
March 15, 2024
Although there are still comparatively few, the number of Asian-American athletes is on the rise.

What is behind the low Asian-American racial makeup in American sports?

Florence Hu and Bryan Zhao
March 14, 2024
The latest Youth Commission meeting on Jan. 30.

Photo or Graphic for: Saratoga Youth Commission: a vessel for teen voices

Sunny Cao
February 8, 2024
Senior Diego Rocabado playing against Cupertino at an away game on Jan. 24.

Photo or Graphic for: Boys’ soccer struggles to adapt after rough start to season

Mitchell Chen and Christina Labban
February 3, 2024
Senior Zinnerah Ahmed rushes forward to score a layout against Mountain View on Jan. 24.

Photo or Graphic for: Girls’ basketball shows improvement in rebuilding year

Mitchell Chen and Ariel Zhou
February 3, 2024
Senior Bryan Wang brings up the ball against Monta Vista during a match on January 16.

Boys’ basketball: Wang’s buzzer-beating basket caps thrilling win over Monta Vista

Bill Huang and Bryan Zhao
January 30, 2024
IMG_0977 (1)

Photo or Graphic for: Budding wrestling team gains experience through tournaments, dual meets and college visits

Victoria Lin and Aiden Ye
January 27, 2024
Junior Hilary Gonzalez gains possession of the ball on Jan. 16 during a game against Mountain View.

Photo or Graphic for: After frenzied search, girls’ soccer team finds permanent goalie

Amelia Chang and Ruiyan Zhu
January 27, 2024
Freshman Class President Sina Mohtaj-Khorassani helps set up for the night rally.

Rally Commission aims to inspire more active engagement

Bill Huang and Bryan Zhao
January 25, 2024
The short-term glimmer in the city covered up its homelessness crisis.

San Francisco undergoes rapid cleanup, attempting to mask troubles within

Bryan Zhao and Florence Hu
January 16, 2024
The weight room has the equipment needed for conditioning and strength training.

Photo or Graphic for: Weight room reopens for all students after school

Grace Lin and Christina Labban
January 8, 2024
Warmuth helps her engineering students with their project.

Photo or Graphic for: Warmuth receives county award in teaching for kickstarting school’s engineering program

Florence Hu
December 15, 2023
Junior point guard Urvi Iyer prepares to take a shot during a team practice game.

Photo or Graphic for: Girls’ basketball adjusts work ethic and play style under new head coach 

Emma Fung
December 11, 2023
Junior Caleb Yu practices drills with senior Bryan Wang during an open gym session in preparation for the season.

Photo or Graphic for: Boys’ basketball teams to participate in winter break tournament in Canada

Daniel Wu
December 2, 2023
Junior Keion Ashjaee-Marshall works towards a cradle hold against sophomore Jayden Kwong.

Photo or Graphic for: New wrestlers work with experienced new coach

Aiden Ye
November 17, 2023
Sophomore Nathan Liu goes for a layup as both junior Daniel Jadali and senior Bryan Wang tail after him during practice.

Boys’ basketball team forged team chemistry in sweltering summer practices

Bill Huang and Bryan Zhao
November 16, 2023
Urvi Iyer dribbles down the court towards teammate Ava Cai.

Photo or Graphic for: Season preview: Guided by new coach, girls’ basketball focuses on shoring up defense

Aiden Ye and Florence Wei
November 16, 2023
Senior Jiah Jung does a simple drill during tryouts.

Photo or Graphic for: Girls’ soccer preview: Spendlove, Oberhauser lead Falcons into a new season

Amelia Chang and Ruiyan Zhu
November 15, 2023
 Sophomore Jack Dong attentively poses an inquisitive question to teacher PJ Yim. 

Flipped classrooms maximize class time for active learning 

Lawson Wang and Bryan Zhao
November 8, 2023
Students fill the student center on a Tuesday night for debate practice.

A new year for speech and debate: new faces, new branches and more hopes for more national tournament bids

Alan Cai and Bryan Zhao
November 8, 2023
Traffic lights glare red as soon as they see me.

Traffic lights: Are they really automated?

Bryan Zhao
November 6, 2023
The winter view of Yosemite covered in a fluffy blanket of snow.

My favorite vacation spot: the glorious — and nearby — Yosemite Valley

Bryan Zhao
November 5, 2023
Junior goalie Lera Polyakova gets ready to block the shot on goal during a home game against Homestead on Sept. 26. 

Photo or Graphic for: 1-loss girls’ water polo celebrates success in league 

Richard Fan
October 21, 2023
Casavant points to a formula detailing the velocity of an object in a circular orbit.

From high tech to high school hallways: Former engineer joins science faculty

Bryan Zhao
October 15, 2023
Sophomore William Huang vigorously plays the game League of Legends during an important class.

Photo or Graphic for: Bring Your Own Device policy has fundamental flaws

Alan Cai
September 29, 2023
Coach busy dishing out lessons on and off the court

Coach busy dishing out lessons on and off the court

Bill Huang and Bryan Zhao
September 29, 2023
Students in biology class peer into a microscope and record their observations.

Photo or Graphic for: New biology teacher Jennifer Lee returns to SHS after 3 years at LG

Florence Hu
September 29, 2023
The Falcons preparing to execute their Run-Pass-Option play during their Homecoming game.

Photo or Graphic for: Pioneers plow through Falcons’ defense in Homecoming defeat

Caitlin Stoiber and Nika Svizhenko
September 29, 2023
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