May 29, 2020 Saratoga High School Saratoga, CA SPECIAL EDITION Vol
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Editors’ note: This is a special edition of the Falcon OPINION 9 SCHOOL SCOPE 17 that has been mailed to all SHS households as we try to support a small Bay Area business, our printer Reporter Seniors lose Folger Graphics in Hayward. The Falcon is largely examines moments due working online during shelter-in-place. We hope our rising farmer to school year work will help you feel connected to our community in these trying times. suicide rates. cut short. — Manasi Garg, Allison Hartley, Rohan Kumar, Kaitlyn Tsai THE saratogafalconAN INDEPENDENT HIGH SCHOOL PUBLICATION Friday, May 29, 2020 Saratoga High School Saratoga, CA SPECIAL EDITION Vol. 60, No. 9 Choir director Drama and English teacher Sarah Thermond Spanish teacher Bret Yeilding will retire after 20 years at SHS. will teach drama full time at Palo Alto High. accused of sexual assault BY ManasiGarg, AllisonHartley & KaitlynTsai Choir director Andrew Ford was ar- rested on May 15 and charged with sexually assaulting a minor between 2004 and 2006, according to a published report in the East Bay Times. The 33-year-old teacher was charged with one count each of sexual pen- etration by force or duress, oral copulation by force or duress and oral copulation with a minor under 18. The district is currently investigating whether any inappropriate behavior oc- curred during Ford’s time at Saratoga High. Ford has been placed on a leave of absence LONGTIMELEAVING STAFF MEMBERS MAKE TRANSITIONS THE AT ENDNEST OF SCHOOL YEAR by the district since mid-April and is cur- rently being held at Elmwood men’s jail in English teacher Susanna Ryan Milpitas, where he is being held on $250,000 will move to Alabama. bail, the East Bay Times reported. Before Ford left, he told his students he had to attend to a family emergency and would return as soon as possible, said junior Francesca Fernandes, who is in choir. In the interim, band director Jason Shiuan has taken over the class and helped organize a virtual choir piece, for which a video editor strung together individual recordings from each choir member. Ford has worked as the choral director CHOIR DIRECTOR on pg. 6 Librarian Kevin Heyman will retire after 12 years at SHS. TEACHERS on pgs. 4 & 5 District faces budget cuts Seniors to pick up diplomas BY ManasiGarg school district is roughly $62 million. The & KaitlynTsai district is largely funded by local property in drive-through graduation taxes instead of receiving money from the The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High state based on average daily attendance. BY NityaMarimuthu class office does not have more informa- School District has projected that spending Louie said the district will likely cut tion about the virtual graduation . needs to be cut by up to $1.6 million annu- spending per student. Pottage said they After receiving a green light from the Senior class representative Emma Hsu ally for the next three years to offset a deficit will reduce overtime and paid leave, which county, the diploma presentation cer- said that senior class officers and admin- of $4.1 million due to losses in funding from could save the district another $250,000. emony for the Class of 2020 will take place istration have been considering many the state and expected drops in local prop- Departing employees will increasingly on June 1 on the top of the stairs at the options, including holding a traditional erty tax revenue. This number is subject to not be replaced whenever possible. For in- McAfee Center. graduation in August, but eventually set- change as the pandemic progresses. stance, after librarian Kevin Heyman retires, According to principal Greg Louie, tled upon this model. She said that this Rosemarie Pottage, the district’s chief the district will not replace his job, and well- graduates will come to the center at a was not the ideal situation, but that she is business officer, said that leaders will try to ness coordinator Marina Barnes will return scheduled time with any immediate family optimistic that the virtual graduation will avoid layoffs and maintain classes and pro- to her position as school resource aide, members in one car and will commence in still be meaningful. grams. The specifics of spending cuts have essentially eliminating a position. Some an orderly manner that “Personally, I am quite not been spelled out. maintains social dis- bummed that we are having a The combined yearly budget for the two- BUDGET on pg. 2 tancing while efficiently drive-through diploma pick streamlining graduates. up and a virtual graduation The procession — this year, because I have been consisting of graduates looking forward to all senior in their cars — will start activities since my freshman near the parking lot year, and the effects of the CO- by the stadium and will VID-19 precautions changed so proceed toward the McAfee many plans in an instant,” Hsu said. Center. Graduates’ families will pull into a Senior Armina Mayya called the modi- designated spot one by one. fied graduation “pretty depressing,” but Upon stopping, the student will exit the she understands that administration and car and go up the ramp to the McAfee, and the senior class officers are trying to ac- after having their name announced will commodate as much as possible and that pick up the diploma cover. They will then the situation is unlucky. exit the stage, return any borrowed gowns, “[The modified graduation is] a very PERMIT #3335 PERMIT HAYWARD CA HAYWARD go back to their car and exit through the anticlimactic end to high school, but I un- PAID lot by the stadium. derstand that it’s the best we can do [due SARATOGA CA 95070 CA SARATOGA US POSTAGE US The administration hopes to live- to] COVID-19,” Mayya said. “I am just 20300 HERRIMAN AVE AVE HERRIMAN 20300 NONPROFIT ORG NONPROFIT stream the ceremony in a virtual gradu- super grateful for the administration and ation on June 4 for those who cannot be class officers for organizing all of this for there in person. As of right now, the senior us.” u ALL GRAPHICS BY NITYA MARIMUTHU AND ALEKHYA VADLAKONDA NEWS 1-6 OPINION 7-10 LIFESTYLES 11-13 ENTERTAINMENT 14-16 SCHOOL SCOPE 17-19 IN-DEPTH 20-21 SPORTS 22-23 BACKPAGE 24 The Saratoga Falcon The Saratoga Falcon 2 NEWS May 29, 2020 May 29, 2020 NEWS 3 picturethis Community organizations help newsbriefs locals under shelter-in-place BY MarisaKingsley profit community organizations $10,000 to WVCS. to help low-income families as SASCC runs an adult daycare Two juniors recognized at NHD state competition Before the COVID-19 crisis, el- unemployment rates skyrocketed. program helping older adults with The statewide National History Day Competition (NHD- derly residents could find a range According to Mercury News, 3.4 cognitive and physical disabilities CA) held a virtual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 13 of activities and groups for senior million Californians have filed for in addition to the Saratoga Area that announced qualifications for nationals along with other citizens at the Saratoga Area Se- unemployment due to economic Senior Center. They are now ex- merits. Among the seven groups of student finalists from nior Center, including memoir- fallout amid COVID-19. panding efforts to provide services SHS, two students received awards. writing, Chinese Chamber music, As a result, many local orga- to aid those over the age of 65 dur- Junior Riya Jain won the Japanese American History line dancing and Tai-Chi. nizations are urgently asking the ing this challenging time. Award for her documentary, “Fighting on Two Fronts: The Now, the only local classes public for monetary donations in New resources include video Fight against Japanese Internment,” while junior Francesca offered to seniors are online as order to buy food and other sup- tutorials on how to use grocery Fernandes received an Honorable Mention for her perfor- 20-minute YouTube videos. These plies for low-income families, as and meal delivery services, and mance “Elizabeth Hamilton: How One Woman Revolution- are part of the ongoing effort well as asking for volunteers. ordering essential items online. ized the Role of Women in American Society and Its Poli- by Saratoga Area Coordinating One such organization is West Additionally, they offer online tics.” Council, which runs the center, to Valley Community Services, instructor-led classes such as yoga Although Jain and Fernandes won these awards, they did stay connected with its members which provides financial assis- and lipreading, and RYDE, SAS- not move forward to nationals. Five other groups of students during the state’s shelter-in-place tance and food to families living in CC’s senior transportation service, also did not advance but were finalists for the state compe- order. Cupertino, Los Gatos, Monte Sere- has been repurposed as a delivery tition. These juniors included Neeti Badve, Tabitha Hulme, FALCON // ANGELINA CHEN “Our remaining staff is working no, Saratoga and West San Jose. service. Nitya Marimuthu, Nikhil Nair, Hermione Bossolina, Ankita Graduate goodbyes | Principal Greg Louie hands senior Jackson Gress a lawn sign in the from home and trying our best to Cathy Thermond, mother of dra- The transition from in-person Chatterjee, Katie Chen, Urmila Vudali, Michelle Wu, Aliza drive-through cap and gown pickup on Thursday, May 21. Staff members traded seniors adapt to this situation while stay- ma teacher Sarah Thermond, is an care to remote assistance has not Zaman, Amanda Zhu, Rohan Kumar, Anthony Qin, Aaron ing positive and accessible to our active volunteer of WVCS through been easy for the organization. Wong and Karen Lei. their textbooks for the class photo, a lawn sign, a t-shirt and their cap and gown.