October 13, 2025 by Olivia Clemmensen (‘26)
Local:
- Toga Spirit Week: Saratoga Springs High School spirit week starts TOMORROW! As we prepare for the highly anticipated Blue Streaks Homecoming game this Friday, October 17th, show some school pride by participating in SSHS’s spirit week themes! Pajama Day is Tuesday, followed by all-out pink on Wednesday, Y2K Thursday, and of course our classic Toga Blue Out on gameday!
- Homecoming Varsity Football Game 10/17: Saratoga Springs High School Varsity Football plays their last home game this Friday at 7pm against Albany High School. The Blue Streaks have had quite a successful season so far, with 5 wins against Monroe-Woodbury, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Shaker, Colonie, and a recent victory against Guilderland this past Friday. Having only 1 loss in a mid-September game against CBA, one can hope the Blue Streaks will use this successful momentum and finish the season out strong. As the 17th is Saratoga’s homecoming game, SSHS hopes to see the student section lively with as much Toga spirit and noise as possible!
National:
- Day 12 of U.S. Government Shutdown: The American government has been in shutdown since the beginning of October, meaning that the United States is in a forced period of halting all nonessential operations and services run by federal departments due to lack of funding. The shutdown is due to Congress not passing annual appropriation bills that are normally enacted each year on 10/1. This year’s situation stemmed from Congress’s disagreements over budget priorities, as republicans are pushing for budgetary cuts while democrats want to extend funding for healthcare (particularly Medicaid). The Trump Administration is not new to these shutdowns, however. In President Trump’s first term, the federal government saw three shutdowns, one of which stands as the longest in U.S. history, lasting a total of 35 days.
Trump directs Pentagon to ensure troops are paid despite government shutdown | AP News
Government shutdown 2025: What to know | USAFacts
The federal government is still shut down. Here’s what that means in your community : NPR
- Super Bowl Halftime Performer for 2026: Super Bowl 60, which will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California February 8th, now has its halftime show performer: Bad Bunny. Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer known as the “King of Latin Trap”, who has dominated the realm of Latin music since the mid 2010s. After last year’s performance from Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny will be the next to have the football field-and the largest number of viewers of any sporting event- as his stage.
Global:
- Israel-Palestine Ceasefire: A ceasefire has gone into effect on October 10th in both Gaza and the West Bank. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are now headed back to the Gaza Strip after years of Israeli strikes. The Israeli-Palestine is rooted in decades long conflict, reigniting after the October 7th attack from Hamas which led to 2 years of conflict. There are still details and logistics to be figured out surrounding this ceasefire, specifically who will now govern Gaza as Israeli troops withdraw, and if Hamas will disarm and retreat.
Thousands of Palestinians return home as Gaza ceasefire begins | AP News
- Nobel Peace Prize 2025: Venezuelan peace activist Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 10th, for her effort in “promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy”, as stated by Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the Norwegian Nobel committee chair. Venezuela has been under a authoritarian regime for quite some time, and Ms. Machado’s effort to speak out for judicial independence, human rights and popular representation has contributed greatly to the push towards the freedom of the Venezuelan people.