Author name: The Lightning Rod

Review: They Can Dance, They Can Jive–SSHS Drama Club Stuns in Mamma Mia!

March 27, 2023  by Francisca Schmalz (‘24) March 27, 2023 photos by Sorell McIntire (‘25) Mamma Mia!, the musical inspired by Abba’s phenomenal and enduring hits, came to Saratoga Springs High School from March 16 through 18. Originating in London’s West End in 1999, then going onto Broadway in 2001, and eventually being adapted into […]

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Vape Detectors, ISS, and A Pack of Gum: Conversation Continues Over How to Prevent Vaping at SSHS 

March 27, 2023  by Ciara Meyer (‘23) In February, all Saratoga Springs High School (SSHS) students and families received an email from Principal Michelle Tsao entitled “Vape Detectors @ SSHS” announcing the school’s newest vaping prevention initiative. By March, some students say they have already discovered how to avoid and evade detection. “To be honest,

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Opinion: Interviewing ChatGPT Didn’t Mitigate My Concerns Over Bias in AI

March 13, 2023  by AJ Martin (‘24) Much ado has been made in the media about Artifical Intelligence (AI) over the years, from fictional foes such as The Terminator and HAL-9000, to actual AI like IBM’s Watson or Hanson Robotics’s Sophia. From debating over what jobs might become automated, to the possibility of robot uprising,

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Humans of SSHS: From Aabenraa to Saratoga, Study Abroad Student Victoria Lauesen

March 13, 2023  by Elijah N’dolo (‘24) To some, Victoria Lauesen may just be the always-smiling girl in your math or history class, but do not let her impeccable accent deceive you into thinking that she is your everyday Saratoga born-and-raised student. She is, in fact, an exchange student from Denmark, who spent many years 

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Travel: SSHS French Class Québec Trip of 2023 Review

March 13, 2023  by Olivia Clemmensen (‘26) From Thursday, March 9 through Saturday, March 11, Saratoga Springs High School (SSHS) freshmen and sophomores went on a trip to Québec City for their French classes to practice their conversational French, enjoy the views of Québec, and have a fun time with friends exploring French culture.  Students

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Swim and Dive: After a Stunning Season, Boys Varsity Swim Makes it to States

March 13, 2023  by Maggie Trautner (‘25) On Saturday, March 4th, four members of the Saratoga Springs High School (SSHS) boys’ varsity swimming and diving team competed at the state meet: seniors Connor Baird and Mason Cartier, sophomore Anthony Sanchez, and eighth grader Kevin (Anderson) Baird. The boys medley relay team qualified for states at

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“Wait… Teachers Have Lives Outside of School?”: Vol 5. Mrs. Perry 

March 13, 2023  by Aditi Singh (‘24) Meet Mrs. Perry!  What do you teach?  “AP World and AP Psychology,” Mrs. Perry said. When asked which class she liked better (because one just has to ask) she replied with, “oooo! That’s a really hard one.” Although she did not pick a favorite, she did say she

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Opinion: The Lose-Lose Dilemma of the willow project

March 13, 2023  by Darren Pasek (‘25) Biden is facing one of his largest dilemmas yet: submitting to the temptation of lobbying money for his campaign and backing a local and national economic lift, or holding true to his promise of protecting the environment. Oil giant ConocoPhillips has been planning a massive, decades long oil

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Movie Review: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

February 27, 2023 by Francisca Schmalz (’24) Warning: this review contains spoilers Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is the introduction to Marvel’s next cinematic phase, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This was the first time the audience has seen Ant-Man, The Wasp, and company since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.   Personally, I loved it, although it wasn’t

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Music: The Grammys Outshined The Brits this Awards Season

February 27, 2023 by Eliza Howenstein (’24) Both The Grammy Awards and The Brit Awards generated massive buzz with star-packed nominees and incredible performance lineups this year. To determine which was truly the best award show, I’ve compiled a ranking of each show’s best moments.   The Grammys best moments:  The fourth most special moment was

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