The Laughter Online!
Saint Francis teacher wins an incredibly underwhelming award
by Carol Donnell, undercover contributing writer | April 15, 2024 Last Friday night, on the hoppin’ outskirts of Sacramento, all…
Saint Francis develops revolutionary new app, Find My Lanyard
by Coo Rootenburg (’26), Adleyhay Afay (’26), and Oar Anahas (’26) | April 15, 2024 Show up to school and…
The Jostens Hands: professional clappers for your walk
by Super Senior | April 15, 2024 The big day is coming soon. You’ve worked long days and nights for…
Winston to participate in celebrity cook-off against Gordon Ramsay
by Cook E. Luvr | April 15, 2024 Saint Francis High School’s very own Winston Wint made headlines after celebrity…
EXCLUSIVE: St. Franny advice column receives sorrowful letters from Eggers Innovation Center and Welcome Center
by 006 and 008 | April 15, 2024 A couple months ago, The Lancer launched its very own advice column.…
Campus Life
The senior legacy: final words from the class of 2024
by Katherine Winton (’25) | March 22, 2024 The class of 2024 has faced many challenges, one of the largest being the fact that they are the last grade to have had to miss part of their high school career because of COVID-19. With their graduation coming up soon in May, I wanted to give some seniors a chance to leave behind a legacy, telling Lancers their favorite memories and pieces of advice. Several seniors named specific sports games as their most memorable times at Saint Francis. Ava Malae, Aidan Fernandez, and Katherine Adkison all fondly look back on the…
Teacher Feature: Mr. Chihiro Ikezi
by Katherine Winton (’25) | March 22, 2024 Mr. Chihiro Ikezi, one of our physics teachers, has been teaching at Saint Francis for the past 25 years. He has taught AP Physics, Conceptual Physics,…
Introducing tomorrow’s innovators: LancerHacks VII
by Sahana Rao (’26) | March 22, 2024 Early this March, Saint Francis High School hosted LancerHacks VII, our campus’s annual coding competition. The hackathon spanned 15 hours, allowing students to not only work…
Roadblocks to change: the challenges of creating a sustainable Saint Francis
by Kylie Chen (’24) | March 22, 2024 As climate change becomes a more visible part of everyday life, from increasingly hot summers to frequent wildfires, sustainability is becoming a more pressing issue around…
All About Alumni: Linda Kao
by Kylie Chen (’24) and Katherine Winton (’25) | March 22, 2024 Some Lancers take inspiration from their Saint Francis classes when deciding what they want to do after graduation. For Ms. Linda Kao…
Opinions
Why are teachers quitting?
by Selah Dorn (’25)| March 22, 2024 My TikTok feed is a mixture of music recommendations, political commentary, consumer culture,…
Why doesn’t anyone read anymore?
by Myra Malhotra (’26) | March 22, 2024 In an age where digital distractions abound and the demands of daily…
People Problem: how ableist language perpetuates discrimination
by Aanya Mittu (’25) | March 22, 2024 The power of language often goes unnoticed in our daily lives, especially…
Beyond breakouts: is acne only skin deep?
by Mollie Jones (’27) | March 22, 2024 Many claim acne as one of the most commonly stigmatized skin conditions…
Science
SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket
by Brian Lin (’27) | March 22, 2024 During SpaceX’s first-ever rocket launch of the Falcon 1, the engine failed after 33 seconds, causing the rocket to dive straight into…
Bay Area Environmental Spotlight: Art Hall, Bay Area’s Beeman
by Aiden Olsen (’24) | March 22, 2024 A figure covered in a sealed canvas suit with thick gloves stands over a large box. Smoke fogs through his screened peripheral…
Conservation Chronicles: alarming series of endangered right whale deaths concerns environmentalists
by Valerie Wong (’24) | March 22, 2024 A series of endangered right whale deaths this year has renewed calls for increased shipping lane regulation in regions that these right…
Climate change causing water shortages
by Myra Malhotra (’26) | March 22, 2024 Global water usage has steadily increased by 1% annually over the last four decades. This trend is alarming, especially considering that by…
Entertainment
Rom-Com Reflections: difficult versus obedient women in “10 Things I Hate About You”
by Smriti Vijay (’25) | March 22, 2024 According to the theory of basic emotions and expressions by Paul Ekman, humans have six basic emotions—sadness, happiness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust—that transcend cultural and social barriers. The perception of these emotions is also reportedly equal across…
Bending boundaries in “Avatar: The Last Airbender”
by Semira Arora (’25) | March 22, 2024 While Tiger King and The Queen’s Gambit were what filled people’s screens during quarantine four years ago, I found myself sinking deeply into my couch and watching Avatar the Last Airbender (ATLA) instead. Seeing the magical adventures of…
Two People, Two Decades, “One Day”
by Madeleine Nguyen (’26) | March 22, 2024 This article contains spoilers. For the second time, David Nicholls’s stunning novel, One Day (2024), has been adapted and displayed on the big screen. Its first adaptation in 2011, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgees, garnered around $59…
“DreamRealm Unleashed”: junior Sahasra Nistala’s journey to becoming a published author
by Katherine Winton (’25) | March 22, 2024 Art by Katherine Winton (’25) One of our very own Lancers, Sahasra Nistala (’25), is publishing her debut novel, DreamRealm Unleashed, on March 24. The middle grade fantasy novel, which features action and humor similar to popular series…
Pieces on Pride: “The Ellen Show” and what it means to advocate for human rights
by Katherine Winton (’25) | March 22, 2024 I remember watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show growing up and thinking that she was a hilarious host. It wasn’t until I was older that I began to grow uncomfortable with some of her jokes, not to mention the…
Letters on Friday the 13th: “Five Nights At Freddy’s” reaffirmed my childhood nightmares
by Sophia Tran (’25) | March 22, 2024 My first exposure to the video game Five Nights at Freddy’s began four years ago. As a thirteen-year-old, I watched my younger brother tap furiously on his mouse and squeal in terror as a humongous yellow chicken animatronic…
Food & Dining
At the Teacher’s Table: vinha d’alhos with Mr. Carroll
by Amélia Ávila (’24) | March 22, 2024 When he’s not lecturing for AP US Government or analyzing classic cinema with his Film as Lit class, Mr. Carroll enjoys sampling different cuisines.…
A Walk Down Castro Street: the ultimate bubble tea review
by Kylie Chen (’24), Sophia Tran (’24), Amélia Ávila (’24), and Valerie Wong (’24) | March 22, 2024 One of the best aspects of Downtown Mountain View is the variety…
Stan’s Donuts: glazed to perfection
by Srivalli Adarapu (’26) and Mahi Raithatha (’26) | March 22, 2024 Americans love delicious deep fried treats, especially donuts. Over 25,000 shops in the United States serve these delectable desserts, which originated in…
A pit-perfect dessert: making avocado smoothies
by Sandra Ximen (’26) | March 22, 2024 From guacamole to the popular avocado toast, avocado is a beloved ingredient in cuisines all over the world. With its light flavor…
Teacher Feature
All About Alumni
Sports
Photo Diaries: just keep swimming
by Megan Wang (’25) and Kylie Tran (’25) | March 22, 2024
Diving Deeper: Girls’ Lacrosse
by Anusha Jain (’25) | March 22, 2024 Although the spring sports season has just begun, the Saint Francis Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse team has started this year off with numerous impressive victories. The Lancers went 3-1 in their preseason, with big wins against Palo Alto High…
March Madness: the insanity of basketball
by Arav Bansal (’26) | March 22, 2024 Every year, millions of college basketball fans attempt to create the perfect March Madness bracket. March Madness refers to the insanity and unpredictability of the annual, single-elimination college basketball playoffs. Sixty-four Division I teams participate in this competition, attempting…
Boys’ Volleyball sets themselves up for success
by Anusha Jain (’25) and Smriti Vijay (’25) | March 22, 2024 Coming off of an undefeated preseason, the Saint Francis Boys’ Volleyball team has kicked off league play with impressive victories against Sacred Heart Cathedral and Valley Christian High School to currently sit undefeated in…
Photo Diaries: Boys’ Volleyball season opener
by Megan Wang (’25) and Kylie Tran (’25) | March 1, 2024
Diving into new waters
by Ashley Holcomb (’27) | March 1, 2024 With a new diving season underway, major changes have been made to the leadership of the program. Last year, the Saint Francis diving team had no head coach and was run solely by the divers themselves. This year,…
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