Campus Life

Campus Life, formerly known as News and Features, covers the Saint Francis’ community’s latest happenings, different behind-the-scenes interviews, and human-centered stories.

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…

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 (’94), this was not the case; in fact, she did not realize that she wanted to become an author until after…

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 in groups to complete their creations but also to engage in a range of activities fostering camaraderie. The event welcomed over…

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 the world and on the Saint Francis campus. While the school is currently working toward becoming sustainable, grassroots movements started by…

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, Physics Honors, and regular Physics but most recently has primarily taught the latter two. Aside from teaching, he moderates the Guitar…

French exchange students visit Saint Francis families and campus

by Madeleine Nguyen (’26) | March 1, 2024 You may have heard the buzz that there were students from France on campus a few weeks ago, and you might have even seen them in your classes. Our Lancer community recently welcomed a group of French exchange students, as well as two French educators, from the…

Teacher Feature: Mr. Dudley Battle

by Kylie Chen (’24) | March 1, 2024 Known across campus for his dynamic personality, Mr. Dudley Battle has been an educator at Saint Francis for over twenty years. He teaches French 1, French 3, and AP Psychology, and he is currently the moderator of Saint Francis’ Sophomore Student Council and the coach for the…

Diplomatic domination with Saint Francis Model United Nations

by Katherine Winton (’25) | March 1, 2024 On February 2 and 3, the Saint Francis Model United Nations club (SFMUN) attended the 53rd Santa Clara Valley Model United Nations (SCVMUN) conference at Santa Teresa High School. Twenty Lancers, forming eleven groups, participated, winning a total of five awards. This was the first Model UN…

All About Alumni: Lizzie Lonergan

by Semira Arora (’25) | March 1, 2024 Amongst the athletes and writers at Saint Francis, there are also many Lancers who pursue their interests outside of school through art or theater as a form of self-expression. For Elizabeth (Lizzie) Lonergan (’17), this was the case. Her artistic skills and her experience with the audio-visual…

Carnaval comes to campus

by Sahana Rao (’26) | March 1, 2024 With the arrival of spring, the Christian tradition welcomes Lent, a time of reflection leading up to Easter. This forty-day period is marked by fasting and self-reflection, paralleling Jesus’ forty-day journey in the desert. But before this period of fasting, many cultures around the world celebrate a…

Class jersey clash: the truth behind the changes to the senior jersey tradition

by Sahastra Nitsala (’25)| February 2, 2024 For a long time, senior jerseys at Saint Francis have served as a rite of passage, a unifying tradition for the graduating class. However, like many other beloved traditions, it has undergone changes to reflect the needs of the student body. To what extent is this tradition at…

Saint Francis continues to highlight diversity through multicultural week

by Arsenii Tarasenko (’25) | February 2, 2024 With the resounding success of last year’s first-ever Multicultural Week, it was natural to keep it going. Although many events like the food fair, dance workshops, and the Interfaith Prayer Service continued, a few changes were made this year.  On Monday, students visited the Sobrato Commons to…

All About Alumni: Dr. K. Megan McArthur

by Semira Arora (’25) and Katherine Winton (’25) | February 2, 2024 After graduating high school, some Lancers find themselves wanting to leave the Bay Area and venture off to other parts of the country, or even across the world, as they become young adults. For others, California remains the place to be. But Dr.…

Teacher Feature: Mr. Evan Pasion

by Katherine Winton (’25) and Kylie Chen (’24) | February 2, 2024 Mr. Evan Pasion, who graduated from Saint Francis in 2003, has been an educator at Saint Francis for sixteen years. As the head of the math department, he primarily teaches AP Calculus AB, but he also currently teaches Economics and AP Macroeconomics and…

All About Alumni: Brooke Baker

by Katherine Winton (’25) and Kylie Chen (’24) | November 17, 2023 Some Lancers participate in a wide variety of activities on campus, from fun clubs to challenging sports. Others, however, find themselves hesitant to participate, whether it be because of introversion or an uncertainty as to where they fit in. For Brooke Baker (’23),…

Teacher Feature: Mr. Dan Quinn

by Katherine Winton (’25) and Semira Arora (’25) | November 17, 2023 For the past 31 years, Mr. Dan Quinn has served at Saint Francis as an educator and is currently a teacher for AP English Language and Composition and a Campus Minister for Mission Formation. He is also an assistant coach for varsity football.…

The holiday season around the world

by Vishnu Potharaju (’24) and Caterina Alzati-Saldana (’25) | November 17, 2023 The fall season is marked by many things: colorful leaves, a chill in the air, warm Starbucks drinks, and much more. But fall also coincides with the holiday season; in cultures worldwide, these next few months contain numerous celebrations of all sorts of…

Behind the scenes of Homecoming ’23

by Akshara Panchumarthi (’26) and Sahana Rao (’26) | November 17, 2023 Homecoming is an essential part of the high school experience. As soon as the academic year begins, students are waiting for that grand week filled with festivities and school spirit. Even though the week itself feels fun and entertaining, there is a lot…

Crafting comfort: the story of 1001 Plushies

by Sahara Nistala (’25) | November 17, 2023 Every Tuesday, room 501 transforms from an ordinary classroom into a craft workshop equipped with its own sewing machine and rolls of felt and thread. Chatter fills the air as the members of 1001 Plushies meet to create felt crafts for charity. “It’s a really cozy and…

The freshman experience

by Graham Smoot (’27) and Savannah Mann (’27) | October 6, 2023 “After my first month [at Saint Francis], I feel like my perspective completely changed. I started to get involved on campus and [it] pushed me into the community,” says Vivian Rogers (’27). Attending a new school can be exciting but also nerve-racking. We…

From conflicts to consensus: Model UN’s remarkable comeback

by Sahasra Nistala (’25) | October 6, 2023 For many high school students across the United States, Model United Nations provides an opportunity to practice public speaking skills while finding solutions to the world’s problems. Saint Francis used to have a Model UN club, but it dissolved during the pandemic. Recently, Saint Francis students joined…

“Party in the U.S.A.”: the Back-to-School Pep Rally

by Mollie Jones (’27) | October 6, 2023 Saint Francis witnessed a “Party in the U.S.A.” at last month’s Back-to-School pep rally. Various school groups, including educators, Rally Board, Varsity Fall Sports athletes, Band, Student Council, Pom Squad, Color Guard, and Cheerleading, were all involved in the production of the grand event. The band kicked…

All About Alumni: Ms. Sharon Purcell

by Kylie Chen (’24) and Katherine Winton (’25) | October 6, 2023 What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Saint Francis? For most, it’s sports—with hundreds of league championships, many sectional, regional, and state titles, and a long list of Lancers who have competed in college and even professionally,…

Teacher Feature: Ms. Kelly Walsh

by Kasper Halevy (’24) and Semira Arora (’25) Ms. Kelly Walsh has been an educator at Saint Francis for nearly two decades. Through serving as the Social Studies Department Chair and teaching both AP Macroeconomics and AP United States History, she strives to enliven these disciplines beyond the textbook. Ms. Walsh also moderates the Stock…

Road Trip! Holy Cross Spirit Week  

by Sungwook Yang (’26) and Anika Bastin (’23) | March 31, 2023 In late March, Saint Francis hosted its first annual Holy Cross Spirit Week, intended to ground the school’s spirit in Holy Cross values. Over the course of the week, Lancers embarked on a road trip to visit Saint Francis’s sister schools in the…

Cracking the code: all-female hackathon AdaHacks IV

by Thanisha Kapur (’25) and Avi Gupta (’24) | March 31, 2023 On March 11, Saint Francis’s Girls Who Code (GWC) club hosted AdaHacks, its fourth-ever hackathon, in collaboration with YouTube. AdaHacks, a fourteen-hour hackathon aimed to encourage girls to pursue STEM, provided participants with the opportunity to attend workshops, listen to guest speakers, and…

Transcending the boundaries of education: Innovation@Saint Francis

by Arhana Aatresh (’23) and Alexander Chang (’23) | March 31, 2023 Saint Francis is no stranger to innovation. In addition to constructing spaces for experiential learning, such as the Eggers Innovation Center, students have had opportunities to be involved in programs and partnerships that are pushing the boundaries of education. One of the school’s…

On the Same Page: feminism and dystopia in The Handmaid’s Tale

by Smriti Vijay (’25) and Katherine Winton (’25) | March 31, 2023 The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood holds a significant place in literature as a feminist criticism. The widely acclaimed novel resides in the genres of dystopia, science fiction, fantasy, and feminist literature, chronicling the fictional takeover of the United States by the Republic…

Club Chronicles: competition season in full swing for Team 2367

by Will Li (’23) | March 31, 2021 My dearest readers, it is with great sorrow that I inform you that my time as a Lancer columnist and staff member is coming to a close. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the tenth and final article of Club Chronicles. The match begins. Robots are…

Hot Takes: freshman and junior edition

by Aanya Mittu (’25) and Smriti Vijay (’25) | March 31, 2023 For the last issue of the newspaper, The Lancer worked day and night to figure out which of the remaining two classes would receive the honored opportunity to share their hot takes: the juniors, or the freshmen? After hours of deliberation, multiple conferences,…

Coding “upside down”: LancerHacks VI

by Rohan Sinha (’23) and Katherine Winton (’25) | March 10, 2023 On February 11, Saint Francis welcomed around 120 students to participate in LancerHacks VI, the sixth annual 12-hour hackathon hosted by the Programming Club. The coding competition welcomed students of all programming backgrounds to collaborate on projects. With the theme “Upside Down,” LancerHacks…

“Flying Around the World”: Annual International Showcase builds community

by Smriti Vijay (’25) | March 10, 2023 Manned by the board of the International Club, a plane took off on February 24, 2023 from Saint Francis, signaling the start of the annual International Showcase. This year’s event centered on the theme of “flying around the world” and featured creative art forms from a multitude…

Much-anticipated TEDxSaintFrancis 2023 shines on the stage

by Will Li (’23) and Utkarsh Agarwal (’23) | March 10, 2023 On Saturday, March 4, TEDxSaintFrancisHS returned to the Performing Arts Center for its fourth annual event. A diverse lineup of thirteen speakers from all four grades shared stories with the Saint Francis community on themes ranging from digital detoxes to multicultural identity. The…

Teacher’s Hot Takes

by Smriti Vijay (’25) and Aanya Mittu (’25) | March 10, 2023 Our tenured faculty here at Saint Francis has, no doubt, amassed a variety of unpopular opinions throughout their time as educators. From new teachers to those who have taught at Saint Francis for debates, The Lancer set out to find our favorite teachers’…

Club Chronicles: Chess Club

by Will Li (’23) | March 10, 2023 The timer ticks down to the final ten seconds. Eyes darting back and forth across the board, the player considers several tactics in a split second, searching for a move that could yield victory. But alas, none are to be found. Uncertain of the outcome, the player…

On the Same Page: depth, detail, and emotion in “Before the Coffee Gets Cold”

by Katherine Winton (’25) and Smriti Vijay (’25) | March 10, 2023 Traditionally, novels involving time travel exist squarely in the science fiction genre. The general premise of these stories consists of someone or something changing history, and a subsequent rushed sequence of problems that the main character races to remedy before time is altered…

ASB Incoming!

by Sahana Rao (’26) | March 10, 2023 The results of the Associated Student Body 2023-2024 elections have been announced. After their hard work and campaigning, four candidates were elected and four other candidates were appointed for various roles. Nyaah Cacao (’24), Hailey Harris (’24), Arif Mohamed (’24), and Charlie Withers (’24) were elected. Jiyou…

Saint Francis celebrates its diversity through first ever multicultural week

by Smriti Vijay (’25) | February 3, 2023 From January 23 to January 27, Saint Francis hosted its first-ever Multicultural Week. Several affinity groups organized activities to share their cultural traditions. Each day featured different themes, which encouraged students to wear cultural dress to school. Both students and educators were invited to participate in and…

Interfaith Prayer Service celebrates student leadership

by Sahana Rao (’26) | February 3, 2023 In line with the year’s theme of Celebrating Family, Saint Francis held its annual Interfaith Prayer Service, an event in which students from various religious backgrounds shared their faith with the school community. The day featured student-led prayers and traditions from the faiths of Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism,…

Long-awaited Eggers Innovation Center finally opens

by Aanya Mittu (’25) and Rohan Sinha (’23) | February 3, 2023 After long hours of sitting in classrooms with the faint sound of construction in the background, Lancer faculty and students finally walked the hallowed halls of the new Eggers Innovation Center. Opening ceremonies, tours, and prayers reminded students that joining Saint Francis does…

Teachers take other teachers’ tests

by Katherine Winton (’25) | February 3, 2023 Students are generally well-versed in many subjects, attending classes, taking exams, and (hopefully) performing well. But when teachers are given tests in subjects that they do not teach, how well do they perform? The Lancer put five teachers from different subjects into a classroom and have them…

Behind the scenes of Little Shop of Horrors

by Arhana Aatresh (’23) | February 3, 2023 Little Shop of Horrors, with a book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, initially seems like a frightful musical. The show follows the meek and earnest floral assistant Seymour Krelborn as he chances upon a carnivorous plant that promises him success and a…

Did we “fall in love with hope”? Signs point to no.

by Smriti Vijay (’25) and Katherine Winton (’25) | February 3, 2023 The world of literature has undoubtedly been altered by the rise of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, influencing the reading choices of a new generation of young readers belonging to virtual subcommunities like “BookTok.”  I Fell in Love with Hope, a…

Innovation Center insights from Mr. Jason Curtis

by Kasper Halevy (’24) and Krish Rastogi (’24) | February 3, 2023 The Eggers Innovation Center is finally open to students and educators after years of construction. What happened behind the scenes? What makes the building unique? What opportunities does the complex unlock? With several weeks of classes underway, President Jason Curtis shares his insight…

Club Chronicles: Mind, Body, Spirit

by Will Li (’23) | February 3, 2023 From daily sports practices to a never-ending stream of tests and projects, high school life can feel overly demanding at times. But the remedy to an overwhelming and hectic schedule is simply some time designated for mindfulness. Saint Francis’s Mind, Body, Spirit club offers just that with…

“The Sparrow” sweeps the stage

by Sahana Rao (’26) | November 18, 2022 This fall, Saint Francis put on a production of The Sparrow. Audiences watched as lead actress Maria Ana (’23) played Emily Book, a high school girl who secretly has magical powers. Emily moves back to her old town after a traumatic bus accident many years ago killed…

Saint Francis turns “upside down” for Homecoming

by Anika Bastin (’23) | November 18, 2022 During the last week of October, Saint Francis held a Stranger Things-themed Homecoming. Associated Student Body (ASB), Rally Board, Student Councils, and Rage Cage Captains worked together to create a week full of exciting activities for faculty and students. Homecoming kicked off with Spirit Week, to fuel…

Saint Francis celebrates the Feast of All Saints

by Smriti Vijay (’25) | November 18, 2022 In early November, Saint Francis students and faculty gathered in the Burns Gym to celebrate the All Saints’ Day Mass. Organized by the Saint Francis Campus Ministry, this annual Mass commemorated saints of the present and those who have passed on. Because All Saints’ Day is a…

Hot Takes: Senior Edition

by Smriti Vijay (’25) and Aanya Mittu (’25) | November 18, 2022 Throughout their four years at Saint Francis, seniors have developed their fair share of unpopular opinions and hot takes. As graduation looms, they are more eager than ever to leave their legacy with their controversial opinions. Out of the many unique submissions, the…

Behind the scenes with Hospitality

by Katherine Winton (’25) | November 18, 2022 Whether students are buying lunch from various spots on campus or going to the Urban Bloc for a snack, most Lancers interact with the Saint Francis Hospitality team on a daily basis. However, few students know about the great thought and effort that the Hospitality staff put…

On the Same Page: description and dread in “Bunny”

by Katherine Winton (’25) and Smriti Vijay (’25) | November 18, 2022 In light of Halloween, Saint Francis’s Book Club picked Bunny by Mona Awad to read and discuss in October. Bunny is narrated by college student Samantha Mackey, who believes herself to be the classic outsider amidst her fellow classmates. These classmates are a…

Club Chronicles: Aviation Club and a trip to SFO 

by Will Li (’23) | November 18, 2022 Photography by Abhijit Nambiar (’24) While a vast majority of commuters may consider flight merely another mode of transportation, there’s more to aviation than TSA PreCheck lines and soggy inflight meals. At Saint Francis, Aviation Club members explore aspects of aviation often overlooked by travelers, from aircraft…

Lancer FMSA hosts second Red Cross Blood Drive, meeting critical healthcare needs

by Arhana Aatresh (’23) and Nikita Senthil (’23) | November 18, 2022 Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, whether it be for cancer treatment or traumatic injuries. That’s the time it took to read that sentence. However, the country is facing a massive blood shortage, due to the all-time low registration of…