Showcase – The Talon

All-state Band musicians are all about that brass

Rising senior Jackson Van Vooren, rising senior Joanna Hsieh and rising junior Eve Zhang were all accepted into California's exclusive All-state Band. During quarantine, the three students have had the chance to reflect on their personal music careers and share their experiences with The Talon.

By Barrett Wong, Senior Writer

June 25, 2020

Around three months ago, three Los Altos students were invited to play in the All-state Band: rising senior Jackson Van Vooren, rising senior Joanna Hsieh and rising junior Eve Zhang. The band is open to all middle and high schoolers in California and has an intensive application process. The Talon interviewed...

State legislature rules in favor of affirmative action

The ACA-5 bill, which would legalize affirmative action, will now be on ballots in November.

By Natalie Wei

June 24, 2020

The California state legislature voted in favor of the controversial affirmative action bill ACA-5 today at 1:25 p.m. The bill, which passed 30–10 on the Senate floor, will now be on ballots in November. If ACA-5 passes in November by majority vote, California public universities will effecti...

QuaranTeachers: an immersive Q&A

By Elli Lahdesmaki, Marie Godderis, and Elana Eisenberg

June 15, 2020

We know it's summer, but you probably still feel isolated from your teachers and want to know how they're doing during quarantine. Talon's got your back! We interviewed some of your faves to give you a look into what it's like to be on the other end of your Zoom calls. Note: The responses were edited ...

Twitter thread sparks controversy about racism at Los Altos

On Monday, June 1, a Los Altos graduate posted a Twitter thread allegedly showing current and former Los Altos students demonstrating what some have called a racist culture at school.

By Tomoki Chien, Cedric Chan, and Isabella Borkovic

June 13, 2020

Note: Some sources have been given pseudonyms to preserve their anonymity. All pseudonyms are marked with an asterisk (*) at their first mention and in image captions. On Monday, June 1, a Los Altos High School graduate posted a Twitter thread showing current and former LAHS students demonstratin...

The Passion Project: exploring interests virtually

Rising sophomores Alyssa Manche (left) and Anika Sikka (right) founded The Passion Project, a global community organization that provides children in elementary and middle school with free extracurricular classes. Ranging from eco-justice sing-alongs to a Baker Street Book Club, these high schooler-taught lessons cater to the diverse interests of students.

By Parisa Larson, Business Manager

June 11, 2020

Before the shelter-in-place order, kids in elementary and middle school were rushing from soccer practice to painting, almost missing trumpet lessons. Now, the closure of many extracurricular activities has left students struggling to find activities to keep them busy at home. Freshmen Alyssa Manche...

Opinion: Governor Newsom’s proposal to suspend fitness tests is a step in the right direction

By Vaishu Sirkay

June 11, 2020

Every May, the majority of California freshmen take the California state standardized fitness test, completing activities like the 20-yard shuttle run, sit-ups and push-ups in an attempt to meet standards determined by age and gender. Next year, though, students may not have to take the state fitness test. Citing c...

Mountain View residents call for city council to cut police budget

By Cedric Chan and Tomoki Chien

June 9, 2020

Today, at 6:30 p.m., the Mountain View City Council met to address public concerns about police reform and budget cuts, among other agenda items. The meeting opened with a statement by Mountain View Police Chief Max Bosel. “A hate for all police officers ... is a phobia that I suggest is as unju...

Thawed chicken, clean dishes, and a lucky nickel: Omar’s journey working through a pandemic

Pictured above is sophomore Omar Ibrahim with his family standing in front of one of the sites of their restaurant group, Dishdash. During quarantine, Omar has been balancing working daily with completing schoolwork.

By Kate Stadler, Staff Writer

June 9, 2020

Some Los Altos students may be able to relax at home during the pandemic, doing homework and watching the newest additions to Netflix, but that’s certainly not the case for sophomore Omar Ibrahim. His family owns Dishdash, a restaurant group that serves Middle Eastern cuisine. He’s worked there daily...

“Say his name”: Mountain View protesters march for justice

Protesters march on El Camino Real towards the intersection at San Antonio. Yesterday, protesters took to the streets of Mountain View and expressed outrage over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

By Nathaniel Joffe, Cedric Chan, Navya Singhai, and Tomoki Chien

June 5, 2020

Protesters crowded the streets of Mountain View in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement at 5 p.m. yesterday. Bearing signs and calling chants, protesters expressed outrage over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Amid flaring national tensions and the ongoi...

The Talon supports the Black Lives Matter movement

June 4, 2020

The murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and too many others that came before them are overt examples of the hundreds of years of systemic racism ingrained in American culture and policies. The Black community must grapple with daily hardships and terrors that many of us at Los Altos wi...

Zoomin’ through quarantine: Gursh’s new single is a catchy success

2019 Los Altos High School alumnus Gurshaan Arora has received an outpouring of support and positive feedback, as well as a $500 prize, after the release of his new single,

By Elana Eisenberg, Staff Writer

May 26, 2020

While most people were baking a thousand loaves of banana bread or giving questionable haircuts to their family members during quarantine, 2019 Los Altos High School alumnus Gurshaan Arora (Gursh) was writing the lyrics to “Zoom!,” an original song that would end up winning him $500. Gursh is c...

STEMing up to the task of engineering a brighter future

In seventh grade, sophomore Sophia Shams started her STEM non-profit organization The Robonauts. In the midst of the pandemic, Sophia began a subproject under The Robonauts to 3D print face shield parts and supply them to hospitals in need all over the country.

By Rachel Rudyak, Staff Writer

May 21, 2020

Sophomore Sophia Shams’ early-found fascination for technology had her coding at six, competing on an all-girls robotics team and starting her non-profit organization, The Robonauts, by twelve. “I was pretty young when I started getting into STEAM,“ Sophia said. “A big influence for that was...