The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon
The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon
The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon
Elli Lahdesmaki

Elli Lahdesmaki, Senior Writer

All content by Elli Lahdesmaki
Student environmentalist groups throughout the Bay Area haven't let the pandemic stop them from contributing to the fight against climate change. From protests to phone banking to fire safety programs, the members of the LAHS Green Team, Bay Area Youth Lobbying Initiative and Sunrise Silicon Valley have pushed for environmental causes on a local, state and national level.

Student environmentalists stay green in quarantine

By Marie Godderis and Rose Liu
March 27, 2021
Loving gymnastics should be easy, with the sparkly leotards, adrenaline-inducing flips and pumped-up teammates. But as we have seen on the news in recent years, those in authority over America’s best gymnasts are disgustingly neglectful. Along with thousands of other gymnasts around the world, junior Allison Bricca can’t deny her outrage toward USA Gymnastics over their failure to keep gymnasts safe.

[Photo] Underneath this love

By Allison Bricca
March 25, 2021
A protester who goes by the name “FONZO” leads chants on Moffett Field Boulevard.

Dozens of activists protest outside the gates of Moffett Boulevard

By Marie Godderis and Rohan Vaswani
March 15, 2021
Jumpstart mentors led small groups of eight to 14 freshmen through their first official on-campus experience during Wednesday’s orientation-style event, hosted by ASB in anticipation of students’ regulated return to campus after Spring Break.

[Photo] ASB hosts orientation-style event for freshmen

By Emilie Enser
March 14, 2021
Alexandra Perez gathers with the UC Santa Barbara cheer team, whose competition routine she choreographed. Perez brings her 15 years of cheer experience to the Los Altos Cheer team as the Eagles’ new coach.

Cheer team welcomes new coach after full year without leadership

By Marie Godderis
March 13, 2021
In an effort to normalize and encourage challenging conversation about inclusivity, the Associated Student Bodies (ASB) of LAHS and MVHS have teamed up to bring Candidly Speaking, a global program dedicated to having individuals open up about different cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds, to Mountain View–Los Altos (MVLA) students.

[Photo] MVLA ASB to host Candidly Speaking event

By Emilie Enser
February 24, 2021
Because of the inundating deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic, John Jones and his group of 10 friends took a well deserving trip to a resort in Lake Tahoe as the tantalizing fragrance of muddy snow and the appealing vibe of Tahoe came before the pandemic for John and his friends.

Skiing down the slopes and throwing the school year down the drain

By Marie Godderis and Anika Sikka
February 22, 2021
Freshman Maddy Randall (right) pushes ahead of Mountain View High School runners in the varsity girls race. She finished sixth in her race and 13th overall out of 111 varsity girls.

[Photo] Cross country kicks off long-awaited season on campus

By Allan Feldman
February 21, 2021
Yesterday marked the Eagles' first cross country meet in over a year. Hosted at Los Altos High School, the season's first SCVAL meet ended with a win for the varsity girls and a fourth place finish for the varsity boys.

Photo Essay: Cross country returns to competition at home SCVAL meet

By Marie Godderis
February 21, 2021
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[Photo] Saturday, February 20

February 21, 2021
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[Photo] Friday, February 19

February 21, 2021
In an effort to help students strengthen their mental health practices, Los Altos High School’s Planned Acts of Kindness Club is organizing a virtual mental health speaker series with lunch presentations held every other Thursday.

Planned Acts of Kindness Club presents Mental Health Speaker Series

By Marie Godderis
February 18, 2021
LASD is currently participating in hybrid learning to bring students back to school and give them the benefits of in-person learning.

[Photo] Return to school

February 8, 2021
Recently, Los Altos High School’s Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC) implemented a new program: freshman, sophomore and junior support groups.

CHAC counseling implements freshman, sophomore and junior support groups

By Marie Godderis
February 7, 2021
As an athlete, there’s a lot coming at you and your body. It’s important to have tools that keep you strong and injury-free to find your groove again after a long break.

[Photo] Avoiding injury on the road to return

By Allison Bricca
February 1, 2021
We are all racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, etc. There is not one person on Earth that is free of prejudice.

[Photo] Kulture a la Kaavya: Prejudice is inescapable. Also, it sucks.

By Kaavya Butaney
January 25, 2021
Thrifting has become one of the most recommended and trendiest forms of shopping, as it helps restore our environment and our bank accounts. However, knowing thrift stores are oftentimes the only affordable option for lower-income families, staff writer Emilie Enser often feels guilty picking out items for herself.

[Photo] The transition to thrifting: For better or worse?

By Emilie Enser
January 10, 2021
The Talon's guide to 2020 holiday gifts

The Talon’s guide to 2020 holiday gifts

By Elli Lahdesmaki and Marie Godderis
December 18, 2020
District Wellness Coordinator William Blair clarified the objectives of the HAERT program and the District's steps to address student mental health this year.

District wellness coordinator says students might not yet see benefits of HAERT program, clarifies its objectives

By Marie Godderis and Gil Rubinstein
December 12, 2020
Freshman Sam Stein runs through hurdles at a cross country practice while wearing a mask. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, sports practices are limited to cohorts of 14 athletes, and participants must abide by local social distancing guidelines at all times.

COVID-19 cohorts: The evolution of sports practices in a time of uncertainty

By Elana Eisenberg, Tomoki Chien, Marie Godderis, Rohan Vaswani, and Barrett Wong
November 22, 2020

COVID-19 around the world

By Anika Sikka, Marie Godderis, Allan Feldman, and Elli Lahdesmaki
November 16, 2020
The Mountain View–Los Altos School District is set to continue the HAERT program, despite negative student feedback.

MVLA to continue HAERT program despite majority negative feedback

By Marie Godderis and Gil Rubinstein
November 15, 2020
Staff writer Anika Sikka gives her thoughts on how female politicians have been portrayed in the media and what should be done moving forward.

[Photo] The media needs to do better in portraying female politicians

By Anika Sikka
October 25, 2020
LASD has begun its in-person return to campuses, starting from first grade.

[Photo] Board president, community members provide insight on LASD reopening

By Garv Virginkar
October 18, 2020
During quarantine, senior writer Elli Lahdesmaki has discovered the benefits of meditation to help deal with stress.

How meditation keeps me sane

By Elli Lahdesmaki, Senior Writer
October 9, 2020
LASD released the official return dates for all of its grade levels.

[Photo] LASD releases reopening schedule; first cohort to return next Monday

By Nathaniel Joffe and Gil Rubinstein
September 23, 2020
LASD delayed its in-person return by a week.

[Photo] LASD delays reopening by one week

By Garv Virginkar
September 17, 2020
Village Pantry co-owners Julie and David Ogilvie have served homestyle American food to their patrons in Downtown Los Altos for the past two decades. Although the restaurant faces many financial challenges due to the pandemic, the Ogilvies are determined to keep its doors open due to endless support from their customers.

[Photo] Village Pantry

By Parisa Larson, Senior Writer
September 13, 2020
Located in Downtown Los Altos, Sumika Grill is one of the four Japanese cuisine restaurants owned by Kuniko and Gary Ozawa, the parents of Los Altos High School senior Akane Ozawa. During the quarantine, the Ozawas' business was struck hard by the loss of customers. However, through many adaptations, they are now able to meet the needs of takeout dining and continue serving customers all of their favorite signature dishes.

[Photo] Ogiku Corporation

By Cameron Cox, Senior Writer
September 13, 2020
LASD will begin a physical return to campuses within two weeks.

[Photo] LASD set for in-person return within the coming weeks

By Garv Virginkar
September 10, 2020
ASB will host club day virtually this year.

Virtual Club Day: What will it look like?

By Marie Godderis
September 10, 2020
Julie Ogilvie of Village Pantry stands in front of her store. The BAE Initiative, a group of LAHS seniors, has interviewed and discussed with nine Los Altos businesses to understand how they dealing with the pandemic.

[Photo] The BAE Initiative takes a deep dive into Los Altos businesses

By Ben Falkenburg, Guest Writer
August 31, 2020
Starting their LAHS teaching careers virtually, some would assume that these teachers would feel disconnected from the school community. However, they are more than ready to overcome the challenges of Distance Learning and bond with their students.

Meet the newest members of Los Altos’ faculty

By Marie Godderis, Allison Bricca, and Cameron Cox
August 17, 2020
Local residents walk at the Los Altos protest against police brutality, organized by Kenan Moos, on June 5. The protest commemorated what would have been Breonna Taylor's 27th birthday; Taylor was fatally shot eight times in her sleep by police in March.

[Photo] Educating to eradicate structural racism

August 17, 2020
Husband and wife duo Todd Wangsness, a history teacher, and Margaret Bennett, an English teacher, are used to working at the same school, but with the shelter-in-place orders, they’re now working in the same house. Wangsness and Bennett also have two sons: Luke, who is a rising junior at the University of California at Davis, and James, who will be a freshman at Princeton University this fall.

QuaranTeachers: an immersive Q&A

By Elli Lahdesmaki, Marie Godderis, and Elana Eisenberg
June 15, 2020
No gluten, no problem

No gluten, no problem

By Elli Lahdesmaki and Marie Godderis
June 9, 2020
During shelter-in-place, Women in STEM (WiSTEM) club officer and junior Jessica Young (bottom) founded STEMpower, a joint education initiative with the local YMCA. Along with her fellow officers and juniors May Jiang and Allison Hong (top), the three hope to provide children at the El Camino Hospital with a STEM enrichment opportunity.

Women in STEM: virtually empowering youth through education

By Marie Godderis and Rachel Rudyak
May 11, 2020

Soccer – coach Roberto Magellan

By Elli Lahdesmaki and Barrett Wong
May 7, 2020
Art was never just a phase for junior Bailey Fu. A little over a year ago, Bailey launched ArtSprouts, a platform that features local students’ art, displaying over 140 artworks from 50 unique artists around the community.

Bailey Fu roots for student artists

By Marie Godderis, Business Manager
May 2, 2020
Along with friends and family, Justin Rosen poses while running the Rosen challenge. He started the “Rosen Challenge” and ran 24 miles in 24 hours with his friends and family.

Community workouts with Justin and Suzanne

By Marie Godderis
April 30, 2020
The Talon gives some ideas about things that people can do during the shelter-in-place.

8 activities to help make the best of your quarantine time

By Marie Godderis and Elli Lahdesmaki
April 7, 2020
Staff writer Kaavya Butaney on the left and staff writer Vaishu Sirkay on the right. Kaavya and Vaishu write about how their friendship has developed over the years.

[Photo] Friends who fight together stay together

By Kaavya Butaney and Vaishu Sirkay
April 6, 2020
Many people know April Fools as the day of pranks. Although California is currently under shelter-in-place, this didn’t stop these Los Altos students from carrying on the tradition.

April Fools Day is not a joke

By Marie Godderis and Kaavya Butaney
April 6, 2020
Art and Stem Funding

Art and Stem Funding

By Cathy Wang and Marie Godderis
March 1, 2020
Dogs of Los Altos

Dogs of Los Altos

By Isabella Borkovic, Ethan Ruyack, Kylie Akiyama, Katrina Arsky, Marie Godderis, and Emily McNally
February 11, 2020
Screen Shot 2020-02-11 at 7.47.22 PM

[Photo] Sophomore Diya Gupta & Doodle of some kind Leia

February 12, 2020
Senior Michelle Odnert breaks away from a Mountain View defender and heads towards the goal. Los Altos worked harder for the ball this game than ever before, but the Spartans eventually defeated the Eagles 1-3.

Varsity girls soccer’s second encounter with Mountain View ends in a defeat

By Elli Lahdesmaki and Barrett Wong
February 5, 2020
Gia Cimring: Shoots and scores UCSB commitment

Gia Cimring: Shoots and scores UCSB commitment

By Elli Lahdesmaki
January 23, 2020
Sophomore Greg Schumann gains the upper hand in his match against Homestead.

Winter sports updates

By Elli Lahdesmaki, Barrett Wong, Nina Crofts, Allison Bricca, and Lucas Bricca
January 23, 2020
Sophomore Arya Hatami sprints forward and passes the ball upfield after stealing it off a Mountain View player.

Varsity boys soccer ties again against Mountain View

By Elli Lahdesmaki and Barrett Wong
January 15, 2020

Drinks

By Nina Crofts and Marie Godderis
January 10, 2020
Caris Kim: Princeton is a hole-in-one

Caris Kim: Princeton is a hole-in-one

By Marie Godderis
January 9, 2020
Kayleen Gowers: On the road to Princeton

Kayleen Gowers: On the road to Princeton

By Elli Lahdesmaki
December 16, 2019
Junior Aaron Parker

Aaron Parker’s journey to a UCSB commitment: From Little League to Division 1

By Elana Eisenberg and Marie Godderis
December 13, 2019
Senior james wangsnessjweofjoeif;owij

James Wangsness: Soccer ambitions soar to new heights at Princeton

By Barrett Wong and Elli Lahdesmaki
December 7, 2019
Varsity girls water polo defeated in CCS semi-finals

Varsity girls water polo defeated in CCS semi-finals

By Mayu Alten and Marie Godderis
November 14, 2019
During the third quarter, just after passing her defender, senior Silke Tuyls shoots the ball towards the cage. Willow Glen’s star goalie leaps up to block it.

Varsity girls water polo advances to CCS semi-finals

By Mayu Alten and Marie Godderis
November 10, 2019
Krames twins: Kicking it together since the womb

Krames twins: Kicking it together since the womb

By Elli Lahdesmaki and Barrett Wong
November 7, 2019
Latin teacher Krista Greksouk helps sophomore Ceasar Palting as the students decipher texts together.

[Photo] Krista Greksouk: bringing life to a ‘dead’ language

By Tomoki Chien, Staff Writer
October 22, 2019
Mountain View Choir Director Jill Denny conducts choir students from both Los Altos and Mountain View. Los Altos will participate in the "One Voice, One World" concert alongside Mountain View for the first time on Tuesday, October 22.

[Photo] Los Altos choirs join Mountain View for “One World, One Voice” concert

By Julie Vargas
October 21, 2019
Fall-owing Eagle Sports

Fall-owing Eagle Sports

By Cameron Cox, Ethank Ruyak, Allison Bricca, Elana Eisenberg, Emily McNally, Amid Najmi, Barrett Wong, Marie Godderis, Mayu Alten, and Parisa Larson
October 12, 2019
Forever 21 should close forever

Forever 21 should close forever

By Elli Lahdesmaki, Copy/Content Editor
October 9, 2019
Meet this year's AVID Council Leaders!

Meet this year’s AVID Council Leaders!

By Suzanne Guo, Parisa Larson, and Marie Godderis
October 3, 2019
Boys Water Polo secures win against Spartans

Boys Water Polo secures win against Spartans

By Mayu Alten and Marie Godderis
September 26, 2019
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[Photo] New policy allows students in portables to request extended passing period

By Rachel Rudyak and Tomoki Chien
September 22, 2019
New gun bill misses the mark

New gun bill misses the mark

By Elli Lahdesmaki, Staff Writer
May 28, 2019
Courtesy LAHS FBLA

FBLA to shut down after ten years at Los Altos

By Isabella Borkovic and Marie Godderis
May 28, 2019
Graphic by Sua Kim

Diving into the freshman swim unit

By Stella Huang, Suzanne Guo, Marie Godderis, and Elli Lahdesmaki
May 28, 2019
Humans of Los Altos

Humans of Los Altos

By Navya Singhai, Marie Godderis, and Katrina Arsky
May 28, 2019
Photo Essay: Annual Dodgeball Championships

Photo Essay: Annual Dodgeball Championships

By Marie Godderis and Ishaan Parmar
May 2, 2019
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Courtesy Freestyle Academy

Freestyle Lifestyle

By Marie Godderis, Staff Writer
May 1, 2019
Spring Sports Brief

Spring Sports Brief

By Nikhita Boddu, Ethan Ruyack, Mayu Alten, Elli Lahdesmaki, Lucas Bricca, Marie Godderis, and Parisa Larson
April 30, 2019
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