Saratoga News On Campus SHS sees 15 students as merit semifinalists Fifteen Saratoga High School students were selected as semifinalists in the 44th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. All qualified after being among the highest scorers in the state on the 1997 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which they took in their junior year. Those named as semifinalists are Hamilton Chong, Maren Cornett, Nader Elziq, Keith Follmar, Jason Hou, Urania Juang, Ankur Luthra, Omar Malik, Amit Modi, Eric Pai, Deborah Sun, Henry Tam, Nathan Wachter, Trent Weber and Selena Wu. The students are qualified to compete for finalist standing by completing an application and essay. Those chosen as finalists are eligible to compete for one of 7,600 merit scholarships at an average of $2,000 each. Saratogan selected as senior duchess Emily Frost was selected to serve as senior duchess for the 1998 Homecoming celebration at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Frost, daughter of Julien and Juliane Frost, is a 1995 graduate of Bishop Lynch High School and an elementary education major at the university. SHS students explore the Mono Lake region Saratoga High School teacher Bob Kucer and six advanced placement biology students visited the Mono Lake area in mid-October for a weekend of science exploration. Kucer's goal was to show his students that science is more than just a classroom activity. Lane Conn of the Stanford Human Genome Center also went with Kucer and his students. The group toured the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory. They also went on a walk through the South Tufa area of Mono Lake and kayaked through the tufa. Kucer and his students plan to conduct a brine-shrimp genome experiment with Conn. It is hoped the research will help scientists have a better understanding of the many brine-shrimp species. Holiday Homeless Drive Students Taking A New Direction (STAND) is sponsoring a holiday homeless drive for Innvision, a woman's and children's shelter located in San Jose. Donations are being accepted at Saratoga High School until Dec. 11. The group is asking for donations of towels, rain gear, coats, boots, umbrellas, ponchos, toothbrushes, toothpaste and any toiletries. Monetary donations can be mailed to SHS; c/o STAND; 20300 Herriman Ave.; Saratoga, Calif. 95070 Saratogan receives Olin Fellowship Gregory Johnstone recently received a two-year Olin Fellowship from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Olin Fellowship are awarded to the most highly qualified MBA candidates based on academic, professional and personal merit. The Olin Fellowship, awarded by the Olin Fellows Program is for two years of full tuition, fees, room and board. WVC receives large grant West Valley College recently received a $20,000 student equity grant from the state fund for Student Success. The grant will be used toward following the progress of students and mentoring them if they need help. Research will be conducted by WVC on what it takes for a student to complete a course. The research is aimed at allowing instructors and student services staff to step in and help when needed, offering tutoring and consulting to failing students. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, December 9, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.