Winged Post Volume 18, Issue 3 Section A by Harker Aquila

WINGED POST WEDNESDAY, NOV. 16, 2016 | THE HARKER UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER, VOL. 18, NO. 3

| www.harkeraquila.com

TRUMP WINS ELECTION

Advisee reviews begin this week kshithija mulam editor-in-chief

Annual advisory meetings between advisees and advisors began yesterday. Sign-ups for a 10-minute slot are posted on each advisor’s door.

Republican candidate Donald Trump named president with 279 electoral votes

GOING FOR THE GOAL Arnav Tandon (12) takes a shot at the goal during a water polo game against Lynbrook High.

VIJAY BJARADWAJ

Harker sports teams win recognition for academic performance

kshithija mulam editor-in-chief

Upper school athletics won awards for academic excellence this fall season. Boys cross country had the second highest GPA among CCS cross country teams, and girls volleyball and boys water polo also won CCS Academic Championships. The school received certifcates to honor this accomplishment.

Senior becomes National Finalist in Siemens Competition kshithija mulam

Parent teacher conferences to be held over Thanksigiving

ELECTION WATCH Harker Aquila and Winged Post staff members turn to watch the TV monitors on the walls of the journalism room as polling results roll in. On Nov. 8, Donald J. Trump was named the President-Elect of the United States of America.

katherine zhang, tiffany wong & michael sikand

NEIL BAI

asst. STEM editor, Aquila copy editor & Aquila social media editor

EXTRA HELP Galina Tchourilova gives advice to Jessica Susai for French class during extra help. Teachers, parents and students have the opportunity to talk about student academics during Parent-Teacher conferences.

anvi banga reporter

Upper school parent-teacher conferences will take place at the upper school next Monday and Tuesday. Parents of lower, middle and upper school students will participate in the conferences. Students do not have classes on these two days. Teachers encourage students to attend conferences with their parents because students know how they are doing more than parents do. “As a teacher, I can get some feedback from the student, and I can also ask the student some questions and [the student] can answer some of the questions that your parents may have,” Latin and history teacher Clifford Hull said. Thanksgiving break starts the day after the conferences, and classes resume on Nov. 28.

Big Asssembly Day, A2

Excitement, nervousness and angst surrounded voting precincts as millions of Americans exercised one of their oldest, most dear rights. Cars hurry into parking spots and eager voters head straight to the polls after work, with one thing on their mind—casting their vote for the president of the United States. Just hours after the last voters had filled out their ballots on Tuesday, Donald John Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States as a divisive and polarizing 18-month campaign came to its crux during an unexpected victory and sent shockwaves around the world. Trump, a real estate developer and reality TV show star, defeated former Secretary of State, First Lady and New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was making her second bid for the presidency. As of Nov. 9, Trump had garnered 279 electoral votes as opposed to Clinton’s 228, and Clinton gave her concession speech to agree to work with Trump last Wednesday. “I think there would be a lot of working to get things done,” Robert Varich, vice-chair of the central committee of the Santa Clara County Republican

No-Shave November, A7

Party, said. “I think that from what Trump said [in his victory speech], he is willing to work together, even with those who are vocal about their support of the other candidate.” Trump’s victory came as a shock to political analysts and citizens alike. Prior to the election, numerous news agencies around the country, such as the New York Times and FiveThirtyEight, had predicted that Hillary Clinton would maintain a generous lead over her GOP rival. Despite these predictions, the election played out quite differently, with Trump winning several swing states, such as Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Trump’s unexpected success comes as both a defiance of both parties’ traditional values and a demonstration of the power of overlooked demographics, such as blue-collar workers and rural voters, in the election. The verbal sparring during the election between the candidates shed light on the polarization of viewpoints from different parties. “I think the idea that we are not unified as nation, that we are very divided, that there’s really underlying anger and that there’s a dangerous feeling to what’s coming and what could be coming makes this a terrifying day for many people,” Donna Gilbert, head of the history department, said prior to the election about the campaign

Backpacks, A8

season. In light of a divisive election season, many world leaders have expressed their concern about both the current and future states of their countries’ relationships with the United States. President Francois Hollande of France stated that Trump’s victory “opens a period of uncertainty,” while President Enrique Peña Nieto tweeted on Nov. 9 a congratulations not towards Trump himself, but towards “the US for its electoral process.” While some have expressed their opposition to the United States’ decision to elect Trump as their 45th president with protests occurring at universities all over the country, others remain hopeful about Trump’s presidency and the future of the United States. President Obama invited Trump to the White House on Nov. 10 to participate in a series of transition talks; since Trump’s victory, Obama has vocalized his acceptance of the election’s results and hopes Americans can join him in “rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country.” “Even though I’m scared for the nation, this will give us the opportunity to start maybe using this as an opportunity to participate in activism or try to make a difference,” Aditi Maheshwari (12) said. Trump will be inaugurated on Jan. 20 next year.

Homecoming, A10

California votes on House of Representatives and Senate kshithija mulam editor-in-chief

In addition to the historic vote in the general presidential election, California also voted to appoint new politicians to office in Congress. Californians chose Democrat Kamala Harris over Democrat Loretta Sanchez for Congress in a 63 to 37 percent majority vote. Harris will replace Congresswoman Barbara Boxer. Harris’ victory marks the first time that a black politician will represent California in the Senate and the second time in history that a black woman will serve in the Senate. California’s 17th District also voted for Democrat Ro Khana to replace incumbent Democratic Congressman Mike Honda as its representative in the House. Among the 17 propositions up for voting, California most notably voted for the legalization of recreational marijuana and the death penalty. Khanna and Harris will begin their terms in office on Jan. 3 next year.

Class Spirit, A12

HEIDI ZHANG

editor-in-chief

Senior Manan Shah was recently named a national finalist in the Siemens Competition. Manan will move on to compete to become a national winner in Washington D.C. from Dec. 2 to Dec. 6.

NEWS

Big Assembly Day to be simulcast

VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 16, 2016

Club calendar alex wang & kathy fang

ALL PHOTOS KSHITHIJA MULAM

M EE

GU D

AP AT I

sports editor & reporter

“I think it’s better to do it in person because it’s just a different experience.” KARINA BUTANI (11) CANTILENA MEMBER the performance. JV is doing “What’s This,” from Nightmare Before Christmas, while Kinetic Krew is doing a dubstep remix of “Nutcracker Suite.” Varsity plans to dance on “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” “We are performing our first show at Bucknall, because it’s easier on their schedule at 9:30 in the morning,” Performing Arts Director Laura Lang-

“I know the high school kids are a little sad not to perform for their peers but it’s worth it to have that beautiful building in a couple years,” Lang-Ree said.

“I know the high school kids are a little sad not to perform for their peers, but it’s worth it to have that beautiful building in a couple of years.”

Ree said. “We are live simulcasting with Create TV the event here and so the high school will be divided into Nichols and the gym and you will get to scream and yell and cheer and clap along with the little guys during our performance, and then we go to Blackford.” Downbeat, the co-ed singing group, has started preparing the songs “Let it Snow” and “12 Days After Christmas.” Meanwhile, the all-girls group, Cantilena, is focused on their upcoming concert. There are mixed feelings about the performance being simulcast. “I think it’s better to definitely do it in person because it’s just a different experience,” Karina Butani, a member of Cantilena, said. “Because [during a live performance] you’re interactive with the audience, it’s not gonna be the same.”

FA N

reporters

Big Assembly Day (BAD) will not take place on the upper school campus this year but will instead be simulcast from the Bucknall Campus. The gym is no longer viable as a stage space for the performance because orchestra rehearses there after being relocated by construction. Harker has hired CreaTV, a broadcasting television network, to handle all the technical aspects in broadcst the show live. The school will split up between the Nichols auditorium and the gym, and the performance will be simulcasted to both these locations. BAD is an annual holiday performance, usually during a school assembly, that includes performances from several groups including Cantilena, Downbeat, Varsity and Junior

Varsity Dance and Kinetic Krew. Kinetic Krew, Junior Varsity and Varsity dance have all started preparing pieces for

WiSTEM conducted an open discussion on the election, especially focusing on gender gaps. Last week, during their club week, they sold pearl milk tea and homemade brownies to fund an organization called Wiser. “We’re trying to raise money so that girls in rural Kenya can get access to health care and education that we really do take for granted,” WiSTEM vice president May Gao (12) said.

ria gupta & anika rajamani

WiSTEM holds club week

KA TH

ROCK Rishabh Chandra (‘16) holds up a rock during last year’s Downbeat performance in Big Assembly Day. This year’s performances will be simulcast due to a lack of space in the gym.

SING & DANCE (TOP) Varsity dancers perform at last year’s assembly. This year, the show will be simulcast. (BOTTOM) Students in Camerata sing during the show last year. This year’s show will be simulcast due to lack of space from the ongoing construction.

PLASTIC EGGS Anooshree Sengupta (11) prepares plastic eggs for a WiSTEM scavenger hunt.

JCL Five members of JCL gather in Mr. Paterson’s room. They attended Ludi Novembres last Friday at Miramonte High School.

JCL attends conference

LAURA LANG-REE PERFORMING ARTS DIRECTOR The Big Winter Assembly Day will take place on Dec. 9 at 9:30 a.m. live at Bucknall while being simulcast to the upper school.

The Junior Classical League (JCL) attended Ludi Novembres last Saturday at Miramonte High School in Orinda, California, a daylong event for classical studies involving classical exams and activities led by professionals. In the spring, JCL will attend the state convention at St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, which lasts two days.

ASHLEY JIANG

Performing arts groups take stage I BA IL NE NINA GEE

80 DAYS Performers in the fall play “Around the World in 80 Days” act out a scene in the show.

GROUPS TO PERFORM AT SANTANA ROW

WINTER DANCE Members of varsity dance perform during the Santana Row Tree Lighting Ceremony last year.

Downbeat, varsity and junior varsity dance, Showstoppers and Kinetic Krew will perform at the Santana Row Tree Lighting Festival tomorrow. “I’m just excited,” upper school dance program director Karl Kuehn said. “The holidays are fun for us because we have a handful of perfor-

mances within two months so we hit the ground running, and we’re excited to share our choreography with the Harker community.” Downbeat will then perform “12 Days After Christmas”, a jazz version of “Let it Snow” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”

UNICEF hosts Halloween fundraiser Harker UNICEF hosted a trick-or-treat fundraiser, Trickor-Treat for UNICEF, in Los Gatos to raise money for humanitarian causes. They ate in Los Gatos and then split into groups based on the club’s internal officer teams to ask for loose change rather than candy from local households. Some members invited non-UNICEF friends to support the cause.

The annual Choir Concert featuring upper school choirs Bel Canto, Cantilena, Camerata and Guys’ Gig will take place on Wednesday in Nichols Auditorium. The name of the concert is This Little Light of Mine, after a song about the little

acts of justice in this world. “Most of them are American songs, but some of them are spirituals and some of them are just folk songs from the ‘60s,” Sandusky said. The groups will be performing notable protest songs.

W AN G

CHOIRS PERFORM SONGS OF PROTEST

Cupertino residents voted on the November ballot to decide whether revitalization of the Cupertino Vallco Shopping Mall will follow through. Voters either sided with either Measure D, the Vallco Town Center Specific Plan Initiative, or Measure C, the Cupertino Citizens’ Sensible Growth Initiative. “If they follow through with all aspects that they promised, including the transportation, it would be great for the community,” Mandarin teacher and Sunnyvale resident Shaun Jahshan said. “If they don’t end up finishing it, then it will cause a lot of traffic snarls.” Measure D developers seek to revitalize Vallco into a 53-acre multi-purpose center, complete with “a variety of entertainment options, senior and workforce housing [and] office space,” according to the official Revitalize Vallco website. Measure C, as a resident-sponsored initiative, will “support balanced growth where infrastructure is developed in conjunction with offices and housing.” According to early results reported by the Mercury News as of the morning of Nov. 9, both measures were losing, Measure D by over 10 percentage point and Measure C by over 20.

“I’m very excited for the ending, especially for the audience to see the ending,” said Shyl Lamba (9), a member of the swing cast. This is the first time that the fall play has been performed on a circular stage in the middle of the audience.

AL E

photo editor & reporter

The Harker Conservatory performed “Around the World in 80 Days” for this year’s fall play at the Blackford theater on Oct. 27-29. It included a main cast comprised of juniors and seniors and a swing cast comprised of freshmen and sophomores.

BALL PREP Mishu Nitulescu (11) discuss ideas for the backdrop that would be used at the photo booth at last year’s Snowflake Ball.

KJ MULAM

ashley jiang & natasha maniar

STUDENTS PERFORM IN ANNUAL FALL PLAY

NICOLE CHEN

Residents vote on Vallco revitalization

reporters

PICNIC PRACTICE Senior Ashwin Rao of Guys’ Gig sings at last year’s choral concert.

STUDENTS SELECTED FOR HONOR CHOIR

KJ MULAM

80 DAYS The Sand Hill Property Company set up a model of the redeveloped mall. Cupertino residents voted for Measure D or Measure C.

nisha shankar & nina gee

SING! last song at a previous Choral Concert while being directed by Susan Nace.

Selections for honor choir, an opportunity for California students to perform under the direction of renowned conductors, were made last week. Freshmen Emily Chen, Nikhita Karra, Joel Morel and Kalyan Narayanan; sophomores Rithi Jayam, Karli Sharp, Meghna Phalke and Catherine

Wang; juniors Krishna Bheda, Morgan Douglas, Millie Lin and Sumi Wadhwa; and seniors Ashwin Rao and Tiffany Zhu were chosen. The performance will take place at the First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto at 3 p.m.

DECA MEETING Students involved in DECA meet at a study session this fall.

DECA hosts mock cconference DECA hosted a Muscular Dystrophy Association walk on Oct. 23, followed by the annual Harker mock conference on Nov. 5 and a noncompetitive Leadership and Competitive Excellence conference last Friday. The first round of Virtual Business Challenge, an online business simulation, began Oct. 24 and will run through Friday, and winners will qualify for the International Career Development Conference in the spring.

VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 16, 2016

OPINION

Editors-in-Chief Kshithija Mulam Meilan Steimle

Reaching the impossible The seemingly impossible events of the past year prove our power to change things

Managing Editor Sahana Srinivasan News Editor Meena Gudapati Features Editor Maya Kumar Asst. Features Editor Prameela Kottapalli

STEM Editor Derek Yen Asst. STEM Editor Katherine Zhang Sports Editors Justin Su Alex Wang

Copy Editors Rose Guan Ruhi Sayana Adviser Ellen Austin, MJE Wingspan Editor-in-Chief Kaitlin Hsu Aquila Editors-in-Chief Raveena Kapatkar Tara Parimi Aquila Managing Editor Trisha Dwivedi Aquila Staff Neil Bai Justin Su Vijay Bharadwaj Maya Valluru Nicole Chen Alex Wang Adrian Chu Tiffany Wong Zachary Hoffman Derek Yen Anjay Saklecha Katherine Zhang Michael Sikand

Reporters Anvi Banga Nerine Uyanik Krishna Bheda Anika Rajamani Eric Fang Jenna Sadhu Kathy Fang Nisha Shankar Nina Gee Neal Sidhu Ria Gupta Jin Tuan Rashmi Iyer Anya Weaver Sofia Kassaras Angele Yang Natasha Maniar Gloria Zhang

Visit The Winged Post Online at www.harkeraquila.com Follow us on social media with the handle /harkeraquila

The Winged Post is published every four to six weeks except during vacations by the Journalism: Newspaper Concentration and Advanced Journalism: Newspaper Concentration courses at The Harker Upper School, 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129. The Winged Post staff will publish features, editorials, news, sports and STEM articles in an unbiased and professional manner and serve as a public forum for the students of The Harker School. Editorials represent the official opinions of The Winged Post. Opinions and letters represent the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Winged Post. All content decisions are made by student editors, and the content of The Winged Post in no way reflects the official policy of The Harker School. The opinions expressed in this publication reflect those of the student writers and not the Harker board, administration, faculty or adviser. Letters to the Editor may be submitted to Manzanita 70 or emailed to wingedpost2017@ harker.org and must be signed, legible and concise. The staff reserves the right to edit letters to conform to Post style. Baseless accusations, insults, libelous statements, obscenities and letters that call for a disruption of the school day will not be considered for publication. Letters sent to The Winged Post will be published at the discretion of the editorial staff. The Winged Post is the official student newspaper of The Harker School and is distributed free of cost to students.

SKY’S THE LIMIT This year, events shocked the world. From letf to right, Brexit, Trump being elected President and the Cubs winning the World Series were all, at one point, considered impossible. Good or bad, these seemingly impossible outcomes prove the tangibility of change.

EDITORIAL THE OFFICIAL OPINION OF THE WINGED POST The Chicago Cubs won its first World Series in 108 years, and a candidate with no political experience was elected president. The Panama Papers have held many of the world’s seemingly invincible leaders accountable for their actions. Great Britain, a formerly central power in one of the most successful unions of recent history, elected to leave the European Union,

causing the resignation of its prime minister and leaving its future in doubt. A rapid series of coordinated terrorist attacks and lone wolf strikes shocked the world. Turkey, a bastion of stability in the Middle East, experienced a coup, leaving a political system fractured by conflict and a leader with more incentive to wield his iron fist. In the face of such momentous, unexpected and often disheartening change, no one could blame us for feeling scared or helpless. But we can’t use tremendous change as an excuse for inaction; it is a chance to make a positive difference on the world.

When we study revolutions and great events in history (The Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights movement, the Cold

To our children and grandchildren, we are the people in history, and the consequences of our actions are the ones they’ll study. War), they seem almost inexplicable. These events, and the people who experienced and caused them, feel removed from us, fossilized in time. To our children and

grandchildren, we are those people in history, and the consequences of our actions are the ones they’ll study. If this year has taught us anything, it’s that the seemingly impossible is not only possible, but probable. Astounding things can happen, so it’s up to us to act now so that they’re the things we want. Climate change needs our action now. Political gridlock persists. Cancer has yet to be cured. Stay optimistic; precedents have shown that things DO get better. Change is gradual, and optimism keeps the ball rolling.

Pop Philosophy: Examining philosophical interpretations of Christamas pop music

meilan steimle editor-in-chief

I have a confession to make - I’ve been listening to Christmas pop music since early October. I know, I know. I’m terrible, but nothing gets my blood pumping like the throaty vocals of Mariah Carey describing her (very short) Christmas list or lamenting a failed wintertime relationship. Why confine that kind of unadulterated holiday joy to a single month when I could be dancing under the metaphorical mistletoe before Halloween? I recognize this isn’t a widespread opinion. My ilk of overzealous holiday spirits is the butt of every easy Christmas-themed joke in mediums ranging from stand-up comedy monologues to acapella medleys (seriously - Google “The Christmas CanCan”). “You disgust me,” a friend told me (in jest). “Christmas music is only appropriate the day after Thanksgiving.” To many, Christmas pop represents some of the worst things about the holidays - the rampant consumerism, the purported bastardization of a once-religions holiday,

and the use of jingle bells as a main background instrument. But I think there’s a lot to be learned from these supposedly vapid holiday cash grabs. All I want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey I don’t want a lot for Christmas/ There’s just one thing I need/ I don’t care about presents/ Underneath the Christmas tree In a fascinating upset of Maslow’s Hierarchy, Carey con-

“Nothing gets my blood pumping like the throaty vocals of Mariah Carey describing her (very short) Christmas list or lamenting a failed wintertime relationship. Why confine that kind of unadulterated holiday joy to a month?” tends that her love for her significant other trumps corporeal needs like food and water. Truly, she is a philosophe for a new era. One More Sleep - Leona Lewis I got 5 more nights until you’re next to me/ 4 more days

MEILAN STEIMLE

2015-2016 Gold Crown-winning publication 2014-2015 Silver Crown-winning publication 2013-2014 Silver Crown-winning publication 2012-2013 Silver Crown-winning publication 2010-2011 Gold Crown-winning publication 2009-2010 Silver Crown-winning publication

of being lonely/ 3 more wishes I can make and/ If I could make it till Christmas Eve/ Then it’s one more sleep/ One more sleep until it’s Christmas Lewis makes a cogent contribution to a long-running philosophical problem: if the self is the continuation of consciousness, do we die every time we sleep? Contrasting the loneliness of her current self with who she will be in less than a week, Lewis displays a phoenix-like drive for rebirth. Last Christmas – Wham! Last Christmas, I gave you my heart/ But the very next day you gave it away/ This year, to save me from tears/ I’ll give it to someone special The duo uses this mournful 1980s tune as a vehicle for an economic analysis of love. Must love be requited to be valid? Is falling in love voluntary? According to Wham!, love is a tangible resource available for use at our individual discretion, produced by each individual, with variable use-value when converted into individual emotional currency. Santa Tell Me – Ariana Grande Santa, tell me if you’re really there/ Don’t make me fall in love again if he won’t be here/ Next year/ Santa, tell me if he really cares/ ‘Cause I can’t give it all away if he won’t be here/ Next year Grande’s song is an allegory for a struggle with religious faith masquerading as a simple Christmas ditty. “Santa” acts as an analog for God, and Grande portrays the unsure member of the congregation apprehensive about renouncing material pleasures in the face of deity whose existence remains uncertain. Are these interpretations a stretch? Maybe. But finding joy in unexpected places? It might be just me, but I think that’s the true meaning of Christmas.

MEILAN STEIMLE

Photo Editor Ashley Jiang

MEILAN STEIMLE, IMAGES WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Opinion Editors Vijay Bharadwaj Adrian Chu

WINGSPAN TAKES FLIGHT Issue 1 and 2 of Wingspan, shown above, highlighted the themes “The Hidden Silicon Valley” and “Love and Ethics.” Wingspan, Harker Journalism’s fourth publication, will return this year after a year-long haitus.

Welcome back, Wingspan kaitlin hsu

wingspan editor-in-chief

Greetings, readers! Many of you are familiar with Harker Journalism’s three publications: TALON, our yearbook, Harker Aquila, our online news site, and, of course, the Winged Post, our print newspaper. However, making a return in December this year is Wingspan, our award-winning print longform feature magazine. Wingspan publishes two issues per school year. This year, the December issue of Wingspan revolves around the theme “States of Mind,” covering diverse topics such as safe spaces, mental health and concussions among much more.

OPINION

Monopolizing the airwaves

Talk

Around

AT&T and Time Warner merger limits consumer media choice

The merger’s potential control over internet and the growth of streaming services make the merger even scarier. The company could give preferential treatment by excluding Time Warner content from its data limits. Such unlimited data access can hurt other large media networks

reporter

like Netflix and Amazon, as well as smaller companies and startups. In a competitive environment, content creators have leverage in the negotiation process, which allows them to pitch more unique or controversial content. Independently-minded satirical shows such as Saturday Night Live and the Simpsons, would potentially lose their freedom to express their views in a post-merger environment. AT&T could also either refuse other companies the right to air their content or charge hefty fees to do so. Limiting certain content to specific networks limits consumer freedom. Imagine if AT&T limited HBO content to only its mobile network. Such forms of censorship by omission deviate from the optimal experience. Mergers like these lead to a concentration of power amongst the few, which limits competition and eventually leads to higher prices. Competition is needed to create more creative products at a better value. With-

out it, all consumers lose. Vertical integrations of companies like these are unions of businesses that are not in direct competition and therefore are not considered to be in violation of federal laws regarding the creation of monopolies. However, anti-trust and monopoly laws should allow the government to prevent such vertical mergers from occurring. If the merger is approved, the creators of media content will not have any authority over the use of their products and will instead be controlled by an entity powerful enough to control not just shows and movies but the very pipeline of the internet. While AT&T anticipates approval by the end of 2017, the deal is attracting protest from consumers, lawmakers and business analysts and will be under formal review by the Department of Justice. The government should place the consumer first and carefully evaluate the potential for antitrust violations and the increasingly monopolistic tendencies of the industry.

eart of Harker: Joining the upper school as a junior

daulet tuleubayev guest writer

Daulet Tuleubayev lived in Kazakhastan until he was 14, when he moved to Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, and then moved to study in Harker at the beginning of junior year. He has been playing golf for 8 years. When I first visited Harker in the summer of 2015, I never imagined that I would end up spending my junior and senior year here. I was in the area visiting Stanford and was pointed to Harker when I inquired about the possibility of moving here for my last years of high school, so I could focus more on golf in better weather. When I called the school on that hot July day, they just happened to be having a tour in an hour. I took an uber and arrived 10 minutes late, my very first exposure to the infamous California traffic. Arriving, I was slightly distraught and my

very first impression of campus was unimpressive, seeing as how Phillips Exeter Academy’s campus is almost incomparably bigger. The lady giving the tour, Mrs. Hargreaves, seemed nice, but at the time I disregarded the notion of coming here. My friends back in Exeter were also shocked at the idea of me leaving the school and moving to a private school in San Jose, of which none of them have yet heard. Coming here was an amazing decision and I couldn’t have imagined how happy I would be here. Whatever uncomfortableness I had coming to this school, was gone by the end of the first day. My classmates were surprisingly open to me and despite not knowing anyone at this school, I didn’t feel in the least bit excluded. Students approached and introduced themselves to me, and I was blown away by how accepting they were. The class size here is smaller and more tight knit than at Exeter, so I feel more connected with my peers. Not only that, but I feel that the teachers take on a different role at Harker than they do at Exeter. Plainly said, the teachers here are more supportive and outreaching. I was shocked when after a good test, Mrs. King sent a letter to me

Editor’s Note: Clarifications on our process and feedback kshithija mulam & meilan steimle editors-in-chief

Greetings, readers. We’d like to offer some clarifications on our process and protocols. Our standard protocol is to

try, whenever possible, to conduct interviews in person or via phone. Our staff members are trained to offer email interviews only when in-person or phone options are either not available or not convenient. We remind our staff to be respectful of a source’s time and to work with

and my parents telling them of my achievement. It feels like they are helping you in trying to improve your learning and grades, and not be some imposing figure who will make your life miserable in their class, even if you try and work hard. They are also much more encouraging in reaching out to them, which helps to connect with them and feel more comfortable in the

It feels like [the teachers] are helping you in trying to improve your learning and grades, and not be some imposing figure who will make your life miserable in your class. class. The fact that there exists a dedicated block of time at the end of every day, where you can meet with your teachers and get help, is a testament to that. As a golfer, school ending at 3 p.m. has made a world of difference to me. In Exeter, school ended at 6 p.m. and I would have about an hour in between my classes where I could go and practice golf. After school ends, the source to make sure that scheduled interviews are at a convenient time. We also train Winged Post staff members to have emails approved by editors before sending them out, to provide potential interviewees with plenty of time to respond and be interviewed, and to copy the editors and our adviser on all emails sent to adults in our community. If a reporter from our pub-

you only really have time to do the homework and go to sleep. Ending school at 6 p.m. made sense of course though, since as a boarding school, students there didn’t really have the opportunity to go and do extracurriculars outside of school. However, I appreciate that Harker ends the day early and lets the students decide by themselves what they do after school. Those who make use of this opportunity grow in multiple aspects of their life and I feel that is why kids from Harker end up going to great colleges, since they are given a chance to make themselves unique with what they do outside of school. I don’t regret going to Phillips Exeter; in fact, I’m glad that I did so. Exeter has taught me a lot in managing my time, working hard, and set me a extremely strong foundation which made my transition to Harker easier. But I feel much happier here at Harker, with the supportive teachers, a friendly community, and school days that end at 3 PM instead of 6 PM. In this repeating guest column, we encourage all student writers from around the community to share their memorable experiences while at the Upper School. Please email all column ideas to wingedpost2017@gmail.com.

lication interviews you without following the above protocol, please let us know at wingedpost@gmail.com. Our aim as a publication is to represent the opinions and quotes of our sources as fairly and as accurately as possible. If you would like to formally respond to our coverage, you can submit a letter to the editor to our staff email as well. Enjoy the rest of the paper!

HARKER.ORG

Andrea Milius Warriors Supporter “Just because you can afford to get good players doesn’t mean that they’re all going to work well together, and I’ve been watching my Warriors and it just seems like it’s all about Kevin Durant right now.”

JIN TUAN

MEILAN STEIM

What are your thoughts on superteams in the NBA?

Satchi Thockhom (11) Warriors supporter

“Obviously, being a Warriors fan, it’s really awesome having Kevin Durant, and it makes it more fun for the home team and other Warriors fans to have him, but I totally understand the frustration of other teams.”

JIN TUAN

“AT&T’s power in the internet industry makes the merger of TIme Warner and AT&T very dangerous, especially for consumers.”

jin tuan

Jason Pan (9) Cavaliers supporter “Superteams are not unfair in the NBA particularly because usually when you have a superteam, it’s just a bunch of good people together, and we call that a superteam because there’s so many good people, but if they don’t work well together, then it doesn’t really affect the results.”

JIN TUAN

Aquila features editor

AT&T, a multinational telecommunications conglomerate and America’s second largest cell phone carrier, announced its blockbuster plans to acquire Time Warner for $85.4 billion on Oct. 22. This deal would allow AT&T to gain control of TV networks such as HBO, CNN, TNT and Warner Bros. Studios. As customers increasingly move away from cable networks in favor of subscriptions to streaming services, AT&T hopes that this acquisition of Time Warner will help sustain its business and support its growth. However, a merger between such a large content distributor and such a powerful content creator can create problems for consumers. This combination of companies would allow AT&T the power to control distribution—such as when AT&T acquired DirecTV in 2014 and limited access to certain channel providers. The same situation could occur with Time War-

Campus

Alan Jiang (11) Thunders supporter “About superteams, I actually think that it’s not that big of a thing, because it’s really based on team chemistry, and from the first game we can see that the Warriors lost 29 points to the Spurs, and the Spurs don’t have a so-called superteam, but they still won.”

MEILAN STEIMLE

anjay saklecha

ner’s material and its limits on competitors’ content. We have already seen a precedent for restrictions, when Verizon paid for access to NFL games for its subscribers and denied access to those on AT&T’s network. AT&T’s power in the internet industry makes the merger of Time Warner and AT&T very dangerous, especially for consumers. In fact, AT&T is in control of large portions of the country’s internet, so it has the power to manipulate its own internet service to give privileges to companies allied with Time Warner.

VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 16, 2016

David Zhu (12) Kevin Durant fan

“I’m okay with them. I’m not a Warriors fan, I’m a Kevin Durant fan. Personally, I respect Kevin Durant’s decision to progress in his career. I think that if that’s the move that he thinks will benefit him the most, then I respect that decision.”

LIFESTYLE

VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 16, 2016

Top 5 tips to stay warm and stylish this winter ashley jiang photo editor

1. a pop of color

Sometimes, our outfits can become quite monochromatic or contain only a nuance of colors. So to fix this problem, if all your apparel is a shade of the same color, make sure you add in a touch of color to make your outfit pop out! Even if it’s just anaccessory or a belt, adding this element will greatly enhance your outfit and your look. You can also mix and match your clothes to obtain the perfect look– there are endless possibilities so try out different combinations and have fun!

2. bomber jackets

As the season changes from fall to winter, the temperature also cools down, bringing colder mornings and frosted windshields. Layering is the best way to stay warm, and the secret key to layering? Bomber jackets. Stylish and versatile, these lightweight jackets can be worn underneath a heavier outer layer. Pair a striped track bomber with a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans for a warm-yet-sporty look, or for a more formal appearance, wear a satin bomber jacket over a floral dress. Consider adding in a trendy hat or fashionable scarf to top off your outfit!

3. maxi dresses

Typically, you may think that dresses aren’t suitable for

the cold season since they’re very thin and flowy and short, but an easy way to fix this problem is to put on those floor-lengthed dresses or long-sleeved ones, top it off with a bomber jacket and voila! You have a stylish outfit that suits the season. Not only will these types of dresses help prevent the cold from getting to your arms and legs, you can also bring out the dress’s unique patterns and colors by adding in a flattering accessory or a pair of flats.

4. faux fur-lined boots

It’s easy to keep your body warm—just layer up and you’ll be fine. But what about your feet? A stylish way to make sure the cold air doesn’t freeze your toes is to wear fur-lined boots. From buckled snow boots to a basic pair of UGGs, fur-lined boots keep your feet warm and complete your perfect fall outfit.

5. sweaters

One of the best parts of dressing up for the season is being able to wear sweaters––turtleneck sweaters, oversized, but don’t forget the cable and wool knit ones. These sweaters are often seasonal favorites–-they come in a variety of colors and they’re also warm so you won’t have to wear many layers to keep out the cold. Knit sweaters can be worn over virtually anything, from a comfy pair of jeans to a dress accompanied by tights.

“I like being covered. I think there’s a lot of really cool mixand-match stuff you can do because there are just more items of apparel.” Divija Bhimaraju (11)

“I’m always wearing my green corduroy skirt. That’s my favorite, with tights and Doc Martens.”

Olivia Esparza (10)

“If it feels nice, you like it, and you like the way you look then that’s good. I like to wear my Warriors sweatshirt because I’m a Warriors fan.”

Rakesh Nori (9) ALL PHOTOS ASHLEY JIANG AND PRAMEELA KOTTAPALLI

Recipies to celebrate November’s national holidays

anvi banga & krishna bheda reporters

Flavorful foods and festive drinks, what’s not to love about November’s National Food Days? These holidays range from National Spicy Guacamole Day to National French Toast Day. In the spirit of November and Thanksgiving, here are some national food days that you might not have even known existed.

National Peanut Butter Fudge Day National Peanut Butter Fudge Day on Sunday commemorates a dessert which you don’t feel that guilty about eating. Not only do you get your daily dessert fix, but you also get protein. All you need for this recipe is butter, vanilla extract, granulated sugar and, of course, peanut butter. You just have to mix and microwave the butter and peanut butter, add the vanilla and powdered sugar, spread the mixture onto parchment paper and then let it cool before cutting. This is a great study snack for those stressful finals a great gift to give during the holidays.

National Spicy Guacamole Day

MAYA KUMAR

National Apple Cider Day occurs on Friday. Apple cider is perfect to enjoy warm or cold or rainy fall days and is a big part of holiday spirit. All you need is an orange, apples, cinnamon, cloves and sugar. Put the ingredients in a slow cooker, strain the mixture in a fine mesh sieve and discard the remnants.

National Spicy Guacamole Day happened in the U.S. on Monday and on Sept. 16 in Mexico. It is definitely an excuse to call all your friends together to enjoy this tasty dish. All you need to do is mix peeled and mashed avocado, chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, lime, salt and pepper. It is quick and easy.

National French Toast Day

PRAMEELA KOTTAPALLI

MAYA KUMAR

National Apple Cider Day

National French Toast Day occurs on Nov. 28. French toast is a fantastic dish to have on holiday mornings. If you want to cook breakfast for your parents or siblings, this dish is perfect because it is not difficult to make. All you need is cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, bread and maple syrup. And don’t forget the powdered sugar to top it off!

VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 16, 2016

Perigee supermoon lights up the sky Largest perigee full moon in 68 years illuminates the worldwide sky tonight

FEATURES

Performing arts groups light up Santana Row adrian chu & jenna sadhu opinion editor & reporter

reporter & news editor

Every 29.5 days, the full moon shines amongst the stars, illuminating the darkness with its glow. Tonight, though, the

DEFINITION Perigee (n): The point at which the moon is closest to earth in its ellipse-shaped orbit. full moon will be bigger and brighter than any other moon to light up the sky in the last 68 years, taking the record of the largest supermoon since 1948. The word “supermoon” refers to a full moon that is larger than average. Tonight’s moon will be especially large because the moon is full at its perigee, the point at which it is closest to Earth in its ellipse-shaped orbit. The last time the moon was

this close to the Earth was in 1948. Astronomers speculate it to be 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than that of the average full moon. The moon will reach the crest of its full phase at 5:52 a.m. and will reach perigee within 1.5 hours of the crest. The phrase “supermoon” used to only refer to this type of moon, but it has evolved into a looser term merely referring to size, so a perigee supermoon will often be referred to as an “extreme” supermoon. Supermoons occur about once every 411 days. “[Supermoons] are actually pretty common,” astronomy teacher Dr. Eric Nelson said. “But this one, in terms of the terminology we use for supermoons, is unusual because it is so close to the actual perigee position rather than just being closer than the mean.” Tonight’s moon will be visible anywhere on Earth where it is dark and relatively cloudless. Jimmy Lin (11) participated in an Astrophysics research internship at University of Cal-

ifornia, Santa Cruz in the summer of 2015. “I think it’s definitely great that this new story is helping astronomy reach the general public, and I think it’s a great opportunity for the common person to get interested in a national phenomenon that also has a scientific understanding behind it,” he said.

“This one, in terms of the terminology we use for supermoons, is unusual beacuse it is so close to the actual perigee position rather than just being closer than the mean.” DR. ERIC NELSON ASTRONOMY TEACHER

Sneha Bhethanabotla (12) has an interest in astronomy and is aware of the supermoon phenomenon.

“I wish the school would organize an event to view supermoons. Not a lot of people have the time to see it, so if there’s a school organized event it would be cool,” Sneha said. “More people would see something pretty.” Although supermoons as large as the one visible tongiht are relatively uncommon, supermoons in general occur relatively often. The next supermoon will occur on Dec. 14. Observers who miss either of these supermoons will have many opportunities in the near future to witness other astronomical events. The next lunar eclipse, or the passing of the Moon into the Earth’s shadow, will occur on Feb. 11 of next year and will be visible in North America, although it will be a partial eclipse. The next solar eclipse, or the passing or the Moon between the Sun and the Earth, will occur Feb. 26, although the next solar eclipse easily visible from North America will occur Aug. 17 of next year and will be a total eclipse.

Creepy clown sightings surface throughout nation ruhi sayana & angele yang copy editor & reporter

With vibrant paint adorning their faces, huge red smiles and patterned jumpsuits, clowns have traditionally represented fun and happiness for children and families and been an integral part of circuses. However, recent reports of creepy clowns luring kids into forests have heightened fear associated with these entertainers. Creepy clown reports have surfaced across the U.S. in at least 39 different states since August. Although some incidents were discovered to be hoaxes, others were found to be real threats and have led to arrests and, in some cases, the closure of school districts. A creepy clown scaring young children was sighted in the Siever Creek area. The clown was revealed to be an adolescent. “It’s unsettling, [going] from a viral meme to something a little more nerve wracking and a little less funny,” Haris Hosseini (10), Silver Creek resident, said. “I checked my door to see if it was locked that night.”

Although meant to be sources of comedy, clowns can also terrify both children and adults with their vividly painted faces and exaggerated features. Criminologists agree that the root of this fear comes from clowns’ wearing heavy makeup and paint that covers up their true faces. Reports of these clowns first started in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 29, where

“It’s unsettling, [going] from a viral meme to something a little more nerve wracking and a little less funny.” HARIS HOSSEINI (10) SILVER CREEK RESIDENT

residents of a housing complex complained about suspicious people in the woods behind the complex. Local children also mentioned that clowns had tried to lure them into the woods. A few weeks later, on Sept. 14, children in Georgia reported that clowns chased them on

their way to the bus stop. Threats directed against students of local schools and areas started to emerge online after this phenomena spread. On Sept. 15, a woman named Makayla Smith was arrested for threatening students at Flomaton High School in Flomaton, Alabama, with Twitter accounts named “FLOMO KLOWN.” On Sept. 28, the East Side High School district in San Jose announced that it would not allow students to dress up as clowns or in any other costumes that concealed their identities for Halloween. The district also reported social media threats of clown attacks to the police. “The safety of our students and school communities is a priority. We take threats of this type seriously,” East Side Union District superintendent Chris Funk wrote in a letter sent out to students’ parents. “We will not allow clown costumes, nor any costumes that disguise the identity of students.” Mobs of students going “clown hunting” to search for the clowns habve emerged at universities including Penn State and Indiana University, in response to clowns being sighted on campus.

Hundreds of YouTube videos of clowns sightings caught on camera have gone viral on YouTube, many of which amassed several million views over the month of October. Some of these videos have been verified as false, confirmed to depict clowns chasing after and scaring people as part of a publicity stunt to obtain views. Professional clowns and entertainers have responded to these attacks by creating the “Clown Lives Matter” movement to show that clowns are not dangerous. The subject received many negative responses from users on Twitter, who criticized its use of the words from the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Nikki Sinn from Tucson, Arizona, scheduled a peaceful protest for this movement on Oct. 15. The event was cancelled due to her receiving death threats. Due to the influx in these sightings and the potential danger they hold, the San Jose School District advised students to exercise caution at all times. “I’d watch out more and be more aware of things around me,” Grace Huang (9) said.

NICOLE CHEN

anya weaver & meena gudapati

Next perigee full moon will be visible in 2034

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT Tamlyn Doll (12) and Liana Wang (11) performs last year Festivities will take place this year on Nov. 15.

Sept. 15 WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

PROVIDED BY RACHEL FREED

Will reach crest of full moon at 5:52 a.m.

A woman was arrested for threatening students at Flomaton High School in Flomaton, Alabama, with Twitter accounts named “FLOMO KLOWN.”

Sept. 28 WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ordinary supermoons occur once every 411 days

A woman from Concord, California, reported that a clown tried to grab her baby. The man ran away after she kicked him in the shin.

Oct. 6 WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

14% bigger and 30% brighter than the average full moon

Performing arts groups from the middle and upper schools are set to dazzle onstage at the annual Santana Row tree lighting ceremony tomorrow at 5 p.m. This ceremony features performances from the junior varsity and varsity dance teams, Kinetic Krew and Downbeat as well as middle school dance groups Showstoppers and High Voltage. “I’m always really excited just to see how much the kids grow because they do so much performing,” upper school music teacher Jennifer Sandusky said. Santana Row kicks off the holiday season every year with its tree lighting ceremony of a 40-foot tall tree as well as a multitude of performances from local groups and special guests. “I’ve performed for Dance Fusion and Showstoppers in the past,” Haley Keller (11) said. “I love performing in front of all the people out there. It’s always packed with kids and their parents, and they always cheer us on during the performance. They’re always smiling, and everyone’s in the winter spirit.” Throughout the night, attendees will also be able to take pictures with Santa Claus to benefit the charity Toys for Tots, an organization that donates toys to children in need during the holiday season. “It’s an honor to be able to represent Harker amongst the other schools that perform there,” Kinetic Krew member Randy Zhao (11) said. “Performing for the public is always very fun.”

Three young men were arrested in West Texas. They were found carrying a clown mask, plastic machetes and a bat.

Oct. 15 WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Astronomically known as the perigee full moon

Nikki Sinn from Tucson, Arizona, scheduled a peaceful protest for the “Clown LIves Matter” for this day. The event was cancelled due to her receiving death threats.

VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 16, 2016

ALL PHOTOS MAYA KUMAR

FEATURES

BE HAIRFUL (TOP LEFT) Sophomores Dilara Ezer, Claire Newman and Taylor Vaughan pose in support of the concept of Movember. (BOTTOM LEFT) Seniors Varun Haltore, Arnav Tandon, Nikhil Manglik and Joyce Zhao pose with the mustaches. (RIGHT) Juniors Jacqueline He, Divija Bhimaraju, Millie Lin, and Jessica Skinner pose.

No Shave November Participants forego shaving during cancer awareness event

FAST FACTS: MOVEMBER over 157,000 participants and $15 million raised in 2015

anya weaver & sofie kassaras reporters

The Movember Foundation funds 1,200 men’s health projects The organization’s aims to cut the number of deaths from Prostate and Testicular cancer in half

SOURCE: THE MOVEMBER FOUNDATION

Netflix releases new shows krishna bheda

Humans of Harker

reporter

Netflix is premiering various originals and also adding seasons to popular shows this winter.

NICOLE CHEN

A Series of Unfortunate Events

The second season of “Fuller House” will be available on Dec. 9. This is a sequel to “Full House,” and many characters remain the same from “Full House”, as do their comedic personalities. The show hopes that the Olsen twins will return to the show. This show was rated 7.2/10 on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).

Voltron: Legendary Defender

Season two of “Voltron: Legendary Defender” is coming to Netflix on Jan. 20. This series is about four teens from Earth who are the last line of defense against a galaxy in an intergalactic fight against the evil King Zarkon. It was rated a 8.3/10 on IMDb and is intended for children.

“I know some people just decide not to shave for the whole month, and that’s kind of what I tend to do most every month, so for me it’s like no-shave 2016,” he said. Others were interested in the idea behind the event.

This signature series will profile each member of the class of 2017. To see the entire series visit harkeraquila.com.

Sandip Nirmel

Trisha Dwivedi

athlete * musician * politician

CIODER * artist * journalist

nicole chen

Gilmore Girls

Fuller House

AARON SMITH (10)

aquila features editor

The “Gilmore Girls” revival is coming to Netflix on Nov. 25, featuring the original characters again in four 90-minute episodes, each of which represents a season in a year. The original show aired from 2000 to 2007. “Gilmore Girls” was rated 8.1/10 on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) in 2007, and this revival is expected to garner similarly high ratings.

A television rendition of “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” a book series by Lemony Snicket, will be released as a Netflix original on Jan. 13. This series stars three kids who, after losing their parents, face a series of obstacles in finding a home while uncovering family secrets.

“I’m growing out my hair and I am not going to cut it anytime soon. because I want to try something new with it. I just want to see how long it can get”

“I’m growing out my hair and I am not going to cut it anytime soon...because I want to try something new with it—I just want to see how long it can get,” Aaron Smith (10) said. Several other people wished to participate but could not. “I would, but my mom said she’d disown me if I ever grew a beard while I lived at her house, so I don’t think I can,” Arnav Tandon (12) said.“Also, I can’t grow a beard because it’d be all patchy and weird.” The Matthew Hill Foundation was set up by the eight children of cancer patient Matthew Hill after he died of colon cancer in November 2007. After its start as a small Facebook tag organization, it soon spread to a nationwide audience. No-shave November works with St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Fight Colorectal Cancer, Prevent Cancer Foundation and American Cancer Foundation.

“I have a dog and his name is Captain. In some ways, I’m an only child, so he’s pretty much my brother. I pet him, take him on a walk, run, stuff like that, it really gives me perspective. His life is so simple, he only cares about food and play and if I’m getting stressed out, if I see my dog, I realize that there’s a lot more to life than just school.” SANDIP NIRMEL

While Sandip Nirmel (12)’s friends and fellow classmates know him as student body president, he participates in a plethora of activities ranging from golf to three different instruments. His ambition towards finding new hobbies drove him to start golf at seven years old. His father first exposed him to the sport, and he gradually increased his time practicing. Sandip practices over the weekends and joins the team to play during the golf season. “I’m chasing my own goals, and I set those goals really high, so that’s what really drives me,” Sandip said. “If I set a goal to lower my scores in goal by a certain amount of strokes, I’m going to work hard until i can achieve that, and whether it leaves me winning tournaments or losing tournaments it’s not a big deal, but if I can meet my own goals, I’m doing pretty good.” Other than golf, Sandip spends his time fostering his musical hobbies, including the piano, violin and trumpet. He started the piano, violin and trumpet at the ages of three, five and nine, respectively. Sandip chooses to avoid the competition aspect of music, and instead, plays these instruments for his own enjoyment. “I’m really detail oriented, so getting the right notes means a lot to me,” Sandip said. “I play for my personal enrichment. Just doing that and also producing good music that just sounds good to yourself [makes me] feel pretty good about [myself].” Sandip is also an active member of Model United Nations.

MEENA GUDAPATI

over 14% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in men

People all over the country are making a monthlong change to their lifestyle: quitting shaving, waxing, trimming and sometimes even brushing their hair. No-shave November, also called Movember, is an annual event to raise cancer awareness. Participants cease grooming their hair, which cancer patients often lose, and are asked by the Matthew Hill Foundation to donate the money they usually spend on grooming supplies such as razors, brushes or trips to the hairdresser’s to cancer research. While many participate in order to raise money, quite a few people who participate in Noshave November would not be shaving anyways. “For me it is not that much of a stretch because my religion actually bans me from shaving, so No-shave November is actually just like another month for

me,” Misha Tseitlin (12) said. Upper school athletic trainer Jaron Olson also commented about having this sort of reason.

“In both my mom’s side and dad’s side, I’m the first child to be born in the U.S. and grow up here. My parents have given me this opportunity that no one else in my family has had, so I feel like it’s my responsibility to take what I’ve been given and work harder and accomplish something more than what my parents have been able to give to me.” TRISHA DWIVEDI meena gudapati news editor

As the second-youngest of 18 cousins on her father’s side, Trisha Dwivedi’s (12) life has been heavily influenced by her large extended family. In addition to her cousins, Trisha has a total of six nieces and nephews as well as six aunts and uncles. Trisha is close with her sixyear old niece, who was diagnosed with a low blood platelet count preventing her from certain activities. “I FaceTime her every weekend, and my cousin messages me after like ‘oh my gosh she gets so happy and excited to talk to you; you really make her forget that she has to go into the doctor ev-

ery week,’ so that’s taught me [to cherish] those small moments and just reach out to all your family members,” Trisha said. Trisha’s love of watching sports comes from her cousins’ influence. Everyday, Trisha wears earrings and a necklace which were given to her by her parents for her 16th birthday. On her right wrist, she sports a turquoise beaded bracelet which her uncle gave her before moving away. Trisha’s late grandmother on her mother’s side gifted her the ring she wears on her right hand. “It’s an exact replica of her ring, and she gave it to me few months before she passed away, so it’s kind of like the last time I interacted with her,” Trisha said.

KAITLIN HSU

STEM

VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 16, 2016

katherine zhang

How much does your backpack weigh?

asst. STEM editor

Name: Nikhil Manglik Grade: 12 Backpack Weight: 15.0 lbs Name: May Gao Grade: 12 Backpack Weight: 14.0 lbs

AQ UI RK ER HA

S N O M M

Despite the common belief that backpacks cannot cause chronic back problems, the heavy everyday burden of textbooks and binders can severely endanger students’ backs. Of the 147 upper school students who answered the Winged Post’s survey, 97.3 percent carry backpacks on their backs. Upper school nurse Clare Elchert advises students not to carry a heavy backpack because of the consequences as a result. “Well, certainly carrying a heavy load on a daily basis and maybe slinging it over one shoulder, not making sure the weight is equally distributed with both straps on your backpack, can affect your alignment over time,” she said. Dr. Melvin S. Hsu is a chiropractic specialist in disc spinal decompression therapy at Unison Spine Center in Sunnyvale, California. “It can cause your body to be leaning forward to compensate for the heavy backpack, and the compression, the weight of your backpack, can cause abnormal curvature of the spine,” he said. “We call that scoliosis.”

Joan M. Stevenson for Spine Journal draws the same conclusion. Damage of shoulder tissue or tendons can also result from carrying heavy backpacks, often on one shoulder. “I have tendinitis and problems because I carry things and overuse [my shoulder] too much,” said Amanda Cheung (9). “It’s not convenient to use my locker.” Despite the fact that lockers allow students to reduce backpack weight, 27.7 percent of surveyed students use their lockers everyday, 48.3 percent never use their locker, 8.8 percent use it every week, 9.5 percent use it a few times a month, and 15.6 percent use it a few times a year.. “Sometimes [my parents] say that I should use my locker and put the books that I don’t need in my locker, but I don’t use it because I like to carry everything in a bag,” Karina Butani (11) said. While many think that students’ backs are strong enough to support the everyday burden of textbooks and binders, both Dr. Hsu and Elchert advise students to use their lockers or carry textbooks by hand instead of in a backpack to prevent chronic back problems.

reporter & news editor

Heavy backpacks, especially those carried on one shoulder, pose the risk of inducing lateral curvature of the spine, also known as scoliosis. “If you develop a curvature or scoliosis of the spine, it can have severe consequences for a lifetime,” Dr. Hsu said. “it will be difficult to cure, and it can cause chronic back pain.” Additionally, heavy backpacks cause students’ bodies to lean forward to compensate for the weight. As the student grows older, this can evolve into discomfort and poor posture and eventually may damage concentration. “I wouldn’t go to medications,” Elchert said. “What a person needs to do is to try to correct the problem that’s causing the aches, pains, or strains,” Elchert said. “Which would be using your locker, only carrying books you absolutely need for a particular day, not feeling like you have to live with everything all in your backpack all the time, doing proactive things to avoid the consequences of carrying a heavy load.” Dr. Hsu recommends for students to carry backpacks weighing no more than 15 percent of their body weight, and a 2004 study conducted by Heather M. Brackley and Dr.

kathy fang & meena gudapati

Name: Serena Lu Grade: 11 Backpack Weight: 15.0 lbs

Can cause curvature of the spine, pain, poor posture

Name: Maya Shukla Grade: 9 Backpack Weight: 16.6 lbs

Backpacks badly impact backs

Name: Nathaniel Melisso Grade: 9 Backpack Weight: 6.8 lbs

Science Fair Preparation Students participating in the Synopsys Science Fair have submitted their applications to faculty sponsors and are now waiting for approval from the Synopsys Science Fair. Regional winners for the Siemens Competition were announced today. Winners will participate in the national competition from Dec. 2-6 at the George Washington University. Applications for the Regeneron Science Talent Search were due yesterday.

Name: Aryana Far Grade: 10 Backpack Weight: 7.8 lbs

BACK IN BUSINESS Emma Li (9) checks her phone while walking from class. According to a chiropractic specialist, heavy backpacks can be harmful to students.

ASHLEY JIANG

Name: Swapnil Garg Grade: 11 Backpack Weight: 15.0 lbs

Name: Leon Lu Grade: 10 Backpack Weight: 21.6 lbs

NASA views Pluto NASA collected data relating to Pluto from the spacecraft New Horizons on Oct. 25, over a year after New Horizons first reached the dwarf planet. The data includes images of Pluto’s atmosphere and its surface. New Horizons will continue to fly and is currently being steered towards another Kuiper Belt object. Scientists discovered the first fossilized dinosaur brain.

“Instead of having to run through every single possible [value in a calculation], instead you have a system where all the possible states of that value exist simultaneously in a superposition of states,” Dr. Nelson said. “You then look at this ‘answer,’ for lack of a better word, which has the superposition of all possible answers. You observe the answer millions of times and look and see which ones pop up the most. The ones that are most

N O M M CO M ED IA IK I W

S N O M M

“Imagine that all the trapdoors have a nice little elevator built into them,” Dr. Nelson said. “We’ll have to completely rethink our concepts of data encryption once these things become standard on computer systems.” While the creation of a stable, economical quantum computer would probably not affect civilian computers at all, they would revolutionize the scientific community. Though scientists have yet to create a fully functional quantum computer, qubits can be created and applied on a limited scale. But as the technology improves, the possibility of creating a fully-fledged quantum computer approaches—and along with it, solutions to some of the greatest problems ever conceived.

frequent have the highest probability of being correct.” Current encryption methodologies rely on “trapdoor functions,” functions which are very easy to compute in one direction yet extremely difficult to compute in the other. For example, it is near impossible to determine the two prime factors of the number 4,399 in a reasonable timeframe, but it’s quite trivial to multiply 53 and 83. This exact problem—integer factorization—forms the basis of some public-key cryptography systems, the same systems that protect your digital communications today. But the advent of quantum computers would suddenly “solve” integer factorization and other trapdoor functions, rendering them useless for encryption purposes.

IM ED IA

Qubit (n): The basic unit of information in a quantum computer, similar to a bit. Achieves a superposition of both 0 and 1.

QUANTUM QUBITS Unlike the 0s and 1s of contemporary computer bits, quantum computer qubits have a value that is partially both 0 and 1 simultaneously.

DEFINITION

Phenomena in Space November will feature a number of astronomical phenomena. Last Thursday and the Friday before that, the Taurid and Leonid meteor showers were visible. On Nov. 25, Jupiter will be visible next to the moon, and on Nov. 23, Mercury can be spotted next to Saturn. On Monday, the biggest supermoon known to mankind was visible.

There exist problems so complex, so inscrutable, that to solve them with even an efficient algorithm would take modern computers more time than the current age of the universe—or even longer. Quantum computers are a theoretical alternative to traditional computers that have the ability to solve impossibly difficult problems using traditional means. They do so by using qubits (pronounced “cubit”) in lieu of the traditional bits. Bits, a construct which computers use to perform calculations, can be conceptualized like a binary switch—they are either on or off at any given moment, and are used to represent data. “The [computers] we use are binary-based, so all you have is a series of off-on states that you can control very, very rapidly,” said Dr. Eric Nelson, upper school computer science department chair and modern physics teacher. “So computers are useful because you can do things really, really fast, so you do a whole bunch of sequential, deterministic calculations, manipulating bits.” But even with the speed of computers, some problems still take far too much time to complete. This is where qubits come in. Unlike bits, which can only be in one of two states—zero or one—qubits exist as a superposition of states. They are simultaneously partially both zero and one, both off and on, both false

and true. “[Superpositioning is] a really bizarre property of subatomic particles. One way of thinking about it is to imagine you have a quantum coin—[with] a quantum coin, both sides would be heads and tails simultaneously with a 50-50 mix,” Dr. Nelson said. “It’s not flipping back and forth; it just exists as heads and tails on both sides at the same time.” But whenever a superposed particle is observed, it “collapses” into a single state: it will appear to be only heads or only tails. By using superpositioning, qubits can simultaneously hold multiple values.

DEREK YEN

derek yen

STEM editor

Quantum Computing: A Look Inside the Science

Dengue Fever Scientists at York University have discovered that vaccinating against dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease, could potentially encourage the spread of Zika virus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), half of the world population is at risk of contracting dengue fever. Additionally, cases of co-infection with Zika virus have already been recorded.

STEM

VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 16, 2016

GLOBAL

RESET

Part three of a seven part series

Coral bleaching threatens marine ecosystems copy editor

The Great Barrier Reef stretches across more than 130,000 square miles off the coast of northeastern Australia. Its several hundred coral species and associated islands house an abundance of marine life, including many vulnerable or endangered animals like dolphins, whales, seabirds and turtles. But according to a March evaluation, as many as half of the reef’s corals lack zooxanthellae, the single-celled algae organisms that live inside corals and provide them with both their distinctive vibrant colors and more than 90 percent of their nutrition. Changing ocean temperatures due to climate change can cause corals to cast out their zooxanthellae as a stress response because they can no longer maintain their symbiosis, resulting in a whitened appearance. This loss of coloration has prompted the common name for this phenomenon: coral bleaching. “In the process of doing photosynthesis, [zooxanthellae] provide some of the sugars that they make through that process to the corals,” said marine biology teacher and Green Team advisor Dr. Katherine Schafer. “Coral bleaching is when that symbiotic

relationship breaks down. The zooxanthellae provide much of the pigment to the coral, and so when the zooxanthellae are expelled, the corals turn often a bleached white color, but depending on the species, they may go from being brown to being a light purple color.” Bleaching events have hap-

“Climate change just adds a layer of stress to corals and other marine organisms.” DR. CROW WHITE PROFESSOR pened around the world. Coral cover off the coast of Hawaii, around Belize, near the Florida Keys and in the Caribbean Sea and Indian Ocean has also been damaged by mass bleaching attributed to areas like the blob, a large patch of warm water in the Pacific Ocean. Though bleached corals remain alive, bleaching can cause them to struggle and potentially starve. These repercussions have put pressure on the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs. Fluctuating water temperatures have caused most of the bleaching events in recent history, including the widespread

ZOO TOPIA Zooxanthellae provide coral with its distinctive coloring. When a coral is under stress, it casts out its zooxanthellae, leaving it with a white and unpigmented appearance.

bleaching in the northern Great Barrier Reef from the eight events it has undergone since 1980. Other environmental factors such as infections, irradiation, overfishing and exposure to common sunscreens can also impact coral. “Climate change just adds a layer of stress to corals and other marine organisms,” said Dr. Crow White, an assistant professor at California Polytechnic State University. “If the ocean is just already warmer because of climate change, then that means the global warming plus the spike in warmth at that particular year add to a super level of warmth, which then hits the coral even harder than normal.” Large-scale bleaching can also give rise to consequences for other organisms living in or around the ecosystems of bleached reefs, including the many endangered species en-

demic to the Great Barrier Reef. “[Bleaching] impacts whatever’s living in the coral reef,” said sophomore Raymond Banke, who corresponds for the aquarium in Nichols Hall and sponsored an aquarium-based scientific literacy program last year. “It destroys coral reefs, basically, and it hurts the whole ecosystem around it.” Some reefs have recovered from coral bleaching events by being either taken over by algae in a regime shift or recolonized by their cast-out zooxanthellae, but the exact factors that help reefs survive and recover from coral bleaching are still unclear. A 2015 study published in Nature magazine found that Seychelles reefs recovered better

when they were relatively complex, young, and in deeper water. While not all hope is lost for conserving the Great Barrier, the far-reaching effects that climate change has on the oceans of our world cannot be understated. “We’re a long distance away from the Great Barrier Reef, but it turns out that in many ways we have the biggest role to play in trying to minimize these kinds of bleaching events because we play such a big role in contributing to climate change,” Dr. Schafer said. “The best thing we can do is to press all of our government officials to start taking action now on climate change and to do whatever we can.”

ROSE GUAN

rose guan

Finalists and semifinalists named in Siemens Competition rashmi iyer & helen yang Nineteen upper school students were named semifinalists for the Siemens Competition on Oct. 18. Additionally, Manan Shah (12) and partners Rajiv Movva (11) and Randy Zhao (11) were named regional finalists of this year’s Siemens Competition on Oct. 19. The Siemens Competition is one of the nation’s most prominent research competitions for high school students. Students submit research papers to the competition based on their independent research findings. This year, of 1,600 research projects submitted, judges selected 498 semi-finalists, and of the semi-finalists, 96 became regional finalists. Regional finalists are each awarded $1,000 in recognition of their achievements and the winners will progress to the national level. Students participating in the competition conducted research in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, either working with partners or individually. Participants submitted research papers to the competition on Sept. 20. These papers were then judged by a panel of scientists, and the top 300 projects were selected to be semifinalists. Many students participating in the competition conducted their research in labs over the summer with mentors before starting their papers. In addition to receiving guidance from mentors at labs, students also received help from faculty mentors provided by the upper school science department. Rajiv, Randy and Manan presented their projects online to judges in the past month, and the regional winners who will compete on the national level were chosen. Manan was named a national finalist, but Rajiv and Randy’s advancement to the next level was not reported at the time of publication.

KATHERINE ZHANG

reporters

SIEMENS SUPERSTARS Siemens semifinalists Sandip Nirmel (12), Akhil Arun (11), Manan Shah (12), Jerry Chen (11), Arjun Subramaniam (12), Scott Song (12), Venkat Sankar (12), Shaya Zarkesh (11), Jimmy Lin (11), Justin Xie (11), Rajiv Movva (11), Randy Zhao (11), Nikhil Manglik (12), Connie Miao (12), Sahana Srinivasan (11) and Amy Jin (11) pose outside Nichols Hall. Not pictured are Rishab Gargeya (12), Joyce Huang (12) and Kevin Xu (11).

Randy and Rajiv’s project project is centered around discovering how some drugs can better treat cancer when combined. Randy believes that when identifying such combinations, it is important to determine whether or not they are safe.

“Our generalized framework has a capability of identifying cancer drugs that might work better when they’re used together for a variety of cancers.” RAJIV MOVVA REGIONAL FINALIST “The problem in determining synergistic drugs is that sometimes they might be harmful,” Randy said. “But one day,

I think identifying synergistic drug pairs will lead to further research so we can better understand cancer.” Because their project focuses on cancer as a whole rather than investigating a single specific form of cancer, their research can help develop treatments for more patients. “Our generalized framework has a capability of identifying cancer drugs that might work better when they’re used together for a variety of cancers,” Rajiv said. Acquiring reliable data proved to be one of their most challenging issues. “Time-consistent sources of data that are easy to work with are very important in any sort of computational project, so we spent a lot of time optimizing that,” Rajiv said. As members of the scientific community, they aimed to find more effective cancer treatments. “Cancer in general is a very complicated problem that we have to work better in and take little steps to be able to fully un-

derstand,” Randy said. Manan was named a regional and then a national finalist in the 2016 Siemens Competition for his research on using a computational system to analyze breast cancer tumor images.

“Harker has been really great at promoting a research environment, a reserach spirit and especially an investigative mindset.” MANAN SHAH NATIONAL FINALIST

The computational methods that he developed tell how serious a breast cancer tumor is based on an image. For Manan, the greatest challenge was editing those methods. “In general, the methods

that I employed took multiple days to train, so any single mistake could propagate over multiple weeks,” Manan said. “I had to make sure that every single system was working properly before I submitted the jobs to run.” Manan chose his topic in hopes of improving the current process. “[The pathologists’ method] is inefficient and produces inaccurate results 25 percent of the time,” Manan said. “The method I developed could be able to assess each tumor in less than a second and produce results at the level of pathologists, and it also provides better diagnoses.” Manan’s project could possibly help screening procedures and also provide information on how the tumors grow and new paths for further research. “Harker has been really great at promoting a research environment, a research spirit and especially an investigative mindset,” Manan said. “Harker has been pretty nurturing in terms of providing me with avenues for further research.”

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SPORTS

KSHITHIJA MULAM

GAME SNAPSHOTS

KSHITHIJA MULAM

PRIDE Anthony Meissner (10) stands for the national anthem. The Harker choral groups took the field before the game to sing the school song and national anthem.

INTO THE FRAY Quarterback Nate Kelly (11) darts past Stellar Prep’s defense. The Eagles lost to the Thunder 7-42 during Homecoming on Nov. 5, which also doubled this year as football’s senior night.

alex wang sports editor

The varsity football team lost to Stellar Preparatory High School in the homecoming game on Nov. 5, which doubled as the team’s senior night. Prior to the game, senior football players Saketh Gurram, Danny Reidenbach, Will Park, Davis Howard, Kailee Gifford, Anthony Crook, Rishabh Nijhawan and Norman Garcia were honored and cheered by the crowd. The Stellar Prep captains won the coin toss and elected to kick off, leaving the Eagles to receive the kick to start the game. The Eagles began the game with a touchdown in the first half by Will and a field goal conversion by Kailee. The Thunder responded with a touchdown and elected to forgo a field goal in favor of a two-point conversion, ending the quarter at a score of 7-8. Stellar Prep began the second quarter with an early touchdown and both teams held each other scoreless for the rest of the half. The varsity dance troupe performed a routine at halftime, which many spectators enjoyed. “This was an enjoyable

homecoming because I came with my friends and we really loved the amazing halftime performances,” Sumi Wadhwa (11) said. “We were all impressed by how touching senior night was and pretty surprised that Harker managed to pull this off with construction.” This year’s tug-of-war competition saw the juniors defeat the freshmen and the seniors best the sophomores during the rally, paving the way for a showdown between upperclassmen in the finals. In the second round, the sophomores defeated the freshmen prior to the Homecoming game in order to secure third place, while the juniors outlasted the seniors during their halftime competition to win this year’s tug-ofwar. This year’s Homecoming Court consisted of freshmen Alyssa Huang and Phil Han, sophomores Katrina Liu and Katrina Ipser, juniors Isabella Spradlin and Angel Cervantes and seniors Mia Giammona, Kathy Duan, Kailee, Jack Farnham, Ryan Vaughan and Alex Youn. Senior class dean Jeffrey Draper crowned Kailee and Ryan as Homecoming King and Queen. The Eagles kicked off to start the second half, but allowed the Thunder to score 28 points in the third quarter.

“We came out strong [in] the first half, played well, but [in] the second half they scored on the first drive and we just put our head down,” Rishabh said, reflecting on the loss of momentum that the Eagles experienced after their first touchdown. “Once we went into that mentality there was no going back. They capitalized on our

“We came out strong [in] the first half, played well, but [in] the second half, they scored on the first drive and we just put our head down. ” RISHABH NIJHAWAN FOOTBALL CAPTAIN terrible attitude and won the second half.” Each team held the other scoreless in the fourth quarter and the score that ended the third quarter carried through the rest of the game. Head football coach Mike Tirabassi thought his team played hard and did everything they could against their opponents.

“[Our team] did everything they could possibly do. The other team was just stronger and faster than we were across the board, our guys did everything they could possibly do and we would have to [have] played perfect[ly] to beat them and we did pretty close to that, so I’m very proud of them” he said. For the seniors, both players and spectators, the game would be their last home football game. “I feel like because it’s the last homecoming for us seniors, we really came together as a class. Our bond was stronger than ever. The screams, cheers and chatters are all precious memories for use to cherish,” Ray Song (12) said. Despite the loss, many students still enjoyed watching the game and cheering on their team. “I really had a great time at homecoming, meeting up with friends and watching the game. Cheering on our team is a great bonding experience that lets the whole school come together in unity,” Matthew Hajjar (10) said. The Homecoming game marks the end of the football team’s regular season, as the team begins play in the NCS playoffs.

RUSH Quarterback Nate Kelly (11) tries to run the ball down the field himself during the second half. The Thunder raised their lead to 42 points during the second half of the game.

FAST FOOTWORK Will Park (12) runs down the field after being handed the ball by Nate Kelly (11) right before halftime. The Eagles were unable to score in the second half of the game.

Niki Iyer sets record at WBAL meet Making History

Cubs win World Series against Indians alex wang & neil bai

ALL PHOTOS BY ANIKA RAJAMANI

sports editor & Aquila copy editor

Nov. 2 is a day that Chicago Cubs fans will remember as the day their team broke its 108-year curse of not winning a World Series. The Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in a tight 10-inning game seven with a score of 8-7 at Wrigley Field. The Cubs came back from a 3-1 deficit, drawing many comparisons to this year’s NBA finals be-

tween the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. The Cubs’ victory made them the first team to recover from a 3-1 deficit since the Kansas City Royals feat back in the 1985 World Series. Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist was named MVP of the World Series after the game. Zobrist hit the game winning RBI double in the 10th inning which secured the lead for his team. An Indians victory would have ended their now ongoing 68-year World Series deficit.

sports editor

Senior cross country runner Nikita “Niki” Iyer was named as one of The Mercury News’ Athletes of the Week from the South Bay/Peninsula area. She was recognized for winning the West Bay Athletic League’s No. 2 race at Baylands Park, completing the course in

18 minutes and nine seconds, recording the fastest time on the course this year and the fifth-fastest time on the course ever. She had previously been named The Mercury News’ Santa Clara County girls athlete of the week twice, in her freshman and sophomore years. In her freshman year, she

was recognized for her firstplace finish and Harker record at the Crystal Springs-Serra Invitational, with a time of 18 minutes and three seconds. In her sophomore year, she was recognized for her tenth-place finish in the Clovis Invitational, with a time of 18 minutes and 18 seconds. She now prepares for the CIF state meet.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

WBAL WINNER (LEFT) Niki Iyer (12) runs in front of the pack. (TOP RIGHT) Niki takes the lead during the course. (BOTTOM RIGHT) Niki walks to accept a rose after her race. Niki placed first, winning her third WBAL championship.

alex wang

KSHITHIJA MULAM

Upper school spirit week leads up to Homecoming game

DODGE Will Park (12) dodges a defender from Stellar Prep. Will scored the only touchdown of the game against Stellar Prep in the first quarter.

KSHITHIJA MULAM

Spirited away to Homecoming

CUBS CELEBRATE Cubs fans participate in a victory parade. The Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years this year.

SPORTS

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VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 16, 2016

IN THE MOMENT

FALL SEASON UPDATE neil bai & anjay saklecha aquila copy editor & aquila features editor

RETURN Connie Miao (12) hits a backhand during practice.

ASHLEY JIANG

Girls Tennis

A STRONG LEAD Niki Iyer (12) establishes a strong lead over her opponents while running at Crystal Springs at the WBAL Championships.

ANIKA RAJAMANI

The girls tennis team finished their regular season with a 4-4 league record and a 10-4 overall record. They beat Presentation High School and Pinewood both 6-1 as their last games in the regular season to qualify for CCS. The Eagles then played their senior night game against Sacred Heart on Nov. 3, honoring Connie Miao, the only senior on the team. The CCS playoffs began on Nov. 8.

Bringing the spirit to every game

Girls Golf

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Cross country runners go to CCS

Volleyball wins big at senior night

FOCUS Junior Katherine Zhu hits the golf ball during a match.

The girls golf team finished their league championship match beating Castilleja by one stroke to finish 2nd place overall. Vienna Wang (12), freshmen Larissa Tyagi and Katelyn Vo and junior Alisa Su all had their career bests during this match helping them qualify for CCS on Nov. 1. At the CCS championships, the Eagles placed 9th place in Carmel.

Football

TACKLE Will Park (12) is tackled by a Stellar Prep defender.

The varsity football team currently holds a 5-5 overall record this season. The team lost their homecoming game 7-42 against the Stellar Prep Thunder, which also happened to be their senior night, on Nov. 5. They moved onto to the NCS playoffs in a first round matchup against Moreau Catholic last Friday.

Boys Water Polo

SPLASH Peter Wu (12) looks to pass the ball at a game.

The boys water polo team finished their season with a 10-2 league record and a 19-8 overall record. The team beat Lynbrook overtime 12-11 in the SCVAL League Tournament to earn a coleague championship and a spot in CCS for the first time in Harker history. The Eagles lost on Nov. 1 in the first round of CCS playoffs against Half-Moon Bay high school 5-14.

Varsity Girls Volleyball won their senior night game against Notre Dame on October 27 3-1, improving to a 6-18 overall record and a league record of 3-6. The game was the last of their season as the team did not qualify for CCS. “As a sophomore who just

joined I loved playing with upperclassmen, although we had a couple losses our record does not reflect the skill and effort of our team,” Katrina Liou (10) said. “I improved a lot and I think it was a great experience. I can’t wait to do it again next year.”

PRESEVERANCE The cross country boys take off along with the rest of the runners from the starting line.

The cross country team competed in the WBAL Championships on Nov. 4. Niki Iyer (12) ran her best race of the year in the league event prior to the championships, winning first place. Niki and Lilia Gonzales (10) both qualified for the CCS meet held at Crys-

tal Springs last Saturday. “I think the season went pretty well for me and I think the team has improved overall. Everyone has improved over the course of the season and I think the freshmen were a great addition to the team,” Akshaya Vemuri (11) said.

SMILE Seniors Sarah Gonzalez and Nina Levy smile with their coach at their senior night.

AlLEX WANG

ANIKA RAJAMANI

VIJAY BHARADWAJ

Girls Water Polo

SPIKE Isabella Spradlin (11) jumps for the ball in a match against Sacred Heart Prep prior to the volleyball team’s senior night.

NICOLE CHEN

“[Young’s] really big on conditioning; we didn’t really do much conditioning last year, [but] this year, we’re conditioning every practice, so we can get stronger,” cheer team spirit coordinator Claire Newman (10) said. Along with conditioning during practices to improve core strength, cheerleaders learn halftime routines, practice stunts and develop their abilities. Many members of the team attend private tumbling lessons, personal classes geared towards improving flexibility and technique. “Tumbling private [lessons] have helped me a lot in terms of my progress because I can almost do a roundoff back handspring,” a flyer, one of the people lifted into the air during a stunt, Viveka Saraiya (10) said. “The stunts we’re doing are a lot more complex. For homecoming this year we [had] a lot of basket tosses, which [required] a lot more concentration and coordination by the bases.” Another aspect of the cheer team this year that contributes to their success in performances is their early start to learning new routines, especially the homecoming routine, and their willingness to practice their technique. “We do a lot of cheer bonding, so we’re pretty close,” co-captain Raveena Panja (11) said. “Since we know that we’re always supporting each other, if we mess up on something, it’s ok because we tried our best, and we did our best to make everything perfect. And at the end, it doesn’t matter because we’re having fun.” The cheer team will perform at the remaining varsity football games for the rest of the season and will also be cheering on varsity boys basketball.

MAYA VALLURU

ALL PHOTOS BY KSHITHIJA MULAM

including homecoming. Membership in the cheer team dropped from 16 individuals to 12 this year, 10 of which were on the team last year. Despite this alteration in team dynamic, the group remains close through frequent bonding activities such as collective poster-making and team sleepovers. “They were really welcoming the first time I joined, and it was really exciting to be part of a team,” cheerleader Adhya Hoskote (9) said. “It was really nice because we have a little [cheer] family, and it was really sweet how they accepted me into the group.” In comparison to last year, cheer coach Jill Bettencourt has seen improvement in the team’s technique. “The technique [of the routines] is a lot more difficult, so some of the skills that they’re doing [are] a lot more difficult than last year,” Bettencourt said. “We have more difficult stunts and tumbling, [and] the team as a whole is just more advanced than last year.” One of the factors contributing to the cheer team’s progress is the new assistant coach, Marissa “Mona” Young. Young has several years of experience, from being a cheerleader throughout all of high school and junior colTEAM SPIRIT (TOP) Olivia Long (11) does a cartwheel while the cheer lege to receiving a scholarship to squad moves into a new formation. (BOTTOM LEFT) Raveena Panja (11) performs for the crowd at Homecoming. (BOTTOM RIGHT) Olivia Long cheer in college. “Because I used to cheer, it’s (11) prepares for the next cheer in front of the crowd at Homecoming. The cheer squad cheered at games throughout the football season. nice to coach the younger genSuddenly, the first few notes of a eration so they get the passion I nicole chen & prameela pop mashup blare from the loud- had when I used to do it,” Young kottapalli speakers, and the homecoming said. “It helped with my self-conaquila features editor & halftime routine begins. The fidence. With a lot of the girls, asst. features editor cheerleaders deliver a high-en- I’m seeing them get that extra Twelve figures assemble at ergy performance, dazzling on- boost, that extra morale.” the center of Davis Field, pink lookers with their coordination, Young leads conditionbows sparkling. Shimmering sharp movements and new-and- ing exercises during practices, golden pom-poms gleam in the improved stunts. which cheerleaders participate fluorescent lighting. The crowd So far, the team has cheered in to improve their strength, enis silent, hushed in anticipation. at eight varsity football games, durance and balance.

ASHLEY JIANG

Cheerleading improves their technique despite altered team dynamic

The girls water polo team finished with a 3-9 league record and a 5-15 overall record this season. The girls entered the SCVAL League Tournament in its first round against Saratoga High School on Oct. 25 with a score of 1-7. On Oct. 28, they beat Milpitas High School 7-1, finishing their season with one last victory.

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VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 16, 2016

EAGLE NATION

KSHITHIJA MULAM

kshithija mulam

editor-in-chief

CAPTIONS

"I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN" Senior class president Alex Youn (12) leads his class in a cheer before the annual scream-off.

WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN Varsity dancer Hazal Gurcan (12) does a back flip during one of the rally performances.

REGAL JAUNT Homecoming King Ryan Vaughan (12) and Queen Kailee Gifford (12) ride a golf cart off the field during halftime.

CHEERS Cheerleader Olivia Long (11) does a cheerleading routine in front of all the classes during the rally on Nov. 4.

AYE, AYE CAPTAIN Junior class spirit coordinator Amitej Mehta (11) leads his class in singing the "Spongebob Squarepants" theme song.

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE One of the Eaglets runs down the field during a performance before Homecoming Game on Nov. 5.

SCREAM & SHOUT The sophomore class council leads their class as they compete in the scream-off at the Panoply of Chaos.

JUST DANCE Dance teacher Karl Kuehn dances during the freshman class skit during the Homecoming rally on Nov. 4.

DRUMROLL, PLEASE The lab band leads the Panoply of Chaos as they walk into the Quad for the annual scream-off.

10 RALLYING CRY Will Park

(12), Norman Garcia (12) and Matthew Hu (12) cheer for the senior class during the rally on Nov. 4

11 ALL TOGETHER NOW

The senior class forms a semi-circle during the scream-off, going on to win 1st place in that event.

ALL PHOTOS BY KSHITHIJA MULAM

17 18 19 20

Upper school students competed in class spirit competitions for points to celebrate Homecoming Week from Nov. 1 to Nov. 5 on the Saratoga Campus. “It’s hard to believe this [was] one of the first of many ‘last’s I’ll be experiencing this year, but this last homecoming was without a doubt the most memorable,” senior class spirit coordinator Haley Tran (12) said. This year, the celebrations started on a Tuesday since Monday was a holiday for students. Each day featured a spirit competition along with a dress-up day for each class. The seniors dressed up on Thursday for the theme Cartoon Network, the juniors dressed up on Wednesday for the theme Nickelodeon and the sophomores and freshmen dressed up on Tuesday for the themes Disney Channel and Warner Bros. respectively. To prepare for Homecoming Week, each class gathered on Oct. 28 for Spirit Night, which was held in Manzanita this year to accommodate construction on campus. “I think that we definitely had a lot more preparation and student involvement this year than last year. For our freshman year, Homecoming Week was a lot earlier, and everything felt really rushed,” sophomore class treasurer Shania Wang (10) said. To wrap up the week, the annual Homecoming Dance was held on Nov. 4 with the game following on Nov. 5, with the Eagles losing 7-42. Throughout intervals in the game, the finals of the tug-of-war competition took place along with performances from the cheerleaders and varsity dance. During halftime, the Homecoming Court was driven around the field in golf carts. Seniors Ryan Vaughan and Kailee Gifford were crowned Homecoming King and Queen respectively at the end of halftime. “Competition aside, seeing each class grow and seeing more people participate in spirit events as the years went by has been such a satisfying experience,” Haley said. “Despite all the challenges, the only thing I’d have left to say is thank you.”

HOMECOMING WEEK SCORES T IRS

F EAGLE FLOAT SKIT TUG OF WAR SCREAM-OFF OVERALL

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