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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 4 NEWS • JANUARY 27, 2014
Dancers leap into annual production shannon su & melina nakos
Night on the Town New fundraising event replaces the annual Fashion Show sheridan tobin & ria gandhi
opinion editor & reporter Night on the Town, a fundraising event featuring dinner, casino games, auctions, dancing, wine tasting, a show, and more will be hosted at the San Jose Marriott on Friday, Feb. 28, replacing the annual fashion show. The gala aims to fundraise for financial aid programs and expansion projects including the construction of a performing arts center and a gym. Tickets are priced at $200 and will be available for reservation online beginning tomorrow at 10 a.m. Similarly to fashion show, a show will remain a highlight of the night but will feature new routines in addition those by performing arts groups including Downbeat and Varsity Dance, who have participated in the past. New
additions include choreographed father-daughter and mother-son dances by younger students, a Middle School lip sync, and an Upper School student-teacher rock band. “We looked for ways to involve more of the community of students who aren’t necessarily performers,” performing arts department chair Laura Lang-Ree said. “Entertainment wise, [...] the fashion part of [the show] has been taken out.” Some students are disappointed by the removal of the fashion element from this year’s show. “It’s kind of sad because I wanted to do [fashion show] throughout middle school and this year they took it away, ” Hazal Gurcan (9) said. “It made me kind of sad because I wanted to try modeling.” In addition to the show, attendees will be served a gourmet three-course meal featuring seared salmon with truffle cream sauce, short rib with thyme
jus, and quinoa risotto as entrees. Guests will also have opportunities to take photos, enjoy the casino, hit the dance floor, taste various wines, and bid on donated items ranging from vacation homes to authentic sports memorabilia during the silent and live auctions. Because the event is new this year and the venue is relatively small, it is
Research Club Speaker Series VINEET KOSARAJU - WINGED POST
Stanford professor Dr. Sally M. Benson advises students vineet kosaraju copy editor Stanford professor Dr. Sally M. Benson visited the Upper School Research Club on Jan. 15 during long lunch to give a presentation on her research about energy, and to give students advice about science related internships. As the director of the Global Climate Energy Project (GCEP) at Stanford University, Benson also talked about the current global energy crisis. “We have got to stop putting carbon dioxide in the air, and we’ve got to be more energy efficient, but the reality is, many people in the world today still aren’t using any modern energy,” she said. Benson believes that the energy crisis is currently one of the most important sectors of research, as it will not quickly disappear like other fields. “By raising developing countries to a reasonable standard of living, and having some discipline of our own standard of living, we are going to need about 2 times more energy than we use today,” she said. “That’s a daunting challenge if you think about the energy system we have today, which is already extremely stressed.”
RESEARCH Stanford professor Dr. Sally M. Benson gives advice to students about university-level research. Her talk is part of Research Club’s speaker series to motivate students to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) related research.
She advises students who are interested in research to not become intimidated by peers and to follow their passions. “If you are interested in these
FAST FACTS 1. Has been working on capturing carbon dioxide and pumping it underground to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for 15 years. 2. Professor in the Department of Energy Resources Engineering in the School of Earth Sciences. 3. Received the Greenman Award from the IEA Greenhouse Gas Program in 2012. 4. Has co-written over 160 scientific publications.
Darby hopes to showcase her dancers to the best of their abilities and have them capture the essence of her piece. Since the choreography process has been a learning experience for her, certain aspects of it have been difficult for her. “I think the most difficult part for me has been formations,” she said. “I thought this would be the least of my problems, but I am still struggling with them right now.” Aside from the challenges faced in this experience, all the choreographers have enjoyed the opportunity to be a choreographer. “My favorite part about being a student choreographer is probably getting the opportunity to create a piece that is my own and also work with the dancers,” Erika said. “My dancers especially were really amazing and always came to class, and they were such a great group to work with.” The dance production will take place on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 1 at both 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Blackford theatre. Tickets are on sale for eight dollars for students, 15 for adults, and 25 for reserved seats.
being marketed primarily towards parents, although students are welcome to come if they would like. “We wanted to be really really conservative the first time we did this just to make sure that it would be well received and that people would be interested,” Danae McLaughlin, Director of Special Events, said. “It’s kind of all an experiment right now.”
FAST FACTS
115 number of dancers in this year’s show
$8 $15 $25
$$$ Students Adults Reserved
$$$ 21 routines
Based on the response that this year’s event receives, it McLaughlin hopes to see it expand in years to come. Ultimately, Night on the Town aims to reach more members of the community. “[I look forward to] watching everybody engage in a way that’s really much more all about us as a community,” Lang-Ree said. “It’s going to be really fun.”
SHAY LARI-HOSAIN - WINGED POST
MELINA NAKOS - WINGED POST
STRIKE A POSE Surabhi Rao (9) leans back during her routine. The production will feature 21 routines, of which four are choreographed by students.
the Upper School,” Kuehn said. “I think it’s going to be a really fun and enjoyable performance for dancers and audiAquila copy editor & reporter ence members alike.” Upper School dancers are rehearsVarsity Dance Troupe members ing for the annual dance production Noel Banerjee (11), Darby Millard (11), themed Peace, Love, Dance. Erika Olsen (11), and Jacqui VillarreThe Upper al (11) are this School dance year’s student instructors Karl “Our goal is to continue the choreographers Kuehn and Amaselected by De growth of the dance program lia De La Rosa La Rosa last here at the Upper School.” have been workSpring, after ing to put togeththey applied to er the show. be a part of her Karl Kuehn Par ticipatc h o re o g r a p hy ing in 21 differclass. ent routines, all Noel de115 members of the dance production cided to become a student choreograstarted the choreography and rehearsal pher because she wanted to try someprocess during September of last year. thing new and different. “If we look overall to where we “I now wanted to see what it was started and where everybody is now, I like being on the other end and teachthink for a lot of people it’s really start- ing and creating a piece for others, rathing to click,” De La Rosa said. er than learning for myself,” she said. Though there have been no major “This process has been so crazy, yet such changes since last year, this year’s show a great experience, because it made me has more dancers involved. appreciate all the dedication and time “Our goal is to continue the my instructors have to put into their growth of the dance program here at routines.”
things [research], don’t be your own worst enemy,” she said. “If you think you are interested in science or engineering, just go for it.” Benson’s talk started Research Club’s speaker series, which aims to bring professors and students who perform groundbreaking research to inspire students. Research Club President, Vikas Bhetanabhotla (12) hopes that these talks will help inspire students. “We feel that these talks will help students gain a deeper understanding of university-level research, preparing them to obtain internships and conduct successful research of their own at that level,” he said. Research Club plans to have its next lecture in the first week of February. Current students and Harker alumni plan to present some of their past research and give tips to their younger peers.
DECA wins record number at SVCDC Business program will go from SVCDC to states
team. The Silicon Valley Career Development Conference (SVCDC) was finished off with an award ceremony on Sunday, after which the students priscilla pan left. reporter Arthur Shau (12) attended his first competition at SVCDC and won DECA will attend their second an award in Business Team Decision conference, the State Career Develop- Making. ment Conference (SCDC), from Feb. “Thanks to the help of the offi5 to 9. cers and the study sessions, I was able 90 students attended their first to get a grasp of [what the conference competitive business and leadership was like],” he said. conference of the year in San Jose As preparation for the upcomfrom Jan. 3 to 5. The Upper School ing state conference, members are finished required to with 49 fiparticipate in “It’s more than just the scores and nalists, and at least three the numbers. I think that the stu21 students study sessions, placed in where they can dents really got an idea of what the top practice with the competition is like.” three of student mock their cateAriana Shulman (12) judges, hone gories. their case study N o t solving skills, only did DECA members return and meet with DECA advisor, Juswith numerous awards, but they also ton Glass. From Feb. 5 to the 9, the brought back experience that they state career development conference, would not have been able to amass SCDC, will be held in Anaheim. elsewhere. Aside from bringing back qual“More than just the scores and ifiers for internationals, Glass also the numbers, I think that the students hopes that students will have a posireally got an idea of what the compe- tive experience that will affect them in tition is like,” said DECA Vice Presi- the long run. dent, Ariana Shulman (12). “I want to make sure that the Students checked in at the San students come out of the conference Jose Marriott Hotel, and the majority not worried about the wins they get, of the participants also took a written but they come back having had an extest on Friday, Jan. 3. After the stu- perience that will foster a passion for dents competed in roleplay and writ- thems,” he said. ten events, an election for a new SV The top contestants of the state District Action Team was held, and competition will automatically qualthree students, Shannon Hong (10), ify for the international conference, Sophia Luo (10), and Haley Tran (9), which will occur in Atlanta from May were elected onto the 25-member 3 to 6.