2006 June Harker News by The Harker School

June 2006 (VOL. 12, NO. 9)

M O N T H L Y

inside A warm farewell to the Class of 2006 ............... 3, 29, 30, 31 Harker granted full accreditation by WASC team ............. 2 Donors, PDC thanked at special events .................... 4 2007 Harker Fashion Show theme announced .............. 8 Art shows brighten all three campuses ........................ 13 Student performances delight audiences ............. 5, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 29 Conservatory honored with invite to Edinburgh ........... 24

Patrick Tehan, San Jose Mercury News

Senior Polzin earns REACH award, media attention ........... .................................. 10, 27

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N E W S L E T T E R

est. 1893 • K-12 college prep

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Inaugural Symposium Showcases Student Research Harker’s inaugural Science, Engineering, Technology & Mathematics Symposium was a tremendous success, with more than 200 students, faculty and professionals from various scientific fields in attendance. The event, which was themed “Building a Community of Researchers,” featured more than 20 original research presentations from current Harker students, demonstrating the rapid success and progress of Harker’s burgeoning scientific research program. Student presentation topics included cross-linked conjugate polymers, the economics of stem cell research, gene therapy of cystic fibrosis, and hydrogen production efficiency. One goal of the symposium – which included three speaker sessions featuring several simultaneous presentations, as well as a breakfast speaker and a keynote address – was to provide a venue where Harker students could share their research with fellow students. “I had noticed that for so many years, our students were engaging in research at world-class facilities throughout the world, and yet, they were graduating without having shared their experiences with their peers,” said Anita Chetty, US science department chair. “Most of the symposium presenters were seniors who had conducted research during summer internships, and before they graduated, they helped set the stage for their younger classmates.”

by Harker parents Sehat and Weili Sutardja, parents of award-winning student researcher Chris

Sutardja, Gr. 12. Marvell generously provided five Nikon digital cameras and five Sony PSP gaming devices as door prizes at the symposium. The event proved to be an invaluable networking environment for Harker students seeking to establish mentoring relationships with research professionals to facilitate future research projects. Said Chetty, “Harker gained a tremendous amount from this event, and the ripple effect has already begun, with students hopefully finding mentors for future research.” Another highlight of the event was the WiSTEM (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) roundtable discussion, which partnered

students from Harker’s chapter of WiSTEM and San Jose’s Eastside Union High School District with undergraduates, graduate students, teachers and college professors to discuss college and career opportunities. Event organizers Chetty and US physics teacher Dan Matthews believe the professional and wellrounded nature of the symposium brought much-deserved attention to Harker’s student researchers. “We are on our way to putting a banner out there that Harker is more than a school that excels at standardized tests,” Chetty said. “It is my hope that we will become nationally recognized as a school that instructs and engages our students in legitimate research.” Chetty and Matthews thanked the Harker administration, Office of Communications, kitchen staff, facilities department, administrative assistants Chris Collins and Fred Keller, and the entire Harker community for helping to make this first-of-its-kind event possible. Said Chetty, “This was truly a Harker event, bringing together individuals from various parts of our community, and that is why it was so successful.”

Guest presenters at the event included researchers from NASA Ames Research Center, Stanford University and UC Berkeley, as well as representatives from corporations including Intel Corp., Modular Process Technology Corp., Corgentech Inc. and Applied Signal Technology Inc. Another corporate sponsor was Marvell Technology Group, founded Harker News — June 06

editor’s note The school year is over and our summer programs are heating up! Watch the Web site over the vacation for fall updates and calendars, and remember to check out our 2005-06 online photos and catch up on ordering great shots of your kids for your photo albums. As of July 1 you now have the option to also order digital downloads. Have an absolutely spectacular summer, and we’ll see you in the fall! —Pam Dickinson, Director Ofﬁce of Communications pamd@harker.org

growing

annual giving AG Campaign Exceeds Goal! Thank you to all members of the Harker community who participated in the 2005-06 Annual Giving Campaign. We were successful in meeting our goal of $1 million, and even exceeded it! Because of this surplus and because most pledges and gifts came in early this year, we were able to plan for some important projects that were not initially in our budget.

sound controls could be placed up high, allowing the people operating them to better see the stage. We also completed a lighting retrofit in all of the buildings, again resulting in energy savings. Finally, on the US campus, we were able to fund a greenhouse, which will be used as an outdoor classroom for the science department, and we’re installing a permanent weight training room as well.

On the LS campus, we’ll be installing a solar heating system for the pool. After the system is installed, we will benefit from significant ongoing energy savings. At the MS, we were able to build an elevated theater control platform for the cafetorium so that lighting and

There are hundreds of other items and activities that Annual Giving has paid for this year. Ever y contribution we receive makes a difference in the lives of our students. Thank you for your support!

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

—Melinda Gonzales, Annual Giving Director

Harker Granted Full Re-accreditation by WASC Team

While the greenhouse is being completed at press time (thanks to annual giving donations - see update this page), a few other things are growing over the summer. We welcome Alexander Christopher Nikoloff (pictured below) into the Harker community, born May 30, as well as Kate Shanahan’s baby Luke Thomas Mehta, born June 2.

Proud dad’s cell phone

We wish both families great joy - and some sleep - over the vacation!

reminders See back page for summer and fall reminders! 2

As an independent school, Harker undergoes an intense evaluation process every 4-6 years to be – and remain – accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). After a year-long, schoolwide self-evaluation process, spearheaded by Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academics, a visiting team comprised of seven administrators from other California independent schools granted Harker the full six-year term of re-accreditation. The committee reviewed every aspect of Harker during their four-day visit, including each academic department, administration, facilities, and health and safety, and reported their observations to the school at a special faculty meeting. They commended the students “for their kindness to each other” and the inclusive and

safe campus they work so hard to maintain. The faculty was praised for their accessibility to students, the care they demonstrate in their teaching, and their concern for the well-being of their students. The administration was commended for promoting high morale among staff and faculty, and for the enhancements and

expansion since the last accreditation, which included the transition to three separate campuses. The administration was advised to continue working with a variety of constituents on matters that are important to the school, and to foster a sense of unity and K-12 spirit between

campuses. They also recommended the school proceed with the plans for the construction of both the science and technology and visual and performing arts facilities at the US campus, and to incorporate these plans into a new, updated and revised master plan. Facilities and operations – including nursing and security – were given kudos for promoting a very safe and healthy environment. The kitchen staff was given special notice for providing “outstanding meals that are culinary delights,” a mention that comes as no surprise to those who frequent the dining halls! The team also commented on the frequent references they heard to “the Harker way” and “the Harker family” which, they noted, reflect the strong sense of family and tradition that permeates the school’s atmosphere. This important evaluation process is an integral part of Harker’s commitment to achieve the highest standards established by these two important educational organizations, and to continually meet the needs of our community. We’re honored to do so. —Chris Nikoloff, Head of School Harker News — June 06

event

recaps

Fine Weather and Finer Speeches Distinguish 2006 Graduation Rain threatened to dampen Harker’s ﬁfth US graduation exercises, but instead the weather was perfect at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga on May 20. Under slightly overcast skies and a cool breeze, 143 seniors listened to speeches of wisdom and advice, and received their well-earned diplomas.

changed in centuries, even if the volume of the information and the method of delivery have. We must keep perspective as our world changes so rapidly, he said. The traditional “Pomp and Circumstance” and the recessional were played for the ﬁrst time by a small chamber ensemble, led by Chris

Florio. Susan Nace led the 2006 Graduation Chorus, composed of all of the US singing groups, through the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and Catherine Snider conducted the chorus in this year’s theme song, “What Lies Within.” Several moments in the ceremony have become Harker tradition.

First, valedictorian Samantha Fang addressed her peers. Fang recalled her time at Harker, and reﬂected on the good-nature and proud spirit of her classmates. The keynote address was delivered by Priya Huskins, a Bay Area lawyer and mother of two small sons. She discussed generosity in the workplace, as well as the need to constantly revise one’s expectations as one’s career and life changes. She was an engaging speaker, and clearly connected with her audience. A ﬁnal speech was given by Head of School Chris Nikoloff, who adjured the class to remember that our perceptions of information and knowledge gathering have not

After the keynote address was the ceremonial passing of the Lamp of Knowledge, from graduating National Honor Society president Theodore Lee to incoming president Jocelyn Ko, Gr. 11. Ko promised to uphold the academic and ethical standards of the graduating class. After all of the seniors received their diplomas, Assistant Head of School Jennifer Gargano advised the students to move their tassels from the right to the left of their caps – a small but significant symbol of their new status – which they then followed with a celebratory toss of their caps in to the air. Symbolically referring to our graduates as eagles flying out into the world, Nikoloff and Gargano released 25 doves, which flew out of the amphitheater and circled through the sky. Faculty and graduates filed out of the amphitheatre and enjoyed lots of hugs, tears and laughter with family and friends. Our hearty congratulations to the Class of 2006! See US section for more photos.

K to Life: Harker Moms Honored From Kindergarten to Graduation The kindergarten classes of teachers Colleen Lindsay, Grace Sabeh and Gerry-louise Robinson held special tea parties for kindergarten moms on the Friday before Mother’s Day. “There were quite a few happy, crying moms at these events who were savoring every moment of what was going on. One little girl even wore white gloves,” said Primary School Head Sarah Leonard.

Grace Sabeh - Kindergarten photos

At the other end of the Harker-mom spectrum, the US held its annual Senior Moms Luncheon for the mothers of this year’s graduating seniors. Fifty-two senior moms attended, along with more than 40 mothers of underclassmen, Head of School Chris Nikoloff, Assistant Head of Non-Academic Affairs Joe Gill and Executive Director of Advancement Joe Rosenthal. Many thanks to the Harker parents who served as event chairs: Joan Brooks (Garrett, Gr. 11 and Hillary ’05); Candy Carr (Emily, Gr. 9); and Carol Underwood (Alex, Gr. 10, Scott, Gr. 8, and Robert, Gr. 2). Harker News — June 06

event

recaps

Luncheons Feature Student Thanks to Parent Development Council In April, each of our three campuses hosted our Parent Development Council (PDC) volunteers for a thank you luncheon. This was an opportunity to bring our PDC members together with those who benefit most from their work – the students. School administrators Chris Nikoloff, Jennifer Gargano, Robb Cutler, Joe Rosenthal, Kristin Giammona, Cindy Kerr, Sarah Leonard, Jack Bither, Heather Blair and Joe Gill were on hand at the various luncheons as well. On April 17, our LS PDC members joined their children in the lunch lines and enjoyed macaroni and cheese at the lunch tables. All the students gave a round of applause and cheers when the parents were introduced, and the members were presented with a booklet of thank you notes and drawings done by K-Gr. 8 students. It was a fun way for the parents to spend time with their kids and get a glimpse of what the school day is like. As Bob Kendall (Philip, Gr. 2 and Anna, Gr. 4) noted, “It was a treat! I especially enjoyed recess and some wall ball with the gang.” Our US PDC members came in to have lunch at the Saratoga campus on April 26. Faculty members

Laura Lang-Ree, Dan Molin and Eric Nelson joined them to hear student speakers talk about how Annual Giving has personally benefited them. Ankur Gupta, Gr. 12, spoke about the challenges and successes of being on the robotics team. Amulya Mandava, Gr. 12, talked in detail about the experience of participating in debate. Amanda Polzin, Gr. 12, described the joy of finally being on the winning side of a volleyball match against Castilleja. Casey Near, Gr. 12, thanked the PDC members for the opportunities they

animated talk about his participation in many different areas of the performing arts program. Lang-Ree, the director of performing arts, commented, “It was so reaffirming to hear the students speak about their experiences in the performing arts. Knowing that they realize what a tremendous program they have in The Conservatory, and knowing that they understand how important PDC is to that program, is wonderful. They really understand that it takes more than their enthusiasm and talent to make magic.” The MS PDC members had lunch

have helped to provide and talked about being a little girl whose first awareness of Annual Giving was the thermometer sign she used to see on her way to school. Gregg Ringold, Gr. 11, was grateful to the PDC for the support provided to the school’s athletic teams. And Aseem Shukla, Gr. 11, gave an

on April 27 with the students at Blackford. The parents enjoyed spending time with their children during the day and had fun sampling the cafeteria offerings. PDC member David Hutchings (Douglas, Gr. 7) noted, “I love the food at Harker!” Parents at Blackford were also greeted with a warm, welcom-

ing round of applause. MS student body president Christine Trinh, Gr. 8, gave a speech thanking the PDC members for their hard work this year raising money for Annual Giving. On behalf of the students, faculty, staff and administration of The Harker School, thank you to our dedicated Parent Development Council members for their commitment to our students! —Melinda Gonzales, Director of Annual Giving

Annual Head of School Circle Dinner Honors Donors of $2,500+ Chris Nikoloff held the Head of School’s Circle Dinner June 1, attended by over 150 people and graciously hosted in the home of Srini and Durga Madala (Samantha, Gr. 3). This annual event recognizes donors who have contributed $2,500 or more to the Annual Giving Campaign, as well as those who have given $100,000 or more to the Capital Campaign. Members of the Parent Development Council (PDC) were also present as the evening’s guests of honor. Follow-

ing a wonderful performance by the US musical group, Downbeat!, Board Chair Lon Allan and Nikoloff expressed their gratitude to attendees for their generous support of the school, also thanking the PDC for their work throughout the year and presenting co-chairs Doug Emery, Linda Emery and Betsy

said Lindars. “It was an evening to remember!” And of course, thank you to all members of the Harker community who participated in the Annual Giving and Capital Campaigns this year – we truly appreciate your support! Lindars with gifts of wine from the Trefethen Winery.

—Melinda Gonzales, Director of Annual Giving

Special thanks to the Madala family, to Chef Steve and Darrin Cassidy and their staff, to the facilities team, and to the performing arts department for helping create a magical evening. “We enjoyed an evening of musical performances by Harker students in a beautiful outdoor setting with lovely weather, food and people to share it with,” Harker News — June 06

From Brahms to Bond, Spring Instrumental Concert Wows Crowd “Variety is the spice of life” – and that was certainly true on April 14 at the LS gym, when Harker’s instrumental ensembles served up a spicy selection of movie themes, jazz, classical and modern repertoire. Director Christopher Florio began the evening with the Bucknall Strings, a talented ensemble of nine students. They performed the

themes “Harry Potter” and “Ashokan Farewell,” as well as the finale from Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5.” The US Jazz Band then changed the pace of the evening, wowing the crowd with everything from a “Malaguena” to Duke Ellington to Gershwin’s “Porgy and

Bess,” featuring soloists Isaac Ball, Gr. 10, on trumpet and Tara Chandra, Gr. 12, on vocals. The first half of the program closed with the Gr. 6 orchestra performing Mozart, and the MS Orchestra presenting Beethoven, Brahms and, for lighter fare, the “Theme from James Bond.”

Percy Grainger, Ralph Vaughn Williams and American icon Aaron Copland. As Florio continues to develop Harker’s instrumental program, it is clear that audiences will continue to have much great music to look forward to in the coming years.

After an intermission, the audience eagerly returned to hear the US Orchestra, which showed its versatility and Florio’s programming talents with pieces by Mozart,

Projects, Pledges and Planting Raise Awareness on Earth Day Students at the LS and MS campuses celebrated Earth Day 2006 with creative activities designed to raise awareness, clean up the community and improve environmental practices. Here’s a sampling of their activities:

friendly acts such as taking shorter showers to save water, turning off all house lights before going to sleep, and using mugs rather than Styrofoam cups.

LS social studies teacher Jason Pergament organized a neighborhood cleanup project, where students planted flowers on their campus and picked up litter in the surrounding community.

Grade 6 students Kaitlin Halloran, Daniela Lapidous and Rachelle Koch put together questions, with the help of MS librarian Donna Ward, for an Earth Day Trivia Hunt, an ecologically-themed research project done using reference books at the MS library.

LS classes or individual students pledged to perform environmentally-

MS science teacher Raji Swaminathan held her annual Whole Foods

Earth Day grocery bag project. Nina Anand’s Gr. 1 students assisted by contributing beautiful artwork that was glued to the grocery bags, then the MS students added environmentally-friendly messages and reminders. Whole Foods encourages customers to reuse the bags because of their lovely designs.

Up,” the “Garbage Guess Bag” and the “Wall of Trash.” Kudos to the LS and MS campuses for their dedication and commitment to environmental causes.

MS students collected funds for San Jose’s Our City Trees project, which helps beautify San Jose with tree plantings and maintenance, and organized campus activities such as “Recess Rubbish Round-

Common Ground Speaker Discusses Survival in the ‘Social Jungle’ “Friendship and peer pressure are the most crucial kid issues on everyone’s minds today,” said Dr. Michele Borba, an internationally renowned educator who was the latest speaker in the Common Grounds series on May 4. A practical and sought-after motivational speaker, Borba gave the audience gathered at Hillbrook School tips and strategies to boost a child’s social competence. An articulate and concise speaker, Borba pointed out that friends not only inﬂuence people in the present but also lay the groundwork for adult relationships. Peer pressure, and learning when to say “no” when faced with temptation, is the fastest escalating problem today. Older kids Harker News — June 06

choose friends and cliques based on similarity. It’s human nature to have friendship groups that bond together. If rejected by a group, a child needs to be taught how to lose gracefully and take time to recover from disappointment. According to Borba, the other most common friendship issue is attraction toward bad friends. She reminded parents that it is important not to blame the bad friends. “Remember, it’s your kid who chose them,” she said. Rather, parents should instill their values so the child knows what to stand for. She suggests discussing options and creating a safety net for the child to rely on if tense situations arise with friends. Most important, parents should keep

their relationship with their children open and strong. They also can look for the three most common traits of well-liked kids: they smile appropriately, make eye contact and encourage other kids. Bullying is another serious problem, and it needs to be differentiated from kidding around and teasing. Borba explained that bullying is a power imbalance between peers, and according to research, bullies often have a criminal record by age 26. She warned parents to take bullying seriously, not just to tell a child to “toughen up.” The newest form of bullying includes spreading vicious rumors and insults through cyberspace with instant messages, e-mails, videos, digital photos and

personalized Web sites, as well as cell phones. The audience was reminded that there is no excuse for this behavior, and all adults need to work together to stop it. Borba has written a book called “Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me.” The Common Ground series pools the resources of its 17 member schools to bring parent education to a new level in the Bay Area. Created in 2002 by a coalition of Bay Area schools, it seeks to enrich our communities by bringing together parents and educators to listen, connect and share ideas at presentations addressing a wide array of issues. —Vidya Lakshmi, parent (Vikram, Gr. 3 and Siddharth, K)

HARKER

picnic Picnic Packages are Fun! Fun! Fun! Bidders “warmed up” to last fall’s Polar Picnic Silent Auction in a hurry! A great time was had by all as, in true picnic tradition, there was something for everyone. And we’re ready to do it again! As we move ahead with plans for our upcoming Aussie Auction Adventures, we’re thrilled to hear the recent testimonials about some of last year’s favorites, especially our Teacher Packages, which are always a treat! Every year many of our wonderful teachers support the annual picnic with the greatest gift of all: the gift of their time. Our teacher packages are always fun for students of all ages, giving them the opportunity to spend extra time outside the classroom with Harker’s ﬁnest.

■ Volleyball with Woolsey: Alexandra Walker, Gr. 3, and Emma Malysz, Gr. 3, shared my picnic package, which included volleyball lessons, dinner and attending a J.V. girls US volleyball game. These two future volleyball stars showed great promise during our one-hour lesson last fall. After the lesson, we enjoyed pizza together, and watched the J.V. girls’ game at the MS campus. We all had a great time! - Stephanie Woolsey

sUnday, oCT . 15, 2006

■ Sleepover with Shanahan: This year I had the honor of hanging

Kate Shanahan

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. @ Saratoga campus

HOT! HOT! HOT!

■ Petroglyph with Proctor and Chung: Diann Chung and I

Cindy Proctor

Harker’s Picnic committee, the Boomerang Gang, is already planning a long list of Aussiethemed adventures for this fall’s Picnic Down Under, so stay tuned for details. They have secured a number of sizzling items for the 2006 Silent Auction. Here’s a preview:

■ Byington Winery tour and tasting for thirty

■ Week-long stay at the luxurious Makaii Club, Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii

■ Adobe Products: Pagemaker, Indesign, Framemaker,

Provided by Rita Stone

■ “Ladies-Only” weekend in Tahoe

Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat Pro

new baby

■ “The Great Video Scavenger Hunt and Pizza Party,” hosted by Cyrus Merrill and Monica Mackinnon

■ “Aussie Walkabout: A Day at the SF Zoo,” complete Simon Keilty

with an Australian lunch, hosted by Carol Green

Gr. 1 students to the Children’s Museum of San Jose. Sana Aladin, Aditya Dhar, Kayvon Solaimanpour, and Hari Subramani saw the Dr. Suess exhibit, made corn husk dolls, made pizzas, and played with the giant bubbles and in the waterways exhibit. A great time was deﬁnitely had by all! - Mary Holladay

■ Disc Golﬁng with Culbertson, Valdez and Keilty: Gr. 8

■ Babysitting lessons with Kate Shanahan and her

Watch for more details about the upcoming picnic auction, and if you have an item, trip, adventure or other exciting donation, please contact Becky Cox at becsiobhan@yahoo.com.

took Shivani Awasthi, Gr. 1, and her friend Vanessa Tyagi, K, to Los Gatos for a yummy pizza lunch and painting at Petroglyph. Shivani painted a lovely dolphin while Vanessa painted an adorable butterﬂy box. They will make special keepsakes of an outstanding afternoon! - Cindy Proctor

■ Museum with Holladay and Stone: Rita Stone and I took four

■ Trefethen Winery VIP tour and tasting for four ■ Sydney Harbour painting by David A. Stephens

out with Maya Sathaye, Samantha Hoffman, and Lorraine Wong, all Gr. 5. We enjoyed snacks, manicures, dinner and dessert, and then watched movies until the wee hours of the morning. The next morning, we awoke to a big surprise: the house had been toiletpapered by Pat Walsh! - Kate Shanahan

students Sanjeev Datta, Stefan Eckhardt, James Feng, Curran Kaushik, Yash Khandwala, Sachin Mitra, Arjun Mody and Patrick Smith joined Tim Culbertson, Camila Valdez and me for a day at Hellyer Canyon Disc Golf course. We had wonderful weather and a great group of students and teachers. We were particularly impressed with how much everyone improved in just the ﬁrst few holes! - Simon Keilty

Harker News — June 06

MS Sleepover Party: Off-site was Outta-site!

Katherine Sommer - both photos

On May 6 students Madeline Bourquin, Barbara Camara, Jordan Peetz, Nicholas Sancen, Sheridan Tobin and Nephele Troullinos, all Gr. 3, joined Daniel Sommer and me on an overnight camping trip to Big Basin State Park.

We enjoyed a night under oldgrowth redwood trees, eating s’mores and playing guitar. It was a memorable event for all. - Katherine Sommer

■ Dinner with Kerr and Bither MS Division Head Cindy Kerr and I played host and hostess to eight sixth graders May 30 for a meal they won’t soon forget. The students, selected by Sandy Fung, Gr. 6, enjoyed dining on their favorite local Cheesecake Factory meals, all lavishly served by the two of us, bedecked in the appropriate attire and acting as hosts and servers for the event! - Jack Bither

■ Parent, Alumni and Community Donations Pack a Punch The extended Harker community always plays a big role in the success of the auction. Two cool auction items from last year were a weekend at a sumptuous Lake Tahoe cabin, donated by Celia De Benedetti ’80, and luxury skybox tickets to a S.F. Giants game, donated by parents Leslie and Sean Doherty (Sean, Gr. 9, John, Gr. 5, and Emma, Gr. 2). High bidder for the Tahoe cabin was parent Kim Jonchich (Megan, K), who said, “We had a great vacation. It was an experience we will never forget, and we would deﬁnitely do it again!” Parent Andy Wolfe (Ian, Gr. 7 and Kathryn, Gr. 5), high bidder for the S.F. Giants skybox, agreed, saying, “The Harker auctions are jam-packed with one-of-a-kind experiences for both us and our kids. When we also know that it helps fund special activities at school, it is easier to dig a little deeper into the wallet to bid on something special.”

Vanessa Bullman - both photos

Super Sellers Enjoy Day of Fun!

Thirty-two K-Gr. 2 students enjoyed the benefits of their salesmanship on May 4 when students who had sold over 100 raffle tickets for the 2005 Polar Picnic were treated to leaving school early for an afternoon at Bamboola. They face painted, rock-climbed and played all the arcade games hoping to win some great prizes. “The kids enjoyed dressing up almost as much as laughing at Ms. Hirata and Miss Ebony all dressed up,” laughed Vanessa Bullman, rec staffer and fellow chaperone for the trip.

Harker News — June 06

The Polar Picnic lived on for the 33 lucky MS students who boarded a bus on April 21 and headed to the hills for the MS Mystery Night Sleepover Party, one of the popular auction items from last October’s Family & Alumni Picnic. For the first time in Harker sleepover party history, the event was held off-site at Kennolyn, a beautiful summer camp and event facility located in the Santa Cruz mountains. When they arrived at the beautiful mountain location, the students happily helped empty the bus and truck (they brought enough stuff for a weeklong trip) and then enjoyed a variety of games and outdoor activities including sand volleyball, Ping- Pong, Nerf-ball games, crafts, Twister, checkers, chess and more! Of course, there was plenty of food and drinks and the middle schoolers never stopped eating! They grazed all night on pizza, chips and salsa, popcorn, candy and even some healthy fruit and vegetable treats! Once darkness fell, everyone joined together at the amazing campfire amphitheater for songs and an impromptu talent show with lots of jokes and stories, and that old camp favorite, s’mores. “The Kennolyn facilities are really beautiful and I think the students enjoyed being outside in a new environment,” said Kelly Espinosa, LS dean of non-academic affairs. “It was so fun watching them run around, doing simple kid-type things, and having such a great time!” In spite of a very late night with very little sleep, everyone enjoyed the morning tour of Kennolyn’s facilities, and some of the students who have attended Kennolyn’s summer camp were able to show their friends the cabins they had occupied in summers past. Everybody boarded the bus (after a few trips to load up all the stuff) and headed back to civilization, despite cries of “can’t we stay longer?” On the trip home, the happy overnighters were already making plans to help organize the trip for next year. They hope to showcase some of their campfire acts during an MS assembly next year to excite their fellow students and raise even more money for our school! A great big thank you to chaperones Kelly Espinosa, Vanessa Bullman, Lana Morrison, Tristan Perks, Heather Perrotta (who also drove the bus), Mel Robinson and Lars Shaw for their help with the trip, and special thanks to Kennolyn for donating their fabulous facilities for our picnic auction party. —Laura van den Dries, parent (Chloe, Gr. 2 and Nikka, Gr. 5)

Vanessa Bullman - all photos

■ Camping with the Sommers

SAN JOSE CONVENTION CENTER

Pam Dickinson

FRI., FEB. 23, 2007

L to R: Violet Boyle, Roni Wolfe, Susan Cho, Archana Sathaye and Joan Brooks.

2007 Fashion Show Theme and Chairs Announced

Veterans of last year’s show reunited and joined with new volunteers at the MS multi-purpose room on May 18 for the unveiling of the 2007 Harker Fashion Show theme and logo. After a short social time filled with reminiscing about the fun of last year’s Cruisin’ California, Fashion Show Event Chair Archana Sathaye, along with assistant chairs Violet Boyle (Event Administration & Finance), Joan Brooks (Information & Public Relations), Susan Cho (Fundraising & Solicitation) and Roni Wolfe (Event Production) revealed the next show’s fabulous logo and fun-filled theme, “CinéFest – Watch our Stars Shine!” The net profit from the show directly benefits our children by providing for the Scholarship Fund, the Science and Technology Center, and continued professional development for the faculty.

Welcome Our 2007 Fashion Show Chairs! It is with great pleasure and appreciation that we introduce the fashion show event chair and assistant chairs for the 2007 Harker Fashion Show. These five capable and enthusiastic women, with support from Lisa Blickenstaff, community relations director, and Joe Gill, assistant head of nonacademics, will be leading hundreds of volunteers in their goal of creating and producing another memorable and successful fundraising event.

■ Chair Archana Sathaye has two fun and conscientious daughters at Harker: Priya (Gr. 8) and Maya (Gr. 5). Sathaye graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a doctorate in electrical engineering, and has worked in the industry and as a professor. She retired from her faculty position and now focuses most of her energy being involved as a Harker volunteer. In addition to other volunteer positions, she has served on the fashion show committee as a sponsorship co-chair since the first show in 2004. As the event chair of this year’s show, Sathaye’s goal is not only to raise those crucial extra funds for Harker, but also to create a fun experience for every member of her team. She recognizes that the show will be the result of the hard work done by her enthusiastic teammates, and is thankful for their support.

■ Assistant Chair Violet Boyle has two great kids, Alyssa (Gr. 9) and Steve (’06), and joined the Harker family when Steve started Gr. 6. Originally from New York, Boyle graduated from Manhattan College with a B.S. in computer information systems, and worked as a programmer for IBM and Intel. She has always been active in her children’s lives, and as a dedicated Harker volunteer, Boyle has been a room parent, Development Council member and ardent supporter of the US performing arts program. She is currently on the US Leadership Council and co-chair for the US ambassador program, and began her fashion show career as a reservations committee member the first year of the show. She has co-chaired the reservations committee the past two years, and is excited about her new and expanded role in support of the show.

■ Assistant Chair Joan Brooks, along with her husband, Jeff, and their children, Hillary (’05) and Garrett (Gr. 11), became a part of the Harker family in 2003, after they moved here from London. Brooks graduated with a B.S. in marketing, and has worked as a buyer for Macy’s Kansas City and Liberty House in Hawaii, and as an international purser for TWA. At Harker, she has served as a member of the Development Council and chaired the recent senior mom’s luncheon. Presently, she is a member of the US Leadership Council and is co-chairing the US ambassador program. Brooks has been involved with Harker’s Fashion Show since the first year, and as assistant chair in charge of information and public relations, her goal is to communicate to our Harker community the fun of participating in – and attending – CinéFest to watch our stars shine!

■ Assistant Chair Susan Cho joined the Harker Community when her son Tayro (Gr. 5) came to Harker as a new student for the 2005-06 school year. Cho graduated from Seton Hall Law School and, after serving a clerkship under the Honorable Martin Kravarik of the New Jersey Superior Court, practiced litigation and family law. She is now retired from practicing law, and thoroughly enjoys being a full-time mom and living in the beautiful Silicon Valley. Cho jumped right in to volunteering as soon as she joined the Harker community. She is currently a room parent, and worked on the model committee for the 2006 show. She truly appreciates the opportunity to serve as a member of the coming year’s fantastic fashion show team, and looks forward to working with all the capable and wonderful parent volunteers.

■ Assistant Chair Roni Wolfe is the proud parent of Ian (Gr. 7) and Molly (Gr. 5). She holds a M.S. in computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University where, coincidentally, her husband, Andy, shared an office with Archana Sathaye’s husband, Shirish. Roni has worked for SRA and Ernst & Young, and has also been an active Harker volunteer for many years. She has been involved with the show since its inception, co-chairing the models and mailing committees for the first two shows, and chairing the hair and make-up committee for this past show. Since much of Wolfe’s volunteering has been at the LS campus, working on the fashion show lets her feel more connected with the overall Harker community, and she is eager to meet and work with the parents, students, alumni and faculty members involved with this year’s event.

You Can Be a Part of This Shining Event! Join us at the MS campus for our summer meetings, and learn more about the show, the volunteer opportunities, and the people who will be working together to make CinéFest another successful fundraising event.

Fashion Show Summer Meeting Schedule Blackford Multi-Purpose Room Tues., July 11, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., potluck dinner Thurs., Aug 10, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., potluck dinner Harker News — June 06

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■ LS & MS Boys Volleyball The B boys volleyball team had a fantastic season. The team, comprising some very talented Gr. 6, 7 and 8 players, showcased a lot of charisma and confidence. They have progressed into a cohesive unit, maturing in every skill and challenge that was given to them. I am so proud of the team that they have become. The future for boys volleyball at Harker looks very promising and I am sure that success will follow these boys wherever they go. —Coach Jeff Diokno

a great season. —Coaches Josh Torres, Justin Sullivan and Jeremiah Brewer ■ LS & MS Boys Baseball The Gr. 4 baseball season began with wet and windy conditions and ended with warm, sun-filled days. Some players came out eager to play and learn the sport, while others participated with the expectation of improving their baseball skills and having a great time. The season saw leaping catches, solid line drives and even a triple play! Congratulations to the fourth graders who put forth so much effort throughout the season. —Coach Jim McGovern

Photo supplied by Bui Duy Thien

The Gr. 5 baseball team had a fun season of growth. We reinforced basic skills, practiced some high-level techniques and enjoyed daily games. David Lindars, Michael Cheng and Cameron Walker played with consistent effort, sportsmanship and a positive attitude. It has been a pleasure to coach the team this season. —Coaches Jason Pergament and Michael Saltzman The boys A volleyball team had a very successful season, perhaps its best ever! Finishing the season with a 20-4 record, the team was led by setters Eugene Huang and Chad Gordon, both Gr. 8. Also, middle hitters Kurtis Lin and LungYing Yu, both Gr. 8, contributed greatly to this year’s success. Recently, the team placed first in the St. Chris and Mt. Madonna tournaments and took third in the Harker tournament. Thanks for the great season. —Coach Pete Anderson ■ LS & MS Swimming Led by eighth graders Kelsey Chung and Scott Underwood, and seventh grader Jerry Sun, the MS swim team dove into the season with great work ethic and enthusiasm. With no swim meets to this point, the team has focused on improving their stroke work and speed in the pool. The coaches have been impressed with all the swimmers this year as they all have worked hard in practices. A special thanks to Spanish teacher Julie Pinzás for her inspiration in the pool over the course of the season. Thank you for

The MS baseball team had a successful inaugural season. The team, consisting of 20 players in Gr. 6-8, practiced every day and showed tremendous improvement. The kids were always willing to learn, which made our jobs as coaches easier. The team was led by four-sport athlete Patrick Smith, Gr. 8, while Gr. 7 students Chris Ng and Peter Auvil showed a lot of promise as future leaders. With many returning players, the future looks bright for Harker MS baseball. —Coaches Carson Carattini, Nick Gassman, Mike Delfino and Rich Amarillas

■ MS Wrestling At the final MS wrestling tournament of the year, the Santa Clara Wrestling Association Freestyle and

LS Creates New Running Club This past year, LS P.E. teacher Jim McGovern organized a new Gr. 4/5 Running Club so that students could learn training techniques, work toward their fitness goals, improve their mile time or just run for fun! The group did their running activities during late-winter and early-spring. McGovern said, “Despite the inclement weather, the students came out and worked on running technique and leg strength, ran relays, jumped hurdles and showed enthusiasm the entire time!” McGovern noted the effort of several regular participants: Jennifer Labruna, David Lindars, Sumit Minocha, Tara Rezvani, Wendy Shwe and Indica Sur, all Gr. 5; and Brian Bither, Lauren Cali, Sean Knudsen and Andrew Zhu, all Gr. 4. season one to remember. We look forward to seeing the progress they will make in the upcoming year. —Coach Rebecca Esquivel

Greco-Roman Championships at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, the MS Wrestling team gave a fantastic finish to an amazing season. Gr. 8 students Cole Davis and Rohan Prakash both took second place in their weight classes, with fellow Gr. 8 student Stephen Wang and Gr. 7 student Santosh Swaminathan finishing third. Thanks for a great season. —Coach Karriem Stinson ■ LS Girls Softball The Gr. 4/5 girls softball team worked hard all season. They developed together and became better players, practicing each day with smiles on their faces and positive attitudes. Amy Johnson, Gr. 5, and Mercedes Chien, Gr. 4, are two girls who came out each practice and devoted themselves to giving their all. The coaches would like to thank all the girls for making this

■ MS Tennis The MS tennis team had a wonderful season. The team won all seven matches in league competition, even beating the four-time defending champions from Redwood. The team gave their all to reach the playoffs, led by the sibling combo of Shizuka Tiernan, Gr. 8, and Thomas Tiernan, Gr. 7, and number one player Arthi Padmanabhan, Gr. 8, who is currently ranked fifth in the USA Tennis Association NorCal rankings. —Coach Ganesh Vaidya ■ MS Girls Volleyball This spring has been an exciting time for the MS girls volleyball program. The A, B and C teams went a combined 21-0! The A team went 9-0, finishing off the season with the impressive road. The quality club volleyball players on the A team coming together was fun to watch. Comprised of mostly eighth graders, the A team also enjoyed the added talent of three Gr. 7 players who contributed greatly to the teams success: setter Kristina Little, defensive specialist Shireen Moshkelani and middle hitter Christine Chien. The team was led Harker News — June 06

by the consistently outstanding play of MVP Colby Rapson, Eagle Award winner Alysia Patel and Coaches Award winner Maddie Lucas, all Gr. 8. The team also enjoyed the talented play of Danielle Buis, Marissa Gale, Amy Rorabaugh and Taryn Spiller, all Gr. 8. Meanwhile, the B team went 8-0, capping off their season with solid wins against Pinewood, Castilleja, Menlo School and St. Joseph’s of Atherton. Like the A team, this team was full of quality club volleyball players. They never lost a single game of any match! Many players tried different positions for the good of the team, and it paid off for all involved. The future of the MS volleyball program looks bright with such a standout group of returning players. The B team was led by MVP Henna Mishra, Eagle Award winner Erica Woolsey and Coaches Award winner Ava Rezvani, all Gr. 7. —Coaches Theresa Smith and Mike Leonard The C girls volleyball team was undefeated this year! They easily won all of their games. Leading the way with their exceptional play were Alyssa Lin, Sandy Fung and team MVP Veronica Bither, all Gr. 6. Congratulations to the team on a perfect season! —Coach Vonda Reid

Steven Wong - both volleyball photos

■ US Spring Sports Wrap We’ve had some remarkable accomplishments throughout the spring! The boys volleyball and swim teams won the firstever boys team championships in the US’s young history. All-league recipients for volleyball include league MVP Brian McEuen, Gr.

Harker News — June 06

10; first team Joey Shapiro, Gr. 10, and Eric Tsai, Gr. 11; second team Matt Wong, Gr. 11; and honorable mention Wilson Haung and Bernie Lee, both Gr. 12. In addition to winning their championship, the swim team, under Coach Bart Wells, also had a few swimmers qualify for the Central Coast Section (CCS) meet. Freshman Andrew Chin placed ninth in the 200 individual medley and fifth in the 100 butterfly, setting new Harker records in both events. This is truly a remarkable accomplishment, and places him among the Bay Area’s elite swimmers. The 200-medley relay team of Michael Kim, Gr. 12, Justin Chin, Gr. 11, Andrew Chin, and Raymond Paseman, Gr. 10, and the 200-freestyle relay of Andrew Chin, Kim, Paseman, and Excel Que, Gr. 10, both set Harker records at the meet. This was the first time Harker qualified swimmers for CCS. We were also represented in the CCS diving competition by freshman Sabrina Paseman. She placed 12th out of 36 competitors. The boys track & field team placed second in their league behind newly-crowned league MVP Jacob Bongers, Gr. 11. Bongers placed first in four events: the 4x100 relay, 100m, 200m, and the triple jump. Second place finishers included Winston Wey, Gr. 11, in the 200m and Will Courchesne, Gr. 11, in the 110m

hurdles and long jump. These boys had a fine showing at the CCS track championship trials, where Harker had more CCS qualifiers than ever before. The baseball team drew a lot of attention and respect throughout the league this season as they were competitive in every game and had a nice win at The King’s Academy. They ended up with a winning record of 13-9 with 11 freshmen on the squad. All-league athletes include: first team Jason Martin, Gr. 11; second team Mark Ollila and Gregg Ringold, both Gr. 11; and honorable mention Barrett Glasauer Gr. 9 and Lucas Motro, Gr. 11. The boys tennis team placed second in the league and lost a close firstround CCS match against St. Ignatius. All-league awards went to: first team Eric Trinh, Gr. 10, and Eric Liu, Gr. 12; second team Rohan Narayen, Gr. 11, and Rajiv Ragu, Gr. 10; and honorable mention Tanuj Thapliyal, Gr. 12, and Brian Ma, Gr. 10. Mike Shwe, Gr. 10, earned first team golf all-league honors and qualified for the CCS tournament, while Johnny Chang, Gr. 11, earned second team recognition. Our girl swimmers are well represented on the all-league teams with Tiffany Chang, Gr. 11, making the first team and senior Jaya Iyer, Gr. 12, the second team. The softball team improved greatly throughout the season and never backed down from a challenge. Stephanie Kim, Gr. 10, became the first Eagle ever to receive second team all-league honors. Meera Kler, Gr. 12, received honorable mention status. Some of our female track athletes had strong finishes to their seasons. Elena Madan, Gr. 9, placed eighth in the 400m; Tianna Knight, Gr. 9, placed third in the 100m; and Masha Grigoreva, Gr. 9, placed fifth in the high jump. Thank you to

Coach Vonda Reid for her help at the meet. Harker’s first lacrosse season ran extremely well. The Eagles won one game against Mercy Burlingame and were able to hold several matches at the J.V. level. Team MVPs were Clara Lyashevsky, Gr. 9, and Natalie So, Gr. 10. High scorer was senior captain Eunice Lee, with freshman captain Alyssa Boyle scoring the second most team goals.

■ Polzin Earns High Honor Senior Amanda Polzin was named the top winner at the San Jose Sports Authority’s annual REACH (Recognizing Excellence, Adversity, Courage and Hard Work) Youth Scholarship Program. (See Kudos on page 27). ■ New US Fitness Center We’re very excited about our new fitness center, which will be ready this fall. Moving the former weight room to the old girls locker room - which was previously an unused open room - almost doubles the square footage from the weight room’s previous location on the other side of Rosenthal Field. The new fitness center will also house the trainer’s room with rehabilitation equipment. Watch for more information in the fall edition. ■ US Summer Reminders See the back page for important summer and fall reminders, and have a great summer holiday! —Dan Molin, US Athletic Director

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Serving Those Who Serve Us

HELM Publishes Student Work

The US Spirit Club recently organized the second-annual Staff Appreciation Dinner. US Head Richard Hartzell, US Spanish teacher Susana Hartzell, US activities director Chris Daren and numerous student volunteers cooked and served dinner to all of the US campus’ non-teaching staff to honor all that they do for Harker. “This is a great opportunity to thank the men and women who take care of our campus, our stomachs and us,” Hartzell said.

HELM, Harker’s Eclectic Literary Magazine, produced its annual journal this month. Replete with poems, short stories, artwork and photographs, the magazine showcases the work of many talented students, much of it created on their own time and unrelated to school projects or assignments. The staff of the HELM met in long sessions over the course of a week to choose from among the more than 200 submissions that came in during the school year. They each read every story, watched a slideshow of all of the artwork, and then began to narrow their choices. All submissions were evaluated with the author’s name removed. This year’s editors, Casey Near and Ariane Vartanian, both Gr. 12, put the final product together, overseeing the final picks, choosing the order, and working with adviser John Hanlon on the production details. HELM covers its publishing expenses with an annual root beer float sale in the spring, and by the sale of the magazine itself. Hanlon says that, simple as it may sound, his favorite part of the process is “being the adviser. I like working with the editors to help them make it a better club and a better magazine.” He helps the editors set goals and asks the right questions to encourage their fulfillment. He and the editors worked hard this year to make the club “inviting and democratic,” Hanlon notes. Interested writers and artists can submit work at any time, and the current issue is on sale throughout the summer for $12 at the bookstore. Next year’s edition will be led by new editors Emily Isaacs and Allison Wong, both currently Gr. 11.

Annual Awards Banquet and Another ‘Harker First’ in Debate Harker administrators joined forensics director Matthew Brandstetter, students and family members of the Harker Speech and Debate Society on April 15 for its annual awards ceremony and banquet in the US gym. Featured oratorical displays were from seniors Arjun Banerjee, Meghana Dhar, Rose Kirby, Mina Lee, Amulya Mandava, Jaya Pareek, Siddarth Satish, Alisha Tolani, Sean Turner, Shilpa Vadodaria and Amira Valliani. Student members were recognized for achieving “degree” status in the National Forensic League (NFL) and for outstanding performances in mock trial, Lincoln-Douglas and policy debate. Turner received the EISA (Extraordinary Innovative Spirit Award) for his paperless ballot system, which was implemented throughout the Harker Invitational. New captains for the 2006-07 season were announced: juniors Caitlin Contag, Adam Creasman, Jessica Lee, David Linder and Frank Wang; sophomores Anuj Kamdar and Nicholas Tan. NFL Academic All-American certificates Harker News — June 06

were awarded to Tolani and Satish for reaching the 750 plateau in NFL point accumulation. Additionally, Brandstetter introduced Alexander Merton as a new member of the communication studies department, beginning in fall 2006. Brandstetter proudly announced another Harker first: Adam Creasman was invited to attend the Extemporaneous Tournament of Champions at Northwestern University, May 12-14. The tournament offers unparalleled challenges to extemporaneous speakers from across the nation in an environment that showcases their skill at speaking with little or no preparation. Congratulations to Creasman on this accomplishment, which he earned through hard work and dedication in an extremely competitive field. ■ Other Debate News Harker novice debaters had a long three days of competition at Lynbrook High School on May 14. They worked tirelessly and achieved a third-place finish at the Third Bay Area Circuit Debate

League tournament. Twentyseven Harker students competed in individual events, policy and Lincoln-Douglas debates, while 11 varsity squad members joined in both coaching and judging during event. Plaudits to sophomores Lucas Ellison, Kamdar, Stephanie Lio, Tonia Sun, Akshay Udiavar, Neelaysh Vukkadala and Wang, and juniors Contag, Lee, Linder and Tan for volunteering to help squad members during the weekend. Congratulations to the following students who earned awards:

Individual Events: Erraballi – second place, Thematic Interpretation; Sonya Gilman, Gr. 9 – fifth place, Dramatic Interpretation; Kaavya Gowda, Gr. 9 and Erraballi – fourth place, Duo Interpretation; Nafeesa Laiwalla, Gr. 9 – sixth place, Oratorical Interpretation

Novice Lincoln-Douglas: third place – Paari Kandappan, Gr. 9; quarterfinalist – Nikhil Patel, Gr. 9; octafinalists – Robyn Chan, Gr. 10, Vikram Nathan, Gr. 9, Sahil Takiar, Gr. 9, Chetan Vakkalagadda, Gr. 9

At press time, four Harker students (two graduates, one junior and one sophomore) were attending the National Catholic Forensic League “Grand National” Tournament in Chicago. Three students were competing in Lincoln-Douglas debate and one was competing in Original Oratory. And this summer, The Harker Summer Institute (currently 30 members strong and growing) will be held on the Saratoga campus June 12-16. Policy and LincolnDouglas debate are the mainstays of the camp, with instruction this year also in areas of Model United Nations and Individual Events.

Speaker Awards: fourth place – Mohit Bansal, Gr. 9; sixth place – Vakkalagadda; eighth place – Chan

Congratulations to Brandstetter, his team and all the debaters for a great close to another spectacular year!

Novice Policy: tie for third place honors – Prachi Sharma and Pratusha Erraballi; Jonathan Liu and Aaron Lin, all Gr. 9

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Conservatory’s ‘Guys and Dolls’ a Sellout and a Smash Hit The Conservatory’s annual spring musical was another winner, as director Laura Lang-Ree and musical director Catherine Snider brought this year’s musical “Guys and Dolls” to life. The choreography, by Joe Duffy and Paige Cook Perez, emphasized the Conservatory’s large number of outstanding male dancers, and gave senior Certificate graduate Sarah Fingerhood and newcomer Cailin MacKenzie, Gr. 9, a chance to shine with several solos. Set designer Paul Vallerga created a charming, multilevel look that instantly placed the action on the streets of New York. Brian Larsen’s sound design, Natti PierceThomson’s lights, Caela Fujii’s costume adaptation and Snider’s five-piece professional band all set the mood as the audience watched slick gambler Sky Masterson (Patrick Sweeney, Gr. 11) fall for a Salvation Army sergeant (Nina Vyedin, Gr. 11). Veteran play actor Steve Boyle, Gr. 12, had his first role in a musical, playing shyster Nathan Detroit, who is trying to juggle a floating crap game and his fiancée of 14 years, Adelaide (Lauren Ammatuna, Gr. 10). Lang-Ree commented, “’Guys and Dolls’ was a true labor of love. We had a great script to work with and lots of brand-new as well as returning talent. Directing Harker students is always such a joy because they are so eager to learn and to rise to high expectations.” Lang-Ree and Snider have produced six musicals together at Harker, worked together in many non-Harker productions, and have more than 40 combined years of professional theater experience! See related story this page, and visit the Web site for the full gallery of great photos of the show!

US Conservatory Awarded International Honor: Invitation to Edinburgh Laura Lang-Ree, director of K-12 per forming arts, thought it was just another routine piece of marketing mail when she opened an envelope from the American High School Theater Festival (AHSTF). “But as I started reading, I realized we were being sent an invitation to compete for a spot at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for 2007!” she recalled. Founded in 1947, the Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Professional and amateur companies from all over the world descend on Scotland for three weeks of theater, with venues created from almost every inch of available space. AHSTF has been a part of the Fringe for 12 years, and is the largest and longest-running contingent in the history of the festival. “This invitation solidly puts us on the map as a major player in the musical theater high school world,”

said Lang-Ree. It’s a very prestigious honor to be invited to participate with the AHSTF at the Fringe. AHSTF relies on state, regional and national theater organizations to nominate the nation’s top high school theater programs, and applications are reviewed by a panel of college theater professionals. American Musical Theatre of San Jose (AMTSJ), which is very familiar with Harker’s Conservatory through its High School Musical Theatre Honors program, nominated Harker for this incredible honor. Lang-Ree was informed on opening night of “Guys and Dolls” that Harker’s 2006-07 musical was selected to attend the Fringe, and Harker’s performing arts students are ecstatic about the invitation.“This is such an amazing thing that’s really a product of so much hard work and talent both

from the students and the faculty,” said Siobhan Stevenson, Gr. 11. Lauren Ammatuna, Gr. 10, added, “It feels great that our performing arts department is getting such a high honor.” In his letter of recommendation to the Fringe, Head of School Chris Nikoloff wrote, “(Harker) believes that the arts are an integral part of our curriculum, a discipline like any other…(Lang-Ree and her staff) believe that it is important to teach students how to be professional, structured artists in pursuit of their craft. The professionalism of our students, combined with the technical sophistication of our productions, creates an unmatched program.” Lang-Ree and musical director Catherine Snider will travel to Scotland this summer to observe the program before making a final

decision as to Harker’s involvement next year. ■ AMT Awards ‘Guys and Dolls’ Eight Certificates AMTSJ’s kudos for Harker continued at this year’s adjudication in their High School Honors program where the judges awarded this year’s “Guys and Dolls” with an astonishing eight certificates! Honors for Outstanding Performer went to: Lauren (“Adelaide”) Ammatuna, Gr. 10, Patrick (“Sky Masterson”) Sweeney, Gr. 11, Steve (“Nathan Detroit”) Boyle, Gr. 12, Nina (“Sarah Brown”) Vyedin, Gr. 11, and Aseem (“Nicely-Nicely Johnson”) Shukla, Gr. 11. Outstanding Supporting actors were: Joe (“Benny Southstreet”) Hospodor, Gr. 9, Robert (“Lt. Brannigan”) Lougheed-Lowe, Gr. 11, and Ben (“Arvide Abernathy”) Englert, Gr. 11. Harker News — June 06

JETS Rank in National Top 10

Madrigals, Motets and Madness

The Harker chapter of the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) had three of its teams rank among the top 10 teams in their divisions nationwide.

Spring was deﬁnitely in the air on May 7 when Cantilena and Guys’ Gig ﬁlled the Saratoga FDR with song and laughter at their spring concert, “Madrigals, Motets and Madness.” Wearing spring dresses instead of their usual formal gowns, Cantilena sang early and modern songs of love and farewell, and featured many of their talented singers in solos and small groups. Seniors Avanti Deshpande, Lauren Gutstein, Kat Hudkins, Gail Nakano, and juniors Jessica Dickinson Goodman and Emily Isaacs performed solo pieces ranging from Italian arias to Johnny Mercer, and soprano Amulya Mandava, Gr. 12, and violinist (and singer) Audrey Kwong, Gr. 11, were featured in a lovely Judeo-Spanish folk song. Guys’ Gig performed with their usual joie de vivre, featuring a few songs from “Monty Python’s Spamalot” and their signature tune, “Good Ol’ A Cappella.”

Harker’s varsity A squad – comprising Gr. 12 students Neil Chao, Shilpa Vadodaria and Hann-Shuin Yew, Gr. 11 students Arkajit Dey, Tatsu Hashimoto and Yuanyuan Pao, and Gr. 10 students Kyu Bok Lee and Frank Wang – finished the season tied for first place in the nation! Making their national title even more impressive was the fact that many of the team’s members were relative newcomers to the JETS competition. “This was a recently formed team of interested students,” said JETS adviser Judy James. “Only four of them had competed in JETS contests before.”

Harker’s junior varsity B team finished an impressive third in the nation. The team’s members – Thomas Roxlo, Catherine Chiu, Paul Christiano, Rachel Fong, Spencer Liang, Scott Liao, Jonathan Shih and Tonia Sun, all Gr. 10 – have competed together for two consecutive years.

Physics: Bowl and Coasters Harker US students recently placed second in their region in the American Association of Physics Teachers’ Physics Bowl 2006. While most schools had a designated physics bowl team to represent their school in the competition, Harker physics teachers decided it would be valuable for all US physics students to participate. Harker earned a score of 95, ranking second in Region 14, which includes all high schools in California, Hawaii and U.S. protectorates. Harker’s freshmen physics students eagerly participated in Paramount’s Great America’s recent Physics, Science and Math Day for schools all over the area. Students were required to ride a particular roller coaster (or talk a friend into riding it!) and then describe the physical phenomena they experienced. Explained physics teacher Flo Turkenkopf, “Roller coaster physics is one of my favorite topics to teach. Having a student come up to me and tell me how cool a ride is using their new knowledge of roller coaster physics is an incredibly rewarding experience.”

Robert Boucher, parent - both photos

Harker’s varsity B team – comprised of Aline Zorian, Justin Chin, Danyal Kothari, Richard Kwant, Jessie Li, Tiffany June Lin, Daniel Paik and Jacqueline Rousseau, all Gr. 11 – took eighth place in the entire nation in final JETS rankings. The members of the varsity B team have now competed together for three consecutive years. “Our Varsity B team chose to compete as varsity instead of junior varsity, even though they knew they would compete against another well-founded Harker team,” James said. “Varsity B had hoped to take first place, but they still have another year to do so.”

Director Susan Nace paid special tribute to the many departing seniors – eight in Cantilena and one in Guys’ Gig – and welcomed next year’s girls with Cantilena sweatshirts and a hearty round of applause. Guys’ Gig sang a surprise tribute to Nace – a satirical rendition of “Since You’ve Been Gone.”

Harker JSA Leads Region The Harker chapter of the Junior State of America (JSA) made yet another remarkable showing at the recent Spring State Conference in San Jose. Despite being one of the smallest high schools to have a JSA chapter, Harker had the most members in attendance, with an impressive delegation of 63 students. Natasha Sarin, Gr. 11, who is currently the lieutenant governor of the JSA state of Northern California (which includes more than 100 chapters in California, Nevada and Utah) was elected the new governor of the Nor-Cal region. She is now responsible for leading a group of several thousand JSA members.

Photo supplied by Fred Triefenbach

Adam Creasman, Gr. 11, was elected as senator for the Golden Gate Region (GGR) to which Harker belongs, succeeding fellow Harker student Amira Valliani, Gr. 12. In addition, Anjali Naskar, Gr. 10, was offered her choice of cabinet positions for the next year. During the conference’s other events, Amit Mukherjee and Sriram Prakash, both Gr. 12, each received best speaker awards. “Prakash managed to participate in the debates on seven different questions, despite the fact that two of them were held simultaneously,” said JSA adviser Dan Hudkins. Several Harker students also were honored as outgoing ofﬁcers: Tara Chandra, Gr. 12, state speaker of the house; Valliani, senator; Shilpa Vadodaria, Gr. 12, state cabinet; Tonia Sun, Gr. 10, state cabinet; and Deepa Ramakrishnan, Gr. 10, chief of staff of the GGR. Eighty-ﬁve students participated in the annual sophomore class ropes course activity in Santa Cruz, working together to complete the course as a trust-building and cooperation exercise. Kevin Williamson, US dean of students, said, “The students face physical and intellectual challenges involving collaboration, teamwork, mutual support and individual goal-setting, which is what the ropes course is all about.” Harker News — June 06

Harker’s own JSA chapter also recently elected its leadership for the 200607 school year, with Danyal Kothari, Gr. 11, being selected as president, and Neil Shah, Gr. 10, slated to serve as vice president. Congratulations to all the Harker JSA members for representing the school in outstanding fashion!

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school History Day State Competition

The Harker Science Bowl team, which comprises seniors Yi Sun and Hann-Shuin Yew, and juniors Siddarth Chandrasekhar, Tatsu Hashimoto and Arkajit Dey, recently spent ﬁve days in Washington, D.C., competing in the National Science Bowl. This marked the third consecutive year that Harker qualiﬁed for national competition. “It was a fantastic experience,” Yew said. “We made new friends from both the West and East Coast, renewed old acquaintances and did a lot of stuff together as a team.”

Four Harker students competed in the recent California state competition of the National History Day Contest: Rohini Venkatraman, Gr. 12, Caitlin Contag, Gr. 11, Ananya Anand, Gr. 9, and Sachin Rangarajan, Gr. 9.

Harker advanced to the round of 16 by defeating rival Mission San Jose. Previous contests between the two schools traditionally had been decided by which team gained the initial advantage. However, after trailing by a substantial margin at halftime, Harker made a strong charge in the second half. “We pulled together beautifully in the second half, answering seven consecutive questions,” Yew said. “In the end, we beat them on the last question.” Yew added, “What was even better than our comeback, though, was the manner in which it was executed. Every one of us answered at least one question in that streak. Every one of us showed how integral we were to the team.” Harker lost in the next round to the team from North Hollywood High School, which would eventually reach the ﬁnal round of the competition. “Our team performed extremely well, ﬁnishing among the top 16 teams in the country,” said team adviser Jennifer Owen.

National Merit Scholarships Last November the Harker News reported that an impressive 38 current seniors had been named National Merit Semifinalists, based on their PSAT results from the previous year. About 90 percent (about 15,000) of the nation’s semifinalists advanced to the finalist round, where scholarships are awarded. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) has announced the first two rounds of scholarships, most financed by NMSC and some by NMSC with the support of corporate and college sponsors. More winners will be announced in July. Congratulations to our 2006 finalists: winners of $2,500 scholarships are Theodore Lee, Christine Hsueh, Sharon Her, Yi Sun and Samantha Fang. In addition, Steve Boyle has been awarded a New York University Merit Scholarship – Boyle plans to attend NYU as an acting/directing student. The NMCS criteria for scholarship winners included each finalist’s academic record, scores from two standardized tests, leadership in school and the community, an essay by the student and a letter of recommendation.

More Praise for Harker Musicians The Harker Orchestra participated in the California Music Educators’ Association (CMEA) Orchestra Festival on Apr. 22. Director Chris Florio and his students per formed for three judges, who awarded the group two “superior” ratings and one “excellent” rating, resulting in a composite rank of “superior” – the highest rank possible. “The judges were impressed with our appearance and talent as well as the high level of music we were playing,” said Florio. Congratulations to this talented ensemble! Meanwhile, four soloists traveled to Sacramento to take part in the CMEA State Solo-Ensemble Festival. All four received the Gold Medal Award, the highest rating given at the festival. Congratulations to violinists Stephanie Kim and Kyu Bok Lee, flutist Robert Oh, all Gr. 10, and cellist Janet Jun, Gr. 9.

Photo supplied by Yi Sun

National Science Bowl Competition

Anand won the runner-up award in the Exhibit category for her project, titled “Subhas Chandra Bose: Igniting the Fire of Revolution.” Her award earned her an invitation to the National History Day’s nationwide competition held in Maryland in June. “California is one of the most competitive states because of its size and number of entries,” said US history teacher Mai Lien Nguyen. Meanwhile, Rangarajan qualified for the state finals for his original essay, titled “Alexander the Great: Unifier of the World.” Both Anand and Contag also had the opportunity to show their projects in museums in Sacramento. Anand served as the docent for her exhibit at the Old Schoolhouse Museum, while Contag performed her monologue, titled “Fighting the Beauty Standard,” at the Discovery Museum in Sacramento. Both received fantastic feedback. Finally, Venkatraman’s emotionally stirring video documentary on Jeremy Ailes, a soldier serving in the Iraq War, titled “All-American Boy, Marine and Hero” brought some members of the audience and one of the judges to tears. “Although they competed against students who were older and more experienced in the contest, they each represented themselves and The Harker School with poise, passion and intellectual acuity,” Nguyen said.

Holocaust Survivor, Historian Visits Renowned Holocaust survivor and historian Helen Farkas recently paid a very special visit to US English department chair John Heyes’ Literature of the Holocaust class. Farkas, who personally survived the horrors of being held at the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz, has spent more than half-a-century speaking about the atrocities she witnessed, and reminding the world about the importance of freedom and humanity. “I want to open your minds to what harm people can do to each other,” Farkas told the students. “I want you to protect your country, your freedom, and to promote tolerance in the world.” Farkas shared stories from her book, “Remember the Holocaust: A Memoir of Survival.” The book details how Farkas lost both of her parents, three of her eight siblings, and many of her nieces, nephews and in-laws during the Holocaust. However, her writing also demonstrates how, with sharp decision-making and what she called “very good luck,” she and many of her relatives were able to survive the genocide. Heyes said, “We often hear people say ‘never again’ in regards to the Holocaust, but I wanted our students to hear the story first-hand to motivate them to be more responsible citizens, to teach them their vital role in a participatory democracy, and to show them that they have a responsibility to make sure these type of events don’t happen again.” Heyes also emphasized the value of having direct accounts of the Holocaust. “This is really the last generation of students who can benefit from hearing these stories first-hand,” Heyes said. “In 10 years, there will be very few Holocaust survivors still around to provide this kind of insight, so it’s important that we utilize this vital resource to teach young people.” Many thanks to Farkas for her historical and inspirational insights. Harker News — June 06

kudos At a special annual event June 1 to honor all of Cal-Hi’s featured athletes, held at the Redwood City headquarters of EA Sports (pictured), Polzin was additionally honored at the end of the evening with the Braunstein Family Scholarship.

always been active, “whether running around in the backyard with my siblings or playing with my friends.” Her athletic career began with an early love for gymnastics. While she excelled at events like the ﬂoor routine, her condition limited her effectiveness in other events. This hardship helped harness her posi-

Pam Dickinson

■ Amanda Polzin, Gr. 12, recently earned the top prize in the San Jose Sports Authority’s REACH (Recognizing Excellence, Adversity, Courage and Hard Work) Youth Scholarship program, which honors Bay Area high school student-athletes who have overcome adversity to excel in both academics and athletics. NFL Hall of Famer and honorary REACH chairman Ronnie Lott and women’s soccer star Brandi Chastain presented Polzin with a $2,500 scholarship at a breakfast ceremony in San Jose. Teachers, counselors and coaches from every high school in Santa Clara County nominated students who matched the scholarship criteria, and those students then submitted essays detailing the role that sports played in helping them overcome adversity. Scholarship recipients were selected based on the essay submissions.

tive attitude. “I did not even think of the possibility that my hands might be a limitation,” wrote Polzin in her essay. “Instead, I instinctively tried to work around it, searching on my own for strategies that would keep me up to par. My optimistic attitude carried me a lot farther (in gymnastics) than my coaches imagined, and I try to mirror that same ‘give it your best shot’ mentality in life outside of athletics.”

Polzin’s stirring essay traced her ordeal of dealing with extensive surgeries to repair amniotic band syndrome, a set of congenital birth defects that affects limbs or digits. The numerous surgeries still left her without a middle ﬁnger on her left hand and with only half of each ﬁnger on her right hand. However, Polzin explained in the essay that she has

Polzin continued to excel in sports and academics, playing volleyball and basketball at Harker, earning a third-degree black belt in Shotokan karate and volunteering at the Special Olympics, while also earning admission to Boston College. “Sports helped me forget what I did not have and let me show people the determination and talent that I did,” Polzin said.

Student Body Elects Ofﬁcers

■ The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA), one of the most prestigious arts competition in the nation, has named Samantha Fang, Gr. 12, as one of 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Scholars travel to Washington, D.C., for a week in June to attend seminars, recitals and receptions, and meet with accomplished professionals in their and other arts ﬁelds. As a classical pianist, Fang will be part of the dance, music and theater salute at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts concert Hall in June. ■ Lucille Hu, Gr. 11 won a Silver Award at the national competition of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and was invited to receive it at a ceremony in New York City in June. Hu’s English teacher, Cheryl Cavanaugh, said, “Her short story, called ‘The Experiment,’ was quite edgy!” A total of 50,000 manuscripts were submitted nationally, and 450 writers were recognized with Gold or Silver Awards. ■ Hann-Shuin Yew, Gr. 12, was selected by the judges of the Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Engineering Fair to be one of the U.S. representatives at the 2006 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Indianapolis in

May, the world’s largest science competition for high school-aged students. Yew received a fourth place award in biochemistry and a special award of a summer internship from Agilent Technologies. “Hann is the first student to represent Harker at this event and did an exceptional job of explaining her project on ‘Investigation of Homopolymeric Runs in C. elegans Genome with Novel Model for Control Sequences,’” said physics teacher Daniel Matthews. ■ Senior Yi Sun was named one of two national winners of a $5,000 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement (AP) given each year to a male and a female student who receives the most perfect scores of 5 (out of a possible 5) on AP exams taken in grades 9 to 11. Sun also was selected as a semifinalist in the 2006 U.S. Physics Team search, a competition sponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and their supporters. ■ Sophomores Rachel Peterson and Neelaysh Vukkadala were among the top 25 winners in the 2006 Walton Peace Essay Challenge, organized by the San Jose Peace Center. The students were awarded a certificate and a cash prize of $25 at the ceremony, held at Le Petit Trianon in San Jose in March. Peterson’s essay was titled “World War,” and Vukkadala’s was “A Peaceful Alternative for the Iran-Iraq War.”

Alumni Offer Advice on College Life

US students flocked to the polls to elect their class officers for 2006-07. Freshmen had a 72 percent turnout, sophomores were at 83 percent, and 69 percent of juniors voted. Congratulations to these newly-elected 2006-2007 student body officers! Associated Student Body officers: Rupan Bose – president, Adam Creasman – vice-president, Simren Kohli – secretary, Adnan Haque – treasurer (all Gr. 12); Senior Class (’07): Lucille Hu – president, David Linder – vicepresident, Elyse Kim – secretary, Will Courchesne – treasurer; Junior Class (’08): Neil Shah – president, Jonathan Wang – vice-president, Robyn Chan – secretary, Vikram Reddy – treasurer; Sophomore Class (’09): Winny Huang – president, David Kastelman – vice-president, Connie Wu – secretary, Tiffany Chang – treasurer. Kevin Williamson is the dean of the student body. Diana Moss returns from her year in Chile to be the dean of the class of ’07, Marc Hufnagl remains dean of the class of ’08, and Susana Hartzell continues as dean of the class of ’09. The freshmen class of 2010, with Dean Flo Turkenkopf, will have their elections in the fall. Harker News — June 06

Soon-to-be graduates enjoyed a special alumni brunch on May 17. They viewed photos and yearbooks from their past Harker years, wrote notes for inclusion in their time capsule, and watched videos of past Harker performances. The brunch was followed by the College Life Panel, or “What I Really Wish I Knew BEFORE I Went to College,” which is presented annually by some of our collegeaged alumni (pictured above).

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Cum Laude Inducts New Members

Juniors Explore Careers with Mentors

Harker’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society inducted 36 new members April 27 in a special ceremony that included a piano performance by senior Samantha Fang, remarks from US Head Richard Hartzell, and math teacher Joanne Mason, and a dinner following the induction.

The US mentoring program provides all juniors with hands-on training and professional expertise in career ﬁelds of their choice. Students choose from a wide range of ﬁelds, including robotics, architecture, sports medicine and law. New careers offered this year included aeronautical engineering, creative writing, commercial art and dentistry.

Congratulations to the new members of the Cum Laude Society: teachers Cheryl Cavanaugh and John Hawley; graduated seniors Arjun Banerjee, Shivani Bhargava, Casey Blair, Elizabeth Burstein, Tara Chandra, Carissa Chu, Anjana Dasu, Asavari Gupte, Amy Huang, Hailey Lam, Theodore Lee, Amulya Mandava, Amit Mukherjee, Casey Near, Kathleen Sun, Jayasree Sundaram, Alisha Tolani, Vijay Umapathy, Ariane Vartanian, Rohini Venkatraman and Christine Yeh; juniors Siddarth Chandrasekhar, Adam Creasman, Jocelyn Ko, Danyal Kothari, Richard Kwant, Jessie Li, Rohan Narayen, Jacqueline Rousseau, Natasha Sarin, Aseem Shukla, Kimberly Wong, Joanna Xu and Aline Zorian. Cum Laude was started in 1906 by the director of a private school in Maryland, who wanted to create an organization akin to the collegiate Phi Beta Kappa at the secondary school level. His goal was to recognize outstanding scholarship in students at the best schools. As a testament to his legacy of meticulous selection, only 344 chapters existed as of 2002, in the U.S. as well as in Canada, England, France and Spain. About 4,000 new members are inducted each year.

Vietnam Vet Visits History Classes Marine Corps Sgt. Dennis Murphy visited US teacher Mai Lien Nguyen’s U.S. history classes to share his experiences of serving in the Vietnam War. “The students really appreciated his sincerity and were moved by hearing of how the war has affected him,” Nguyen said. Murphy discussed both his experiences in Vietnam and his life as a veteran after returning home. “He said that many Vietnam veterans feel secluded because they feel that no one can understand what they’ve been through,” said Kit Schimandle, Gr. 11. “I thought it was really cool that he was trying to help us understand, to some extent, what he went through instead of just saying that we didn’t understand.” Many students felt that Murphy’s visit helped them gain a sense of the physical and mental toll of war. “It was really interesting to hear how the war inﬂuenced his present state,” said Neha Parikh, Gr. 11. “I realize the impact that war has on the people who participate.”

Terry Walsh

Harker’s chapter was inaugurated last year, with Fang as president, Academic Dean Heather Blair as secretary, and Hartzell, Mason, parent Susan Lee (Kathryn ‘04), Anjali Kurana ‘02, Julia Gitis ‘03 and Joshua Zloof ‘04 rounding out the charter membership. They, along with seven original inductees, met to determine this year’s new members. Among the criteria for selection each year are intellectual passion and curiosity, a commitment to the community, and excellence in the face of obstacles which may daunt those less determined.

The mentors shared glowing reviews of their experiences with Harker students. Jyoti Sahdev, who mentored Harker students in the ﬁeld of dentistry, said, “It was a pleasure mentoring the students. They were enthusiastic and always very polite. They seemed to have enjoyed their sessions and hopefully were inspired.” Harker held a special mentor appreciation luncheon attended by students and administrators to honor the efforts of this year’s mentors. Many thanks to all of the mentors for generously donating their time to helping prepare Harker students for the future: Sahdev, Gregory Anderson (veterinar y), Chris Baty (creative writing), Robert Bigler (robotics), Larry Chien (militar y engineering), Sangeeta Chona (medicine), Steve Darrow (psychology), Doug and Linda Emery (sports medicine), David Heslop (mechanical engineering), B.V. Jagadeesh (business management), Adam Kablanian (business management), James Kastelman (medicine), Lata Krishnan (business management), Raj Lad (biotechnology), Susan Lee (pharmacy), Joanne Liu (aeronautical engineering), Michelle Maxey (medicine), Dirk Mendel (biology), Suchitra Narayen (law), Dan Orloff (public relations), Shyam Panchal (biomedicine), Pierre Pellissier (computer engineering), Rodney Rapson (architecture) and Krishna Saraswat (electrical engineering).

Annual Junior Regatta, Harker Cup Harker’s juniors recently raced sailboats for the Harker Cup, the annual class regatta at the Pacific Yachting & Sailing Club (PYSC) in Santa Cruz. The activity was spread out over two days to accommodate the 160 students who learned basic sailing terminology and technique in the morning, then utilized their new skills in afternoon races. Students and their faculty advisers rotated between steering the boat, working the sheets and setting the sails, all under the supervision of a boat captain from the PYSC. The average time for navigating the course was an outstanding 47 minutes. The students who won the first day’s race – Juliana Daniil, Connie Tung, Rupan Bose, Jason Martin and Gregg Ringold – fought through choppy waters to finish in just under 42 minutes. The students who won the second day of races – Preeta Reddy, Jessica Lee and Yulia Dasheyeva – utilized the ideal conditions to finish in just over 35 minutes.

Kerry Enzensperger

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Harker News — June 06

Conservatory Graduates 20 Seniors

All Classes Rally for Spirit Week

Twenty senior candidates graduated from the Harker Conservatory’s exclusive certificate program. Akin to a college minor in an arts field, the certificate program guides students through a four-year course in the performing arts, requiring live critiques, crew work, dance and music workshops, acting courses and the creation of a portfolio. The culmination of the students’ work is the Senior Showcase, a brilliant night of monologues, scenes, song and dance, which allows the students to present their best pieces from their portfolios to their friends and families. At the end of the

Spirit Week is a time for the entire US campus to show its school spirit, and for classes to compete for the title of Most Spirited. The week included the Duct Tape and Cardboard Regatta, where teams competed to keep their flimsy vessels afloat in the pool, and the Powder Puff football game, won this year by the junior girls. The week closed with a rally in the gym where all students competed by grade level to finish off the year-long competition for the overall spirit award, performing music video skits and competing in timed events. Chris Daren, US activities director, said, “Spirit this year was great, and the Class of ’06 continued to flex their will in events, when needed, winning the title this year. The upstart sophomores were fantastic and will be a force to be reckoned with next year. Great job to all!”

evening, the Conservatory advisers presented each senior with the plaque signifying graduation from the program. Congratulations to these accomplished artists: Dance (advisers Laura Rae and Adrian Bermudez) – Naeha Bhambhra, Sarah Fingerhood, Tommy Holford, Casey Near and Sasha Stepanenko; Instrumental Music (adviser Chris Florio) – Jason Han; Musical Theater (adviser Laura Lang-Ree) – Casey Blair, Lauren Gutstein and Lauren Harries; Theater (adviser Jeff Draper) – Steve Boyle, Ankur Gupta, Asavari Gupte, Michael Hammersley, Andrew Nasser and Vijay Umapathy; Vocal Music (advisers Catherine Snider and Susan Nace) – Tara Chandra, Avanti Deshpande, Katherin Hudkins, Amulya Mandava and Gail Nakano.

Seniors Bond in San Diego with Laughter, Tears and Moos!

Perhaps the highlight of the trip Harker News — June 06

Photo supplied by Chris Daren

The cloudy weather did not, for one minute, dampen the spirits of the Class of 2006 on their senior class trip to Coronado, Cal. Celebrating their final days at Harker, students played inner tube water polo, walked the beautiful beach and ate ice cream at the MooTime Creamery (some students needed little persuasion to moo). When the students weren’t enjoying the wonderful amenities of the historic Hotel del Coronado, they shopped in the stores along Orange Avenue, kayaked the Coronado bay, and explored the local eateries.

came on the final night, as the seniors gathered around a bonfire to share their thoughts and feelings about friends, Harker and the future. The evening was filled with laughter, tears and hugs. If members of the Class of 2006 arrived in San Diego feeling like a close group, they left feeling even closer. Once again, Activities Director Chris Daren organized a wonderful trip and the following members of Harker’s US faculty and administration came along to chaperone: Richard and Susana Hartzell, Heather Blair, Jaap Bongers, Matthew Brandstetter, Alistair Grant, John Hawley, Carlyn Kielty, Laura Lang-Ree, Kevin Lum Lung, Sharron Mittelstet, Abel Olivas, Lisa Radice, Danae Romrell and Kevin Williamson. —Kevin Lum Lung, college counselor

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graduation

Baccalaureate: A Personal Look at a Harker Tradition For me, Baccalaureate tops even Graduation as the most delightful ceremonial event of the year. On May 18, we gathered in the intimate setting of the Quad on a gorgeous late afternoon, and we listened to inspiring talks and beautiful music. As always, the seniors selected the faculty speakers who provided their farewell. First, college counselor Alistair Grant and senior Alisha Tolani gave a warm and humorous introduction to college counselor Kevin Lum Lung, who delivered a warm and humorous talk on the lessons he learned from some of his life’s experiences. On a more solemn note, Casey Near, who was completing her 14th year at Harker (some of that as a resident), introduced her father. John Near, teacher of Advanced Placement U.S. Histor y, struck a serious vein, ver y much the weft to the waft of Mr. Lum Lung, relating four specific lessons that he has drawn from his life and studies. The audience drank up avidly ever y word that the speakers proffered. Seniors, juniors, faculty and guests continued to quench

their thirst with the salutatorian’s farewell; Yi Sun both reminisced and added his words of wisdom to seniors and juniors alike. The evening highlighted the talents of vocal ensemble Cantilena, as well as the Harker String Ensemble’s wonder ful handling of a part of Corelli’s most famous concerto grosso and Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus.” What an evening! It just doesn’t get any better than this. —Richard Hartzell, Head of Upper School

Class of 2006 Matriculation Congratulations Class of 2006! We wish you all fabulous adventures at your chosen colleges in the fall! Academy of Art University Bentley College Boston College Boston University (3) Brown University (2) UC Berkeley (19) UC Davis (10) UC Irvine (6) UC Los Angeles (3) UC San Diego (10) UC Santa Cruz California Institute of Technology Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (3) Carnegie Mellon University (6) Colgate University Columbia University (3) Cornell University (3) Dartmouth College George Washington University (2) Harvard University (4) University of Illinois, Chicago University of Illinois, Urbana - Champaign Johns Hopkins University MIT (4) New York University (4) Northwestern University University of Pennsylvania (10) Princeton University (3) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University of Rochester University of San Francisco (2)

Lifetime Harker Students Graduate

San Jose State University

One of the most remarkable groups of students on campus is affectionately known as the “lifers.” These are students who have attended Harker from junior kindergarten or kindergarten all the way through Gr. 12. Last year a new tradition was started: the lifers are treated to dinner, along with some specially invited guests. This year’s lifers were joined at Krung Thai restaurant in Santa Clara by Head of Upper School Richard Hartzell and his wife, Spanish teacher Susana Hartzell, Activities Director Chris Daren, teacher and Class Dean Lisa Radice and baccalaureate speaker/College Counselor Kevin Lum Lung.

Smith College (2)

Congratulations and a warm farewell to our lifers: 14 yrs. – Lauren Gutstein, Casey Near; 13 yrs. – Shivani Bhargava, Casey Blair, Sharon Her, Jeffrey Le, Colleen Lee, Andrew Nasser, Priya Patel, Amanda Polzin, Mackenzie Schwartz, Jasper Shau, Sean Turner, William Waggoner, Jamie Wei and Lung-Hao Yu.

University of Washington

Santa Clara University (4) University of Southern California (5) Southern Methodist University (4) Stanford University (4) Swarthmore College Tufts University (2) Vassar College (2) Washington University, St. Louis Wellesley College (3) Williams College Yale University Harker News — June 06

Harker News — June 06

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Mark Tantrum and Matt Wong (student)

summer

reminders

final

thanks

■ MS / US USED BOOK EXCHANGE Sat., July 8 & Sat., Aug. 5, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. both days, Shah Field, US Campus

Volunteers Honored at Events

■ BACK TO SCHOOL DATES: 114th ACADEMIC YEAR Mon., Aug. 28 – US Matriculation and Orientations Tues., Aug. 29 – MS and US Classes begin Thurs., Aug. 31 – LS Classes begin Sun., Oct. 15 – 56th Annual Family and Alumni Picnic Fri., Oct. 20 – Homecoming Game, Foothill College

In an effort to show our appreciation to the parent volunteers who contribute so much of their time and talent to enrich the Harker community, the development office hosts four recognition events throughout the school year to thank these invaluable Harker friends. This year there were so many parent volunteers that the last event on May 26 was split into two events. A breakfast, attended by about 40 US parents, was held to primarily honor parent volunteers involved in debate, robotics, JCL, performing

■ FASHION SHOW MEETINGS Tues., July 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Potluck Dinner Thurs., Aug. 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Potluck Dinner Thurs., Sept. 6, 8-10 a.m. MS Multi-purpose Room (MPR) – for information, e-mail joeyt@harker.org.

Athletic Program Reminders ■ EAGLE IRON CLUB June 19-August 2, two separate sessions: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. or 4-6 p.m. Harker offers a great opportunity to stay fit over the summer with the Eagle Iron Club, a fitness program on the Saratoga campus run by head football coach Karriem Stinson and girls volleyball coach Theresa Smith. The Eagle Iron Club allows our athletes to exercise in a structured environment while tracking their progress, and the athletic department encourages all athletes to take advantage of this opportunity. ■ PHYSICAL EXAM Mon., Aug. 14, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., US campus, $40 A reminder to all athletes that a physical examination and some paperwork are required prior to participation in our programs. All forms can be found on our US athletics Web site. Families may take advantage of this or have your own physician perform the physical. Please note the start dates and coaches’ contact numbers for the fall sports: Football – Aug. 1, Coach Karriem Stinson, 246.8007 Girls volleyball – Aug. 14, Coach Theresa Smith, 553.0389

arts, athletics and on the US Parent Volunteer Leadership Council. A luncheon on the MS campus hosted approximately 70 LS and MS parents who had volunteered as room parents and grade level coordinators, and helped with Grandparents’ Day, Destination Imagination, performing arts, the LS and MS Parent Volunteer Leadership Council, and many other areas. Both events had a fiesta theme, and the chefs and kitchen staff outdid themselves with the wonderful Mexican cuisine that included a chili relleno casserole, steak fajitas and Juan Jimenez’s special pinto beans and fresh salsa. Everything was delicioso! A heartfelt thank you to these wonderful parents, whose dedication and spirit of volunteerism keeps Harker running! —Lisa Blickenstaff, Director of Community Relations (Emma, Gr. 9)

Boys soccer – Aug. 14, Coach Jared Ramsey, 355.3651 Girls tennis – Aug. 29 (first day of school), Coach Craig Pasqua, 590.7347 Girls golf – Aug. 29 (first day of school), Coach Chris Colletti, 345.9202 For cross country and water polo contact the athletic office at 345.9627. ■ MANDATORY FALL SPORTS MEETING Tues., Aug. 15, 6-7 p.m., US gym All parents, athletes and coaches of fall sports must attend this informational meeting. General athletic program procedures will be discussed and preseason meetings with fall coaches will be held.

Volunteer Thanks Update As a follow-up to the annual Harker Volunteer Thanks supplement that ran in the May edition, we wish to thank the following fabulous parents, most of whom volunteered their time for activities later in the year: Summer Reading Lists: Christine Apap-Bologna, Nina Jauw, Peiling Hsieh, Kasia Kranz, Jinhee Shin.

In the spring workshop, attended by 35 Harker students, parents and teachers, then-instructor Tom Patire demonstrated his “Training for Life” methods, designed to give attendees the skills and conﬁdence to protect themselves in the event of an attack. “The class went absolutely spectacularly,” said Rupan Bose, Gr. 11, one of the event’s organizers. “I received a lot of good feedback from those in attendance.”

Lower School Book Fair: Yasmin Aladin, Tamra Amick, Christine Apap-Bologna, Lori Au, Sarah Auvil, Fran Axelrad, Maitree Banerjee, Connie Beck, Susmita Bhatacharya, Shery Boone, Denise Brodersen, Zaklina Bujari Gutierrez, Fred Carr, Faustina Chen, Celia Cruz-Johnson, Chris Douglas, Diane Drewke, Sunita Gupte, Manisha Jain, Nina Jauw, Sandy Johnson, Shantai Kannan, Jin Kim, Angie Krackler, Kasia Kranz, Ilene Levine, Terry Lin, Jamie Lu, Padmaja Malladi, Qunyan Mao, Anna Melnyk, Trahat Modi, Katie Molin, Laura Navarro, Amita Parmar, Indira Patil, Kim Pellissier, Natalia Platonova, Nutan Prasad, Sue Prutton, Janet Savage, Jinhee Shin, Raman Singh, Shankari Sundar, Ram Swaminathan, Jonie Takatsuji, Jamie Tsai, PraveenaTumu, Radhika Vemireddy, Lisa Wang, Austin Yeats, Nina Yeats, Janet Yohannan.

Watch the fall edition and the Web site for details!

Office of Communications: Robert Boucher

Self Defense Class This Fall! The spring self-defense class sponsored by the US I-Club (International Club) was a huge success so another one is being planned for October.

The Harker News is published nine times per year by the Harker Ofﬁce of Communications. Current and archived issues are also available on the Division Home Pages on the Harker Web site at www.harker.org. Editor: Pam Dickinson; Asst. Editor: Catherine Snider; Copy Editor: Jennifer Maragoni; Lead Writer: Ali Abdollahi; Production: Crystal Boyd, Jaja Hsuan, Blue Heron Design Group; Photos: Mark Tantrum, unless noted; Printing: Carol Sosnowski, Harker Copy Shop; Mailing Coordinators: Maria Nguyen, Desiree Mitchell.

The Harker School is a K-12 independent, co-ed, college-prep school.

Grades K-5: 4600 Bucknall Rd., San Jose CA 95130 Grades 6-8: 3800 Blackford Ave., San Jose CA 95117 Grades 9-12: 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose CA 95129

Harker believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate against its employees or applicants because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, ancestry, age (over 40), marital status, political afﬁliations, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by state or federal laws, local law or ordinance. Harker News — June 06