OCTOBER 2008 (VOL. 15, NO. 1)
A
M O N T H L Y
inside Matriculation address speaks to fullness of life..................3 Picnic!...............................4-5 Hidden Talents: Harker’s Triathlete Teacher.................9 Archives Hold the Key to Harker’s Past.....................11 Training Facility Keeps Athletes in Action............................ 17 Gallon Gals and Guys Bring out the Fun........................19 Student Leaders Visit Down Under........................22 Inserts in this issue: Sept. Home and School Connection, Oct. Home and School Connection, Common Ground Insert, Capital Campaign Supplement
events
Saveth the date! Sun., Oct. 12, 2008
N E W S L E T T E R
est. 1893 • K-12 college prep
F R O M
T H E
H A R K E R
S C H O O L
JSA Representatives Attend National Conventions DNC: Obama ‘Awesome’
RNC: Party Unity Prevails
This past summer, Raghav Aggarwal, Gr. 12, traveled to Denver to experience the Democratic National Convention, which he called “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” The trip was made possible by the Junior State of America (JSA), of which Aggarwal is a member.
Junior Chris Eckardt attended the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., in September, as a representative of Harker’s Junior State of America (JSA) club. “At first I was reluctant to go as I would be missing a full week of school,” said Eckardt, “but I eventually decided that the experience of going to such a once-in-a-lifetime event would be worth any sacrifices I had to make. I wanted to see history being made.”
Although he looks back fondly on the trip, things were a little bit rocky at the beginning. “My first full day in Denver, I was a bit disappointed. I was told before signing up for the program that we, the attendees of this symposium, would be able to be at the Pepsi Center and Invesco Field everyday, where the convention was being held,” Aggarwal recalled. “Although it was true that we would be able to attend the Convention, it wasn’t true that they would provide us credentials to enter the Pepsi Center.” Instead the JSA program allowed students to interact and network with state delegates and receive credentials from them. “We woke up at 5 a.m. every day in order to go to the delegate breakfast for our individual states and try to meet some important people while looking for credentials,” Aggarwal said. It was no easy task, and Aggarwal could not obtain the credentials to enter the arena. Luckily, things picked up by day two. “My hard work during the year and the summer, working with Congressman Mike Honda and California State Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Sally Lieber, proved beneficial,” said Aggarwal. “Their staff helped me obtain not simply normal credentials, but extremely well-placed seats for three out of the four nights of the convention.”
Eckardt travelled with a group of about 50 students from 27 states and territories. “They were all members of JSA and most were Republicans or rightleaning, at least; we also had several very avid Libertarians and we actually had one Obama supporter!” he noted. The group stayed in a suburb of Minneapolis, and was bused to the convention daily. Once there, access to the floor was limited. “Unfortunately, we did not get to go onto the floor as a group,” said Eckardt. “However, individual students were able to get on to the floor. One student was taken backstage and got to shake John McCain’s hand, before the Secret Service pushed the student away.” Politics 101: “The most important thing I learned on this trip would be the importance of having friends,” said Eckardt. “One of my friends at the convention was a good friend of her state delegate who got us seats near the floor most nights. It was really cool. We had conversations with some of the delegates and got interviewed by some of the media.” There was plenty to do and see besides the actual Both stories continued on page 12
The Freshest of the Fresh Faces Start Off the Year!
The 58th Annual Family & Alumni Picnic Blackford Campus 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. See news and more details inside!
Kindergartners always bring a wide-eyed curiosity to the new school year. These youngsters may appear time and again in Harker News, but these photos will be treasured forever! See the LS section for more that has happened since school began.