The Harker Quarterly, Fall 2010

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First Day Brings Smiling Students New Upper School Library Delights Visitors Summer Learning Proves Fun for All Peace, Love and the ‘60s: The Harker Family & Alumni Picnic

Seventeen students traveled to the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica this summer to discover wildlife, do research and explore the wide world. See story, pg. 16 FA L L 2 010

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ON THE COVER: Sonia Gupta, grade 10, has a close encounter with wildlife while walking the beach in the Galapagos. For the past several years, faculty members have accompanied students on the long passage to the Galapagos. This year, along with their research, students snorkeled every day, walked the highlands and visited the Foundation for Alternative Responsible Development in Galapagos on the island of Santa Cruz. See the full story on pages 16-17.

From the Photographer: This was taken during a morning walk along a beach next to Gardner Bay on Española Island. Here, the students started the morning with free walking time; they roamed the beach and came close to lava lizards, mockingbirds and sea lions. The playful and curious sea lions often attempted to approach students, who were told to avoid contact, leading to several memorable occasions of sea lions chasing students. Another fearless animal students encountered on the beach were mockingbirds, which sensed the fresh water in students’ water bottles and frequently came extremely close, a rare and surprising sight for many. —Devin Nguyen, grade 11

AboutHarker

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rom its early beginnings in 1893 — when Stanford University leaders assisted in its establishment — to its reputation today as a leading preparatory school with

students attending prestigious universities worldwide, Harker’s mission has remained

Harker QUARTERLY

FA L L 2 010 / V o lU M E 2 · N U M B E R 1 Pam Dickinson Director William Cracraft Editor Catherine Snider Sally Wing Copy Editors Ashley Batz Photo Editor

Emily Chow ‘08 Elizabeth De Oliveira ‘80 Zach Jones Casey Near ‘06 Joe Rosenthal Catherine Snider Lynette Stapleton Mark Tantrum Lauri Vaughan David Woolsey ‘06 Winged Post / Talon Contributors Desiree Mitchell Distribution Blue Heron Design Group Triple J Design Rebecca McCartney Design Diamond Quality Printing Printing

constant: to create an environment that promotes academic excellence, inspires intellectual curiosity, expects personal accountability and forever instills a genuine passion for learning. Whether striving for academic achievement, raising funds for global concerns, performing on stage or scoring a goal, Harker students encourage and support one another and celebrate each other’s efforts and successes, at Harker and beyond. Harker is a dynamic, supportive, fun and nurturing community where kids and their families make friends for life.

Printed on 100% recycled paper

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

K-Grade 5: 4300 Bucknall Rd., San Jose, CA 95130 Grade 6-8: 3800 Blackford Ave., San Jose, CA 95117 Grade 9-12: 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129

Corrections: Grace Sabeh Wallace ‘95 was inadvertently omitted from the Summer Harker Quarterly’s listing of the 31 employees who received pins this spring commemorating five years at Harker. Our deepest apologies, Grace! We learned there was a unique award, as well, for Diane Plauck, who missed her five-year pin last year, but received a six-year pin this year.

Congratulations and thanks to both of these committed educators!

Published four times a year, the Harker Quarterly showcases some of the top news, leading programs, inspiring people and visionary plans of the greater Harker community.

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Next Edition: December 2010

Produced by the Harker Office of Communication 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129 communications@harker.org · 408.345.9273

n our continuing effort to give the widest possible access to Harker publications,

yet be ecologically responsible, we have moved our library of publications online.

The publications are hosted on Issuu.com, a hosting service that provides a pageturning,

dynamic

display.

The

Harker

Quarterly, brochures for each campus and student literary publications are all in our online library that is linked from the home page and on the portals. In addition, we have, for the first time, posted our Annual Report online. The report is available through the Harker Parent Portal (HPP). Just log in as you normally would and click on the Annual Report image. Enjoy!

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Harker News Online (HNO) was launched in April 2009 and reports timely news on the activities, programs and accomplishments of The Harker School and its students, faculty and alumni. You can subscribe to HNO via RSS feeds or a daily digest e-mail alert. Visit http://news.harker.org/.

Find, Friend & Follow Us!

Join us for tweets, videos, announcements, photosharing and more! http://www.facebook.com/harkerschool http://www.youtube.com/harkerschool http://twitter.com/harkerschool http://www.flickr.com/groups/harkerschool

inside Student Life Begins Anew Peace, Love and the ‘60s: The Harker Family & Alumni Picnic New Upper School Library Delights Students

Summer Learning Proves Fun for Students and Teachers

Summer @ Harker Builds Skills and Friendships

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departments Headlines.......................................................4 Advancement Update ................................31

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Eagle Sports Report................................... 32 Alumni......................................................... 36 Looking Ahead........................................... 42

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Headlines

By Christopher Nikoloff, Head of School

The Exercising of Free Will

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ood morning. I’d like to welcome the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty and staff, and the classes of 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 to the Matriculation ceremony.

I am honored to have the opportunity to open the new academic year with this Matriculation address, and I am sure you will be relieved to hear that I am continuing

the tradition of brevity. Typically I deliver a two-page address at Matriculation; this year I am cutting back to one page of single spaced, size 12 font. At this rate, by the time I retire, I will be delivering one-word addresses, like “love” or “cheesecake.”

I would like to reflect upon the fact that an important group is not present today. The tradition of not inviting parents to Matriculation goes back to the founding of The Harker Upper School over a decade ago. When the school conceived of a Matriculation ceremony, during which the student body binds itself to common values by oath, parents were purposely left out. First, we didn’t have room for them. But secondly, I believe, we wanted you to commit to these values freely, and we wanted your commitment to wholly represent your will and no one else’s.

Now I know that some of you, perhaps many of you, most likely do not feel that you are here freely, but the truth is you are. Each and every one of you has the freedom not to participate.

Yes, there would be consequences. We all can imagine Mr. Williamson chasing you over fences and across highways. But the presence of a consequence does not mean that you are not free to act. You are also free not to participate with your heart. Many of our greatest thinkers like Thoreau, Gandhi and King purposely broke laws and by doing so incurred severe consequences to highlight the immorality of the laws. They called this civil disobedience.

However, as excruciating as it is to listen to me, I hope that doing so does not call for civil disobedience. Now that we have established that you have free will, and that you can exercise that will even if the exercise thereof brings consequences, why do we care? I would argue that having free will is an exclusively human attribute. It separates us from the animals. Sure, there are glimpses of free will in the animal kingdom – an eagle choosing to soar above the mountaintops for instance – but most of the time animals respond to instinct.

Humans respond to instinct too, probably much more than from this podium about academic integrity. I received

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Photo by Ashley Batz

we’d like to admit. But we don’t have to. Last year I spoke

Headlines some criticism, mostly deserved, for beginning the year on a sour note. But I learned through discussions with students, teachers and administrators that the community did not want to be defined by the poor decisions of a few. Last year saw, among other accomplishments, Paul Melendez of the University of Arizona’s High School Ethics Forum extend an invitation for that event to Harker students, the only out-of-state invitees at the forum. We are also proud to announce that the Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education will hold a conference at The Harker School in February of 2011 titled “Honor Codes and Councils: From Nuts and Bolts to a Finely-Tuned System.”

These achievements do not mean that we have solved the problem of cheating in schools. Allan Meltzer, professor of political economy at Carnegie Mellon, said, “Capitalism without failure is like religion without sin.” We could say the same of high level academics and some form of cheating. But this is not to be complacent, and you as a community have chosen action over complacence.

I remember specifically one young lady telling me that students want to be informed of any problem in the community so that they can address it directly.

She said that the students care about the community and want to protect it.

Which brings me back to free will and the absence of parents. You are taking

“

You will enter the woods alone, without parents, friends, teachers, and we hope that you are taking this journey of your own free will.

”

—Christopher Nikoloff

an oath today, hopefully of your own accord, to bind yourself to the values of this community. You will carry that oath around with you in the upper school student handbook and planner, or at least two or three of you will. Your signature will be on display at the front of the upper school office. You will have many assignments in your academic career that you simply want to finish. I hope that taking this oath is not one of them.

One of my favorite stories comes from Arthurian legend as interpreted by the mythologist Joseph Campbell. The knights are charged with finding the Holy Grail, which symbolizes spiritual wealth, in the forests surrounding Camelot. The knights learn that they cannot find the Grail as a group; rather, each knight has to enter the woods alone where there is no path and find the Grail for himself. My father-in-law reminds me that as a parent I can do many things for my children, but I cannot live in their shoes. We are taking the oath today as a group, but each of you is beginning a journey that is uniquely of your making. You will enter the woods alone, without parents, friends, teachers, and we hope that you are taking this journey of your own free will. It is by following your path alone that you find the entire world. Thank you.

Christopher Nikoloff, Head of School

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Student Life Begins Anew at Bucknall and Blackford

by Zach Jones

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Photos by Ashley Batz

he academic year at the lower school began smoothly, with fresh-faced students taking on new responsibilities and learning new concepts about school life.

Grade 3 students, for instance, spent much of the first few days finding their lockers and figuring out where to go between periods. “The administration and the teachers were all out there on the first few days at the change of periods helping students and reassuring them,” said Joe Connolly, K-5 dean of students. At an assembly held on the first day of school, the students learned that the year’s theme would be “compassion,” a subject that will be discussed with students throughout the year. Also new this year is the Eagle Buddy program, in which every student from grade 3 is paired with a student in grade 10, with whom they will interact at various events throughout the year.

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Over at the Blackford campus, students spent their first few days adjusting to their everyday routines. During their orientation on Aug. 23, students met with advisors, received their textbooks and schedules and were given a primer on the advisory system. Students have many new things to look forward to, including several key changes to the lunch program. This year the kitchen has two new service areas and an expanded selection of foods, including more vegetarian options. Students, faculty and staff can now enjoy the new Chef’s Grill, the BBQ Express and The Bistro. Because of the new bell schedule, students in grades 7 and 8 will now eat together.

Matriculation Ceremony Welcomes Upper School Students, Faculty to 2010-11 Year

by Zach Jones

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he 2010-11 school year officially began on Aug. z 23, when the annual t y Ba shle A Matriculation ceremony took y to b Pho place in the Saratoga quad. Faculty and administration first took their seats behind the podium before each class, starting with the seniors and working downward, filed into their respective rows.

When the students of the class of 2014 made their way to their seats, they were greeted by loud applause from their fellow students, a warm welcome to their first year as high school students.

Christopher Nikoloff, head of school, then welcomed the faculty, administration, Harker’s Board of Trustees and each class (greeted by enthusiastic cheers) to the new school year.

Saying he was “honored” to welcome everyone to the new academic year, he promised to keep his remarks comparatively short and sweet, compared to previous years. “This year, I am cutting back to one page of single-spaced, size 12 font,” he joked. “At this rate, by the time I retire I will be delivering one-word addresses.” (For the complete text of Nikoloff’s address, see Headlines on page 4.)

Photo by Ashley Batz

Nikoloff emphasized that the students appeared at Matriculation of their own free will, a point accentuated by the fact that their parents were not present at the ceremony, a tradition that began with the founding of the upper school in 1998.

“We wanted your commitment to wholly represent your will and no one else’s,” Nikoloff said. He concluded by declaring his hope that the incoming students did not take their declaration of the Matriculation oath lightly: “We are taking the oath today as a group, but each of you is beginning a journey that is uniquely of

“We are taking the oath today as a group, but each of you is beginning a journey that is uniquely yours. It is by following your path alone that you will find the entire world.”

—Christopher Nikoloff Photo by Ashley Batz

Photo by Emily Chow ‘08

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Photos by Ashley Batz

Back to School Family Reception

of your making .... It is by following your path alone that you will find the entire world.”

Cantilena, the all-female classical vocal group directed by Susan Nace, then performed a lovely rendition of the madrigal “In These Delightful Pleasant Groves.”

Butch Keller, upper school head, began his speech by addressing each class directly, commending each for their accomplishments and expressing his faith that they will successfully meet the challenges ahead. Addressing everyone in attendance, he said, “I wish you the very best year possible, and together we will accomplish things we never dreamed of.”

Keller then introduced associated student body (ASB) president Santosh Swaminathan, grade 12, who gave a brief speech to his fellow students, in which he talked about the transformative nature of the high school experience. “You learn how to handle tough situations, how to manage stress and, most importantly, you learn how to be independent,” he said. Following the speech, Swaminathan introduced the representatives from each class and the rest of the ASB council.

After the students recited the Matriculation oath, the new students signed the Matriculation book as the Harker String Quartet performed their version of “Viva La Vida” by the English band Coldplay.

Then it was time for the ever-popular “Freshman 101,” when ASB members performed a humorous skit based on the popular movie “Avatar”; their goal was to teach the new students a variety of useful lessons about high school life, such as how to manage their time, dress properly and, though it needn’t be mentioned, how to have fun as well.

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o welcome upper school families back to school, the advancement office hosted a Friday afternoon social Aug. 20 on the Saratoga campus.

The get-together included a tour of the just-opened-that-day upper school library (see page 14 for the full story), a chance to watch the varsity football team practice and a snack at Carley’s Kitchen, the Harker food trailer often spotted at football games.

Photos by Ashley Batz

Excitement, Activity Abound as Upper School Opens

by Zach Jones

T

he many additions to the Saratoga campus in recent years have made the start of the year a particularly exciting time for upper school students at Harker. Since 2007 the campus has grown to include such key facilities as Davis Field, the Singh Aquatic Center and Nichols Hall. This year both returning and new students had their first look at the new upper school library, which was completed this summer. With more space for both students and books, as well as areas for classroom instruction and studying, the new library will provide important amenities to students for years to come.

assembly, where they were introduced to the new faculty members and learned about what was in store for them during the coming months, such as the Conservatory’s kick-off event and Cantilena’s February trip to Spain. Meanwhile, upper school sports teams began training for their first contests of the season, hitting the turf at Davis Field to prepare for another exciting season of games.

The students’ excitement and eagerness to begin the 2010-11 school year were palpable during the Matriculation ceremony, which was frequently punctuated by enthusiastic cheers whenever a class was mentioned. Freshmen received a special greeting from their classmates as they walked the aisle to take their seats, met by applause from the classes of 2011, 2012 and 2013 and the faculty and administration.

Students gathered the following day, the first official day of instruction, for the year’s inaugural

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Family & Alumni

PICNIC Turns Sixty!

Be sure to join in the fun! Mark your calendars for Sun., Oct. 10, 2010 – that’s 10-10-10 at 10 a.m.! We’ll be celebrating our milestone 60th Harker Family & Alumni Picnic with an all-out ‘60s birthday bash at our Blackford campus. It’ll be a day to remember!

Come Together!

Get ready for groovin’ with the entire Harker family! You’ll want to purchase your Peace Love Picnic admission passes by Fri., Oct. 1 to receive the advance purchase price of $8. And don’t forget to wear your “Totally Tees” picnic T-shirts!

Visit us online at www.harker.org/picnic for more details.

Ticket Sellers Unite!

We’ve all been rallying our school spirit by selling tickets for our Grand Picnic Drawing. Prizes include a groovy Three-Night Las Vegas getaway for two, an iPad with WiFi 16Gb, a TREK 21-Speed mountain bike, an iPod touch 8Gb, and our fabulous first prize: TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS! There’ll be lots of incentives for our student sellers, too. Tickets are available on all campuses and may be turned in each week until picnic day for our Grand Picnic Drawing at 4 p.m.

“K-BID” On Sounds of the Sixties!

We’re setting the scene for our fabulous Sounds of the Sixties Silent Auction, and now all we need is you! There’s still time to donate some of our “greatest hits” like tickets and trips, sports memorabilia, gourmet goodies, art items and more.

Then plan to stop by and “bid ‘til you drop” on picnic day! You’ll find some super sign-ups and wine tasting. Be sure to check your mail as well as our picnic website for the latest auction buzz!

Go Far-Out For Fun! We LOVE our picnic sponsors, donors and volunteers! You are the grooviest, past, present and future! Thanks to all who have stepped up to help make this the best family picnic in history. You always go that extra mile, and your generosity and many hours of service have helped make the Harker family what it is today!

Photos by Mark Tantrum

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For more picnic information visit www.harker.org/picnic.

There will be tons of historical (and hysterical) carnival games and activities.

THE HARKER FAMILY & ALUMNI PICNIC

Get Ready for Past and Present Fun and Games!

By Kelly Espinosa

sent to jail by friends and family. Like the sponge throw, the jail hasn’t been seen in many years, but rumor has it that there may be an opportunity for this year’s participants to enjoy this crazy activity once again.

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es, we’ll be celebrating in ’60s style at this year’s Harker Family & Alumni Picnic, but we’ll also be remembering themes of days gone by at our Past and Present Plaza.

The blacktop on our Blackford campus will be transformed into a one-ofa-kind carnival experience full of themed games and activities from the past 60 years. Well, technically we didn’t start themes until 1985 – but you get the picture!

Photo from the Archives

You might be playing a western game from the “Pioneer Picnic” of 2007 or a circus activity from 1995’s “Greatest Picnic on Earth.”

How ‘bout a “Harker Goes Hollywood” ring toss from 1998, or a cool game from the “Polar Picnic” of 2005?

We’re also bringing back some “old school” activities that used to be family picnic favorites. Can you believe students in the old days threw sponges at favorite teachers at the picnic sponge throw? The game disappeared for mysterious reasons many

Photo by Ashley Batz

years ago, but this year this old favorite is back, and you never know whose face might pop up in the booth on picnic Sunday!

Did you know Harker had a jail at the picnic for many years? That’s right – the after-school recreation staff were the picnic “bounty hunters” who would round up students and teachers who had been

Can you guess which carnival game has been at every picnic since we added the carnival in 1975? If you guessed Plinko, you are correct! It’s been through a variety of name changes – Palamino Plinko, It’s Your Party Plinko, I’ll Get You My Pretty Plinko, Parisian Plinko, Walk the Plank Plinko and more. Wonder what it will be called this year?

So, no matter if your first picnic was in 1989 or 2009, there will be tons of historical (and hysterical) carnival games and activities for kids of all ages to play and win at Past and Present Plaza on picnic day.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Photo by Chris Daren

hn Jerney

Photo by Jo

H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY Photo by Mark Ta

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Picnic Makes History from FantaSea 2000 to Peace and Love 2010

By Lynette Stapleton

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n our summer issue, we told the story of the Harker Alumni & Family Picnic.

Now, as it fast approaches, we’d like to share a few more stories, especially from this past decade.

After surviving the legendary “FantaSea 2000” (yes, the picnic where the wet weather lived up to the theme), we forged on to plan our next springtime picnic, the 50th-anniversary “Harker Rocks! Fifty Years of Fun!” Poodle skirts and jukeboxes were the order of the day, along with giant 45 records, Curbside Crazies on roller skates, Elvis impersonators and good old rock ‘n’ roll. Christine and John Davis brought a collection of classic cars to create our own Mel’s Drive-In around a huge tent in the center of Rosenthal Field, and the scene was set. It was one of our most rockin’ celebrations ever!

“2003 was the first time in history that we produced two family picnics in one year!”

A 50th-anniversary party takes a lot of planning, and no volunteer worked harder than the great Dede Ogami, the queen of all things auction, a publications perfectionist and a dear friend. During the preparations for “Harker Rocks!” she would always joke,

Photo

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Tantr

by Mark

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“I wish I were in Paris!” She and her good buddy, auction co-chair Kim Pellissier, even left a message the night before the picnic, Photo by Mark Tantrum

Photo by Mark Tantrum

simply stating, “Gone to Paris!” So, since we’ve always gone to great lengths to keep our volunteers happy, we named our 2002 event “Picnic in Paris – La Fête Fantastique!”

We were all able to bask in the glow of Ogami’s favorite destination – “Rue de Harker”! We do what we “can-can”!

In 2003 we were met with more fun and new challenges. This was the first time in history that we produced two family picnics in one year. The first one began simply enough. During “Picnic in Paris” setup week, we noticed a windmill from the student production of “Oklahoma!” on the gym stage, and someone said, “We’re not in Kansas anymore!” Of course, that reminded

Photo from the Archives

us of Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,’’ and the rest is, well, history. “The Wonderful Picnic of Oz … There’s No Place Like Harker” was born. Everyone got in the spirit of the day – emerald green wigs and all! Following the “yellow brick road” were Harker parents Candy Carr as the Tin Man, Janet Rohrer as the Scarecrow and Melody Moyer as the not-so-cowardly Lion (costumes courtesy of our super seamstresses, Pellissier and Alice Schwartz). Even Howard Nichols, our beloved school president, dressed as the Wizard himself. It was a delight for munchkins of all ages and plenty of picnicking for one year!

As Harker expanded, so did our special events. The first Harker Fashion Show was on the horizon, and homecoming was a welcome addition for our budding upper school as well as for the entire Harker community. It was decision time. Moving the family picnic back to the fall seemed like the best thing to do, but could we pull it off that same year? We sat down with our dedicated, hard-working, fun-loving, absolutely

Photo from the

Archives

Photo by Mark Tantrum

THE HARKER FAMILY & ALUMNI PICNIC

wonderful committee and asked that question. They said, “YES!” So, in a matter of just a few months, without missing a beat, they orchestrated the sweetest picnic ever. “Once Upon a Picnic … And They Lived ‘Harkerly’ Ever After!” was its own fairytale, and storybook perfect!

After such a busy year, we decided to kick back and enjoy the tropics in our 2004 “Picnic in Paradise … A Tropical Isle, Harker Style!” Everyone sported a by now traditional picnic T-shirt and was welcomed by steel drums, tropical birds and flower leis flown in by Kelly Delepine and family. Such fun! Then, in 2005, we really decided to “chill” with one of our favorite picnics of all time, the “Polar Picnic … Everything’s Cool at The Harker School!”

Snow machines and ice sculptures helped set the scene for a day of frozen fun.

The addition of Co-Co Crossing brought us everything chocolate, including our favorite San Jose Chocolate Fountains.

Even our new T-shirt sponsor, the Ammatuna family’s I ❤ Yogurt shop, served delicious chocolate flavors. It was a yummy day for all!

Stay tuned for more

picnic memories of our adventures at Blackford, including the production of stellar auctions by the dynamic duo of Becky Cox and Lori Saxon; a look back at some of the Tony Award-worthy picnic performances not only by our students, but by none other than Christopher Nikoloff and Jennifer Gargano, our multitalented head and assistant head of school; and the overall expansion of our favorite family event!

k Tantrum

In 2007, we packed up the “wagons” for our “Blackford or Bust! Pioneer Picnic …

Harker Heads West!” Nichols Hall was being built on the site of many a family picnic at the Saratoga campus, which was even more fitting than you might know.

Former school president Howard Nichols was an avid scholar on all things related to Harker family picnics. He knew and loved its history better than anyone. Whether it was riding across that field on a horse to delight the children for a western theme, or meticulously helping set up the games with his trusty tape measure in hand, Nichols’ presence was always treasured. So it seems especially fitting that this 60th family picnic is being held on his birthday, Oct. 10. We know he would be proud. Happy birthday, all!

Photo by Mark Tantrum

Photo by Mar

By 2006 we were ready for adventure, but little did we know that the real adventure was just beginning. Our resident Aussie, Vanessa Bullman, always had fun stories to tell about her native country, and we were hooked. We would bring Australia to Harker with “Picnic Down Under …

An Awesome Aussie Adventure!” but not without a little research. Veteran picnic

volunteers Nancy Claunch and Melody Moyer and I traveled to Sydney and surrounding areas to gather lots of ideas (and souvenirs) for our Boomerang Gang of volunteers. What a trip! Waiting for us back home was our delightful “decorations diva,” Debbie Buss, who, in her quest to design Ayers Rock for the auction area, created a mine’s worth of paper rocks that have gained more picnic miles than a trip to Australia itself! (Be sure to look for them this year in their fourth reincarnation).

But what was the real Photo from the Archives adventure? Moving the entire picnic to the Blackford campus!

chives

Ar Photo from the

Photo from the

Archives

Photo by Mark Ta

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New Library Empowers Learning

by Lauri J. Vaughan

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lexible and dynamic. Such are today’s students’ information needs. And, by design, the description also applies to Harker’s new upper school library. The building’s first visitors, who toured the just-finished, 3,803-square-foot facility Aug. 20, awarded the learning space rave reviews.

“I love it!” said exuberant senior Christina Li, an avid library user. Her sentiments were echoed by dozens of parents, students and teachers as they perused the library’s sunlit main reading room, stacks, soft seating areas and classroom. Some teens were drawn to the low chairs and ottomans near the magazines and newspapers. Others made a beeline to high speed browsing computers mounted at standing height at the end of each range of books. More tested the sound-dampening effects of the library’s classroom walls by opening and closing the door. Still others tried the tablet chairs that combine cushioned comfort with a purposeful laptop surface.

Allika Walvekar, grade 12, envied underclassmen. “I wish I had this for all four years instead of one. It’s beautiful!” Happily weary from a full day of orientation activities, Vikrum Sundar, grade 9, who toured the library with his parents, Jagane and Shankari Sundar, confirmed he’d be making regular use of the space.

The facility’s flexibility is no accident, according to Sue Smith, library director. “The library department was invited to participate in the design from the very beginning,” said Smith. “The result is a space tailored to the needs of learners in a dynamic information world.”

Features such as a classroom equipped with eBeam technology, expanded study tables with lighting, and outlets and enhanced wireless connectivity empower the teaching and learning of information literacy. Information literacy, the ability to seek, evaluate and use information Photos by Ashley Batz

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“The new library enhances our educational program of 21st century learning beautifully.”

—Sue Smith, Library Director

effectively, was introduced to teachers as a curricular enhancement six years ago by former library director Enid Davis. Since then, Info Lit, as it’s often called, has become a mainstay of teaching across disciplines at the upper school.

The location of the new library – central to student traffic on the upper school campus – serves as a metaphor for students’ need for the robust virtual space the library program already provides: an online catalog, over 80 subscription databases, 30,000 searchable books and a myriad of additional tools, all available to the Harker community 24/7 through the library portal.

“The new library enhances our educational program of 21st century learning beautifully,” said Smith.

“The enthusiasm of our first visitors confirms that the space is a welcome addition to our community.”

For more information about Harker’s library program contact Sue Smith at SusanS@harker.org.

Library Team Expands Upper school students will enjoy expanded professional support in the new library. Former campus librarian Sue Smith will carry on the 17-year directorship of Enid Davis. Newly promoted campus librarian Lauri Vaughan will be joined by part-time librarian Meredith Cranston, who recently received her master’s degree in library and information science from UCLA. Happily, Davis’ expertise will not be lost to Harker as her scaled back professional life still will include participation in Harker’s lower school library program, led by campus librarian Kathy Clark. Davis’ responsibilities will include additional instruction and the continuation of her much-loved annual Ogre Award program.

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SummerLearning Students Travel Near and Far, Bringing Home New Skills, Knowledge and Awards

By Zach Jones

Summer Learning

Costa Rica In late July, Anita Chetty, upper school science department chair, and Gary Blickenstaff, upper school biology teacher, traveled to Costa Rica with seven students for the annual summer trip to Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (National Biodiversity Institute, or INBio for short). They toured the institute’s wonderful facilities, including its restricted areas.

Wildlife sightings were, of course, frequent and always exciting. Students were able to see such local fauna as sloths, bullet ants, monkeys and a family of screech owls. They also experienced weather that at times caught them off-guard. “The humidity was oppressive,” Chetty said in one of several travelogues from the trip. “I reminded everyone that people pay a lot to go to spas so they can [similarly] sweat and expand their pores. They did not seem to care.”

Adventure was in great supply during the trip. Whitewater rafting in the Sarapiqui River was one of the highlights. “The river did not

Costa Rica photos provided by Anita Chetty

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disappoint us as we negotiated raging rapids and tried hard not to fall in or capsize,” Chetty reported. “We did not want it to end!” The group also took a night hike, during which the students made the screech owl sighting. “Some people travel to this area for decades in search of this owl,” Chetty wrote.

They also trekked to Arenal Volcano, which has experienced eruptions since 1968. “It just blew a plume of smoke about five minutes ago,” wrote Chetty as the group peered from an observation deck.

For the service part of their trip, the students traveled to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, where they worked to protect the area’s sea turtle population. They did so by helping to build a new nursery, moving more than 100 eggs to new locations to keep them safe from poachers and even releasing hatchlings into the ocean. “All of these activities are new for the Harker program, and our students have had ample opportunity to directly engage in conservation practice,” Chetty wrote.

The group then visited a one-room schoolhouse with five students, aged 6 to 12. Chetty “was very impressed with [our students’] Spanish-speaking skills! Harker’s students performed a skit in Spanish on preventing dengue fever, and created art projects with the young students. “I was moved by the thought that here we were from such a privileged school, offering something to young children in a very remote location,” Chetty said.

The next stop was the University of Georgia’s Costa Rica campus where students were given the opportunity to work on their independent research

projects. There, Dr. Diana Lieberman, ecology instructor, provided them with the tools and knowledge to conduct their studies. The students participated

in group activities in addition to research they performed on their own.

“These are not the tried-and-true labs that students are accustomed to doing,” Chetty said in an e-mail.

“Much of the learning comes from dealing with unpredictability.

Equipment fails or the weather does not cooperate.”

Students went beyond the call of duty for their projects. Michael Prutton, grade 12, journeyed into an enclosure at a bat exhibit to retrieve echolocation signals, while fellow senior Appu Bhaskar was so eager to work he had to be ushered out of the lab at closing time when working on his project on arsenic concentrations in geothermal springs.

During the final stage of the trip, the students presented their research at a symposium held at the UGA Costa Rica campus, and each student received a certificate in tropical biology from UGA.Chetty wrote that Lieberman was “very impressed with not only how clever our kids are, but how committed they are to their individual studies.”

SummerLearning Galapagos Matthew Harley, upper school biology teacher, and Mala Raghavan, upper school chemistry teacher, headed to the Galapagos Islands with 10 students in July for a special “ecotourism” trip, meant to introduce the students to the archipelago’s unique animal and plant life.

The group began with a stop in Quito, Ecuador, where they took a tour of the “old city” and its many fantastic churches. They enjoyed a great lunch while also learning about Amazonian culture, including such rituals as head shrinking.

After arriving in the Galapagos, the students and teachers met with their guides and boarded a boat to travel to the various islands for the next seven days. They saw many kinds of wildlife, and even snorkeled alongside sea lions and dolphins. “While on the cruise, we snorkeled almost every day and sometimes twice a day,” said Harley.

Other times they shared paths with iguanas and lava lizards, and while walking in the highlands, saw dozens of tortoises. One highlight was a visit to

Galapagos photos by Devin Nguyen, grade 11

the Charles Darwin Research Station, where they sighted Lonesome George, the last known specimen of the Pinta Island tortoise species, estimated to be anywhere from 60 to 90 years old.

Following the cruise, the group went to Santa Cruz, the Galapagos’ secondlargest island, to visit the FUNDAR (in English, the Foundation for Alternative Responsible Development in Galapagos) station, which helps to educate local farmers and aid them in restoring their land. “Invasive species, poor farming practices, poachers and the tourism industry in general are dramatically changing the ecosystem and threatening the extinction of species like the tortoise,” Harley said. “We helped the station remove invasive blackberry brambles and feed native seedlings for planting.” The students and chaperones ate “very well,” he added. “Most or all of the food was grown or raised on Santa Cruz Island.”

After their lengthy stay in the Galapagos, the teachers and students headed back to Quito for one final round of shopping at the bazaar and sampling the exotic flavors of Quito cuisine serenaded by the Ecuadoran version of a mariachi band -- a memorable end to a great trip!

Journalism Trips Summer was full of fun and work for Harker journalism students, who traveled to Hawaii and New York for workshops. The first contingent, made up of 17 editors, flew to Hawaii in early June. While enjoying the breathtaking scenery, students scoured the area for potential stories, interviewing locals and tourists for articles they would later publish online. They also worked on their photojournalism skills by taking on photography assignments. Group projects and planning for the 2010-11 year were also on the agenda. The students attended a talk by journalist C.W. Henderson, who is, among other things, a former movie executive with TriStar Pictures and founder of the medical and pharmaceutical publishing company NewsRx. Under Henderson’s direction, the students worked on exercises in

Photo by Chris Daren

phenomenological writing, or the practice of relating through prose the human observations of scientific phenomena.

In their free time, the students tried their hands at snorkeling, canoeing, surfing and boogie boarding, in addition to taking advantage of the innumerable sightseeing opportunities offered by the island of Maui. Local cuisine, deep-sea fishing and a luau were also part of the festivities.

During the second half of June, a group of nine Harker journalists headed to New York City for the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Summer Journalism Workshop. The program gave students an opportunity to sharpen their writing, editing and design skills through classes plus individual and group assignments. Five Harker students received awards at the workshop: Lorraine Wong, grade 10, for best review and best page design (team); Kevin Lin, grade 10, for best page design (team); Sanjana Baldwa, grade 11, for best layout; and Alisha Mayor, grade 11, for best feature.

Fun was obviously on the agenda as well, with students photographing celebrities at a movie premiere, catching a musical and visiting staple NYC landmarks such as Central Park and Coney Island.

As in Hawaii, the students in New York also published stories about their experiences. Be sure to view them at http:// www.talonwp.com/category/summer/.

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SummerLearning JSA Chapter Presidents Aim to Increase Political Engagement

By Emily Chow ’08

Summer Learning

As the students return, pumped up for the coming year, Saagar Sarin, grade 11 and Erica Woolsey, grade 12, copresidents of Harker’s chapter of Junior State of America (JSA), gear up for a year filled with various ways to engage the Harker community in current events and politics.

Looking back on the last few years, Sarin and Woolsey noted a recent decrease in participation, and the duo hopes to turn things around. “More than anything, JSA leadership has been getting ready for what we think will be a ‘comeback’ year for the club,” said Sarin, who was elected Speaker of the Assembly at the Northern California Spring State 2010 convention in April. “We are looking forward to laying the foundation that will bring JSA back to prominence.”

There is no time to rest for the returning members of Harker JSA. Woolsey and Sarin aim to engage students in active discussion through both chapter and statewide activities. Kicking off with the club fair, JSA will be hosting various events throughout the fall semester, including the annual Pizza and Politics event.

“We are looking forward to laying the foundation that will bring JSA back to prominence.” –Saagar Sarin, grade 11, chapter co-president

“Our main goal with [Pizza and Politics] is to encourage everyone in the student body to be politically aware, not just members of JSA,” Woolsey said. “We want to increase membership in the upcoming year and keep JSA interesting.” The chapter will also be participating in the annual Fall State Convention, “Energizing America: Capturing the Winds of Change,” in Santa Clara the weekend of Nov. 20-21.

“Our generation has a lot of political apathy, and JSA attempts to fight that. We want to make politics interesting.”

–Erica Woolsey, grade 12 Sarin looks forward to leading the movement in increasing participation. “JSA has made a huge impact on my life, and it’s one of the things I enjoy most about high school; I really want to spread that joy to my peers,” Sarin said.

Similarly, Woolsey is excited to explore creative ways and innovative ideas to keep the student body interested in politics. “Our generation has a lot of political apathy, and JSA attempts to fight that,” she said. “We want to make politics interesting.”

To read more about JSA, visit news.harker.org and search “JSA.”

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SummerLearning Middle School JCL Students Round Up Honors

By Zach Jones Since 1998, Harker’s Latin programs have been highly successful, due to a high degree of commitment from both the students and faculty. “The kids are enthusiastic about what they do, and they get it when it comes to excelling at these things,” said John Hawley, upper school Latin teacher.

This enthusiasm has resulted in consistent top placements in both state and national competitions. Since it first went into full swing in 1998, the upper school’s Junior Classical League (JCL) has placed either first or second in its division in every state JCL convention it has entered since 2000.

“We got very good, very fast,” Hawley said.

The middle school program, too, has often received top honors at state competitions and has finished in the top 10 at nationals.

“The addition of the sixth graders to the middle school means that Latin starts earlier and that eighth graders compete at a higher level,” said Lisa Masoni, middle school Latin teacher. “In fact, the California Junior Classical League

Zhang, Pranav Sharma, Sean Fernandes, Suchita Nety and junior Alex Hsu received Corona Laurea Certificates.

Prag Batra and Ila Dwivedi, both grade 11, won Corona Olivae Certificates.

Most recently, at the national JCL convention, held at North Dakota State University in late July, four Harker students earned top spots.

Annirudh Ankola, grade 8, competed at levels 1 and 2 and took first place in novice open certamen, second place in large models and third in boys costume.

Photos provided by John Hawley

needed to create a new category, Middle School 3, last year, because of the students from Harker and a few other middle schools with three-year programs.”

In May, 13 Harker upper school students won awards after taking the Medusa Mythology Exam, which tests knowledge of Greek mythology and is open to all students. Shannon Su, grade 10, received a gold medal award and was eligible to apply for a cash prize. Taking silver were Ashvin Swaminathan and Richard Fan, both grade 10, while sophomore Phillip Oung and Jessica Lin, grade 11, earned bronze medal awards. Sophomores Jonathan Cho, Eric

“The addition of sixth graders to the middle school means that Latin starts earlier and that eighth graders compete at a higher level.”

Oishi Banerjee, a grade 9 student who represented the middle school at level 2, had the most top finishes of the –Lisa Masoni, middle Harker students in attendance at school Latin teacher the convention. Banerjee had first place finishes in level 2 girls Latin sight reading; level 2 girls dramatic interpretation; and mottoes, quotes and abbreviations. She also placed second in modern myth, intermediate competitive, level 2 Latin oratory and creative arts.

Nik Datuashvili, grade 10, competed at level 3 and took first place in ancient geography and Hellenic history. Classmate Fan also competed at level 3 and took first place in the junior boys 800 meters and second places in the junior boys marathon.

Finally, level 4 competitor Lin, took second place in Roman life.

SUMMER

Editor’s Note: Oung and Banerjee have since transferred to other schools.

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SummerLearning

By Emily Chow ‘08

Photo by Ashley Batz

Summer Learning

Middle School eCYBERMISSION Team Tests Mercury Levels, Takes Action

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For the fourth year in a row, Harker students claimed regional recognition in eCYBERMISSION’s national competition, receiving monetary awards totaling $18,000 between the two teams. One team also received an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Judging and Educational Event in Baltimore, Md., on June 21-26 to present their final project to four army officials and teachers from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

A competition challenging students in grades six to nine to use science, math and technology to solve real community issues, eCYBERMISSION encourages students to research and conduct experiments to find a solution. While “Dust Busters,” Allen Cheng, Daniel Pak, Albert Chu and

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two students initially read about in the town newspaper related to mercury dust emissions from Lehigh Hanson Cement Plant.

Provided by Vandana Kadam

Before submitting their project online in February, the quartet spent five months collecting water from four different bodies of water, testing for emissions in the lab and compiling

Sharon Babu, now all grade 9, did not place nationally in Baltimore, the team had the opportunity to meet with all regional winners and explore the two Smithsonian museums and Aberdeen Proving Ground, home of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command.

The “Dust Busters’” presentation was the culmination of a year’s worth of research on a community controversy

Provided by Vandana Kadam

SummerLearning The “Dust Busters” discovered that, while the local cement plant was not in violation of the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, the mercury level in water near the quarry was significantly higher than other bodies of water in the area. The students took their findings to the Cupertino City Council and created a pamphlet that was distributed door-to-door to residents.

“This project needs students who have good research skills, writing skills, data collection and analysis and public relations skills to help them interview experts in the field that they are working on,” Vandana Kadam, advisor and math teacher, said about the group’s dynamic. “This team had a good combination of these qualities and hence worked very well together.” data to research ways to educate the residents about the pollution and possible health issues. They also interviewed Hanson Quarry to hear the company’s side of the story.

The “Dust Busters” discovered that, while the local cement plant was not in violation of the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, the mercury level in water near the quarry was significantly higher than mercury levels in other bodies of water in the area. The students took their findings to the Cupertino City Council and created a pamphlet that was distributed doorto-door to residents.

The “Analytic Trio,” now also in grade 9, were Vikas Bhetanabhotla, Divyahans Gupta and Brian Tuan.

They also received high honors and were recognized for their project’s application of science, math and technology. After experimenting with six different designs, the “Analytic Trio” presented a gas nozzle prototype that emits a lower amount of volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the environment than the current nozzle used across the nation.

“We are extremely proud of the students from The Harker School for their creative and innovative use of outstanding research, experimentation and analysis during this year’s eCYBERMISSION competition,” Major General Nick G. Justice said. “These students were selected from thousands of their peers, not only for their potential as future leaders in STEM [science, technology, engineering, math], but for their work to improve and make a positive impact on the communities in which they live.”

Photo and graphics provided by Vandana Kadam

For more information on eCYBE RM I S S ION, contact Vandana Kadam at vandanak@harker.org. To read more on the “Dust Busters” project, visit their project website, sites.google.com/site/cupertinoquarryconcerns/.

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SummerLearning Interns Scrutinize Brain Volume, Polymer Tear Strengths and More

By Zach Jones For several students, summer presents many exciting learning opportunities in the form of internships. Last year students interned at places such as Kaiser Permanente, U.C. Davis and Riedel Labs, where they were involved with projects that included analyzing the chemical makeup of far-off galaxies, assisting with virus screening tests, working in a bioengineering lab and more.

“Reading papers about the insula and its function was really fascinating.”

–Roshni Bhatnagar, grade 12

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n, –Jerry Su

This year, several students again embarked on exciting internships at a wide variety of places, including microbiology and psychology at Stanford University, the department of chemistry at U.C. Santa Cruz and Artificial Muscle, Inc., a Sunnyvale-based company that specializes in creating components for touch-based devices such as smartphones, PC mice and touchscreens.

Roshni Bhatnagar, grade 12, interned at the Stanford psychophysiology lab under Dr. James Gross. She and her colleague, a graduate student putting together her dissertation, “studied the relationship between local brain volume and emotion regulation strategies.” She also learned about various brain structures and took a class on affective neuroscience, “which really complemented the work I was doing in the lab.” Bhatnagar particularly enjoyed delving into the literature about the part of the brain that was the focus of her project, the insula.

“Reading papers about the insula and its function was really fascinating,” she said.

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work o t g n i o “G a new s a w y a d every ce for me.” experien grade 12

Photo by Ashley Batz

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Another senior, Jerry Sun, was an intern at Artificial Muscle, where he helped put together an experiment that compared the tear strengths of two types of polymers.

“With guidance from our mentor as well as other employees at the company, we planned the experiment and collected and analyzed the resulting data,” Sun said. “I learned a lot about what corporate research was like, particularly in the material science field. This was also my first job, so going to work every day was a new experience for me.”

SummerLearning Harker’s Annual Teacher Institute Showcases Innovative Technology

By Emily Chow ‘08 A total of 175 educators from around the Bay Area attended the fourth annual Teacher Institute on the Saratoga campus to learn about technology and different methods to improve classroom curricula. It was the highest participation since the event began.

The institute started as a summer Mathematica session that trained Harker staff to use the mathematics software and develop a project-oriented curriculum.

In 2008, however, Fred Triefenbach, an instructional technology staff member, thought Harker should share this knowledge with the community at large. That session has evolved into the full-fledged technology program that is offered today.

“The instructional technology department and The Harker School believe that we have an obligation to share what we have learned about technology in education with the wider educational community,” said Daniel Hudkins, director of instructional technology.

Added Lisa Diffenderfer, assistant director of instructional technology: “The focus really was to share the wealth with the community.” Consequently, Harker’s instructional technology staff focused on offering free – or nearly free – resources that teachers with limited budgets can utilize.

In addition to coordinating and planning the event with instructional technology staff Angela Neff and Triefenbach, Diffenderfer led a workshop called “Free Web 2.0 Tools.”

The session showcased various free, cross-platform online tools that could be used in the classroom. She demonstrated how VoiceThread can transform classroom discussions by creating elaborate presentations that include images, documents, videos and voice comments. “It went well.

There were a lot of resources presented that teachers hadn’t seen before,” Diffenderfer said.

An extensive list of sessions included ways to grade online, integrate digital content – video, photo, podcasts, music – into the classroom with Moodle, collaborate online with various tools like Google Docs, and use multimedia such as documentaries, graphics and sound to spice up a presentation.

“The focus really was to share the wealth with the community.”

–Lisa Diffenderfer, assistant director of instructional technology

One workshop, taught by Milpitas Christian School teacher Diane Main, introduced geocaching to attendees, showing how searching for hidden objects and creating treasure hunt games can offer a new way to enhance classroom activities.

Stephanie Haining, a teacher in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, demonstrated innovative ways to use iPods to create student projects. Jonathan Brusco, middle school history teacher at Harker, showed how to make history exciting by integrating documentary filmmaking into the curriculum. Other Harker faculty and staff who presented include Kathy Clark, Mike Schmidt, Scott Kley Contini, Mark Gelineau, Kim Sandoval, Gerry-louise Robinson, Grace Wallace, Danny Dunn, Andrew Carlos, Lauri Vaughan and Sue Smith.

Hudkins said the entire event went smoothly and recognized Silicon Valley Computer Using Educators (SVCUE) for its support.

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SummerLearning

By Emily Chow ‘08

Photo by Ashley Batz

Summer Learning

Tech Grants Help Teachers Add a New Dimension to Teaching

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More than 20 teachers returned to campus this summer to focus on new ways to integrate technology into their curricula as part of Harker’s tech grant program, which aims to create more well-rounded and effective lesson plans that expand the school’s area of information literacy.

Each teacher focuses on one piece of technology and learns various ways to integrate its uses into his or her teaching.

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Shelby Guarino, grade 5 advanced core English teacher, took this opportunity to expand the global education network by learning how to use Moodle, an open-sourced, community-based software that allows for interactivity.

Before her tech grant, Guarino worked closely with Jennifer Abraham, global education director, to share the students’ work with peers from Harker’s sister schools. “For the past two years, I have been doing some grammar art projects, which I would ask students to donate and mail to some of our sister schools,” Guarino said. “For the two years, it was working great, and finally, the last trimester of last school year, we got some work back.”

A tool already used by the department of global education to connect with sister schools in several places including Japan, Australia, China, Costa Rica and France, Moodle offers a new dimension to Guarino’s teaching, bringing collaboration and sharing to a whole new level. Using

“The goal is getting it to be part of the regular school day – communicating with peers around the world.”

–Jennifer Abraham, global education director the software and exchanging videos, photos, audio files and projects, students in Guarino’s English class can collaborate with students at Saint Stephen’s College in Coomera, Australia, and create a more dynamic connection to learn more about different cultures and activities from other areas of the world.

“The goal is getting it to be part of the regular school day – communicating with peers around the world,” Abraham said. Guarino’s tech grant will introduce Moodle to the lower school campus.

SummerLearning Chrissy Chang, K-8 P.E. department chair, learned to use Athena and Microsoft PowerPoint to make health lectures, documents and resources more easily accessible to eighth graders. “Using Athena allowed me to share the curriculum in an orderly fashion, give easy access to students and, more importantly, to go green,” Chang said.

After attending a local workshop on using authentic sources in Spanish class, Diana Moss and Isabel Garcia, Spanish teachers for the upper and middle schools, respectively, decided to use this opportunity to create a Wikispace “as a vehicle for organizing and sharing the authentic sources we had found over the course of the week,” Moss said. The Wikispace includes links for music, cultural and geographical information about Spanishspeaking countries, literature and grammatical topics in an effort to bring the real world into the classroom.

Scott Kley Contini, grade 8 science teacher, used his grant to develop a blogging project, where students in his classes will write blogs, comment on their peers’ work

Photo by Emily Chow ‘08

expanding the use of Audacity and continuing to utilize Athena to create easier file sharing, forums and polls.

Aiming to keep curricula fresh, sharpen teachers’ skill sets and utilize alternative teaching resources, the tech grant program has allowed teachers to think outside the box and continue to thrive through Harker’s mission to “achieve academic excellence through the development of intellectual curiosity, personal accountability and love of learning.”

Photo by Ashley Batz

and create a larger dialogue. Kley Contini noticed that slide shows rarely allowed for constructive discussions and found blogging to be a better alternative. “This will encourage them to communicate a little more as well as force them to really think analytically about what they are writing about,” he said. He hopes the assignment will teach his students to communicate differently and encourage them to come up with original content that none of their peers have previously posted.

Photo by Emily Chow ‘08

SUMMER Other tech grant projects included learning to use macros and Annotate Pro to grade more easily and efficiently,

For more information, visit news.harker.org and search “tech grants.”

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Summer@Harker

Photos by Ashley Batz

Students from Around the World Build More than English Skills By Elizabeth de Oliveira ‘80

M

ore than one hundred international students this summer sought out Harker’s well-established English Language Institute (ELI) to bolster their English skills and their academic prospects in the United States.

The ELI students, aged six to 16, came primarily from Asia, but a variety of continents were represented with students attending from such diverse countries as Russia, Bolivia, Brazil and Ethiopia.

According to ELI director Anthony Wood, many students come to the program to increase their chances of admission to college preparatory boarding schools in the U.S. A few have been “admitted conditionally and referred to the program by their admissions directors,” he said.

As a mature program ELI provides a good look at U.S. and California culture. While the focus is on learning English, cultural adventures this year included visits to the Roaring Camp Railroad in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the San Jose Tech Museum and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

While in the Monterey area, the group stopped at the Carmel

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Mission for some historical context on California’s development. U.S. history was integrated into the curriculum to give students moving on to American schools a good background for learning more about the U.S.

worked on special projects tailored to their needs. For many, that meant SAT preparation. They were assisted by mentors (sometimes called buddies), often Harker juniors, seniors or recent graduates.

This year Jared Ramsey, Harker lower school history teacher, taught a specialized curriculum introducing major events that have shaped the U.S. “He added great variety and expertise to our program,” said Wood, “and the students really enjoyed his creative teaching methods.”

Teacher Lyle Davidson said ELI students arrive with a pretty good understanding of grammar, but they often need help in other areas. “The SAT asks very tricky questions in reading comprehension,” he explained.

“Buddies ... are able to take a teaching role and model how they would confront the problem – and they do it all in English.”

The students also enjoyed ELI’s enrichment program, in which they continued learning after 3:30 through activities. The younger students swam and played games. On Mondays and Fridays they joined the summer camp program at Bucknall.

Mentor Brian Lee, a 2010 Harker graduate, said he really enjoyed hanging out with the students. They talk about music a lot, he said, and, with the natural curiosity of young people, “they ask questions about our personal lives, like where we come from.”

“It’s an opportunity for the kids to immerse themselves with American kids who speak English as their first language,” said Wood.

The school days were long, but Huu Li, from Vietnam, said his teacher made the time fly. “He’s very funny. He knows how to make the students feel happy and never feel tired when we study.”

The most advanced students, usually aged 14-16, stayed at the Saratoga campus and

HARKER SUMMER PROGRAMS

Summer Campers Enjoy Cool Classes

“It’s still education, but it has a different vibe.”

–Diann Chung, K-8 summer academic principal

By Elizabeth de Oliveira ‘80

H

arker’s 2010 Summer Camp brought students from all over the San Jose area for learning and fun – often both at the same time.

With the entire afternoon set aside for activities, summer academics for K-8 took place within a short class day, from 8:3011:30. The curriculum focused primarily on math and language arts, and the environment was somewhat more relaxed than regular school, according to Diann Chung, K-8 summer academic principal.

“It’s still education, but it has a different vibe,” she said.

Blue Marble. The curriculum integrated science, history, the arts and social studies – and, of course, math and language arts – into a multidisciplinary study of our world.

Each session focused on two continents, and students wrote in their travel journals, Photo by Ashley Batz counted in different languages, and read both fiction and nonfiction. During the Africa module, all classes made hummus and fufu (sweet potato balls). They studied mummies and hieroglyphic writing, and created 3-D square and triangular pyramids.

“I really enjoy the integrated curriculum,” said veteran Harker teacher Kathleen Ferretti. “It’s a chance to look at things in a different way and have a lot of fun doing it.”

Some students in grades 5-8 chose two-week summer courses with a longer school day (8:30-3:30) for an in-depth look at a single subject area.

Photo by Ashley Batz

To ensure that each student was appropriately challenged, teachers used differentiated instruction to adapt their lessons to multiple levels within the same classroom. The summer curriculum was designed to be compatible with that for the school year, not redundant, and teachers had a great deal of latitude within which to incorporate games, crafts and activities.

For example, teacher Alice Cooley read a silly story to her first graders every day. “They think it’s great to hear me get my tongue twisted while reading ‘Fox in Sox,’” she said.

Photo by Devin Nguyen, grade 11

Elective topics ran the gamut from math to language arts, science, technology and the arts. In Enviro-Kids, students made their own dust collectors for a study of air pollution and later used computers to learn more about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Campers in grades 1-4 looking for a different kind of academic experience, or just a shorter camp, opted for a two-week thematic program titled Big

Michael Schmidt, Harker middle school computer science and robotics teacher, taught a lighter version of his required seventh grade course in which students built robots out of Legos. After learning how to program their creations during several days of robot wars, the students directed their energy toward making useful robots.

Photo by Devin Nguyen, grade 11

Products included Lego motorized wheelchairs, robotic pets, a grocery scanner, and a vending machine that operated perfectly during the parent demonstration before slipping off the table and crashing apart. With a maturity beyond his years, the builder shrugged, “That’s why vending machines aren’t built out of Legos.”

Schmidt made sure his students absorbed key concepts without letting go of the joy. “The more fun I’m having, the more fun they’re having,” he said.

For more information on Harker summer programs see www.harker.org and click on “summer.”

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HARKER SUMMER PROGRAMS

Summer Institute Students Discover New Passions

By Elizabeth de Oliveira ‘80

H

arker junior Margaret Krackeler signed up to get a course out of the way and found she liked it.

“The teachers are really fun and I’m there with my friends,” she said during the final week. As a bonus, she was able to enter AP Biology this fall, skipping the otherwise-required year of Honors Biology.

Chris Florio, Summer Institute principal, said that most students enroll in the Institute as a result of academic planning: either to knock off a required course or to get ahead in a subject area of interest. Many classes are in core subjects, but enrichment courses are also offered in art, forensics and even driver’s education.

Honors Geometry teacher Misael Fisico revealed how he captures students’ attention as they face the prospect of fourplus hours of geometry daily. “I know my students are into computers,” he said, “so there are always computer activities in my class, especially for the first two weeks.

Then, I let them do the thinking once I’ve bombarded them with the fun stuff!”

Photos by Ashley Batz

“The teachers are really fun and I’m there with my friends.”

–Margaret Krackeler, grade 11

Computer science teacher Susan King noted that, while many students take programming to complete academic requirements, “it isn’t all that rare for kids to find out they like it and go on to take the AP course as a result.” Like Fisico, King works hard to make her instruction and classwork relevant and fun.

“I try not to be the sage on the stage,” she said, “but to have the kids be very active – not only programming on their computers, but also writing on the white boards and working in teams of two.”

It’s not all fun and games for sure, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any: King and her teaching assistant, Partha Vora, grade 11, put on a version of “The Dating Game” in the Advanced Programming class to illustrate the operation of data structures.

Data structures can represent many, many data points, explained King, “or just three pieces of information, like Bachelors One, Two and Three.” In the game, “the bachelorette could question the bachelors but she had to use the correct index,” she said. “If she rejected one, she removed that bachelor from the database, using all the appropriate concepts.”

Prag Batra, grade 11, got to the crux of the matter: “It’s kind of frustrating when it’s not working, and you have to spend all this time debugging. But thinking of the idea and trying to come up with the logic is kind of fun,” he said.

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HARKER SUMMER PROGRAMS

Harker Forensics Reflects and Looks Ahead to a New Year

S

tudents in Harker’s forensics program wrapped up a groundbreaking year with arms full of awards and tournament titles, sweeping high honors around the nation and setting a new bar for the future of Harker’s communication studies department.

the Public Forum Challenge and the Laird Lewis Invitation.

“We sent the most students in Harker history to the Tournament of Champions and had the top two seeds in Public Forum debate after preliminary rounds at the tournament,” said Carol Green, director of public forum debate, summing up the past year’s accomplishments as groundbreaking. However, while wins are appreciated, the more notable accomplishment in Green’s mind was the sense of team unity.

“Forensics are very much individual sports where students compete to win individual titles in addition to team titles,” Green said.

“I am very proud at the work they have done and will continue to do to achieve team success.”

“We sent the most students in Harker history to the Tournament of Champions and had the top two seeds in Public Forum debate after preliminary rounds at the tournament.”

–Carol Green, director of public forum debate

The middle school debate team won the 2010 National Junior Forensic League championship in Public Forum Debate in late June, and, for the team’s overall success across events, coach Steve Clemmons, the director of middle school forensics, collected one of five School of Excellence in Debate awards given at the tournament. In 2010 students also received accolades in the Victory Briefs International, the James Logan Invitational,

By Emily Chow ‘08

Clemmons shared similar sentiments when looking back on the year’s accomplishments. “The past year was awesome,” Clemmons said. “The students put in so much hard work to accomplish so much personal and competitive growth.”

Summer hardly served as a respite from policy and debate. Coaches continued to teach students at various forensic institutes around the nation, and members of the debate team also attended similar programs.

Green directed, with new communication studies faculty member Greg Achten, the Berkeley Public Forum Institute and also the Forensics Institute on the upper school campus. Additionally, Green and Jonathan Peele, director of congressional debate and individual events, taught at Harvard. Students attended the Harker Forensics Institute and Berkeley

Photos by Emily Chow ‘08

Public Forum Institute, but some travelled as far as Florida, Boston and Yale to hone their forensics skills in these intensive programs.

“The students get an opportunity to work with some of the best coaches and professors in the nation,” Green said, describing these summer programs as fun and purposeful. “Students can do intense focus work and get specialized instruction that will add to their skill sets and will also bring new ideas back to the program.”

As we roll into a new school year, the forensics team looks forward to the challenges ahead, and, with Achten joining the upper school staff and Karina Momary, the lower school one, the team is looking for ways to expand and improve.

“The only goal is to get better, and records and awards will always sort themselves out,” Clemmons said.

Green is excited about the year’s prospects. “We have very talented and dedicated students, and I can’t wait to work with them this year,” she said.

“We are also blessed to have such a supportive community of parents, faculty, staff and administrators.

Without them, our team could never be as large or as successful as we are.”

To read more about our forensics program, visit news.harker.org and search “debate.”

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HARKER SUMMER PROGRAMS

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his year Harker offered a triple treat for athletes: soccer, swim and tennis camps all ran throughout the summer, and campers of all ages and skill levels attended. Each camp was handcrafted by its director and offered goals tailored to the athletes’ needs.

Photo by Ashley Batz

Soccer

Courdillon, a grade 8 student at Miller Middle School. “You learn a little bit more about how you can prepare to become a great soccer player. It’s really inspirational.”

Swimming This year’s Harker Summer Aquatic Program was a hit with kids and parents alike.

Offerings included swim lessons and a swim camp, with enough free swim time to keep the spirit of summer going. Over half the participants were from schools other than Harker, and meeting new swimmers was one of the highlights for campers.

The lessons were 30 minutes long, scheduled a week at a time. Students chose individual, semiprivate or group lessons, but lessons weren’t all work. “Having my free time and playing in the water,” was great, said Terman Middle School grade 6 student Leonard Wong, “and swimming [lessons are] also good. My mom says I’m getting a lot of exercise.”

This dynamic camp was directed by upper school boys varsity soccer coach Shaun Tsakiris, a UCLA MVP nominee and national champion team member.

“You learn a little bit more about how you can prepare to become a great soccer player.”

–Alex Courdillon, grade 8, Miller Middle School Each camp ran for a week, 9 a.m. to noon, and gave kids a chance to work on virtually all aspects of their game. Tsakiris worked hard to ensure that the athletes stayed focused on soccer.

He said the goal was to hold “an active, soccer-specific camp.” The highlight of the June camp came when Joe Cannon, goalkeeper for the San Jose Earthquakes, visited the group. He talked soccer to the campers, signed autographs and presented a banner to the player of the week.

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Photo by Ashley Batz

The swim camp was a two-week program aimed at middle school students and focused on fitness and water safety. It included physical training, classroom learning and skills instruction. In the classroom, the kids learned part of the American Red Cross GuardStart program, covering topics such as responding in an emergency and the prevention of aquatic accidents.

By David Woolsey ‘06

Photo by Devin Nguyen, grade 11

Students Enjoy Summer of Sports

than a block from the Blackford campus.

With the two programs, Harker is able to offer a summer tennis experience to players of all skill levels that is both challenging and fun.

This year, there were about 30 HOTTS students each week, ages 10-18, filling all five courts and giving athletes a wide range of competitors and plenty of court time. A typical day involved complex drills and games, following a weekly cycle with instruction and drills three days a week and competitions on Thursday (boys) and Friday (girls).

By devoting an entire day to matches with clubs from around the area, players had a chance to gain valuable competition experience “that can be hard to obtain outside of extremely competitive tournaments,” said Pasqua. “For many of the kids in the HOTTS program this is the first time they have ever played a competitive match.”

All three camps aim to help students become athletes and develop sportsmanship skills in a fun, challenging environment, and, as usual, mission accomplished!

Tennis The Harker/Oakwood Tennis Training System (HOTTS) and Harker Tennis Camp are taught by Harker’s varsity coach Craig Pasqua. The tennis camp focuses on skills for beginning and intermediate players, while the HOTTS camp is geared more towards higher level players. Both operate at the Oakwood tennis courts located less

Photo by Ashley Batz

Advancement

Conceptual Design and Rezoning Petition Submitted for Saratoga Campus

By Joe Rosenthal After more than 18 months of planning, which included the participation of over 580 members of the Harker community, the conceptual design of the Saratoga campus is complete.

This milestone could not have been reached without the generosity of a small group of seed investors; their funds are subsidizing the architectural drawings and the accompanying petition to rezone the Saratoga campus.

The major benefit that will result from the rezoning is that we will be able to build three stories high, four if we go underground, resulting in saving precious green open space for our students and families.

In addition to funding the architectural and permitting fees, the seed investors’ funds will be used to estimate the cost of the project and to cover fundraising expenses.

Thank you to our wonderful seed investors: Anita and Arjun Bhagat, Winston and Phyllis Chen, John and Christine Davis, Asad and Ambreen Jamal, Ashok Krishnamurthi and Deepa Iyengar, Chet and Irene Silvestri, and Fermi and Jean Wang.

Annual Giving Pledge Week Remember to make your Annual Giving pledge by Oct. 10 and be entered in the drawing to win a Napa weekend getaway!

Your contribution to the Annual Giving Campaign supports every single one of our students by helping to fund our many exceptional programs.

Parent Volunteer Breakfasts As school began, each campus held breakfasts to welcome parents to the new year and show them the many exciting volunteering opportunities available to them. The first such event took place Aug. 23 at the Blackford campus’ multipurpose room. Approximately 150 middle school parents arrived to enjoy a morning meal and visit the tables set up by the various departments. The lower school breakfast on Aug. 27 was held at the Bucknall campus gym and attended by approximately 150 parents, who chatted with other enthusiastic volunteers and signed up to become volunteers themselves.

The upper school event was attended by about 50 parents, who gathered at Nichols Hall on Sept. 2. All events featured fresh breakfasts, congenial company and a conversational atmosphere.

Photo by Ashley Batz

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EagleReport

by David Woolsey ‘06

Harker Athletes Excel at Summer Sports

F

or Harker athletes who wanted to stay in shape during the summer there was a plethora of options. These ranged from sportspecific camps and practices to the Eagle Iron program, which is open to all students. The goal of these offerings is not only to help athletes stay in peak physical condition but to prepare them for the upcoming seasons so that they are ready to compete at the top of their game.

Eagle Iron Every year upper school athletes participate in the Eagle Iron summer training program.

This year, Theresa Smith, middle school athletic director, ran the program with the help of coaches Karriem Stinson and Ron Forbes.

The group met every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from midJune to the end of July, 9 a.m. to noon. Almost 100 athletes attended at least once over the summer, with most participating on a regular basis.

It’s a demanding program.

“The athletes were put through an extensive dynamic warm-up to get ready, and then we’d break into three groups and work on specific drills,” said Smith.

“Those drills were focused on developing speed, agility, quickness, jumping ability and conditioning.”

After drills, volleyball players did sport-specific training with Smith, and the rest of the athletes lifted weights with Forbes and Stinson.

Tara Rezvani, grade 10, attended every session to prepare for this year’s volleyball season. She felt the coaches were essential to her success throughout the summer.

“They focused on mixing it up a lot so the drills would not become monotonous,” she said. “They also paid attention to each individual athlete and gave us personal advice

Photos by Ashley Batz

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on how to get the most out of each exercise.”

“It is great the school has a program that allows athletes to get and stay in shape over the long summer,” said Gautam Krishnamurthi, grade 12. “I encourage every athlete to come for this program as it really works wonders.”

“It is great the school has a program that allows athletes to get and stay in shape over the long summer.”

– Gautam Krishnamurthi, grade 12

Wrestling Jason Mendel and Chris McCallaCreary, both grade 12, competed extensively throughout the summer. At the state finals McCallaCreary took fifth in GrecoRoman and was in the top 10 in freestyle. Mendel placed fourth in freestyle. Both qualified for the California team this summer and, as a result, went to Fargo, N.D., to compete in the national tournament, where McCallaCreary got his first win at the national level.

EagleReport

Football

which is impressive considering their competition was some of the best in the area.

The football team was especially busy this summer with a camp, a passing league and double days. Since football began soon after the first day of school, it was important that the players started getting ready for the season during the summer.

At the end of the camp several athletes were presented awards in recognition of their excellent performances throughout the week

At the end of the summer the team had mandatory practices twice a day, really gearing up to prepare for the school season.

in their positions. Four Harker seniors were recognized: David Wu, sweeper; Jerry Shteynberg, lineman; Gautam Krishnamurthi, wide receiver; and Rishi Bhatia, quarterback.

Harker also started a summer passing league for schools in the area. Some of the teams who participated were Cupertino, Archbishop Mitty, Los Altos and Serra. Teams played each other in seven-on-seven matches throughout the summer to work on plays and stay in shape. Harker ended the summer with a 13-3 record,

Photos by Ashley Batz

The team continued the tradition of attending a weeklong camp at Oregon’s Willamette University in June.

Head coach Karriem Stinson stated that the reason they have attended this camp year after year is that Willamette uses the same offense as Harker. This similarity allows players to work at college-level facilities with the accompanying level of instruction and apply it directly to their play in the coming season. Harker was joined at this camp by the Alaskan state champion football team as well as some tough teams from Sacramento and Sacred Heart Prep, making it an extremely competitive environment.

The team also competed in a passing tournament at Stanford University where they took the Consolation B championship.

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Photo by Julia Lambertz, grade 11

EagleReport

Basketball The boys and girls basketball teams worked hard this summer in order to stay in top form. Both teams made huge strides in their skills and abilities.

The varsity boys team, which includes students in grades 9-12, competed in a number of tournaments as well as the William C. Overfelt summer league.

Their record was an impressive 7-3 in league play and 15-7 overall.

They had an especially impressive showing at the San Jose State University summer tournament, with wins over South San Francisco, James Lick, Menlo Atherton, Los Altos and James Logan. Their only loss was to Archbishop Mitty in the semifinals.

The team ended up in third place, an impressive finale considering that most of the schools they were competing against have between 1,500 and 3,500 students.

the first time. They played two games a week, and coach Alfredo Alves was excited that it gave them a chance “to build chemistry and tune up for the upcoming 2010-11 season.” They also played against teams that they had never seen before. In their third to last game of the season they lost a nail biter to one of the best teams in the league. This was not all bad news as the loss inspired them to do better, and they finished off the summer with two big wins.

The frosh-soph team gained a great deal of experience in practices and games while playing in the Los Gatos league.

Michelle Markiewicz, grade 12, said, “It felt really good to have the team practically all together again and gave us each opportunities to improve on our skills and teamwork overall.”

The girls team held open gyms throughout the beginning of the summer. These practices were open to all interested students. Though their numbers may have been small, this gave each player a lot of face time with coaches and opportunities to work on their skills.

In addition to open gym the girls team participated in a summer league for Photo by Ashley Batz

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Volleyball This year marked the 13th summer that open gym volleyball has been offered. This year’s coed open gym volleyball was held every Monday and Wednesday night.

The gym was open to athletes ranging from those entering grade 6 to alumni.

EagleReport Open gym began with warm-ups and proceeded to “a variety of scrimmagetype games, including six-on-six,” said coach Theresa Smith.

Cheerleading For the first time, several of Harker’s cheerleaders attended a United Cheer Association camp this summer at U.C. Davis. The camp ran from August 14-17 and was a great way for the cheerleaders to get ready for the upcoming year.

They were aided in this endeavor twice a week by Ron Forbes, who gave them specific tips to improve the mechanics of their running. The open field was a place “where players who were available could play soccer [and] bond before the season starts in the winter,” according to Monisha Appalaraju, grade 12.

Golf Maverick McNealy, grade 10, did well this summer representing Harker’s golf program. Not only did he win a Junior Golf tournament, but he also tied for 12th in the Junior World Championships.

A typical day at the camp included “jump classes, stunt classes, learning dance routines and cheers, dance/ cheer/sideline evaluations, cheerrelated games, private coaching, jump and cheer competitions, and team bonding activities,” according to captain Saira Ahuja, grade 11.

While only three Harker students attended, they were honored with a host of awards. Jessica Lin, grade 11, “tried out for the All-American Cheer team and made it, which means that she received a medal as well as the opportunity to cheer in Europe over Christmas break,” said Ahuja. Ahuja, along with co-captain Amanda King, grade 12, was offered the opportunity to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. As a group Harker’s cheer team was awarded the superior award and the spirit award at the end of camp in recognition of their performance.

Soccer Coach Troy Thiele held open field soccer practices for the girls soccer team. As a team they decided to focus on three areas this summer: speed, strength and soccer-specific skills.

More Sports News It was recently announced that Harker was awarded state academic championships in football, boys wrestling and boys swimming. Harker and a school in Southern California were the only three-team winners in the state!

At press time the varsity football team is 1-0 having won/lost their home opener against San Jose High on Sept.

3 14-6. Boys water polo was 2-1 after their tournament in Monterey on Sept.

4, and girls water polo to date has had victories over Evergreen Valley (3-0) and Santa Teresa (3-1). Girls volleyball won their season opener at Mount Pleasant in three sets and is currently 1-0.

Photos by Ashley Batz

Each night three courts were open with players divided based on their abilities. On most nights each court had more than 50 players, leading to a lot of fun for everybody.

Harker is extremely proud of all of the athletes who trained and competed this summer. We would like to give special recognition to Gautam Krishnamurthi, football and basketball player, and Tara Rezvani, volleyball, who have the honor of being Harker’s official “athletes of the summer.” They

“It felt really good to have the team practically all together again and gave us each opportunities to improve on our skills and teamwork overall.”

-Michelle Markiewicz, grade 12 were nominated based on their work at Eagle Iron, where neither missed a single day, and the summer’s various open gyms and camps.

Congratulations to them and good luck to all our athletes in the coming year.

Sports

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Alumni

Alumni

Calendar

L to R: Raj Misra '05, Tavishi Agrawal '05, teacher Laura Rae, Debbie Liang ’05, Nina Joshi '05; Photo by Mark Tantrum

Coming to a Town Near You!

Bringing alumni together is at the heart of the Harker Alumni Association’s mission.

We are happy to announce these coming events in 2010-11 that will keep you connected to each other and to Harker.

Plan to Join Us Event details will now be listed online and sent to you through e-mail, saving trees and postage. All alumni are welcome at listed events; electronic invitations/reminders to regional gatherings are sent based upon your mailing address.

Photo provided by Kevin Lum Lung

Go Green!

To be more environmentally and fiscally responsible, Harker is increasing our online communications and scaling back on paper mailings. Please send us your updated e-mail address. Questions?

Contact your class agent or e-mail alumni@harker.org.

For the most up-to-date event details and photos, check out our Facebook fanpage: www.facebook.com/ HarkerAlumniAssociation.

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2010-11 Alumni Events 2010 August 12 October 10 November 12 November 24

Second Annual Northern Calif. Gathering (San Francisco) Alumni Luncheon at the Harker Family Picnic (Blackford campus) Alumni Tailgate at Homecoming (Saratoga campus) Alumni Holiday Happy Hour (Downtown Los Gatos)

2011 January 1 January 6 January 25 February 18 February 23 March 17 March (various) March 28-31 May 19 May 21 June 4

Third Annual Alumni Conservatory Classic (Saratoga campus) Home for the Holidays (Saratoga campus, college-aged only) Midwest Regional Gathering (Chicago) Fashion Show (Santa Clara Convention Center) Mid-Atlantic Regional Gathering (Washington, D.C.) New York Regional Gathering (New York City) Asia Tour with Joe Rosenthal (Korea, Japan, China) Kellers’ Spring Break Tour (Southern California) Alumni Induction Lunch (graduating seniors only) Graduation Ceremonies Alumni Day (Saratoga campus)

Alumni Alumni and Administrators Gather in San Francisco

By Casey Near ‘06 Two dozen Harker alumni gathered for the second annual Northern California regional event Aug. 12 at District, a wine bar in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood. Attendees ranged from recent college graduates to established professionals; the guests found common ground reminiscing about their time at Harker, whether it was four years ago or 20! Chris Nikoloff, head of school, and Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement, spoke with the alumni about recent developments at Harker and visited with longtime friends and former students.

If you have photos you’d like to share, please e-mail alumni@harker.org.

Photo from 123rf.com

Alumni Join Giammona for ‘80s Moment “Everyone brought food and drink to share. We had a great time catching up and reconnecting.” -Kristin Giammona’81

There was an ’80s moment on June 25 when Kristen Giammona, elementary division head, held a mini-reunion at her house with people from her own class of 1981 as well as alumni from 1980 and 1982.

“Miss Kelly [Espinosa, director of summer programs] joined us because many of us worked with her when we were summer camp counselors,” said Giammona.

“Everyone brought food and drink to share.

We had a great time catching up and reconnecting.”

Top row: Kelly Espinosa, Betty Kamas ’80, Melany Miners ’80, Tyrone Easter ’82, Akiko Murphy ’80, Janean Mariani ’82, Stacey Kofman ’82 Bottom row: Liz Robertson ’82, Edrice Angry Wright ’80, Keil Albert ’82, Kristin Scarpace Giammona ’81, Sara Hansell Christiansen ’81

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By David Woolsey ’06

FlashForward

Alumni Q & A Tara Chandra ’06 graduated from Columbia University in economics, political science and music performance in 2008.

After spending a brief time in the financial field, she returned to her true passion, performing. She recently moved from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, where she is pursuing a career as a singer and songwriter.

Q: When you were at Harker, did

you dream of doing what you do now?

A: Yes, I’ve never not dreamed

of being a performer! I’m so proud and grateful to have participated in Harker’s Conservatory certificate program under Catherine Snider, Laura Lang-Ree and Chris Florio.

Q:

ensured that I am always working on several tasks at once. I don’t believe in being “discovered”; I don’t hope that I’ll be that rare case of overnight success. I try to work diligently and determinedly, and I always prepare a backup plan for when something doesn’t come through. It’s harder to get discouraged when you value your actions over attributes.

Q:

What do you find most exciting about your career or current project?

What in your life took you the longest time to learn?

A: The music and the performance

A: Patience and trusting everything

Q:

What personal traits make you successful at what you’re doing?

will work out for the best. I’m a Type A personality in an industry plagued

A: My impatience and my tendency

not to trust that everything will work out for the best. Impatience and efficiency stem from the same place within me, the place that refuses to let me sit still or rely on others to help me move forward. Ambition, drive, efficiency and impatience all share the same roots.

Similarly, my belief that you make your own luck, and that nine out of 10 people will fail to deliver, has

A: There are so

many musicians out there right now – the competition is fierce and the exposure opportunities are limited. I’m focusing on playing as many shows as possible right now, while Tara Chandra ‘06 reaching out to DJs, radio stations, magazines and music bloggers. Hopefully, I’ll get bigger and better bookings.

Q:

Tell us something surprising about yourself.

A: I love investing! I started buying

Photos by Casey Near ’06

trump everything. But these days, there is a huge do-it-yourself aspect to being a musician, and I really enjoy the entrepreneurial prowess required.

I’ve also come to love the uncertainty and instability; the not knowing used to be frightening, but I’ve come to find it exciting.

Q:

What’s on the top of your personal and professional “lists” right now?

stocks as soon as I turned 18 and made enough to pay off my college loans and travel the world for four months after college.

Q:

by flakiness and uncertainty. I’m often forced to wait on other people – the musicians accompanying me, DJs and record labels wading through piles of CDs before seeing my stuff, etc.

I’ve had to learn to be grateful when things go well and to be calm when they don’t. I’ve had to learn the only things you can control in life are your attitude and your effort. Managing your expectations of yourself, others and life in general is definitely a lesson we are fated to learn over and over again!

What advice do you have for current Harker students?

A: At Harker, I was part of a close-

knit community of caring teachers and intelligent, passionate and diverse students. I was supported and encouraged by the faculty, challenged and inspired by my peers. This is a very rare thing and should definitely be appreciated. No matter where you go to college, find a community for yourself, and try to keep in touch with all your Harker friends! They’re some of the best people you’ll ever know.

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LookingAhead THE DATE! Pledge Now! SAVE Sun., Oct. 10 • 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Pledge Week:

Sept. 27 - Oct. 1

M O D E L WOR K S H O P presents

Thurs.-Sat. Oct. 28, 29, 30, 2010 7 p.m.

Blackford Theater

The Harker School Fashion Show 2011 Model Workshop with Karl Kuehn Sat., Nov 6, 1-4:15 p.m. in MPR at Blackford

tickets@harker.org 42

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Model Tryouts Sun., Nov 7, 12-3 p.m. in MPR at Blackford

LookingAhead OPEN HOUSE EVENTS GRADE

9-12 K-5 9-12 6-8

HOMECOMING Davis Field • Fri., Nov. 12, 2010

DATE

LOCATION

Sun., Nov. 7 Sun., Nov. 14 Thurs., Dec. 2 Sun., Dec. 5

Upper School Lower School Upper School Middle School

January 7, 11, 20, 25 RSVP Required

Visit www.harker.org for details

THE HARKER SCHOOL FASHION SHOW 2011

SAVE THE DATE! FRI., FEB. 18, 2011

LUNCHEON EVENT & DINNER GALA

— SANTA CLARA CONVENTION CENTER —

Harker Quarterly (USPS 023-761) is published four times per year (September, December, March and June) by The Harker School, Office of Communication, 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Jose, CA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Harker Quarterly, 500 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose, CA 95129.

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Established 1919

Harker

Rowing Camp

Palo Alto Military Academy campers take a rowboat out for a trip on Lake Alpine in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the “Camp Eldorado” summer camp, established in 1919. This photo, from the Harker Archives, was most likely taken some time between 1938 and 1950.

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C a l i f o r n i a O of C: 9/10 (BHDG/JJJ/RM/DQP) 4,931