Harker Quarterly, Summer 2015 by The Harker School

Harker Orchestras Amaze Audiences at Final Performances

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Graduates Moving On with Fond Recollections Debate Inspires Leadership Qualities Research Symposium Celebrates Tenth Year

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iolinist Helen Wu ’15 made an indelible mark at Harker as she played her way into the hearts of audiences here and throughout the U.S. This summer, she brings her talent to the world, as she was named to the National Youth Orchestra for the second consecutive year.

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Last summer, Wu and the NYO toured the country, performing at Carnegie Hall in New York, Seiji Ozawa Hall in Lenox, Mass., Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago, Green Music Center at Sonoma State University and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Catherine Snider Jenn Maragoni Copy Editors Stefan Armijo Photo Editor

This summer, NYO will visit China, performing with Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit and pianist Yundi Li, and premiering a new work by composer Tan Dun, the Grammyand Academy Award-winning composer of the score for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

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Of course, Wu is more than a musician. She received a National Merit Scholarship for neuroscience, was a 2015 U.S. Presidential Scholars Competition candidate, was a regional finalist in the 2013 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology and, the same year, was inducted into the Spanish National Honor Society.

Greg Achten Jenny Alme Stefan Armijo Robert Boucher, parent Steven Boyle ‘06 Kyle Cavallaro Debbie Cohen Nicole DeVelbiss Mayra Flores De Marcotte Maria Gong, parent Melinda Gonzales John Ho Zach Jones Alexandria Kerekez Mark Kocina Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell Heather Rock Woods Theresa Smith Jared Scott Tesler Contributors

Wu will be heading to Harvard at the end of the NYO tour, and the Harker Orchestra will miss her; fortunately, there are more shining lights on the way. See page 21 for profiles of two up-and-coming cellists! Harker News (HN) 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 HN via RSS feeds or a daily digest email alert. Visit http://news.harker.org/.

About Harker

Find, Friend & Follow Us!

From its early beginnings in 1893 — when Stanford University leaders assisted in its establishment — to its reputation today as a leading preparatory school with graduates attending prestigious universities worldwide, Harker’s mission has remained 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.

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Record Setter his spring a dozen students committed to playing their sports in college and one, Shrish Dwivedi, went further than any other Harker player in history. He is Harker’s first male athlete to compete at the NCGA/CIF Northern California High School Championships (Katherine Zhu, grade 9, made it last fall where she finished 19th), where he became the first Harker golfer to qualify for the California Interscholastic Federation State Boys Golf Championships. At that competition, Dwivedi put his stamp in the Harker record book for going the furthest in state competition of any Harker athlete, tying for second, just one agonizing stroke off first. But there’s more to athletics than any single result. “I think having Shrish lead the charge in the past couple years has allowed him to grow into the all-around golfer that he is today,” said Ie-Chen, Harker’s golf coach. “Shrish learned that it’s not just about being concerned with his own game. … Having him show the underclassmen what it takes to succeed allowed him to lead by example.” Read more about Dwivedi on page 38.

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The Harker School is an independent, coed, college-prep school serving preschool through grade 12. Preschool: 4525 Union Ave., San Jose, CA 95124 K-Grade 5: 4300 Bucknall Rd., San Jose, CA 95130 Grades 6-8: 3800 Blackford Ave., San Jose, CA 95117 Grades 9-12: 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129 Published four times a year, Harker Quarterly showcases some of the top news, leading programs, inspiring people and visionary plans of the greater Harker community. Produced by the Harker Office of Communication 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129 communications@harker.org · 408.345.9273

NEXT EDITION: SEPTEMBER 2015

19 SUMMER 2015

inside 12

features

Class of 2015 Soars!

Harvest Festival a Premier Community Event

Debate Instills Leadership Qualities

Students Advocate for Nonproliferation at Hiroshima Conference 28

Celebrating a Decade of Harker Research Symposia 32

Night on the Town Rises to New Heights 46

Middle Schoolers Jazzed to Take On Favored Hands-On Projects 52

departments

4 38 Preschool 14 Performing Arts 19 16 Headlines

Business & Entrepreneurship/DECA 26

30 Global Ed 31 Eagle Report 38 Advancement 42 Visual Arts 48 Greater Good 54 Alumni 55

Harker Concert Series

28 32

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Headlines

By Christopher Nikoloff Head of School

2015 Graduation Address

Get Philosophical: Think Deeply, Ask Tough Questions

ood morning. I would like to welcome the board of trustees, administration, faculty, staff, parents, friends and family, alumni and the true guests of honor, the graduating Class of 2015. Each year, I have the privilege of saying a few words of farewell to our graduates. Like most graduation speeches,

my talk takes the form of advice, such as “Dare to Lose Your Mind” or “Be Like Curious George.” Since the tradition of confining my remarks to one page of single-space, size-12 font. I will continue, however, to make no promises about the size of my margins. I am not above manipulating the spacing between my lines either. Today I want to make you aware of a way of life that will not guarantee success, happiness and overall good hygiene. That way of life is the philosophical life. I studied philosophy at the greatest university in the world, Boston University, which, by the way, is located in Boston. You might be familiar with some other minor universities located in that area. At Boston University I chose the very practical degree of English literature with a minor in philosophy. Upon graduation I put this practicality to use by applying for my first job as a sales associate at Foot Locker in Harvard Square. During my interview, for some reason I thought it important to share with the hiring manager my true love for philosophy. I confessed that had I discovered philosophy earlier, I would have majored in it instead of only minoring. For some reason I didn’t get the job. So my advice for you today is not from the 1982 song by Olivia Newton-John, “Let’s Get Physical,” recently re-popularized by cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on the hit TV show “Glee”; rather, despite its inability to promise fame, glory or even Facebook likes, my advice is “Let’s get philosophical.” By “Let’s get philosophical” I mean, think deeply about the meaning of life, your purpose, the big picture, human nature and why we are all here. Don’t be afraid to ask deep questions, like “Who am I?” or “Why do Americans eat so much cereal?” Don’t just think outside the box, but ask why there is a cereal box in the first place.

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my talk is the only remaining formality between you and your diploma, I will continue

Headlines The beauty of philosophy is in asking the questions, not finding the answers.

Although we cannot promise any practical results from this way of life, philosophy is not without what philosophers and economists call “utility.” The Economist magazine, in its article “Philosopher Kings,” says that business leaders would do well to look inward instead of outward and that a surprising number of CEOs studied philosophy. The online magazine salon.com, in its article “Be Employable, Study Philosophy,” says in its tagline that philosophy teaches you how to think, which is useful in any type of work. Plato famously believed that philosophers, after training in both theoretical and practical matters, make the best rulers. Besides these practical considerations, there is serious intrinsic value to studying

philosophy too, as it will deepen your life or any pursuit you have. Philosophy can make it more difficult for you to be fooled, because you will recognize the roots of any so-called new trend or idea. Consider the ancient Greek slave and stoic philosopher Epictetus’ aphorism about the power of thought: “Men are disturbed not by the things which happen, but by the opinions about the things.” Epictetus saw this centuries before the more recent trends of positive psychology. Philosophy can also give you perspective. Here is the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, a real-life philosopher king: “Consider both how quickly all things that are, are forgotten, and what an immense chaos of eternity was before, and will follow after all things.” Now perhaps I am morbid, but I find that sentiment extremely uplifting! A caveat, however, for your pursuit of philosophy: Don’t expect any satisfactory answers. The beauty of philosophy is in asking the questions, not finding the answers. The great Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti dedicated his life’s work to the notion that “Truth is a pathless land.” Similarly the Buddha, the most psychological and philosophical of all the religious thinkers, advised his students to “Place no head above your own,” meaning to trust your raw experience over any doctrine. Another caveat: Don’t take your own thought too seriously. In Douglas Adams’ modern classic “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” a supercomputer named “Deep Thought” takes seven and a half million years to calculate “The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything.” The supercomputer eventually spits out the answer everyone is waiting for, and that answer, according to Deep Thought, is the number 42. Even though this answer sent generations of numerologists on a hunt to understand why 42 is central to the universe, Douglas Adams himself said he just randomly chose an ordinary number. The 20th century philosopher Alan Watts reminds us that, “Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.” To conclude, have fun with philosophy and life. Think deeply but do not take yourself or your thought too seriously. Philosophy means the love of wisdom. At the end of the day, philosophy is not really limited to an academic subject – the love of wisdom is the love of life itself. If you “get philosophical,” you will not only begin to know yourself, but you will also begin to know life and all of the beauty and depth that you and the world hold. Thank you.

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PROMOTIONS

Grade 8 Promotion Ceremony Marks End of Middle School Years By Debbie Cohen

very year, the grade 8 promotion ceremony heralds the eighth graders’ exciting transition to high school. Held in the middle school gym on June 5, the ceremony poignantly marked the end of the students’ middle school years. Parents and students were

Photos by Maria Gong, parent

shepherded into the gym, accompanied by the music of the Grade 6 Orchestra, under the direction of Dave Hart. Cindy Ellis, middle school head, welcomed the students and congratulated them on reaching this important milestone and beginning a new stage in their academic lives. A celebration slideshow, put together by Taylor Vaughan, Claire Newman and Elise Mayer, all grade 8, delighted both students and parents alike. Patricia Burrows, middle school English teacher and Class of 2019 advisory dean, then gave a moving farewell address to the soon-to-be upper school students, encouraging them to welcome the many opportunities that await them over the next four years. Next up was a beautiful performance of the song “Stand Together”

by Harmonics and Vivace, the middle school vocal groups directed by Monica Colletti and Jennah Somers, and Hart, respectively. A welcome address to the Class of 2019 was delivered by rising senior Michael Zhao, who will be next year’s upper school ASB president. Following that, the eighth graders received their promotion certificates from Chris Nikoloff, head of school, along with Ellis, who made some warm closing remarks. The ceremony concluded, as in years past, with the singing of “The Harker School Song,” followed by a recessional and well-attended reception in the amphitheater. Ellis also had created a small gift – a dragonfly pendant attached to a note explaining how the insect’s metamorphosis is a symbol for the students’ tremendous transformation during middle school. Along with the token, a personal note of appreciation to each family was distributed as the parents exited the ceremony.

Grade 5 Students Bid Fond Farewell to Lower School During Touching Promotion Ceremony By Debbie Cohen

rade 5 students received a warm send-off at a touching promotion ceremony held in the late afternoon on June 4 in the lower school gymnasium. Members of the Class of 2022 officially ended their time as lower school students during the ceremony, which opened with a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance by class president Uma Misha. Kristin Giammona, elementary division head, then greeted the students, parents and faculty in attendance. She congratulated the students on reaching this important next step in their academic careers. The grade 4-6 dance group Dance Fusion, led by Gail Palmer, delighted the audience with a performance to the song “Take on Me.” Following that, a slideshow recapping the entire school year was shown and then the excited students walked up to receive

their promotion certificates. Kellie Binney-Smart, lower school choral music teacher, led the newly promoted students in the songs “When I Close My Eyes” and the “The Harker School Song,” after which incoming middle school ASB president and rising grade 8 student Avi Gulati gave a speech welcoming the newest middle schoolers. Kate Shanahan, grade 5 English teacher, then offered a heartwarming send-off to the class. Giammona closed the ceremony with a final farewell. The students and their guests then enjoyed a reception featuring a “Class of ’22” cake and other treats. Photo by Stefan Armijo

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BACCALAUREATE

Baccalaureate Speakers Urge Graduates to Remember the Past, But Look to the Future By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

ike many Harker graduates before them, members of the Class of 2015 walked up the center of the upper school quad on May 21, while family, friends, faculty and staff welcomed them with a standing ovation to their baccalaureate ceremony. Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, warmly welcomed the audience and introduced Cantilena, which kicked off the ceremony with a rendition of “For Good,” directed by Susan Nace. This was promptly followed by The Harker String Ensemble’s rendition of “Andante Festivo,” directed by Chris Florio. Baccalaureate services are thought to have originated at the University of Oxford in 1432. At that time, each student was required to give a sermon in Latin as well as a musical and/or dramatic performance as part of the academic requirement. “No doubt the ceremony has evolved since,” said Butch Keller, upper school head, to the graduates. “Our speeches are now spoken in English. And the presence of the juniors is indicative of the send off and their readying to take your place.” Keller then introduced math teacher Mary Mortlock, who gave the faculty farewell to the students who would be

Photos by Stefan Armijo

graduating just days later. “Mary is innovative and always looking for new ways to teach students, many times with food,” Keller quipped. “This Saturday is a time for your parents; however, today is your day,” Mortlock said to the soon-to-be graduates. “Look at the past but also look to the future.” She emphasized that the students should make decisions, and keep trying and going up to bat … just because. “You are now part of the whole world,” Mortlock said. “Whatever you do now is just because.” Mortlock insisted that students look to the future, make decisions that are out of their comfort zones and above all else, not get hung up on disappointments. She shared that when she was a student, she jumped out of an airplane six times – with a parachute, of course. “Be grateful, be confident, be nervous and be yourself,” she said. “Dust yourself off and start all over again … just because.” The true “moment” of the night, however, came when this year’s student baccalaureate speaker, Ethan Ma, stepped up to the podium. “The Native Americans have the Bear Dance to welcome the spring, but here at Harker, we have baccalaureate,” Ma said.

The graduating senior began his speech with an anecdote about coming to Harker in first grade. The young Ma had been proudly sporting a “rat tail” hairstyle, which he said was the “light of his life.” But, according to Harker’s dress code, boys were not allowed to have hair past the shoulders. At this point, the young Ma looked at his mother and asked if he could be a girl, but was met with a “no.” The two came to a compromise that made sense to both at the time. “Mama would be cutting my rat tail but, on my 18th birthday, she would put the hair back on my head with her fairy powers, which I believed in at the time,” Ma said, a smile on his face. He went on to share that indeed, on his 18th birthday, his mother presented him with his beloved lock, but upon inspection, he found it to be a withered version of his memory of it. And, although the two watched it for some time, the rat tail did not reattach itself to Ma’s head. “We must be stewards of history,” he told the audience. “ We keep the memories alive within us. And through it all, remember to share your joys and sorrows with each other.”

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GRADUATION

Journey

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Choice and Fear Are Inevitable Along the Way, But These Things Shouldn’t Define Graduates By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

rowds poured into The Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Students cheered for each other, parents snapped photos and the graduates marched in, their graduation caps proudly displaying the names of the colleges they’ll be attending in the fall. As the excitement echoed throughout the outdoor amphitheater on May 23, Butch Keller, upper school head, walked up to the podium and greeted the audience, then the graduates. “This has been correctly labeled a journey,” Keller said. “Take a deep breath. Enjoy this moment. This is a class that has achieved so much.”

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But before taking the next steps on their journey, the Class of 2015 listened to poignant words about two things integral to their nearfuture: choice and fear. Class valedictorian Samyukta Yagati spoke first, about the meaning of choice and its essential role in shaping not only where they have been but also where they will go.

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Yagati began her speech by reminding her classmates to give thanks to each other for the support system that they created over the past four years. She then dove into the speech she crafted for her classmates, beginning

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with a quote from “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by author J.K. Rowling. “’It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities,’” she said to her classmates and the audience. “It’s only recently that I’ve had a chance to pay attention to the choices I’ve made,” Yagati continued. “We’ve made choices without noticing, choices that have brought us here today.” From spending an hour on homework rather than with friends to schedules and studying, there is always a choice to be made, even if it goes unnoticed. “We’ve all been making these trade-offs,” Yagati said.

something new to me and this choice has reminded me to have fun.”

The seasoned reporter did what came naturally to her prior to writing her speech: she did her homework. Between Googling Harker and doing some social reconnaissance via Harker tweets and a Skype session with students, the answers to her initial questions began to unfold.

Amid academics and other responsibilities, it’s easy to forget to enjoy the moments, the friendships, she said.

“It painted a picture of brilliant, renaissance, self-assured students,” she said.

“We all have learned to understand the meaning of conscious, deliberate choices,” Yagati said. “We are getting accustomed to getting to choose. That’s what growing up is all about.”

A common theme and experience also emerged in her Harker research: fear.

Hannah Allam, foreign affairs correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers, then gave the keynote address, discussing fear – what it should and shouldn’t be within their futures.

Allam shared how she initially felt when she was named bureau chief at the age of 27. She had the realization that it was both an opportunity to make her parents proud as well as a chance to “blow it.”

She recalled a time that she made a choice, rather impulsively, to forgo academic work for a chance to paint an eagle for spirit week.

“This is your time. This is it. The day you were waiting for. Right here, right now, and I’m incredibly humbled to be here,” Allam said to the audience at the ceremony, which marked her first graduation keynote address.

“There was nothing tangible to be gained and I don’t think it was a conscious choice,” Yagati said. “But I decided to try

Allam began by asking the question, “Who are Harker students? Mysterious millennials? Who are they really?”

“Even here among the high-achieving students, [there is] the fear of what comes next,” Allam said. “I understood that.”

“I’d say, it’s OK to be scared,” Allam said to the graduates. “Just don’t let fear paralyze you. Don’t let the fear of failing trump the joy of a challenge. Even you will expect setbacks but it keeps you humble and lights Photo b a fire under you.” yS

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TRADITIONS

Senior Parents Honored at Annual Luncheon The Senior Moms and Dads Luncheon is a special Harker tradition, now in its 15th year. During the event, grade 9-11 parents honor senior parents with a potluck lunch to mark the occasion of their children graduating from Harker. Parents of juniors also are invited to sit down with the senior parents, as

they are welcomed to their child’s last year at Harker. This year, the parent planning committee worked hard to create an enjoyable luncheon, which was held May 18 at the upper school campus’ gym and quad. The memorable day included meaningful speeches, elegantly set tables, beautiful photo collages and delicious food. One of the most heartwarming moments was when senior parents shared thoughts about Photos by Stefan

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tes Class of 2015 Matriculanding

Atte ............................................. College...................................... .............................. 1 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... Amherst College.......... ............ 3 ................................................. Boston University................... ......... 4 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ..................... Brown University................ ............................................ 4 ....... . gy. nolo Tech of tute California Insti ................ 4 y............................................... Carnegie Mellon Universit ..................... 2 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... Chapman University............ ........... 4 ................................................. Columbia University................ ........ 9 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ..................... Cornell University................ ........................................ 1 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ge... Dartmouth Colle ............... 5 ................................................. Duke University................... ................... 1 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... Eckerd College........................ ............ 1 ................................................. Emory University.................... ...... 1 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ..................... Georgetown University......... ........................................ 1 ....... ....... . gy. nolo Tech of Georgia Institute ........... 1 ................................................. Grinnell College....................... ................. 6 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... Harvard University................... ............. 1 ................................................. Hawaii Pacific University..... ............................................ 2 ....... ....... ....... . y. ersit Univ Johns Hopkins ............ 3 y............................................... Loyola Marymount Universit ........................... 5 ....... ....... gy... nolo Tech of Massachusetts Institute ......... 1 ng and Technology................. New Mexico Institute of Mini .... 4 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ..................... New York University................ 4 ................................................ ....... ....... y...... ersit Univ Northwestern ................................ 1 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... Oberlin College.......... ........... 1 ................................................. Pomona College....................... ........... 1 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... Princeton University................ 3 .............................................. ....... ....... ....... ....... y...... ersit Purdue Univ ........................................ 1 ....... ....... gn... Desi of ol Rhode Island Scho ............. 1 ................................................. Rice University....................... ................ 1 ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... San Jose City College.........

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By Debbie Cohen

their time as part of the Harker community. “The grade 9-11 parents really have a fun time planning the whole event, from décor, making the invitations, to centerpieces and a special gift for the senior parents,” said Jennifer Hargreaves, director of middle and upper school volunteer programs. “For the gift this year, parents coordinated a letter from the seniors to their parents, which was included in an embossed photo folder with their child’s senior photo.” She added that it’s heartwarming to see many underclassmen parents support this event to honor the school’s senior parents. “Senior parents seemed to have a great time at the first event of graduation week while their children were on the senior trip,” she added.

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TRADITIONS

From K to Life! Harker Lifers Unite at Dinner with Head of School By Debbie Cohen On the evening of May 21, immediately following their baccalaureate ceremony, graduating seniors who have attended Harker since kindergarten (known as “lifers”) boarded a bus and headed for a special dinner at the home of Chris Nikoloff, head of school. They reflected upon their lives as Harker students by looking at their Harker application photos, enjoyed a cake emblazoned with these photos, and even took photos with their original kindergarten advisory groups. Photo by Nico le Hall

This year’s lifers are: Alyssa Amick, Jeremiah Anderson, Tiara Bhatacharya, Jeremy Binkley, Vamsi Gadiraju, Corey Gonzales, Matthew Ho, Caroline Howells, Srivinay Irrinki, Sidhart Krishnamurthi, Madeline Lang-Ree, Delaney Martin, Maya Nandakumar, Craig Neubieser, Sindhu Ravuri, Eric Roxlo, Neil Sadhu, Katy Sanchez, Sophia Shatas, Sheridan Tobin, Nephele Troullinos, Jacqui Villarreal, Gillian Wallin, Julia Wang, Zoë Woehrmann, Eric Yu and Andrew Zhang.

Senior Brick Tangible Reminder of Those Who’ve Walked the Path About 200 people, including students, parents and alumni, gathered on the upper school plaza May 21 to celebrate and place bricks in the Alumni Walk. Each year, parents can commemorate their child’s graduation by purchasing a brick inscribed with his or her name and grad year. This year Rob and Tamra Amick were placing their second brick, out of a possible three. Son Rob graduated in 2013, daughter Alyssa was getting her brick at the event, and daughter Julia, a rising freshman, was there in what was probably a rehearsal for her own brick installation in four years. Amick noted the bricks have a dual purpose – honoring the student and contributing to the school,

“and this is one of the benefits of making a contribution.” Ashok Krishnamurthi and Deepa Iyengar were also celebrating their second brick. The first was placed in 2011 with son Guatam’s name on it; this year son Sidhart’s brick was installed. Krishnamurthi said he buys the bricks for a number of reasons. “One is to remember,” he said. “The school has been fantastic for us – 19 years! Our older boy’s brick is right there and this is a way to give back to the school. I think it is really important that parents give back. It’s not about the value of the brick, it is about the appreciation.”

Graduates’ Grove, past a babbling brook/ fountain and among towering redwood trees, a tangible reminder of those who’ve come before. Krishnamurthi noted he sometimes visits the walkway and his older son’s brick when on campus. “It brings a little pang – a good feeling, a very good feeling.”

The bricks are laid in a winding walk through Photo by Stefan Armijo

Upper School Students Stage Goodbye Assembly for Class of 2015 By Debbie Cohen In mid-May, the upper school student body convened in the gym to bid a fond farewell to the Class of 2015.

The gathering, organized by economics teacher Samuel Lepler, provided an opportunity to recognize the year’s stand-out seniors and introduce the students who will serve on the Student Council for the upcoming school year. At the end of the

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Sarah Bean, outgoing ASB president, kicked off the fun event with a brief introduction, which was followed by lively entertainment and moving video testimonials by performing arts, debate, student council and athletics.

The Harker Jazz Band, Downbeat and Varsity Dance Troupe performed.

event, students and faculty congregated in the middle of the gym, where many seniors expressed their gratitude and shared what the teachers meant to them. “Several students and teachers were in tears, and it was incredibly meaningful for so much of the community. It was the final time with all the faculty and seniors in one place and it was the final performance for many of the performing arts groups. There were touching send-offs from each of the programs which, overall, incorporated virtually every senior,” recalled Lepler.

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65th Annual Family & Alumni Picnic

Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

Mark Your Calendar for Oct. 11 to Help Us Celebrate Fall-O-Ween at Harker!

By Melinda Gonzales

he 65th annual Family & Alumni Picnic promises to be a fabulous day of fun, food and festivities for the entire Harker community. This year the event is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11 on the middle school campus. This year’s Harvest Festival will focus on “Fall-o-ween” fun, celebrating summer turning into fall. The event will bring together Harker families, faculty and staff and will feature fall- and Halloween-themed activities and entertainment. Guests young and old are invited to wear their spookiest (or not so spooky) costumes and take part in our lively parade. We’ll also have photo opportunities perfect for capturing memories of our dressed-up guests. Returning from last year will be the thrilling Witches’ Flight, for those ages 5 (and 45 pounds) and up. This 220-foot long zip line ride lets brave souls take in the sights and sounds of the Harvest Festival from 30-feet up! And be sure to enjoy old favorites like the student performances and the silent auction.

Photo by Nicole DeVelbiss

So save the date for this special day for the Harker community, put on for our families with the support of our dedicated volunteers and our terrific faculty and staff.

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Each year students flock to the picnic’s auction table to bid on fun outings sponsored by their enthusiastic teachers. Here’s a recap of three of those adventures!

ol Poo Middle Scho Party

On May 17, 13 grade 6 students enjoyed a pool party, auctioned by middle school teachers Patricia Burrows, Keith Hirota, Rebecca Williams and Julie Pinzás. Besides splashing and lounging together in the pool, the students listened to music, and ate pizza. savory snacks and ice cream sandwiches.

Photo provided by Patricia Burrows

Two of the students had just returned from the exchange trip to Harker’s sister school in Tamagawa, Japan. “What a great way to get back into the social Harker scene!” enthused Burrows.

Photos provided by Troy Townzen

BEST vs. Faculty Kickball On April 10, more than 20 fans were on hand to witness the Bucknall BEST staff defeat the Bucknall faculty 6-4 in the third annual kickball game. BEST left fielder Pat Hopkins earned MVP honors for his four-hit performance, and captain Troy Townzen – who was traded to the faculty last season and then back to the BEST staff – won his record third-straight championship.

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The event also featured a trading card giveaway, with every fan through the turnstiles receiving a card of their favorite BEST staff member, and lots of fun activities for attendees. Kindergartner Aiden Harshman won the inaugural Base Race and earned himself a Joe Chung (elementary computer science) commemorative “Honor the Game” T-shirt. Sofie Marino, grade 2, was the raffle’s big winner, going home with an official Harker League kickball signed by the home team. Photo provided by Judi Beil

High Tea Outing A week before her retirement, grade 2 teacher Judi Beil shared an outing with Samvita Gautham and Alexis Nishimura, both grade 4. The trio enjoyed high tea at Lisa’s Tea Treasures on May 31. “The girls were delightful, and ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhhed’ at the beautiful Victorian décor. It was such a pleasure,” said Beil.

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Preschool’s First Class are Lower School Trailblazers It’s official:

By Debbie Cohen

The first group of Harker Preschool students to go on to attend kindergarten at the lower school are now rising grade 1 students. The young trailblazers now join the ranks of “big kids” on the Bucknall campus, paving the way for a new batch of preschoolers to matriculate to kindergarten come the start of the school year. With kindergarten successfully behind them, the students have reached an important milestone by completing their initial year at the lower school.

“At Harker kindergarten, I have learned how to be confident. I have learned how to be nice to others and show respect.” – Spencer Mo, Harker Preschool graduate

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Going to kindergarten is an important life event that can leave preschoolers and their families feeling excited, as well as a bit worried, according to The National Association for the Education of Young Children, the world’s largest organization for early childhood educators. To help ease the transition, Harker Preschool prides itself on its rich program, which prepares

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Learning goals are achieved through teacherdirected experiences designed to expose children to school-age learning situations and expectations in a developmentally appropriate manner, explained Hart. And for the youngest kindergarten-eligible students (many of whom might require a bit more guidance) Harker Preschool offers a special transitional kindergarten program. All of the

Photos by Michelle Anderson and Kimberly Sandoval

“We were so proud to send our first group of preschoolers off to kindergarten. It has been so much fun to stop by and see them thriving in their K classrooms this year. I look forward to watching them grow for the next 12 years! In fact, I hope to be invited to tell fun stories of their preschool years at their high school graduation!” enthused Andrea Hart, director of Harker Preschool.

students to enter a kindergarten classroom. Classes utilize curriculum materials that align with those used in kindergarten, and their schedules follow many of the routines they can expect in a Harker kindergarten class.

preschool classrooms practice and develop important school-age social and emotional skills, including listening, following directions, waiting and sharing. Highly trained teachers are facilitators, observers and instructors for students. Teachers guide children through the enriching environment they have established by supporting, challenging and encouraging them to be sure they are thinking creatively and critically as they explore and learn. Michelle Anderson, who teaches kindergarten at Harker, said having an oncampus preschool is extremely exciting for her kindergarten team. “We love the fact that we can articulate with the current preschool teachers about ways we can bridge the gap and make it a successful transition for each child who decides to continue on at Harker. The former preschool students made new friends and loved kindergarten, and now they are more than ready to enter first grade in the fall,” she said. Former Harker Preschool student and recent kindergarten grad Spencer Mo said he enjoyed kindergarten at Harker because he could play Legos with his new best friends. “At Harker kindergarten, I learned how to be confident. I learned how to be nice to others

and show respect,” he said. When asked for his thoughts during the school year, Mo’s classmate Rishi Kutty said he liked being at the lower school for kindergarten because, “I play more outside games like soccer. I also like my language arts class where I can write stories.” Other students said they enjoyed the wider variety of classes in kindergarten, like being able to take computers, P.E. and math lab. Former Harker Preschool student and recent kindergarten graduate Lauren Rossi said that what she loved best about kindergarten was science. “In preschool we got to watch tadpoles turn into frogs. … In kindergarten we watched caterpillars turn into butterflies,” she recalled. And, like those science class caterpillars that grew into butterflies, the former preschoolers (turned kindergartners, turned rising grade 1 students) are enjoying learning to spread their own wings as part of the Harker community.

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Speech Debate Fosters Leadership Skills By Jenny Alme and Greg Achten

Photos provided by

peech and debate participants reap many benefits, including enhanced critical-thinking, high-level research skills and many more, but one often overlooked benefit is the growth of studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; leadership skills.

Students who participate in middle and upper school speech and debate (also called forensics) competitions not only learn teamwork skills and the value of hard work, many of those students also take on impressive leadership roles that prepare them for success long after they leave Harker.

On any team, whether athletic or academic, there are always team leaders, and the speech and debate team is no exception. Many older, more experienced students serve as team captains or mentors for the younger students and in so doing learn important leadership skills. These students are tasked with organizing research assignments, judging novice debates and generally assisting the coaches both at tournaments and at school in team preparation and management.

Leadership on the Team Experienced speech and debate team members often note they were grateful for the help they received from varsity team members and are eager to give back. They can also gain valuable skills from mentoring. Nitya Mani, grade 12, a captain from the 201415 team, said teaching was one of the best ways to learn. The mentors have to learn how to explain concepts clearly and relate to younger students. Thinking about how to teach a concept gives the mentor a deeper understanding. In the process, they also are practicing the audience adaptation and argumentation skills that will help them be successful at competitions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Through leading our teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research efforts, working with novices and 16

Jenny Alme

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SPEECH AND DEBATE

The middle school team is extremely lucky to have our experienced upper school debaters come to the middle school and act as coaches, judges and great role models. —Karina Momary, middle school debate coach

Reddy Declared National Champ for Second Year!

or the second year in a row, Pranav Reddy, grade 12, was named the national Lincoln-Douglas Debate Champion. The tournament, hosted by the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA), was held in Las Vegas April 11-13. Reddy’s winning debate was on the topic of minimum wage and whether it should be substantially increased. The senior successfully affirmed the proposal. In 2013-14 Reddy became the first Harker Lincoln-Douglas debater to win the prestigious NDCA National Championships. Reddy built on this success his senior year, being named the top speaker at five of the first six tournaments he attended and winning the Glenbrooks tournament in November, the largest tournament of the fall semester.

middle schoolers, and helping the rest of the team improve, debate has allowed me to hone my leadership skills,” said Ayush Midha, grade 12, also a captain and winner of the 2014-15 O’Neill Leadership Trophy, an annual award given to a single student who best represents the attributes a national committee of coaches desires in a student role model. “As a captain,” he added, “I have had the opportunity to foster team success and lead my teammates by example. Even outside of debate, these skills have allowed me to take on leadership positions and experience success.” The coaches enjoy watching the older students grow into these roles. Seeing a nervous and inexperienced sixth grader evolve into a confident varsity team leader is deeply gratifying. “The middle school team is extremely lucky to have our experienced upper school debaters come to the middle school and act as coaches, judges and great role models,” said Karina Momary, head coach of the middle school program. “It is fantastic to see students who started participating in speech and debate in middle school come back as juniors and seniors to be student coaches. They not only are able to help the middle school students but also themselves grow through teaching their younger teammates.”

Reddy entered the 2014-15 debate season as the No. 1-ranked Lincoln-Douglas debater in the nation and won two national titles in April – the NDCA National Championships and the Tournament of Champions. Reddy also won the Harvard-Westlake tournament in January and entered the championship season as the only student to win two majors in the regular season. He is the first student ever to win the NDCA National Championships twice. Reddy is also only the second student in the history of Lincoln-Douglas debate to win the NDCA National Championships and the Tournament of Champions in the same year. “His achievements are truly historic,” said Greg Achten, Harker’s Lincoln-Douglas team coach. “Winning one national championship tournament takes hard work, incredible intellectual range and exceptional speaking skills. To win three national titles over the course of two years is simply an unheard of accomplishment. In the history of Lincoln-Douglas debate, no student from any school has ever achieved this level of success.” For the full story on the debate teams tremendous season go to news. harker.org and search on “debate.”

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SPEECH AND DEBATE

Debate was, by far, the activity that most prepared me for collegiate and career success, he noted. In college, I excelled at writing and analytical thinking early on due to the preparation debate offered, as many of the skills directly mirrored what I had to do for class. —Ziad Jawadi ’11

Leadership in the Harker Community

Leadership After Harker

Team members also often speak of the skills that the speech and debate program contributed to other aspects of life at Harker. Whether they are writing a research paper, presenting science research or speaking in class, debate coaches often hear that students attribute some of their success to speech and debate.

While the skills and lessons certainly help them win competitions and do well in school, speech and debate team skills also serve students long after they have graduated. Many alumni attest that their participation in middle and upper school forensics was a formative experience that helped shape their collegiate and professional careers.

Megan Huynh, grade 9, noted that speech and debate helped her to run for student council because she felt that she could confidently deliver her campaign speech.

“Debate requires you to work closely with a team of peers in high-pressure situations and be fully committed to the success of the team,” said Roshni Bhatnagar ’11, a rising medical school student at Northwestern University. “There’s no better way to practice effective leadership and teamwork skills.” Other alumni note the critical impact speech and debate had on their alreadyremarkable careers.

Less tangibly, students also learn to accept constructive criticism and bounce back after failures. Team member will all say that competitions are not easy and that before winning major trophies, they had to lose lots of rounds and be critiqued by judges from every angle. Learning to absorb these comments and turn them into better performances can help a student learn to run for office again after losing an election, work harder on a project after receiving a low grade or try something new. “Debate has really taught me that failure is not the end of the world and that when you fail, you just have to shake it off and move on,” said Panny Shan, grade 11. “Last year, I was devastated every time I lost a debate round, but this year I’ve learned to focus on what I learned from a debate instead of the win or loss.”

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“Debate was perhaps the most valuable aspect of my formal education,” said Alex Iftimie ’03, now counsel to the assistant attorney general for national security at the U.S. Department of Justice. “Leaving aside the oft-cited points that debate teaches criticalthinking and communication skills, debate taught me to be a competitor – to have the drive and determination to succeed – and instilled a confidence that I could reason my way through any legal or policy issue.” Ziad Jawadi ’11 just graduated from Georgetown University and is about to start his consulting career at Bain & Co. in Dubai. “Debate was, by far, the activity

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that most prepared me for collegiate and career success,” he noted. “In college, I excelled at writing and analytical thinking early on due to the preparation debate offered, as many of the skills directly mirrored what I had to do for class. “When I began recruiting for consulting, many of the skills that Bain was looking for in students were the exact skills that debate trains for: research, analytical thinking, writing, public speaking, and the ability to effectively communicate complex public policy and economic concepts into lay terms.”

Helping Build Future Leaders While the Harker speech and debate team is certainly successful year in and year out and brings great acclaim – along with lots of trophies – to the school, perhaps its greatest accomplishment is the lifelong skill set it imparts on students. As the testimonials of current and former debaters demonstrate, Harker’s forensics program plays a vital role in helping students prepare to be effective leaders. “Speech and debate has helped me in a lot of different ways,” said Frank Wang ’08, a doctoral candidate at MIT in computer science. “Most of the research I do requires positioning my research in a way that’s attractive to reviewers. Many Ph.D. students spend the first two years trying to learn that, but I had a head start on that. Speech and debate has made me a better researcher and a better leader.”

By Jared Scott Tesler

PerformingArts

The Grade 6 Orchestra and Grades 7-8 Orchestra, conducted by David Hart, and The Harker School Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Florio, joined forces once again for their annual Spring Concert, held at San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater. Amid a symphony of classical arrangements composed by Brahms, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and others, more easily recognizable numbers included the theme songs from “James Bond” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Senior violinist Helen Wu, who recently earned a spot on the National Youth Orchestra for the second year in a row, performed the Allegro from Samuel Barber’s “Concert for Violin & Orchestra. The event featured numerous members of the Class of

2015, in the final ensemble performance of their Harker performing arts careers: violinists Thyne Boonmark, Eugene Gil (assistant concertmaster), Vivian Jou, Leeza Kuo, Briana Liang, Sahana Rangarajan (coprincipal), Sophia Shatas and Helen Wu (concertmaster); violists Lekha Chirala (coassistant principal), Austin Lai (principal) and Patrick Lin; cellists Matthew Huang (principal), Julia Wang and Madelyn Wang; bassists Jackelyn Shen and Kelly Wang (assistant principal); oboists Jason Jeong (co-principal) and Allison Kiang (assistant principal); clarinetists Harry Xu and Eric Yu (principal second); clarinetist and percussionist Angeline Pan; bassoonists Rahul Balakrishnan (assistant principal) and Kailas Vodrahalli (principal); horn player Vishal Vaidya (principal); and tubist Madhavan Nair (principal). Congratulations on a job well done!

Photos by John Ho

Middle and Upper School Students Orchestrate Pitch Perfect Concert

Kindergartners Take Aesop’s ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ to the Stage

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Along with the slow-moving tortoise and foolishly overconfident hare, the all-animal cast of characters ran the gamut of individual strengths and sizes: bear, beaver, blue jay, bobcat, bunny, cardinal, chipmunk, coyote, deer, duck, elk, fox, mare, moose, mountain lion, owl (portrayed by kindergarten teacher Michelle Anderson), porcupine, raccoon, squirrel, turkey and woodchuck. K-3 music teacher Carena Montany served as director, with stage crew duties carried out by members of technical director Danny Dunn’s grade 5 Technical Theater class.

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race.” Some multitalented actors also did a bit of dancing!

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This spring, the Bucknall Gym was alive with the sound of music – and laughter. In their stage acting debut, Harker kindergartners from each homeroom unleashed their inner animals during six performances of “A Race to the Finish,” a witty and whimsical mini-musical based on Aesop’s most popular fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare,” proving once and for all that “slow and steady wins the

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PerformingArts Performing Arts Department Delights Audiences with Varied Shows Photos by Maria Gong, parent

Harker Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Dance Jamz Inspired choreography, dazzling costumes, dynamic dance styles and eclectic music took center stage at Dance Jamz 2015, now in its 10th year. The annual middle school dance show, held in mid-March at the Blackford Theater and directed by lower

school performing arts lead teacher Gail Palmer, featured 150 boys and girls in grades 6, 7 and 8, who danced their way into the hearts of family, friends and Harker community members.

Photos by Stefan Armijo

Set to music from yesterday’s and today’s top talent, including Paula Abdul, Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, Maroon 5, Britney Spears and Stevie Ray Vaughan, 18 action-packed

Evening of Jazz Gets Toes Tapping Middle and upper school jazz musicians specializing in a wide array of brass, percussion, string and woodwind instruments, conducted

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by David Hart and Christopher Florio, congregated in late March at the Blackford Theater for “An Evening of Jazz.” Rounding out the production staff were production manager Brian Larsen and technical director Paul Vallerga.

dance routines provided something for everyone, captivating the audience of children, teens, adults and seniors. Capping off the show, the entire cast performed to house and dance-pop group Deee-Lite’s best-known single, “Groove Is in the Heart,” which opens with a fitting lyric: “We’re going to dance and have some fun.” Mission accomplished! The students’ love of all things jazz was heard loud and clear as they paid tribute to many late, great composers, musicians and pianists – Jimmy Forrest (“Night Train”), George Gershwin (“Cuban Overture”), Antônio Carlos Jobim (“Chega de Saudade”/“No More Blues”), Charles Mingus (“Better Get It in Your Soul”), Ástor Piazzolla (“Libertango”), Horace Silver (various) and Fred Sturm (various). A good time was had by all at this year’s toetapping, finger-snapping concert, which spotlighted the following graduating seniors: saxophonists Alan Guo, Rishabh Jain and Daniela Lee; trombonists Juhi Gupta, Nikhil Singh and Kevin Zhang; drummer Gillian Wallin; and cellist and vocalist Julia Wang.

PerformingArts Cellists Thrive at Harker Brava to cellist Angeline Kiang, grade 5, on her first-place finish in this year’s United States International Music Competition! Kiang’s talent, diligence and appreciation of cross-cultural music earned her a cash prize, a trophy, a certificate of recognition and a possible radio show interview. As a cellist in the lower school orchestra, Kiang has received guidance and support from Louis Hoffman, who oversees the afterschool instrumental program. “She has been a wonderful student, inspired her fellow musicians, been an active part of our program and a true example of a student who both loves to play and is willing to put in the hard work and time it takes to achieve excellence on a musical instrument,” Hoffman said. “I’m incredibly honored and blessed to have been one of her teachers.” Photos by Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell

The middle school boasts its own star cellist, Rachel Broweleit, grade 7. Broweleit’s interest in orchestral music began to surface at The Harker School at the age of 6. Broweleit joined the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (PACO), an award-winning youth orchestra for regional string musicians of high school age and younger. Now in her second year as co-principal cellist in PACO’s Sinfonia ensemble, she is also part of California Music Preparatory Academy’s chamber music program. At just 13 years of age, Broweleit already has won several major international competitions, including first place at both the American Fine Arts Festival and the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition, and was named the grand-prize winner at this year’s United States Open Music Competition. Broweleit says her early success is due in large part to her educational experience and the dedicated, caring faculty. “Dr. [Dave] Hart [middle school orchestra director] has been a great encouragement, providing a really exciting atmosphere and creating opportunities for me and my classmates to explore our interests in music,” she said.

Photos provided by Jennifer Broweleit

Read full stories on both these talented cellists at news.harker.org. Just search for their last names or use these shortlinks: http://news.harker. org/?p=26002 (Kiang) and http://news.harker.org/?p=25890 (Broweleit).

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PerformingArts Musical Adaptation of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ Entertains, Teaches Acceptance Ugly duckling or majestic swan? Come to find out, beauty – and ugliness – is in the eye of the beholder. Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen’s literary fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling” recently underwent a book-to-musical makeover at the Blackford Theater. Under the direction of performing arts teacher Monica Colletti, Harker’s seventh and eighth graders presented composer George Stiles and lyricist Anthony Drewe’s “Honk! Jr.,” a musical adaptation of the classic children’s story created for younger audiences.

and acceptance. Perfect timing, as our middle school students begin to unlock their full potential and form friendships that will last a lifetime.

Photos by Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell

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The plot and musical numbers served as more than just entertainment – they imparted many important life lessons such as self-discovery, tolerance

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PerformingArts Conservatory Class of 2015 Gives Stunning Final Performance at Certificate Program Graduation By Catherine Snider For a small group of students in the Class of 2015, Harker’s commencement exercises were their second graduation in as many days. Twenty-nine Harker Conservatory certificate students changed their status from candidates to graduates at the 14th annual Senior Showcase on May 22, held at the beautiful Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater in San Jose. These artists completed a fouryear guided course through the upper school performing arts department – the Conservatory – mentored by teachers in all

the disciplines, with particular emphasis in one: vocal music, instrumental music, dance, theater, musical theater or technical theater. Senior Showcase is a culmination of those years of study, with the seniors providing guests in the packed theater with snapshots from their accumulated portfolios. The evening ended with the formal presentation of their certificates by the performing arts faculty and a final group bow, greeted with a welldeserved standing ovation by the

many friends, family members, teachers and administrators who supported them on their journey through the program.

Photos by Stefan Armijo

Photos provided by Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell

Eclectic Lower School Spring Musical Delights Audiences of All Ages This year’s lower school spring concert featured a jam-packed program of performances by the Bucknall Choir, Lower School Orchestra, Chamber Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, First Year Violin Group, First Year Cello Group, Preparatory String Ensemble, Guitar Group and String Ensemble. Audience members were doubly entertained by grade 5 soloists Samuel Boucher (alto saxophone) and United States

International Music Competition first-place winner Angeline Kiang (cello). See page 21 for more on Harker cellists. Time-honored tunes, ranging from popular nursery rhymes and lullabies to classical pieces by Bach, Liszt, Pachelbel and Sibelius, filled the theater. Even the Grammy and Academy Award-nominated song “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie” was tossed in for good measure. With so many genres of music, the concert offered something for everyone to enjoy!

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PerformingArts Classic Fairy Tale Characters Venture ‘Into the Woods’ in Spring Musical By Zach Jones

Noted for its thematic and musical depth, “Into the Woods” intertwines the stories of Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood and other popular fairy tale characters who all have wishes they want fulfilled. At the center of the story are a baker and his wife, who wish to have a

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child, but are stymied by a curse put upon the baker’s house by a witch. The through-sung musical, directed by Laura Lang-Ree, featured inspired performances from its cast, who brought out the surprising complexity of characters known mostly for their simple and moralistic stories.

Photos by Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell

A who’s-who of iconic fairy tale characters got much more than they wished for at this year’s Harker Conservatory spring musical, a raucous production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s “Into the Woods,” which played at the Blackford Theater April 1617 and will travel to Scotland in August to play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

‘Into the Woods’ Honored with Nominations The Rita Moreno California High School Musical Honors results are in and although we didn’t win, the finalists in all categories were awesome and had a great adjudication experience and final performance on stage. “The entire cast really killed it during their performance,” noted show director Laura LangRee. “Rita Moreno, for whom the competition is named, gave out the awards and took pictures with leading actor and actress finalists – including our kids, Jeton [Gutierrez-Bujari ’15] and Madi [Lang-Ree ’15].” Harker had finalists in the following categories: • Best Show • Outstanding Lead Actor: Jeton GutierrezBujari, grade 12 (Baker) • Outstanding Lead Actress: Madi Lang-Ree, grade 12 (Baker’s Wife) • Outstanding Supporting Actor: Emre Ezer, grade 10 (Wolf) • Outstanding Supporting Actress: Helen Woodruff, grade 11 (Rapunzel) Kudos were given by organizers for the number of schools that were adjudicated from San Luis Obispo to Marin and they also noted how just being there as a finalist was a victory. “Very fun and a great learning experience,” Lang-Ree added. “Our students got to see a lot performing at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, met tons of people and collaborated like crazy!”

PerformingArts

Photos by Stefan Armijo

Diversity Takes the Lead at Annual Upper School Chorus Concert

In late April, Harker’s upper school performing arts department presented “In Concert: Pastiche,” featuring the vocal stylings of introductory choir Bel Canto, intermediate chamber ensemble Camerata, women’s chamber ensemble

Cantilena, show choir Downbeat and men’s contemporary a cappella ensemble Guys’ Gig. Well-known songs like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen, “Imagine” by John Lennon and “Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel)” by Billy Joel wove their way between songs in other languages including German, Hindi, Latin and Spanish.

Student conductors, a trio of sopranos, a trumpeter, pianists and many members of the Class of 2015 accompanied the vocal groups. It all came together beautifully (the name of the concert, Pastiche, is defined as eclecticism in art) thanks to the vision, hard work, determination and dedication of each and every performer and seasoned directors Laura Lang-Ree, Susan Nace and Jennifer Sandusky.

Lower School’s ‘Dancing at Disneyland’ Delights the Young and Young at Heart

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Under the direction of Palmer, with assistance provided by Kimberly Teodoro and Jessalyn Espiritu, the concert featured 250 students in grades 1-5 dancing around a wonderland of fanciful props, sets and slides. Each

performance was cleverly assigned the name of a popular Disneyland attraction, parade, ride, shop or show, with 11 of 29 lively numbers choreographed by Palmer herself, including the opening and closing routines set to the Academy Award-winning song “When You Wish Upon a Star” from the animated musical fantasy film “Pinocchio” and “Happy” by singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams.

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Gail Palmer, lower school performing arts lead teacher, dubbed this year’s lower school dance concert “The Happiest Dance Show on Earth” – and anyone in attendance at “Dancing at Disneyland,” would be hardpressed to disagree! For some audience members, the enchanted evening in late May provided a monumental trip down memory lane; for others, it was every bit as magical as a visit to their all-time favorite theme park.

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Business & Entrepreneurship By William Cracraft

B.E. and DECA Finish the School Year Strong It comes as no surprise that the business and entrepreneurship and DECA programs have garnered kudos galore for individual and team efforts this year. Here are the final achievements of the school year. In addition, there were five exhibitors: Toms Shoes, NAACP, Arista Networks, Acton (RocketSkates) and Songabby.

DECA Faculty and Staff Appreciation Get-Together Harker’s DECA chapter hosted a faculty and staff appreciation party in April with desserts and coffee to thank those who make sure students have the wherewithal to attend DECA events. Eric Kallbrier, assistant to the B.E. director, was named “Staff of the Year.”

TEDxHarkerSchool 2015 – March 21 TEDxHarkerSchool, which this year drew more than 100 attendees, is one of the TEDx events held around the globe led solely by students for students. TEDxHarkerSchool operates in the spirit of TED by focusing on “Ideas Worth Spreading.” To the TEDxHarkerSchool team, it is just as critical to get these ideas out to youth as to adults.

TEDxHarkerSchool 2015 featured five

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speakers: Ajay Shah, founder and manager of Technology Solutions Business of Solectron and former CEO of Smart Modular Technologies; Cammie Dunaway, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo; Deborah Perry Piscione, author of “Secrets of Silicon Valley”; David Gross, partner at Faegre Baker Daniels law firm; and Harker student Samantha Madala, grade 12, founder of Healthy Scholars, which raises awareness of education-stunting health issues.

CareerConnect hosted its secondannual mentorship banquet in April, an opening event for the mentorship program in which Harker students are paired with industry professionals. For example, students interested in business are paired with executives from Yahoo, Google, Facebook and the like. Photos by Stephanie Tran

In addition to inspirational adult speakers, one student each year takes the TEDxHarkerSchool stage to share what inspires them. TEDxHarkerSchool also hosts a mentorship luncheon, which gives attendees the opportunity to network with dozens of professionals in the technology, entertainment and design fields, among others.

Mentorship Banquet

Photo by Alexis Gauba, grade 10

At the Grand Awards Session, Harker students were called up on stage to recognize their top 10 finish in The Stock Market Game and as national Finish Line Challenge winners. Full details on this conference, The Stock Market Game and Finish Line Challenge winners are available at news.harker.org; just search on DECA.

Photo by Shannon Hong, grade 11

In late April, 28 students from Harkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DECA chapter traveled to the International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Fla. During four event-filled days, the 18 students who qualified at Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s State Career Development Conference competed, while the remaining students attended the Emerging Leader Series. Of 10 Harker teams competing, four placed in the top 20 and qualified for the final round of competition. Students attended leadership seminars, a run/walk event and networked with other DECA members from around the world.

Photo by Alexis Gauba, grade 10

International Career Development Conference

Photo by Alexis Gauba, grade 10

Photo by Shannon Hong, grade 11

Business & Entrepreneurship

Photo by Shannon Hong, grade 11

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Students Visit

Hiroshima, Rally for

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

Peace

sponsored by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and the Hiroshima for Global Peace Plan Joint Project Executive Committee. Students presented their research, listened to talks by survivors and visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

The attack, which destroyed nearly 70 percent of the buildings in the city, went on to take the lives of more than 140,000 people through radiation poisoning and injuries. The controversy over the death toll from the Hiroshima and (a few days later) Nagasaki nuclear bombings versus that of the alternative – a physical invasion of the Japanese home islands – continues, but few will argue that nuclear war is acceptable in any form, under any circumstances, today.

The conference also marked The Harker School’s first year of participation.

On the 70th anniversary of the bombing, the rebuilt Hiroshima Jogakuin Senior High School welcomed students from Russia, Japan and the United States for the 18th annual Critical Issues Forum, a student conference on nuclear disarmament. It was the first time that the conference was held in Hiroshima, the first city to experience nuclear devastation.

Shah was part of the Harker team of four students who researched, wrote and presented their findings on using past events with global humanitarian consequences to determine prior successful initiatives. The team comprised Shah, Ethan Ma, grade 12, Alexander Sikand, grade 11, and Zarek Drozda, grade 11. Two of the students, Sikand and Ma, went to Japan to present the team’s findings.

This year’s Critical Issues Forum, held April 2-4, focused on the humanitarian approach to nuclear disarmament. It was co-

“I’ve always been interested in global policy issues,” said Manan Shah, grade 10. “Having debated a great deal about nuclear weapons and their potential violent effects not only on tight-knit human communities but also the world at large, I found the Critical Issues Forum a unique opportunity to promote real change.”

“In spite of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of use of nuclear weapons, the issues of national security, military and strategic aspects have always taken precedence in the discussion of nuclear weapons,” Shah said. “The research for this year’s topic centered on discussion 28

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about the implications of potential human catastrophe as a result of the use of nuclear weapons and what must be done to avoid any such future occurrence.” Harker held an assembly to announce the partnership with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies back in October 2014, at which three representatives talked to students about the conference, their past experiences and the importance of this work. Ma was in that audience during the discussion and was inspired to participate. “I think the topic itself is something that’s specific and one that students usually don’t get to study in great detail,” Ma said. “I found it interesting and a bit mysterious.” Photos provided by Eric Nelson

t 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima in an effort to end World War II. The bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy,” directly killed more than 80,000 people, including 330 students and teachers at Hiroshima Jogakuin Senior High School.

The team of students spent about three months doing basic research on the topic of nuclear nonproliferation under physics teacher Eric Nelson’s guidance. After completing the research, the idea that generated the most enthusiasm from the team involved researching past events with global humanitarian consequences (including abolishment of slavery, prohibition of land mines, ban of chemical weapons, and reduction in the use of ozone-depleting CFCs) to determine prior successful initiatives, Shah said.

After deciding to move forward with the topic, the team broke the work into subtopics; each student studied a subtopic, and then the team worked together to write a collaborative paper and presentation. “During the research for this forum, we increased our understanding of the importance of nuclear disarmament, the current status of nuclear disarmament, and the issues and challenges in the disarmament initiatives,” Shah said. “I strongly believe that educating young high school students around the world on disarmament and nonproliferation issues will have a significant impact towards a world free of nuclear weapons, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of this program.”

Lessons from Hiroshima After completing the research paper, Sikand and Ma made their way to Hiroshima for the conference, a trip that would inspire in them an abiding compassion for those who have been directly impacted by nuclear weapons. “I thought it was really shocking,” Sikand said. “I mean, you read about the nuclear bomb and you read about its usage in the text books and you know that it’s this devastating event that took thousands of lives, but when you’re there in the museum and try to fathom how it must have felt and looked … no one who wasn’t there will fully understand, but we did our best.” The team learned that “Little Boy,” the 15-kiloton bomb dropped on Hiroshima, was indeed small compared with the Soviet Union’s Tsar Bomba of 1961 – the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated at 50 megatons. “Even looking at this massive destructive event [Hiroshima]… one of the professors there described [the destruction] as looking [like] at gunshot wounds from the 1860s,” Sikand said, while the destructive capabilities of today’s nuclear weapons parallel the damage done to individuals by modern battlefield weapons. “The bomb used in Hiroshima was a lot different from the capabilities that we have today,” Sikand noted.

the use and talked about how it probably saved this many American lives; it ended the war this many years, this many months earlier than it would have otherwise,” he said. “We debate it, but after going there, you realize that there is much left [to debate]. Think about the devastation to the immediate victims of the bomb – those who were completely incinerated, those who died of radiation poisoning days, weeks, months after; increased prevalence of cancer and even now, descendants of survivors have been marginalized by Japanese society because no one wants to marry them because of fear of birth defects.” Although Shah did not join his classmates in Japan, the work he did alongside them while they prepared a college-level paper to present in Hiroshima allowed him to develop strong bonds with them and a desire to do more on the subject. “If one is looking for an opportunity to make a real difference in nuclear proliferation issues, participation in the Critical Issues Forum is a game changer,” Shah said. “The issue of use of nuclear weapons affects each and every one of us and our participation will ensure a better, safer and more peaceful tomorrow.” While in Japan, Ma and Sikand visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which has exhibits depicting the city before and after the bombing. Established in 1954, the museum works to abolish nuclear weapons and bring about lasting world peace.

“Being able to be in the same place that you know such great calamity has happened and after that, listening to the survivor stories, visiting the atomic bomb museum – that all just kind of cements it,” Ma said. “It left a deep impression.” Ma said that this experience, and the knowledge and perspective it gave him, has shown him the importance of what those who are involved in the work to end the use of nuclear weapons are doing. “It will always be a part of me,” he said.

I strongly believe “that educating young high school students around the world on disarmament and nonproliferation issues will have a significant impact towards a world free of nuclear weapons, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of this program.

—Manan Shah, grade 10

”

Prior to traveling to Hiroshima, Sikand studied the use of the atomic bomb in Japan under then-President Harry Truman. “We basically tried to justify H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY

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Afiara Quartet

Brings Special Guests and Surprise to Harker Concert Series Season Closer By Zach Jones The final concert of The Harker Concert Series’ fifth season, featuring the Afiara Quartet, was a special one. Returning to Nichols Hall auditorium after their first performance here in 2012, the Canadabased group of elite players arrived with some special guests and surprises in store for the sizable crowd. Afiara are an animated group of performers, an asset they employed throughout the flowing peaks and valleys of Anton Webern’s “Langsamer Satz,” moving in time with its contours and varying intensities, their expressiveness evoking Webern’s striking imagery. It proved equally effective as they frolicked through the opening movement of Haydn’s “String Quartet No. 37,” its darting melodies conjuring a bucolic atmosphere. The entire quartet took flight in the brisk final movement, effortlessly navigating the wilderness of complex harmonies. The concert was part of a four-day residency during which the members of Afiara – violinists Valerie Li and Timothy Kantor, violist Eric Wong and cellist Adrian Fung – worked with Harker students, visiting the lower and middle school campuses in addition to preparing the students of the Harker String Quartet

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for a special sit-in performance. Joined by seniors Helen Wu and Eugene Gil on violin, Matthew Huang on cello and Austin Lai on viola, Afiara and company launched into the first movement of Felix Mendelssohn’s “Octet in E-Flat Major.” The students’ presence was immediate, the ensemble’s sound full, robust and locked in, especially during the more frenzied sections of the piece. “We all had a lot of fun,” Wu said during the intermission. “It was one of those performances that was really energizing. I think their abilities definitely bolstered us up and I definitely think we improved as a quartet because of their being here.” “One thing we immediately realized is that playing with them is so much fun,” Huang added. “We never really had that kind of experience, playing with a professional quartet. And they really did bring out the spirit in the music for us.” Mendelssohn made another appearance on the evening’s program as Afiara came back from the break, sliding into the delicate harmonies of his “String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor,” which gave way to a significant

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tonal and rhythmic shift, as Afiara’s Li picked up and ran with the adagio’s tortured melody. A more subdued second movement followed as Afiara’s bodily movement slowed to match the mood and pace. The somewhat lighthearted intermezzo, featuring some of the evening’s most enjoyable playing, was countered by the fury of the presto movement, performed with both passion and mastery. The extended standing ovation that followed was rewarded with an encore – an unexpected but fascinating rendition of “The Enemy Guns” by indie folk rockers DeVotchKa. The song, which recalled Romani folk music and Ennio Morricone, was well-suited to the quartet’s talents, in particular the latent whistling skills of Afiara’s Kantor.

Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

GlobalEducation Middle School Students Visit WFLMS Buddies in China middle school experience for many grade 7 and 8 students. While there, the Harker contingent visited numerous landmarks and historic sites.

By Debbie Cohen Ancient and modern China formed an intriguing focus of study for 21 middle school students during their recent visit to the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS), Harker’s sister school in Shanghai. At the end of March, 16 seventh graders and five eighth graders united for an action-packed week with their WFLMS buddies, who had earlier in the school year spent time at Harker as part of an annual reciprocal student exchange program. Journeying to China is a much-anticipated adventure and highlight of the

Originally based around the grade 8 computer science class’ global issues forum, the annual China trip expanded two years ago to incorporate the grade 7 historical component of learning about ancient China. Keith Hirota, grade 6 ancient civilizations teacher, headed this year’s trip. Carol Green, Harker’s middle and upper school communication studies department chair, who was already in China serving as an exchange teacher at WFLMS, joined the group as a chaperone. Students engaged in many activities with their group and with their hosts. For details, go to news.harker.org and search on Shanghai. The students’ time at WFLMS ended with a farewell ceremony and dinner. “The ceremony was bittersweet as we watched several students from both schools give touching speeches and performances,” recalled Hirota, noting that Harker students and their WFLMS buddies had been faithfully corresponding since the fall.

Photos provided by Keith Hirota

Jatin Kohli said he “The ceremony was really enjoyed the bittersweet as we homestay with his buddy and the time watched several they spent walking students from along the Huangpu River and the Bund, both schools give a famous waterfront touching speeches area. “I wish our buddies could have and performances.” joined us on our trip north to Beijing. – Keith Hirota, grade 6 teacher and trip leader The trip felt too short and I wish I had more time,” he said. Grade 8 student Julia Amick added, “My favorite part of the homestay was getting to tour around Shanghai with my buddy and her parents and trying new and exotic foods like stinky tofu!”

Reflecting on the trip, grade 7 student

To read more Global Education stories, please visit our Harker News page at http://news.harker.org/tag/global-education/. Among the most recent stories there are: Middle School Students Travel to Tamagawa WFLMS Students Enjoy Memorable Visit to Harker Swiss Student Exchange Program Marks 10th Anniversary H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY

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tenth Annual Harker Research Symposium Shines T

he community of researchers that Harker started building with its first research symposium in 2006 showed up in full force for the 10th annual event on April 11.

“We had a record number of student posters, student talks and exhibitors,” said symposium founder and director Anita Chetty, upper school science department chair. “The skills we’re teaching [students] about scientific research, they will take with them for a lifetime even if they don’t end up in a lab.” Chetty cited the excitement of the teachers, staff, students and parents for expanding and sustaining this annual celebration of discovery and innovation. This year’s event attracted about 450 to 500 people, including the community-

Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

2006-2015 10 YEARS OF RESEARCH

By Heather Rock Woods

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Celebrating 10 Years of Discovery and Innovation Keynote speakers: David Mortlock, director for international economic affairs, National Security Council at The White House; and James B. McClintock, climate scientist and author.

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2013

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2015

harker research symposium historical timeline: 2006-2015 Fueling Innovation and Discovery Dr. Claire Max, professor of astrophysics and director of the Center for Adaptive Optics at University of California, Santa Cruz; and Salman Khan, founder and executive director of Khan Academy.

Studying Life at the Molecular Level Dr. Kristian Hargadon, assistant professor of biology at Hampden-Sydney College; and Dr. David Baltimore, Nobel Prize-winning biologist at the California Institute of Technology.

Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

minded Jin family. Shu Jin helped for months as a parent outreach coordinator for the event. His son Andrew, grade 12, presented his first-place work from the nationwide Intel Science Talent Search (STS). Andrew’s sister, Amy, grade 9, is also a researcher and a member of WiSTEM (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), the club that helps organize and run the symposium every year.

the kids have done is really phenomenal,” said Harker alumna and keynote speaker Shabnam Aggarwal ’03, who graduated before the event existed.

Outfitted in white lab coats, members of WiSTEM and the Research Club introduced speakers and hosted the popular STEM Buddies stations, where kids viewed EEG images of their brain waves, rolled marbles onto a blue fabric representing space-time and much more.

“I got to be on the forefront of organoid research and run my own experiment,” he said. “The lab niche was very fun. We ate lunch together and watched movies.”

As the symposium has grown over the years, so has the stature of research done by Harker students. Including Jin, 15 Harker students were named Intel STS semifinalists and three were finalists. In the most recent Siemens Competition, 13 students were California semifinalists and four of them regional finalists.

2011

2012

“Getting the opportunity to see all the incredible projects that

Designing the Future Vinod Khosla, legendary entrepreneur; John West, CEO of genome analysis company Personalis, and Atul Butte, chief of the division of systems medicine and associate professor of pediatrics, medicine and, by courtesy, computer science at Stanford University.

Siemens regional semifinalist Ankita Pannu, grade 12, tackled the lack of organization in online cancer support group discussions. “My main engineering goal was to help patients gather information,” said Pannu, who developed an algorithm to summarize and categorize information from posts. With no prior background in text mining, she asked for an informal internship at IBM’s research lab where a mentor pointed her in the right direction. Throughout the daylong symposium, middle and upper school students displayed their endeavors on more than 50 posters in categories including engineering, nanoscience, microbiology, environmental science, bioinformatics and behavioral science. Amy Dunphy, grade 9, purified the allergen in poison oak and worked on polymerizing it into a bigger chain of molecules to prevent transmission through the skin. She contracted the rash a few times in the name of science, but nodded yes without hesitation when keynote presenter James McClintock asked if she wanted to be a scientist. McClintock is the endowed university professor of polar and marine biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Antarctica is one of the richest marine environments on the planet,” he said, but rapid warming from climate change is altering the local weather and conditions that populations have depended on for millennia. As the annual sea ice disappears, so do krill. Adélie penguins are

2010

In addition to the talks, attendees flocked to interactive booths set up by the exhibi“It takes guts to say, tors: DynoSense, Google, IBM, ‘I have an idea and mCube, Nod Labs, people should listen to NVIDIA, Palo Alto me.’ It’s really exciting Medical Foundation/ to see [Harker students] Sutter Health, South doing the same thing Asian Heart Center, Technical Instruhere with your work and ments, Tesla, Trek presentations.” Medics Interna- David Mortlock, Director for tional, Upgrademe International Economic Affairs for the National Security Council and Verizon, plus student startup Sail Research, and the Infinities and Subatomic Smarticles robotics teams.

Senior Steven Wang, one of 24 student speakers and one of the three Intel STS finalists, used computer methods to find a new gene associated with colorectal cancer and then tested the mutations in microscopic mini-organs in a Stanford University lab.

A Call to Innovation Scott McNealy, co-founder and former CEO and chairman of the board of Sun Microsystems; and Mike Schroepfer, vice president of engineering at Facebook.

Technology for Life Dr. William McClure, plastic surgeon and former chief of surgical services for the volunteer organization Interplast; and Dr. Christopher Gilbert, vice president of science and technology at Keystone Dental.

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Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

rector for international economic affairs for the National Security Council.

declining as unseasonably late snow melts and floods their eggs. Sub-Antarctic gentoo and chinstrap penguins have moved in, as have king crabs. Antarctic marine life has no defenses against crushing claws. “Communities always change, but over a few decades this is a profound change,” he said. One of the repercussions could be the loss of medicinal chemicals; recent discoveries from Antarctic life include compounds active against cancer and H1N1 flu. In the afternoon, father-son duo Suhas and DJ Patil had a “fireside” chat in wingback chairs in the auditorium, sharing their outlooks on education and entrepreneurialism. Suhas, a former Harker parent (daughter Teja graduated in 2002), is the founder and retired chairman of Cirrus Logic, a semiconductor company. He’s seen in his son an example of where Silicon Valley is headed: “Our young people will need to get trained or they must train themselves to be very agile with respect to what they work on.”

Both in responding to the recent Ebola outbreak and pressuring Iran through sanctions to return to nuclear negotiations, the U.S. government “really relied on research and development … to try and make the world a slightly more prosperous and safer place,” he said. Having your proposals embraced by the president is thrilling, he said. “It takes guts to say, ‘I have an idea and people should listen to me.’ It’s really exciting to see [Harker students] doing the same thing here with your work and presentations.”

DJ is the first chief data scientist at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and co-coined the term “data scientist.” “Stick to your convictions,” he advised, “but listen to people and outside views to course correct.” In a special session, John Wolpert, IBM’s Watson evangelist, discussed the new era of cognitive computing led by systems like Watson that can learn from context and see patterns in fragmented, unstructured data. “It’s about extending the human capability,” he said, encouraging students to try solving problems with newly available Watson subsystems. Watson algorithms have found new targets for cancer research and developed unique recipes praised by top chefs.

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Going Green Geoff Green, founder and director of the Canadabased organization Students on Ice Expeditions.

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2006

New Frontiers Nimet Maherali, Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cancer; and Dr. Andrew Chan, senior vice president of immunology and antibody engineering at Genentech.

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The second keynote speaker, David Mortlock, son of upper school statistics teacher Mary Mortlock, works at the White House as diBuilding Synergy Monica Kress, instructor in physics and astronomy at San Jose State University.

Building a Community of Researchers Dr. John Treichler, CTO, Applied Signal Technology.

HARKER ALUMNI RESEARCHERS SHARE LATEST UPDATES From introducing underrepresented minorities to mathematical problem-solving techniques to undertaking lab work focused on better understanding the Ebola virus in West Africa, Harker alumni researchers are involved in numerous incredible projects. Read on for the latest updates.

Yi Sun ’06

Intel finalist, Second Place National Yin Sun ’06 is currently a fourth year Ph.D. student in the mathematics department at MIT. “My research is in representation theory, a branch of mathePhoto by Mark Tantrum matics which gives a precise algebraic understanding of the symmetries of a system. I am particularly interested in connections between these algebraic techniques and recent applications to statistical mechanics and high-dimensional statistics,” he said. Recently, Sun also has been collaborating with fellow Harker alumnus Tatsunori Hashimoto ’07 on a project in machine learning. Outside of research, for the last eight years he has been involved in teaching high school students at the Math Olympiad Summer Program. “This year, I’m helping organize MathROOTS, a new summer program at MIT (mathroots.mit.edu), to introduce underrepresented minorities to mathematical problem-solving techniques,” he added.

Aaron Lin ’09 lives in Boston. He attended Harker’s middle and upper schools. “Though I didn’t qualify for Siemens or Intel, I learned a lot about research while at Harker and had a blast at the local Santa Clara science fair, the California state science fair and the JSHS [Junior Science and Photo provided by Harker Archives Humanities Symposia]. Since then, I’ve continued research. The summer after graduation, and again a second summer during college, I performed research in Mark Davis’ immunology lab at Stanford and co-authored a research paper there, which appeared in the Journal of Immunology in 2011,” he said. At Princeton, he joined the virology and proteomics lab of Ileana Cristea during his sophomore year. “By graduation in 2013, I wrote a thesis and a first author research paper, which appeared in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics in 2013, and another co-authored paper, which appeared in Proteomics this year,” he recalled. After college, Lin was accepted into the Ph.D. program in virology at Harvard, and is currently in his second year there. In December, he passed his preliminary qualifying exams and officially became a Ph.D. candidate. After rotating through a couple labs, he joined the lab of Pardis Sabeti in March 2014.

Frank Wang ’08 Photo by Mark Tantrum

Intel semifinalist

Frank Wang ’08 reports that he is currently a Ph.D. student in computer science at MIT, working on computer security.

Aaron Lin ’09

JSHS regional finalist

“Interestingly, I actually met [Harker senior and national Intel Science Talent Search winner] Andrew Jin, who joined the lab for a summer research project. Though our expertise and research interests didn’t overlap much, I was blown away by his end-of-thesummer lab meeting presentation, and it’s pretty clear to everyone that Andrew will continue to succeed in the future. It’s been productive for me as well, as I have co-authored one research paper in mBio in 2015, have another co-authored manuscript in H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY

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Vishesh Jain ’10

Cell under review and another co-authored manuscript in preparation,” he noted.

Intel semifinalist

At the moment, Lin’s work focuses on understanding the genomic variation among Ebola virus isolates in the current West African outbreak. His lab is a leader in the field of high-throughput, deep sequencing of inactivated genomes from BSL-4 viruses such as Ebola and Lassa virus, and is now using this data about viral variation to learn about viral transmission, improve field diagnostics, and inform vaccine and therapeutic strategies. “It’s great to hear the amazing news about Andrew, and the rest of the other Intel and Siemens winners as well! The growth in the research program at Harker has been outstanding, and I’m sure that the current students are paving the way for themselves, and will continue to do so into the future,” said Lin.

Photo provided by Harker Archives

“It was exciting to hear about Andrew’s achievement, as well as those of all the student researchers at Harker over the past five years,” said Vishesh Jain ’10. Jain reported that he is excited to start medical school this fall. “During my gap year, I am doing cardiovascular research and volunteering at Stanford, and I am working at the biomedical nanotech startup Bikanta,” he added.

that “failure is not a four-letter word. Failure is inevitable and failure is necessary.” It teaches resilience.

Photo by Mark Tantrum

She experienced a rough academic patch in high school, but got into Carnegie Mellon and earned an electrical and computer engineering degree. Then she shocked her parents by quitting her high-paying job at Merrill Lynch on Wall Street to teach English in Cambodia to girls who had escaped the sex trade. In pursuing her passion for equality in education, she later had “six hard years in India,” trying everything from teaching preschool to designing cell phone games.

For ShabNAM Aggarwal ’03, Failure was a Means to Success and Happiness By Heather Rock Woods

Thanks to serendipity, hard work, passion – and most of all, failure – Shabnam Aggarwal ’03 is the happy CEO of the education technology company she started in India. The alumna keynote speaker for the 10th annual Harker Research Symposium, Aggarwal assured parents and students

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“I failed many, many, many times before arriving at this solution,” said about her Delhi-based business KleverKid, which works to bring the best teachers, coaches and tutors to the kids who need them most. She asked parents in the audience to imagine sitting in the back of a canoe, letting their kids paddle even if they aren’t steering the way you’d advise. “Often they’re going to make the wrong decision, but what’s imperative for them to master is picking up again and doing it over and over until they succeed.” Both of Aggarwal’s parents were in the auditorium, and she shared the stage with her dad for a few minutes. “Through all these zigs and zags she’s gone through, she’s never given up,” Avnish Aggarwal said. “The investors saw her passion and persistence.” She returned the compliment. “There would be one less person in the world trying to make a difference if my parents and teachers had never given me the space to fail,” she said.

Milestones Susan Smith Susan Smith, Harker’s library director, participated in the California Conference on Library Instruction in April. She and a colleague gave a talk titled “Step Over the Threshold with Us,” addressing six anchoring threshold concepts that frame an academic research process. One of those concepts, “Scholarship is a Conversation,” was the crux of their talk. It involves mastering disciplinary ways of thinking and communicating including using nuances in syntax, specialized vocabulary and subject-appropriate evidence to convey ideas in an appropriate medium or genre, shaped for a particular audience and context. Read more

here: http://www.cclibinstruction.org/ ccli-2015-speakers-sessions-breakoutsession-speakerstopics/

Diane Main Diane Main, upper school director of learning, innovation and design, received the Gold Disk award from CUE (formerly known as Computer Users in Education). The Gold Disk is CUE’s oldest recognition program. Since 1983, honorees have been recognized for their contributions to CUE and to technology in education. Gold Disks celebrate member contributions of time and talent to CUE, both of which Main has contributed to for two

decades! On another note, Main hit the national radar as one of 50 educators to follow on Twitter! Read more here: http://blog.enotes.com/2015/03/25/ teachers-who-tweet-50-educatorsyou-should-follow/

Jaap Bongers K-12 visual art department chair Jaap Bongers was one of five featured artists at Artik Art & Architecture’s 20th annual open house. The May show, held at Artik’s offices/art studio in San Jose, is billed as part hoedown and part gallery show. This year, more than 100 pieces were on display from about 90 Bay Area artists.

By William Cracraft

‘Into the Amazon’ Speaker Shares the Power of Presentations About 70 guests attended Larry Lansburgh’s talk, “Into the Amazon: How One Presentation Changed My Life,” in early April in the Nichols Hall auditorium on the upper school campus. The event was co-sponsored by the Harker Speaker Series, the middle and upper school debate departments, and the business and entrepreneurship department. Lansburgh, an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning documentarian and author of “The Simple Key to Great Presentations,” told how he ended up in the Amazon. Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

“It was a presentation – just several people speaking to us in the audi-

ence – that led me to a life-anddeath struggle in the Amazon rain forest,” he said, noting how the power of a presentation can literally change lives. Lansburgh received an Emmy for “The Hidden Struggle,” a one-hour PBS documentary on the inspiring achievements of developmentally disabled young adults, and an Academy Award nomination for “Dawn Flight,” a dramatic short, and has also produced documentaries on the indigenous cultures of Alaska and Hawaii.

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EagleReport

By Steven Boyle ’06

Spectacular Sports Season, Achievements Run the Gamut

ulations to Iyer on an outstanding track season and for representing Harker so well at the state meet! Go, Eagles!

hat a spring for Harker athletics! Golf won a league championship and saw one of its athletes ascend to the state tournament. A swimmer broke a school record at CCS and won an individual championship. Track and field’s coach became the first in Eagles history to win the Honor Coach award. And the boys tennis squad made it further in the finals than it has in four years. It was a spectacular season of achievement. It was another great season for the team, including many school records, personal records and first place finishes. Coach Scott Chisam became the first coach in Harker history to receive the CCS Honor Coach award, and both the boys and girls teams received recognition as CCS scholastic championship teams! At the league finals, freshmen Grace Koonmen, Gloria Guo and Aria Coalson and sophomore Davis Dunaway had big wins. Sophomore sensation Niki Iyer advanced to CCS and then, in the most important race of her career so far, blazed an incredible last lap in the 3,200-meter run to slide into third place at the CCS finals and qualify for the CIF State Track & Field Championships. She went on to finish 17th at the State Track & Field Championships in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:48.60. She was the top underclassman in the field; all those ahead of her were either juniors or seniors. Congrat-

Golf

by William Cracraft

Harker won its league championship, then finished seventh overall in CCS, firmly ensconcing the team among the section’s elite. At CCS, senior Shrish Dwivedi finished just one shot off the lead and qualified for the NorCal Championships, where he shot a one-under-par and advanced to the state tournament. See the box on this page for more on Dwivedi’s great season finish.

Harker’s Shrish Dwivedi, grade 12, finished his season tied for second – missing first place by one stroke – at the California Interscholastic Federation state golf championships.

Photo by Stefan Armijo

Track and Field

Swimming After the Eagles came in fourth in the league championships, freshman Vivian Wang broke a school record at CCS in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 freestyle en route to winning Harker’s fourth ever CCS individual championship. Wang went on to place eighth in the state championship in the 200 individual medley and 16th in the 100 freestyle. Harker sent a number of swimmers and divers to CCS, including freshman Taylor Kohlmann, sophomores Michael Auld, Jack Farnham and Justin Culpepper, juniors Grace Guan, Angela Huang, Karen Tu and Sandhana Kannan, and seniors Aaron Huang, Craig Neubieser, Stacey Chao, Delaney Martin and Jackelyn Shen. Photo provided by Scott Chisam

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Golfer Shines at State Finals

Dwivedi is the first Harker male golfer ever to qualify for the state tournament. “He is truly playing at an elite level,” said Dan Molin, upper school athletic director. “Since his freshman year, Shrish has always been a true student of the game, studying all aspects,” said IeChen, Harker’s golf coach. “His attention to detail, from his preparation leading up to match day, and his on-course management are what separates him from others. He studies the course meticulously, then goes and practices the shots he needs to succeed.” Read the full story in news.harker.org; search on Dwivedi or use this shortlink: http:// news.harker.org/?p=26025.

Tennis For the first time since 2011 and for just the second time ever, the boys tennis team returned to the CCS quarterfinals after an upset victory over eighth seed Westmont on their courts. Congratulations to the boys on an amazing season!

Softball The girls finished at .500 overall, going 9-9 while winning four of 10 league games. Freshman Kristin LeBlanc led the team in hitting, finishing with a .370 batting average, .444 on-base percentage

EagleReport and .462 slugging percentage. Sophomore Marti Sutton also had a tremendous year at the plate, with a .314/.429/.392 line while leading the team with 16 RBIs. Overall, five Eagles finished with better than .400 on-base percentages through 12 or more games, including LeBlanc, Sutton, junior Alisa Wakita, senior Sarah Bean and sophomore Grace Park. Wakita also had a home run on the season and, on the basepaths, she and LeBlanc each swiped a team-high four bases. LeBlanc and junior Marita Del Alto pitched for Harker this year. LeBlanc finished 2-1 with a 1.33 ERA in four starts, while Del Alto finished 6-8 with a 5.86 ERA in 14 starts, including a complete game and a save in another appearance.

Lacrosse The Eagles finished 7-13 overall and 5-7 in league. The team averaged nine goals per game, led by senior Hannah Bollar, who had 57 goals, 69 points and an average of three goals per game.

Volleyball Photos by Stefan Armijo

Baseball The sluggers let their offense do the talking this year, hitting their way to an amazing .298 batting average and .402 on-base percentage, including six home runs, en route to finishing 9-14 overall and 5-10 in league. Freshman Nate Kelly led the team with a .405 batting average, .506 on-base percentage and .675 slugging percentage. Kelly and junior Miles DeWitt each hit two home runs. DeWitt, for his part, finished with a .370 batting average, .448 on-base percentage and .589 slugging percentage. Freshman Dominic Cea led the team in RBIs with 26, to finish up with a .368/.432/.394 line.

The boys ended with a 10-19 overall record and a 2-10 record in league. Senior Shiki Dixit led the team with a 42.5 kill percentage, while sophomore Andrew Gu led the team with 184 kills, and senior Jeremiah Anderson led the team with an average of three kills per set. Senior Matthew Ho led the team with 52 aces, averaging 0.6 aces per set.

Graduating Athletes Join Collegiate Sports Teams Heartiest congratulations to 12 graduates who have committed to playing their sports in college! “These are all outstanding student athletes,” said Dan Molin, upper school athletic director. “This group of seniors has represented Harker exceptionally well over the years, and we want to thank them and wish them well as they represent their new schools.”

Jeremiah Anderson (Westmont College, soccer), Aadyot Bhatnagar (California Institute of Technology, water polo), Billy Bloomquist (California Institute of Technology, water polo), Shreya Dixit (Yale University, volleyball), Shrish Dwivedi (Duke University, golf), Keanu Forbes (San Jose City College, football), Aaron Huang (Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

swimming), Eric Holt (Oberlin College, basketball), Sid Krishnamurthi (Stanford University, football), Craig Neubieser (Tufts University, swimming), Erika Olsen (Southern Methodist University, cheer) and Christian Williams (University of Redlands, football). Soar to new heights, Harker Eagles!

Photo by Stefan Armijo

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EagleReport

By Theresa Smith

Lower and Middle School Spring Sports: First Place for Seven Teams! in the WBAL South. The team awards went to Cindy Wang, grade 8 (MVP), Rashmi Iyer, grade 7 (Eagle) and Mina Stojanovic, grade 7 (Coaches). Junior Varsity A (grade 6) girls volleyball, coached by Vonda Reid, finished undefeated at 7-0, taking first place in the WBAL Gold Division. The team awards went to Julia Yusupov (MVP), Michelle Ning (Eagle) and Vidya Jeyendran (Coaches).

Photos by Stefan Armijo

Varsity A (grades 7 and 8) girls volleyball, coached by Stephanie Coleman and Diana Melendez, finished the season 5-1, taking second place in the West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) Gold Division. The team awards went to Allison Cartee, grade 8 (MVP), Srija Gadiraju, grade 8 (Eagle) and Lauren Beede, grade 7 (Coaches). Varsity B (grades 7 and 8) girls volleyball, coached by Sarah Prudencio, finished undefeated at 7-0, taking first place in the WBAL South. The team awards went to Allison Jia, grade 7 (MVP), Lilly Anderson, grade 8 (Eagle) and Laura Wu, grade 8 (Coaches). Varsity B2 (grades 7 and 8) girls volleyball, coached by Mandy Schroeder, finished 6-1, taking second place

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Junior Varsity B6 (grade 6) girls volleyball, coached by Tina Mai, finished 3-3, taking third place in the WBAL. The team awards went to Katerina Fenner (MVP), Annamma Vazhaeparambil (Eagle) and Aria Wong (Coaches).

volleyball, coached by Therese Wunnenberg, finished 3-3, taking fourth place in the WBAL. The team awards went to Melody Yazdi (MVP), Imogene Leneham (Eagle) and Emily Tan (Coaches). Intramural (grade 4) girls volleyball, coached by Vanessa Rios and Christina Mendoza, enjoyed a great season of learning fundamental skills and intramural games. Team awards went to Rachel Ning (MVP), Allison Zhu (Eagle) and Katelyn Abellera (Coaches). Varsity A (grade 7 and 8) baseball, coached by Dan Pringle, Matt Arensberg and Tim Hopkins, finished 2-4, taking fifth place in the WBAL. Team

Junior Varsity B1 (grade 5) girls volleyball, coached by Ellie Pereira, finished 5-1, tying with Sacred Heart for first place in the WBAL. The team awards went to Tara Ozdemir (MVP), Alivia Li (Eagle) and Thresiamma Vazhaeparambil (Coaches). Junior Varsity B2 (grade 5) girls Photos by Stefan Armijo

EagleReport awards went to Logan Frank, grade 8 (MVP), Andrew Skrobak, grade 8 (Eagle), and Jared Anderson and Jack Dawson (Coaches), both grade 8. Junior Varsity A (grades 6 and 7) baseball, coached by Jeff Paull, Matt Haberli and Joe Newman, finished 4-1 in league and 6-2 overall, taking second place in the WBAL. Team awards went to AJ Escobar (MVP), Luke Wancewicz (Eagle) and Ricky Wardenburg (Coaches), all grade 6.

Junior Varsity A (grades 6 and 7) boys volleyball, coached by Diana Melendez and Kurt Schwartz, went 4-4, taking fourth place in the Art David Athletic League (ADAL). Team awards went to Utkarsh Priyam (MVP), Andrew Lee (Eagle) and Anish Kilaru (Coaches), all grade 6.

Junior Varsity B (grades 4 and 5) baseball, coached by Richard Amarillas and Jon Cvitanich, finished 1-3 in league and 2-3 overall, taking fourth place in the WBAL. Team awards went to Richie Amarillas (MVP), Jack Hayashi (Eagle) and Arvin Nidadavolu (Coaches), all grade 5. Intramural (grade 4 and 5) baseball, coached by Jim McGovern, Tobias Wade and Kristian Tiopo, finished a great season of learning fundamental skills and intramural games. Team awards went to Matthew Chen (Eagle), and Andrew Reed and Ethan Huang (Coaches). Varsity A (grades 7 and 8) boys volleyball, coached by Pete Anderson, went 10-0 in league and 11-0 overall, taking first place and the tournament championship in the ADAL. Team awards went to Chris Gong (MVP), Charlie Molin (Eagle) and Zachary Wong (Coaches), all grade 8. Photos by Stefan Armijo

Coed water polo (grades 6-8), coached by Ted Ujifusa and Peter Blume, went 4-0 at the WBAL championships. Team awards went to Bobby Bloomquist, grade 8 (MVP), Matthew Hajjar, grade 8 (Eagle), and Leah Anderson, grade 6 and Rohan Sonecha, grade 7 (Coaches). Lower school track (grades 4 and 5), coached by Allison Burzio, Margaret Huntley, Kelcie Lai and Karriem Stinson, took first place at the WBAL track meet in the 4 X 100 grade 4 boys relay (Rohan Gorti, Andrew Fu, Lorenzo Martinelli and Rigo Gonzales) and the 100, 200 and 400 (Gonzales). Team awards went to Gonzales (MVP), Daniel Fields, grade 5 and Sasvath Ramachandran, grade 5 (Eagle), and Pranav Mullappalli, grade 4 and Nageena Singh, grade 5 (Coaches).

Middle school track (grades 6-8), coached by Allison Burzio, Margaret Huntley, Kelcie Lai and Karriem Stinson, took first place at the WBAL track meet in the 4 X 100 grade 8 girls relay (Alex Janssen, Sara Min, Alycia Cary and Julia Amick) the 400 and 800 (Amick) and the long jump (Janssen). Team awards went to Amick (MVP), Anton Novikov and Arya Maheshwari (Eagle), both grade 6, and Rosh Roy and Elizabeth Fields (Coaches), both grade 6. Varsity A tennis (grades 6-8), coached by JP Fruttero and John Fruttero, went undefeated at 7-0 in the WBAL and took first place in the WBAL and in the WBAL tournament. They finished 4-4 in the Mid-Peninsula Tennis Patrons Junior Tennis League (MTP) and will be competing in the MTP tournament next week. Team awards went to Joshua Valluru, grade 7 and Neil Ramaswamy, grade 8 (MVP), Gina Partridge, grade 7 and Anjay Saklecha, grade 8 (Eagle), and Jack Hansen and Simar Bajaj, both grade 7 (Coaches). Middle school golf (grades 6-8), coached by Ie-Chen Cheng, finished in second place at the spring WBAL golf tournament at Crystal Springs Golf Course. Par was a 36. Competitors were: Alexander King, grade 7 (41), Aditya Tadimeti, grade 6 (42), Jaimin Bhagat, grade 7 (45), Ronit Gagneja, grade 7 (45), Abhinav Joshi, grade 8 (46), Katelyn Vo, grade 7 (52), Natalie Vo, grade 6 (54) and Elvin Chen, grade 6 (56).

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Advancement

By William Cracraft and Debbie Cohen

Endowments Expand Learning Opportunities for Students and Now Teachers Generous endowments to Harker have made a significant impact in 30 students’ lives over the last five years and, starting this fall, faculty members also will benefit from a Harker family’s generosity. Harker has two student endowments: the John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund, established in 2009, and the Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities, established in 2011. As the funds have matured, more students have been granted funds for research; this past year a record nine seniors were selected as beneficiaries. Now, a new endowment established by Raju and Balu Vegesna (Ramanand and Srivani, both grade 7) allows teachers to apply for special opportunities to expand their professional skills and knowledge. The inaugural recipients of the Raju & Balu Vegesna Foundation for Teacher Excellence are Ruth Meyer (upper school humanities/history), Susan Nace (upper school performing arts) and Roxana Pianko (upper school humanities/history). The 2015-16 student scholars, all rising seniors, are: John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund: Zarek Drozda, Shannon Hong, Jasmine Liu, Sadhika Malladi and Sahana Narayanan. Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities: Kaitlyn Gee, Kavya Ramakrishnan, Elisabeth Siegel and Natalie Simonian. The 2014-15 Near/Mitra scholar papers are on file in the Harker library archive: http://library.harker.org/upperlibrary/nearmitra.

Photo by John Ho

A summary of the 2014-15 papers can be found at Harker News: http://news. harker.org/?p=25923; search on “Endowment” at news.harker.org to find summaries of previous papers.

2014-15 John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund Scholars and Paper Titles Ayush Midha – “Blackout: The Case for Black Power in 1960s Liberation Politics” Apoorva Rangan – “The Tet Offensive and the MACV’s Information Defensive: An Analysis of Limitations to Watchdog Journalism in the Vietnam War (1964-68)” Felix Wu – “Straight Outta Compton: HipHop and the 1992 Los Angeles Riots” Karnika Pombra – “The United Fruition: A Historical Analysis of the Motives for the 1954 U.S.-Backed Guatemalan Coup” Vedant Thyagaraj – “Increasing the Efficiency of United States Healthcare: Addressing Adverse Selection in the Health Insurance Market Through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”

2014-15 Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities Scholars and Paper Titles Aadyot Bhatnagar – “Using Antimalarial and Insecticide Resistance to Contextualize the Future of Malaria Control in Tanzania” Maya Nandakumar – “The Enchantment of the Habit” Agata Sorotokin – “The Truth Beyond Words: A Muisco-Historical Analysis of Selections from Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shotakovich’s Compositions Under the Stalinist Regime” Stanley Xie – “Understanding Gender Differences in Depression: The Evolution in Our Understanding for Rumination and Co-Rumination in the Midst of the Social Media Revolution”

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Advancement Drawings provided by Harker’s advancement office

Anonymous Donor Gives Additional $7 Million Toward Gym, Theater Harker’s recent Night on the Town gala truly was cause for celebration, thanks to an exciting announcement made during the evening. Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement, told the crowd of 300 gathered at the event that an additional $7 million had been pledged to the new gym and theater buildings. The matching gift came from an anonymous donor who already had donated $3 million during the initial Rothschild Challenge phase of the campaign. Chris Nikoloff, head of school, later explained in an announcement to the Harker community: “A generous Harker family, who currently wishes to remain anonymous, is adding to the gift they have already given earlier this year to help us meet the Rothschild Challenge. The gift is being made in support of adding some important additional features into the design and to help address the realities of increased building costs in the Silicon Valley.”

“This is among the most inspiring and rewarding gifts I have ever been involved in facilitating,” said Rosenthal, adding that the family’s reasons for increasing their donation make it all the more rewarding.

million matching pledge, the Harker Board of Trustees has approved an enhanced design for the two buildings and is submitting it to the city planning commission with the hope of starting construction in spring 2016.

According to Rosenthal, the family talked about the wonderful experiences they are having at the school and how appreciative they are for the Harker style of education. They expressed that they are grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the Harker community and value the approach of asking every single family to give in proportion to their ability to do so.

“They were inspired by the

“They were inspired by the Rothschild Challenge and wish to inspire other families who have the ability to give, or to give more, to do so and join them, so that we can provide these benefits to our students as soon as possible,” Rosenthal said. With the success of the Rothschild Challenge, and this additional $7

Rothschild Challenge and wish to inspire other families who have the ability to give, or to give more, to do so and join them, so that we can provide these benefits to our students as soon as possible.” – Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement For more information about helping Harker to meet this new $7 million matching pledge, contact Joe Rosenthal at joe.rosenthal@harker.org.

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Advancement Memorable Grandparents’ Day Activities Held at Preschool and Lower School In early May, Grandparents’ Day was held at both the lower school and, for the second year in a row, at Harker Preschool. On this charming day, grandparents and “grandfriends” toured the campuses and participated in activities with the special children in their lives. A long-standing tradition at Harker, the day gives students on both the lower school and preschool campuses the opportunity to welcome grandparents or adoptive grandparents-for-the-day to the school for an educational and memorable visit in their honor.

Photos by Stefan Armijo

On the preschool campus, the captivating morning of exploration and play for students and their honored guests allowed teachers and specialists to provide a glimpse of all the incredible happenings at Harker Preschool. There were a variety of displays and interactive activities from the preschool’s talented staff, including the art, music and movement and STEM specialists. At the lower school campus, the event was marked by a fun “Wild West” motif. During the day, students and their special guests were treated to an array of theme-related activities. They also had the opportunity to learn more about the lower school, as well as visit its annual book fair. “At both the preschool and lower school, a special and wonderful day was had by all!” reported Teré Aceves, director of preschool-5 volunteer programs and event fundraising.

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Advancement

Photos by Stefan Armijo

Senior Class Gift to Go Toward Extending Shah Patio for Future Grade 12 Students By Debbie Cohen As a parting gesture, this year’s graduating class dedicated its senior gift toward helping to finance an extension to the Shah patio area. Through class fundraising and their senior donations, the students rallied together to raise more than $6,500 for the project. “Every year the graduating class leaves behind a senior gift. The idea of this year’s gift is to enable Shah patio to serve as an expanded recreational setting for seniors, as well as allow students traveling to Shah by way of Davis Field to take a shorter route,” explained Joe Rosenthal, Harker’s executive director of advancement. At the beginning of this school year, the senior class lost access to the Sledge, a former senior-only lounge that was converted into the faculty

dining room and a meeting space for students in the DECA program. The new patio will allow Shah Hall to serve as an informal gathering spot for future seniors. Plans are in the works to have an onsite patio with tables and an awning to provide shade, surrounded by planter boxes. There is also discussion of including benches with motivational phrases that reflect Harker values, like “kindness, patience and respect.” Last year, the senior class gift went toward honoring beloved former faculty member Jason Berry by creating an orchard in his memory. The Berry Orchard is now located in the space between Dobbins and Nichols halls.

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Memorable Night on the Town Gala Wows Crowd of 300

• By Catherine Snider

t was easy to understand the “Sky’s the Limit” theme of this year’s Night on the Town gala, held May 9 on the top of a hill with spectacular views of the mid-Peninsula, at the home of Susan and Scott McNealy (Scout, grade 8; Colt, grade 10; Dakota, grade 11; Maverick ’13).

Photos by Nicole DeVelbiss

The 300 attendees moved throughout the home visiting areas including the champagne patio, “view of the valley” swing spot, theater, casino and silent auction table. Guests enjoyed dinner under a beautiful sunset, and performances by several of Harker’s dance, show choir and instrumental ensembles. Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement, capped the dinner portion of the evening with the announcement that an additional $7 million had been pledged to the new gym and theater buildings from an anonymous donor who had already pledged $3 million during the initial Rothschild Challenge phase of the campaign. (Look for full coverage on the new gym and theater buildings in the advancement section on pg. 43.)

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Photos by Nicole DeVelbiss

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Art at Harker!

Schoolwide Art Exhibits Showcase Work of Budding and Seasoned Student Artists By Debbie Cohen

Art at Harker was in full bloom this past spring, during an array of creative and colorful exhibits held across all four campuses. Enjoy this look back at the varied and impressive artistic talents of students, who happily shared their “labors of love” with the Harker community.

Harker Preschool Holds Second Annual Art Show

For the second year in a row, Harker Preschool held its very own art show on the Union Avenue campus. The “Second Annual Year-End Art Showcase” featured works from every student on campus, which they had made in the art studio throughout the school year.

The captivating exhibit, which ran from May 1 to June 1, included works in the following categories: canvas paintings, self-portraits, ceramics, natural material collage, watercolor paintings, mixed media drawings and more. The exhibit was also a highlight of Grandparents’ Day at the preschool, held in May. “It was a cumulative display of preschool artistry!” enthused Alexandria Kerekez, Harker Preschool’s art specialist. Preschoolers of all ages are regularly invited into the art studio to paint, work with clay, hone their pencil skills and learn to observe the world around them while working in a variety of media, according to Kerekez. The school’s outdoor art area allows for further creative expression, where everyday things such as the sun, water and leaves can become part of a project. Photos provided by Alexandria Kerekez and Andrea Hart

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holds art exhibits. A unique show held in the winter was the “Amazing Rainbow Gallery Show,” in which Kerekez curated a unique display on the exploration and investigation of rainbows. It demonstrated how the preschool curriculum often emerges from the interests of the children – in this case when children observed rainbows in the sky. Contributions to the show included multimedia artwork from the students, as well as documentation of their work in the STEM and music and movement specialty classes. A fun highlight of the project was when the preschoolers made a rainbow on the ground with roller skates in the outdoor art studio. When asked about their favorite art project of the year, many of the 4- and 5-year-olds responded that it was “The Canvas Project.” That project, which was included in the spring art show, consisted of a collection of canvas paintings crafted by the eldest preschoolers. The representational work consisted of drafting an image of “a wish” and then translating it into an acrylic painting.

ART EXHIBITS

Lower School Art Show Celebrates Artistic Flair of K-5 Students

The lower school art show is a much-anticipated, beloved annual tradition. This year’s exhibition began with an opening reception in the gym’s foyer on the morning of April 27 and ran until May 21. Sponsored by the lower school art department and after-school art program, the show featured academic and after-school work from K-5 artists. The exhibition was shown in the main office, gym areas (including the lobby, kitchen, by the bleachers, stairwell and balcony), as well as the art rooms. Exhibiting students once again demonstrated an impressive range of artistic abilities. Artwork on display included monochromatic pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, collages and ceramics. Parents, faculty members and students alike enjoyed the display, which featured works arranged both by theme and grade level. According to Gerry-louise Robinson, lower school art teacher, this year’s show surpassed expectations. Reminiscing about the exhibit, she recalled: “The color, variety and detail in each and every piece on display would put a smile even on the harshest art critic’s face! Sunflowers, fanciful hens and rock guitars welcomed visitors into the gym lobby, while perfectly poised mannequins and cubist faces quietly watched students enjoy P.E. in the gym itself. Beware the eerie dark trees that followed you up the stairwell, guiding you through fall to winter and onto spring with pumpkins, penguins and printing. Finally, summer appeared with beautiful ceramic balloons and detailed insects. As only a snapshot of artwork, every grade from kindergarten to fifth helped to transform the lower school into a visual festival of creativity both in flat work and 3-D.” Hanging on a wall at the top of the stairs above the gym was a fun exhibit called “Ceramic Hot Air Balloons” made by kindergartners. The display featured hot air balloons made of clay, which appeared to be effortlessly floating amid the clouds. Another interesting ceramic display featured an array of colorful cat sculptures created by kindergartners and first graders in the after-school art program. The adorable animals were inspired by the artwork of popular artist Laurel Burch. “It was cool because you could see your work and everybody else’s and show your friends,” observed Anoushka Khatri, grade 5. “It was very nice because you could see everyone’s diversity which showed off through their art!” added Anya Warrier, also grade 5. Photos by William Cracraft

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art exhibits

Photo by Stefan Armijo

Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

Grade 6-8 Students Display Works at Both Middle and Upper School Campuses

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

The middle school’s annual “Spring Exhibition” went on display in April in the upper school’s main lobby gallery. Featuring selected art from students in all the middle school grades, the show also displayed culminating works from graduating grade 8 Art II students, which were on view in the adjacent college counseling gallery. The gallery shows held a joint opening reception on April 10. The main gallery exhibition ran through April 22, while the show in the college counseling office ran through May 1. The two shows then moved to the Blackford campus for the May 6 opening of the combined end-of-the-year exhibit in the multipurpose room. Sponsored by Harker’s middle school visual arts program, the middle school art shows included colorful paintings, sketches, ceramics, figurines and wire sculptures.

Photo by Stefan Armijo

This year, Elizabeth Saltos, middle school visual arts teacher, also hosted a just-for-fun, schoolwide “Jackson Pollock” cake eating party during the lunch period on May 15. Pollock was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting. “I have a video of Pollock working, and we study his role in developing non-objective art. The kids always want to throw paint like he did, so we throw frosting instead,” explained Saltos. Photo provided by Elizabeth Saltos Students who attended the cake party had a blast eating cake and checking out the art on display in the multipurpose room. Saltos said she felt particularly nostalgic about the graduating grade 8 students, whom she will miss teaching next year as they head off to high school. “These students worked with me for three years and really developed their skills,” observed Saltos.

Grade 8 exhibiting artist Anika Rajamani was one such student. Rajamani had taken Saltos’ elective sculpture course as a way to try something new. Standing in front of a Grecian urn she had created, Rajamani explained that she had always taken illustration art courses before. “This is the first sculpture piece I have ever made,” she said, proudly. “All the vessels on display here were made using the coil technique.” Meanwhile, her friend and fellow grade 8 student Ria Gupta had created a ceramic fountain that was on exhibit. The fountains were the culminating project of the advanced ceramics course, whereby each student designed a working tabletop water fountain, with no limits to creativity in terms of design. Both slab and wool techniques were utilized in these impressive works.

Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

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“After creating the fountain sculpture, we drilled holes and filled it with a water pump,” said Gupta. In the background came the soothing sounds of running water emanating from the prominently displayed fountains.

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ART EXHIBITS

Photo by Stefan Armijo

Upper School Art Show Transformed to ‘Artstravaganza le Deuxième!’ For many years the upper school art show has featured student works from projects created in its rich arts program. This year the event took on an exciting new twist as the upper school’s art and English departments joined forces to host the “Artstravaganza le Deuxième” during a long lunch in the Nichols Hall atrium on April 29.

Photo by Stefan Armijo

The well-attended reception began with the sound of The Harker School Jazz Band performing outside the hall at the beginning of lunch. The show also celebrated the recipients of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and the release of the Harker Eclectic Literary Magazine (HELM) 2014-15 publication. Photo by Nicole DeVelbiss

A reading in the auditorium featured the Scholastic winners and HELM contributors, as well as awards presented to selected winners for their works of art. Sarisha Kurup, grade 10, a Scholastic regional gold and silver award winner for writing, read an excerpt from one of her short stories. Fine arts teacher Pilar Agüero-Esparza noted that the Scholastic winners’ reading was a welcome addition to the event. She also said the show was going for a more formal feel this year and noted that it showcased a variety of literary and visual pieces, ranging from poems and short stories to photography, sculptures and drawings. Sophomore Alexa Gross was a guest speaker. She discussed her thoughts on having her visual pieces included in the exhibit, calling it a “great experience” to be able to showcase her artwork.

Photo by Stefan Armijo

After the formal reading and discussion, students proceeded to explore the works on display in the atrium. Among the highlights were photography juxtaposed with narratives, an assortment of wire and wood sculptures, ceramic objects, and numerous illustrations, including still-life and self-portraits. In February, the AP Studio Art (APSA) exhibit featured a collection of artworks from the largest group of APSA students ever, also in the Nichols atrium. In that show, the artworks of 23 students represented the approximate halfway point of their work on their concentration portfolio for the APSA exam in April.

Photo by Stefan Armijo

Photos by Nicole DeVelbiss

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New Discovery X Program a Journey of Self-Discovery for Grade 8 Students By Debbie Cohen

ear the end of the school year, 24 grade 8 students took to the stage to celebrate the exciting culmination of their work with the middle school’s new optional Discovery X program. During the student showcase, held on the evening of May 20 at the upper school’s Nichols Hall auditorium, the eighth graders shared with fellow participants and their families their experiences as the program’s inaugural members. The students had been working all year on independent research projects, with support from faculty advisors and outside mentors, many of who were also present at the event. At the beginning of the evening, students spent time informally mingling with parents and answering questions about their Discovery X endeavors, discussing both the joys and tribulations. Following that, as the program officially got underway, they presented some of the projects they had created.

Photos by Stefan Armijo

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While the projects they worked on varied greatly, the students all had one thing in common: enormous amounts of enthusiasm for their creations. The endeavors included bicycle building, animation, playwriting, playing the flute, choreography, modern dance, developing an app, podcasting, discovering meditation, pastry artistry, horse photography, developing a board game and sculpting. Discovery X participant Mathew Mammen chose woodworking, which has always been a passion of his, as his project. “I have always loved working with my hands, and I wanted to use Discovery X to dive further into it. My goals were to become a more knowledgeable and overall better woodworker,” said Mammen. He was mentored by Gary Hinrich, from Harker’s tech department, who is a master woodworker. “The first thing we made was a chest, where he taught me the basics of woodworking, how to be safe around power tools, and how to go about designing a project. Now we’re working on a wooden sphere that I managed to primarily design myself. In the future, I would like to keep working with Gary, and maybe I could start a woodshop in my family’s garage. I am very grateful for Discovery X,” said Mammen.

Photos by Stefan Armijo

“Why did we name the program Discovery X? Because X is the big question mark! Discovery X is an opportunity to study, create, devise, explore and discover something of personal interest.” – Patricia Burrows, middle school English teacher

Discovery X is intended to give student participants the opportunity to more fully explore areas they are passionate about. “It is a journey of learning where they choose their own topic of interest, find a mentor to support their learning, and hopefully gain a better understanding about the topic – and, more important, themselves,” explained middle school art instructor Elizabeth Saltos, who served as one of Discovery X’s 12 faculty advisors.

For example, renowned physicist Dr. Leonard Susskind of Stanford University was a Discovery X mentor. “Why did we name the program Discovery X? Because X is the big question mark! Discovery X is an opportunity to study, create, devise, explore and discover something of personal interest with a widening circle of adults who are committed to the students’ success beyond the classroom,” said middle school English teacher Patricia Burrows, who was instrumental in helping to implement the program. Burrows, who also served as faculty mentor for the program, added that while Discovery X requires a meaningful personal commitment and investment on the part of the student, it is not extrinsically rewarded or driven. And, while the process was aided by Harker faculty facilitators and expert (non-Harker) mentors, there were no grades or credits given upon the program’s completion. Moreover, all meetings with the facilitors and mentors took place during the students’ personal time, either at lunch or before and after school. “We wanted the students to know that we value their passions …. It was not about the outcome but the process,” recalled Burrows, noting that Discovery X is now slated to become an annual opt-in program for the middle school’s eighth graders.

Photos provided by Matthew Mammen, grade 8

Another participant, Devanshi Mehta, recalled that her Discovery X project was to form a Bollywood dance team. “Discovery X gave me the platform to share my ideas and progress with a group, and that motivated me to go further. My mentors checked up on me occasionally, just so that I could stay on track (and I’m very thankful for that). We were able to hold a Bollywood dance workshop at the middle school,” she said.

Moreover, explained Saltos, one of the main goals of the program was to give students practice and enjoyment in the process of learning how to contact and gain knowledge from professionals in their fields of interest. Discovery X mentors are professionals in various fields, who enjoy passing on their knowledge and expertise to inspire the next generation of innovators, designers, etc. Mentors worked with the students regularly with the support of a Harker faculty facilitator as needed. A few of the student mentors were Harker parents, but the majority were not. H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY

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Ninth Annual Cancer Walk Raises Over $10,000 for Camp Okizu For the ninth year in a row, young cancer patients attending Camp Okizu will benefit from the annual Harker Cancer Walk. On March 24, students, parents, family members, faculty and staff from Harker’s four campuses united at the middle school field for the walk, which has become a beloved annual tradition. Cindy Ellis, middle school head, was thrilled to report that “between the baked goods, smoothies, shirts and donations, we raised over $10,000!” Located in the Berry Creek area of the Sierra foothills and mirroring a residential camp experience, Camp Okizu provides a safe place for children with cancer to enjoy regular summer camp activities and social events.

The name Okizu (oak-eye-zoo) comes from the Sioux language and means “unity.” Camp Okizu is free of charge to all attendees, but it costs $700 to $1,000 to provide a weeklong camp experience for one child. Therefore, the camp relies on donations, making fundraising efforts such as the Harker Cancer Walk incredibly important. “There’s always a moment at each Cancer Walk when I stop and look around at everything that’s going on. People are smiling, laughing and talking. There’s hustle and bustle in front of various tables. And even though the event can be a reminder of something sad, it also can be a reminder of those wonderful days gone by,” recalled Michael Schmidt, middle school computer science teacher and department chair, who had the idea for the fundraiser following the passing of his own mother due to cancer. Today, he said, he no longer views

By Debbie Cohen

Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

GreaterGood

the Cancer Walk as just a tribute to his mother “as much as I think of it as a tribute to the people and relationships I’ve experienced at Harker. Thank you all for sharing that with me.” Prior to the walk, students engaged in activities to learn about different forms of cancer and cancer prevention strategies. In a further show of support for the fundraising effort, many teachers displayed door decorations with themes designed to promote cancer awareness. For more information about Camp Okizu: http://www.okizu.org/about. To read more Greater Good stories, please see our outreach link at: http://news.harker.org/ tag/outreach/. Among the most recent stories there are: Harker Teams Dominate in Kicks Against Cancer Soccer Games Student Builds Upper School Kiosk for Eagle Scout Project GSA Club Shows Support for LGBT Community Upper School Student Aims to Help Fight Cancer Middle School Wellness Week a Success! Middle School Raises Money for Learning Center in Kenya

“Between the baked goods, smoothies, shirts and donations, we raised over $10,000!” – Cindy Ellis, middle school head 54

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GEO and DECA Run Outreach Programs Upper School Organizes Benefit Concert for Autism Awareness

By Debbie Cohen

AlumniNews

A Look Back at the 2014-15 Keller Tour Every year Butch Keller, upper school head, and his wife, Jane, an upper school math teacher, look forward to the “Keller Tour.” The much-anticipated tour is actually an annual series of trips during which they visit with Harker alumni attending various colleges throughout the United States. With the 2014-15 Keller Tour now behind them, the couple took time out to share some of the highlights. “It seems like so long ago that we were chaperoning a debate trip at the Bronx Science High School and were able to slip away for dinner with the Columbia and NYU alums. That marvelous dinner was just a hint of the fun we would later be having during the Keller Tour,”

recalled Butch Keller. He went on to reminisce about the sun setting on a cold and windy day as he and his wife walked around the Boston College campus on a “wonderful tour” led by Michelle Douglas ’13, followed by a dinner with her and other alums attending the college. The next day the Kellers visited Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where they enjoyed dinner with a large group of alumni there. Soon after, WeiWei Buchsteiner ’14, Shreya Indukuri ’12 and Kimberly Ma ’14 graciously showed them around campus. Butch Keller noted that a fun fact of Keller Tour history is that Michelle Vu ’11 now “leads the way” with three Keller Tour dinner appearances. “She first joined us in Boston her freshman year, then joined us this fall in New York while visiting friends, and then finally this year we were with her at the Boston College event,” he said. Speaking of fun, he added, Naomi So ’11 was in Houston visiting Michelle Lo ’12 while they were on campus at Rice University. Won Hee Le ’10, also a Rice graduate, was also in Houston and joined along. “We truly appreciated those three spending their day with us!” Jane Keller said. Dinner that night was casual yet informative as the Kellers caught up with three additional Rice students: Kevin Mohanram ’14, Sapna

Suresh ’14 and Shilpa Nataraj ’12. While in Houston, the Kellers had the unexpected pleasure of spending time with Duke University student Drew GoldPhotos provided by MaryEllis Deacon stein ’13 who was in town for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament as one of the team managers. After the trip to the Northeast, the Keller Tour was off to sunny Southern California where Johnny Hughes ’14 escorted them around the Loyola Marymount campus, showing his dorm, class buildings and other hangout spaces with great pride. “It was obvious that Johnny had chosen a perfect home for his college experience. The LMU campus was beautiful with views spanning all of Los Angeles and out to the Pacific. Dinner following was a continuation of stories about his life at LMU [and] recollections of his time at Harker and how well-prepared he felt to begin his new journey,” noted Butch Keller. The following day, as the trip wound its way to a close, the Kellers traveled to Chapman University to tour the area with Nick Navarro ’14 before joining Alice Tsui ’13 at a local bistro for lunch. The first Keller Tour occurred in spring 2009 when the Kellers headed to New York to attend a performance by The Harker School Orchestra at Lincoln Center. Several alumni living in the area heard the Kellers were in town and asked them to stop by. Soon after, requests began flooding in from other alumni to “come out and see us,” recalled Butch Keller. Today, he added, the tour serves as an opportunity not only to stay in touch with alumni, but also to visit with them while they are still in college, gaining invaluable feedback on how well Harker prepared them for university life. “The Keller Tour concluded this year with many smiles and joyous moments leaving us excited to plan ahead for the 2015-16 tour!” he said. H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY

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AlumniNews ALUMNI SAVE THE DATES

OCT. 3 Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

Calling all Harker alumni: Please join us on Saturday, Oct. 3 for a family-friendly Homecoming tailgate party at the upper school campus, hosted by the alumni office.

OCT. 11

Record Attendance for Alumni Families Easter Egg Hunt The beautiful Union campus was once again the perfect setting for the fifth annual Harker Alumni Families Easter Egg Hunt. Held in March, the egg hunt attracted a record high of more than 130 people, with over 1,250 eggs hidden. Previously, the egg hunt had been held at the lower school campus. This year saw age divisions for egg hunting, and arts and crafts activities. Eggs were strategically hidden throughout the grounds. The day also featured a fun bounce house and surprise visit by the Easter Bunny, who posed for photographs with the children. “It was a wonderful morning of catching up with old and new friends,” recalled Karri Sakai Baker ’84, Harker’s director of alumni relations.

Celebrate the changing of the seasons with us at the harvest-themed 65th annual Harker Family & Alumni Picnic, held on the middle school campus on Sunday, Oct. 11! The alumni relations office is providing free admission to alumni and their immediate families, and hosting an alumni luncheon from noon-1 p.m. Come for some old-fashioned fun and new surprises!

DEC. 5

Santa’s Winter Wonderland, slated for Saturday, Dec. 5, promises to once again bring together alumni and their families. The special annual holiday celebration is held on the lower school campus for Harker alumni, faculty, staff and their families. Children will have the opportunity to take turns sitting on Santa’s lap and having pictures taken with him, as well as have fun playing games and doing arts and crafts. Stay tuned for more information from your class agents!

Stay Connected Connect with alumni through Facebook and LinkedIn as your new social and professional lives ramp up! We’d love to hear from you! http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Harker-Alumni166447 (or just go to LinkedIn and search for Harker alumni) https://www.facebook.com/ HarkerAlumniAssociation (or – you guessed it! – search for Harker Alumni Association while logged in to your Facebook account)

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We have partnered with EverTrue, an app that puts Harker’s alumni network right at your fingertips! Discover what your classmates are up to, find jobs and reconnect with old friends. Download the app, available for iPhone and Android, at http://web. evertrue.com/network/harker.

AlumniNews Harker Alumnus Travels the World Working as a Private Chef Harker alumnus and class agent Stephen Worsley ’72 has had an incredibly interesting and unique career, living out of a suitcase and traveling around the world working as a top Michelin-rated chef.

French catered dinners, romantic candlelit dinners, casual yet sumptuous lunches, and a variety of other gourmet meals.

boys. “I used to love hanging out and watching her. It was so exciting to me. It probably had something to do with planting the seeds of my becoming a chef!” he said.

“I love the international markets as I learn so much from these hardworking people, from Calcutta to Rio,” he said, adding that one of the most important lessons of working as a chef is to always “consider the audience” and know the tastes of those for whom you are cooking.

Professionally known as “Chef Stephen,” the alumnus who “loves to cook and travel” recently stopped by the upper school for a visit with Karri Baker ’84, Harker’s director of alumni relations. Harker Quarterly met up with Worsley for lunch in the Edge, where he was reminiscing with Baker about his days at Harker’s predecessor, the Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA), a school for boys in grades 1-9. Together, he and

Photo provided by Stephen Worsley ‘72

Baker pored over old photos taken when Worsley was a young PAMA boarding student. Harker food, he observed, has come a long way since PAMA’s school cafeteria. Worsley said he was “amazingly impressed” with all the lunch offerings at the upper school, made from scratch with fresh, locally purchased, wellbalanced quality items. He even had a chance to chat with Harker’s kitchen staff about their work and healthy food philosophy, which is similar to his own. Worsley recalled watching with fascination as the PAMA cook, Mrs. Kennedy, made grilled cheese sandwiches and tater tots for the

One interesting aspect of working as a chef on a boat is that, although you get to travel a lot, you never really see much of the sights, Worsley said. “Because the next meal is the most important thing, the moment I step off the boat I’m heading for the local market in search of the best fresh fruits and vegetables they have,” he explained. Worsley makes himself available for private hire, ready to go almost anywhere at a moment’s notice. He especially likes to work with “foody” sailing families (of up to eight with a crew) specializing in fresh fish presentations. Among his tailor-made culinary experiences are classical

“I am a living reminder of Harker history,” he said, referring to PAMA’s creation in 1919 under the direction of Richard P. Kelly. Donald L. Nichols assumed leadership of PAMA in 1950 and Howard E. Nichols assumed leadership of the school in 1973, eventually dropping the military program and expanding academics and other program offerings.

“I am a living reminder of Harker history.” – Stephen

Worsley ’72

Photo by Nicole DeVelbiss

Photo provided by Harker Archives

To date, Worsley has worked as a chef in more than 134 countries, studying and preparing many types of cuisine for luxury vacationers worldwide. He spent two boating seasons as a chef for a cruise ship in Croatia on the beautiful Dalmatian coast. His working motto, he noted, is: “Have knife, will travel.”

Worsley credits his time at PAMA with helping to instill a strong work ethic. He worked his way up through the PAMA ranking system to win a special “Drill Down Award” and become the school’s “most improved cadet.” He said he also learned how to juggle two worlds – that of a young man attending a military academy while simultaneously growing up in the radically changing times of the ’60s and ’70s.

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AlumniNews

By Debbie Cohen

Alumni Association Warmly Welcomes Class of 2015 The Class of 2015 was officially welcomed into the Harker Alumni Association during an induction luncheon in the Nichols Hall atrium on May 21. The event took place after the seniors’ graduation rehearsal at Mountain Winery, giving the students a chance to pause and reflect upon their final year at Harker. During the luncheon, prizes were handed out to students who had participated in the senior trip’s volleyball tournament and sandcastle-building contest. The seniors were then introduced to their class agents, who will act as liaisons between Harker’s alumni department and the 2015 graduates. In preparation for college, each senior received what has become a fun Harker tradition: a laundry bag along with instructions on doing one’s own laundry. Finally, the soonto-be-graduates wrote special messages to friends, teachers, parents and others to be placed in a time capsule that will be opened at the Class of 2015’s 10-year reunion. They hung out after the event to sign yearbooks and visit with friends from other grades.

Photos by Stefan Armijo

Alumni Association Sponsors Harker Golf Classic at Renowned Stanford University Course A variety of special awards and prizes, as well as numerous generous sponsors, helped make the event special. Capping off the occasion was a 19th-hole reception on the clubhouse patio for golfers, as well as non-golfers wishing to join in on the fun. At the end of the day, the winning foursome was announced: Jen Eng, Raymond Hsieh, Herb Repp and Robert Nakamura.

Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

This year marked the first time the annual Harker Golf Classic was presented by the Harker Alumni Association. The successful event took place on April 13 at the Stanford University Golf Course, raising funds for Harker’s general endowment fund. The 2015 Harker Golf Classic brought together Harker alumni, parents, alumni parents and their friends, totaling about 80 golfers. The fundraiser was largely spearheaded by Jeremy Pomer ’91 and Jeff Rogers ’84. Former Harker faculty member Howard Saltzman and current lower school math teacher Pat Walsh served as honorary marshals for the day, handing out prize ribbons and libations to golfers. 58

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The Stanford golf course, designed in 1930 by renowned golf course architects William Bell and George C. Thomas, is located in the foothills above the Stanford University campus. In 2009, it was rated the nation’s third-best college course by golf coaches. “It was a great game of golf and, more important, all the participants left with the wonderful knowledge that they had helped raise funds for Harker’s general endowment, which will benefit future generations of students,” enthused Karri Sakai Baker ’84, director of alumni relations.

Submitted by Class Agents

ClassNotes

Alumni from all classes through 1997 are listed under the years they would have completed grade 8 at The Harker School, Harker Academy, Harker Day School or Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA). For all classes after the Class of 1997, alumni are listed under the class years they would have graduated from high school, regardless of whether they completed high school studies at Harker. For unlisted classes, we invite you to email alumni@harker.org if you are interested in becoming a class agent or would like to nominate a classmate.

1972 Class Agent: Stephen Worsley (saworsley@hotmail.com)

1973 Class Agent: Alan Stevens (alanclassreunion@earthlink. net)

1976 Class Agents: Joy Aliason Younes (joycyounes@yahoo.com); Cindy Cottrell DeAngelo (cldeangelo@yahoo.com)

Provided by Andre Woodvine ‘76

Andre Woodvine wrote that he attended Harker Academy from 1973-76 and has fond memories of playing in the Harker band under musical director Dana Morgan. In 1976 his family immigrated to the Caribbean island of Barbados. After initially studying for a career in sciences, Andre realized his abilities and love for music

Provided by Andre Woodvine ‘76

Stephen Worsley is living and working abroad as a private traveling chef. Read all about it in the Alumni News section on page 57.

were stronger. In 1986 he earned a music degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston. Andre has released four albums of original Caribbean jazz, assisted in the creation of an associate degree of music program in Barbados, and regularly performs concerts in France and the Caribbean. “Follow your passions toward your own definition of success” is Andre’s advice to future musicians.

1977

1981 Class Agent: Kristin (Scarpace) Giammona (kristing@harker.org)

1982 Class Agents: Tina (Johnson) Murray (tinammurray@earthlink.net); Pauline (de Vos) Aasen (thedutchfox@gmail.com); Keil Albert (kaalbert@geo-consultants.com)

1984 Class Agents: Karri Baker (karribaker@me.com); Jeff Rogers (jeff@viviansdad.com) Kristin Quintin (kristinq1030@yahoo.com)

Class Agent: Mike Pons (michael.pons@gmail.com)

1987

1978

1988

Class Agent: Silvia Malaccorto (smalaccorto@contoural.com)

1979 Class Agent: Chip Zecher (chipzecher@hotmail.com)

1980 Class Agent: Greg Argendeli (slackmaster@gmail.com) Lisa Sharon Morel (lisa.morel@gmail.com)

Michelle Nguyen (Kernsting@yahoo.com)

Class Agents: Eric Xanthopoulos (eric.xanthopoulos@gmail. com); Aileen Eveleth (a_eveleth@yahoo.com)

reconnect with David Owens, whom he taught back in the fifth grade. Now David works as a grade 5 teacher himself, at Hall Middle School in Larkspur. “I've attached a photo of me with my wife, Karen, from our annual fifth grade Colonial Day. We co-teach two Photo provided by David Owens ‘89 grade 5 classes. We currently live in San Francisco,” he said.

1990 Class Agent: Jennifer Cady Logan (skinbyjennifer@gmail.com) Chris Yamashita (iamtheyamo@yahoo.com)

1991 Class Agent: Ashley Anderson (anderbruin@gmail.com)

1992 Class Agent: Amanda Mathias Bonomi (amandambonomi@gmail.com)

1993

1989 Class Agent: Katie Wilson (mkate_wilson@yahoo.com) Harker lower school math teacher Pat Walsh recently had the opportunity to

Class Agents: Joy Paterson (joypaterson@gmail.com); Tala Banato (tala.banato@gmail.com); Kelle Sloan (kelles@harker.org)

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ClassNotes 1994

Class Agent: Leyna Cotran (leynacotran@gmail.com)

1995 Class Agent: Lisa (Bowman) Gassmann (lisagassmann@gmail.com)

1996 Class Agent: Ashley S. Franke (ashley.franke@gmail.com)

1997 Class Agents: Chelsea Gilliland (cgilliland@gmail.com); Lindsey Hochrine (lynn.laka@fireskyresort.com)

graduate. She was featured (with both a quote and photo) in a thoughtprovoking front-page article in The Washington Post on the future value of a legal degree. In the piece, she shared that she wants to practice public interest law, but said she didn’t enter law school with “blinders on about the job market.” To read the full piece: http://wapo.st/1J4ESAO.

Congratulations to Alexander Wang (MS ’98) who was named one of “The 100 Most Influential People” by Time Magazine. The magazine recently released its annual list and Alex was one of the few fashion designers among the elite to make the cut.

2003 Class Agents: Julia N. Gitis (juliag@gmail.com); Maheen Kaleem (maheenkaleem@gmail.com) Maheen Kaleem is a recent Georgetown University Law Center 60

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Class Agents: Jacinda A. Mein (mjacinda@gmail.com); Jessica C. Liu (jess.c.liu@gmail.com)

2005 Class Agent: Erika N. Gudmundson (erika.gudmundson@ gmail.com)

2006 Class Agents: Meghana Dhar (meghanadhar@gmail.com); Jeffrey Le (Jeff87@gmail.com); Casey Near (caseylane@gmail.com) Steve Boyle has been getting rave reviews for his work directing the play “Exit, Pursued by a Bear,” which had a successful run with the City Lights Theater Company, ending mid-June.

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Photo provided by Casey Near ‘06

Sharon Her recently graduated with her M.A. in education with an emphasis on child life in hospitals and is currently working as a certified child life specialist (CCLS) at Sutter Children‘s Center in Sacramento. She helps support the psychosocial well-being of all the kids and families there through procedural preparation and support, education and play.

Lauren Harries recently traveled to Georgia on a secret project with a local theater company to compete against a diverse pool of entertainment groups in a reality variety show called “Fake Off.” The first episode aired on May 6. “Episodes air at 10 p.m. (Eastern time) on

Photo provided by Lauren Harries ‘06

Class Agents: Akhsar Kharebov (axarharebate@gmail.com); Yasmin Ali (yasminfali@gmail.com); Isabella Liu (isabella.a.liu@gmail.com)

the TruTV network every Wednesday through June 10 (the finale). If you don't have the network in your cable package, episodes may be watched through the network's website the morning after the air date,” reported Lauren. Check out the show’s main webpage: http://www.trutv.com/ shows/fake-off/index.html.

has this cast and show ticking like a fine Swiss watch.” Steve worked with the Santa Cruz Shakespeare performing arts theater last summer and, during his senior year at Harker, was a student director in the Conservatory. Look for a full profile on Steve and his performing arts work in the fall issue of Harker Quarterly!

Jigish Patel and Charitha Reddy got engaged at Harker’s upper school campus. Please see the Celebrations section for details!

2004 2002

Of the play, critic John Orr at Regarding Arts said, “Director Steve M. Boyle

After three years of working from 3 a.m.-4 p.m. on the trade floor of the world's largest asset management company, Roshni Mehra left her job in finance to pursue her passion in philanthropy. Most recently, Roshni started working at Stanford University‘s Graduate School of Business in the external relations and development office, and is a freelance writer for the health and nutrition section of India. com. Roshni also sent in a photo taken at an impromptu ’06 mini-reunion in Ghirardelli Square. Shown, from left, are: Shilpika Lahri ’07 and

ClassNotes ’06 alums Priya Takiar, Roshni, Amulya Mandava and Jaya Pareek. Sasha Stepanenko got married. Please see the Celebrations section for details!

2007 Class Agents: Cassie Kerkhoff (ckerkhoff@ucsd.edu); Audrey Kwong (audmusic@gmail.com)

2008 Class Agents: Stephanie Syu (ssyu363@yahoo.com); Senan Ebrahim (sebrahim@fas.harvard.edu) Alex Underwood has returned to Harker – to work! Alex recently joined the Harker staff as a theater technician in the performing arts department at the upper school campus. Welcome back to Harker, Alex! Catherine Chiu, now in medical school at UCSF, returned to the upper school with fellow former classmate Neelaysh Vukkadala (also a UCSF medical student) to lead an engaging suturing workshop for advanced science students at the end of April.

2009

Class Agents: Rachel Wang (rachel.serendipity@gmail.com) Stephanie Guo (stephanie.j.guo@gmail.com)

2010

Class Agents: Kevin Fu (kf800@yahoo.com); Adrienne Wong (adriee@gmail.com)

2011

Class Agents: Rani Mukherjee (rani.mukherjee18@gmail.com); Hassaan Ebrahim (hassaan.e@gmail.com) In mid-March, upper school math teacher Victor Adler met up with 19 Harker alumni at Gather restaurant in Berkeley. The alumni in attendance were from the classes of 2011 and 2014.

Photos provided by Victor Adler

2012

Rachelle Koch coauthored a research paper about a University of

to press, Maverick won the Haskins Award for his stellar performance on the links as part of the Stanford golf team! This prestigious award is given to the top college player in golf. Read all about it: http://bit. ly/1Fq9shp. http://www.wsj.com/ articles/the-golfingupstart-of-siliconvalley-1431125032

Photo provided by Rachelle Koch ‘12

This new study was published by the scientific journal “Cognition.” See more at: http://news.uchicago. edu/article/2015/05/28/ acquiring-perfect-pitchmay-be-possible-someadults#sthash.6I39ZNdx. a0eF7fet.dpuf.

2013 Class Agents: Kathir Sundarraj (13KathirS@alumni. harker.org); Nikhil Panu (13NikhilP@alumni. harker.org); Nicholas Chuang (13NicholasC@alumni. harker.org)

Class Agents: Will Chang (thewillchang@gmail.com); David Fang (david.fang75@gmail.com)

Photo provided by Eric Marten

Chicago study in which participants were taught to identify piano notes by sound alone, demonstrating that absolute pitch can be a learned skill.

Maverick McNealy is getting serious attention for his golf game, though he says he'll probably still go into business (sooner or later) after college! Recently there was a great KTVU (http://bit.ly/1J6zTjr) piece on him, and here are a couple of articles, both from the Wall Street Journal, on his plans and how his presence could affect the game. And, in breaking news as Harker Quarterly was about to go

http://www.wsj.com/ articles/what-golf-needs-arival-for-rory-1428506420 Over spring break, some 2013 alums - Curran Shah, Kevin Susai, Rags Selvaraj, Neel Bhoopalam and Tiphaine Delepine met up at USC. They had a blast catching up and meeting each other‘s new friends. Not pictured: Nick Chuang, Ragini Bhattacharya, Raghav Sehtia, Michael Amick and Adithram Rengaramchandran.

Photo provided by Karri Sakai Baker ‘84

Cecilia Lang-Ree was named national champion in late May for Individual Advanced Walk-Trot-Canter at the national finals of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association in Springfield, Mass. She competed as an individual, representing Stanford University, where she’s a sophomore.

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Photo provided by Laura Lang-Ree

Photo provided by Roshni Mehra ‘06

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ClassNotes

2014 Class Agents: Nithya Vemireddy (nithya.vemireddy@gmail.com) Adith Rengaramchandran (adithram@gmail.com) Connie Li (connieli32@gmail.com) Zina Jawadi was elected president of the Hearing 62

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2015 Class Agents: Katy Sanchez (ktlynnsanchez@gmail.com) Nikhil Reddy (reddnikhil@gmail.com) David Lin (david.lin210@gmail.com) Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari (jetongutierrez@gmail.com) The Class of 2015 is already making news. Four of the 20 featured in Business Insider’s story of the most impressive high school grads are from Harker! The Harker students included in the article are Samantha Madala, Rohith Kuditipudi, Andrew Jin and Daniela Lee. To see the full story: http://www.businessinsider. com/most-impressive-kidsgraduating-from-highschool-2015-5?op=1. Congratulations to the Class of 2015 on your graduation and welcome to the Alumni Association! We look forward to hearing updates from you!

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Alumni Celebrations Please join us in congratulating the following alumni: Sasha Stepanenko ’06 has had a busy year, finishing her Ph.D. program in clinical psychology and getting married in March. Many of her classmates were in attendance, including Casey Near, who officiated, and Gail Nakano and Ankur Gupta, who were in the wedding party. Sasha and her husband, Ryan Soykin, also enjoyed spending time with Alexi Ladonnikov ’05, Casey Blair ’06, Naushad Godrej ’06, Mariah Bush ’06, Steve Boyle ’06 and Shivani Bhargava ’06.

Photo provided by Casey Near ‘06

Indu Seeni and Shreya Vemuri recently dropped by the alumni relations office for a visit. Indu is attending St. Bonaventure University in upstate New York, and Photo by Karri Sakai Baker '84 Shreya is enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University. Both were home for spring break. Indu had just enjoyed lunch with classmate Jenny Chen. Shreya and Indu were friends from Harker’s middle school, and still keep in touch.

Loss Association of America, California State Association (HLAA-CA). She has been HLAA-CA webmaster since July 2013 and served as HLAA-CA Facebook moderator from 2013 to 2014. Zina has interned at the UCSF Otology and Cochlear Implant Center and at the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles. Zina is a threetime recipient of the United States President’s Volunteer Service Award, is the recipient of the 2014 HLAA Outstanding Young Adult Award, and was the founder of the Disability Awareness Program at Harker. Zina attends Stanford University.

Photo provided by Joe Rosenthal

Drew Goldstein is now sporting an NCAA Championship ring following Duke University’s successful basketball season. Drew is team manager and helps throughout the season with game videos, sideline needs and equipment wrangling, all of which contributed to the team’s success. “It was great to watch him during and after a game,” said Butch Keller, upper school head. “We had a couple of text exchanges and he is so excited – as he should be!” Take a look at Drew’s sportscenter’s Instagram account; he is the red-haired guy on top of the pile! https://instagram. com/p/1KLr9GH_qZ/?takenby=sportscenter.

Last year for the summer issue we ran an alumni Celebrations photo about a couple (Heidi Wang ’08 and Neil Chao ’06) who had some of their engagement photos taken at Harker’s upper school campus. This year, we are thrilled to report that a couple from 2003 took things a step further and actually got engaged on campus! Congratulations to Jigish Patel, who proposed to Charitha Reddy in the gym at the upper school, which had been cleverly decorated to look like a scene from a high school dance, thanks to assistance from Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement. Rosenthal recalled coaching Jigish in basketball back in grade 5, and was thrilled that Jigish contacted the alumni office and expressed how much Harker still meant to both him and Charitha. “We had been good friends in high school and reconnected a few years ago so it seemed like a natural place to propose since it was filled with good memories for both of us! It was really hard keeping it a secret but I had a lot of help from both of our families so she would be surprised!” said Jigish. “We are so glad to have them share this special moment as part of the Harker family!” said Rosenthal.

LookingAhead KEYDATES Preschool Mon., Aug. 24 Orientation (Parents Only) Tue., Aug. 25 Little Visits (Parents with Children) Wed., Aug. 26: Classes begin Welcome Coffee Thurs., Sept. 3 Cottage Cookout

Lower School Fri., Aug. 21 Welcome to Kindergarten Barbecue Mon., Aug. 24 (Kindergarten) Parent/Student Orientations Tue., Aug. 25 (Grades 1-5) Parent/Student Orientations Wed., Aug. 26: Classes begin K-5 Welcome Breakfast

Pledge Week Oct. 4-10, 2015

Save the Date! 2015

Middle School Fri., Aug. 21 Parent/Student Welcome Day Parent Welcome Breakfast and Volunteer Signup Mon., Aug. 24: Classes begin

Upper School Wed., Aug. 19 (Grade 9 and New to Upper School) Parent Orientation Thurs., Aug. 20 Student Orientation/Class Activities (Grades 9-12) Fri., Aug. 21 (Grades 9-12) Student Matriculation/Photo Day Mon., Aug. 24: Classes begin

Labor Day Holiday Mon., Sept. 7 - No Classes (Preschool-12) Visit the website for complete calendar information.

65th Annual Family & Alumni Picnic

SUN., OCT.11, 2015 10 A.M.-3:30 P.M.

HOMECOMING Davis Field | Sat., Oct. 3

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.

H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY

SUMMER 2015

1979

Harker Summer

Photo courtesy of the Harker Archives

othing says summertime like that first leap into the pool, as all these happy faces attest! Every year hundreds of swimmers enjoy time in one of Harker’s two pools. Harker’s archives abound with photos of swimmers on outings, in classes and in summer camps, as well as of the

dozens of swimmers who compete each year wearing Harker colors. All lower school summer campers spend time in the pool over their three- or four-week sessions. Many more of all ages get private lessons at the Singh Aquatic Center on the upper school campus. This photo is the start of a relay race in 1979. We liked it because it captures that iconic moment — the first plunge into a cool pool on a warm afternoon on an endless summer day.

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C a l i f o r n i a O of C: 6/15 (BHDG/JJJ/RM/DQP) 5,635