The Harker Quarterly, Fall 2013

Littlest Students Delight in Discovery at New Preschool

Students Visit Tanzania on Inaugural Trip Entrepreneurial Alumni Blaze Career Paths Harvest Festival Ups the Fun Factor “Chef Steve” Offers Healthy, Tasty and Varied Food for All fa l l 2 013

Volu m e 5 · N u m b e r 1

Cover Photo Our biggest news this year is that we opened Harker Preschool, so it was inescapable that we feature students

FALL

from the preschool on the cover of our first issue of the

Pam Dickinson Director

2013-14 Harker Quarterly. We have many irresistible photos of our newest students and it was tricky trying to choose between them. This little gal caught our eye for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the concentration she’s showing while working on her project. One of the hardest parts of photographing little ones is that they often immediately engage the photographer and the candid photograph goes out the window. This little lady stuck to her watering can, drizzling life into her project, ignoring staff photographer Kyle Cavallaro as he collected images on the historic first day of the preschool.

2 013 / V o l u m e 5 · N u m b e r 1

William Cracraft Editor Catherine Snider Copy Editor Kyle Cavallaro Photo Editor

Steve M. Boyle ‘06 Mariah Bush ‘06 Debbie Cohen Ellen DeBiase Jessica Ferguson Melinda Gonzales Samantha Hoffman ‘13 Zach Jones Eric Marten Devin Nguyen ‘12 Diane Villadsen ‘11 Contributors Blue Heron Design Group Rebecca McCartney Triple J Design Design Diamond Quality Printing Printing

“I was looking for good, dynamic interactive shots that showed the children were into the play areas, play equipment and interacting with other little kids,” said Cavallaro. “I was just trying to capture the fun of the first day of preschool! This little girl was just so focused on her water play area, so I quickly walked over to get some shots of her and her little friends, and the shot turned out great, showing the ‘in the now’ focus and attention that little kids so often display.”

We just want to add a special “Welcome!” to all our new families this year, and especially to these tiny tots, our littlest Eagles.

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

Find, Friend & Follow Us!

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

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

Do You Prefer to Read Harker Quarterly Online?

We know that many of you like to enjoy Harker Quarterly online and would prefer to save a tree, so feel free to opt out. If you would rather not get Harker Quarterly in the mail, send an email to communications@harker.org and we’ll alert you with a link to each issue when it is posted to our account on issuu.com.

support one another and celebrate each other’s efforts and successes, at Harker and beyond.

Harker is a dynamic, supportive, fun and nurturing community where kids and their families make friends for life.

Printed on 100% recycled paper

The Harker School is an independent, coed, college-prep school serving preschool through grade 12.

Shuttle Scuttlebutt More than 60 students are using the intercampus shuttles so far this year, which now includes a pickup at our new Union Ave. campus. We also have a growing number signing up for the Harkerrun community bus service locations, as well: Peninsula, Fremont and Silver Creek. We’re thrilled to be offering this convenience to our families, and it also helps us be good neighbors and reduce the traffic around each of our campuses. Watch for more information about Harker’s new Good Neighbor Plan, coming soon!

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: DECEMBER 2013 2

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

24 FALL 2013

inside

features

38

Littlest Students Delight in Discovery at Harker’s New Preschool

6

Smiles Abound at Summer Camps, Institutes and Sports Camps

8

Students Visit Tanzania on Inaugural Trip

16

Entrepreneurial Alumni Blaze Career Paths 20

Picnic Re-Orientation as Harvest Festival Ups the Fun Factor 24

Green Programs Driven by Energy, Initiative and Participation 26

“Chef Steve” Offers Healthy, Tasty and Varied Food for All 28

6

16 20

departments

Milestones 18

Eagle Report 22

Greater Good 30

28

Advancement 32

Performing Arts 36

Global Education 38

Alumni News 40

8 26 H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY

FALL 2 0 1 3

3

2013 Matriculation Address

Headlines

By Christopher Nikoloff Head of School

Happiness, Goodness and Gratitude Go Hand in Hand

G

ood morning. I would like to welcome the

character and community have been the school’s mission

entire community, and in particular the classes

since its beginning. We owe our gratitude to all of the

of 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 to this year’s

students, teachers, staff and administrators who dedicated

matriculation ceremony, a tradition that we

themselves to this school and its values over its long

as a community have practiced since the

history. We are a reflection of their work; we hope to

inaugural year of the upper school in 1998. I would also like

be what they hoped for; we owe it to them to carry the

to dedicate today’s ceremony to the memory and example

promise forward.

of Jason Berry. The original theme of my talk was gratitude, which I believe still fits, as I am sure Mr. Berry would want us to be grateful for what we have and those who surround us.

He would want us to have the best year possible.

Today I am grateful for a video on gratitude sent to me

by Harker parent Claude Cartee. The creator of the video, Dennis Prager, states that both goodness and happiness depend upon gratitude. He says that there has never been

In the early years of the upper school, when we were a

an ungrateful happy person in the history of humankind.

smaller school, we bused the entire community to Villa

By this logic it may be safe to assume that there has never

Montalvo and in that lovely setting committed ourselves

been an ungrateful good person as well. We can only

to the values expressed in the matriculation oath. Now we

know this a priori of course. I am grateful I finally had an

take the matriculation oath here, in what is affectionately

opportunity to use the phrase “a priori” in a speech.

known as the quad, tying together the values of the oath and the campus where we will honor those values.

I am also grateful for the opportunity I had this summer to travel to Tanzania with 11 wonderful students – Alyssa,

The matriculation oath itself, though born with the

Logan, Jonathan, Monica, Namrata, Lea, Shazdeh, Kenny,

upper school in 1998, reflects values dear to The Harker

Parth, Raymond, Callie – and three adults – Dr. Dhoran, Dr.

School since its founding by Frank Cramer in 1893 as

Kamins, and our own Ms. Anita Chetty, the true visionary

Manzanita Hall. Lifelong learning, well-rounded programs,

of the trip. To commemorate the trip I am wearing my

Photo

Photo

4

by Kyle

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

aro

Cavall

FALL 2 0 1 3

e 10

i, grad

an Da

nath s by Jo

Headlines Tanzanian tie, a gift from the students, sporting the

principal and the board chair of the school on a Saturday

country’s colors, and made with small beads in the style

to give them the books. The principal said the books will

of the Masai tribe’s traditional handicrafts. Allow me to

propel his school to new heights. In a world where we can

indulge in a few inside jokes: the journalism jeep by far had

download “Moby Dick” on our cell phones while waiting

the most swag; there were numerous Parth sightings; we

in the grocery line, his students have just one book per 17

found a Chipotle in Arusha; a leopard is difficult to “spot”;

students. The school of almost a thousand students has just

some of the big cats were “lyin’” around on the Serengeti.

14 teachers. Classes have close to 100 students in them.

This was a groundbreaking trip for Harker in many ways.

The principal wanted to pass on a message to our

It was the school’s first trip to sub-Saharan Africa, and

students. He urged Harker students to take full advantage

the half-day eye clinic with the Masai tribe was our first

of their educational opportunities, to listen to their

direct service in Africa. 2013 saw another groundbreaking

teachers and work hard. I deliver his message not because

trip: the business and entrepreneurial trip to India. Harker

I doubt you will follow it or because I think you need

students and faculty, with trips like these, are carrying

reminding of the principal’s advice. I repeat his message

on a long tradition of global citizenship, initiated in 1992

for him, because I know that he would want to know that

with the trailblazing exchange between the Tamagawa

we have true gratitude for the rich academic and personal

School in Tokyo, Japan, and The Harker School. Harker

experience this community offers and that we do not take

students were on five continents in this past summer

it for granted. I believe we owe it to him and his students

alone, realizing the vision of fostering global citizenship

to remind ourselves to be grateful for all we have.

that longtime head of school and current board chair Diana Nichols had for many decades.

This talk is perhaps not much more than the equivalent of what we used to hear from our parents at dinner: eat

I am grateful for witnessing our students’ willingness to

your vegetables because they are starving in Africa. I

serve during the eye clinic for the Masai villagers. Many

guess I am saying appreciate your books, your eyesight,

Masai showed up to be tested for and potentially receive

your community, because not everyone is as fortunate as

eye glasses that improved their near vision. We had Masai

we are. There is one difference though, and that is the

elders attend who most likely never had an eye exam

following: now we are hearing the same advice from real

or even a health exam, outside of what their traditional

people who care that we care, and whom our students

herbalist could offer. At the end of the clinic the elders of the Masai tribe were gathering in front of the school wearing their glasses. One 80-year-old grandmother sported a black pair of glasses with the word “sexy” written on the frame. It was heartwarming to watch our students set up their stations and get to work without complaint, like they had been working for the U.N. for years. The students also donated 15

This same sense of service drove the students to

Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen master, has said that we do not stop to be mindful of the miracle of our eyes, our ability to walk, our loved ones around us. I have often said that the world isn’t looking for more smart, evil people. The parts of our mission that speak to kindness, respect and global citizenship are as important as any, and our students are reflecting these values locally and globally every day. But it starts with gratitude, and that is

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

goats to the village.

have directly met due to our global outreach.

what I wish for you this year. Thank you.

raise funds to purchase books and deliver them to a village school outside Arusha. We met with the

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

5

Photos by

Kyle Cavalla

ro

Harker Preschool Now Open!

T

By Debbie Cohen

he much anticipated sound of children at play filled the first day of school at Harker Preschool, which officially opened for classes on Sept. 3.

“We had a wonderful and memorable first day! The teachers and administration can’t tell you how great it was to see our beautiful space finally filled with children. The best part was that smiling children, teachers and parents could be found on the way into school and the way out,” said Andrea Hart, preschool director.

Located on Union Avenue, Harker Preschool sits on an 8-acre site which was purchased

by Harker from the county last year.

Renovations had been underway since January to prepare for the preschool, which received final approval on July 18 from the state and licensing agency.

Following the excitement of getting the

6

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

licensing – and launching a new preschool website – were outreach and marketing efforts that had been waiting until official license approval. Adding to the anticipation was a tremendous leaning in by the entire Harker community, with volunteer parents working alongside faculty and staff to help unpack boxes and get classrooms set up for the big day.

A flurry of official activities occurred just before the preschool’s grand opening, including a new parent orientation and a Little Visit event.

The Little Visit day, which took place at the end of August, was designed to give both parents and children the opportunity to visit the school, become comfortable in the space, spend time with teachers and meet some

classmates. Families were divided into two small groups per classroom and were able to play and explore in the cottages and out in the nearby yard.

Some of the preschool students have siblings attending The Harker School’s lower, middle and upper schools.

“We’re very excited to add the preschool to our K-12 school community,” said Chris Nikoloff, head of school.

The new play-based preschool will offer programs for 3-yearolds, 4-yearolds and transitional kindergartners.

With a focus on child-

centered learning and teacher-guided explorations, Harker Preschool offers a curriculum rich with music, art, movement and nature. All of the preschool teachers have college degrees and backgrounds working with children.

based laboratory preschool at Stanford University. She started her educational career years before that teaching in local Montessori preschools. Hart is also a former student of the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership at Columbia University.

“We are building a very special place for young children, with kind, passionate and highly qualified teachers giving guidance.

We also have a large, thoughtfully developed campus, and the best blend of early childhood education philosophies enabling children to develop and learn while engrossed in rich, hands-on play experiences,” said Hart.

“We are all so excited about the new preschool,” said longtime Harker employee Kelly Espinosa, who oversees the school’s summer and preschool programs. “It is a beautiful facility that promises to be a oneof-a-kind experience for young children,” she added.

A Bay Area native, Hart previously spent 11 years working as a teacher at the Bing Nursery School, the play-

For more information about the new Harker Preschool, contact preschool@harker.org.

And look for updates about the new Union campus and preschool in continuous coverage by Harker Quarterly.

" Prithvi has recently been asking to go back to school after he wakes up from his afternoon nap. Kudos to his teachers, without whose help and encouragement this wouldn't have been possible in such a short span of time."

—Swapna Pandey, parent of a child who attends the half-day 3-year-old class.

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

" We are building a very special place for young children, with kind, passionate and highly qualified teachers giving guidance."

– Andrea Hart, Preschool Director

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

7

at Harker

By Debbie Cohen

Harker Summer Attracts Record Number of Participants for Camp+, Sports, and the English Language and Summer Institutes “Harker summer had everything a camp consumer could want.”

Photo by Jessica Ferguson

—Kelly Espinosa, director

the Harker summer menu were: a camp for young kids, an institute for middle and high school-aged students, a program for foreigners to learn English, a large and varied sports camp, and a swim school that even adults could attend.

S

ummertime fun kicked into high gear at Harker this year, as enrollment for camps and other seasonal programming skyrocketed across all three campuses, resulting in a recordbreaking number of participants.

Shortly after school let out, Harker opened its doors to the public, becoming a one-stop-summer-program-shop by extending its huge variety of offerings to K-12 students both locally and from around the globe.

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

on

8

enrollment, there were exciting new happenings in both the English Language Institute (ELI) and Summer Institute (SI). At the lower school ELI saw a huge jump in enrollment specific to elementary school students. Meanwhile, at the upper school, SI successfully added specialty classes to its afternoon activity program.

In addition to the larger number in overall

Photo by Jessica Fer gus

According to Harker’s summer programs office, attendance at all summer happenings totaled 2,740 participants. On

“We were thrilled and delighted at the incredible turnout for Harker summer this year!” enthused Kelly Espinosa, longtime director of summer programs.

She noted that Harker has been providing outstanding summer programming for more than half a century.

Photos by Devin Nguyen ‘12

“Harker summer had everything a camp consumer could want,” said Espinosa, adding that she was also pleased to see how many non-Harker students chose to spend their summer at the school.

Many of the summer articles have expanded versions at news.harker.org.

HARKER SUMMER LEARNING

Photo by Tanya Schmidt ‘08

From backyard games held on the field to volleyball boot camp and “cooking corner” in the gym and kitchen, SI students this past summer enjoyed brand new specialty class period offerings.

It was all part of Harker’s increasingly popular Summer Institute program, held

Photo by Tanya Schmidt ‘08

L

aughing and shielding their eyes from the sun, a group of Summer Institute (SI) participants casually tossed a Frisbee to one another out on Rosenthal Field. Meanwhile, in the upper school gym, another group of students playing volleyball couldn’t help but notice the delicious aroma from the nearby kitchen where a cooking class was underway.

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

Summer Institute Offers New Specialty Classes for its Afternoon Activity Program

on the Saratoga campus.

Open both to Harker students and the general public in grades 6-12, the institute ran from June 17 through Aug. 9.

Holding a plate of freshly made scrambled eggs in her cooking class, Romina Parimi, a grade 6 student at San Jose’s Challenger Berryessa School, called it her favorite special activity.

As a non-Harker student and first-time participant to SI, she said she was impressed by how beautiful the upper school campus was. “The academics are good; the activities are good!” she enthused.

The unique specialty classes were available via SI’s afternoon activity program (A.P.) where many middle school-aged students like Parimi signed up for courses, which changed weekly.

In addition to outdoor games, volleyball and cooking, other rotating class options included art, jewelry-making, magic, improv, dance, tech, junior lifeguard, chess and circus arts.

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

SI had two separate tracks, one designed for middle schoolers and another geared toward high school students.

SI participants typically combined a morning academic program with afternoon activities, allowing them to earn credits and learn new skills, yet still have plenty of time left over for summertime fun.

The institute’s academic portion offered rigorous for-credit courses such as algebra, economics and programming, as well as non-credit opportunities for enrichment and growth like creative writing, Web design, debate and robotics. A driver’s education course was available for students aged 15 and up.

For middle school participants A.P. provided many options for specialty classes and recreational activities.

Weekly sessions were divided by themes, such as superhero, western, fantasy, Harry Potter, Disney and animation.

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

9

HARKER SUMMER LEARNING

There were also off-campus field trips every couple of weeks to such hot spots as the shoreline, the Tech Museum and Capitola.

“The wide range of choices and flexibility allowed each student to design a schedule around his or her own academic needs and personal interests,” explained Keith Hirota, summer middle school director.

Grade 9 students had the option to either participate in A.P. or join the older high school students who had no organized afternoon activity program but enjoyed free, drop-in access to the library, pool, art room, Ping-Pong table, basketball courts and study spaces. For all grades, an on-site prepared lunch was included.

According to Hirota, a total of 920 middle and upper school students were enrolled in the summer’s overall SI program, of which 550 participants were non-Harker students. He added that an average of 8085 students per week attended A.P., with about 50 of those individuals coming from the general public.

English Language Institute Draws Record Number of Lower School Students from Across the Globe

Photos by Devin Nguyen ‘12

The first-time ELI participant added that his second favorite activity was basketball.

He also liked all the “fun outings” to places like the Golden Gate Bridge and tide pools at the ocean.

Each summer the lower and upper school campuses are filled with excited students like Kozak and Guo, who come from abroad to improve their English speaking and writing abilities. And this year the lower school had a greater number of attendees than in previous years; in the lower school alone there were children from China, Korea, Japan, Ukraine and Turkey.

T

he hot, late-afternoon sun could not deter a group of lower school English Language Institute (ELI) students from heading outdoors for recess, where they located a shady spot by the play structure and happily constructed a tower out of wooden blocks.

Although the group spoke several different languages, they expertly communicated in the silent yet universally understood language of childhood play. Few words were spoken, but concentration ran high as the group stacked block upon block.

Once satisfied with their work, they took time out to talk (with interpretive help from a counselor) to Harker News Online about their experience in the school’s growing ELI program for elementary

10

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

school-aged children held at the Blackford campus.

Nine-year-old ELI student Helen Kozak shared that going on a field trip to the beach at Santa Cruz reminded her of being back home in Ukraine, where she lives near the sea. “I like the ocean very much,” she said in remarkably good English, adding, “I swim all day long.”

In addition to swimming, her favorite things about ELI were archery, circus arts and computer lab. “I liked it all,” said Kozak, who has been to the United States several times but never before in the ELI program.

“My favorite thing about ELI was recess!” enthused 11-year-old Aaron Guo of China.

According to Anthony Wood, ELI director, the program saw a notable increase in enrollment at the beginner level, with more foreign students over at the Blackford campus than ever before, requiring a total of four classes. Older students (middle and high school-aged) attended ELI on the Saratoga campus.

ELI initially began as a year-round boarding school, which closed in 2001. Its current summer program evolved and has

HARKER SUMMER LEARNING

Many ELI students and their families learned about the institute via the recommendation of American friends or relatives familiar with the program.

But long before Harker launched the successful ELI program, the school had already earned a worldwide reputation for being among the finest in the United States, which further explains why ELI annually attracts students from diverse Asian and European countries.

The ELI program runs for an eightweek intensive session and is always kicked off with a welcome reception for ELI participants and their guardians.

Students ages 6-16 are bound for American boarding schools, universities or internationally-based primarily English-speaking schools. They come to Harker to prepare for and increase their chances of admission to their next educational institution.

For the younger ELI students, formal class instruction is combined with enrichment programs, such as swimming and playing games. Often ELI students are able to join in activities with children attending the regular on-site summer camp, allowing them to have fun while improving language skills.

Karen Glovka, ELI primary program teacher, said the program for younger students teaches English in the context of what children like to do. True beginners who know no English learn greetings, colors, shapes, numbers, the alphabet (names of letters and sounds) and school and family vocabulary.

Students with more developed skills work on reading, writing and computer skills.

receptions in Asia on behalf of ELI, which provided a chance for the school to reconnect with several alumni now residing there.

Photo by Samantha Hoffman ‘13

been around since 2004. There were more than 60 students enrolled for the secondary division over the course of this summer, and at least 55 enrolled in the primary division.

“We strive to keep the learning fun,” explained Glovka, who for the past 10 years has also taught Spanish during the regular school year at Harker’s lower school.

The most advanced ELI students, usually middle and high school students, stay at the Saratoga campus and work on special projects tailored to their needs, including SAT preparation. They are assisted by mentors (called buddies or conversation partners) who are Harker juniors, seniors or recent graduates.

These older ELI students receive visits from admissions directors from some of the finest boarding schools worldwide, who come to Harker personally to meet with them and give presentations about what their schools have to offer.

Joe Rosenthal, Harker’s executive director of advancement and the former director of Harker’s boarding program, is also a frequent guest lecturer to the ELI program on the topic of studying in the United States. This past spring Rosenthal organized a series of

At the end of their time at Harker, ELI students, upon full completion of either a three- or sevenweek course, are eligible to receive a certificate (handed out during an official closing ceremony) and recommendation from their teachers.

On field trip days ELI students of all ages can be seen sporting green program T-shirts as they head out for cultural adventures to such diverse attractions as the Golden Gate Bridge, the Exploratorium, Academy of Sciences, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Santa Cruz Natural Bridges State Park and the Tech Museum.

Some ELI participants and their guardians opt to live with friends and relatives in the area. Others choose to stay at The Marriott Residence Inn, which made housing available for ELI students this year.

ELI participants at both the lower and upper schools may come with the primary goal of being able to travel, speak and learn in the States, yet they often leave with something they might not have anticipated: wonderful memories and strong ties to their new Harker community!

Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

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

FALL 2 0 1 3 11

HARKER SUMMER LEARNING

Activities, Outings and Learning: Camp+and a Summer of Wow Photo by Devin Nguyen ‘12

Photo by Jessica Ferguson

Photo by Devin Nguyen ‘12

Photo by Diane Villadsen ‘11

I

t was “the summer of wow!” over at the lower school’s Summer Camp+ program, just as the colorful sign which hung near the entrance to the Bucknall campus proclaimed.

The wow factor was evident at Camp+, where children could be seen joyfully climbing up a rock structure, hula hooping and cooling off in the pool or with a water mat and hose out on the field.

Indeed, campers were able to choose from a wide array of appropriate agerelated activities, creating the perfect environment for youngsters in K-6 to let loose and have some fun outdoors following earlier morning indoor academics.

Students had the choice of enrolling in either CoreFocus or LOL (Learning Opportunities in Literature) for the academic portion of the day. CoreFocus was a three- or four-week math- and language arts-focused program. LOL was a two-week integrated curriculum centered around a literary theme. Both programs left room for the optional added afternoon activity program.

Each year, a spirited four-way game of “color clash” kicks off the beginning of the fun Camp+ activities. The traditional 12

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

gathering, held in the Bucknall gymnasium, groups students on yellow, red, green and blue teams in an array of silly games cheered on by captains (aka camp counselors) wearing colorcoordinated outfits that run the gamut from superheroes to hula skirts and silly hats.

Kindergartners stay for the beginning of color clash before heading outside to the lawn where they have their own special activities, including art projects.

Enthusiasm ran high at this year’s event, held in June. In a nice gesture of team spirit, campers got bonus points for loudly cheering for not only their own group but for everyone else as well. (Check out all the action in this video taken at the program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_ LDnLG7U7c.)

“Go, team yellow!” shouted camper and second grader Enzo Lucketti, also a regular student at the lower school. His favorite things about camp were climbing on the rock structure outside and getting his study skills up in the academic portion of his day.

According to Joe Chung, program director of

Camp+ and an elementary computer science teacher, there was something for everyone in the program. On-site highlights included a patriotic games bash, water carnival, sleepover for older campers, presentation for parents and birthday celebration for camp mascot “Ray.” Campers also partook in numerous off-site field trips, including local outings for bowling and miniature golf and more distant trips to the Oakland Zoo and Coyote Point.

Afternoon activities were grouped by ages and weeks, with kindergartners attending kindercamp. First and second graders were in the owls group, third and fourth graders were called condors, and fifth and sixth graders were referred to as eagles. This year, the first session of camp included such themes as wow, whamo, wipe out and work out. The second session featured weeks called wisdom of wizards, waiting on winter and wonders of wildlife.

“This was my third time at Camp+, and I really recommend it!” enthused grade 3 student Alexis Nishimura. To her, the best part about camp was “hanging out with friends,” followed by “all the fun activities and outings.”

Photo by Devin Nguyen ‘12

Photos by Samantha Hoffman '13

Summer Sports

Summer Water Polo Camp Focuses on Fun and Fundamentals of the Sport Harker’s summer water polo camp, held in late June, offered Bay Area students in grades 4-8 the chance to get a comprehensive introduction to the sport in a fun, supportive environment.

“It’s good for the kids to come out and play and it’s helping our sport grow,” said Allie Lamb, the Harker water polo coach who ran the camp with Ted Ujifusa, who also coaches at Harker. “It’s kind of a small sport, so the more kids we can get started early and young, the better it’ll be when they get into high school.”

Because most of the students at the camp were new to the sport, the camp focused on basic skills such as eggbeater kicking, moving through the water, passing and shooting. Each day of the camp highlighted a new skill.

Good, Tough, Fun Basketball Camp Breaks Down Drills to Help Players Work as a Team Harker’s basketball camp knitted together drills, five-on-fives and skills games to best engage students. The camp had two sessions per day – a morning session for boys in grades 6-9 and an afternoon coed session for grades 4-8 – and was run by Harker varsity basketball coach Mark Collins, who spent 10 years in Denmark as a professional player and six years as the director of the Golden State Warriors’ camp.

HARKER SUMMER LEARNING

By Zach Jones

Collins said the main goal of the camp was to equip students with the skills they can practice at home and elsewhere in order to continue improving after camp is over. “They’re not going to get so much better in a weeklong camp,” he said. “But if they carry these skills to their homes and to their other teams and to their free plan and other recreational centers and do these skills, they will get better.”

Fundamentals – and Fun – All the Rage at Harker’s Summer Volleyball Camp Harker’s summer volleyball camp returned the week of July 15, offering instruction from experienced, top-level coaches to students in grades 4-9. The camp catered to various skill levels, first grouping students by age and grade, and later moving students to different groups depending on their levels of experience. Each day began with warm-ups, with students going through drills for various skills, and each session ended with team play.

The main purpose of the camp is, first of all, for the kids to have fun, said Dan Molin, Harker’s upper school athletic director and one of the coaches running the camp. “We want them to come here and enjoy themselves and improve in

every skill of volleyball, from offense to defense, passing, setting, hitting, digging, blocking and pingpong sets.”

Harker’s Wrestling Camp Helps Students from Around the Area to Improve Mat and Life Skills Harker’s new wrestling camp, run by longtime Harker coach Karriem Stinson, gave students in grades 6-12 a solid foundation for their future endeavors in the sport.

“We try to show everyone the same moves and we’re trying to keep it basic … because we think basic wins,” said Stinson, who is also the middle and lower schools’ assistant athletic director.

A typical day at the camp focused first on basic techniques and positioning; then wrestlers moved on to situational drills emphasizing escapes, stand-ups and breakdowns. The final portion of the day allowed the students to practice the skills they’d learned with their classmates.

Summer Students Get Fit with TRX Training Program A new addition to Harker’s summer sports program this year, the TRX training camp introduced students to the TRX suspension training system, which builds strength, flexibility and core stability by using the trainer’s body weight.

This unique feature makes it accessible to many people.

“Anybody, from 5 years old all the way to seniors, can work with it,” said Karriem Stinson, Harker’s head wrestling coach and assistant athletic director at the lower and middle schools.

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

FALL 2 0 1 3 1 3

HARKER SUMMER LEARNING

Stinson, who is a certified TRX trainer, said that TRX is a good alternative for people who are not comfortable exercising with weights. “It’s a fun apparatus that drives you to get stronger,” he said. He also noticed that after working with the TRX system, students had an easier time doing certain exercises such as planks, remarking, “It’s been amazing to watch.”

Soccer Camp Returns for Another Successful Year Harker’s summer soccer camp enjoyed another successful year, with students from many different skill levels picking up new techniques and honing those they had already acquired. The camp was broken up into three weeklong sessions, one week in June and two

weeks in July.

Each day started off with agility and balance warm-ups, combined with fun activities devised by the coaching staff.

Students then headed off into various stations, each focusing on a key soccer skill such as passing, receiving and finishing.

In addition, a new move was introduced each day of the camp for the students to learn and practice.

Although competition is an important aspect of the camp, head coach Shaun Tsakiris said the main objective was to ensure students had fun and wanted to return. “We make sure that before the season starts, before the camp starts, the coaching staff gets together and makes it an enjoyable place,” he said.

Photos by Samantha Hoffman '13

Young Gridiron Enthusiasts Have Fun at Junior Eagle Football Camp In late July, football enthusiasts in grades 6-8 congregated at Davis Field at the upper school campus for the three-day Junior Eagle Football Camp, directed by Harker’s head football coach, Ron Forbes.

Each day, students worked on speed and

agility drills, learned and practiced skills unique to different positions and enjoyed team games at the end of each session.

Attendees received individual coaching at all positions from the experienced and knowledgeable coaching staff and certified sports medicine staff were on hand for the entire duration of the camp.

Students Learn and Develop Swimming Techniques at Swim School Harker’s summer swim school offered individual instruction to swimmers of all ages looking to improve on their aquatic abilities. The school offered individual and group lessons to people of all levels of experience, from those who are stepping into the water for the first time to experienced swimmers looking for an edge in competition.

Katherine Dow, grade 5, said the camp was “fun. We do laps and timing and then we build rafts at the end and try to race each other.” She also mentioned that she noticed an overall improvement in her swimming and would attend the swim school again. Katherine’s sister, Suzanne, grade 2, also enjoyed the camp and learned how to do flip turns and freestyle swimming.

O

n June 7, Harker hosted its ninth annual Teacher Institute, inviting teachers from schools all over the Bay Area to attend a wide variety of workshops intended to improve their teaching methods and their understanding of instructional technologies.

The event was organized by Harker’s instructional technology department and sponsored by Silicon Valley Computer-Using Educators (SVCUE). Each of the Teacher Institute’s three sessions consisted of a number of classes that visiting teachers were free to attend. “There were so many things we are going to take back to our school,” said Julia Maynard, a language arts and social studies teacher at Parkside Middle School in San Bruno. “I have been to several tech conferences, and this was by far the most beneficial!”

14

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

Photo by Samantha Hoffman '13

Bay Area Teachers Learn How to Use Instructional Technology at Harker Teacher Institute By Zach Jones

HARKER SUMMER LEARNING

Faculty Utilize Summer Tech Grant Program to Enhance Instruction

F

By Zach Jones

or more than a decade, Harker’s summer tech grant program has enabled Harker teachers to find new and exciting ways to enhance and diversify the ways they teach, whether it be creating engaging presentations, providing students with access to more learning resources or simply finding better ways to organize homework and in-class assignments.

“I am grateful that the school encourages this kind of professional development, and it appears to me to be a win-win situation.”

– Patricia Lai Burrows, Middle School English Teacher

Lower school English teacher Katie Molin decided to acclimate herself more to some of the Chromebook applications that her students will be using during the year. “As an English teacher, I’m always interested in ways to make the teaching of essay writing easier, the grading of essays more efficient, and the feedback more meaningful,” she said.

situation,” she said.

To accomplish this, she learned how to use Google Docs as a way for students to submit their work. “Google Docs will allow me to give the students more detailed feedback on their writing. It will be easier for them to edit their work, and I will know when they think they have ‘fixed’ the problem,” she said. “Their work will be stored and accessible now in a way it wasn’t before.”

“We liked the political discussions they were having on the blog, but we wanted them to get more into media analysis, looking at where they were getting their political news, what perspectives these news sources might have, and just thinking a little more critically about media messages in general,” Cranston said.

Molin’s students will also use Blogger, another Google product, to post responses to short stories. She also plans to use her own blog to inform parents about their students’ classwork.

In order to show lower and middle school English teachers how to use Membean, a new online vocabulary program, English teacher Patricia Lai Burrows created tools that explained how the program works and how to show students to use it. “I created videos using Google Hangout on Air to navigate through the Membean teacher dashboard, understand the class statistics and create quizzes,” she said.

“As part of this process, I learned how to create YouTube channels to house all my

Building on their tech grant project from last year, upper school librarian Meredith Cranston and history teacher Julie Wheeler created an online area where AP Government students can create websites devoted to a topic they will be focusing on during the school year.

videos, and also to include Google Effects to enhance and add some humor to the presentations.”

Burrows said her training tools would help ease the burden on teachers as they prepared for another school year. “I know how daunting it is for a teacher to have to learn a new tool while prepping for the coming year and adjusting to all the other changes that naturally occur in a new year,” she said. “I wanted to create resources that would manage teacher stress associated with learning a completely new program like this one.”

She further added that the tech grant program is a great opportunity for faculty to learn skills that will benefit both themselves and their students. “I am grateful that the school encourages this kind of professional development, and it appears to me to be a win-win

Each student’s site contains a news feed that students will use to track the issues they are focusing on, and students will analyze the coverage of these topics.

Students will also give briefings on the issues twice a semester.

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

FALL 2 0 1 3 1 5

HARKER SUMMER LEARNING

All photos provided by Jonathan Dai, grade 10

r e m m u S

Inaugural Tanzania Trip Provides Students with Hands-On Learning Adventure

By Debbie Cohen

T

his past summer 11 biology students, three journalism students and four chaperones made Harker history by embarking on an educational first for the school: a trip to Tanzania. Armed with a “world as their classroom” mentality, the group set off for the 10-day groundbreaking trip, called “One Health in Tanzania,” on July 24.

The Tanzanian adventure was the brainchild of upper school science department chair Anita Chetty, who had spent years planning and researching the trip. Head of School Chris Nikoloff joined Chetty in supervising the group of students.

Also serving as chaperones were Dr. Murali Daran and Dr. Alexandra Kamins.

Daran (Lea, grade 12; Rohan, grade 10) is a cardiologist and has done

16

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

extensive medical charitable work in places like the Dominican Republic.

Besides serving as the group’s “doctoron-call,” he inspired the students with a talk on his charitable work. Kamins is a recent graduate from the University of Cambridge whose doctoral work was in Ghana. She has also been on several study programs in Africa; her experiences provided essential support when collaborating on the curriculum with Chetty.

“I designed the trip as though it were a short, college-level type course,” said Chetty, explaining that the trip, while filled with great sights, was not primarily about sightseeing. “The focus was on the educational curriculum … and I was so impressed at how the students rose to that challenge.”

In fact, every aspect of the trip was infused with an opportunity for learning, from game-drives filled with biology lessons to visiting reserves and meeting with health professionals.

One highlight was learning firsthand about the current AIDS epidemic in Tanzania. The situation became real to students as they met with health professionals, including a gynecologist and nurse at an AIDS clinic.

Another trip highlight was visiting with the Masai tribe, when the students had the opportunity to personally donate toys to a local village school. It was an eye-opening experience for journalism student Jonathan Dai, grade 10.

“The tribe treated us like family and welcomed us into their homes and daily lives. We played games with their kids, herded goats and cattle, and even played a soccer game against the adult male tribe members,” he recalled.

While visiting with the Masai, students set up an eye clinic, testing tribe members’ eyes and handing out prescription eye glasses they had brought over with them for that purpose.

Travel “One of the most influential moments for me was visiting the Masai. On a walk to and from the lake they tried to teach us some of their native language. For example, they taught us how to count and some basic phrases.

Regardless of the fact that neither of us spoke the others’ languages we managed to communicate and bonded really quickly, which was an amazing experience,” recalled Alyssa Amick, grade 11.

HARKER SUMMER LEARNING

Namrata Vakkalagadda, grade 12, said that a very personal memory for her was learning beading from a village tribe healer. “Even though we had an obvious language barrier, the connection between us was almost immediate. She welcomed my curiosity with open arms and continued to patiently guide my hands and hand me beads, until I created a bracelet which I was able to keep for myself.

This memento of mine I think might be one that is dearest to me, because I

created it with a member of the Masai community and it was a connection that was personal between the two of us.”

The Tanzania trip was such a success that plans are already in the works for another one next summer. In addition to giving the gift of sight by providing eyeglasses, Chetty is also collecting money to buy and bring desperately needed textbooks to the Tanzanian public schools.

“There is nothing like learning that is directly experienced, whether educational or philanthropic,” said Chetty.

Backpacking Trip to Point Reyes Teaches Students Principles of Outdoor Independence

M

By Zach Jones

“That is the only way to get stuff into the wilderness,” Sommer said, pointing out that roughing it had the added benefit of teaching the students to be independent and gave them a glimpse of what it was like to be an experienced outdoor explorer. During the course of the 16-mile hike, the students worked on their camping skills, learned how to navigate through their surroundings by reading maps, set up their own tents,

Photos provided by Daniel Sommer

iddle school science teachers Ben Morgensen and Daniel Sommer accompanied 18 students from grades 6-8 on a trip across the bay to Point Reyes National Seashore for a five-day trip of hiking, camping and cooking.

All of the students were required to bring and carry their own supplies as well as make their own food.

worked on their communication skills and prepared food such as quesadillas and pasta. Some additional excitement arrived in the form of a wind storm that damaged two tents!

The students of course also enjoyed playing on the beach at Point Reyes, experiencing the great outdoors with their friends and taking on new challenges that taught new ways of collaboration.

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

FALL 2 0 1 3 17

Milestones

Sue Smith, library director, and Lauri Vaughan, upper school librarian, contributed an article to the journal of the California School Library Association.

In the article, they detail how they have used LibGuides software to promote information literacy among students and how they have worked with teachers to provide quality resources for

Hawaii’s Big Island for a five-day field course, Geosciences of the Big Island.

“Fantastic class!” he noted.

The expedition, including exploration of the island’s geologic wonders, is designed especially for educators. In a range of activities, class members climbed the famous Kilauea volcano to view the summit caldera and lava flows and to the summit of Mauna Kea (the highest volcanic mountain in Hawaii) to view glacial deposits, and explored Hawaiian reef formations by snorkel.

Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

Upper school registrar Derek Kameda was invited to present at the Advanced Placement Summer Institute for Administrators in June in Jacksonville, Fla. There, he gave presentations on how to improve testing performance and AP score reports. Kameda has previously lent his skills as an AP coordinator consultant to test coordinators so that they might more effectively administer AP exams.

By Debbie Cohen

Photo provided by Daniel Sommer

In July, middle school science teacher Daniel Sommer went on a professional development trip to

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

FALL 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 3

At press time, Harker Quarterly learned that “Growing Schools: Librarians as Professional Developers,” a book Smith had previously contributed a chapter to, has just been added to the recommended reading list of the U.S. Department of Education.

“The conference was extremely beneficial and featured guest speakers and curriculum ideas,” recalled Brusco, adding that it vastly expanded his knowledge of both Korean history and culture. He said he plans to utilize many of the things he learned during the conference with his Harker students this year.

In other news, Brusco serves on the board of trustees at Gavilan College in Gilroy and recently started a new subcommittee that is going to include board members of all the college’s feeder high school districts.

“We will be tackling student success at the college with the hope that we can lower remediation rates and thus be able to offer more career-oriented programs to our students and better serve the district as a whole,” said Brusco, who was recently featured in an article about this subject in the Morgan Hill Times.

18

student research.

Abigail Joseph, middle school computer science teacher, ran a oneweek Mobile App Entrepreneurship Camp in Oakland under the auspices of Black Girls Code, an organization dedicated to providing young and preteen girls of color opportunities to learn in-demand skills in technology and computer programming at a time when they are naturally thinking about what they want to be when they grow up.

Photo provided by Abigail Joseph

At the National Junior Classical League Convention held at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas this July, upper school Latin teacher John Hawley received a silver bowl for attending 20 NJCL conventions. The bowl was presented by Harker alumni and former JCLers Richard Kwant ‘07 and Ruchi Srivastava ’08, who gave moving speeches about Hawley’s influence as their teacher and JCL sponsor.

Middle school history teacher Jonathan Brusco spent part of his summer attending a three-day, invitation-only conference at Stanford University. The event, sponsored

by SPICE, an international studies program at Stanford, and the Hana Financial Group, a Korean investment company, was about incorporating Korean history into school curriculum.

“The camp focused on mobile app creation from concept to development,” said Joseph. “Students learned to use MIT App Inventor and were able test the

Milestones app out on mobile phones. The camp ended with a field trip to the Facebook campus, where students pulled together their final app prototypes and a business plan for their ideas with Facebook employees. Of course the highlight was getting to meet Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.”

Her group was 21 girls strong and Joseph noted, “The most rewarding part was seeing the girls leave the camp with a desire to learn more and continue working on their projects on their own.”

Joseph has been involved with opening

“The most rewarding part was seeing the girls leave the camp with a desire to learn more and continue working on their projects on their own.” – Abigail Joseph

technology up to girls for some time. “I have been actively involved in Black Girls Code since the spring of this year,” she said. “In addition to the summer camp, I have been the technical lead for a build-a-webpage-in-a-day workshop in the Mission in San Francisco.”

the same opportunities for young people of color to know that they have choices when choosing careers, and that computer science and engineering can be among them. I am happy to provide young girls of color opportunities and paths to walk in my footsteps and the footsteps of other black female computer scientists.”

Now successful in the technology field, Joseph is committed to giving back.

“As a child, I benefited from a similar program that sparked my interest in computer science, and kept me in the pipeline to pursue it and get my Ph.D. It has always been my dream to create or be a part of a program that provides

PA S S A G E S

Jason Berry, English teacher and

A large group, many of whom were alumni, then moved to Harker’s Saratoga campus for a reception.

Family members joined the group shortly after it started, and Head of School Chris Nikoloff as well as two of Berry’s colleagues addressed the group very briefly, followed by more memories exchanged, and more tears shed for the life cut short.

Born in New Hampshire and highly regarded as a teacher by his students during his five-year run at Harker, Berry wrote as a critic during his time as a member of the American College Theatre Festival and was honored for Excellence in Teaching by the Clemson University PanHellenic Council. The Harker Class of 2012 selected him as the faculty

seasons during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years.

Photo provided by Jane Keller

athletics coach at The Harker School, died suddenly on Sat., Aug. 24 of a pulmonary embolism resulting from a blood clot in his leg. A memorial was held Aug. 29 and family and friends nearly filled nearby WestGate Church to say goodbye. Heartfelt memories of his childhood and early years as a teacher were shared; the loss to his family and the community was mourned.

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

In Memoriam

speaker for the 2012 baccalaureate ceremony, during which he said to the soon-to-be graduates, “Be who you want to be, and if that doesn’t agree with you, then find, once again, your center, your inner voice; don’t settle for an imitation of yourself. Bend the rules, but try not to break them.”

During his high school years, Berry was a decorated All-American soccer player, an experience he later applied at Harker as a head coach of the girls soccer team, leading the team to record

As a New England native, Berry described L-R: Jane Keller, Butch Keller, MaryEllis Deacon, Jason Berry himself as a “rabid” follower of the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins sports teams.

“Jason’s life reflected his wise counsel, and he was always, authentically, himself,” said Nikoloff. “He impacted many with his wisdom, wit and warmth, and will be deeply missed.”

In the Harker community, Berry is survived by his wife, MaryEllis Deacon, whom he married in June, and his inlaws, Butch and Jane Keller.

Add your thoughts to others’ at Jason Berry’s memorial page: http:// berrymemories.com/; read more about the memorial at the Winged Post: http://bit.ly/146UUaj; and see more photos at Harker News Online: http:// bit.ly/1foRmQr. H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY

FALL 2 0 1 3

19

Entrepreneurial Alumni Forge Their Own Career Paths

By Debbie Cohen Photo provided by Ryan Moreland ‘98

T

hinking outside the box comes naturally to many of Harker’s alumni. Harker Quarterly recently caught up with several alumni who have chosen to chart their own career courses. From a winemaker to a mobile app builder and a sister/brother glow-in-the-dark apparel designing team, these forward thinking alumni all share one thing: the ability to make things happen.

Ryan Moreland ’98, Owner of Corvalle Winery Ryan Moreland ’98 spent a great deal of time in his parent’s vineyard growing up in St. Helena. Among his favorite memories is sharing a glass of wine with family and friends seated around an old redwood plank table, surrounded by a canopy of trees. It was the memories he made in this spot, he said, that impacted his decision to become a winemaker.

While his family originally planted their vineyard as a hobby, Moreland turned it into a career and has made every single vintage from their vineyard since it first began producing fruit in 2007. He started Corvalle Winery the following year, when he was just 25 years old, after attending college at the University of California,

20

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

San Diego, and obtaining a degree in environmental chemistry. Success followed soon after, and Corvalle today is a known competitor in the wine market.

“My parents had planted an acre of sauvignon blanc. I immediately was hooked, walking up and down the rows pruning the young vines as they stretched out onto the trellises,” recalled Moreland, who went on to work entry level positions at nearby wineries before deciding to focus solely on developing his own label.

The name Corvalle is derived from Latin, meaning “Soul of the Valley,” and is intended as a tribute to the community of Napa and its legacy of farming.

and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund.

Moreland has recently relocated to attend the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania while simultaneously expanding his business to the East Coast market. Having just begun pre-term events at Wharton, Moreland is enjoying getting to know his fellow classmates. “I feel genuinely lucky to be able to participate in such an amazing program surrounded by this caliber of staff and fellow students. As one could imagine, my background is a bit unique here.”

Moreland said he is also enjoying sharing his love for wine in his new community and regularly returns to Napa to oversee winemaking activities at Corvalle.

“I learned so many valuable skills that have helped me both as an entrepreneur and in my professional life. When I look back on my time at Harker, the first thing that comes to mind is my strong belief that, given adequate drive, an individual can accomplish any goal he or she dreams up.

This belief is a product of the culture at Harker,” he said.

Working on developing sales in both New York and Pennsylvania has proven a much different endeavor than in California due to the states’ specific legal framework regarding wine importation and distribution, but Moreland said he likes the challenge and opportunity to engage with so many eager and curious wine consumers outside of the Bay Area.

Moreland also believes in giving back.

In addition to generously donating wine to Harker’s advancement events, he also is a supporter of the Danville D’Elegance foundation supporting Alzheimer’s research

Moreland advises other alumni not to be afraid to follow their own interests. “If something sounds enjoyable and gets you excited then take the time to learn more about your passion!” he said.

Photos provided by Ryan Moreland ‘98

dark apparel) and turned it into a business with their launching of LUM Apparel.

Aamir Patel attended Harker until grade 6 and Elissa Patel graduated in ’08. They went into business together by breaking into the fashion industry with customizable glow-in-the-dark clothing where unique temporary designs can be “printed” onto tank tops or T-shirts using the light from cellphones and other devices.

The tanks and tees are treated with a special type of paint, allowing designs to be brightest during the first five minutes of being applied. They don’t fully fade until about 15 minutes later.

The Patels explained that customers can use the LED light from smartphones or a laser to draw messages on their shirts. They can even take photos from their phones or tablets and print them onto the LUM apparel.

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

Ilya Sukhar ’03, Co-Founder and CEO of Parse

Photo provided by Ilya Sukhar ‘03

Ilya Sukhar ’03 recently made the news when it was announced that Facebook acquired his company, Parse, of which he served as cofounder and CEO. Currently, Sukhar runs the Parse business at Facebook and also works on Facebook platform products.

“Parse helps companies of all kinds build mobile apps. When we were getting started in 2011, Facebook itself was undergoing a large internal shift to mobile. They took notice of what we were doing very early on and we started talking about how the two companies might work together. Those talks dragged on for a while so over the course of a couple years I got to know everyone there pretty well. Finally, when we were set to close our third round of funding, they came to us with a very compelling offer to join forces,” explained Sukhar.

Parse, a startup that developed a mobile platform for cloud integration, had been gaining an increasing amount of

traction in its field even before the Facebook acquisition. The backend service for mobile users should help make Facebook more attractive to developers looking for a social networking site with whom to advertise.

Sukhar said he is all about creating products that people love to use. Before his current headline-making endeavor, he was the first employee at Etacts (acquired

by Salesforce), where he worked on all things product and engineering. Before that he was an early engineer at Ooyala and holds a B.S. and master’s degree in computer science from Cornell, where he did distributed systems research and graduated with honors.

“Harker’s competitive academic environment instilled in me the value of surrounding myself with smart and ambitious people. Optimizing my career for continuously learning from people smarter than myself has proven to be a good life strategy. I’d recommend it to anyone,” said Sukhar, adding that there is no safe path to success.

“You have to take risks, fail a lot, and keep going. Don’t get comfortable in your cushy job,” he concluded. “It’s tremendously rewarding to create a product that people love.”

Aamir ’11 and Elissa Patel ’08, co-founders of LUM Apparel Brother and sister team Aamir and Elissa Patel took a surprisingly simple idea (glow-in-the-

“All you need to do is take your light source, press it up against the shirt, and then get creative. Designs can even be erased by swiping your hand across them while your light source is a few inches away,” they said, explaining that LUM was launched with help from Kickstarter, the world’s largest funding platform for creative ideas.

“When we first started LUM we had the door shut 100 times before one person finally agreed to help us out. We started out with $500 and turned it into $22,000 in 35 days.

By the end of the year we should be on track to have a quarter million dollar evaluation.

It doesn’t matter where you start or what happened in the past, it’s all about where you want to go,” said Aamir.

The Patels concede that working with a sibling can sometimes be hard. “We naturally get on each other’s nerves, but the great thing is we can always give it to each other straight. My sister has been supportive by guiding me with marketing advice. It’s great to have someone you can bounce ideas off of and get real feedback in return,” said Aamir.

The two are aspiring to become a high tech clothing line. As technology continues to get smaller, most devices are going to become wearable. Hence, their vision is to fully integrate existing and up-and-coming technologies into apparel. Their ultimate goal is to create fully customizable clothing where designs can be downloaded off a smart phone and displayed directly onto clothing.

“As long as you believe in yourself you will be successful,” they advised.

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

FALL 2 0 1 3

21

EagleReport Fall Sports Get Cracking With Victories Across the Board Editor’s note: As always, we thank the athletic department for its thorough and timely reports.

Cross Country The cross country season is starting up again, which means that Corey Gonzales, grade 11, is right back where he left off last year, setting new school records. His mark in the junior boys race at Toro Park beat his own mark at the CCS finals last year, a time that sent him to the state meet.

Football

Photo by Bill Cracraft

Tennis

22

In their first game of the new season, the girls won 5-2 over Santa Catalina, losing on four of the seven courts before coming back to win five second sets and the only third set tiebreaker.

Dora Tzeng, grade 12, Isabelle Gross, grade 10, and Arden Hu, grade 11, all won singles matches and the teams of sophomores Stephanie Huang and Nadia Palte as well as Meghana Appalaraju, grade 11, and Era Iyer, grade 9, won doubles matches.

Gross’ singles match was the highlight thriller: she lost the first set 1-6 in a blowout, but came back to win the second set before finally pulling out a dead-even third set 12-10.

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

Photo provided by Melinda Gonzales

By Steven Boyle ’06

In the opening game, Harker varsity football blew out the Faith Christian Warriors 41-0 in Coalinga. Defense back Samir Chaudhry, grade 12, had two pivotal interceptions in the shutout. Running back Kevin Moss, grade 12, ran for two touchdowns and kicker Alyssa Amick, grade 11, racked up 11 points. Chaudhry, Adarsh Battu, grade 12, and Sid Krishnamurthi, grade 11, also scored touchdowns.

Girls Volleyball Both girls junior varsity and varsity teams won their season openers against the West Catholic League’s Notre Dame-Belmont in straight games. For the varsity, Shannon Richardson, grade 10, had 12 kills; Divya Kalidindi, grade 12, had 11; and Shreya Dixit, grade 11, had 10.

Water Polo Juniors Billy Bloomquist and Eric Holt racked up seven goals apiece in early

FA L L 2 013

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

EagleReport play at the Wilcox Tournament, where Harker’s varsity team defeated league rival Santa Clara on their way to a 1-2 tournament. JV also went 1-2 at the San Benito Tournament in early September.

Summer Sports Summer’s ending, and that means athletes will be leaping into the fall season soon! But even during the time away from school, Harker’s sportsmen and sportswomen have been training, winning and earning honors. Harker has individual students snatching up medals, teams being recognized for academic achievement, coaches winning awards, and alumni joining university teams. To the update!

Basketball Harker athletes competed in and won the Varsity Summer League at

Evergreen Valley High School. The team finished the regular season of the summer league second in their division, losing only one game to a team that finished with an undefeated record. In the playoffs, Harker defeated the third-seated team in the other division, moving on to face an undefeated team from the other division at Evergreen, beating them by six points after taking the lead in the final minutes. That pushed Harker into the championship game, where Harker won by a large margin.

The summer league represents an opportunity for players to work on individual skills but grow as a team, as well as for rising players to step up and prove themselves going into the following year.

Soccer A hearty congratulations is in order for the boys soccer team, who posted

the highest GPA of any high school male soccer team in California. This August, the California Interscholastic Federation, which was founded nearly a century ago in 1914, announced its 2012-13 state academic team champions, an honor bestowed upon teams with the highest overall grade point average in each sport.

For the victory, the California Interscholastic Federation will bestow upon Harker a banner, Photo provided by Dennis Yen, parent which Harker can display in a gym or other prominent space. Boys soccer finished their 2013 season with a 7-8-2 record overall and a 5-7-2 record in league play, landing them with a fourth-place overall finish.

While Harker’s athletes were being rewarded for their academic achievement, varsity coach Shaun Tsakiris gained some recognition as well. In July, U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy voted Tsakiris national coach of the year.

In alumni news, Siobhan Cox ’13 has already started playing for Stanford!

So far, she’s started two out of three games and has an assist. Stanford is off to a 2-0-1 start.

Football Indraneel “Neel” Salukhe ’12 will be playing football for the University of Washington in Seattle this year.

Salukhe played football all four years at Harker. A wide receiver, he walked on for spring football last season and was invited to join the regular football camp to train with and play for U.W.

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

FA L L 2 013

23

★ The Family & Alumni Picnic has a New Theme: 63rd ANNUAL FAMILY & ALUMNI

PICNIC

SUNDAY

OCT. 1 3, 2013

10 A.M.-3:30 P.M.

BLACKFORD CAMPUS

Photos

sh ‘06

riah Bu

by Ma

J

By Melinda Gonzales

oin us for our 63rd annual Family & Alumni Picnic, the Harker Harvest Festival, and “reap” all the terrific fun, food and festivities as we celebrate the fall season! You’ll enjoy old-fashioned favorites mixed with brand new activities destined to become favorites, too. From the top-notch student performances in the Harvest Hoedown to the exciting games and fabulous food, the picnic offers a day of delights for all ages.

“Hay,” come and have a great time!

Spend the day having fun with family, friends and faculty!

We will have exciting field games on our Back Forty acreage, including sack races, spoon relays, hula hoop competitions, tricycle races, three-legged races, and a mini pumpkin toss.

We’ll run student v. teacher, homeroom v. homeroom, and other variations of these games.

You can also visit the brand new Teachers Clubhouse, located in the gym. Try to beat your favorite (or least favorite!) teacher at Ping-Pong or foosball. Or take your turn shooting hoops with faculty members.

Also new this year is Laser Tag in the cafetorium. Remember to sign up online ahead of time with your friends so that you can be sure to have a fierce and friendly battle. We’ve designated the sessions by age to make the experience as fun and fair as possible. We even have time slots for parents who want to take part.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

o

rance T

in E nt T he Ma

un trance to the picnic Fall eF ain en uests d the m to our g

ov le e We’ve m more accessib e will b it entranc it will be e e k h a T t. lo to m d g n a in , park tions arking from the ed with decora of the p ar rk middle a e ne m t th ll lo e rd w wa t of the more to the fron ap for details. rd a located w to our m ad of ase see lot inste Ave. Ple rd fo k c Bla

T he early bird gets the . . . tickets!

, this year we are selling For the convenience of our families offering admission passes, are We more items prior to picnic day. r tag tickets at back-to-school carnival tickets, T-shirts and lase r.org/picnic until Oct. 4. Visit the events and online at www.harke website for more details.

★

24

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

FA L L 2 013

me!

any

t ho one a

As in past 10 er is $ an nd old ounger th years, a 3 dren he ren y 5 at t d chil Child 1 crafts will n . $ t a n s is e e ev adult sion oen for ore th ree. Admis Harvest H f again io . e s e b s is u Adm ased bho are f s the purch s over 75 rs Clu clude e be part if h in c h a c n ea nup issio he Te grow . Adm ivities in t d of the y n a a d 3 nic act on pic ames and picnic. Come to the gate g , field Craft Corner on the blacktop to down

eaf ” n’ t “ l

Do

make a spin-art Frisbee and/or a harvest bead necklace or carabiner. You can also decorate the pumpkin you pick out from our Pumpkin Patch to create the perfect Halloween decoration for your house. (Or you can bring it home to carve if you’d prefer.) Our dedicated preschool area will have age-appropriate games and activities for our youngest students and littlest picnic-goers.

You also won’t want to miss our super Silent Auction, which this year will be located in the multipurpose room. Along with the fantastic teacher packages, we will have sign-up boards for the lower school sleepover (a popular tradition), the new middle school “Movie Under the Stars,” and the annual Golf Classic.

Come check out the details and make your best bids!

Your ticket to amazing prizes (or more games or great food) You’ll notice this year two different types of carnival tickets.

We’ll have the “play” tickets that we have always had, which you can use to play games, buy food or participate in activities (like the bounce house). If you win a carnival game or field

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

★ PPiItTcCh H IIn N!!

We want to recognize our devoted picnic committee members, teachers and staff who have helped to create an event to appeal to our entire community. We are grateful for their hard work, amazing creativity, dedication and team spirit!

our harvest helpers game or beat your teacher in Ping-Pong, you receive a “win” ticket. Play tickets and win tickets will be different colors, and win tickets will have a star on them.

Win tickets may be used just like play tickets to play more games or activities, or they may be collected to cash in for prizes, or used as raffle tickets to enter the drawing for our big prize baskets. You can check out the dozens of baskets available in the gym and choose which ones you want to try to win.

Themes for the baskets include Everything Art, Collector Legos, Super Science, Bountiful Basketball and many more.

“Feast” your eyes (and taste buds) on great food choices In addition to traditional Harker picnic food offerings like barbecue, pizza, popcorn and shave ice, we are also launching some new treats. “Everything on a Stick” will feature chicken, beef and veggie kabobs, corn dogs, fruit on a stick, grilled corn on a stick, and Belgian waffle on a stick. Our baked potato and nacho bar will let guests choose their own toppings such as cheese, sour cream, bacon, green onions, jalapeños and more.

Smoothies and iced coffee will quench the biggest thirsts.

Roving ice cream carts will offer frozen ice cream bars and fruit bars. And “Howard’s Cookie Jar” will showcase gourmet cookies in several varieties including former school president Howard Nichols’ favorite, chocolate chip.

Our awesome alumni in autumn Our alumni barbecue luncheon has become a tradition all its own, drawing record numbers each year. This gathering takes place from noon to 1 p.m. in the shady alumni grove following the Harvest Hoedown and welcomes Harker alumni young and old. More information on admission and activities for alumni is available on the picnic website.

Help us harvest a feast for others At the main entrance we will have barrels set up to collect canned food items as part of the grade 5 food drive. Please help us support St. Justin’s Church in Santa Clara, run by Joe Bauer, who is an old high school classmate of our own grade 5 math teacher, Pat Walsh. Meals are available to any person in need and are not limited to parishioners.

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

FA L L 2 013

25

★

Looking to   H Environmental Responsibility has Green Committee

arker’s ongoing commitment to improving its environmental standards has led to the formation of the Green Committee, a group of faculty and staff working to formulate and execute a strategy toward making Harker a greener school both practically and culturally.

“The committee’s a way to … get people together to share ideas in terms of projects we want to do and how to carry out those projects,” said Jeff Sutton, the upper school science teacher who leads the committee along with fellow science teacher Kate Schafer.

we’re going to be working on, with the help of other Green Committee members, is conducting some of those audits.”

In the coming year, the committee hopes to conduct an audit of all the waste that is created on the three K-12 campuses over a period of 24 hours and determine 1) how much of it could have avoided being sent to a landfill; 2) how much could have been recycled or composted; and 3) what portion did not need to be created at all.

One future goal is to purchase an industrial composter and start a pilot composting program at the upper school. This would allow the campus to reduce all biodegradable food waste, including all paper cups and paper products, and quickly break them down into compost instead of discarding them as landfill fodder.

The people who would eventually form the committee, which is made up of people from all of Harker’s divisions, first met in late 2012 to discuss a long-term plan for furthering Harker’s green efforts. The committee “The committee’s a came up with seven areas in which Harker could improve: way to get people energy conservation, waste reduction, reducing the use together to share of toxic chemicals, instituting more shuttles and encouraging ideas in terms of carpooling to reduce pollution, improving water quality, creating projects we want to greener schoolyards and improving student food choices in order do and how to carry to offer more healthy foods.

out those projects.”

At a meeting in January, the committee decided to launch an energy reduction campaign in the spring of 2013 to encourage students, faculty and staff to turn off lights and close laptops in order to reduce energy usage across all campuses. According to Sutton, the campaign yielded “mixed results,” as the energy bills from those months were roughly the same as previous months.

Prior to the forming of the com– Jeff Sutton, Green “From our little experiment, it’s mittee, there were initiatives in not people having their laptops Committee Co-Chair place across Harker’s three camplugged in so much,” said Sutton. puses. “We wanted to bring all those initiatives “I’m sure that makes a difference, but there’s together and really collect and collate our ideas something bigger, like an air conditioner or a and our efforts and make them unified across refrigerant or a heater that’s causing the draw.” pre-K through 12,” said Chris Nikoloff, head of The committee is looking into software that school. “It was really more of a way of honoring will assist in discovering where Harker has a lot of good work and just trying to bring it all opportunities to become more energy efficient. together to take it to the next level.”

Some progress has already been made in the The committee is currently working to establish form of lighting upgrades at the upper school a baseline that will offer them a better picture and preschool campuses. “Over the course of of what needs to be done going forward, with the summer and into the coming year, all four of a focus on energy usage and waste reduction. our campuses will have gone through a lighting “One of the things that we have realized that we energy efficiency audit by an independent PG&E need to do is get more details than we did in our vendor,” said Mike Bassoni, the school’s facility initial research,” said Schafer. “One of things that manager. “Through grant monies made available Photos by Kyle Cavallaro

26

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

FA L L 2 013

the future  

by Zach Jones

by PG&E, we have to date received more than $40,000 in energy-efficient lighting upgrades.”

Similar upgrades are also in store for the middle and lower school campuses, pending review.

The upgrades to the upper school and preschool campuses alone are expected to save the school more than $33,000 a year in energy costs.

Another crucial part of the Green Committee’s plans is to get student buy-in and involvement for the initiatives. “Once we figure out as a committee what our goals are, then I’m going to be the one that goes to the kids and says, ‘OK, we want to realize some goals, would you like to join us?’” said Diana Moss, upper school Spanish teacher and dean of the Class of 2015.

Moss is being joined by upper school math teacher and Class of 2014 dean Victor Adler in this effort. Representatives from other campuses, including middle school math teacher Margaret Huntley, middle school history teacher Andy Keller, lower school math and science teacher Enni Chen and lower school art teacher Gerrylouise Robinson, all plan to get students on their respective campuses involved.

During the spring 2013 semester, new water fountains were installed at the upper school that dispense filtered water and have replaced traditional bottled water dispensers. These are also part of an ongoing effort to reduce paper waste by encouraging students and staff to bring water bottles to use instead of paper cups, which will supplement other waste reduction efforts such as paper recycling and cell phone and battery drop-off stations. Faculty and staff are also being encouraged to get into the habit of bringing coffee mugs to work.

In addition, a new student group called Brilliant Organizers of Student Sustainability (BOSS) has been formed and will be working with the Green Committee on student-led sustainability projects.

Over the summer, Moss had the opportunity to research how students at other schools participated in their schools’ green efforts. “They’re doing some amazing things. Kids are fired up and they’re actually leading these initiatives,” she said. Part of her plan to increase student involvement is to have them network and share ideas with students at other schools. “Eventually I see the Green Committee as being a mixed group of student leaders and faculty and staff who are also interested in sustainability,” she said.

Upper school Harker students and faculty have been asked to carry their own reusable water bottles and cups in an effort phase out the use of disposable water cups by Sept. 23. This initiative has already been put in place at the middle school and at the lower school in grades 4 and 5.

The committee hopes that one day Harker can be certified as both a California Green Business and a Green Ribbon school. To do so will require fulfilling requirements set by both programs.

“Schools are particularly challenging because they do so many different things,” Schafer said.

“We have pools, we have food service, we have all of these different components. We’re almost a like a little mini-city in and of ourselves.”

Even though their goals may be lofty, Sutton said that having “big goals” can offer a point of inspiration necessary to motivate the Harker community into making a big push to make the school more environmentally responsible.

“That’s one of our major goals going forward, too: to make this Green Committee not a committee but an ideology, where it lives beyond the life of the people who are here now.”

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

FA L L 2 013

27

harker’s Chef Steve and Company

Have More in Store

to keep us healthy

crowds more manageable. Among these are the outdoor barbecue station, the sidewalk café (where to-go wraps and other items are served via cart) and a window in the Bistro serving sushi, quiches and other appetizers.

“We needed more stations because so many students were forced into an area,” said Martin. “We really were trying to spread out the crowd. That’s why we added a window in the Bistro.”

H vallaro

y Kyle Ca

Photos b

arker’s ever-evolving food services program is set to undergo more exciting changes in the coming year, with more menu options, healthier food choices and more themed varieties. Patrons may have already noticed some of the many changes food service manager Stephen Martin – or “Chef Steve,” as he has come to be known in his nearly 25 years at Harker – has made in the last two years.

At the middle school, where a bistro and barbecue station have also been added, there will be an increased emphasis on vegetarian options in response to increased demand from middle school families. “We designated a whole section of the station to vegetarian choices,” Martin noted.

“We’re trying to stay on the cutting edge and add new things, healthy choices,” said Martin. “We use a lot less mayonnaise now. We don’t use a lot of mayonnaise-based dressings and when we make salads we use a lot of extra virgin olive oil and vinegars.”

Dessert portions were also made smaller overall, but not to discourage people from partaking of cake or brownies after lunch. “A taste can go a long way,” Martin said. In other words, a smaller portion can satisfy the hunger for confections without making patrons feel too guilty about grabbing something sweet. This enables dieters to enjoy smaller desserts while others can have more if they so choose. “By cutting [desserts] smaller,” Martin said, “we were able to give people more variety.”

New to the upper school this year is the addition of an area dedicated to international foods, where cuisine from different parts of the world will be featured on a regular basis.

“We may do Asian for two weeks, we may do German, we may do French,” Martin said. A new station featuring Mexican dishes and a salsa bar has also been added at the gym.

Several new stations have been added to offer a greater diversity of dishes and to make upper school lunchtime

28

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

FA L L 2 013

Changes are also in store for the lower school, where Martin hopes to educate children on foods featuring whole grains and whole wheat. “They can’t be intimidated by food,” he said. “So we’re going to try to … educate the little ones on eating certain things that make it so that the menu is very healthy but appealing.”

In order to make the food more “exciting” for the entire Harker community as well as its younger students, Martin plans to feature a type of fruit each month: “We’ll do different salads, incorporate it into the entrée, incorporate it into desserts, just to get kids to try to eat more fruit.”

The lower, middle and upper schools are not the only places where Martin has big plans, however. The newly launched preschool will

G

G

F G H F G

By Zach Jones

also focus on providing healthy foods that students will enjoy, such as mini whole-grain bagel sandwiches, whole-wheat English muffin pizzas and items featuring chicken and turkey.

In an effort to “try to keep it low in fat and high in nutritional value,” as Martin put it, no fried food will be served.

free, but it’s unfortunate that gluten’s in almost everything,” Martin said, also noting that gluten-free bread tends to fall apart easily. “We’re going to start simple, but we’re going to try to get the best of the best and then we’re going to feature it.”

“A lot of stuff is going to be from scratch,” added preschool kitchen manager Lisa Machuca.

Aside from finding ways to keep food options interesting for the Harker community, Martin is also passionate about informing the community about what they eat and his philosophy on keeping Harker students, faculty and staff healthy and fulfilled. “I really want to establish a rapport with the whole community, with the teachers and the staff and the kids, about a balanced diet,” he said. To this end, he hopes to publish nutritional information in the Harker online portals that will provide the community with information about what they eat and “give them the tools to work with so they can have a healthy diet.”

Machuca also noted that food at the preschool will be served differently than at other campuses. Instead of eating at a designated lunch area, preschool students will have food brought to them in their classrooms and the students will serve themselves.

Students will also be served snacks three times a day,

including fruit smoothies, cottage cheese, apple slices and other health-minded and age-appropriate foods.

Schoolwide gluten-free options are also being considered, but Martin and the food service department want to make sure that they can meet their own high standards when offering these options. “We’re trying to work with gluten-

By doing this, he hopes that some misconceptions people have about the food they eat can be quelled.

“It’s not bad to eat pizza. It’s bad to eat pizza every day.”

In the end, Martin said, food service’s mission is to offer a wide variety of choices to the Harker community that will allow them to make the choices they need for a proper diet. “You can go to every station and get a well-balanced meal,” he said.

“I really want to establish a rapport with the whole community, with the teachers and the staff and the kids, about a balanced diet..”

– Stephen “Chef Steve” Martin, Food Service Manager

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

FA L L 2 013

29

GreaterGood

By Debbie Cohen

By Debbie Cohen

Art Instructor’s Annual Trip Aids Needy Children in Africa Photos provided by Jaap Bongers

have been donated by Harker students) for the African children.

Come summer, he fills a big plastic storage box with the donated items, which he takes with him to Africa.

There, he donates the toys, books and clothes to the neediest children he encounters.

For the last five years, Jaap Bongers, Harker’s upper school art department instructor and chair, has used the summer break as a unique opportunity to personally donate items to needy children in the Republic of Zambia, a landlocked country in Southern Africa.

This past summer he also spent time in Tanzania.

“I have been going there every summer and one time I even went during the Christmas break,” said Bongers, explaining that, in preparation for the annual sojourn, he uses the school year to collect toys, children’s clothes and children’s books (many of which

“I do this while traveling to very remote villages where there is still wonderful ages-old original culture.

Initiation rituals, traditional dances by masked actors and healing ceremonies by witch doctors can still be found although it is getting harder and harder to locate them.”

artifacts he discovers and buys on his travels. “I note down their use, meaning and age. I have found objects and heard about customs that were not yet known. Once I return to Harker I use this information, the items and the pictures for my Study of Visual Art class,” he said, noting that his house is filling up with an impressive collection of ancient traditional African art.

The remote villages that Bongers visits are reminiscent of the huntergatherers and migrating tribes who inhabited the country for thousands of years.

After handing out and emptying the storage box of donated toys, Bongers then refills it with ancient traditional

Fifth Grader Honored for Community Service Work Over the summer Nilisha Baid, grade 5, got an award from the Kohl’s Cares program for her exceptional community service work.

Over much of the previous school year, Baid worked with a refugee family from Congo. Along with her Girl Scouts troop, Baid tutored and mentored the family, who had eight children. Many of the kids had little experience with school or even sitting still for a few minutes.

Yet, although they knew little English or math and were unfamiliar with the culture here, Baid was able to create suitable games and activities to teach through play. Baid and her troop helped the children with their homework and also took them out for educational trips, putting smiles on their faces and giving Baid a deep sense of accomplishment!

Photo provided by Jyoti Baid, parent

30

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

FA L L 2 013

GreaterGood Harker Student and Teacher Investigate Marine Debris During GYRE Expedition By Zach Jones Harker student Dolan Dworak, grade 8, and upper school biology teacher Kate Schafer set off for the Alaskan coastline in early June as part of Expedition GYRE, a joint project between the Alaska SeaLife Center and the Anchorage Museum that brought a team of scientists and artists together to examine the effects of marine debris on the environment and wildlife.

Using the research performed during the expedition as a guide, 20 artists will assemble an art exhibition that will be on display at the Anchorage Museum starting February 2014.

During the expedition Dworak, who previously spent three years working with Sea Scavenger Conservancy in San Francisco, was responsible for posting updates on social media about the group’s discoveries. He also learned a great deal about marine life.

“Every day I was taken behind the scenes to meet animals in residence and recently rescued animals such as otters and seals,” he said. “Sometimes I got to handle the animal to learn how to feed it and take care of it.”

One animal in particular surprised him: “I learned that octopuses are amazingly interactive and curious. One octopus tried to eat my camera!”

Schafer helped develop the educational portion of the exhibition, and was pleased to be included among such a stellar team. “[Expedition leader]

Howard Ferren brought together such a talented and diverse group of expedition members,” she said. “It was so great to be a part of the discussions around the topic of marine debris that began upon our arrival in Anchorage and will continue far into the future. I truly felt honored to have the opportunity to be a part of such a unique event.”

“Our consumption is causing severe damage to the ocean and we need to stop using and disposing of plastics before it’s too late.”

address the problem once garbage actually enters the ocean.”

Dworak found the whole experience inspiring and it further motivated him to continue his work to help clean the oceans. “I was inspired by everyone on the team and by the people who supported the team, and I hope to inspire others to care for the oceans and the sea life,” he said. “Our consumption is causing severe damage to the ocean and we need to stop using and disposing of plastics before it’s too late.”

– Dolan Dworak, grade 8

Reflecting on the issue of marine debris, Schafer said that reducing and possibly eliminating the use of singleuse plastic containers, redesigning these containers to reduce their environmental impact and devising ways to minimize the amount of waste reaching the oceans are all crucial to solving the problem. “The challenge of controlling marine debris is a large and complex issue,” she said. “A huge investment of resources is needed to Photo provided by Kip Evans Photography

Photos provided by Susan Dworak, parent

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

FA L L 2 013

31

Advancement New Parents Warmly Welcomed into the Harker Community at Annual Reception By Debbie Cohen

A

Held in June, the annual event that welcomes new parents to Harker was graciously hosted by board member Sally Anderson. Chris Nikoloff, head of school, and Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement, opened the reception. Then, while socializing over appetizers and beverages, attendees visited with current parent “ambassadors” from various grades who were on hand to answer questions.

bout 160 new-to-Harker parents received a warm welcome upon attending an evening reception held in their honor at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose.

helped shape her as a person.

“At the end of the evening, guests had connected with one another and were very excited to become a part of the Harker community,” observed Rosenthal.

The group viewed a variety of video clips highlighting Harker’s strong academic, performing arts and athletic programs. Capping off the event was Casey Near ’06, who spoke about her many memorable experiences at Harker and how they have Photos by Mariah Bush ‘06

Parent Development Council Goes the Extra Mile on Behalf of Harker By Debbie Cohen

W

New PDC members are nominated either by current members or Harker faculty and staff. Nominations are reviewed by the school administration, and invitations to join are issued in May of each year for the following school year.

Near the start of every school year, these parents reach out to the rest of the parent body to secure annual giving gifts and pledges. “PDC members are committed to the success of our students and the school community,” said Melinda Gonzales, Harker’s managing director of advancement.

32

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

FA L L 2 013

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

ith more than 100 members, Harker’s Parent Development Council (PDC) is a dedicated group of parent volunteers who work on behalf of the students to raise this year’s goal of $1.6 million to fund student programs such as field trips, the arts, athletics, library, technology and much more.

“We would like to extend our sincere gratitude for all that these important parent volunteers do for the students,” said Gonzales, noting that a complete list of PDC members is accessible via the Harker website at http://www. harker.org/page.cfm?p=173.

Advancement Every Family’s Gift to Annual Giving Counts Toward Securing Foundation Grants

By Ellen DiBiase

T

he Harker School has submitted a grant application to the Wayne & Gladys Valley Foundation for a gift of $5 million to be used in the construction of a sports and performing arts complex on the Saratoga campus.

Independent schools do not often qualify for large grants from community or educational foundations, as most educational grants target underprivileged populations. However, the Harker advancement team has identified a few foundations for which the school does meet the baseline criteria and has worked to articulate the school’s especially strong case for support.

The primary appeal highlights the importance of providing quality facilities not only for academics, but for athletics, the arts and student clubs as well, in order to help students achieve their full potentials. The addition of a sports and performing arts complex to the upper school campus is a greatly needed facility that will benefit the daily lives of students in profound ways, whether it is on the court, on the stage or in the classroom.

“Parents play a critical role in the success of any application we make to a

Photos by Pam Dickinson

charitable foundation,” explained Joe Rosenthal, Harker’s executive director of advancement. “Parent participation in annual giving is the common metric used to determine how broad a school’s base of support is for its annual operations. Having a high percent of participation in annual giving puts the school in the best possible position to secure additional funding from foundations, because foundations want to add value and not replace stakeholders’ responsibility. Other independent schools in the Bay Area that have received foundation support have participation rates in the mid-tohigh 90th percentile. Foundations may eliminate from consideration schools that don’t have a high percentage of participation.”

Rosenthal went on to add that as Harker was wrapping up the 201213 school year, “We made a special end-of-the-campaign appeal to increase participation in order to put Harker in as good a position as possible to secure the $5 million grant from

the Valley Foundation. It was then that we asked the Harker community to rally and encouraged anyone who had not yet given to the annual giving campaign to please do so. We explained the importance of participation as it relates to the grant application. During the end-ofthe-campaign appeal, we embarked on ‘The “Having a high percent of 5-for-5 Campaign.’

The premise was participation simple: give $5 (or in annual $50, $500 or even giving puts the $5,000) to help the school secure the $5 school in the million grant. Parent best possible response to the 5-forposition 5 campaign was very to secure good, and we were able to boost our par- additional ent participation rate funding from by an additional 17 foundations; percentage points in the final weeks of the foundations want to add value campaign.”

and not replace

It is anticipated that stakeholders’ Harker’s application will be reviewed by responsibility.” the Valley Foundation - Joe Rosenthal, this fall. The school Executive Director will also be submitof Advancement ting grant proposals to additional foundations in the spring of 2014. With the Valley Foundation and other grant applications in the works, the school is increasing its effort to get the word out, which is why making a gift or pledge now, in the fall of 2013, is of the utmost importance.

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

FA L L 2 013

33

Advancement Class of 2013 Endowment Fund Established from Senior Parent Appreciation Gift By Debbie Cohen

A

Class of 2013 Endowment Fund has been established using the $45,429.90 raised from last year’s Senior Parent Appreciation Gift (SPAG).

It was parents from Harker’s first upper school graduating class who established the now annual tradition of SPAG, where parents make a gift in appreciation of the time their child has spent at Harker and the education they have received.

In past years, any incremental giving to the annual giving campaign over and above what a family had given during the previous year went to fund a beautification project on campus.

Starting last year, SPAG funds go towards establishing a class fund that becomes part of the general endowment.

If the parents of graduating seniors choose to make a gift of $2,014 or more, their children receive bricks

inscribed with their names permanently placed in Graduates’ Grove on the upper school campus, installed at a ceremony in the spring. Gifts for senior bricks also count for SPAG. According to the advancement office, alumni and alumni parents are encouraged to contribute to their class funds going forward, not just for their senior years.

Enhancing the Harker Experience, Both Inside & Outside the Classroom By Ellen DiBiase The Madala Family

Photo by Chris A. Johnson

Embodying the entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit of the Bay Area, Srini and Durga Madala (Samantha, grade 11; Ajay, grade 5), are well known in the Harker community for their contributions to the advancement of the school.

Harker parents since 2003, they sponsored the construction of the Madala Biology Center in Nichols Hall on the Saratoga campus during Phase III of the Cornerstones of Success campaign.

The biology center features state-ofthe-art equipment that allows Harker students to conduct research at or beyond the college level and is one of five science centers within Nichols that enables better collaboration for both students and teachers.

of the Softsol Group in Fremont, which is an IT services provider that empowers the customer to achieve efficiency, innovation, compliance and cost savings. He has also served on the board of directors for KQED San Francisco.

Durga Madala works as a cardiologist at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose and received her medical training through the University of California, San Francisco and California Pacific Medical Center.

The Madalas’ charitable giving to Harker didn’t stop with a major capital gift, however; they have also made generous contributions to the endowment fund, and in the 2007-08 school year, they pledged to make a 2:1 gift match for an increase in any family’s annual gift and a 5:1 gift match for donors who had not made a gift in the previous year, up to $1 million total.

All in all, those matches were honored for the annual gifts of more than 550 Harker families in the 2007-08 school year.

Together, the Madalas’ latest venture has been the construction of a 42,000-square-foot community development center in Srini’s hometown of Nizamabad, India, where families can come together to share in educational, athletic, entrepreneurial and healthbased activities. In memory of Srini’s grandparents, this extensive project was funded by the Madala Family Charitable Trust.

Srini Madala is chairman and founder 34

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

FA L L 2 013

With their expertise in philanthropy and community development, the Madalas were key members of Harker’s capital campaign committee in its

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

Advancement

previous phase. The Madalas have generously opened their home to several head of school gatherings and hosted a head of school celebration dinner. Srini has served on the parent technology committee at Harker and in recent years has also worked directly with Harker students as both a career panelist and mentor. Ajay and Samantha have both been active participants in the Harker performing arts program, and Samantha has also played lacrosse for the upper school.

The Singh Family For Jagdeep and Roshni Singh (Noor, grade 9; Kismet, grade 6; Nageena, grade 4), choosing to make a visionary gift to support the construction of a new pool on the Saratoga campus felt like a natural fit.

“All three of my daughters swim,” Roshni Singh said. “My mother was a national athlete in India as well as a Ph.D. in psychology. As a family, we have seen the benefit of both academics and athletics.”

A practicing physician at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara, she is board-certified in internal medicine

and hospice and palliative care. Her husband, Jagdeep, is the cofounder and CEO of QuantumScape, an energy storage corporation, and holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley.

Previously, he cofounded and served as president and CEO of Infinera. He has been an advisory council member for the Stanford Graduate School of Business and is also an advisory board member of RWI Ventures.

Since the installation of the Singh Aquatic Center in 2007, all previous pool records at Harker have been broken. The 25-yard pool features eight lanes and supports the competitive swim team and the water polo team.

It is also home to the popular duct tape regatta, an annual spirit event in which classes compete against each other in a relay race using boats made only of duct tape and cardboard. The pool is further made available to the

greater community for independent sports leagues and swimming lessons.

In addition to the Singhs’ capital campaign gift in Phase III, they have also offered volunteer and sponsorship support to special events at Harker, including the Family & Alumni Picnic and the 2013 Harker Fashion Show.

Roshni has served as a homeroom volunteer and is currently a parent ambassador welcoming new families entering grade 4.

Teré Aceves, director of preschool and lower school volunteer programs, commented that, “Jagdeep and Roshni can often be found at the Harker community socials, poised to help in any way they can.”

The Singh family is an exemplary model of how even the busiest of parents can find time to offer their support to the school in a variety of ways. “We hope that Harker will continue to excel in all avenues,” Roshni said.

The Harker School thanks both the Madala family and the Singh family for their generous contributions to the capital campaign in Phase III. To learn more about the plans for Phase IV, please visit the capital giving page on the Harker website.

Make a Gift, Get a Decal!

You may have noticed some snazzy “HKR” window decals proudly displayed on cars around campus and wondered how you can get one.

The advancement team is offering these as a thank you to all annual giving donors when they make their gifts. The first step is to make a pledge. Then you’ll receive your decal after making the payment.

2

013 -14 Making gifts early in the school year is a tremendous help to Harker’s budgeting.

Gifts may be made online by clicking on “Support Harker” from www.harker.org. Or you may send a check to: Harker Advancement Office, 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129. Please contact Melinda Gonzales at melinda.gonzales@ harker.org with any questions.

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

FA L L 2 013

35

PerformingArts

By Zach Jones

“Family Party” Indie Film Starring Harker Students and Alumni Now in Post-Production

“F

amily Party,” the independent film starring Harker students and alumni, finished filming over the summer and is currently in post-production.

The film stars Vishal Vaidya, grade 11, as Nick, who wants to escape a boring family party with his friend Arti to attend a local concert. The film also stars junior Jai Ahuja and 2013 graduates Rahul Nalamasu, now attending the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, and Cecilia Lang-Ree, who starts at Stanford this fall. During production, per“I truly believe forming arts chair Laura Lang-Ree and that it will upper school drama help society to teacher Jeff Draper get past the acted as advisers to the cast and crew. stereotypes that

we have today, replacing them with a current idea of what life is really like for us.”

– Jai

Vaidya said the character of Nick appealed to him almost immediately.

“When I first got the part, I read through the script and got a weird Ahuja, grade 11 feeling of déjà vu,” he said. “The kinds of interactions that Nick had with his parents were completely similar to the daily conversations and arguments I have with my own mom and dad.”

strong emotion to carry me through his scenes but rather had to utilize my scene partner, as the majority of my screen time was conversational,” he said.

Ahuja, who plays Nick’s friend Sahil, found the challenge of playing a down-to-earth character was a new experience for him. “Toning down the energy that I normally use for a theater so that it would work well on film was challenging,” he said. “I found that just being around on set was an amazing experience over all. I enjoyed watching everything get set up, the camera being operated, the lights being put in place, and our directors working together. It was exciting to be out in front, and simply to be acting with such a great cast and crew.”

“Everyone in the cast and crew were completely bonded by the end of the shoot,” said Vaidya. “The fact that most of the crew were either in college or had just graduated made it even easier to connect because the age difference was so small.”

The part of Nick was a new challenge for Vaidya, as it required him to channel a different set of emotions.

He previously played Laertes in the Harker production of “Hamlet” and a troubled teenager in last year’s Student-Directed Showcase. “Nick was a much harder character to play because I couldn’t always rely on Photo by Laura Lang-Ree

36

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

FA L L 2 013

The makers of “Family Party” are currently seeking additional funding to get the film through the postproduction phase. Once it is finished, it will be submitted to several notable film festivals, including Sundance, South by Southwest and the Toronto Film Festival.

Vaidya said the way the film depicts Indian-American culture is an important reason for it to receive the funding necessary to be completed.

“It’s really the only film about Indians I’ve ever seen that views them as normal people with normal problems,” he said. “On top of that, it’s just a really sweet touching story that all sorts of people will connect with.”

“I truly believe that it will help society to get past the stereotypes that we have today, replacing them with a current idea of what life is really like for us,” Ahuja said.

More information about the film, including instructions on how to donate, is available at its website, www.familypartythefilm.com.

PerformingArts Performing Arts Staff Stays Active in the Arts During Summertime

At the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, upper school drama teacher Jeff Draper worked with the Young Rep program, which had more than 100 students from ages 12-22 spending seven weeks in acting, musical theater, playwriting, directing and technical theater workshops. “Summer programs in the performing arts can be successful, especially if there is a facility to run them,” Draper noted.

Danny Dunn, lower school technical director, directed no less than five musicals for the summer youth program at the Tabard Theatre Company in San Jose. She also served as the director for the company’s summer camp.

Photo provided by Karl Kuehn Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

Monica Colletti, middle school drama teacher, traveled to Chicago for two weeks to take an immersion course in music improvisation at the Second City Training center. “As a result, I have since begun taking weekly improv classes at Made Up Theater in Fremont,” she said.

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

Photo by Mark Tantrum

Photo by Kyle Cavallaro

Over the summer, several of Harker’s performing arts staff stayed busy with performances, professional development and other activities.

One of the busier performing arts faculty members was upper school dance teacher Karl Kuehn, who performed in shows by the Atlas School of Dance and Dance Effects, as well as being a backup dancer on the main stage at San Francisco Pride. He also attended a dance camp in Sacramento with the junior varsity and varsity dancers, and did dance and choreography rehearsals with the Ragazzi Boys Chorus during the Dance Teacher Summit in New York City.

Performing arts chair Laura Lang-Ree continued fronting the Los Gatos Saratoga Big Band as lead vocalist and performed at various venues and festivals throughout the summer, such as Santana Row and the San Jose Jazz Festival.

Upper school music teacher Susan Nace performed at a variety of concerts, including one featuring music from video games. She also attended a “wonderful” choral conference in Santa Fe, N.M. “I filled in some questions I’ve had on choral tuning and ensemble rhythm issues,” she said.

The full text of these stories can be found at Harker News Online, http://news.harker.org. Search on the appropriate subject.

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

FA L L 2 013

37

GlobalEducation

Among the more eye-opening parts of the trip was the visit to La Carpio, an area outside the Costa Rican capital city of San Jose that houses approximately 34,000 people, mostly poor immigrants from Nicaragua. There, the students helped the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation

Other highlights included a visit to Manuel Antonio National Park, participating in a talent show at a local K-12 private school and a fun scavenger hunt in the city of Grecia, where students were required to speak to the citizens in Spanish to complete their tasks.

Photo by Kevin Williamson

FA L L 2 013

This year’s upper school summer adventure to Japan had students visiting many of the country’s famous landmarks and historical sites. During their first couple of days, the students headed to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima to hear an account from a person who survived the first atomic bombing; they later visited Miyajima to enjoy the scenery and wildlife.

Swiss Excursion Filled With Learning, Culture and Confections Several upper school students traveled to Switzerland in June to meet with their friends at Collège de Gambach, practice their French and explore the country’s beautiful scenery and culture. Their first day at Collège de Gambach consisted of a tour of the campus and a board game with German and French speakers.

After disembarking the bullet train in Kyoto, the students had a great time in the former Japanese capital, spending the night at a temple and attending a morning prayer session. While in Kyoto, they visited a number of famous temples, including the Golden Pavilion, and interacted with the locals in Japanese.

One of the group’s favorite stops was the Cailler Chocolate factory, where they learned about the history of chocolate and how it is made. They also sampled a variety of cocoa beans and, as expected, the many varieties of chocolate made by the company.

Later, in Lausanne, the students boarded a steamboat to Vevey, where the food company Nestlé is headquartered. There, they visited the Alimentarium, a cooking museum

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

Upper School Students Explore Cultural Sights, Meet Tamagawa Buddies on Trip to Japan

During their visit to Harker’s sister school, Tamagawa Academy in Tokyo, the students met their host buddies for the first time and began their homestays. After a few days of fun and bonding with their Tamagawa buddies, the students said their goodbyes and headed home.

Photo provided by Masako Onakado

Photo provided by Jennifer Walrod

Middle school students embarked on an exciting language immersion trip to Costa Rica in late July. The journey started with ziplining through Costa Rica’s lush rainforest. Later, the students headed to the ACCE language school, where they sat in with the local students and impressed the instructors with their level of Spanish usage.

38

where the students learned about the history of food preparation, cooking utensils and even table manners. Their final day at Collège de Gambach was spent eating lunch and enjoying time with their Swiss friends.

by painting buildings and helping to promote a health fair to the local population.

Middle School Students Embark on Language Immersion Trip to Costa Rica

By Zach Jones

GlobalEducation Student Studies Performing Arts, Visits Great Barrier Reef on Australian Adventure

Photo provided by Diane Plauck

Naomi Molin, grade 10, spent a month in Australia from mid-June to mid-July on a trip to further explore her interest in the performing arts as well as to see the many fascinating sights the country has to offer. Another bonus was, of course, spending time with her friends at St. Stephen’s College.

Her fun-filled trip included a dance workshop with two members of the London cast of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which was followed by a viewing of the show. She also participated in the St. Stephen’s spirit activities, which included many aspects of Australian aboriginal culture, such as a dance, face painting and throwing boomerangs.

In August, lower school math teacher Diane Plauck trekked to Australia, where she served as this year’s exchange teacher at St. Stephen’s College, located on the continent’s Gold Coast. Plauck taught math to the school’s grade 6 and 7 students and also participated in the math lab the students attend on Thursdays. Plauck also observed a number of classes being taught at St. Stephen’s, such as music, handwriting and math.

As a guest of the school, Plauck was treated to several fun-filled trips and outings, including a visit to New South Wales to see the Sydney Opera and a flight above Byron Bay in a singleengine microlight airplane.

Upper School Students Travel to Costa Rica for Scientific Research From late July to early August, upper school students traveled to Costa Rica to create and present research projects at the University of Georgia’s Costa Rica campus at San Luis. The students spent their time observing local wildlife in the field and doing lab work on their findings. Some of the topics students researched included intraspecies bird calls, hermit crab activity and plankton diversity.

The students later presented the results of their research to an appreciative audience at a symposium held at the UGA campus. During breaks from their research, the students went to a science fair being held at a local elementary school, went ziplining over the Costa Rican cloud forest, visited a bat jungle and went rafting.

Photo provided by Chris Spenner

Lower School Math Teacher Travels to Australia for Teacher Exchange

Molin’s host family even took her on a trip to Australia’s world-renowned Great Barrier Reef, where they explored the area’s islands and towns and viewed crocodiles, kangaroos, wallabies and other animals at a wildlife education center.

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

FA L L 2 013

39

AlumniNews ALUMNI SAVE THE DATES

OCTOber Celebrate the changing of the seasons with us at the harvest-themed 63rd annual Family & Alumni Picnic!

Join fellow classmates on Sun., Oct. 13, at the Blackford campus to reconnect and reminisce at the picnic’s special alumni luncheon.

The alumni relations office is providing free picnic admission to alumni and their immediate families and hosting a luncheon from 12-1 p.m. (immediately following the performing arts show). Attendance at the picnic’s alumni barbecue hit record numbers last year, and we’re anticipating an even bigger turnout this year. Come on out for some old-fashioned fun and new surprises! Register at www.harker.org/ picnic for free alumni admission.

NOVEMBER Alumni to Hold First Basketball Games Against Harker’s Varsity Boys and Girls Teams!

Save the date for Harker’s first alumni basketball games, to be held Tues., Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. on the Blackford campus. The girls and boys junior varsity teams will scrimmage against faculty members before the two varsity teams go head to head with the Harker alumni group later that evening. The event, organized by MaryEllis Deacon, director of alumni relations, is the first of its kind. There will be refreshments served and complimentary T-shirts handed out. Mark your calendars for the tip-off and let the alumni office know if you are planning on attending so we have plenty of time to make a winning lineup!

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

FA L L 2 013

P

alo Alto Military Academy (PAMA) graduate William Mathews Brooks ’67 found something unique scuba diving in the Indonesian seas: a new Photos prov species of coral reef fish. ided by Will iam Mathew s Brooks ‘67 The discovery was the cover story in the April edition of the International Journal of Ichthyology.

“The fish is specifically of the goby (Gobiidae) genus,” explained Brooks, who named the species – a brightly colored orange and pink fish with a distinctive bright yellow midlateral stripe that runs horizontally down the side of its body – Eviota pamae.

This new species is named pamae in honor of Pamela Scott Rorke, Brooks’ wife and diving companion on the expedition that uncovered the fish.

“When I first entered the school I was a struggling student. By the time I left I excelled and became a merit scholar.”

–William Mathews Brooks ’67

A successful businessman and entrepreneur, Brooks is well known in adventuring circles for his passion for the outdoors. An avid climber, mountaineer and alpinist, he is a certified international mountain guide and founder of Brooks-Range Mountaineering Equipment Co. He is also a longtime certified scuba diving instructor who began diving in college in the early 1970s.

Brooks was twice decorated by the American Mountain Guides Association, once in 2010 and again in 2012.

He collected that organization's two most prestigious awards, the Presidential Gold Medal and Lifetime Achievement Award, and is its honorary past-president.

He credits Harker with giving him the tools he needed early on to able to lead such a successful life. “PAMA provided me with a wonderful academic and moral base.

When I first entered the school I was a struggling student …. By the time I left I excelled and became a merit scholar,” he recalled.

e archives

40

PAMA Alumnus Discovers New Fish Species

th Photo from

Stay tuned for more information from your class agents!

By Debbie Cohen

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.

1967 PAMA alumnus William Mathews Brooks discovered a new species of coral reef fish in the Indonesian seas. Read all about it in the feature story on page 40.

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

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

1977 Class Agent: Mike Pons (michael.pons@gmail.com)

1978 Class Agent: Silvia Malaccorto (smalaccorto@contoural.com)

1979 Class Agent: Chip Zecher (chipzecher@hotmail.com) Ken Hunt reported that he had the opportunity to attend a national convention in Dallas over the summer sponsored by his former fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon, of which he

serves on the board of governors. A graduate of both Harker and Wake Forest University, he used the conference as a chance to reconnect with some Harker alumni living in the Dallas area. Ken currently works as vice president of operations for the firm Produxs in Seattle.

1980 Class Agent: Greg Argendeli (slackmaster@gmail.com)

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); Kristin Quintin (kquintin@intevac.com)

1988 Class Agents: Eric Xanthopoulos (eric.xanthopoulos@gmail. com);

1996

Aileen Eveleth (a_eveleth@yahoo.com)

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

1989 Class Agent: Katie Wilson (mkate_wilson@yahoo.com)

1990 Class Agent: Chris Yamashita (iamtheyamo@yahoo.com)

Navreet Raju Kamdar, a Harker middle school graduate, reports that she just had a baby girl. See the Celebrations section for a photo and more information.

1997

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

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

1992

2002

1991

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

1993 Class Agents: Joy Paterson (joypaterson@gmail.com); Tala Banato (tala.banato@gmail.com); Kelle Sloan (kelles@harker.org)

1994 Class Agent: Leyna Cotran (leynacotran@gmail.com)

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

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

2003 Class Agents: Julia N. Gitis (juliag@gmail.com); Maheen Kaleem (maheenkaleem@gmail.com)

2004 Class Agents: Jacinda A. Mein (mjacinda@gmail.com); Jessica C. Liu (jess.c.liu@gmail.com)

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

FA L L 2 013

41

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

Class Agents: Meghana Dhar (meghanadhar@gmail.com); Jeffrey Le (Jeff87@gmail.com); Casey Near (caseylane@gmail.com) 42

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

Photo provided by Rohini Venkatraman ‘06

2006

Christine Vu recently illustrated the book "On Being a Language Teacher," which will be published

by Yale Press in December 2013. Last summer, she was one of the five winners for Modcloth's "Make the Cut" contest, and the dress she designed was subsequently produced and sold on their website.

After receiving her master’s degree in medical sciences last December, she has now moved to Florida to start dental school.

approached her for an interview. The blogger felt that the piece would provide an interesting perspective on how a millennial (otherwise known as Generation Y) went through the independent publishing process. Rohini, who holds a degree in psychology and works in the local tech industry as a product manager, suggested other alums interested in selfpublishing first “focus on

FA L L 2 013

In the last few years, Sharon Her has become a competitive West Coast swing dancer and travels around the country to compete at the all-star level! She is also beginning to teach swing dance. This fall, she'll start her master’s program in early childhood education and child life in hospitals at Mills College in Oakland (even though the idea of being a full time student again is a bit daunting).

2007 Class Agents: Cassie Kerkhoff (ckerkhoff@ucsd.edu); Audrey Kwong (audmusic@gmail. com) Molly Newman was married in June. Please see the Celebrations section for details!

2008 Class Agents: Stephanie Syu (ssyu363@yahoo.com); Senan Ebrahim (sebrahim@fas.harvard.edu)

Photos provided by Tanya Schmidt ‘08

Photo provided by Stacie Wallace

Stacie Wallace, Harker’s middle school English department chair, wrote in with news that her daughter Rachel Newman had a blast hanging out with fellow classmates Estelle Charlu and Hillary Brooks in New York City. “Lovely luck put them all in NYC after graduation,” recalled Stacie, noting that Rachel started graduate school last fall at Columbia and now is “within subway distance” of getting together with her former Harker classmates, who have been good pals since the seventh grade!

the writing” and “creating something that you love.”

Then, she said, “turn to the self-publishing part.”

Rohini Venkatraman was featured in a recent Forbes blog following the release of her first book, a semi-autobiographical novella she self-published on Amazon. Called “Descending the Corporate Ladder,” Rohini said the book offers a look at what it means to be a young 20-something today.

Describing how the Forbes article came about, she recalled that a student she knew from her time at the University of Pennsylvania, who now blogs for Forbes about women and the “millennial mindset,”

After spending her summer back at Harker working in the Office of Communication on a variety of projects, Tanya Schmidt returned to Europe where she had been playing professional volleyball. This season (August 2013-April 2014) she will play for Volleyball Club Offenburg, in southwest Germany. The team's results can be followed at their Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/ Volleyball.Club.Offenburg.

ClassNotes “If anyone from Harker is traveling near here, please contact me; I would be happy to share a bratwurst downtown or go for a scenic bike ride along the nearby Rhine River!” she enthused.

2009 Class Agents: Rachel Wang (rachel.serendipity@gmail.com) Stephanie Guo (stephanie.j.guo@gmail.com) Beckie Yanovsky, Sean Mandell, Jeffrey Mandell and Sophi Newman have all graduated from Stanford University. Please see the Celebrations section for details!

Noel Duan recently graduated from Columbia University and looks forward to attending England’s University of Oxford for graduate school where she will get her masters in women’s studies, starting in

October. She spent her summer living in New York City in a beautiful loft in Chelsea and working as a business intern at Parse.ly, a venture-backed tech startup that makes Photo provided by Esther Belogolovsky ‘10 Web analytics tools for San Diego. Last summer digital publishers. She she served as a human also interned for Emma resources global leadership McLaughlin and Nicola and manager development Kraus, the authors of New intern at Applied Materials, York Times bestsellera global leader in making turned movie “The Nanny smartphones, flat-screen Diaries,” where she TVs and solar panels. assisted with social media Read the full story on her and online marketing. which ran in Harker News Noel is pictured here Online (HNO) at: http:// posing for a shot that was news.harker.org/harkerused in an article featured alumna-awarded-localin Teen Vogue, where she grant-for-rising-women-inhad previously interned. leadership/.

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) Class agent Hassaan Ebrahim spent time in the Bay Area over the summer interning with fellow class agent Akhsar Kharebov ’02, working at his startup Infometers. “Got to love those Harker connections!” enthused Hassaan. In other news, Hassaan reported

Photo provided by Sarah Wang ‘10

Photo provided by Teen Vogue

Back in June Esther Belogolovsky was named as one of four recipients of a $1,500 Women in Leadership Grant awarded by the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The grants go to collegiate women who demonstrate extraordinary leadership qualities in a business environment. Applicants must be full-time students and employed or interning at Silicon Valley-based businesses. Belogolovsky is a communications major and business minor at the University of California,

After studying at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, for almost a year, Sarah Wang has returned to the States to attend George Washington University, where she will be a senior.

“I'm majoring in culture

and politics with a focus on gender studies in Asia. For the past few months I've been interning at Isbel, Inc. (a women's-only website and forum for discussion) doing cultural and market research on Japanese women. I'm not sure yet what I'll be doing after graduation, but I'm currently leaning toward graduate school, perhaps in culture studies,” she reported.

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

FA L L 2 013

43

ClassNotes that Kiran Vodrahalli is participating in an “awesome project” to study how computer science is taught around the nation.

Tyler Koteskey recently got back from spending the summer working as an intern in Senator Rand Paul's office on Capitol Hill. “As part of my job I answered constituent phone calls, gave tours of the Capitol, sorted lots of mail, and also got to write some policy memos as well. One day I even got to shadow Senator Paul! It was a really exciting experience,” he said.

called MEDLIFE, which provides medicine, education and development for low-income families everywhere. “I was able to get a hands-on experience of administering local anesthesia during my time shadowing a dentist,” he recalled, describing his experience working with a mobile medical clinic there. “During our week in Ecuador we had to travel with all our equipment and set up shop in different locations.

2012 Class Agents: Will Chang (12williamc@students. harker.org); David Fang (12davidf@students.harker.org)

It was interesting because there are no hospitals, so we provided medical care in people’s family rooms, classrooms or even outside in the open under an overhang,” he said.

Tiffany Jang is attending UCLA with a double major in Japanese and business economics. Tiffany took AP Japanese during her time at Harker.

2013 Class Agents: Kathir Sundarraj (13KathirS@alumni. harker.org); Nikhil Panu (13NikhilP@alumni. harker.org); Nicholas Chuang (13NicholasC@alumni. harker.org) Recent graduate and Eagle's QB Spenser Quash nailed it at the 39th Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Game! He helped lock up North’s 17-6 win at the game by throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to give the North a 17-0 lead before halftime. "I have never really been around so many talented guys before,” Quash said, as quoted in the San Jose Mercury News. “At first I was nervous. I didn't really feel I belonged. But as I went through practice, they all made me feel comfortable."

Akshay Tangutur spent some time in Ecuador on a special medical program

To read the San Jose Mercury News article go to: Photos provided by Akshay Tangutur ‘12

44

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

FA L L 2 013

http://www.mercurynews. com/high-school-sports/ sci_23682990?source= autofeed.

An ink drawing by artist Iris Xia was featured in the publication “The Museums of Los Gatos 2nd Annual Santa Clara County-wide High School Juried Art Exhibition,” which featured a collection of images and art statements from the exhibit held last spring.

The show’s theme was “Art + Tech + Culture,” which

Photo provided by The Museums of Los Gatos

encouraged students to visually express the impact of technology in their lives. Twenty-three entries were received from students representing 23 Santa Clara County high schools. Iris’ entry was titled “Ecosystem 1,” and

ClassNotes explored the interface between ancient Chinese paintings and modern life.

“Through my prints I depict the compositional energy flow and structure of these Taoist influenced paintings with pop art elements,” said Iris in her artist statement. Last year, as a senior at Harker, Iris won a Scholastic Art Award for a printmaking piece, “Early Spring.”

A copy of the magazine from the museum exhibit can be purchased online at: http://www.magcloud. com/browse/issue/567004.

(Iris’ artwork is featured on page 47 of that magazine.)

Kenny Zhang, Anuj Sharma and Aneesh Chona were defending national champions in the public debate forum sponsored by the National Forensic League (NFL).

Anuj and Aneesh made history as the first team to repeat a final round appearance in a debate event as a partnership.

Although they lost in finals in a close decision, they had gone undefeated through 15 rounds of competition. Kenny won second place in the dramatic interpretation event, marking the highest honor a Harker student has won at a speech national

Photo provided by Carol Green

championship. There were some 4,000 people watching the debate live and thousands more watched it stream online.

The first NFL tournament was held back in 1931.

The Class of 2013 agents would like to wish their

fellow alumni good luck as they begin university this fall and settle in to their new lives!

Read the feature article about our entrepreneurial alumni on page 20.

Alumni Celebrations Molly Newman ’07 and Andrew Nguyen were married in June.

The newlyweds live in San Jose, where Molly is starting a new job at the Discovery II Charter School as a kindergarten teacher.

Andrew also works as a teacher, of third graders at Los Alamitos Elementary School. The two met as Camp Galileo counselors four years ago and started dating at the end of that summer. They have informally taken Andrew’s mother’s last name, Dinh, to honor his Vietnamese roots. Of special note, Adam Perelman ’10 officiated at the couple’s wedding ceremony. And Molly’s maid of honor was her best friend, Emily Isaacs ’09.

From Harker to Stanford – four Harker ’09 alums have shared two exciting graduation ceremonies!

Beckie Yanovsky’s mother sent in this photo taken at Stanford’s Phi Beta Kappa awards ceremony showing Becky with fellow Harker alums and recent Stanford

Photo by Stacie Wallace

Photo provided by Stacie Wallace

Please join us in congratulating the following:

grads Sean and Jeffrey Mandell and Sophi Newman.

Congratulations to the four friends for reaching two important graduation milestones together!

Navreet Raju Kamdar MS ’96 and her husband, Biren, welcomed a baby girl on Aug. 12 and are enjoying parenthood.

They relocated back to California for Biren’s new faculty position at UCLA, after many years of living on the East Coast.

Photo provided by Navreet Raju Kamdar ‘96

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

FA L L 2 013

45

LookingAhead HOMECOMING

Davis Field Fri., Sept. 27, 2013

Get your tickets today!

Pledge Now Sept. 29-Oct. 5 Make your gift or pledge before the Harker Family & Alumni Picnic (Oct. 13, 2013) to be eligible for the Napa weekend drawing!

OPEN HOUSE EVENTS GRADE

DATE

LOCATION

9-12 Ages 3-5 6-8 K-5

Sun., Nov. 3 Sat., Nov. 9 Sun., Nov. 10 Sun., Nov. 17

Upper School Preschool Middle School Lower School

K-5 9-12 6-8

Fri. Oct. 18 Thu., Dec. 5 Fri., Jan. 10

Lower School Upper School Middle School

January 9, 14, 23, 29

RSVP Today! www.harker.org 46

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

FA L L 2 0 1 3

SUN., OCT.13 10 A.M.-3:30 P.M. presents

Anon(ymous) A play by Naomi Iizuka

Thurs.-Sat. Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2013 7 p.m.

Blackford Theater

Sat., Nov. 16 8 p.m.

Photo by Ryan Gould

The Respect Sextet

The Nature of Play “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ” ― Albert einstein

Open House Sat., Nov. 9

Fri., Dec. 13 8 p.m.

Photo by Brian Raby

The Harker School Est. 1893 · K-12 College Prep 4525 Union Ave., san Jose, cA 408.553.5700 l preschool@harker.org

g fo is te rf r al no l! w

PROJECT Trio

preschool.harker.org

Fri., March 7 8 p.m.

Miró Quartet

license 434413573

Re

Concert Series 2013-14

LookingAhead

THE HARKER SCHOOL GALA

Save the Date!

Photo by Nathan Russell

$25 per concert $60 for season package Pre-event reception one hour prior to each performance. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and soft drinks included. Cash bar for wine and beer.

Tickets: www.harker.org/concertseries

Nichols Hall Auditorium | Upper School Campus 500 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose For more information contact HCS@harker.org or call 408.345.9614.

Fri., Feb. 28, 2014

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

FA L L 2 0 1 3

47

Circa 1988

Harker Summer Camp

Photos co urte sy of the rchives

Harker A

I

t was 1988, and though technology was burgeoning, kids loved the same stuff they do today: leaping in the pool all at once on a hot day and learning how to pass a basketball the pro way, among other activities. That said, building and running tethered robots was pretty fresh, as was working on those

tiny-screened computers. Summers haven’t changed that much. At Harker’s summer camps, kindergartners swim nearly every day, our sports camps attract hundreds of athletes, computer classes abound and the playground during free time is buzzing with radio-controlled cars often getting signals crossed creating mini-motor mayhem that young campers thrive on. As long as kids play, summers at Harker are okay!

4 0 8 . 2 4 9 . 2 510 H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY

•

FA L L 2 013

w w w. h a r k e r. o r g

·

S a n

J o s e ,

C a l i f o r n i a O of C: 9/13 (BHDG/JJJ/RM/DQP) 5,751