Vint Cerf, a celebrated computer scientist lauded as one of the “fathers of the Internet,” spoke to a special upper school assembly on Friday to share his views on where he believes the Internet is headed and the moving story of how technology granted his deaf wife the ability to hear.
Cerf came to Harker after being invited by Zina Jawadi, founder of the Disability Awareness Program, and his visit was cosponsored by the Computer Science department. Jawadi is hearing impaired and reached out to Cerf to help her fellow students understand the challenges hearing-impaired people face.
Along with Bob Kahn, Cerf began the original design work of what would eventually become the Internet in 1973. It was turned on Jan. 1, 1983, with 400 computers on the network. “There are now nearly a billion computers on the network, and those are just the ones you can see with domain names and Internet addresses and the like,” he said. Accounting for “episodically connected” computers and Internet-enabled mobile devices, the number most like climbs to two or three billion.
Now Google’s chief Internet evangelist, Cerf works to bring the Internet to more people around the globe. “I have about four billion more people to convert, so I could use help,” he joked. “If any of you are interested in getting more Internet out there, I am happy to engage your services.”
Cerf recapped the recent evolution of the Internet, including milestones such as the release of version 6 of Internet Protocol (IPv6) and the addition of non-Latin characters to domain names. “This is not a fixed design. This is a very flexible, very evolvable system,” he said. “It was designed to be that way.”
This design allows virtually anyone to invent new ways to change how the Internet works. “There’s nothing stopping any of you from designing a new set of protocols for operating right on top of the basic Internet layer for developing new applications,” Cerf said. “So don’t be shy about saying, ‘Gee, I could do a better job. I could build a better design for various parts of the Internet.’”
As the tech pioneer demonstrated, Internet capability can now be found in many day-to-day items previously not thought to be pieces of modern computing, such as picture frames that can download and display images uploaded onto a website, light bulbs that can be turned on and off remotely and a refrigerator that identifies the items it contains and (provided those items contain radio-frequency identification chips) displays recipes on a door-mounted screen.
One recent innovation that Cerf expects to proliferate in the future is sensor networks, which use small censors that are powered by AA batteries and can be used to monitor changes in environmental elements such as temperature and sound. “They can be extended to be used for security purposes, not just for environmental sensing and control,” he said. “But more important, they provide an opportunity for feedback about our use of resources and what the consequences are of resource consumption.”
A supporter of ‘Net neutrality and a believer in the openness of the Internet as a primary reason for its success, Cerf expressed his concern over the control some governments wish to exert over the Internet and the dominance of major broadband providers. “My position and the position of Google has always been to keep the Internet as open as we possibly can,” he said. “The reason the Internet has become so interesting and valuable is that it has been easy for people to put new applications up on the ‘Net. You don’t have to get permission from every Internet service provider in the world or even from the local government … to try a new application.”
Toward the end of his talk, Cerf touched on a topic of great personal importance to him. Sigrid, his wife, had been deaf for more than 50 years before receiving cochlear implants in 1996. In a particularly emotional moment, he recalled receiving a phone call from his wife after the devices were activated, speaking to her on the phone for the first time in their 30 years of marriage. “Of course, it wasn’t a very deep conversation, but it was pretty amazing,” he said. “So by the time I got home, I discovered I had a 50-year-old teenager. I couldn’t get her off the phone.”
Sigrid Cerf also learned how to enhance the experience of watching movies on an airplane by routing the audio directly into the speech processor and using optical detectors that are supported at certain movie theaters. She also uses strategically placed FM transmitters that allow her to hear audio from almost anywhere in a room. “Her favorite trick is to leave the FM transmitter at the dinner table when she goes to the powder room, and then she listens to the conversation,” Cerf said, eliciting laughter from the audience. “So we have to warn all of our guests that there are no secrets.” Read the Winged Post/Talon story here
In the latest effort to reduce morning traffic in the area around the upper school campus, Harker has introduced an early-morning breakfast to encourage students and faculty to arrive at school before morning rush hour. The program requires participants to arrive by 7:45 a.m. to enjoy the meal, which includes a menu of breakfast favorites such as omelettes, hash browns, oatmeal, bagels, toast, fruit and yogurt. Siblings of upper school students who attend the middle and lower schools are also welcome to enjoy breakfast before boarding the shuttle to their respective campuses. Read the Winged Post story here: goo.gl/4Ixin!
More than 200 students from the graduating classes of 2009-12 returned to Harker’s upper school campus during their winter break for the informal annual alumni event Home for the Holidays.
The college-aged alumni were joined by more than 30 faculty and staff members for the Jan. 2 gathering held in the Nichols Hall atrium, which was decorated with balloons in school colors and bouquets of flowers in “Harker Alumni” tumblers.
More than two dozen of the alumni present at the event were “K-Lifers,” having attended Harker from kindergarten through the upper school. They were especially enjoying reconnecting with old friends during the gathering. Others noted how well Harker had prepared them for the academic rigors of university life.
MaryEllis Deacon, director of alumni relations, said she was pleased to see how welcome alumni had been made to feel on their visit, which began with faculty and staff greeting them as they arrived on campus. Before gathering in the atrium later in the day, many alumni sat in on classes, played sports on Davis Field and ate lunch in the Edge with old friends.
Seeing the Edge again reminded Cindy Tay ’12, a current student at Duke University, of special times spent simply hanging out, including “one lazy afternoon, talking and eating tangerines with friends in the bistro.”
“We want our alumni to know they are always welcome here, and to keep in touch. We hope Harker will continue to be a part of their extended family … a community to return to, and a home away from home,” said Deacon.
Harker athletes are rebounding, wrestling and running the legs off their opponents as the winter athletic season comes into its own!
Basketball Girls basketball lost for only the second time this year in a tough game against 10th-ranked Menlo last Friday. Daniza Rodriguez, grade 12, scored 12 points, and Nithya Vemireddy, grade 11, added another 12 points with six rebounds. In their league opener Tuesday against King’s Academy they won 66-49. Rodriguez scored 24 points; Priscilla Auyeung, grade 12, 19; and Vemireddy added 14. The girls travel to ICA today, Thursday, to build on their 11-2 record.
Boys basketball defeated Menlo on Friday night in front of a boisterous home crowd at Blackford to start league play at 1-0. For his play against the Knights, junior Will Deng was named player of the game. Deng racked up 16 points and nine rebounds in the win. They improved to 8-4 overall, 2-0 in league with their 58-49 win over Pinewood Tuesday. Nikhil Panu, grade 12, scored 15 points and Eric Holt, grade 10, had 11 points. The boys host Priory tomorrow night, Friday, at Blackford: 5:30 JV and 7 p.m. varsity.
Wrestling
Harker wrestling competed in the Cupertino tournament this past weekend. Ethan Ma, grade 10, went 1-1, while Vincent Lin, grade 11, went 1-2, and Daniel Wang, grade 12, went 0-2. Darian Edvalson, grade 11, went 2-2 and made it to the consolation finals, where he lost a close match for a medal, 7-5.
Soccer Girls soccer opened league play with a 4-0 win over Eastside College Prep. Sondra Leal Da Costa, grade 12, scored three goals, and Gabi Gupta, grade 10, added the other. Come watch them today in a big game v. Pinewood as they try to improve upon their 2-4 record! Boys soccer defeated ECP yesterday 3-1. Maverick McNealy, grade 12, scored twice for the Eagles and classmate Sumit Minocha scored as well. The boys improved to 3-1 overall and travel to Menlo tomorrow.
A contingent of Harker students had the unique opportunity to hear six-time Olympic medalist, motivational speaker and foundation founder Jackie Joyner-Kersee give the keynote address at this year’s local YWCA luncheon.
A longtime supporter of the YWCA of Silicon Valley’s annual luncheon event, Harker has regularly hosted a table for upper school students who have a special passion for that year’s topic.
As one of the most decorated female athletes of all time, Joyner-Kersee serves as a role model for girls and women alike. She dominated the track and field circuit for 13 years and won three gold, one silver and two bronze medals, spanning four Olympic games during her illustrious career.
The YWCA’s 21st annual luncheon was held in October at the Santa Clara Convention Center, with event proceeds supporting the group’s much lauded services. Each year, more than 40 companies and hundreds of individuals sponsor the YWCA’s luncheon. Past speakers have included Isabelle Allende, Gloria Steinem, Sally Ride, Janet Reno and Mary Lou Retton. Next year’s keynote address with Dr. Jane Goodall is anticipated to draw a sell-out crowd.
Harker students this year had the good fortune to meet with former Olympic medalists Anne Warner Cribbs and Marilyn King, who were special guests at the event. Cribbs won a gold medal for swimming and King was a two-time Olympian in the grueling five event Pentathlon.
The mission of the YWCA is to empower women, children and families, and to eliminate racism, hatred and prejudice. The organization provides programs in the areas of sexual assault intervention and prevention, counseling services, domestic violence, child care, youth programs, family services, and social and racial justice.
The YWCA serves nearly 18,000 Santa Clara County residents each year, and has provided services across the county for more than 100 years. More information can be found at www.ywca-sv.org.
Harker debate students made history in the final week leading up to the holiday break, being the first team to both win the Public Forum open invitational and the elite Public Forum round robin hosted by The Blake School in Minneapolis.
Anuj Sharma and Aneesh Chona, both grade 12, won the Public Forum division of the 50th annual John Edie Holiday Classic, a tournament that boasts 104 entries from throughout the United States. Chona also earned 11th overall speaker and Sharma earned 12th overall speaker out of 208 students. Seniors David Grossman and Nikhil Agarwal made it to the top 16 teams and seniors Reyhan Kader and Kiran Arimilli earned a spot in the top 32.
The Twin Cities Round Robin, an elite tournament inviting 12 of the top Public Forum teams in the country, was held the day after the open invitational concluded. Sharma and Chona won their preliminary pod and went on to win the round robin. Chona was named the top overall speaker at the round robin and Sharma earned second overall speaker.
At a special assembly held in the upper school gym on Nov. 27, students got a firsthand look at many exotic (and to some, scary) creatures. Michelle Durant of WildLIFE Associates, an organization that adopts and cares for animals unfit for release into the wild, brought out a variety of reptiles for the audience, including an American alligator, a desert tortoise and a large monitor lizard. The only non-reptilian specimen displayed was a rose hair tarantula, the sight of which proved too creepy for some. Although these creatures are frightening to many, Durant emphasized that they are crucial to maintaining the delicate natural balance of the animal population.
This story recently appeared in the winter 2012 edition of Harker Quarterly.
“Our Home: Music of the United States” gave an evening audience exactly what was printed on the flier and then some on the evening of Nov. 15, as upper school vocal groups, Cantilena, Camerata and Guys’ Gig, in addition to many talented soloists, paid tribute to the music of America, both modern and classic.
The concert, directed by Susan Nace, fittingly opened with all of the evening’s singers joining forces for a spectacular rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The upper school chamber ensemble Camerata then took the stage to perform a trio of joyous and heartfelt odes to America, starting with the famous “America the Beautiful,” and continuing with Oscar Peterson’s “A Hymn to Freedom.” Camerata finished their set with composer Abbie Betinis’ “Journey Home.”
Following Camerata, a slew of capable soloists appeared, singing a wide variety of pieces, from sophomore Shreya Basu’s performance of the traditional “Every Night When the Sun goes In” to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Think of Me,” sung by Caroline Howells, grade 10. Although the concert showcased music from the United States, the show also made room for pieces by noted European composers such as Frederic Chopin, whose “Nocturne” in E-flat major was beautifully performed by pianist Pooja Shah, grade 12. Continuing with the evening’s classical selections were Wendy Shwe, grade 12, playing Beethoven’s “Sonata” in A major on piano and Rebecca Liu, grade 12, singing Christoph Willibald von Gluck’s “O, Del Mio Dolce Ardor.” The solo performances concluded with Nina Sabharwal, grade 12, singing a perfectly misty-eyed version of the jazz standard “Willow Weep for Me” by Ann Ronell.
Guys’ Gig, the all-male a cappella club, then gathered on stage for their first performance of the year. The boys performed an amusing skit in which they attempted to start a song sans a tenor section, at which point they called the freshmen to the stage from the audience to sing “Good Ol’ A Cappella” by Carter and Nevada. With the group now firing on all cylinders, they continued with the classic Motown tune “My Girl” and finished with a raucous version of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.”
Harker’s all-female choral group Cantilena was the last of the groups to perform that evening prior to the finale. The singers were in fine form taking on a diverse selection, which included Brian Holmes’ “I Shall Keep Singing,” the traditional American song “He’s Gone Away” and Stephen Hatfield’s gospel treat “Run Children Run.” Rebecca Liu took the role of conductor on “Sing Me to Heaven” by Daniel Gawthorpe before the group finished their set with their signature piece, “How Can I Keep from Singing,” by Robert Lowry.
The finale again reunited the vocalists for an exhilarating version of Ysaye Barnwell’s “We Are…,” for which the singers received a well-deserved extended ovation.
This story recently appeared in the winter 2012 edition of Harker Quarterly.
Before their performance at the Harker Concert Series in late September, renowned jazz pianist Taylor Eigsti, bassist John Shifflett and rummer Jason Lewis held a master class in the Nichols Hall auditorium to help upper and middle school students improve their musicianship both as individuals and members of a group.
Students gathered around Eigsti as he sat at the piano and offered his advice. When improvising, he told the students, it is good to “leave a little space” so that he can hear what his bandmates are doing and perhaps give them some room to add flourishes of their own.
The upper school jazz band played their rendition of John Coltrane’s “Blue Train” for the trio, who then gave them advice on how to improve, warning them against cutting into one another’s soloing time and advising them to be mindful of signals from their bandmates.
On Oct. 26, the members of the Parker Quartet gave a special master class to Harker music students prior to the quartet’s performance at the Harker Concert Series later that evening, offering advice on both how to improve their individual technique as well as how to play as a more cohesive unit.
Members of the upper school string quartet played portions of a piece they were learning and received pointers on how to bring about the desired emotional impact. Parker Quartet members also sat in with the Harker student musicians as they played through sections of the piece to demonstrate the principles they spoke about.
Parker Quartet violist Jessica Bodner advised the students to interpret the music they played “not so much as a technician but as a musician,” while violinist David McCarroll noted, “There are a lot of very fast changes of character that you could bring out more,” and that the musicians should be “looking for differences of character as much as possible.”
See the full story on both these concerts at the links below.
This story recently appeared in the winter 2012 edition of Harker Quarterly.
William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” the 2012 fall play produced by the Harker Conservatory Oct. 25-27, offered a refreshing take on the revered, centuries-old tale of the rotten happenings in the state of Denmark.
Featuring no fewer than five capable actors and actresses in the title role – Cecilia Lang-Ree, Rahul Nalamasu, Hannah Prutton, all grade 12, Jai Ahuja, grade 10, and Namrata Vakkalagadda, grade 11 – director Jeffrey Draper’s take on one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays uniquely depicted Prince Hamlet’s various and often conflicting mental and emotional states; the transitions as each actor handed the role off to the next were interesting and seamless.
Other characters were portrayed by multiple players: Hamlet’s mother, gertrude, was played by Shazdeh Hussain, grade 11, and Cristina Jerney, grade 12; sophomore Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari and junior Ian Richardson were Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle and murderer of his father; and Ishanya Anthapur, grade 10, and Apurva Tandon, grade 12, portrayed Ophelia, Hamlet’s would-be lover.
The guileful Polonius, royal counselor and Ophelia’s father, was played by junior Damon Aitken, who brilliantly put across the character’s stately yet playful attitude. In the role of Horatio, Claudia Tischler, grade 11, was more than effective as Hamlet’s best friend and confidant, and the brash, vengeful Laertes was expertly portrayed by Vishal Vaidya, grade 10.
The Saturday matinee show featured an understudy cast that was very warmly received by the afternoon audience. Freshmen Rachel Renteria and Gurutam Thockchom, and sophomores Maya Nandakumar and Simran Singh were stirring as Hamlet, while Aashika Balaji, grade 9, and Madi Lang-Ree, grade 10, had convincing turns as Gertrude. Claudius was well-played by freshmen Dhanush Madabus and MC Smitherman, and Shannon O’Shea and Cordelia Larsen, both grade 9, deftly handled the challenging role of Ophelia. Grade 9 students Rishabh Chandra and Janet Lee were both strong as Polonius and Horatio, respectively.
Paul Vallerga’s set design made clever use of a large video monitor that changed with each setting. Natti Pierce-Thomson’s evocative lighting was also a key feature, particularly in the scenes in which Hamlet speaks with his father’s ghost (played by Justin Gerard, grade 12, also cast as the player king, messenger and priest, and by Kaushik Sankar, grade 9, at the understudy show). They were drenched with red light and intensified by the reverb and bass that boomed throughout the Blackford Theater when the specter spoke.
Eschewing the usual period garb, costume designer Caela Fujii placed the characters in modern attire more befitting a gangster movie, evidence of the transcendent power of the play’s themes of betrayal, revenge and moral conflict. The climactic sword fight sequence was well-choreographed by Kit Wilder, managing director of San Jose’s City Lights Theater.