Stephen Botte MS ’79 came to the upper school campus in March to share with students his story about growing up and living as a gay man. Botte’s mother enrolled him at Harker after his friends at his previous school accused him of being “too gay.” He found a much more nurturing environment at Harker, which helped him discover his love of theater, a passion he pursued for the rest of his teens.
Botte later attended to Santa Clara University and came out to his parents at age 30. He met his future husband via the online dating service www.match.com, and married him in Honolulu. Shortly after, they moved to Austin, Texas, and adopted a multiracial son from a couple in New Jersey.
Although Botte feared at first that his son would not be accepted by his family, he was pleasantly surprised to find out that they lovingly welcomed him to the fold.
“Stephen’s visit to Harker was important because he brought home the relevance of supporting the LGBT community,” said Krishna Nandita, grade 12, co-president of the Harker Gay Straight Alliance. “Being a former Harker student, he had an immediate connection with his audience, and having a successful career and a happy family, he represented a fairly common ideal.”
Krishna felt the story about Botte’s adopted son was the most moving part of the speech. “They chose the agency and state specifically so that he and his partner could both have their names on the certificate and maintain a relationship with his son’s birth mother,” she said. “Also, hearing about how much his family adores his son really showed how a seemingly unconventional family can actually be quite normal.”
Indica Sur, grade 11, has earned one of the 32 spots provided by the 2012 JET memorial Invitation Program for American High School Students. The grants bring winners to Japan for more than two weeks as a group to meet Japanese students, experience Japanese culture and study the language.
The grant program was created in 2011 in memory of two U.S. teachers of English who lost their lives in the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011; Taylor Anderson was working in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture and Montgomery Dickson in Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate Prefecture when the tsunami hit.
The program is open to juniors and seniors currently learning Japanese and seeks to honor the principles Anderson and Dickson valued.
The long screening process includes taking a Japanese National Exam, writing an essay and having an interview conducted in Japanese, said Keiko Irino, upper school Japanese teacher. “The Japan Foundation will pay for all her travel expenses, and she will be doing many activities such as language/culture study, fieldtrips, high school visits and homestay,” Irino added.
The trip is an educational visit throughout Japan, including Miyagi or Iwate, lasting 19 days, tentatively, and has varied goals: to encourage American high school students to study Japanese; encourage youth exchanges such as the JET program as an option for students; and create a network of students for the future.
Harker senior Kathryn (Katie) Siegel was named a 2012 Presidential Scholar this week. Siegel has excelled both academically and in her chosen activities at Harker.
“We are all proud of Katie’s accomplishments and recognition,” said Chris Nikoloff, head of school. “Her achievements across so many domains truly reflect the spirit of the Harker mission. Congratulations.”
Each year the U.S. Department of Education names one male and one female Scholar from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In addition, two students are selected from families living abroad, 15 students are chosen at large and 20 are chosen who specialize in visual and performing arts.
Siegel named Susan King, upper school computer science teacher, as her most influential Harker teacher, and King can accompany Siegel to Washington, D.C., where Siegel will receive her Presidential Scholar medallion and King will be honored with a Teacher Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Education.
“Katie Siegel is a delightful, energetic, enthusiastic student,” said King. “Without a hint of conceit or meekness, she is able to clearly communicate a problem, precipitate a discussion, consider options, and thank participants for their suggestions.
“I do know that in her collegiate career, there will be professors who will be grateful and delighted that she crossed their thresholds. Katie’s quintessence – her bountiful energy, tenacity, curiosity, intelligence and temperament – makes her a natural born scientist and scholar.”
Siegel is Harker’s fourth Presidential Scholar, and its first female so honored. In 2006, Samantha Fang ’06, was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, Senan Ebrahim ’08 was named a Presidential Scholar in 2008 and Daniel J. Kim ’09 a Presidential Scholar in 2009.
About 3,000 academic candidates are eligible based on evaluation of their College Board SAT or ACT assessment scores. Students interested in joining the arts portion of the Presidential Scholar program must register for youngARTS, a program by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, which then nominates students as Presidential Scholars.
Harker’s musical talent shined in the recent campuswide Spring Concert, presented by the school’s music departments. Lower, middle and upper school orchestras united on stage, to the delight of friends, parents and faculty members in attendance.
Held in mid-April at the Mexican Heritage Theater in San Jose, the show featured a unique pre-concert lobby music performance by the middle school chamber ensembles. Kicking off the concert, the Lower School String Ensemble opened with “Burst,” by Brian Balmages, and “Battle of the Ancient Dragons,” by Rob Grice.
The Lower School Orchestra then performed two numbers before being joined by the Grade 6 Winds, Strings and Orchestra. Then the Grade 7-8 Orchestra took the stage, performing Johannes Brahms’ “Variations on a Theme,” and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera.”
A special treat was the K-12 combined orchestra, which played a beautiful rendition of “Hornpipe” from Handel’s “Water Music.” A brief intermission followed after which the The Harker School Orchestra showed their range of skill by performing such high-level pieces as Felix Mendelssohn’s “Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
The Spring Concert was a joy to attend and skillfully directed by its respective upper, middle and lower school conductors: Chris Florio, David Hart, Louis Hoffman and Toni Woodruff.
“We had a very challenging program and the students truly stepped up their game for a wonderful performance. I was especially happy to honor such an amazing group of musicians. This class has been a huge part of the growth of the orchestra program and it was fitting that they ended with such a wonderful concert,” said Florio.
The Conservatory’s spring musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a self-styled “Musical Within a Comedy,” fused modern and vaudevillian musical theater styles to create a uniquely entertaining experience. The show gave the students the chance to explore both new and more familiar theatrical genres. Director Laura Lang-Ree, musical director Catherine Snider and choreographer Katie O’Bryon guided the 43 students in the cast in learning the various performance styles.
The production follows the Man in Chair (Tristan Killeen, grade 12), a shut-in and Broadway enthusiast who unearths and listens to a recording of a fictional 1928 musical known as “The Drowsy Chaperone.” After getting approval from the audience to guide them through the show, he puts the record on his player and the musical comes to life in his living room.
The plot of the show within the show takes place on the wedding day of oil tycoon Robert Martin (Neel Salukhe, grade 12) and famed Broadway actress Janet Van De Graff (Noel Witcosky, grade 12), who has pledged to quit show business to devote all her time to married life.
This doesn’t sit well with the boss of the two gangsters (Ian Richardson and Kevin Moss, both grade 10) who have infiltrated the wedding disguised as pastry chefs in order to protect their boss’ investment in the musical “Feldzieg’s Follies,” of which Van De Graff is the star. So begins a screwball comedy with rousing musical numbers and periodic bittersweet insights into the life of the Man in Chair which give the show the substance that made it so popular with Broadway audiences when it debuted in 2006.
Stalwart set designer Paul Vallerga brought his trademark creativity to production, creating a versatile set that was easily changed to suit a variety of locales, and which included a large airplane and a Murphy bed. Clever props made their way into the show as well, courtesy of prop designer Joan Sommerfield. Natti Pierce-Thomson again handled the lighting design, splendidly capturing the musical’s many moods.
The Conservatory’s spring musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a self-styled “Musical Within a Comedy,” fused modern and vaudevillian musical theater styles to create a uniquely entertaining experience. The show gave the students the chance to explore both new and more familiar theatrical genres. Director Laura Lang-Ree, musical director Catherine Snider and choreographer Katie O’Bryon guided the 43 students in the cast in learning the various performance styles.
The production follows the Man in Chair (Tristan Killeen, grade 12), a shut-in and Broadway enthusiast who unearths and listens to a recording of a fictional 1928 musical known as “The Drowsy Chaperone.” After getting approval from the audience to guide them through the show, he puts the record on his player and the musical comes to life in his living room.
The plot of the show within the show takes place on the wedding day of oil tycoon Robert Martin (Neel Salukhe, grade 12) and famed Broadway actress Janet Van De Graff (Noel Witcosky, grade 12), who has pledged to quit show business to devote all her time to married life.
This doesn’t sit well with the boss of the two gangsters (Ian Richardson and Kevin Moss, both grade 10) who have infiltrated the wedding disguised as pastry chefs in order to protect their boss’ investment in the musical “Feldzieg’s Follies,” of which Van De Graff is the star. So begins a screwball comedy with rousing musical numbers and periodic bittersweet insights into the life of the Man in Chair which give the show the substance that made it so popular with Broadway audiences when it debuted in 2006.
Stalwart set designer Paul Vallerga brought his trademark creativity to production, creating a versatile set that was easily changed to suit a variety of locales, and which included a large airplane and a Murphy bed. Clever props made their way into the show as well, courtesy of prop designer Joan Sommerfield. Natti Pierce-Thomson again handled the lighting design, splendidly capturing the musical’s many moods.
Harker will host a special report from Congressman Mike Honda’s Youth Advisory Board on the timely topic of social networking and privacy concerns. The board will report their findings at the event, slated to occur on Sun., May 6, at noon, in the upper school’s Nichols Hall auditorium.
In addition to Congressman Honda and student speakers, special guest panelists will include a U.S. Secret Service agent, a Facebook employee and an Egyptian activist.
The Secret Service agent will be discussing issues relating to privacy online, including what information is used by hackers and identity thieves, how much information can be accessed by law enforcement and how online investigations of people are conducted.
The Facebook employee will talk about the growing problem of cyber bullying, and what measures are being taken to address it.
The Egyptian activist will speak on the impact that Facebook, Twitter and other social networks are having on the Arab Spring, as well as their uses as communications tools.
The Youth Advisory Board comprises students from approximately 20 local district high schools. Dylan Qian is Harker’s senior student representative this year.
Although the event is focused primarily on students, it is open to the public and parents are welcome to attend.
Singing for a prep-level community music school in Italy was an experience five members of Cantilena won’t soon forget.
The Conservatory’s all-women’s classical ensemble recently enjoyed the unique opportunity to sing at the Academy of Music in Florence and tour the country as well. A jam-packed itinerary included such memorable experiences as a stay in a quaint Tuscan villa, a visit to the historic city of San Gimignano, sightseeing in Pisa and a guided tour of Assisi.
Attending mass at various Italian churches, listening to the monks singing and performing there themselves was also a trip highlight.
“The music school concert was probably the most fun of all the singing engagements we had,” said Susan Nace, the group’s director. “We gave a full concert there. The kids were engaged and enthusiastic,” she added, noting that the Italian music students did warm-up vocal exercises with Cantilena and, after the concert, sang a song together. Additionally, they treated the Harker contingency to a tour of the school, even inviting them to sit in on a couple of lessons.
Another amazing experience, noted Nace, was visiting the Sant’ Antimo monastery, where they experienced morning prayers and mass, all done in a Gregorian chant.
“It was transcendent … We sang part of our program for the brothers and priests there and then were taken on a special tour of the French Romanesque Church – including the ambulatory and the crypt – which most visitors do not get to see,” Nace recalled.
By the time the Harker singers had departed Florence for their return flight back home, they knew they had been part of an unforgettable singing adventure.
The upper school’s gym was transformed into a festive international fair during Harker’s recent student-organized Global Empowerment Organization (GEO) multicultural assembly.
Throughout the room booths were set up representing various countries from around the globe, containing informational displays and samples of delicious native foods. Meanwhile, student performers dressed in colorful outfits, including traditional Indian and Hawaiian clothing, captivating an audience of both students and faculty.
Held during a long lunch period, the event had the casual feel of a street festival, with plenty of time for sampling tasty food, watching a lively on-stage performance and catching up with friends.
Working in the Romanian booth, Catalina Mihailive, grade 11, said she came from Romania just last year and is excited to be volunteering at the assembly. Noting that she is “having fun both in America and at Harker,” she added that she loved being able to share some of the food she grew up eating.
Meanwhile, GEO student member Shreya Vemuri, grade 11, volunteered to help lead the group’s communication and publishing efforts through the production of fliers and posters.
“The thing that’s different about this year is that the food and acts were combined … so we had to make sure to get the word out on that. And it seems to be working out really well,” she said.
Indeed, everyone appeared to enjoy the combined fair, which gave attendees the ability to simultaneously eat, socialize and watch a variety of acts unfold on stage. The show kicked off with a rousing number featuring a group of Korean dancers moving to pop beats, clad in red and black attire. That piece was followed by numerous other acts, including a set with Hawaiian dancers and lively vocal version of the song “La Bamba.”
The annual GEO assembly has always drawn an appreciative crowd. This year’s new combination of running the informational/food booths alongside the stage performances was such a success it may be repeated next year.
Harker swept both “Best Of” titles at the Test of Engineering, Aptitude, Math & Science (TEAMS) competition at Stanford on Saturday . More than 60 Harker upper school students, freshman through seniors, participated in the annual event. Nationally, more than 14,000 high school students, working in groups of four to eight, spent the day solving problems on real-world engineering issues such as air transportation, bridge design and rehabilitation, flood analysis, solar-powered vehicles, food preservation and more. The competition, broken into two 90-minutes parts, consisted of objective multiple-choice questions related to various engineering situations followed by students describing and defending their solutions from Part I.
Part I answers are scored on competition day and are used to determine local and state standings, as well as eligibility for national scoring. Based on Part I results, Harker swept the two top spots: Best in California grades 9/10 division (20 teams competed) and Best in California grades 11/12 division (34 teams competed). Part II responses are scored at TEAMS for national ranking, which comes out in May.
“Congratulations to all participants!” said Tony Silk, Harker’s TEAMS advisor. The division 9/10 Best in California team, all sophomores, comprisedStephanie Chen, Albert Chu, Jennifer Dai, Chris Fu, Rahul Sridhar, Vikram Sundar, Claudia Tischler and Andy Wang.
The division 11/12 Best in California team, all seniors, comprised Lucy Cheng, Alexander Hsu, Revanth Kosaraju, Ramya Rangan (captain), Pavitra Rengarajan, Katie Siegel, Ananth Subramaniam and Patrick Yang.