On Friday, the lower school held its annual Kids Heart Challenge, which raised more than $20,000 for the American Heart Association while promoting active, healthy lifestyles. Taking place mainly in the lower school gym, students could be seen enthusiastically jumping rope and hula-hooping to show their appreciation for the benefits of physical activity. Donations are still being accepted until March 18.
Each year, schools across the country hold Kids Heart Challenge events of their own. Harker began participating more than 20 years ago when the event was known as Jump Rope for Heart.
Today, Schools Newspapers Online (SNO) selected junior Sarah Mohammed, senior Lucy Ge, sophomore Olivia Xu and junior Isha Moorjani’s Harker Aquila longform on Afghanistan for a Best of SNO award. The piece, which covers the struggles of Afghan people following the U.S. military’s exit from Afghanistan, includes interviews with Marjan Naderi, 2020 D.C. Youth Poet Laureate, and Dr. Mejgan Massoumi, a teaching fellow at Stanford’s Civic, Liberal and Global Education Program, who moved to the U.S. from Afghanistan in the early 1980s.
The story also gathers student reactions to the crisis and surveys the many reactions to the exit, both positive and negative. Work on the piece began at the start of the school year, and the finished article is the result of eight months of collaboration among its reporters. In addition to the Best of SNO award, the story was also published on the Best of SNO website, a recognition reserved for less than 10 percent of the submissions SNO receives every week.
Yesterday, senior Dawson Chen was named one of this year’s 150 Coca-Cola Scholars nationwide. Winners receive a $20,000 scholarship and were selected from more than 68,000 applicants. Criteria considered for selection included leadership qualities, community service and academic achievement. As a chosen scholar, Chen is also eligible to attend the Coca-Cola Scholars Leadership Summit, which takes place every five years.
Congratulations to girls varsity basketball on their historic season, in which they saw their first-ever league title win, an appearance in the CCS finals and first-round win in the CIF NorCal tournament. Though their season ended last Thursday against Argonaut High (with a final score of 66-53), the girls went 25-3 overall and were 10-0 in league play. They will play in the WBAL Foothill division next year.
Harker varsity baseball won 14-3 last Thursday against Overfelt, coasting on great performances by seniors Mark Hu, Austin Wang and Aaron Lo, who each had a single homerun and a combined 10 RBIs. Pitcher Drew Diffenderfer, grade 9, struck out 12 batters in six innings in his first win as a high schooler. They fell to Harbor High 1-9 on Saturday, and are hoping to bounce back Thursday at home against Rancho San Juan.
Track and field opened their season on Saturday in Willow Glen. Junior Andrew Fu took first in the long jump with a distance of 21 feet, 10 inches, as well as first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11 seconds. Sophomore Veyd Patil also took first in two events with a 5:01.17 run in the 1,600-meter event and a 2:14.36 run in the 800-meter event. In discus, senior Kai Burich placed second with a throw of 123 feet, 3 inches. Juniors Rigo Gonzales, Pranav Mullappalli, Zain Vakath and Andrew Fu placed third in the 4×100 relay. Finally, junior Kara Kister finished 10th in the 800 meters and 14th in 1,600 meters.
Following Friday’s loss to Leland High in the fifth set, boys varsity volleyball is hopeful for a win this Friday against Saratoga High.
Boys tennis won 6-1 yesterday against Sacred Heart following Monday’s loss to a very strong Menlo team. They have a busy schedule this week, as they face Crystal Springs today and Pinewood on Thursday, both at home.
Last month, seniors Harsh Deep, Rishab Parthasarathy and William Zhao and juniors Jeremy Ko and Nicholas Wei took second place out of 30 teams at Virtual Regional Science Bowl, held at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The team lost a close round to Lynbrook, by the points equivalent of a single question.
This yearly competition, held by the U.S. Department of Energy, has students answering questions from a variety of fields, including chemistry, biology, physics and math. Harker also took second place at last year’s event.
Girls basketball lost a close contest to Menlo in their first CCS finals appearance, with final a score of 54-49. They face Colfax tonight in the CIF NorCal tournament. Meanwhile, sophomore Anjali Yella was named the 49ers Cal-Hi Sports CCS Scholar Athlete of the Year for 2022 winter season. Congratulations to Yella on this well-deserved honor!
Boys varsity volleyball’s Friday season opener ended in a loss to Serra High School, but the team rebounded at a tournament in Watsonville this past weekend, going 3-1 to take second place overall. The team plays Mitty today at home.
Last week, boys varsity baseball lost 3-2 to Woodside. Senior Mark Hu gave a strong performance, giving up just two runs in six innings and striking out 10 hitters. Runs for Harker were earned by senior Aaron Lo and Ryan Field. They are at Fremont High tonight and play their home opener on Thursday against Overfelt.
Harker athletics posted a milestone last week, as four winter teams (boys and girls soccer and basketball) reached the CCS playoffs for the first time in school history. Congratulations to the incredible student athletes and staff for this achievement.
Today, the Journalism Education Association (JEA) named Harker as one of 17 recipients of the 2022 First Amendment Press Freedom Award. Public and private high schools selected for this recognition — determined by representatives from the JEA, National Scholastic Press Association and Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society — are judged to have actively upheld their students’ and teachers’ First Amendment Rights, particularly as they concern student-run media. This marks Harker’s first time receiving the award.
The process of selecting schools for the award began with a questionnaire submitted by advisors and at least one editor. Schools advancing to the next stage were then tasked with submitting responses by their principals, media advisers and student editors, as well as published media and school policies.
All 17 schools receiving the award will be honored at a special ceremony in Los Angeles on April 7, as part of the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention.
Two Harker students recently earned high marks in the American Protégé International Piano and String Competition. Seventh grader Christine Tao, a pianist, placed second in the junior category (ages 11-14) with her performance of Chopin’s “Nocturne #8 in D Flat Major,” while her brother, fifth grader James, placed second in the young musicians category (ages 5-10) for his rendition of Mozart’s “Fantasia in D Minor.” Both have been invited to perform at the Weill Recital Hall at New York’s Carnegie Hall during American Protégé’s 2023 recital season. Videos of Christine’s and James’ performances have been made available. Congratulations to both of these young talents!
Late last month, 166 Harker students were named regional winners in the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, with 75 art awards and 91 writing awards. Among them were 28 Gold Key winners, 49 Silver Key winners and 89 Honorable Mentions. All Gold Key winners are eligible to win national awards, which will be announced in March, and national medalists will be invited to a national ceremony in New York City, scheduled for June.
The complete list of Harker winners is as follows:
Art Awards
Vivian Vivian
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Digital Art
Bodies
Vivian Bi
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
Bedroom
Shareen Chahal
10
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
A Smile’s Power
Shareen Chahal
10
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Digital Art
My Reflection Isn’t Me
Karina Chen
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Comic Art
Tint of Life
Karina Chen
11
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Digital Art
Wild Fire
Karina Chen
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Digital Art
Vomit
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Worlds Collide
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Tree of Life
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Smile! You’re on camera!
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Past Present Blurred
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Chains of the Pandemic
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
A Sliver of Another World
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Photography
Tropical Tint
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Photography
Shaken Not Stirred
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Watched
Sania Gupta
10
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
Memories
Sonya He
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
“Three Strangers Inside the Subway”
Sonya He
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
The Dreamer
Angelina Hu
10
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Digital Art
Fish Cage
Angelina Hu
10
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Drawing & Illustration
Emergence
Ally Lee
11
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Digital Art
Joint Custody
Yueyao Li
9
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
Eleven-Headed Guanyin
Yueyao Li
9
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Hermaphrodite
Michelle Liu
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
Memento Mori
Michelle Liu
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Painting
Waiting
Michelle Liu
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Painting
Family Birthday
Sophia Liu
9
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Digital Art
Airplanes With Feathers
Claire Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Twilight
Claire Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Downpour
Claire Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Photography
Anyone There?
Claire Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Next in Line
Claire Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Last Moments of Glory
Desiree Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
Reflection
Desiree Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Painting
Tenacity
Aastha Mangla
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Into Wonderland
Brenna Ren
8
Harker Middle School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
Flowering Hope
Brenna Ren
8
Harker Middle School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
The Dress
Sophia Shan
11
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Digital Art
Vertigo
Alena Suleiman
10
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Sculpture
Behind the Fairy Tales
Alena Suleiman
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Sculpture
Gossamer Skeleton
Alena Suleiman
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Sculpture
Mimicry
Alysa Suleiman
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Film & Animation
A Taste of Home
Emily Tan
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
“Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation”
March on the Capitol
Nicole Tian
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Sculpture
Through the Looking Glass
Nicole Tian
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Expanded Projects
Pupa
Nicole Tian
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Still Life
Nicole Tian
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Expanded Projects
Marital Bliss
Nicole Tian
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Sculpture
Saving Face
Kurtis Tong
11
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Painting
Bred
Aimee Wang
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Shining
Aimee Wang
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
High Summer
Aimee Wang
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
Liminal Spaces
Kaitlyn Wang
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Creations of Mankind
Nicholas Wei
11
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Living Infinity
Esther Wu
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Art Portfolio
The Beauty of Nature
Austina Xu
11
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Printmaking
Harbor
Austina Xu
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
White Calla Lily Flowers
Kathy Xu
11
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Photography
“Avocado (half 161 Cal) Toast (1 slice)
Kathy Xu
11
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Photography
Race You To The Top
Olivia Xu
10
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Wildflower
Cecilia Yang
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Lingering Warmth
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Painting
Beach Days
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Jellyfish
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Beauty of Smile
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Comic Art
Glowing Path of the Generations
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Comic Art
Recolorized
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Hope cannot be quarantined!
Katelyn Zhao
10
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
Untitled
Emily Zhou
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Gasping Garden
Emily Zhou
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Praying for Rain
Emily Zhou
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Friend and Foe
Gloria Zhu
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Confronted
Gloria Zhu
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Expanded Projects
Restless
Gloria Zhu
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
Corner of the Room
Writing Awards:
NAME
GRADE
TITLE
CATEGORY
AWARD(S)
Malar Bala
12
Unarranged
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Ava Bhowmik
8
Longevity Noodles
Personal Essay & Memoir
Silver Key
Iris Cai
9
fantasia through the keys
Poetry
Silver Key
Iris Cai
9
Ode to Sweet Tomatoes
Poetry
Silver Key
Iris Cai
9
I Want To Be an Author
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Iris Cai
9
the depths below
Poetry
Gold Key
Shareen Chahal
10
Rosaline
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Shareen Chahal
10
Cage of Expectations
Poetry
Silver Key
Brian Chen
11
The Man
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Catherine Feng
12
On Mercy
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Varun Fuloria
10
Addressing the Real Immigration Threat
Critical Essay
Silver Key
Varun Fuloria
10
Diversity in Journalism: A News Beginning
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Varun Fuloria
10
Not Much to Like: Social Media’s Power and Problems
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Emma Gao
10
Lessons from a Bug Bite
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Emma Gao
10
Youth Homeless in Santa Clara County Struggle Unseen
Journalism
Silver Key
Emma Gao
10
Women in The Odyssey: Wielding Their Power in an Oppressive Society
Critical Essay
Silver Key
Helen Gu
8
Dictionary Words
Poetry
Gold Key
Dyllan Han
11
Fading Light
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Silver Key
Trisha Iyer
10
Blood & Bone
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Trisha Iyer
10
girl•friend
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Trisha Iyer
10
Language Lessons
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Trisha Iyer
10
RBG
Poetry
Silver Key
Trisha Iyer
10
Great-grandchildren
Poetry
Silver Key
Trisha Iyer
10
The Names
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Trisha Iyer
10
Matriarchs, Proceeding Like Queens
Poetry
Silver Key
David Jang
10
Afghanistan: A New Entry to America’s Growing List of Embarrassments
Journalism
Silver Key
Laurie Jin
11
Earth’s Climate Before the Industrial Revolution
Journalism
Honorable Mention
Michelle Jin
11
Embracing Neurodiversity: An Abecedarian
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Michelle Jin
11
The Authoritarian’s Message
Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention
Michelle Jin
11
Aging: Grasping Onto New Identities
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Lindsay Li
8
the solace of the dark (where you once walked)
Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention
Lindsay Li
8
glass & crystal
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Gold Key
Lindsay Li
8
Hansel and Gretel as Told by a Bird (and a Cat, I Guess)
Humor
Silver Key
Raeanne Li
7
Greenish
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Honorable Mention
Sydney Ling
10
the art of a movie still
Poetry
Silver Key
Sydney Ling
10
She’s a Maneater: Jennifer’s Body and How the Boy-Run Media Makes Women Seem Crazy
Critical Essay
Gold Key
Sydney Ling
10
To All the Grades I’ve Gotten Before: As an Asian American Student in the Bay Area, I Never Feel Like I’m Good Enough
Critical Essay
Gold Key
Sydney Ling
10
Generation Zine: The Zine Scene and Everything In-Between
Journalism
Gold Key
Desiree Luo
10
Opinion: Before paying college athletes, treat them as students
Journalism
Silver Key
Anika Maji
10
The Waiting Game
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Honorable Mention
Anika Maji
10
Beholden
Flash Fiction
Gold Key
Katerina Matta
9
Measured in Moments
Personal Essay & Memoir
Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed
11
Swimming Lessons
Poetry
Gold Key
Kabir Ramzan
10
Environmental Influences on the Aztec and Egyptian Civilizations in Society and Religion
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Lily Shi
8
Two Truths and a Lie
Flash Fiction
Gold Key
Ishani Sood
10
Bhaiya
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Alysa Suleiman
12
Confronting Conformity, Redefining Identity
Critical Essay
Silver Key
Alysa Suleiman
12
When the Sun Drowned
Short Story
Gold Key
Alysa Suleiman
12
Pulse of the people: Not a new issue
Journalism
Honorable Mention
Kairui Sun
8
Censorship
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Kairui Sun
8
Snapshots
Poetry
Silver Key
Andrea Thia
12
Something I Wrote During Quarantine, But Never Knew I Loved
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Nicole Tian
12
Double-consciousness And the Outside Gaze in The Bluest Eye: Toni Morrison’s Gendering of W.E.B. Dubois’ Black Selfhood
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Sara Wan
11
Pork and Cabbage Wonton Soup
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Cynthia Wang
10
That One Girl
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Cynthia Wang
10
Oceans Apart
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Cynthia Wang
10
when they grow up
Poetry
Gold Key
Cynthia Wang
10
Truly Trinity
Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention
Kaitlyn Wang
10
Little Philosophers in the Garden
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Arianna Weaver
12
Making Amends
Short Story
Silver Key
Nicholas Wei
11
The Dust in the Wake
Personal Essay & Memoir
Gold Key
Nicholas Wei
11
Come, Child
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Austina Xu
11
A Realism of Romance in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Austina Xu
11
An Examination of the Portrayal of Religion in “Dover Beach,” “The Second Coming,” and “Church Going”
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Austina Xu
11
Ode to the Kitchen God
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Kathy Xu
11
Black Lives Matter and Retail: The Commodification of Oppression
Critical Essay
Silver Key
Olivia Xu
10
Spinning with Positivity
Journalism
Silver Key
Selina Xu
10
Childhood Travels
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Fiona Yan
10
The Light in the Darkness
Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention
Alison Yang
9
Save Money, Live Better
Flash Fiction
Silver Key
Alison Yang
9
Ditching the Maps
Personal Essay & Memoir
Silver Key
Cecilia Yang
10
Empress Wu Zetian and Joan of Arc: Women Who Rose to Power in a Patriarchal Society
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Cecilia Yang
10
The Observatory
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Chloee Yang
8
Fallen Angel
Poetry
Silver Key
Irene Yuan
12
Three Vignettes
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Ariel Zhang
8
white gold
Poetry
Silver Key
Ariel Zhang
8
goldfinch
Poetry
Honorable Mention
William Zhang
10
Strength, Cunning, and Courage: Qualities Most Valued in a Male Hero in the Odyssey
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
William Zhang
10
“Utopian” Absolutism In The Tempest
Critical Essay
Silver Key
William Zhang
10
Comparing and Contrasting the Value of Ibn Battuta’s and Zheng He’s Cross-Cultural Exchanges
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Tina Tianjiao Zhong
12
Indifferent Redeemers: How Hawthorne, Fitzgerald, and Lahiri’s Protagonists Love Indifferent Social Insiders.
Critical Essay
Silver Key
Emily Zhou
12
Grandma
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Emily Zhou
12
Climate Change: Ocean Blues
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Sabrina Zhu
11
Frankenstein as a Parable: Analyzing the Consequences of Ambition and Advice
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Sabrina Zhu
11
Finding purpose through filmmaking: Ajay Madala captures stories and exhibits his individuality in movies
Journalism
Honorable Mention
Sally Zhu
11
Sestina After 20 Months
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Sally Zhu
11
Slime and stickers for sale: Students take charge through small businesses
This Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Harker sixth grader Rory Hu will appear in a segment of Nickelodeon’s “Nick News,” interviewing Janet Yellen, the first woman to become the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. The interview will cover topics such as the nation’s economy and the American Women Quarters Program. Hu also will be featured in a tour of the U.S. Mint.