On Tuesday, upper school jazz band members attended an impromptu master class by pianist Dalton Ridenhour in the Patil Theater. A specialist in stride piano, the style that developed from ragtime, Ridenhour talked about the history of ragtime, which was influenced largely by classical and folk music, and its influence on jazz piano. Ragtime became popular with people who played the piano in their homes and purchased sheet music of ragtime pieces to perform for their families and friends. In New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, Ridenhour explained, residents would host “rent parties,” where musicians were hired to perform and attendees would pay admission in order to help tenants pay their rent. James P. Johnson, an early notable stride pianist, was a frequent performer at such parties. Ridenhour performed pieces by both Johnson and influential ragtime composer Scott Joplin to demonstrate both the differences and similarities between the two styles.
Upper school students flocked to the annual Club Fair on Wednesday to find out more about the dozens of opportunities available to students in a huge variety of fields and interests. Nearly 80 tables were set up at the event, each staffed by club members who offered information to students and answered their questions.
Groups such as the Art Club advertised their activities with creative posters. “We host very exciting events and there’s no art experience necessary,” said senior Michelle Liu, an officer with the Art Club. “We host workshops and speaker events and we’ve also been doing some murals lately.” The club is also planning life drawing sessions that are free for anyone to attend.
The Dungeons and Dragons Club was one of several clubs at the event organized around specific hobbies. “We provide game masters to run D&D games for anyone who wants to play, if they’re experienced, or if they’ve never played before or if they just want to try it out,” said Bauer Muhle, grade 11. “We offer a space and people who all run the game for them.” The club, which started last year, plans to hold workshops for people to learn the game and help them develop their in-game characters.
STEM fields were a significant presence at the Club Fair, including the Psychology Club. “We host meetings throughout the year to talk about different psych topics that would be interesting to people,” said junior Athena Wu, a representative with the Psychology Club. Some of the events the club has planned are focused on lectures, while others involve discussion among attendees. “We’re very excited to be back in person and do much more interactive activities,” said club member Defne Avkarogullari, grade 10.
Sixth grader and chess enthusiast Omya Vidyarthi won a gold medal at last month’s 17th Annual North American Youth Chess Championship, which hosted more than 400 entrants from the Canada, Mexico and the United States. Vidyarthi competed in the U12 Girls category and won with a score of 8.5 points out of a possible 9. She is now eligible to earn the Woman FIDE Master title from the International Chess Federation. As a bonus, Vidyarthi also took second place in the blitz chess side event!
Harker football won its season opener against San Jose High in a thriller that went into overtime. The Eagles were down by 8 in the third quarter before tying the score at 14, sending the game into overtime, where senior Aaditya Gulati kicked the game-winning field goal. Harker will meet Lynnbrook at Davis Field this Friday.
Girls golf fell to a strong Palo Alto team in non-league play on Thursday, but rebounded to win its league opener against Notre Dame-San Jose the following day.
In its Thursday season opener, girls volleyball lost to Branham High and had a 2-3 record in Saturday’s Spikefest Tournament, defeating Silver Creek and Christopher. The team faces Harbor at home on Tuesday and will host Santa Cruz on Friday.
Several Harker teams have upcoming season openers. Boys water polo will open its season in a Wednesday away game at Valley Christian, while girls water polo starts its season Sept. 7 against Los Altos High. Opening its season that same day will be girls tennis, which will face Monta Vista. Cross country is hard at work preparing for its Sept. 11 start at the Lowell Invitational, held at Golden Gate Park.
On Aug. 14 and 15, the Harker DECA chapter hosted its eighth annual Harker DECA Launch event. A total of 70 incoming freshmen from the Class of 2025 attended the event, which introduced them to Harker’s business and entrepreneurship department and the DECA experience as a whole. The weekend consisted of alumni speakers, workshops, mock competitions and informative lectures.
On Saturday morning, the attendees socialized after a year of virtual learning while enjoying a breakfast of Noah’s Bagels. They then attended the opening ceremony inside Nichols Auditorium, where students were first introduced to the DECA experience through presentations and by listening to the experiences of alumni Bryan Zhang ‘21, former Harker DECA vice president of competitions, and current DECA member Ada Praun-Petrovic, grade 11.
Next, students participated in an icebreaker challenge led by director of membership Chloe Lee, grade 10, in order to get to know each other in preparation for the weekend. The innovation challenge teams, groups of five to six attendees and led by a Harker DECA officer, worked together to build the tallest free-standing structure using marshmallows, raw spaghetti and string. Following the icebreaker activity, attendees were brought into the Innovation Center, the home base of the B.E. department, where they learned more about DECA, from the competitive experience to the business clusters available in competitions. To further immerse the attendees in the competitive clusters, officers were stationed at five locations around the IC to speak about the five clusters that the students rotated through: business management and administration, hospitality and tourism, marketing, entrepreneurship and finance.
After lunch from Pizza My Heart, the 12 innovation challenge teams participated in a scavenger hunt activity where they searched for officers located in various parts of the upper school campus and performed different tasks such as winning a game of rock, paper, scissors or making a secret handshake.
“The Scavenger Hunt was really enjoyable because the challenges were designed to help us get to know our teammates better. It helped me learn the ins and outs of my teammates, which definitely helped us during the innovation challenge,” said Daniel Chen, grade 9.
After reconvening back at the IC, the competitions subteam, consisting of vice president of competitions and strategy Anika Muddu, grade 11, director of written events Kaitlyn Wang, grade 10, and director of roleplays Cynthia Wang, grade 10, introduced the innovation challenge. For the rest of the afternoon, the students worked in their teams to come up with a new idea that would fit under the umbrella of social entrepreneurship,” the theme for the 2021 DECA Launch Innovation Challenge.
“As one of the first in-person events to introduce freshmen to the Harker upper school, and for some, to the Harker community as a whole, I think DECA launch attendees were welcomed into the school in an exciting way. Through the innovation challenge, students became more familiar with DECA and the Harker B.E. department’s offerings. The other officers and I were so impressed by their work in the Innovation Challenge and are proud to welcome them all into the community,” said senior Gigi Chan, co-CEO.
The following day, chapter advisor Juston Glass gave an overview of the business and entrepreneurship department and the programs it includes. In fact, seniors Camilla Lindh, Ishaan Parate and Simren Kochhar were brought in to present their own business, H2OOT, which they had developed through the incubator class at Harker.
The officers conducted a deeper dive on the competitive experience of DECA through three main facets: the mentorship program, roleplay events and written events. The students watched a live roleplay and were guided through the various written event selection choices. They then participated in a game of Kahoot to simulate the business administration core exam with questions selected from past years’ tests.
“First-year members are usually a bit intimidated by roleplays, so I hope my live roleplay gave them more confidence in their abilities,” said Cynthia Wang.
Next, vice president of public relations Catherine He, grade 12, director of communications Claire Luo, grade 10, and director of technology Shreeya Merchia, grade 10, held a Graphic Design Workshop to aid the attendees in the creation of their Innovation Challenge slide decks and executive summaries.
After having lunch, the students were taught the tricks and tips of preparing and presenting a roleplay through the Roleplay Immersion Session hosted by the DECA mentors, leading into a roleplay tournament. The groups spent the rest of the afternoon finishing and polishing presentations and designing various materials before they pitched their final product.
“I remember coming to DECA Launch as a shy, confused freshman, so it was very exciting to watch them catch on quickly and contribute great ideas while running through a roleplay and giving them advice,” said mentor Victoria Han, grade 12.
In the evening, parents and attendees first listened to a panel consisting of alumni, including Haley Tran ‘17, Lucas Wang ‘17, Shania Wang ‘19, Evan Cheng ‘20, Rishi Dange ‘20 and Elaine Zhai ‘21, about their DECA experiences. Later, each of the 12 groups presented their innovative products in detail, including integral business components such as marketing plans, cost structures and financial analysis.
“I thought presenting the innovation challenge was a fun way to learn, and the feedback we received from the multiple experienced alumni was really helpful. It was really fulfilling to present what we’d worked on for the weekend. DECA launch was the perfect start to my high school experience,” said Sophia Liu, grade 9.
DECA launch was concluded with the awards ceremony, which recognized the top ten roleplay teams as well as the awards for the innovation challenge.
“I was so impressed by every single one of the attendees; their energy and enthusiasm made the event fun and exciting for everyone. I can’t wait for the school year to maximize our momentum and see what they all achieve!” said Glass.
Students that won awards are as follows (all grade 9):
Roleplay Tournament::
1st Place: Hanyang Shang, Vedant Yadav
2nd Place: Daniel Chen, Alex Zhong
3rd Place: Veer Sahasi, Ruhan Sahasi
Innovation Challenge:
Most Feasible: Khanlinh Tran, Young Min, Andrew Liang, Shreyas Chakravarty, Ruhan Sahasi, Veer Sahasi
Best Presentation: Daniel Chen, Alex Zhong, Anika Pallapothu, Norah Mehanna, Navya Samuel, Tiana Salvi
Most Creative: Andre Lu, Gabriel Li, Rithika Yamasani, Cindy Yu, Rahul Yalla, Gary Jin
Best Overall: Daniel Dorfman, Charlize Wang, Claire Cheng, Nikhil Pesati, Maya Affaki, Sanaa Bhorkar
Middle schoolers returned to school at their new campus yesterday after a year-long construction process, led by now-retired facility manager Mike Bassoni. Students had visited campus a day earlier to meet with their advisors and see the finished campus, which they were eager to explore. On their first full day of instruction, students flocked to the new lunch area and its array of items and greatly enjoyed using the new facilities such as the library and play areas. Days earlier, donors attended a special ribbon-cutting ceremony and received a tour of the campus, enjoying refreshments in its brand new gym.
“It was amazing to see the students on campus today, seeing the buildings, finding their way, meeting advisors and teachers, and friends and classmates of course!” said Evan Barth, middle school division head, in a letter to parents following the orientation.
The classes of 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 gathered at Davis Field on Aug. 20 for the 2021 matriculation ceremony, which was held in-person after the COVID-19 pandemic forced last year’s matriculation to be held online.
The juniors and seniors were seated before the freshmen, who received enthusiastic applause as they approached to take their seats. Brian Yager, head of school, was the first of the morning’s speakers and remarked about the resilience shown by the Harker community during the pandemic. “It was a tough year, but we bore it, and in amazing fashion many of you thrived,” he said, later commenting on the confidence he had in the community to face the coming year. “Given the host of challenges we all faced last year, we are in the position to have a wonderful rebound year this year, and the ability to benefit from and enjoy this year lies squarely with you, our students.” Yager then introduced the upper school vocal group Cantilena, which performed “Rise Up” by Cassandra Batie and Jennifer Decilveo.
Per tradition, upper school head Butch Keller also took the podium to address the students. He first praised the student leadership who stopped to help out the maintenance staff who were drying off the moisture that had collected on the seats overnight. “That’s what I call a community,” he said. “That’s what I was proud of.”
Keller spoke to grade 9 on how they should define success during their upper school careers. “I hope that what you’re chasing looks more like earning a spot in the fall play, being a good teammate on the volleyball team or the football team,” he said. “Or maybe it looks like being an integral part of the speech and debate team being led by those great coaches.
“I hope what you’re chasing looks more like making lifelong friends,” he continued. “I hope what you’re chasing, whatever that is, is sincere. I hope it means that you’re going to be the best that you can possibly be.”
Dawson Chen, a senior and the Associated Student Body president, then offered the freshmen some key points of advice on how to make the most of their time as upper school students, which he livened with humor, such as when he told them what a proper parenthetical citation looks like. He also encouraged students to make use of the upper school’s incredible resources and to practice open-mindedness. “Be open to perhaps extraordinary or unfamiliar perspectives,” he said, “whether it’s in an English class discussion or a debate with a friend at lunch.” In closing, he implored the freshmen not to “spend four years trying to fulfill other people’s expectations of you,” and to “find friends who are like family.”
Chen then introduced the members of Harker’s Student Diversity Coalition – seniors Uma Iyer and Brooklyn Cicero, juniors KJ Williams and Mir Bahri, and sophomore Dina Ande – who spoke to their fellow students about SDC’s mission. Bahri explained that the SDC is a student organization that is “designed to foster an inclusive environment for all members of our community.” Part of their mission is to provide safe spaces for students and staff to discuss topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The establishment of the Black Student Union and the Latinx Affinity Group last year were crucial to this goal.
Cicero told the audience that Harker’s first affinity group was founded in the wake of the June 2020 protests that erupted across the world after the murder of George Floyd. “We wanted to stop being complacent with the microaggressions and biases that we were receiving on and off campus,” she said. The members went on to summarize the SDC’s activities over the previous year – such as the talks by Leon, a Holocaust survivor and Bettina Love – and promoted the open meetings that all Harker community members are invited to attend. Once a director of diversity, equity and inclusion has been hired, the SDC plans to establish more affinity groups to make Harker more inclusive and welcoming.
Following the speeches, all students in attendance recited the matriculation oath, and the grade 9 students each took their turns signing the matriculation book, while The Harker String Quartet, directed by Dave Hart, performed Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.”
As is custom, the ceremony ended with “Freshman 101,” a series of skits designed to inform the Class of 2025 of many key aspects of upper school life, including the honor code, the many clubs on offer and the spirit competition. Students donned costumes inspired by famous characters from “The Avengers,” the “Harry Potter” franchise, Disney’s “Frozen” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
Harker’s in-person summer programs returned this year after the 2020 sessions were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students in the middle and upper school Summer Institutes and the lower school Summer Camp Plus attended these sessions with precautions in place, engaging in a wide range of hands-on lessons and activities.
“Several Harker teachers offered specialty enrichment courses from philosophical thinking to cooking,” said Carol Green, principal of this year’s upper school Summer Institute. “These classes were a great opportunity for students to dive deep on topics we don’t normally offer during the school year while teachers got an opportunity to share passions they don’t get to teach during the academic year.”
One example was a cooking class in which students learned how to make everything from French cuisine to cheap dishes that could be made in college dorm rooms. Green sat in on Mark Janda’s class on American popular culture and its discussion of hip hop, observing that “the students and Mark had the opportunity to not only examine the evolution of this genre of music but also discuss its larger implications.”
Students were happy to return to learning in an in-person environment after spending multiple school semesters learning remotely. “I have had so many positive interactions with students about being in person for classes,” Green said.” They appreciate being off screens and engaging in the classroom, not to mention hanging out with new and old friends during breaks and lunch.”
“We are thrilled to be back in person again,” said Alison Ung, middle school Summer Institute co-principal. “The campus has been buzzing with student energy and laughter. They are so excited to be participating in everything from strawberry dissections in Forensic Science class and app development on Harker Android tablets in our App Inventor class to playing games at recess and simply sitting on the grass with friends.”
In classes such as the middle school’s Summer Science Research Society, students learned how to perform original research and engaged in activities such as making toothpaste and designing rockets. English teacher Mark Gelineau directed a class on pirates that covered their factual and fictional history, in which students learned semaphores and 18th and 19th century sword fighting. The middle school sports camp included returning favorites such as volleyball and TRX fitness, which uses a suspension training system to improve athletic performance and conditioning. Students were also seen enjoying themselves practicing martial arts, badminton and fencing.
Thorough safety precautions were practiced at each campus, with students and staff wearing masks and undergoing temperature checks as well as practicing social distancing.
Summer Camp Plus, offered to students in grades 1-5, featured morning academics in a variety of subjects, followed by a wide selection of outdoor activities and crafts as well as special events such as an assembly hosted by Happy Birds, which featured trained parrots performing a variety of tricks. There were also picnics held at lunchtime, and “students were able to have rotations of music and movement, science and art in their morning academic times taught by their specialist teacher,” said Summer Camp Plus co-principal Ali Bo, who also said students “loved” being back on campus for the summer. “Even though they had to wear masks, I could see the excitement on their faces to just be at school with their peers,” she said. “There was so much laughter, joy and learning going on throughout the entire six weeks, that when Summer Camp Plus was over, it felt like it just began.”
In October, Harker alumni Cole Davis ‘10, Drew Goldstein ‘13 and Jessica Khojasteh ‘11 will be inducted into the Harker Athletic Hall of Fame. The three former student athletes will be honored for their athletic achievements and for their exemplary efforts in becoming global citizens. The induction ceremony will be part of the Harker Day celebration on Oct. 9, which also will include the annual Homecoming football game and the Family & Alumni Picnic. For more information, email news@harker.org. Come on out and support these incredible alumni!
Chess whiz Vyom Vidyarthi, who starts as a freshman at the upper school this year, was the winner at the 11th Annual Dewain Barber National Tournament of Middle School State Champions, held July 31-Aug. 3 in Cherry Hill, N.J., becoming the Champion of Champions among middle school competitors. The Barber tournament is a meeting of representatives from each state, who then face off to determine the nation’s top player. As a first-place winner, Vidyarthi received a $5,000 scholarship and an invitation to the 2022 US Cadet Championship. His score was combined with those of other top players from Northern California region, which won the team portion of the event.