The Harker Speaker Series is proud to announce that astronaut Gregory Errol Chamitoff, Ph.D., will be the first speaker for the 2011-12 season, appearing at 7 p.m. at Nichols Hall on the Saratoga campus on Sept. 26. A Montreal native, Chamitoff attended Blackford High School in San Jose, graduated with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from California Polytechnic State University and has received advanced degrees in multiple engineering disciplines from California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Houston Clear Lake.
His experience with NASA began in 1985, working on several NASA projects during his stint at MIT, including stability analysis for deployment of the Hubble space telescope, upgrades for the space shuttle’s autopilot function and more. In 1995, when he joined the mission operations team at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Chamitoff led the development of software applications, one of which is the 3-D displays of the International Space Station (ISS) and the space shuttle, which are used by mission control.
After being selected as an astronaut candidate in 1998, Chamitoff spent nine days living and working in the Aquarius undersea laboratory located at the Florida Keys in 2002. His first mission in space was in 2008, serving as the flight engineer and science officer aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for six months. In 2011, he was a crew member on the last flight of the Space Shuttle “Endeavour,” as a mission specialist conducting operations with robotic arms, helping to install a pallet of spare equipment and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a particle physics observatory that, as his resume states, could one day lead to breakthroughs on human understanding of the universe. In addition, during one of two spacewalks, he helped complete assembly of the ISS and also performed the final spacewalk of the space shuttle program.
The many honors Chamitoff has won over his career include the NASA distinguished service medal, NASA space flight medals, induction into the California Astronaut Hall of Fame and the Technical Excellence Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Silicon Valley Community Newspapers– Aug. 29, 2011: Kevin Sparrer reports on Harker varsity football’s first season in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League’s El Camino Division, with a special focus on the role of receiver Daanish Jamal, grade 12.
The Argus, Fremont – July 31, 2011: Rohan Chandra, grade 11, was the subject of a write-up in the Argus, focusing on his community project to distribute earthquake kits to senior citizens in his area. Chandra won a $2,500 grant in late 2010 in the Scholastic BE BIG in Your Community contest.
Ripon Magazine – Summer 2011 (PDF):In the summer 2011 edition of Ripon Magazine, the official magazine of Ripon College, Eric Eguina ’02 is mentioned in a story (see page 4) about asbestos clean-up following the March 2011 earthquake in northern Japan and the subsequent tsunami. Eguina, who lives in Tokyo, had been working “almost non-stop” in the months following the earthquake.
As noted today in the San Jose Mercury News, Harker football is in a new league this year. The team will compete in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL), joining Harker’s boys volleyball, water polo and wrestling teams. Football teams from schools in the new league include Cupertino, Fremont, Lynbrook, Monta Vista, Santa Clara and Gunn high schools. Since many of these schools are geographically closer to Harker than past opponents, new bleachers on the visitor side of the field were added this summer to Davis Field. The San Jose Mercury article has an extensive appreciation of the team’s returning players and prospects for the season. Be sure to come watch the team in action at home and away, and don’t miss Homecoming, Nov. 11!
Over the summer, sabreur Regina Chen, grade 10, finished third out of 89 competitors in her age group and weapon at the Summer National Fencing Championships in Reno. Ranked 29th going in, she seeded 30th after pools and upset the 19th-ranked fencer to advance to the final eight. There, she defeated the sixth-ranked fencer to reach the semifinals where she was defeated by the ultimate national champion, leaving her tied for third place. Chen is now ranked 26th in the U.S. in points. With that finish, Chen earned an A-2011 rating, the first A rating held by any fencer from Harker! In addition, Chen has been named to the 2010-11 First Team of the USA Fencing All-Academic Team for having a GPA of 3.85 or greater. Chen also competes throughout the year at local tournaments and won the gold medal in her event at the Super Youth Circuit tournament held in San Jose in March. She trains at and competes for Cardinal Fencing Club on the Stanford campus.
The Common Ground speaker program kicks off this year with Paul Stoltz, Ph.D., speaking on resilience and optimism; he will be appearing at Harker on Tues., Oct.4 a 7 p.m. in the Nichols Hall atrium on the upper school campus at 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose. Stoltz is founder and CEO of the PEAK Learning research and consulting firm and one of the nation’s top experts on human resilience. He created the AQ (Adversity Quotient) Method of measuring and fostering resilience, which is currently used by many Fortune 500 companies and leading business schools. In this back-to-school special, Stoltz explores how families may apply AQ techniques to encourage positive mindsets that promote greater learning, optimism, resilience and happiness. Stoltz’ best-selling books include “Put Your Mindset to Work” and “The Adversity Advantage: Turning Everyday Struggles into Everyday Greatness.”
Parents of students enrolled in Common Ground member schools may attend free of charge. Non-members may attend for a $20 admission fee.
Common Ground is a coalition of Bay Area schools that organizes events featuring experts in various fields to enhance parent education. Hosting of these events is rotated among the various schools throughout the year.
Dr. Paul Stoltz’ appearance schedule:
Tues., Oct. 4, 9 a.m.
The Nueva School
6565 Skyline Boulevard
Hillsborough
Tues., Oct. 4, 7 p.m.
The Harker Upper School
500 Saratoga Avenue
San Jose
Wed., Oct. 5, 7 p.m.
The Priory
302 Portola Road
Portola Valley
The class of 2015 received a warm welcome on Aug. 19, as they visited the Saratoga campus for freshmen orientation. After an enthusiastic greeting from the Link Crew – a special group of grade 11 and 12 students who help the freshmen with their transition to the upper school – the students made their way to the gym, where each one of them was designated a certain type of farm animal, such as a chicken or cow. A fun and hilarious game then ensued, with the students making the trademark noise of their animals to find their advisors and advisory groups. They were also introduced to key administrators such as: Butch Keller, upper school head; Greg Lawson, assistant head of school for student affairs; and Evan Barth, dean of studies .
Everyone then headed to Davis Field to practice for their first emergency drill. Following the drill, the freshmen and Link Crew students enjoyed some fun team-building games out on the field, courtesy of APEX Adventures. In one game, students had to help each other manipulate a wooden structure across the field by pulling on ropes to keep the structure from falling. In another, groups of students raced to fill a tube with water, while other students plugged holes in the tube to keep it from leaking. The day’s warm weather was ideal for swimming, so students also swam and played more games at the Singh Aquatic Center.
In late July, as the summer break began to wind down, middle school Spanish students, chaperoned by Spanish teachers Julie Pinzás and Susan Moling, took a trip to Costa Rica that extended into mid-August.
The students arrived in the Costa Rican capital city of San José on July 31, and were soon taken to the town of Grecia, where they ate at a restaurant tucked away in a bamboo forest in the mountains. “The open-air restaurant served us a delicious classic Costa Rican dish called ‘casado’ which literally means ‘married’ since the locals always eat rice and black beans together,” Pinzás wrote in one of several email dispatches.
Afterwards, they got settled into their living quarters for some rest. Students passed time chatting, playing volleyball and hanging out in a nearby courtyard and garden. “Beautiful exotic butterflies could be seen everywhere,” Pinzás said.
The group then ventured out to explore a local grocery store, and enjoyed dinner before heading back to their “casitas” (little houses) for the night.
The next day, the group headed to San Luis for an exciting day of zip lining through the lush treetops. “Mid-way through we tried the Tarzan swing, and then ended our tour using the new ‘Superman’ harness in which you lay face down overlooking the canyon for nearly a mile,” Pinzás wrote. “It was a blast! A definite highlight of the trip.” The day was capped off with some sampling of Costa Rican ice cream.
The day after their zip lining adventure, the students began their first day of classes at the Academia Centroamericana de Español (ACCE), known in English as the Central American Spanish Academy. Students took a diagnostic test and were placed in small groups of three to four students per teacher. “As usual, they impressed the director and their Costa Rican teachers with their Spanish!” Pinzás said. The students also experienced their first Costa Rican thunderstorm during their classes. “They were fascinated by the intensity of the lightning, thunder and downpour,” Pinzás wrote. “The powerful thunder was truly startling at times!”
That night, the students ate fajitas and enjoyed a viewing of Disney’s “Gnomeo and Juliet,” which was shown in Spanish, of course!
On Aug. 2, the students and chaperones rose early to partake in the celebration of Costa Rica’s last patron saint, La Virgen de Los Angeles (la Negrita), also known as the “black virgin.” Local legend says that in 1635, a young girl discovered a small, black doll in the image of the Virgin Mary on top of a stone in the forest, and took it home with her. When the doll went missing the next morning, the young girl went back to the forest to find it resting upon the same stone on which she found it the previous day. She took the doll home again, only for it to disappear a second time. She decided to leave the doll where it stood, and the town built a church around it, which in Cartago today they call the Basilica.
The group headed to Grecia’s beautiful red church for the celebration, where most of the citizens of Grecia had already gathered. “We were fortunate enough to enter the church to observe some of the religious service and to see a replica of the ‘black virgin’ on the altar,” Pinzás reported. Following a church service, the replica was carried in a procession for several blocks. The rest of the day was spent exploring a local market and experiencing another thunderstorm.
The next day, everyone visited Centro Educativo Nuevo Milenio, a private K-12 school, and after meeting some of the students they attended a special assembly for Science and Technology Day. Harker students then shadowed CENM students in grades 7-9 during their chemistry, math, computer, English and Spanish classes. “They had such a good time that students from both schools are hoping to meet again,” Pinzás said.
Continuing their visit to various schools in Costa Rica, on Aug. 4 the students toured a local public school with more than 1,400 students in grades 7-11. “Interestingly enough, those students who do not pass any given subject must repeat that subject until they pass it. There are no advanced classes, and teachers, not students, move between classes,” Pinzás observed.
Later, at a local woman’s home, the students took part in a cooking class and enjoyed a home-cooked meal. “The students helped Sra. Lavinia prepare a sumptuous arroz con pollo (chicken in rice), a traditional Costa Rican dish which features several local vegetables, special seasonings and chicken,” Pinzás wrote. “There was also a delectable vegetarian version for those who preferred it meat-free, and both were served with fried bananas (plátanos maduros), salad and refreshing fruit smoothies.” Best of all, the students all received the recipe so they could make the delicious dish themselves once they returned home.
The group’s next stop was the neighborhood of La Carpio, located just outside San Jose. Home to about 34,000 people, mostly Nicaraguan immigrants, La Carpio is known for the extreme poverty of most of its inhabitants. The Harker students took a private bus to a park just outside the neighborhood, where they played with some local children at a daycare center. “Our students thoroughly enjoyed playing with the 25 or so children, whose ages ranged from three months to four years old,” Pinzás said. “It was touching to see the instantaneous bonding that transcended cultures and language.”
Early the next morning, the students began heading north to Manuel Antonio National Park. Along the way, they stopped at the Tárcoles River to see the crocodiles that lived along its shores and also saw several macaws flying around the area. They also hiked through Rainmaker Park, a beautiful remnant rainforest, and observed the various plant and animal life there, such as poison dart frogs and centipedes. Upon reaching a waterfall, the students took the opportunity to step inside the natural pool below it. After another hour of driving, the group arrived at the hotel to rest up for the next day’s trek through Manuel Antonio National Park.
Pinzás reported “perfect weather” on the day of the visit to “one of the country’s smallest but most spectacular national parks.” They took a leisurely hike through the rainforest, and their guide identified many different insects, plants and animals. “We enjoyed seeing two- and three-toed sloths and many Congo monkeys, among others,” Pinzás wrote.
When they got to the beach (“which looked like it was from a movie set with majestic palm trees surrounding a turquoise bay,” Pinzás said), the students jumped into the pristine water almost immediately. A few hours later, everyone headed back to the hotel before they were beset by the afternoon rain.
The morning of Aug. 9, the group headed to the town of Sarchi. “The town is very historic because it lies along the old Pan American highway which connects Central and South America,” Pinzás said. Sarchi is famous for its painted oxcart wheels and hand-carved furniture and crafts. The students attended a painting class to learn the fundamentals of painting wheels. Don William, a local artist, invited the students into his house, where each student was given a small white wheel to paint.
Later, at the Eloy Alfaro factory, founded in 1920, the students learned about the making of the wheels and saw the artisans at work. “One of the most fascinating aspects of the factory is the fact that the machinery is still powered by water, not electricity, exactly as it was in 1920,” Pinzás said.
Near the end of the trip, the group went to a local sports complex to enjoy some fun athletic activities, and later that evening, they enjoyed dinner at the Mirador Ram Luna Restaurant. “This restaurant is located on the slopes of the Escazú hills in the city of Asserí, which is about 90 minutes away from Grecia,” Pinzás wrote. The restaurant offers a “breathtaking” view of Costa Rica’s Central Valley, she added. The students were treated to an entertaining music and dance show there. “Both the dinner and show were fantastic!” Pinzás said. Alyssa Amick, grade 8, was even called up to dance. “She made it look so effortless,” said Pinzás. “It was a memorable evening for all!”
The previous night’s fun actually served as a precursor to the students’ first activity on Aug. 11, a trip to a local dance studio for a Latin dance class. “The whole class was taught in Spanish! Our instructor, Jonathan, taught us how to do the Bachata, Cumbia, Salsa and a popular dance to a song called ‘Qué te pica’ by Notch,” Pinzás said. That evening, the students played an indoor soccer match with some local youths before heading back to the casitas for pizza and chatting.
On the final day of their trip, the group visited downtown Grecia for a scavenger hunt. “This activity was developed by one of our wonderful local contacts here, Amy Paschal,” Pinzás explained. “Students were divided up into groups of three or four and then had to follow the steps on their individualized scavenger hunts in both Spanish and English.” Certain tasks required conversing with the local townspeople, giving the students opportunity to practice their Spanish skills with native speakers. One such task involved asking a local to snap a photo of a group in front of a landmark. “Everyone laughed a lot and had a great time,” Pinzás recalled.
That evening after classes, the students and teachers had tremendous fun (and great food!) during a special farewell barbecue party. The Harker students were each presented with a group photo of the ACCE students they had befriended during the trip. The night concluded with the Harker students dancing to Yingo’s “Culikitaca” with some of the friends they had made during their stay.
The Harker Conservatory completed its second appearance at the largest arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with a successful run of “Pippin” in August.
In 1947, eight uninvited theatrical groups descended on the newly formed Edinburgh International Festival, performing “on the fringes.” The trend caught on, and in 1959 the Fringe became official. In 1994, the American High School Theatre Festival (AHSTF) formed and instituted a competition to choose and facilitate the appearance of high-caliber secondary school drama departments at this mecca of arts festivals.
The Harker Conservatory was first nominated for the Fringe by the now-defunct American Musical Theater of San Jose back in 2006. After an in-depth application process and review of years of The Harker School shows, Harker was selected from more than 300 applicants as one of 38 schools to appear under the AHSTF banner, and “Urinetown: The Musical” performed to impressive crowds in 2007.
Laura Lang-Ree, chair of the performing arts department K-12, has set a goal of attending the Fringe once every four years, and in 2010 Harker was one of 45 schools accepted. Choosing just the right show is a challenge, Lang-Ree says: “It’s about finding the right mix of sophistication and edginess. The Fringe is not the place to bring something that is the equivalent of vanilla yogurt. It’s got to zing, it’s got to grab the attention of thousands of potential audience members and it’s got to be memorable.”
Preparing for the Fringe takes a full year, not the least of which is trimming the show to fit into a strict 90-minute format. The set must accompany the actors as well, putting additional demands on Paul Vallerga, Harker’s innovative set designer.
When the reworking was complete, the set, costumes and props were divided up among the cast’s luggage, and the troupe arrived in London for some sight-seeing, a workshop at the reconstructed Globe Theatre and a performance of “Billy Elliott” in London’s West End theater district.
After two days in London, the cast boarded what they fondly dubbed “The Hogwarts Express,” the train from King’s Cross Station to Edinburgh – known to this generation for being the station at which Harry Potter and friends board the train to their school. An AHSTF guide met the train and escorted the cast out of the station in a slow march behind a bagpiper, giving an air of formality to the occasion and creating quite a stir among the other passengers.
Once settled in their dorm rooms on the campus of the University of Edinburgh, the cast’s adventure began in earnest. A packed schedule of rehearsals, publicity, shows and shopping ensued. Fundraising efforts during the school year meant that Lang-Ree was able to arrange for several group meals together as well as attendance at 12 professional shows of varying genres.
One highlight was the relationship Harker developed with an American improv troupe called “Baby Wants Candy.” They create an hour-long musical based on a title suggested by an audience member, and the “Pippin” cast met them during publicity times and promised to attend each other’s shows. The BWC troupe gave a shout out from the stage to the Harker group at their performance, and were gracious enough to arrange a special workshop at the dorms for Harker and another California high school.
AHSTF arranged for a day’s outing to Stirling Castle via a beautiful coach ride through the Trossachs, Scotland’s lower highlands; they also gave students tickets to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, an extravagant celebration of the U.K.’s many regiments from around the world; and arranged for them to go to a ceilidh, where all the AHSTF students learned traditional Scottish dancing.
But of course the highlight of the trip was performing “Pippin” at the beautiful Church Hill Theatre. Participating AHSTF schools support each other by attending at least four other high school shows, so the challenge for each school is to fill the theater’s seats with “regular” Festival-goers in addition to the high school students.
In addition to the show, each school is allotted one 20-minute slot on a small stage on Edinburgh’s main street, The Royal Mile. “Pippin” cast members braved the rain in full costume and gathered a huge crowd with their opening number, after which they took to the Mile with a three-card Monty game whose trick card was printed with all the “Pippin” information. The cast was able to “trick” locals, foreigners, other performers and, in one notable occasion, two local police officers into choosing the info card, and the hard work paid off with approximately 240 people attending one of the four performances of “Pippin,” including many of the other high schools who weren’t required to attend but who had heard the buzz.
The demands of mounting a Fringe show led to the cast reaching deep within themselves for stamina, flexibility, humor and grace under pressure, and they all rose to the occasion beautifully. The final performance had 125 people in the audience (Fringe shows average seven people), and Lang-Ree was surrounded by other American directors asking, “How did you do this?” Lang-Ree recalled, “This moment was a professional highlight for me; such a huge compliment to the cast and crew and an even bigger compliment to the entire performing arts department at Harker as our kids really are a reflection of their K through Life experience.”
An online arts group reviewed the show, giving it four stars and writing, “An excellent production of Pippin by an enthusiastic and well-drilled cast.” The final accolade came from the head of AHSTF, who asked the Harker cast to provide the only performance at their closing ceremonies. One final time, the stalwart cast donned makeup and costumes and wowed the 800 people in attendance.
Lang-Ree mused, “We were selected by AHSTF as one of the best and brightest musical theater programs in America, so I think it’s very important that what we bring to the Fringe – artistically, technically, creatively – be a home run. This event is not a ‘dress rehearsal’ for theater life – the Fringe is the real deal.”
Raghav Sehtia, grade 11, was recently recognized for his efforts to fight hunger by being named a 2011 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Regional Honoree. A short story on his achievement was published in the San Jose Mercury News on Aug. 22. He requested that the money be donated to charity. In March, Sehtia received the Platinum Award from the Second Harvest Food Bank for his work in organizing food drives for the past four years.
During the 2010 holiday season, Sehtia held a baked goods sale that raised approximately $1,800, which he then donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank. Sehtia calls volunteering a “passion” of his, and has volunteered at such places as the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple and the Good Samaritan Hospital. Kudos!
In July, Shaya Zarkesh, who starts grade 6 in the fall, helped Team USA win the team championship at this year’s Indonesia International Math Competition in Bali, Indonesia. As the youngest member on the team, Zarkesh competed with his teammates in a tough bracket, going up against top teams such as Thailand, Bulgaria, overall champions China and others.