This story was originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of Harker Quarterly
Costa Rica
In late July, Anita Chetty, upper school science department chair, and Gary Blickenstaff, upper school biology teacher, traveled to Costa Rica with seven students for the annual summer trip to Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (National Biodiversity
Institute, or INBio for short). They toured the institute’s wonderful facilities, including its restricted areas.
Wildlife sightings were, of course, frequent and always exciting. Students were able to see such local fauna as sloths, bullet ants, monkeys and a family of screech owls. They also experienced weather that at times caught them off-guard. “The humidity was oppressive,” Chetty said in one of several travelogues from the trip. “I reminded everyone that people pay a lot to go to spas so they can [similarly] sweat and expand their pores. They did not seem to care.”
Adventure was in great supply during the trip. Whitewater rafting in the Sarapiqui River was one of the highlights. “The river did not disappoint us as we negotiated raging rapids and tried hard not to fall in or capsize,” Chetty reported. “We did not want it to end!” The group also took a night hike, during which the students made the screech owl sighting. “Some people travel to this area for decades in search of this owl,” Chetty wrote. They also trekked to Arenal Volcano, which has experienced eruptions since 1968. “It just blew a plume of smoke about five minutes ago,” wrote Chetty as the group peered from an observation deck.
For the service part of their trip, the students traveled to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, where they worked to protect the area’s sea turtle population. They did so by helping to build a new nursery, moving more than 100 eggs to new locations to keep them safe from poachers and even releasing hatchlings into the ocean. “All of these activities are new for the Harker program, and our students have had ample opportunity to directly engage in conservation practice,” Chetty wrote.
The group then visited a one-room schoolhouse with five students, aged 6 to 12. Chetty “was very impressed with [our students’] Spanish-speaking skills! Harker’s students performed a skit in Spanish on preventing dengue fever, and created art projects with the young students. “I was moved by the thought that here we were from such a privileged school, offering something to young children in a very remote location,” Chetty said.
The next stop was the University of Georgia’s Costa Rica campus where students were given the opportunity
to work on their independent research projects. There, Dr. Diana Lieberman, ecology instructor, provided them with the tools and knowledge to conduct their studies. The students participated in group activities in addition to research they performed on their own. “These are not the tried-and-true labs that students are accustomed to doing,” Chetty said in an e-mail. “Much of the learning comes from dealing with unpredictability. Equipment fails or the weather does not cooperate.”
Students went beyond the call of duty for their projects. Michael Prutton, grade 12, journeyed into an enclosure at a bat exhibit to retrieve echolocation signals, while fellow senior Appu Bhaskar was so eager to work he had to be ushered out of the lab at closing time when working on his project on arsenic concentrations in geothermal springs.
During the final stage of the trip, the students presented their research at a symposium held at the UGA Costa Rica campus, and each student received a certificate in tropical biology from UGA.Chetty wrote that Lieberman was “very impressed with not only how clever our kids are, but how committed they are to their individual studies.”
Galapagos
Matthew Harley, upper school biology teacher, and Mala Raghavan, upper school chemistry teacher, headed to the Galapagos Islands with 10 students in July for a special “ecotourism” trip, meant to introduce the students to the archipelago’s unique animal and plant life.
The group began with a stop in Quito, Ecuador, where they took a tour of the “old city” and its many fantastic churches. They enjoyed a great lunch while also learning about Amazonian culture, including such rituals as head shrinking.
After arriving in the Galapagos, the students and teachers met with their guides and boarded a boat to travel to the various islands for the next seven days. They saw many kinds of wildlife, and even snorkeled alongside sea lions and dolphins. “While on the cruise, we snorkeled almost every day and sometimes twice a day,” said Harley. Other times they shared paths with iguanas and lava lizards, and while walking in the highlands, saw dozens of tortoises. One highlight was a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where they sighted Lonesome George, the last known specimen of the Pinta Island tortoise species, estimated to be anywhere from 60 to 90 years old. Following the cruise, the group went to Santa Cruz, the Galapagos’ second largest island, to visit the FUNDAR (in English, the Foundation for Alternative Responsible Development in Galapagos) station, which helps to educate local farmers and aid them in restoring their land. “Invasive species, poor farming practices, poachers and the tourism industry in general are dramatically changing the ecosystem and threatening the extinction of species like the tortoise,” Harley said. “We helped the station remove invasive blackberry brambles and feed native seedlings for planting.” The students and chaperones ate “very well,” he added. “Most or all of the food was grown or raised on Santa Cruz Island.”
After their lengthy stay in the Galapagos, the teachers and students headed back to Quito for one final round of shopping at the bazaar and sampling the exotic flavors of Quito cuisine serenaded by the Ecuadoran version of a mariachi band – a memorable end to a great trip!
Journalism Trips
Summer was full of fun and work for Harker journalism students, who traveled to Hawaii and New York for workshops. The first contingent, made up of 17 editors, flew to Hawaii in early June. While enjoying the breathtaking scenery, students scoured the area for potential stories, interviewing locals and tourists for articles they would later publish online. They also worked on their photojournalism skills by taking on photography assignments. Group projects and planning for the 2010-11 year were also on the agenda. The students attended a talk by journalist C.W. Henderson, who is, among other things, a former movie executive with TriStar Pictures and founder of the medical and pharmaceutical publishing company NewsRx. Under Henderson’s direction, the students worked on exercises in phenomenological writing, or the practice of relating through prose the human observations of scientific phenomena.
In their free time, the students tried their hands at snorkeling, canoeing, surfing and boogie boarding, in addition to taking advantage of the innumerable sightseeing opportunities offered by the island of Maui. Local cuisine, deep-sea fishing and a luau were also part of the festivities.
During the second half of June, a group of nine Harker journalists headed to New York City for the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Summer Journalism Workshop. The program gave students an opportunity to sharpen their writing, editing and design skills through classes plus individual and group assignments. Five Harker students received awards at the workshop: Lorraine Wong, grade 10, for best review and best page design (team); Kevin Lin, grade 10, for best page design (team); Sanjana Baldwa, grade 11, for best layout; and Alisha Mayor, grade 11, for best feature.
Fun was obviously on the agenda as well, with students photographing celebrities at a movie premiere, catching a musical and visiting staple NYC landmarks such as Central Park and Coney Island.
As in Hawaii, the students in New York also published stories about their experiences. Be sure to view them at http:// www.talonwp.com/category/summer/.
This story was originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of Harker Quarterly
In our summer issue, we told the story of the Harker Alumni & Family Picnic. Now, as it fast approaches, we’d like to share a few more stories, especially from this past decade.
After surviving the legendary “FantaSea 2000” (yes, the picnic where the wet weather lived up to the theme), we forged on to plan our next springtime picnic, the 50th anniversary “Harker Rocks! Fifty Years of Fun!” Poodle skirts and jukeboxes were the order of the day, along with giant 45 records, Curbside Crazies on roller skates, Elvis impersonators and good old rock ‘n’ roll. Christine and John Davis brought a collection of classic cars to create our own Mel’s Drive-In around a huge tent in the center of Rosenthal Field, and the scene was set. It was one of our most rockin’ celebrations ever!
A 50th-anniversary party takes a lot of planning, and no volunteer worked harder than the great Dede Ogami, the queen of all things auction, a publications perfectionist and a dear friend. During the preparations for “Harker Rocks!” she would always joke, “I wish I were in Paris!” She and her good buddy, auction co-chair Kim Pellissier, even left a message the night before the picnic, simply stating, “Gone to Paris!” So, since we’ve always gone to great lengths to keep our volunteers happy, we named our 2002 event “Picnic in Paris – La Fête Fantastique!” We were all able to bask in the glow of Ogami’s favorite destination – “Rue de Harker”! We do what we “can-can”!
In 2003 we were met with more fun and new challenges. This was the first time in history that we produced two family picnics in one year. The first one began simply enough. During “Picnic in Paris” setup week, we noticed a windmill from the student production of “Oklahoma!” on the gym stage, and someone said, “We’re not in Kansas anymore!” Of course, that reminded us of Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,’’ and the rest is, well, history. “The Wonderful Picnic of Oz … There’s No Place Like Harker” was born. Everyone got in the spirit of the day – emerald green wigs and all! Following the “yellow brick road” were Harker parents Candy Carr as the Tin Man, Janet Rohrer as the Scarecrow and Melody Moyer as the not-so-cowardly Lion (costumes courtesy of our super seamstresses, Pellissier and Alice Schwartz). Even Howard Nichols, our beloved school president, dressed as the Wizard himself. It was a delight for munchkins of all ages and plenty of picnicking for one year!
As Harker expanded, so did our special events. The first Harker Fashion Show was on the horizon, and homecoming was a welcome addition for our budding upper school as well as for the entire Harker community. It was decision time. Moving the family picnic back to the fall seemed like the best thing to do, but could we pull it off that same year? We sat down with our dedicated, hard-working, fun-loving, absolutely wonderful committee and asked that question. They said, “YES!” So, in a matter of just a few months, without missing a beat, they orchestrated the sweetest picnic ever. “Once Upon a Picnic … And They Lived ‘Harkerly’ Ever After!” was its own fairytale, and storybook perfect!
After such a busy year, we decided to kick back and enjoy the tropics in our 2004 “Picnic in Paradise … A Tropical Isle, Harker Style!” Everyone sported a by now traditional picnic T-shirt and was welcomed by steel drums, tropical birds and flower leis flown in by Kelly Delepine and family. Such fun! Then, in 2005, we really decided to “chill” with one of our favorite picnics of all time, the “Polar Picnic … Everything’s Cool at The Harker School!” Snow machines and ice sculptures helped set the scene for a day of frozen fun.
The addition of Co-Co Crossing brought us everything chocolate, including our favorite San Jose Chocolate Fountains. Even our new T-shirt sponsor, the Ammatuna family’s I ❤ Yogurt shop, served delicious chocolate flavors. It was a yummy day for all!
By 2006 we were ready for adventure, but little did we know that the real adventure was just beginning. Our resident Aussie, Vanessa Bullman, always had fun stories to tell about her native country, and we were hooked. We would bring Australia to Harker with “Picnic Down Under … An Awesome Aussie Adventure!” but not without a little research. Veteran picnic volunteers Nancy Claunch and Melody Moyer and I traveled to Sydney and surrounding areas to gather lots of ideas (and souvenirs) for our Boomerang Gang of volunteers. What a trip! Waiting for us back home was our delightful “decorations diva,” Debbie Buss, who, in her quest to design Ayers Rock for the auction area, created a mine’s worth of paper rocks that have gained more picnic miles than a trip to Australia itself! (Be sure to look for them this year in their fourth reincarnation). But what was the real adventure? Moving the entire picnic to the Blackford campus!
In 2007, we packed up the “wagons” for our “Blackford or Bust! Pioneer Picnic … Harker Heads West!” Nichols Hall was being built on the site of many a family picnic at the Saratoga campus, which was even more fitting than you might know. Former school president Howard Nichols was an avid scholar on all things related to Harker family picnics. He knew and loved its history better than anyone. Whether it was riding across that field on a horse to delight the children for a western theme, or meticulously helping set up the games with his trusty tape measure in hand, Nichols’ presence was always treasured. So it seems especially fitting that this 60th family picnic is being held on his birthday, Oct. 10. We know he would be proud. Happy birthday, all!
This story was originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of Harker Quarterly
The 2010-11 school year officially began on Aug. 23, when the annual Matriculation ceremony took place in the Saratoga quad. Faculty and administration first took their seats behind the podium before each class, starting with the seniors and working downward, filed into their respective rows.
When the students of the class of 2014 made their way to their seats, they were greeted by loud applause from their fellow students, a warm welcome to their first year as high school students.
Christopher Nikoloff, head of school, then welcomed the faculty, administration, Harker’s Board of Trustees and each class (greeted by enthusiastic cheers) to the new school year. Saying he was “honored” to welcome everyone to the new academic year, he promised to keep his remarks comparatively short and sweet, compared to previous years. “This year, I am cutting back to one page of single-spaced, size 12 font,” he joked. “At this rate, by the time I retire I will be delivering one-word addresses.” (For the complete text of Nikoloff’s address, see the article The Exercising of Free Will.) Nikoloff emphasized that the students appeared at Matriculation of their own free will, a point accentuated by the fact that their parents were not present at the ceremony, a tradition that began with the founding of the upper school in 1998.
“We wanted your commitment to wholly represent your will and no one else’s,” Nikoloff said. He concluded by declaring his hope that the incoming students did not take their declaration of the Matriculation oath lightly: “We are taking the oath today as a group, but each of you is beginning a journey that is uniquely of your making …. It is by following your path alone that you will find the entire world.”
Cantilena, the all-female classical vocal group directed by Susan Nace, then performed a lovely rendition of the madrigal “In These Delightful Pleasant Groves.”
Butch Keller, upper school head, began his speech by addressing each class directly, commending each for their accomplishments and expressing his faith that they will successfully meet the challenges ahead. Addressing everyone in attendance, he said, “I wish you the very best year possible, and together we will accomplish things we never dreamed of.”
Keller then introduced associated student body (ASB) president Santosh Swaminathan, grade 12, who gave a brief speech to his fellow students, in which he talked about the transformative nature of the high school experience. “You learn how to handle tough situations, how to manage stress and, most importantly, you learn how to be independent,” he said. Following the speech, Swaminathan introduced the representatives from each class and the rest of the ASB council.
After the students recited the Matriculation oath, the new students signed the Matriculation book as the Harker String Quartet performed their version of “Viva La Vida” by the English band Coldplay.
Then it was time for the ever-popular “Freshman 101,” when ASB members performed a humorous skit based on the popular movie “Avatar”; their goal was to teach the new students a variety of useful lessons about high school life, such as how to manage their time, dress properly and, though it needn’t be mentioned, how to have fun as well.
This story was originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of Harker Quarterly
The many additions to the Saratoga campus in recent years have made the start of the year a particularly exciting time for upper school students at Harker. Since 2007 the campus has grown to include such key facilities as Davis Field, the Singh Aquatic Center and Nichols Hall. This year both returning and new students had their first look at the new upper school library, which was completed this summer. With more space for both students and books, as well as areas for classroom instruction and studying, the new library will provide important amenities to students for years to come.
The students’ excitement and eagerness to begin the 2010-11 school year were palpable during the Matriculation ceremony, which was frequently punctuated by enthusiastic cheers whenever a class was mentioned. Freshmen received a special greeting from their classmates as they walked the aisle to take their seats, met by applause from the classes of 2011, 2012 and 2013 and the faculty and administration.
Students gathered the following day, the first official day of instruction, for the year’s inaugural assembly, where they were introduced to the new faculty members and learned about what was in store for them during the coming months, such as the Conservatory’s kick-off event and Cantilena’s February trip to Spain. Meanwhile, upper school sports teams began training for their first contests of the season, hitting the turf at Davis Field to prepare for another exciting season of games.
This story was originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of Harker Quarterly
The academic year at the lower school began smoothly, with fresh-faced students taking on new responsibilities and learning new concepts about school life. Grade 3 students, for instance, spent much of the first few days finding their lockers and figuring out where to go between periods. “The administration and the teachers were all out there on the first few days at the change of periods helping students and reassuring them,” said Joe Connolly, K-5 dean of students. At an assembly held on the first day of school, the students learned that the year’s theme would be “compassion,” a subject that will be discussed with students throughout the year. Also new this year is the Eagle Buddy program, in which every student from grade 3 is paired with a student in grade 10, with whom they will interact at various events throughout the year.
Over at the Blackford campus, students spent their first few days adjusting to their everyday routines. During their orientation on Aug. 23, students met with advisors, received their textbooks and schedules and were given a primer on the advisory system. Students have many new things to look forward to, including several key changes to the lunch program. This year the kitchen has two new service areas and an expanded selection of foods, including more vegetarian options. Students, faculty and staff can now enjoy the new Chef’s Grill, the BBQ Express and The Bistro. Because of the new bell schedule, students in grades 7 and 8 will now eat together.
This story was originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of Harker Quarterly
For several students, summer presents many exciting learning opportunities in the form of internships. Last year students interned at places such as Kaiser Permanente, U.C. Davis and Riedel Labs, where they were involved with projects that included analyzing the chemical makeup of far-off galaxies, assisting with virus screening tests, working in a bioengineering lab and more.
This year, several students again embarked on exciting internships at a wide variety of places, including microbiology and psychology at Stanford University, the department of chemistry at U.C. Santa Cruz and Artificial Muscle, Inc., a Sunnyvale-based company that specializes in creating components for touch-based devices such as smartphones, PC mice and touchscreens.
Roshni Bhatnagar, grade 12, interned at the Stanford psychophysiology lab under Dr. James Gross. She and her colleague, a graduate student putting together her dissertation, “studied the relationship between local brain volume and emotion regulation strategies.” She also learned about various brain structures and took a class on affective neuroscience, “which really complemented the work I was doing in the lab.” Bhatnagar particularly enjoyed delving into the literature about the part of the brain that was the focus of her project, the insula. “Reading papers about the insula and its function was really fascinating,” she said.
Another senior, Jerry Sun, was an intern at Artificial Muscle, where he helped put together an experiment that compared the tear strengths of two types of polymers. “With guidance from our mentor as well as other employees at the company, we planned the experiment and collected and analyzed the resulting data,” Sun said. “I learned a lot about what corporate research was like, particularly in the material science field. This was also my first job, so going to work every day was a new experience for me.
This story was originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of Harker Quarterly
For the fourth year in a row, Harker students claimed regional recognition in eCYBERMISSION’s national competition, receiving monetary awards totaling $18,000 between the two teams. One team also received an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Judging and Educational Event in Baltimore, Md., on June 21-26 to present their final project to four army officials and teachers from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
A competition challenging students in grades six to nine to use science, math and technology to solve real community issues, eCYBERMISSION encourages students to research and conduct experiments to find a solution. While “Dust Busters,” Allen Cheng, Daniel Pak, Albert Chu and Sharon Babu, now all grade 9, did not place nationally in Baltimore, the team had the opportunity to meet with all regional winners and explore the two Smithsonian museums and Aberdeen Proving Ground, home of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command.
The “Dust Busters’” presentation was the culmination of a year’s worth of research on a community controversy two students initially read about in the town newspaper related to mercury dust emissions from Lehigh Hanson Cement Plant.
Before submitting their project online in February, the quartet spent five months collecting water from four different bodies of water, testing for emissions in the lab and compiling data to research ways to educate the residents about the pollution and possible health issues. They also interviewed Hanson Quarry to hear the company’s side of the story.
The “Dust Busters” discovered that, while the local cement plant was not in violation of the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, the mercury level in water near the quarry was significantly higher than mercury levels in other bodies of water in the area. The students took their findings to the Cupertino City Council and created a pamphlet that was distributed door-to-door to residents.
“This project needs students who have good research skills, writing skills, data collection and analysis and public relations skills to help them interview experts in the field that they are working on,” Vandana Kadam, advisor and math teacher, said about the group’s dynamic. “This team had a good combination of these qualities and hence worked very well together.”
The “Analytic Trio,” now also in grade 9, were Vikas Bhetanabhotla, Divyahans Gupta and Brian Tuan. They also received high honors and were recognized for their project’s application of science, math and technology. After experimenting with six different designs, the “Analytic Trio” presented a gas nozzle prototype that emits a lower amount of volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the environment than the current nozzle used across the nation.
“We are extremely proud of the students from The Harker School for their creative and innovative use of outstanding research, experimentation and analysis during this year’s eCYBERMISSION competition,” Major General Nick G. Justice said. “These students were selected from thousands of their peers, not only for their potential as future leaders in STEM [science, technology, engineering, math], but for their work to improve and make a positive impact on the communities in which they live.”
This story was originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of Harker Quarterly
Since 1998, Harker’s Latin programs have been highly successful, due to a high degree of commitment from both the students and faculty. “The kids are enthusiastic about what they do, and they get it when it comes to excelling at these things,” said John Hawley, upper school Latin teacher. This enthusiasm has resulted in consistent top placements in both state and national competitions. Since it first went into full swing in 1998, the upper school’s Junior Classical League (JCL) has placed either first or second in its division in every state JCL convention it has entered since 2000. “We got very good, very fast,” Hawley said.
The middle school program, too, has often received top honors at state competitions and has finished in the top 10 at nationals.
“The addition of the sixth graders to the middle school means that Latin starts earlier and that eighth graders compete at a higher level,” said Lisa Masoni, middle school Latin teacher. “In fact, the California Junior Classical League needed to create a new category, Middle School 3, last year, because of the students from Harker and a few other middle schools with three-year programs.”
In May, 13 Harker upper school students won awards after taking the Medusa Mythology Exam, which tests knowledge of Greek mythology and is open to all students. Shannon Su, grade 10, received a gold medal award and was eligible to apply for a cash prize. Taking silver were Ashvin Swaminathan and Richard Fan, both grade 10, while sophomore Phillip Oung and Jessica Lin, grade 11, earned bronze medal awards. Sophomores Jonathan Cho, Eric Zhang, Pranav Sharma, Sean Fernandes, Suchita Nety and junior Alex Hsu received Corona Laurea Certificates. Prag Batra and Ila Dwivedi, both grade 11, won Corona Olivae Certificates.
Most recently, at the national JCL convention, held at North Dakota State University in late July, four Harker students earned top spots.
Annirudh Ankola, grade 8, competed at levels 1 and 2 and took first place in novice open certamen, second place in large models and third in boys costume.
Oishi Banerjee, a grade 9 student who represented the middle school at level 2, had the most top finishes of the Harker students in attendance at the convention. Banerjee had first place finishes in level 2 girls Latin sight reading; level 2 girls dramatic interpretation; and mottoes, quotes and abbreviations. She also placed second in modern myth, intermediate competitive, level 2 Latin oratory and creative arts.
Nik Datuashvili, grade 10, competed at level 3 and took first place in ancient geography and Hellenic history. Classmate Fan also competed at level 3 and took first place in the junior boys 800 meters and second places in the junior boys marathon.
Finally, level 4 competitor Lin, took second place in Roman life
Editor’s Note: Oung and Banerjee have since transferred to other schools.
This story was originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of Harker Quarterly
As the students return, pumped up for the coming year, Saagar Sarin, grade 11 and Erica Woolsey, grade 12, copresidents of Harker’s chapter of Junior State of America (JSA), gear up for a year filled with various ways to engage the Harker community in current events and politics.
Looking back on the last few years, Sarin and Woolsey noted a recent decrease in participation, and the duo hopes to turn things around. “More than anything, JSA leadership has been getting ready for what we think will be a ‘comeback’ year for the club,” said Sarin, who was elected Speaker of the Assembly at the Northern California Spring State 2010 convention in April. “We are looking forward to laying the foundation that will bring JSA back to prominence.”
There is no time to rest for the returning members of Harker JSA. Woolsey and Sarin aim to engage students in active discussion through both chapter and statewide activities. Kicking off with the club fair, JSA will be hosting various events throughout the fall semester, including the annual Pizza and Politics event.
“Our main goal with [Pizza and Politics] is to encourage everyone in the student body to be politically aware, not just members of JSA,” Woolsey said. “We want to increase membership in the upcoming year and keep JSA interesting.” The chapter will also be participating in the annual Fall State Convention, “Energizing America: Capturing the Winds of Change,” in Santa Clara the weekend of Nov. 20-21.
Sarin looks forward to leading the movement in increasing participation. “JSA has made a huge impact on my life, and it’s one of the things I enjoy most about high school; I really want to spread that joy to my peers,” Sarin said.
Similarly, Woolsey is excited to explore creative ways and innovative ideas to keep the student body interested in politics. “Our generation has a lot of political apathy, and JSA attempts to fight that,” she said. “We want to make politics interesting.”
Football
The football team continues to break records advancing to 6-0 on the year and setting the record for the best start in Harker history with their 27-6 win over Capuchino High School. Quarterback Rishi Bhatia, grade 12, had a hand in all 27 points, accumulating 228 yards passing and 117 yards rushing. Senior Gautam Krishnamurthi pulled in 150 yards receiving, while Eagles’ sophomore Michael Chen had 10 tackles.
This night was special for another reason as well; Senior Appreciation. The Eagles will graduate 14 seniors this year and sent them off in style. They are Rishi Bhatia, Greg Cox, Karthik Dhore, Ejaz Haque, Alex Kablanian, Gautam Krishamurthi, Isaac Madan, Chris McCallaCreary, Jason Mendel, Arko Mukherjee, Troy Sambyal, Justin Shamlou, Jeremiah Shteynberg, and David Wu.
Tennis
The girls posted two victories last week both in impressive fashion. The girls beat Castilleja 6-1 and Notre Dame 7-0 bringing them to 4-0 in league play.
Water Polo
The boys split their week last week going 2-2. This included an intense triple overtime victory over Fremont High school. The Eagles also competed at the Live Oak Tournament over the weekend where they went 1-2. Karan Das-Grande, grade 10, had seven goals and Cole Manaster, grade 11, had four.
The girls also posted a win over Fremont this week, 8-7, avenging a loss from earlier in the season.
Volleyball
The girls have had a tough start in league play this year but have been very competitive overall. Their losses to Castilleja and Menlo both went to five sets with several sets being decided by only two points. The girls are in an especially tough league this year as Castilleja is ranked 15th and Sacred Heart Prep 12th. While their league record is 0-3 their overall record is still a commendable 13-5.
The junior varsity squad took second place in the Del Mar Tournament going an impressive 4-1 on the day.
The freshman team has come back strong after their initial two game losing streak and is currently on a three game winner. The girls had two home games last week posting big wins over Immaculate Conception Academy and Castilleja. The girls won 2-0 and 2-1 respectively.
Golf
The girls lost two tough matches last week to Castilleja and Sacred Heart. Kristine Lin, grade 9, had a notable performance in the match against Castilleja shooting a 44. The team’s record is holding strong at 3-3 and they hope to improve with matches against Notre Dame and Menlo this week.
Cross Country
Cross country ran against some of the top schools in the area last week at the Crystal Springs Invitational. The girls placed an impressive 13th overall and the boys came in at 20th. Sophomores Ragini Bhattacharya and Tyler Yates were the top runners for Harker in the girls and boys races respectively. Go Eagles!