Tiffany Zhu ’17, now at Stanford, had her Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities paper, written while at Harker, published in the spring 2018 issue of the Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal. The paper is titled “Putting the Realism in Socialist Realism: Gorky’s Mother as a Bridge between Soviet and Chernyshevskian Literary Aesthetics.”
Zhu has continued to pursue her interest in Russia and took a three-week seminar in St. Petersburg. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see much about (Maxim) Gorky (he was mostly based in Moscow, it turns out),” Zhu said, “but we did get to look at Soviet architecture, which we learned had as complicated a relationship with the state as Soviet literature.
“Right now, I’m taking an upper-division colloquium on Russian revolutionaries from the 18th century to the present day, and one of our readings talked about Chernyshevsky’s ‘What is to be Done?’ I feel that my Mitra research prepared me to understand Chernyshevsky and his context when the time came.”
She added a note to her Mitra mentors. “Thank you, so much, once again, for all of your encouragement and support from the very beginning. You all have inspired me to dive deeper into my passions, and I really don’t think I could be the scholar (and Russia enthusiast) I am today without the Mitra program.” Check out her paper – it’s the first one in the magazine.
The lower, middle and upper schools celebrated the birthday and legacy of Howard Nichols on Tuesday and Wednesday by enjoying cookies provided at stations around each campus. Each year, Nichols is honored on his birthday, Oct. 10, for his tremendous vision and hard work in shaping Harker into what it is today. The provided cookies pay homage to Nichols’ practice of keeping a jar of cookies in his office to let passersby know that they could always stop in to chat. Upper school students celebrated one day early due to scheduled testing and service activities. At the preschool, students at the Clover Cottage learned more about Howard and his ability to lead by example.
The lower, middle and upper schools celebrated the birthday and legacy of Howard Nichols on Tuesday and Wednesday by enjoying cookies provided at stations around each campus. Each year, Nichols is honored on his birthday, Oct. 10, for his tremendous vision and hard work in shaping Harker into what it is today. The provided cookies pay homage to Nichols’ practice of keeping a jar of cookies in his office to let passersby know that they could always stop in to chat. Upper school students celebrated one day early due to scheduled testing and service activities. At the preschool, students at the Clover Cottage learned more about Howard and his ability to lead by example.
The lower, middle and upper schools celebrated the birthday and legacy of Howard Nichols on Tuesday and Wednesday by enjoying cookies provided at stations around each campus. Each year, Nichols is honored on his birthday, Oct. 10, for his tremendous vision and hard work in shaping Harker into what it is today. The provided cookies pay homage to Nichols’ practice of keeping a jar of cookies in his office to let passersby know that they could always stop in to chat. Upper school students celebrated one day early due to scheduled testing and service activities. At the preschool, students at the Clover Cottage learned more about Howard and his ability to lead by example.
Last month, 29 students headed to Ashland, Ore., for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. This annual trip, established in 2009, gives students with a love of literature and theater the chance to enhance their understanding not just of Shakespeare but also the elements of storytelling.
On the trip the students saw productions of Shakespeare’s “Henry V” and “Romeo and Juliet,” as well as an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel “Sense and Sensibility.” In addition, they saw “Snow in Midsummer,” an update of the Chinese play “The Injustice to Dou Yi That Moved Heaven and Earth,” by 14th century playwright Guan Hanqing.
“’Snow in Midsummer’ was in the middle of its U.S. premiere run, and I was blown away by the story, tech and characters,” said senior Ellie Lang-Ree, who has been attending the trip since grade 9. “I’d never experienced the horror genre in the medium of theater, and the diverse cast combined with a story for all was absolutely incredible.”
Senior Hannah Lak, another four-year attendee, said she was greatly impressed with the “high-quality acting and the amazing set design” in “Henry V.”
“As for ‘Snow in Midsummer,’ it was incredible to see an all-Asian cast turn a classical Chinese drama into a modern ghost story on stage,” she said.
During the trip, the students also took part in a workshop in which they explored character archetypes and how they are used by actors to create characters and performances that audiences can relate to. “We talked about how many types of characters embody an archetype, be it the fighter, the ruler, the fool, or the innocent or even multiple archetypes,” said Mathew Mammen, grade 12. “We went on to discuss how archetypes can be connected to symbols, genres and settings as well as characters.”
Following the discussions about various archetypes, students “played games to outline the stereotypes associated with each, using famous theatrical, political and film examples,” said Lang-Ree. “We then broke into groups and worked on the physicalization of these characters using suggestive images and words to create a story and mood.”
One of Harker’s most cherished traditions is that of handing out chocolate chip cookies on former Head of School Howard Nichols’ birthday, Oct. 10. Nichols was renowned for handing out cookies in lieu of disciplinary measures for minor infractions, and for always having a cookie jar in his office to make chocolate chip cookies available to anyone who wanted one. The children in Harker Preschool’s Clover Cottage were really excited to celebrate Nichols’ birthday today. They learned that Nichols always made sure to pick up any trash that he saw, had a caring heart and shared warm chocolate chip cookies with others.
Millie Lin ’18, former Cantilena member, has joined Stanford Chamber Chorale! Lin noted she enjoyed Cantilena so much, she thought she’d give the audition a whirl. “It reminds me of the Cantilena experience, and I actually got in!” she said. The group “sings classical music like Cantilena and is a small SATB [soprano, alto, tenor, bass] group, and I’m really looking forward to bonding with the fellow singers, who include even grad students! Everyone sounds incredible and is so musical.”
Lin sent special thanks to Susan Nace, vocal teacher at Harker. “I couldn’t have gotten in without you, as my enthusiasm for last year’s amazing conducting experience and the past three years’ singing had prompted me to converse with Chamber Chorale members (and the director).”
“This is marvelous news!” said Nace. “The chamber chorale in most universities is one usually reserved for graduate students and upperclassmen. What an accomplishment to be admitted as a froshie!”
It was a very busy and successful, week for the girls golf team. The girls started the week with a 194-297 win over Notre Dame Belmont with Sophie Zhang-Murphy, grade 9, and Natalie Vo, grade 10, each shooting a 37 to take medalist honors. Then, the Eagles defeated Menlo 183-217, with Vo taking medalist honors again, this time with 4-under-par 33. Finally, the Eagles finished the week with a 190-250-317 win over Mercy Burlingame and The King’s Academy, with Olivia Guo, grade 10, shooting a 36 to take the top spot. Harker currently holds five of the top 10 individual scoring averages in the WBAL. This Friday is Senior Night as the girls take on The King’s Academy at Los Lagos.
Football
The football team dominated Elsie Allen High for a 56-0 Homecoming victory last week. Incredible numbers all around, including Mitchell Granados, grade 12, filling in at running back and rushing for 164 yards and three scores, and Jared Anderson, grade 12, catching four balls for 111 yards and two touchdowns. But the most amazing stats of the night came from Giovanni Rofa, grade 11, who intercepted four passes and returned three of them for touchdowns! The 5-2 Eagles host the Oakland Military Institute this Friday at Davis Field.
Boys Water Polo
Last week, the boys water polo team defeated Monta Vista 14-9 and Milpitas 25-11, before falling to Los Gatos 5-16. This week, the Eagles travel to Fremont on Tuesday and host Cupertino on Thursday.
Girls Volleyball
The girls volleyball team had a very good week as it defeated Mercy SF 3-1, followed by a second place finish at the Notre Dame Belmont Tiger Cup over the weekend. The girls defeated Gregori, Central Catholic, Cardinal Newman and host Notre Dame Belmont, but fell to Bishop O’Dowd in the finals. Emily Cheng, grade 11, and Katrina Liou, grade 12, were both named to the All-Tournament Team. These results guarantee a spot in the CCS Tournament for the Eagles! The volleyball team looks to keep its recent success going as it hosts Sacred Heart Prep on Tuesday before traveling to Notre Dame Belmont on Thursday.
Cross Country
The cross country teams opened up its league season with some very good marks on the Crystal Springs XC Course. The varsity girls added four freshmen to the mix and the team placed fourth out of the 13 league teams, its highest finish in several years. Anna Weirich, grade 10, took a 50-meter early lead before suffering a foot injury just past the mile mark. She still placed fifth with a personal best. The boys added two sophomores and one freshman to the squad, with Ryan Adolf, grade 12, leading the Eagles with another lifetime best run. The Eagles face off with the WBAL again on Oct. 18 at Baylands Park.
Girls Tennis
Last week, the girls tennis team picked up a 5-2 win over Castilleja, followed by a 5-2 loss to Sacred Heart Prep. This week, the Eagles take on Homestead on Monday and Castilleja on Tuesday.
Girls Water Polo
The girls water polo team continued its winning ways as it defeated Monta Vista 11-3 and Milpitas 11-3 last week before defeating Salinas and Milpitas in the Milpitas High Tournament. The Eagles’ six game winning streak was snapped as the girls fell to Presentation 4-8 in the finals of the tournament. This week, the Eagles travel to Lynbrook on Tuesday and host Cupertino on Thursday.
Close to 200 friends, family and colleagues gathered on the upper school campus on Oct. 6 to honor Diana Nichols, former head of school and board chair, who passed away on Sept. 2, 2018.
Speakers movingly spoke of the vision, passion and contributions – including the opening of the upper school in 1998 – that Mrs. Nichols poured into Harker to make it the school it is today. “As far as she was concerned there was no challenge that could not be met as long as one was prepared to work hard,” said Chip Zecher ’79, Harker’s current board chair. “She expected no less of others than she was prepared to give.” Huali Chai Stanek, board member and alumni parent, also spoke of Diana’s vision and the result of that resolve. “She was a leader who sought excellence, fostered excellence and insisted upon excellence in everyone around her, the product of which is Harker and the beneficiaries of which are the Harker students.”
Fittingly, the memorial was held in the newly opened Rothschild Performing Arts Center, which was her passion and the most recent of many improvements at Harker that Mrs. Nichols oversaw. A Harker student quartet played, and Chloe Chen, a junior, danced to “Wind Beneath My Wings,” an especially fitting choice since this song was Howard and Diana Nichols’ wedding song. A photo slide show shared memories of Mrs. Nichols’ long career, of her beloved family and friends, and of her many global adventures. Video clips of interviews with Diana and Howard were also shared. Additional speakers were: Marie Clifford, board member and Mrs. Nichols’ sister; Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs; Anita Chetty, upper school science department chair; and Ashok Krishnamurthi, alumni parent.
“Diana accomplished what we should all hope for in our own lives: to have embraced everything about herself and to have lived a life not only of interest but full of meaning and impact,” said Brian Yager, head of school. Stanek poignantly captured the day’s sentiment in her remarks. “She will always be here, in the school she loved, on the campuses she acquired and built, in the buildings she worked to construct … Diana and Howard’s contributions will live on and remain embedded in the memory of Harker.”
Visitors were encouraged to attend the reception, lovingly called a Boston Tea Party in honor of Mrs. Nichols’ roots, and to share memories at a video station. Permanent plaques have been installed on the front of Nichols Hall on the upper school campus to honor the legacy of Howard and Diana Nichols.
Educator, environmentalist, philanthropist and business leader Diana Nichols passed away Sept. 2, 2018 from pancreatic cancer. She was 76. Mrs. Nichols was the former head of school and board chair at The Harker School in San Jose, and one of the important figures in the school’s 125-year history.
Along with her husband, Howard Nichols, Diana Nichols was key to shaping Harker into the quintessential 21st-century school. Her own path developed her strong beliefs in the need for excellent education grounded in scholarly research and academic discipline. Born March 25, 1942 in New York, Mrs. Nichols grew up in the Boston area and started her teaching career in 1963 in her home state of Massachusetts.
She moved to California to teach biology at Crystal Springs School in Hillsborough, then joined Harker as a biology teacher in 1973. In the early 1980s, by which time she was serving as assistant principal, the visionary partnership of Howard and Diana Nichols was beginning to have an historic impact on the future of the school. At this time, Mrs. Nichols became an advocate for the emotional and mental well-being of the students and introduced the Harker Personal Development program, teaching Harker students techniques for stress reduction and relaxation.
Developed with the help of Dr. Kenneth Blaker at Santa Clara University– where Mrs. Nichols was finishing her master’s degree in marriage and family counseling – the program also emphasized goal-setting, communication skills and other important aspects of what she and Howard Nichols deemed the “whole child.”
Mrs. Nichols left her mark as an educator on all of Harker’s academic programs, developing the entire K-12 science curriculum and presiding over the development of curricula for every academic department. Her success in directing the creation and development of curricula for the upper school was noticed by The University of California, and in 2002 she was named to an advisory board that worked with other schools that were creating syllabi for UC submission.
A passionate believer in environmental preservation and sustainability, Mrs. Nichols was instrumental in starting and maintaining Harker’s recycling program and other environmental projects, such as organic gardens. In 1990, she was selected by Santa Clara County to coordinate Earth Day activities for 120 area schools. She later worked with Our City Forest, an organization devoted to local tree-planting efforts. Nichols Hall, the county’s first LEED-certified school facility, was so named in part to recognize these and many other efforts. Following her retirement, Mrs. Nichols remained active in her environmental work, spending several years as a docent at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and serving on the Point Lobos Foundation’s board of trustees.
Among her other notable accomplishments in the 1990s was the 1995 launch of Harker’s global education program, starting with yearly exchanges between Harker and Tamagawa Academy in Tokyo, which continue to this day. Since then, Harker has established ongoing relationships with schools in countries such as China, Australia, Switzerland and Costa Rica. She brought her devotion to environmental causes to this program as well founding the Our Trees Project to foster passion for sustainability between Harker and its sister schools.
Mrs. Nichols became Harker’s head of school in 1992, and she and school president Howard Nichols led Harker’s biggest expansion to date: the addition of a high school. The seeds for the upper school were planted in the 1980s when, in addition to the Nicholses’ recognition of a niche in Silicon Valley that needed filling, a survey of Harker parents revealed an interest in post-middle school education at Harker. Mrs. Nichols led a select group of Harker faculty and staff on a tour of the East Coast, visiting prestigious prep schools and learning how they could adapt those schools’ best attributes to Harker’s unique approach to top-flight education. Harker’s upper school, now recognized as one of the top private schools in the nation, was launched in the fall of 1998, with its first class graduating in 2002.
A career full of accomplishments led to many accolades, including three National Science Foundation Awards, recognition by the Peninsula Conservation Society for her work in environmental education, two nominations by the Women’s Fund of Santa Clara County for the Woman of Achievement Award, and a Clean Air Award from the American Lung Association for creating awareness of the need for cleaner air.
Diana and Howard Nichols retired to much fanfare in 2005, leaving behind the legacy of their tremendous passion for education and service. In December 2010, two years after Howard Nichols’ death, Diana Nichols became the chair of Harker’s board of trustees as the school began to execute its long-term development plans, which included the new Rothschild Performing Arts Center and athletic center, both completed in the past year. Mrs. Nichols was the key mover in this building project, working with contractors, drawing plans and keeping close involvement even as her illness progressed; she was passionate about completing this phase of her and Howard’s vision for what was their life’s work: the current and future excellence of The Harker School. She is survived by her sister, Marie Clifford of Arroyo Grande, her son, Gregory Appleton of Houston, stepdaughters Elizabeth de Oliveira of Portola Valley and Stephanie Norton of San Jose, and six grandchildren.
The Harker Alumni Grand Reunion took place Saturday afternoon and a great group of about 60 former students, from classes 1954-2013, enjoyed catching up with each other and seeing the changes on the campus. The group gathered about 2 p.m., and Brian Yager, head of school, led tours through the new athletic center and just-opened Rothschild Performing Arts Center, where everyone was floored, and a little jealous.
Later, the classes of 1993 and 2008 opened their respective time capsules to a hubbub of excitement. Very fun! The 1993 capsule had manila envelopes from each student filled with individual memorabilia including CDs, magazines, notes and lots of photos. That capsule was found while digging up the oaks prior to beginning construction in 2017. The 2008 capsule had tons of letters to classmates, election material, performing arts memorabilia and items that reminded the students of their senior year.