Today, the Journalism Education Association (JEA) named Harker as one of 17 recipients of the 2022 First Amendment Press Freedom Award. Public and private high schools selected for this recognition — determined by representatives from the JEA, National Scholastic Press Association and Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society — are judged to have actively upheld their students’ and teachers’ First Amendment Rights, particularly as they concern student-run media. This marks Harker’s first time receiving the award.
The process of selecting schools for the award began with a questionnaire submitted by advisors and at least one editor. Schools advancing to the next stage were then tasked with submitting responses by their principals, media advisers and student editors, as well as published media and school policies.
All 17 schools receiving the award will be honored at a special ceremony in Los Angeles on April 7, as part of the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention.
Two Harker students recently earned high marks in the American Protégé International Piano and String Competition. Seventh grader Christine Tao, a pianist, placed second in the junior category (ages 11-14) with her performance of Chopin’s “Nocturne #8 in D Flat Major,” while her brother, fifth grader James, placed second in the young musicians category (ages 5-10) for his rendition of Mozart’s “Fantasia in D Minor.” Both have been invited to perform at the Weill Recital Hall at New York’s Carnegie Hall during American Protégé’s 2023 recital season. Videos of Christine’s and James’ performances have been made available. Congratulations to both of these young talents!
Late last month, 166 Harker students were named regional winners in the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, with 75 art awards and 91 writing awards. Among them were 28 Gold Key winners, 49 Silver Key winners and 89 Honorable Mentions. All Gold Key winners are eligible to win national awards, which will be announced in March, and national medalists will be invited to a national ceremony in New York City, scheduled for June.
The complete list of Harker winners is as follows:
Art Awards
Vivian Vivian
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Digital Art
Bodies
Vivian Bi
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
Bedroom
Shareen Chahal
10
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
A Smile’s Power
Shareen Chahal
10
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Digital Art
My Reflection Isn’t Me
Karina Chen
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Comic Art
Tint of Life
Karina Chen
11
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Digital Art
Wild Fire
Karina Chen
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Digital Art
Vomit
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Worlds Collide
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Tree of Life
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Smile! You’re on camera!
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Past Present Blurred
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Chains of the Pandemic
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
A Sliver of Another World
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Photography
Tropical Tint
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Photography
Shaken Not Stirred
Alice Feng
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Watched
Sania Gupta
10
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
Memories
Sonya He
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
“Three Strangers Inside the Subway”
Sonya He
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
The Dreamer
Angelina Hu
10
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Digital Art
Fish Cage
Angelina Hu
10
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Drawing & Illustration
Emergence
Ally Lee
11
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Digital Art
Joint Custody
Yueyao Li
9
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
Eleven-Headed Guanyin
Yueyao Li
9
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Hermaphrodite
Michelle Liu
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
Memento Mori
Michelle Liu
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Painting
Waiting
Michelle Liu
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Painting
Family Birthday
Sophia Liu
9
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Digital Art
Airplanes With Feathers
Claire Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Twilight
Claire Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Downpour
Claire Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Photography
Anyone There?
Claire Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Next in Line
Claire Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Last Moments of Glory
Desiree Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
Reflection
Desiree Luo
10
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Painting
Tenacity
Aastha Mangla
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Into Wonderland
Brenna Ren
8
Harker Middle School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
Flowering Hope
Brenna Ren
8
Harker Middle School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
The Dress
Sophia Shan
11
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Digital Art
Vertigo
Alena Suleiman
10
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Sculpture
Behind the Fairy Tales
Alena Suleiman
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Sculpture
Gossamer Skeleton
Alena Suleiman
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Sculpture
Mimicry
Alysa Suleiman
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Film & Animation
A Taste of Home
Emily Tan
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
“Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation”
March on the Capitol
Nicole Tian
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Sculpture
Through the Looking Glass
Nicole Tian
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Expanded Projects
Pupa
Nicole Tian
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Still Life
Nicole Tian
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Expanded Projects
Marital Bliss
Nicole Tian
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Sculpture
Saving Face
Kurtis Tong
11
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Painting
Bred
Aimee Wang
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Shining
Aimee Wang
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
High Summer
Aimee Wang
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
Liminal Spaces
Kaitlyn Wang
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Creations of Mankind
Nicholas Wei
11
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Living Infinity
Esther Wu
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Art Portfolio
The Beauty of Nature
Austina Xu
11
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Printmaking
Harbor
Austina Xu
11
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
White Calla Lily Flowers
Kathy Xu
11
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Photography
“Avocado (half 161 Cal) Toast (1 slice)
Kathy Xu
11
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Photography
Race You To The Top
Olivia Xu
10
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Wildflower
Cecilia Yang
10
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Lingering Warmth
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Painting
Beach Days
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Jellyfish
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Beauty of Smile
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Comic Art
Glowing Path of the Generations
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Comic Art
Recolorized
Alina Yuan
12
Harker Upper School
Gold Key
Photography
Hope cannot be quarantined!
Katelyn Zhao
10
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Drawing & Illustration
Untitled
Emily Zhou
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Gasping Garden
Emily Zhou
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Praying for Rain
Emily Zhou
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Photography
Friend and Foe
Gloria Zhu
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Drawing & Illustration
Confronted
Gloria Zhu
12
Harker Upper School
Silver Key
Expanded Projects
Restless
Gloria Zhu
12
Harker Upper School
Honorable Mention
Painting
Corner of the Room
Writing Awards:
NAME
GRADE
TITLE
CATEGORY
AWARD(S)
Malar Bala
12
Unarranged
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Ava Bhowmik
8
Longevity Noodles
Personal Essay & Memoir
Silver Key
Iris Cai
9
fantasia through the keys
Poetry
Silver Key
Iris Cai
9
Ode to Sweet Tomatoes
Poetry
Silver Key
Iris Cai
9
I Want To Be an Author
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Iris Cai
9
the depths below
Poetry
Gold Key
Shareen Chahal
10
Rosaline
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Shareen Chahal
10
Cage of Expectations
Poetry
Silver Key
Brian Chen
11
The Man
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Catherine Feng
12
On Mercy
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Varun Fuloria
10
Addressing the Real Immigration Threat
Critical Essay
Silver Key
Varun Fuloria
10
Diversity in Journalism: A News Beginning
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Varun Fuloria
10
Not Much to Like: Social Media’s Power and Problems
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Emma Gao
10
Lessons from a Bug Bite
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Emma Gao
10
Youth Homeless in Santa Clara County Struggle Unseen
Journalism
Silver Key
Emma Gao
10
Women in The Odyssey: Wielding Their Power in an Oppressive Society
Critical Essay
Silver Key
Helen Gu
8
Dictionary Words
Poetry
Gold Key
Dyllan Han
11
Fading Light
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Silver Key
Trisha Iyer
10
Blood & Bone
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Trisha Iyer
10
girl•friend
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Trisha Iyer
10
Language Lessons
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Trisha Iyer
10
RBG
Poetry
Silver Key
Trisha Iyer
10
Great-grandchildren
Poetry
Silver Key
Trisha Iyer
10
The Names
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Trisha Iyer
10
Matriarchs, Proceeding Like Queens
Poetry
Silver Key
David Jang
10
Afghanistan: A New Entry to America’s Growing List of Embarrassments
Journalism
Silver Key
Laurie Jin
11
Earth’s Climate Before the Industrial Revolution
Journalism
Honorable Mention
Michelle Jin
11
Embracing Neurodiversity: An Abecedarian
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Michelle Jin
11
The Authoritarian’s Message
Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention
Michelle Jin
11
Aging: Grasping Onto New Identities
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Lindsay Li
8
the solace of the dark (where you once walked)
Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention
Lindsay Li
8
glass & crystal
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Gold Key
Lindsay Li
8
Hansel and Gretel as Told by a Bird (and a Cat, I Guess)
Humor
Silver Key
Raeanne Li
7
Greenish
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Honorable Mention
Sydney Ling
10
the art of a movie still
Poetry
Silver Key
Sydney Ling
10
She’s a Maneater: Jennifer’s Body and How the Boy-Run Media Makes Women Seem Crazy
Critical Essay
Gold Key
Sydney Ling
10
To All the Grades I’ve Gotten Before: As an Asian American Student in the Bay Area, I Never Feel Like I’m Good Enough
Critical Essay
Gold Key
Sydney Ling
10
Generation Zine: The Zine Scene and Everything In-Between
Journalism
Gold Key
Desiree Luo
10
Opinion: Before paying college athletes, treat them as students
Journalism
Silver Key
Anika Maji
10
The Waiting Game
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Honorable Mention
Anika Maji
10
Beholden
Flash Fiction
Gold Key
Katerina Matta
9
Measured in Moments
Personal Essay & Memoir
Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed
11
Swimming Lessons
Poetry
Gold Key
Kabir Ramzan
10
Environmental Influences on the Aztec and Egyptian Civilizations in Society and Religion
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Lily Shi
8
Two Truths and a Lie
Flash Fiction
Gold Key
Ishani Sood
10
Bhaiya
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Alysa Suleiman
12
Confronting Conformity, Redefining Identity
Critical Essay
Silver Key
Alysa Suleiman
12
When the Sun Drowned
Short Story
Gold Key
Alysa Suleiman
12
Pulse of the people: Not a new issue
Journalism
Honorable Mention
Kairui Sun
8
Censorship
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Kairui Sun
8
Snapshots
Poetry
Silver Key
Andrea Thia
12
Something I Wrote During Quarantine, But Never Knew I Loved
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Nicole Tian
12
Double-consciousness And the Outside Gaze in The Bluest Eye: Toni Morrison’s Gendering of W.E.B. Dubois’ Black Selfhood
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Sara Wan
11
Pork and Cabbage Wonton Soup
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Cynthia Wang
10
That One Girl
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Cynthia Wang
10
Oceans Apart
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Cynthia Wang
10
when they grow up
Poetry
Gold Key
Cynthia Wang
10
Truly Trinity
Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention
Kaitlyn Wang
10
Little Philosophers in the Garden
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Arianna Weaver
12
Making Amends
Short Story
Silver Key
Nicholas Wei
11
The Dust in the Wake
Personal Essay & Memoir
Gold Key
Nicholas Wei
11
Come, Child
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Austina Xu
11
A Realism of Romance in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Austina Xu
11
An Examination of the Portrayal of Religion in “Dover Beach,” “The Second Coming,” and “Church Going”
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Austina Xu
11
Ode to the Kitchen God
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Kathy Xu
11
Black Lives Matter and Retail: The Commodification of Oppression
Critical Essay
Silver Key
Olivia Xu
10
Spinning with Positivity
Journalism
Silver Key
Selina Xu
10
Childhood Travels
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Fiona Yan
10
The Light in the Darkness
Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention
Alison Yang
9
Save Money, Live Better
Flash Fiction
Silver Key
Alison Yang
9
Ditching the Maps
Personal Essay & Memoir
Silver Key
Cecilia Yang
10
Empress Wu Zetian and Joan of Arc: Women Who Rose to Power in a Patriarchal Society
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Cecilia Yang
10
The Observatory
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Chloee Yang
8
Fallen Angel
Poetry
Silver Key
Irene Yuan
12
Three Vignettes
Short Story
Honorable Mention
Ariel Zhang
8
white gold
Poetry
Silver Key
Ariel Zhang
8
goldfinch
Poetry
Honorable Mention
William Zhang
10
Strength, Cunning, and Courage: Qualities Most Valued in a Male Hero in the Odyssey
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
William Zhang
10
“Utopian” Absolutism In The Tempest
Critical Essay
Silver Key
William Zhang
10
Comparing and Contrasting the Value of Ibn Battuta’s and Zheng He’s Cross-Cultural Exchanges
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Tina Tianjiao Zhong
12
Indifferent Redeemers: How Hawthorne, Fitzgerald, and Lahiri’s Protagonists Love Indifferent Social Insiders.
Critical Essay
Silver Key
Emily Zhou
12
Grandma
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Emily Zhou
12
Climate Change: Ocean Blues
Personal Essay & Memoir
Honorable Mention
Sabrina Zhu
11
Frankenstein as a Parable: Analyzing the Consequences of Ambition and Advice
Critical Essay
Honorable Mention
Sabrina Zhu
11
Finding purpose through filmmaking: Ajay Madala captures stories and exhibits his individuality in movies
Journalism
Honorable Mention
Sally Zhu
11
Sestina After 20 Months
Poetry
Honorable Mention
Sally Zhu
11
Slime and stickers for sale: Students take charge through small businesses
At last month’s upper school winter choral concert, women’s vocal group Cantilena was joined by three Harker alumnae who are now faculty members. Upper school journalism teacher Whitney Huang ’08, upper school English teacher Bridget Nixon ’12 and middle school science teacher Kathy Peng ’05 – all former Cantilena members – gathered onstage with the current Cantilena lineup to perform Norwegian composer Frode Fjellheim’s “Eatnemen Vuelie.” They also sang “Truth” by Andrea Ramsay as a trio.
The collaboration was the idea of music teacher Susan Nace, who reached out to the three alumnae at the beginning of the school year. They began rehearsing once a week in October, and even though they were all from different graduating classes, greatly enjoyed the experience of working on music together. “Although I didn’t necessarily know all the other alumni at the time while I was at Harker, because I’m a lifer I’ve crossed paths with many Cantilena alums,” said Huang, who was involved with performing arts throughout her student life at Harker and currently sings with two local choral groups. “Being back in the same classroom … really brings back memories of what Cantilena used to be like.”
The concert presented Nixon with an opportunity to perform again, which she had not done much of in recent years due to being focused on her teaching career. “I like getting to sing again, and we all have this shared experience of being part of Cantilena, which is pretty unique,” said Nixon, who started singing as a middle school student. “Susan has been generous with her time and expertise, and I’m grateful that she has given us this opportunity to sing together.”
Peng, who became a member of Cantilena the same year Nace formed the group and sang for several years after graduating from Harker, described the experience of being directed by her former teacher as “kind of surreal,” adding that she was honored to have been asked to be part of the concert. “It is a testament to the impact that Ms. Nace had on me and her other students that we would feel drawn to sing together again, after all these years, and under the circumstances of the pandemic,” she said.
Emerald Brass Quintet’s clever and loving renditions of many of its favorite works were well received by the audience at the Patil Theater at the second event of the 2021-22 Harker Concert Series season.
For the first portion of the show, the group performed the entirety of its 2020 album, “Danzon,” which featured the works of a wide range of composers reimagined and rearranged for brass instruments. Several pieces featured the accompaniment of drummer and percussionist Jim Kassis, including Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla’s lively and dramatic “Libertango,” the concert’s leadoff number.
Other pre-intermission highlights were the quintet’s rendition of Arturo Marquez’s “Danzon No. 2,” which fused styles from Mexico, Cuba and Argentina, and Maurice Ravel’s “Le Tombeau de Couperin,” which was arranged by Emerald Brass trombonist Chris Van Hof from Ravel’s original piano composition.
Following the intermission, the group capped off its official evening repertoire by returning to Piazzolla with its version of “Meditango,” which prominently featured the talents of each member of the group. They then offered a preview of what’s in store for their next recording, which will feature sounds from – and those inspired by – the German region of Bavaria. One of these was the popular drinking song, “Ein Prosit,” which led with the group singing the tune’s refrain.
For a brief encore, Emerald Brass performed a medley it put together as a fun experiment, which wove in melodies from famous pop songs, concluding with the hook from the Britney Spears hit “Toxic.”
The latest article by Jacob Bongers ’07, “Assembling the Dead,” was recently published in the archaeological journal “Antiquity.” The subject of the article is the 192 human spines recently uncovered in Peru’s Chincha Valley, which represent a method of treating the deceased previously unknown to the area.
The vertebrae were found attached to posts in indigenous graves called “chullpas,” and date back to the period during which colonizers from Europe had been in the region, which coincided with disease and famine killing much of the local population, said Bongers, a senior research associate at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, United Kingdom. Previously, he documented the looting of graves in the Chincha Valley, which was also rampant in the colonial period due to the gold and silver contained within them, as well as the colonial practice of wiping out indigenous religious practices and customs. As such, the method of placing the spines on posts, the research suggests, may have been a means to repair the damage caused to the remains by the looting.
Bongers’ research has so far garnered coverage from CNN, The Guardian, Science, Nature, India Today and dozens more outlets. He was also interviewed for the Feb. 3 episode of NPR’s “The World.” His interview starts at 39 minutes and 40 seconds.
In early January, the Class of 2020 gathered at the Hayes Mansion in San Jose for a special celebration that brought together hundreds of alumni and their loved ones to reflect on and honor their time as Harker students.
Safety concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 graduation exercises, a heartbreaking end to a tumultuous year.
“It’s fun to see everyone again,” said 2020 graduate Anthony Shing. “I was bummed out that we didn’t have graduation and I’m happy that we were able to meet again. It was a great event.”
During the event, attendees viewed each graduate’s class collages, watched a special recap video of their years at Harker and heard speeches by their classmates. “It felt like I was still in high school. It was nice seeing everyone,” said Simren Gupta ’20.
The event was also a chance for the families of the graduates to celebrate and reminisce. “The Class of 2020 deserved such a nice sendoff, even one-and-a-half years later,” said Julie Buckly, mother of 2020 graduate Jeffrey Fung. “I think the students truly enjoyed seeing each other and it was fun to reconnect with parents as well.”
This week, national competitive fencer Ishani Sood, grade 10, is traveling to Paris to represent the United States at the cadet-level fencing World Cup. A competitive fencer for several years, Sood channeled her love of the sport into service last year, co-founding Fun With Fencing, a nonprofit that brings instructional programs to local Boys and Girls Clubs. Best of luck in Paris!
In December, sophomore Miki Mitarai, who was a second place winner in the fall 2020 American Protégé International Music Talent Competition, gave a performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, singing “Voi Che Sapete” from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.”
Each year, American Protégé invites young musicians from around the world to submit video auditions for the competition. Mitarai’s invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall was extended after her placement in the competition, but was postponed for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mitarai, who is a member of the upper school vocal group Cantilena, said the opportunity was “well worth” the long wait.
Prior to her performance, she encountered a group of singers in Central Park, and was greatly inspired “by the emotion and passion in their voices,” determined to carry that inspiration with her into that evening’s performance. “Singing always makes me happy, and that night, the feeling was just amplified,” she recalled. “The concert went super smoothly and I was so proud of how much time, practice and hard work I had put in to get to where I was.”
From Jan. 7-9 the Harker DECA chapter participated in the Silicon Valley Career Development Conference (SVCDC), the first competitive conference of the year. The transition back to the in-person environment sparked excitement in the community, as the event garnered over 120 signups. The weekend consisted of written and roleplay presentations in front of professional judges, networking opportunities and motivational speeches from California DECA’s State Officer Team.
On the first day of the conference, each student took exams in their respective clusters: Marketing, Business Management and Administration, Finance, Hospitality and Tourism, or Business Administration Core. Later that evening, SVCDC kicked off with the opening session in the Grand Ballroom. California DECA’s vice president of Silicon Valley, Tim Jing, announced the theme of the year, “Maximize Your Momentum,” and encouraged all Silicon Valley DECA members to do so while at the conference. The opening session closed with a talent show featuring two acts from the Harker DECA chapter. Sophomores Chloe Lee and Kaitlyn Wang and junior Anika Muddu performed an acoustic version of “Gone” by Rosé, while sophomore Shreeya Merchia sang a powerful rendition of “Red” by Taylor Swift.
The next morning, roleplay events began, which primarily consist of team decision-making, individual series, principles and personal financial literacy roleplays. Soon after, members competed in their written events where they gave 15-minute presentations in entrepreneurship, integrated marketing campaign, professional selling or business operations research categories. For the remainder of the afternoon, students socialized with friends and explored restaurants nearby.
On Sunday, the mini awards ceremony recognized competitors who performed exceptionally well in the testing, roleplay or presentation subcategories of their events.
“I honestly was so shocked when I received the awards, but I was extremely happy that my hard work paid off and I was able to perform well in my events. In the end it was a great and thrilling experience,” said Saahira Dayal, grade 9, who placed second overall in Principles of Business Management and Administration.
Later, during the grand awards ceremony, a total of 20 Harker teams placed in the top three overall for their events, while many more earned spots in the top 10 awards.
Overall, despite the effects of COVID-19, the conference was a huge success. It provided attendees with a fantastic experience that provided valuable insights into their competitive events and a special chance to forge new friendships.
“I’m incredibly proud of all the officers and attendees for adapting to the new restrictions and environment at this conference. It was great to see how much dedication everyone put into their competitive events, and I can’t wait to maximize our momentum at the State and International conferences this year!” said Juston Glass, Harker DECA’s chapter advisor.
Members placing in the top three are as follows:
First Place:
Shreeya Merchia, grade 10, and Anika Muddu, grade 11: Sports and Entertainment Operations Research
Marcus Blennemann, grade 9: Principles of Finance
Second Place:
Chloe Lee and Kaitlyn Wang, both grade 10: Marketing Team Decision Making
Bowen Xia, grade 9: Principles of Finance
Tanisha Singh, grade 10: Entrepreneurship Series
Medha Yarlagadda, grade 10: Restaurant and Food Service Management Series
Claire Luo, grade 10: Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series
Saahira Dayal, grade 9: Principles of Business Management
Third Place:
Chloe Lee, Kaitlyn Wang and Cynthia Wang, all grade 10: Integrated Marketing Campaign- Event
Marcus Blennemann and Nelson Gou, both grade 9: Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan
Catherine He, grade 12: International Business Plan
Saahira Dayal, grade 9: Franchise Business Plan
Jonathan Wang, grade 9: Principles of Finance
Valerie Li, grade 9: Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research
Ashwin Kuppahally and Adrian Liu, both grade 10: Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making
Bowen Xia, Caleb Tang and Jonathan Wang, both grade 9: Finance Operations Research
Sanaa Bhorkar, grade 9: Principles of Business Management
Justin Chen, grade 10: Business Finance Series
Meishin Yen, grade 10: Hotel and Lodging Management Series
Catherine He, grade 12: Restaurant and Food Service Management Series