This article written by Neha Tallapragada, grade 12
Career Connect took seven students to the Constellation Connected Enterprise Conference at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay this week. The conference focused in on the ways that our new world of technology impacts several sectors, from health care to business to sports management.
Harker students were able to hear from panels focusing on the prospect of digital transformation in the business sphere, what to expect from digital privacy laws in the future, how analytics are helping a newer generation of athletes and more. They got the opportunity to hear perspectives from several top professionals in the Bay Area, including Mitra Azizirad, corporate vice president of cloud computing for Microsoft, and David West, a former Golden State Warrior and minority owner of Zoetic Global.
“My favorite part was connecting with all the people and learning about how I can be mindful about my future … and getting an internship offer!” said Julia Yusupov, grade 10.
“At Harker it’s difficult to find people who are interested in blockchain,” said Sayon Biswas, grade 12. “I think that has to do with our age; we’re not 100 percent sure about what we’re interested in. So events like these are really crucial for learning more about your interests and meeting new people who can connect you to potential opportunities.”
Upon conversing with Harker students, one professional remarked, “I like to ask Harker students at least one tough question, because I know they’ll have a good answer.” It’s exciting to know that our reputation as bright and intelligent students has made its way across the Bay!
Overall, the topics of the conference were incredibly topical and eye-opening for our students, and definitely sparked new interests regarding the ways we are starting to use technology and the strategic and moral questions that follow.
San Jose Taiko returned to the lower school campus on Wednesday, treating students to a pair of entertaining and educational assemblies about this Japanese rhythmic art form that dates back to the sixth century. As its popularity grew in the 20th century, taiko artists began to incorporate styles such as jazz into their performances. San Jose Taiko was founded in 1973 and has since established itself as one of the world’s top taiko ensembles.
The visiting musicians performed selections from their repertoire and gave students a primer on taiko performance techniques and concepts, such as the use of shouts known as “ki-ai,” an expression of spiritual energy, or “ki.” These shouts often function as cues to other ensemble members of which beats to play. Students (as well as a few teachers) were later given the chance to perform on the drums, delighting their peers and faculty in attendance.
Earlier this week, the New York Academy of Sciences accepted senior Ayush Vyas into the NYAS Junior Academy. As part of NYAS’ Global STEM Alliance (GSA), the Junior Academy program connects students aged 13-18 with a range of educational and networking opportunities in STEM disciplines such as public health, sustainability, emerging technology and many more.
Members of the academy participate twice a year in innovation challenges that address a wide range of global issues. Students attend a boot camp to bolster the skills necessary to address these challenges. More than 6,500 applications were submitted to the program this year, and Vyas is one of 586 students accepted. As one of the accepted participants, Vyas is eligible to attend the Global STEM Alliance Summit in New York City, set for summer 2019.
Jazz phenom Taylor Eigsti dazzled the 240 audience members in attendance at the Patil Theater this evening at the first event of the Harker Concert Series’ 2018-19 season. Joined by longtime friend and celebrated saxophonist Dayna Stephens, as well as drummer Jason Lewis and bassist Zach Ostroff, the prodigy-turned-Grammy nominee performed several of his own compositions as well as his own interpretations of works by artists such as John Coltrane. Upper school music teacher Dave Hart, an accomplished trumpeter and a friend of Eigsti’s, also joined the band for a song, as did the new middle school music teacher Naoki Taniguchi.
As a bonus to the fantastic performance, guests enjoyed the variety of food and drinks available during the reception and intermission, held in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center’s spacious and elegantly decorated lobby.
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.
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.
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.
Harker athletics stood tall Friday evening, prior to the Homecoming game, when it opened its Athletic Hall of Fame, inducting three Harker athletes and one super fan.
Harker’s inaugural Hall of Famers are Adam Vucurevich ’02, Jason Martin ’07 and Tanya Schmidt ’08, along with Phyllis Carley (“Mrs. Carley” to everyone), Harker’s first super fan. Mrs. Carley’s award was presented posthumously; she died in 2009. All three athletes attended with family and Mrs. Carley’s grandson, Dale Kent Johnson ’80, attended to represent his grandmother.
Harker’s Athletic Hall of Fame honors those who have made outstanding contributions to its athletic program. Candidates for selection have exemplified desirable character traits and have distinguished themselves in competition representing Harker, their college, or at the professional level. They can also be non-graduates who, through long service to Harker, have distinguished themselves in the field of athletics.
Nominees are eligible five years after Harker graduation or after 10 years of service to the school or under special circumstances. Nominees may be former athletes, coaches, teams, members of the athletic staff, or supporters of Harker athletics. Up to five individuals may be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a given year. Names are inscribed and displayed on a wall in the athletic center with short photo-biographies running on a central monitor. In addition Harker has created a permanent web page to celebrate our Hall of Famers.
Johnson said it was great to see his grandmother’s name permanently enshrined in the Hall of Fame. “This school was her life. Up until the day she died she was still doing stuff here,” he said. Once he heard Harker was creating a hall of fame, he wasn’t surprised to hear his grandmother was being inducted as a super fan. “She used to come watch me in sports and even after I left in 1980, that was her thing, she would watch anything and everything she could,” Johnson said. “With the new gym, for her to be part of it, for her to have this award in there for everybody to see, and as time goes on, hopefully there is enough of a legacy with people hearing stories, that they will continue to remember her.”
“This award is quite an honor and very special to me,” said Vucurevich. “I was very surprised when I heard about it, but it is not just my reward, it is really a testament to the selflessness of our athletic teams at Harker as a result of the great coaches we had. Our coaches knew how to pull a young inexperienced group together, train us, inspire us, and encourage us to put our individual goals aside and work as a team. This is an award that the teams and the coaches all truly share in.
“The plaque is a special recognition for our first graduating Class of 2002 as pioneers for future Harker classes. I think of it as a tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Nichols for their vision to make a great school even greater. Their efforts and achievements affected so many families and ultimately enriched so many lives. I am very grateful and proud to be a Harker alumnus and part of Harker’s history.
“I have so many awesome memories from Harker, teachers, coaches and friends. I truly enjoyed playing sports, being with the coaches and my teammates. I really liked that no one cared about individual glory; they cared about the team’s success, and our goal was to give our best to the team. We had one purpose and it was very unifying. That is how we were coached and that is what made the team so great,” Vucurevich finished.
“I was very excited to hear I was being inducted into the Hall of Fame!” said Martin. “Dan Molin and CJ Cali were the first two people I talked to about it and I appreciate their love and support! It was an honor to be inducted with such great company as Adam, Tanya and Phyllis Carley, and to see my name on the plaque and be a part of Harker history! I can’t thank my family, coaches and teammates enough for all the support!”
Martin noted three things that helped his athletic career for which he will be forever grateful: “My dad selling his restaurant in Boston, buying a RV and driving across country to put his family in a better situation and his kids in a great school; Mr. and Mrs. Nichols for having a dream and making it a reality that affects so many people in a positive way; Coach Thorpe teaching us about hard work, perseverance and determination,” he finished.
Schmidt said she first learned about the Hall of Fame recognition just prior to delivering the keynote address to the the Class of 2018 at graduation this past spring. “I remember what an exhilarating feeling it was both to be the first Harker graduate to return to speak to some of the smartest students in the country and now to be honored in Harker’s Athletic Hall of Fame!” she said. “I feel both gratitude and responsibility when receiving this Hall of Fame recognition. I appreciate the opportunities and mentorship that I’ve had thus far, and I feel a sense of obligation to continue this success with Harker and to be a role model for others in the future.
“I will always remember the camaraderie of a team effort working to achieve something exceptional against great odds. Some special moments include beating our rival Castilleja with my older sister Sylvia Schmidt ‘06 (now Sylvia Carle); winning NorCals in Sacramento with several buses of Harker students, faculty and staff cheering for us on a school night; and playing in the state championships!”
Our inductees
Phyllis Carley (1920-2009, at Harker from 1952-2009) Phyllis Gwynn Carley, much beloved member of the Harker community, was a staunch supporter of Harker athletics for more than 50 years. Mrs. Carley, as she was known to so many, was an institution and an irreplaceable tie to our past. As a student in the Central Valley, she played polo, basketball and softball, and noted once that being involved with Harker allowed her to relive her childhood. For the duration of her life, she was one of Harker athletics’ biggest fans, attending many, many home games. It didn’t matter what sport, she just enjoyed seeing kids active. “I love watching students of all ages coming together and having fun,” she said in a Winged Post article.
She opened her Harker career in 1952 in Palo Alto as a driver, shuttling local students to and from school. She progressed by virtue of her wonderful disposition and hard work to become secretary first to Donald Nichols and then to Howard Nichols, and remained in that role for many years, though her contribution to campus life went far beyond her desk in the administration building. She passed away in 2009, but will be long remembered at Harker. Read her full biography in Harker News.
Adam Vucurevich ‘02
Vucurevich nearly earned his plaudits at another school, but Harker opened its upper school in the nick of time. “When I finally reached the eighth grade, it was sadly time to move on to high school. St. Francis was my choice, but then, in the eleventh hour, Mr. and Mrs. Nichols decided they would extend Harker to include high school, one year at a time, [so] we would be seniors for four years. That was interesting, but I was not yet convinced to stay until Mr. Nichols decided Harker would have [its] first high school football team, and then I was in,” he said.
Vucurevich took full advantage of Harker’s athletic program, playing football, baseball and wrestling, making him Harker’s first three-sport athlete. He was team captain for football in both his sophomore and junior years, and was MVP and got an honorable mention in the All-CCS team that year. He also captained the baseball and wrestling teams. Read his full biography.
Jason Martin ‘07
While playing baseball at Harker, Martin was named to the Varsity Second All-League Team in his freshman year and to the First Team for the next three years. He was runner up his junior year for CCS MVP, hitting .629 for the year. Martin played varsity football for three years and, in the 2006 Homecoming game, became the only player in Harker history to run for a touchdown, throw for a touchdown and catch a touchdown in the same game.
Martin noted a number of coaches at Harker have had a huge impact on his life. Coach K (Karriem Stinson) was his middle school flag football and junior varsity football coach. Martin said that Stinson instilled toughness and a work ethic in him at a young age, and those traits have been at the foundation of his character ever since. C.J. Cali was Martin’s middle school P.E. coach and is still a life mentor for him – an example of how Harker really is “K through Life,” Martin said. Dan Molin has always followed and supported Martin’s baseball career, and has been a constant resource for Martin in life after Harker as well. Martin played semi-pro baseball for two years after college. Read his full biography.
Tanya Schmidt ‘08
A four-year starter on Harker’s varsity girls volleyball team, Schmidt was named a four-time All-West Bay Athletic League First Team honoree and a two-time West Bay Athletic League MVP. Her junior year, Schmidt was named a Top 50 Junior Recruit in the nation. By her senior year, Schmidt was an unstoppable force on the Harker team.
During her senior season in 2007, Schmidt led the girls volleyball team into Harker history with a series of firsts for the school. As the first Harker team to compete in the Central Coast Section championship final, the team continued to make history by winning the Division IV NorCal Championship in Sacramento. In December 2007, the team played in the state championships in front of a home crowd of more than 1,500 Harker fans at San Jose State University, where Schmidt was named California Division IV State MVP. Schmidt went on to play pro volleyball in Europe for two years. Read her full biography.
The middle school campus was bustling with activity today as more than 3,400 Harker community members, including about 200 alumni and their families, came together for the 68th Harker Family & Alumni Picnic. This year’s theme, “Back to the Future,” celebrated Harker’s 125-year history and brought optimism for the future to the students, parents and faculty in attendance. The carnival games, food booths and attractions such as inflatable slides and laser tag remained popular, as did the annual lunchtime show, a time travel-themed production that featured performances by lower, middle and upper school performing arts groups. Here’s to the future!
Many thanks to the sponsors who helped make this event possible:
Gold Level:
All Natural Stone
Anonymous
Silver Level:
Stan and Lena Tomberg
Anonymous
Bronze Level:
Lijun Zhang and Chun Wang, V1 Group
And congratulations to this year’s raffle winners: