Downbeat, the upper school’s show choir group directed by teachers Jennifer Sandusky and Laura Lang-Ree, competed this past weekend in the quarterfinals of the International Competition of High School A Capella, placing fourth in ICHSA’s West region. Samvita Gautham, grade 12, was awarded for Best Student Choreography for Downbeat’s performance of No Doubt’s “Just a Girl.” Downbeat competed against 200 other schools to reach this stage of the annual competition. Held by Varsity Vocals, the ICHSA and its collegiate-level counterpart attract thousands of singers every year. The competitions were made famous by the “Pitch Perfect” series of films, in which the collegiate-level competition is prominently featured.
Pieces by senior Claire Kampmeier (left) and junior Maya Cheshire (right) were selected to be featured in the 2023 ArtNow exhibit hosted by New Museum Los Gatos. This annual exhibit features pieces by Bay Area high school students, giving them the opportunity to gain real-world experience by featuring their work in a juried exhibition. The theme of this year’s exhibition is “Unarmed Truth,” showcasing original pieces that “reveal a personal or universal truth.” The exhibit will be on display at New Museum Los Gatos from March 13 to June 25.
Recently, CareerConnect hosted a mock interview event designed to help individuals improve their interviewing skills by providing a simulated interview experience. During the event, participants were paired up with business professionals who were the interviewers. The interviewer asked a series of common interview questions, and the interviewee responded as they would in a real interview. After each interview, the mentor provided feedback to the student on what they did well and what they could improve upon. The event also included tips for successful interviews, such as how to prepare for an interview, how to answer common interview questions and how to make a positive impression.
“I think this event helped me get a sense of how to improve my answers to typical interview questions, as well as grasp what the typical process looks like,” said Lucas Chen, grade 9. “This way, I have a better understanding when I’m actually being interviewed and will perform better.”
Interviewers and interviewees were both engaged in the process, making it a beneficial experience for all students. “I really enjoyed this experience, passing down tips and my knowledge down to students,” said interviewer Grace Wu. “It also gave me a sense of what kids are up to these days, and I had lots of fun listening and learning about each students unique aspirations and goals”.
Overall, the goal of the mock interview club event is to provide participants with a safe and supportive environment in which they can practice and improve their interviewing skills, ultimately increasing their chances of success in future job interviews.
Last week, Harker students attended a guest lecture by cardiologist Shalini Bhambani ’02, who provided insight into her profession with a series of case studies of patients she had helped.
In one case study, a patient required an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, a device that monitors the heart for irregular heartbeats and delivers an electric shock to restore a normal rhythm. Another case study involved a patient suffering from endocarditis due to a staph infection, and needed a heart valve replaced. She described two types of synthetic valves and their respective pros and cons. Bioprosthetic valves use bovine, porcine or equine biological material that do not form clots but need to be replaced every 10 to 15 years, while mechanical valves made from titanium and carbon can last for the rest of the patient’s life but are prone to forming clots.
Last month, Harker middle and upper school students received 256 regional awards in the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, comprising 107 awards for art and 149 for literature. All of Harker’s 30 Gold Key winners are eligible for national awards, which will be announced in March. A national ceremony to honor all of this year’s national award winners will take place in June.
The full list of winners (some named multiple times to denote the number of awards they received) is as follows:
Art
Gold Key
Iris Cai, grade 10
Iris Fu, grade 11
Ramit Goyal, grade 11
Angelina Hu, grade 11
Siddhi Jain, grade 11
Raeanne Li, grade 8
Yueyao Li, grade 10
Sydney Ling, grade 11
Sophia Liu, grade 10
Ashley Mo, grade 9
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12
Teresa Song, grade 7
Claire Su, grade 11
Alena Suleiman, grade 11
Cynthia Wang, grade 11
Benjamin Xia, grade 9
Austina Xu, grade 12
Connie Xu, grade 9
Selina Xu, grade 11
Alison Yang, grade 10
Albert Yao, grade 9
Linda Zeng, grade 9
Elizabeth Zhang, grade 8
Silver Key
Iris Cai, grade 10
Jillian Cheng, grade 8
Laurel Davies, grade 11
Iris Fu, grade 11
Ariana Goetting, grade 11
Ramit Goyal, grade 11
Joy Hu, grade 9
Trisha Iyer, grade 11
Siddhi Jain, grade 11
Ally Lee, grade 12
Catherine Li, grade 11
Colin Li, grade 8
Raeanne Li, grade 8
Yueyao Li, grade 10
Sydney Ling, grade 11
Desiree Luo, grade 11
Ashley Mo, grade 9
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12
Julie Shi, grade 11
Teresa Song, grade 7
Alena Suleiman, grade 11
Brittany Tsui, grade 11
Cynthia Wang, grade 11
Michelle Wei, grade 11
Isabella Wu, grade 7
Vivian Wu, grade 8
Austina Xu, grade 12
Celina Xu, grade 9
Selina Xu, grade 11
Alison Yang, grade 10
Audrey Yang, grade 9
Albert Yao, grade 9
Linda Zeng, grade 9
Evan Zhang, grade 9
Sophia Zhu, grade 10
Honorable Mention
Ananya Bammi, grade 12
Iris Cai, grade 10
Shareen Chahal, grade 11
Jessica Chen, grade 8
Karina Chen, grade 12
Nanxi (Nancy) Chen, grade 8
Keren Eisenberg, grade 10
Mirabelle Feng, grade 10
Iris Fu, grade 11
Ariana Goetting, grade 11
Ramit Goyal, grade 11
Angelina Hu, grade 11
Trisha Iyer, grade 11
Siddhi Jain, grade 11
Ally Lee, grade 12
Catherine Li, grade 11
Emma Li, grade 9
Raeanne Li, grade 8
Yueyao Li, grade 10
Helena Liang, grade 8
Sydney Ling, grade 11
Sophia Liu, grade 10
Claire Luo, grade 11
Desiree Luo, grade 11
Ashley Mo, grade 9
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12
Smrithi Sambamurthy, grade 12
Julie Shi, grade 11
Teresa Song, grade 7
Claire Su, grade 11
Alena Suleiman, grade 11
Kurtis Tong, grade 12
Cynthia Wang, grade 11
Michelle Wei, grade 11
Isabella Wu, grade 7
Vivian Wu, grade 8
Austina Xu, grade 12
Celina Xu, grade 9
Connie Xu, grade 9
Olivia Xu, grade 11
Selina Xu, grade 11
Alison Yang, grade 10
Cecilia Yang, grade 11
Chloee Yang, grade 9
Albert Yao, grade 9
Linda Zeng, grade 9
Elizabeth Zhang, grade 8
Katelyn Zhao, grade 11
Sophia Zhu, grade 10
Literature
Gold Key
Iris Cai, grade 10, Poetry
Iris Cai, grade 10, Poetry
Emma Gao, grade 11, Critical Essay
Helen Gu, grade 9, Poetry
Helen Gu, grade 9, Poetry
Helen Gu, grade 9, Poetry
Lindsay Li, grade 9, Poetry
Sydney Ling, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Ashley Mo, grade 9, Poetry
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12, Writing Portfolio
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12, Poetry
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12, Writing Portfolio
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12, Poetry
Ananya Pradhan, grade 9, Poetry
Jessica Wang, grade 10, Flash Fiction
Austina Xu, grade 12, Poetry
Alison Yang, grade 10, Poetry
Albert Yao, grade 9, Journalism
Linda Zeng, grade 9, Personal Essay & Memoir
Linda Zeng, grade 9, Short Story
Ariel Zhang, grade 9, Poetry
Ellie Zhou, grade 8, Short Story
Silver Key
Tyler Beede, grade 12, Short Story
Iris Cai, grade 10, Poetry
Iris Cai, grade 10, Poetry
Iris Cai, grade 10, Poetry
Felix Chen, grade 10, Flash Fiction
Jillian Cheng, grade 8, Short Story
Emma Gao, grade 11, Journalism
Helen Gu, grade 9, Short Story
Helen Gu, grade 9, Poetry
Helen Gu, grade 9, Poetry
Joy Hu, grade 9, Critical Essay
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Humor
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Poetry
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Short Story
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Poetry
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Poetry
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Journalism
Eden Kelly, grade 9, Critical Essay
Catherine Li, grade 11, Critical Essay
Catherine Li, grade 11, Critical Essay
Lindsay Li, grade 9, Poetry
Lindsay Li, grade 9, Poetry
Lindsay Li, grade 9, Poetry
Sydney Ling, grade 11, Poetry
Sydney Ling, grade 11, Poetry
Desiree Luo, grade 11, Journalism
Anaya Mandal, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Katerina Matta, grade 10, Critical Essay
Edis Mesic, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12, Poetry
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12, Poetry
Ananya Pradhan, grade 9, Personal Essay & Memoir
Ameera Ramzan, grade 8, Critical Essay
Ameera Ramzan, grade 8, Critical Essay
Ashley Ruan, grade 12, Short Story
Tanisha Singh, grade 11, Humor
Kairui Sun, grade 9, Flash Fiction
Cynthia Wang, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Jessica Wang, grade 10, Flash Fiction
Jessica Wang, grade 10, Poetry
Selina Wang, grade 9, Flash Fiction
Selina Wang, grade 9, Flash Fiction
Michelle Wei, grade 11, Critical Essay
Austina Xu, grade 12, Critical Essay
Selina Xu, grade 11, Poetry
Alison Yang, grade 10, Personal Essay & Memoir
Tiantong Yang, grade 9, Short Story
Albert Yao, grade 9, Critical Essay
Medha Yarlagadda, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Ella Yee, grade 11, Critical Essay
Linda Zeng, grade 9, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Ariel Zhang, grade 9, Poetry
Evan Zhang, grade 9, Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention
Varun Bhupathi, grade 10, Critical Essay
Iris Cai, grade 10, Poetry
Iris Cai, grade 10, Poetry
Ainslie Chen, grade 10, Flash Fiction
Varun Fuloria, grade 11, Critical Essay
Varun Fuloria, grade 11, Critical Essay
Emma Gao, grade 11, Critical Essay
Emma Gao, grade 11, Critical Essay
Cyrus Ghane, grade 9, Flash Fiction
Ariana Goetting, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Ramit Goyal, grade 11, Critical Essay
Helen Gu, grade 9, Poetry
Shayla He, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Critical Essay
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Poetry
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Poetry
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Humor
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Poetry
Trisha Iyer, grade 11, Poetry
Siddhi Jain, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
David Jang, grade 11, Journalism
Ally Lee, grade 12, Flash Fiction
Catherine Li, grade 11, Critical Essay
Catherine Li, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Lindsay Li, grade 9, Flash Fiction
Lindsay Li, grade 9, Poetry
Lindsay Li, grade 9, Poetry
Lindsay Li, grade 9, Poetry
Lindsay Li, grade 9, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Raeanne Li, grade 8, Poetry
Raeanne Li, grade 8, Flash Fiction
Raeanne Li, grade 8, Poetry
Jingjing Liang, grade 9, Flash Fiction
Daniel Lin, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Sydney Ling, grade 11, Poetry
Sydney Ling, grade 11, Critical Essay
Sydney Ling, grade 11, Critical Essay
Sydney Ling, grade 11, Critical Essay
Sydney Ling, grade 11, Poetry
Claire Luo, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Spencer Mak, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir
Katerina Matta, grade 10, Poetry
Katerina Matta, grade 10, Journalism
Katerina Matta, grade 10, Critical Essay
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12, Poetry
Sarah Fathima Mohammed, grade 12, Personal Essay & Memoir
On Feb. 11, Harker students Jeremy Ko, Ethan Liu, Jason Shim, Rohan Bhowmik and Arnav Swaroop took second place at the U.S. Department of Energy Regional Science Bowl, held at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University. The team was coached by upper school chemistry teacher Mala Raghavan.
Although the team didn’t win, it was victorious over defending national champions Lynbrook High School, which Harker chemistry teacher Robbie Korin called a “major accomplishment.”
On Wednesday, junior Trisha Iyer was named a finalist in The New York Times Student Review Contest, receiving an honorable mention for her review of an exhibit at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco. In this annual competition, teenagers review creative works in any discipline covered by The Times.
Iyer’s piece analyzed the exhibit featuring the works of Chinese Fashion designer Guo Pei. “When I was deciding how to fill my days last summer, visiting the exhibit honoring Guo Pei at the Legion of Honor museum was a no-brainer,” she said. “Of course, I’ve watched runway shows on YouTube and admired the couture whipped up every season from afar, but this exhibit was my first time up close and personal with anything high fashion.”
The sight of Guo’s work juxtaposed with the other works featured at the museum was a major source of inspiration, and she felt compelled to write about her experience. “Seeing Guo Pei’s designs in real life, placed next to the museum’s oldest paintings, prompted a shift in my thinking: outfits like these weren’t just clothes, but fully-realized, embroidered, wearable works of art,” she recalled. “I was so in awe that I had to write down my impressions about the exhibit once I got home.”
Iyer later heard about The Times contest and “chose to dust off this piece and submit it because I felt proud and confident about my ability to share my enthusiasm for this exhibit with readers. It’s a lovely surprise to know that others enjoy reading this review as much as I enjoyed writing it.”
Last week, a special middle school assembly featured author and historian Jan Batiste Adkins, who shared the history of African Americans in the Bay Area and Santa Clara County area. “I think that understanding each other’s history … is crucial,” said Adkins, who has taught community college for 15 years. “We have to learn from each other. We have to live and experience each other’s experiences and that’s what history does for us.”
Adkins’ most recent book covers African American history in San Jose and Santa Clara County. Her talk began with the record of the first Africans making their way to what was once called New Spain in the 1500s. After the establishment of Puebla de San Jose de Guadalupe in 1777, people of African descent, Adkins explained, mingled and intermarried with Mexican, Spanish and indigenous people of the area.
Mexico later achieved independence from Spain and until 1850 controlled the territory known as Alta California, the last governor of which was Pío Pico, a politician and entrepreneur of mixed African and Native American-Spanish ancestry. Numerous locations in California are named for him, including Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles and the city of Pico Rivera in Los Angeles County.
Following California’s statehood in 1850, plantation owners took their enslaved workers west to seek gold and encountered resistance from the local population, who contended that the enslaved laborers unpaid work amounted to unfair competition. As a result, the sale or purchase of enslaved labor became prohibited in the state. California’s abolitionist movement also helped many of these workers free themselves of slavery by providing them funds to hire lawyers. One such landmark case was that of Sampson Gleaves, who was released from bondage in 1854. Gleaves’ manumission papers are still preserved and maintained by History San Jose.
Another enslaved man named James Williams was taken to California in the 1840s to help search for gold. He was allowed to work at night for other miners and eventually purchased his freedom. The descendants of Williams’ former owner still live in San Jose, Adkins said, and in order to retrieve Williams’ photo for her book, she had to first contact this family, who requested anonymity.
In 1861, Rev. Peter Cassey established the first Black secondary school in San Jose, which was also the first in the state. It also admitted Asian American and indigenous students. The First AME Zion Church was founded just a few years later in 1864, and still exists today on 20th Street in San Jose, where it has resided since 1972.
Black-owned businesses also became increasingly common, Adkins explained, including San Jose’s first Black barber shop, which was established in the 1860s by the White brothers, who also founded the Afro League to address the ongoing problems of racial inequality.
One artist who rose to prominence around this time was Edmonia Lewis, a sculptor who arrived in California in 1873 and the first Black American sculptor to achieve widespread renown. Her work is still viewable today at the Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library in San Jose. Lewis came to California at the invitation of Sarah Knox, whose husband owned the Knox-Goodrich building in San Jose.
During the latter half of the 20th century, San Jose State College (now known as San Jose State University) became known for its athletic dominance, and two of its track and field athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, became famous for raising their fists in a Black Power salute during the medals ceremony at the 1968 Summer Olympic games in Mexico City, where Smith won gold and Carlos won silver. At the time, Adkins explained, San Jose State did now allow Black students to stay in the campus dorms, forcing them to find housing options off-campus.
Toward the end, Adkins briefly discussed recent figures such as Maynard Holliday, the robotics engineer who attended graduate school at Stanford University and later worked at Livermore National Laboratory and the Pentagon, designing robotic and positioning systems. While working as an engineer in Santa Clara County in the 1970s, Jerry Lawson led the team that developed the video game cartridge, which became the most widely used format for the video game industry for decades, popularized by platforms such as the Atari 2600. Francine Bellson, educated at MIT, also worked at Fairchild and later in research and development at IBM.
This past weekend, speech and debate coach Greg Achten was inducted into the Emory University Barkley Forum’s Gold Key Society, which was founded in 1964 to honor successful high school debate coaches. Existing members of the society select coaches to be inducted, which takes place at a ceremony during the Barkley Forum for High Schools Tournament. To date, 204 coaches have been inducted, including Harker coach Jenny Achten, a 2007 inductee.
Yesterday, Harker seniors Annmaria Antony, Rupert Chen, Nina Franz, Jack Hsieh, Jeremy Ko, Nicholas Wei, Vincent Zhang, Sabrina Zhu and Sally Zhu were named candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Each year, this program recognizes students for achievements in academics, the arts, and career and technical education. Candidates apply by submitting essays, school transcripts and self-assessments. Approximately 5,000 candidates were chosen from nearly 3.6 million students. Up to 161 will be chosen as Presidential Scholars.