Once again the Harker Fashion Show wowed its audience, living up to its nine-year-old reputation as a fun, profitable fundraiser.
Appreciative audiences filled out both lunch and dinner gatherings yesterday, which were open to the public and held at the San Jose Convention Center. The theme of the event, which raised funds and awareness for the school, was Celebrate! Money raised will go a long way towards aiding Harker’s scholarship and other funds.
The theme was carried through in celebrations of inner and outer beauty – illustrated with moving videos and breathtaking runway fashions. The videos shared the stories of the students themselves, and the bonds they had formed with their close knit community of teachers and peers. Fashions, representing a range of top designers, were expertly modeled by both students, teachers and parents alike.
“We have so much to celebrate at Harker every day,” said Chris Nikoloff, head of school, in his welcome letter in the event program. “Sure, our students win competitions, perform admirably on the field and stage, score high on tests, make the papers. But what makes me celebrate our community even more are the smaller things – students who politely open doors for each other, who smile and greet passing teachers, who say ‘thank you,’ who take so much joy from simply being in school and learning new things.”
Net proceeds from Celebrate! go to provide financial assistance to students who would otherwise be unable to benefit from a Harker education, fund the construction of the new gym and performing arts center and support the mission to purchase a third campus.
Harker News Online thanks Dan Molin, Greg Lawson and the staff of Winged Post/Talon for updates and information in this story.
Final Update: Feb. 29, 2012
The boys basketball team pushed their game to the end Tuesday night at Menlo as they went down 68-44 to Sacred Heart Prep in semifinal play. Senior Vik Jain had a team high 13 points and fellow senior Stephen Hughes added 7. First quarter scoring was slow, ending up at 19-6, with Harker already fighting to stay in the game; the half ended 52-21 and the rest of the game was of that ilk, ending with a loss for the team but a win for the school over all with this historical break into the upper brackets of the playoffs.
“On behalf of the boys, the athletic department would like to thank the large, raucous Harker crowd (which out-numbered Prep’s crowd) in attendance as well as the entire school community for their support,” said Dan Molin, athletic director. “It was another great Harker High School event last night; those in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the competitive atmosphere. Great job to senior Zach Ellenberg for leading the student-body cheers!” Go Eagles!
Update: Feb. 27, 2012
The boys basketball team made history Saturday as they defeated Soquel High School in the CCS quarterfinals 62-59 in front of a large supportive Eagle crowd at Menlo School. This marks the first time in Harker basketball history we’ve qualified for the semifinal round which will take place Tuesday versus league rival Sacred Heart Prep 7:15 at Menlo School. The boys mentioned the fan support was a significant factor in assisting with the victory, so please come support your basketball Eagles as they try to qualify for Friday’s finals at Santa Clara University.
Special to Harker News Online from Greg Lawson
Update: Feb. 24, 2012
The boys varsity basketball team won last night, 61 to 43, in CCS round two play. Harker trailed at the end of the first quarter, 15-13, and then went on a consistent run that made the score 60-35 at one point. Junior Spenser Quash came off the bench to pour in 16 points to lead all scorers. Junior Nikhil Panu had 15 points and six rebounds, and senior Stephen Hughes played a marvelous game at the point and scored 12 points and dished out seven assists. So the boys move on to play Soquel Sat., Feb. 25, at Menlo, to see if they can improve on their 17-8 record. Game time is 2:45 p.m. Harker fans turned out for the earlier game – a good mix of parents, students and teachers – but the team can really use support on Saturday! There is a required charge for CCS games: $8 adults, $3 students. Click here for the bracket.
Girls lost a heartbreaker at Sacred Heart Prep, 53-49. Harker led at the half and the score was tied at the end of three quarters but the second-seeded Gators proved too much for the Lady Eagles in the end. Junior Daniza Rodriguez led the way with 19 points. Sophomore Nithya Vemireddy added 11 points and 15 rebounds to the cause, and junior Priscilla Auyeung had nine points, seven rebounds, and five assists. The Eagles finish their season with a 17-10 record.
Posted Feb. 23, 2012 By Dan Molin
Boys basketball had a successful break earning one of the most significant victories in Harker hoops history as they defeated previously unbeaten and first-place Pinewood on their home court and senior night. The 68-62 victory was a significant factor in attaining a very respectable number seven seed in the CCS tournament and a first round bye. The boys will host Stevenson School at 7 tonight at Blackford in the second round of CCS. There is a required charge for CCS games: $8 adults, $3 students. Click here for the bracket.
Girls basketball also had an outstanding break earning a huge victory over Mercy-Burlingame 41-39 in the WBAL Tournament. Mercy had previously beaten our girls twice in the regular season but our Lady Eagles came through when it counted most. The victory earned our girls the right to play five-time state champion Pinewood the next night, which we lost but prepared our girls well for the CCS tournament. In the first-round CCS game Tuesday our girls defeated Greenfield 57-38, behind 21 points and nine rebounds from Nithya Vemireddy, grade 10. The girls travel to Sacred Heart Prep tonight, Thursday, for a second round matchup. Click here for the bracket.
Please congratulate and send good luck wishes to wrestlers Darian Edvalson, grade 10, and Corey Gonzales, grade 9, for qualifying to the CCS tournament this Friday and Saturday at Independence High School. Edvalson in the 160-lb weight class and Gonzales in the 106-lb class qualified by placing fifth in the league tournament.
At the end of January, the entire grade 5 class at The Harker School presented “Summer Daze: Scenes and Songs from a Rockin’ School Day.” Originally written by Janet Gardner, it was adapted for Harker by Jennifer Cowgill, the lower school performing arts teacher who also directed the play.
The musical starts in an “Average Family Kitchen,” and takes the audience through the beginning of the day (a scene featuring a song called “I’m in a Daze”), and then through a variety of classes, such as history, English, math, P.E. and choir. The song and dance performances accompanying the scenes each had its own unique spin on an aspect of a school day, with song titles such as “I Love My Locker” and “Cafeteria Confusion.” One of the big highlights of the play – which proved to be a delight throughout – was that the students portrayed Harker teachers in any scene a teacher was called for. For instance, Ashli Jain, grade 5, in the scene “The Beginning of the Day,” played Kristin Giammona, the elementary division head. Zohaid Valani, grade 5, portrayed Jared Ramsey, a grade five social studies teacher, in the scene “History Class.”
There were three showings of the musical, including a special performance for the rest of the lower school.
Cyrus Merrill’s grade 8 history students had the unique opportunity to chat with White House speechwriter Laura Dean in late January, just after President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address.
The interviews were conducted by phone, and students asked a range of questions about speechwriting and what life is like as an employee of the president. Dean said that Obama practices the speech only “two or three” times without interruption from applause, and that speechwriters attempt to strike a balance between content that will be liked both by Congress and the general public.
During the process, she said, writers often spend a lot of time debating which ideas to start with, and find that it is difficult to say “no” to the president when he has an idea for the content of a speech.
Writing of the State of the Union speech starts in December, and begins with research teams finding out what they want the speech to cover and checking facts with specialists. During the last couple of weeks before the address, the president becomes more involved in the process, but during the final week, the team tries to keep him from making any further changes.
Amusingly, some students wanted to know what font is used when writing the speeches. “Times New Roman 12,” Dean replied.
Harker’s tradition of combining the latest technology with education continues as strongly as ever. Dozens of Harker middle school students have been participating in a pen pal exchange with the Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Astana, Kazakhstan, over the past few months, through a connection courtesy of Harker alumna Lauren Gutstein ’06, who is currently teaching English at the school.
On Feb. 7, the students video conferenced with their Kazakhstani buddies, and were able to interact face-to-face for the first time. The students participated in a question and answer session, as well as a fun show-and-tell, where both groups of students showed current trends, fashions, games and talents. The conference concluded with Harker students teaching their Kazakh friends some American slang, and with the Kazakh students teaching Russian and Kazakh words and slang in return.
What a day of crosscultural learning and connecting!
In late March, Paulomi Bhattacharya, Apurva Tandon and Emily Chu, all grade 11, Monica Kumaran, grade 10, and Ayush Midha, grade 9, will travel with science department chair Anita Chetty and upper school biology teacher Gary Blickenstaff to Cambridge University for the first Triple Helix Science in Society Conference.
The conference is held by the Cambridge Chapter of The Triple Helix, a nonprofit organization that publishes scientific articles by university students from all over the world. Harker is the first, and so far only, high school chapter for the organization, and will be the only U.S. high school represented at the conference. The students and teachers will be attending the conference, which takes place April 5, with students from other U.K. private schools, and will have the chance to attend a panel debate, prepare posters to present their own research and more.
Football players in grades 6 through 8 looking to improve their skills at a certain position or learn a new one will have the chance to learn from one of the sport’s most respected trainers at the Harker Football School. The program starts Tues., March 13, and will run every Tuesday and Thursday until May 17.
“Success in producing football players who can compete on the highest level is the direct result of a consistent commitment to developing athletes who are sound in the fundamental skills of their respective positions,” says Harker football coach Ron Forbes, who directs the program.
Over a career spanning more than 15 years, Forbes has trained more than 60 athletes who were later drafted by the National Football League. He helped the University of Florida Gators on their way to seven consecutive bowl games, and helped Stanford secure its spot as one of the top teams in the NCAA’s PAC 10 division, second only to the University of Southern California.
Harker Football School sessions will take place at the upper school campus at 500 Saratoga Ave. in San Jose. Beginning- to advanced players will participate in practice drills to build speed, agility and quickness, learning fundamental skills such as proper stance and start, as well as higher-level concepts such as advanced offensive and defensive strategy.
Individual sessions can be purchased for $25 each. Purchasing a package of five sessions for $95 will save $6 per session for a total savings of $30. A package of 10 sessions is available for $125, cutting the cost of each session in half to save 50 percent overall. Tickets can be purchased at the following URL: http://bit.ly/wZOTko. The general public can register by clicking here. Harker parents should register from the link in the Harker Parent Portal.
Harker Conservatory alumni reunited in late December for the fourth Alumni Conservatory Classic, held in the Nichols Hall auditorium, featuring alumni from as far back as 2004.
Instrumental talent on display included violinists Audrey Kwong ’07 and Stephanie Kim ’08, violist Warren Kwong ’11 and cellist Julia Shim ’10, who performed Felix Mendelssohn’s “String Quartet in f minor, Op. 80” to kick off the concert. Later, guitarist Roger Kim ’07 performed his own arrangement of Cole Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To.”
Among the many vocal performers onstage during the evening was Christina Li ’11, who performed an original song, titled “Run,” from her self-released album “Songs of Innocence,” with fellow 2011 grad Daisy Mohrman performing a dance to the song. Li later joined a large collection of former Cantilena members onstage to perform a selection of songs that included Abbie Betinis’ “Be Like the Bird,” which featured lyrics by Victor Hugo, the traditional “How Can I Keep From Singing” and “The Winter’s Night” by Nicholas Myers.
Other solo performances included “Breathe” from the Broadway musical “In the Heights,” by Siobhan Stevenson ’07, Andrew York’s “Letting Go” by guitarist Nikhil Parthasarathy ’11 and “Le Temps des Cathedrales” from the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris,” sung by Sean Avery-Martin ’11.
Guys’ Gig alumni closed the show with arranged versions of popular songs such as “In the End” by Linkin Park, and One Republic’s “All I Need” and “Good Life.”
A group of grade 6 advisories worked together to send 110 Valentine’s Day cards to deployed military personnel all over the world. The project involved the advisories of Lisa Masoni, Julie Pinzás, Kate Murphy, Karina Momary, Lorena Martinez, Mark Gelineau and Melanie McKenna. The groups met to make the Valentines, which will be shipped in care packages through the nonprofit “A Million Thanks.” “Students worked for a week and a half using glitter, construction paper, stamps and patterns,” said Momary. “Each card had a heartfelt message, kind comments, jokes and words of encouragement.”
Some advisories are continuing the card-making project through March, making thank you cards to be delivered later in the year.
Tara Priya (better known to us as Tara Chandra ’06) is hitting her stride as a professional singer! She is #2 in on the Japanese MacDonalds Zip Hot 100 chart this week and just released a new music video. Note: this video contains a bit of strong language and suggestive scenes. We rate it PG-13!
Chandra graduated from Columbia University in economics, political science and music performance in 2008. After spending a brief time in the financial field, she returned to her true passion, music. She recently moved from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, where she is pursuing a career as a singer and songwriter. To read more about her, see our Harker Quarterly article, reprinted in Harker News Online.