Students gathered at Davis Field on Friday morning for the 2022 matriculation ceremony, which formally kicked off the 2022-23 school year and welcomed the Class of 2026 to the upper school.
After the ninth graders finished their procession (greeted by the applause of their classmates), Head of School Brian Yager gave his opening remarks, starting by thanking the faculty and staff who spent the previous two weeks preparing for the new school year. Speaking to the seniors, he mentioned the importance of their role as leaders and the legacy they will leave behind, referencing a Greek proverb: “Civilizations and schools grow great when old people plant trees, the shade of which they will never enjoy.” Turning his attention to the incoming ninth graders, he advised them to “enjoy and embrace the process. Look to the students in the grades above you for guidance and inspiration, as well as for examples of what will be expected of you in the years to come.”
Yager then introduced the upper school vocal group Cantilena, which gave a spirited performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” before recently hired Upper School Head Paul Barsky took the podium.
Barsky made special note of two concepts he felt would be crucial for students to understand in the coming year. The first, from the Danish, was samfundssind, which implores people “to think of yourself as part of a bigger cause,” Barsky said. The second, umwelt, is a term coined by German biologist Jakob Johann von Uexküll, which posits that, “We think our senses make up our reality, because well, that’s what we sense,” Barsky explained. “The wonderful gift of a Harker education is that it widens, deepens and enriches our senses. At Harker, our umwelt is expanded to include senses and realms that we did not know existed.” Barsky stated his hope that students would carry the lessons of these ideas into the coming year.
Senior Kris Estrada, the ASB president, gave a warm welcome to his fellow students, who responded in kind. Speaking to his classmates, Estrada noted the difficulty of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and the obstacles it presented. “Although we have unfortunately missed a number of class trips and opportunities to bond with one another, we’ve somehow accomplished just that together,” he said. “We have persevered through the toughest situations and we have come out united and closer than ever.” Addressing the Class of 2026, Estrada emphasized the importance of their first day as high schoolers. “Whether you have been at Harker in years prior, or perhaps today marks the beginning of your life’s chapter as a Harker Eagle, I advise you to simply cherish today and the rest of your Harker days because high school is such a formative experience.”
The members of the Student Diversity Coalition spoke to the students about their mission to “foster an inclusive space for all members of our community,” said senior KJ Williams.
“We in SDC work to provide a space that actively hears and supports students in all forms of their diversity,” said Fern Biswas, grade 10. “Whether through speaker events, collaborative events or implementing new systems, we also hope to keep this school a place where open conversations about these issues take place.” The group announced some of their plans for the next year, including a continuation of last year’s Culture Week and the hosting of town hall events and conferences.
SDC then introduced Brian Davis, Harker’s new DEI director, who thanked the SDC for all the remarkable work it had done prior to his arrival. Davis referred back to Yager’s mention of the Greek tree proverb, which he felt was very “future-oriented and really thinking about our accountability in our imagination.” He emphasized his mission to be resource for Harker’s student body, “but more importantly, making Harker a place where you all feel loved, where you feel safe, where you feel heard and where you feel valued,” he said. Davis also mentioned plans to expand Harker’s pre-existing affinity groups and help develop affinity groups that are newly established. “Lastly, I encourage you all to be an upstander, to speak up when you seeing things happening in our community, but also ensure the safety in our inclusive community,” he said. “It’s really important for you all to know that Harker is a place for everyone.”
Per tradition, matriculation also included the introduction of the year’s student officers, followed by a recitation of the matriculation oath, led by ASB vice president Gordon Chen, grade 12. As each of the ninth graders signed the matriculation book, the audience was treated to the Harker String Quartet’s renditions of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses and “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. The ceremony closed, as always, with a series of entertaining skits performed by officers of the student council and honor council, titled “Upper School 101.” Each skit featured students portraying characters from the popular TV shows “Phineas and Ferb,” “SpongeBob Squarepants,” “The Office” and “Squid Game,” with messages about school etiquette and resources available to upper school students, including the library, the advisory system, office hours and extracurricular programs. As a special surprise, Richie Amarillas ’22 made a guest appearance to promote the performing arts program.
The classes of 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 gathered at Davis Field on Aug. 20 for the 2021 matriculation ceremony, which was held in-person after the COVID-19 pandemic forced last year’s matriculation to be held online.
The juniors and seniors were seated before the freshmen, who received enthusiastic applause as they approached to take their seats. Brian Yager, head of school, was the first of the morning’s speakers and remarked about the resilience shown by the Harker community during the pandemic. “It was a tough year, but we bore it, and in amazing fashion many of you thrived,” he said, later commenting on the confidence he had in the community to face the coming year. “Given the host of challenges we all faced last year, we are in the position to have a wonderful rebound year this year, and the ability to benefit from and enjoy this year lies squarely with you, our students.” Yager then introduced the upper school vocal group Cantilena, which performed “Rise Up” by Cassandra Batie and Jennifer Decilveo.
Per tradition, upper school head Butch Keller also took the podium to address the students. He first praised the student leadership who stopped to help out the maintenance staff who were drying off the moisture that had collected on the seats overnight. “That’s what I call a community,” he said. “That’s what I was proud of.”
Keller spoke to grade 9 on how they should define success during their upper school careers. “I hope that what you’re chasing looks more like earning a spot in the fall play, being a good teammate on the volleyball team or the football team,” he said. “Or maybe it looks like being an integral part of the speech and debate team being led by those great coaches.
“I hope what you’re chasing looks more like making lifelong friends,” he continued. “I hope what you’re chasing, whatever that is, is sincere. I hope it means that you’re going to be the best that you can possibly be.”
Dawson Chen, a senior and the Associated Student Body president, then offered the freshmen some key points of advice on how to make the most of their time as upper school students, which he livened with humor, such as when he told them what a proper parenthetical citation looks like. He also encouraged students to make use of the upper school’s incredible resources and to practice open-mindedness. “Be open to perhaps extraordinary or unfamiliar perspectives,” he said, “whether it’s in an English class discussion or a debate with a friend at lunch.” In closing, he implored the freshmen not to “spend four years trying to fulfill other people’s expectations of you,” and to “find friends who are like family.”
Chen then introduced the members of Harker’s Student Diversity Coalition – seniors Uma Iyer and Brooklyn Cicero, juniors KJ Williams and Mir Bahri, and sophomore Dina Ande – who spoke to their fellow students about SDC’s mission. Bahri explained that the SDC is a student organization that is “designed to foster an inclusive environment for all members of our community.” Part of their mission is to provide safe spaces for students and staff to discuss topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The establishment of the Black Student Union and the Latinx Affinity Group last year were crucial to this goal.
Cicero told the audience that Harker’s first affinity group was founded in the wake of the June 2020 protests that erupted across the world after the murder of George Floyd. “We wanted to stop being complacent with the microaggressions and biases that we were receiving on and off campus,” she said. The members went on to summarize the SDC’s activities over the previous year – such as the talks by Leon, a Holocaust survivor and Bettina Love – and promoted the open meetings that all Harker community members are invited to attend. Once a director of diversity, equity and inclusion has been hired, the SDC plans to establish more affinity groups to make Harker more inclusive and welcoming.
Following the speeches, all students in attendance recited the matriculation oath, and the grade 9 students each took their turns signing the matriculation book, while The Harker String Quartet, directed by Dave Hart, performed Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.”
As is custom, the ceremony ended with “Freshman 101,” a series of skits designed to inform the Class of 2025 of many key aspects of upper school life, including the honor code, the many clubs on offer and the spirit competition. Students donned costumes inspired by famous characters from “The Avengers,” the “Harry Potter” franchise, Disney’s “Frozen” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
Upper school students packed the campus quad on Friday for the 2019-20 Matriculation Ceremony, in which they celebrated the start of the school year and formally welcomed the Class of 2023 to the upper school community. Head of School Brian Yager opened the ceremony with some words for the incoming students, telling them to “enjoy and embrace the process and look to the students in the grades above you for guidance and inspiration as well as for examples of what will be expected of you in the years to come.”
The assembled students also heard from ASB president Avi Gulati, grade 12, who stressed to the freshmen that the community was there to help them succeed when the demands of high school life seem daunting. “You have counselors, advisors, teachers [and] upperclassmen here for support,” he said. “The entire community prides itself on ensuring that you thrive.”
Keeping with tradition, the ceremony also featured great musical performances. Cantilena sang David Montoya’s “Jambo Rafiki Yangu,” directed by Susan Nace, and The Harker String Quartet performed its renditions of the Elvis Presley hit “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
While the quartet played, grade 9 students each signed the matriculation book and honor code. After returning to their seats, the audience was treated to the annual “Freshman 101” series of skits, which featured students in the role of characters from famous pop-culture properties such as “Star Wars” and Marvel Comics, humorously outlining various aspects of student life, including the dress code, club opportunities, athletics teams and the honor code.
Upper school students packed the campus quad on Friday for the 2019-20 Matriculation Ceremony, in which they celebrated the start of the school year and formally welcomed the Class of 2023 to the upper school community. Head of School Brian Yager opened the ceremony with some words for the incoming students, telling them to “enjoy and embrace the process and look to the students in the grades above you for guidance and inspiration as well as for examples of what will be expected of you in the years to come.”
The assembled students also heard from ASB president Avi Gulati, grade 12, who stressed to the freshmen that the community was there to help them succeed when the demands of high school life seem daunting. “You have counselors, advisors, teachers [and] upperclassmen here for support,” he said. “The entire community prides itself on ensuring that you thrive.”
Keeping with tradition, the ceremony also featured great musical performances. Cantilena sang David Montoya’s “Jambo Rafiki Yangu,” directed by Susan Nace, and The Harker String Quartet performed its renditions of the Elvis Presley hit “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
While the quartet played, grade 9 students each signed the matriculation book and honor code. After returning to their seats, the audience was treated to the annual “Freshman 101” series of skits, which featured students in the role of characters from famous pop-culture properties such as “Star Wars” and Marvel Comics, humorously outlining various aspects of student life, including the dress code, club opportunities, athletics teams and the honor code.
Upper school students packed the campus quad on Friday for the 2019-20 Matriculation Ceremony, in which they celebrated the start of the school year and formally welcomed the Class of 2023 to the upper school community. Head of School Brian Yager opened the ceremony with some words for the incoming students, telling them to “enjoy and embrace the process and look to the students in the grades above you for guidance and inspiration as well as for examples of what will be expected of you in the years to come.”
The assembled students also heard from ASB president Avi Gulati, grade 12, who stressed to the freshmen that the community was there to help them succeed when the demands of high school life seem daunting. “You have counselors, advisors, teachers [and] upperclassmen here for support,” he said. “The entire community prides itself on ensuring that you thrive.”
Keeping with tradition, the ceremony also featured great musical performances. Cantilena sang David Montoya’s “Jambo Rafiki Yangu,” directed by Susan Nace, and The Harker String Quartet performed its renditions of the Elvis Presley hit “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
While the quartet played, grade 9 students each signed the matriculation book and honor code. After returning to their seats, the audience was treated to the annual “Freshman 101” series of skits, which featured students in the role of characters from famous pop-culture properties such as “Star Wars” and Marvel Comics, humorously outlining various aspects of student life, including the dress code, club opportunities, athletics teams and the honor code.
Upper school students welcomed the 2017-18 school year on Friday morning with the annual matriculation ceremony. Students filled the upper school quad, which was renovated over the summer. As with previous ceremonies, grade 9 students arrived last, greeted by the enthusiastic applause of students in grades 10-12.
Shortly after members of the Class of 2021 took their seats, new Head of School Brian Yager gave his historic first opening remarks at a Harker matriculation ceremony. He welcomed this year’s seniors into their new roles as student leaders, noting the opportunity “for you to make the most of your own journey while also inspiring and preparing those who will follow you to do the same.” He advised the incoming ninth graders to “enjoy and embrace the process, and look to the students in the grades above you for guidance and inspiration.”
Per tradition, upper school division head Butch Keller also spoke, delivering one of his favorite adages: “It’s not the situation that’s important. It’s the reaction that’s everything.” To illustrate his point, he offered examples of people he had read about over the summer. The first was Jay Williams, a promising former NBA player who suffered a career-ending injury and subsequent drug addiction but eventually maneuvered into a career as an analyst at ESPN. Another was Craig Sager, the legendary sportscaster who chose to fight leukemia rather than succumb to it. Even though Sager’s illness returned, resulting in his death in 2016, his decision to persevere left Keller “humbled.” These stories, Keller felt, also demonstrated virtues of kindness, compassion and empathy he hoped the students would carry with them through the coming year.
ASB president Jimmy Lin, grade 12, welcomed the seniors with a lesson on learning how to get comfortable with trying new things. To illustrate, he shared a story about a visit to Google with his friends. While there, he recalled, the discussion turned to grabbing a few bikes that Google makes available to its employees and riding them to get lunch. It was then that Lin made a confession to his friends: He had never learned to ride a bike. Deciding it was time to learn, “I finally had to swallow my pride and ask my friends to teach me.” After spending time practicing in the Google employee parking lot, Lin finally was able to make the two-block ride to the local eatery. “It was a learning moment that came from trusting my friends to help me embrace this hurdle,” Lin said. “Even though it came 10 years late.” He hoped his story would encourage the incoming freshmen to embrace new challenges, knowing they had their fellow students to help them.
As always, entertainment was a key part of the ceremony, which featured performances by the upper school women’s choir Cantilena, directed by Susan Nace, and The Harker String Quartet, directed by Chris Florio. The ceremonies concluded with the annual “Freshman 101” series of comedy skits, put on by the Student Council and Honor Council, which introduced the grade 9 students to various aspects of school life in a fun and light-hearted manner.