Tag: topliterature

Students receive 256 awards in Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

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

Emma Gao, grade 11, Critical Essay

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

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

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, Journalism

Eden Kelly, grade 9, Critical Essay

Catherine Li, grade 11, Critical Essay

Lindsay Li, grade 9, 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

Ananya Pradhan, grade 9, Personal Essay & Memoir

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

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

Ainslie Chen, grade 10, Flash Fiction

Varun Fuloria, 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, Humor

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, 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, 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

Ameera Ramzan, grade 8, Critical Essay

Ameera Ramzan, grade 8, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Kabir Ramzan, grade 11, Critical Essay

Tanvi Sivakumar, grade 9, Poetry

Alena Suleiman, grade 11, Critical Essay

Cynthia Wang, grade 11, Poetry

Cynthia Wang, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir

Jessica Wang, grade 10, Flash Fiction

Kallie Wang, grade 9, Personal Essay & Memoir

Austina Xu, grade 12, Poetry

Olivia Xu, grade 11, Journalism

Selina Xu, grade 11, Personal Essay & Memoir

Selina Xu, grade 11, Poetry

Alison Yang, grade 10, Poetry

Alison Yang, grade 10, Flash Fiction

Cecilia Yang, grade 11, Critical Essay

Albert Yao, grade 9, Critical Essay

Linda Zeng, grade 9, Poetry

Linda Zeng, grade 9, Flash Fiction

Ariel Zhang, grade 9, Poetry

Eddie Zhang, grade 9, Humor

Eddie Zhang, grade 9, Short Story

Eric Zhang, grade 10, Critical Essay

Sophia Zhu, grade 8, Flash Fiction

February 23, 2023Tags: alumni-express, eweekly, express, literature, Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, topliterature, Visual Arts, visualarts

Author Kyle Lukoff talks writing in Zoom appearance

Last week, author Kyle Lukoff spoke to middle school students via Zoom about his 2021 novel, “Too Bright to See.” Using the book as a reference point, Lukoff discussed some of the many important aspects of novel writing, such as world building.

“You have to make a lot of decisions about the world your characters live in and the kinds of rules … that your characters have to follow,” he said. As an exercise, he asked to students to think about the kinds of rules for a story that takes place underwater, such as how to move about the world and how to breathe.

“Too Bright to See,” which is a ghost story, also has rules that its ghost must follow. The main character and the reader, Lukoff explained, are left to interpret what the novel’s ghost is trying to communicate by interacting with objects, since it cannot speak. If the ghost was able to explain itself clearly, “the story would be one chapter long and I wouldn’t have won any of these cool awards.”

Lukoff also stressed the importance of research, referencing his own experience writing “Too Bright to See,” which takes place in rural Vermont, a place he had never lived. “I was very worried about getting details wrong,” he said. “So far that hasn’t happened.”

Toward the end of the talk, Lukoff briefly talked about his next novel, which he said will be another middle-grade work that is “a little bit more advanced.” Like “Too Bright to See,” the main character will again be a transgender boy, drawing on Lukoff’s own existence as a transgender man. He also plans to include his experience as a Jewish person, incorporating Jewish folklore and history.

February 13, 2023Tags: DEI, eweekly, guest speakers, literature, topliterature

Senior visits White House to read poetry, meet Jill Biden

Yesterday, senior Sarah Mohammed visited the White House to read her poetry at a ceremony honoring the 2022 National Student Poets! Mohammed was invited as one of last year’s National Student Poets. The reading was attended by first lady Jill Biden, who Mohammed took the opportunity to meet.

Mohammed’s numerous other accolades include being named a finalist in the 2021 YoungArts competition and earning more than a dozen Gold Keys in the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

September 28, 2022Tags: alumni-express, eweekly, express, literature, National Student Poet, topliterature

Sarah Mohammed, rising junior, named National Student Poet

Rising junior Sarah Fathima Mohammed today was named one of five National Student Poets of 2021. The National Student Poets Program, which is run by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, selects five young poets each year from different regions of the country as National Student Poets. The program was started in 2012 by Michelle Obama and the Presidential Arts Committee and is open to students in grades 10 and 11 who have received a gold or silver medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. After being selected, National Student Poets spend the next year promoting poetry in their communities through works such as service projects, poetry readings and workshops as well as attending a variety of events.

Earlier this year, Mohammed was named a finalist in the YoungArts Competition and won more than a dozen Gold Keys in the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

July 28, 2021Tags: National Student Poet, poetry, Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, Top Achievements, tophumanities, topliterature

Harker group among the first to visit newly reopened Beat Museum

On Saturday, 14 Harker students were among the first guests at the newly reopened Beat Museum in San Francisco. The museum features many of the original works of the Beat Generation of American writers, including Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady and William S. Burroughs.

The museum was closed for the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the annual field trip taken by the students in Charles Shuttleworth’s class on Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation was also canceled. Upon hearing that the museum would be reopening, students jumped at the chance to visit.

During the visit, the students received a tour from Jerry Cimino, the museum’s owner, and listened to a talk by beat poet and biographer Neeli Cherkovski, who offered his perspectives on the Beat Generation’s great influence as a literary and social movement. The reopening was covered by the San Francisco Chronicle, which briefly mentioned the Harker students’ visit in their story on the event.

June 28, 2021Tags: Beat Museum, literature, topliterature

Harker students win nearly 200 awards in 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The regional winners of the 2021 Bay Area Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were announced last week, and Harker students pulled in 189 awards (73 in art and 116 in writing). Sophomore Sarah Mohammed’s poem, “Homeland, Gone,” was selected as one of five nominees for the Bay Area Writing Region’s National American Voices Medal, the winner of which will be announced in March, along with all of this year’s national award winners.

Harker won a total of 42 Gold Keys, 54 Silver Keys and 93 Honorable Mentions. Gold Key winners are eligible to win national awards, and all national award winners will be honored at a ceremony in June.

The complete list of Harker winners is as follows:

Art:

Name	Grade	Category	Award
Anoushka Buch	12	Design	Silver Key
Anoushka Buch	12	Design	Honorable Mention
Shareen Chahal	12	Photography	Gold Key
Dawson Chen	9	Drawing & Illustration	Honorable Mention
Karina Chen	11	Film & Animation	Silver Key
Karina Chen	10	Comic Art	Gold Key
Alice Feng	10	Digital Art	Honorable Mention
Alice Feng	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Alice Feng	11	Photography	Silver Key
Alice Feng	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Alice Feng	11	Photography	Gold Key
Alice Feng	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Alice Feng	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Alice Feng	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Alice Feng	11	Sculpture	Gold Key
Alice Feng	11	Fashion	Silver Key
Mirabelle Feng	11	Fashion	Silver Key
Mirabelle Feng	8	Photography	Silver Key
Sonya He	8	Painting	Honorable Mention
Reagan Ka	10	Painting	Honorable Mention
Reagan Ka	11	Expanded Projects	Honorable Mention
Reagan Ka	11	Sculpture	Honorable Mention
Reagan Ka	11	Design	Honorable Mention
Ally Lee	11	Design	Honorable Mention
Michelle Liu	10	Digital Art	Silver Key
Michelle Liu	11	Digital Art	Honorable Mention
Michelle Liu	11	Design	Honorable Mention
Aastha Mangla	11	Expanded Projects	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Painting	Honorable Mention
Muthiah Panchanatham	10	Digital Art	Silver Key
Julie Shi	9	Digital Art	Silver Key
Claire Su	9	Digital Art	Silver Key
Alysa Suleiman	9	Painting	Honorable Mention
Alysa Suleiman	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Alysa Suleiman	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Alysa Suleiman	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Emily Tan	11	Photography	Silver Key
Emily Tan	11	“Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation”	Honorable Mention
Nicole Tian	11	“Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation”	Gold Key
Nicole Tian	11	Sculpture	Gold Key
Cynthia Wang	11	Expanded Projects	Honorable Mention
Esther Wu	9	Design	Honorable Mention
Esther Wu	11	Photography	Gold Key
Esther Wu	11	Photography	Silver Key
Esther Wu	11	Photography	Silver Key
Esther Wu	11	Photography	Silver Key
Austina Xu	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Alina Yuan	10	Painting	Silver Key
Alina Yuan	11	Comic Art	Silver Key
Alina Yuan	11	Painting	Honorable Mention
Alina Yuan	11	Photography	Gold Key
Alex Zhai	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Alex Zhai	12	Sculpture	Silver Key
Alex Zhai	12	Sculpture	Honorable Mention
Alex Zhai	12	Photography	Gold Key
Alex Zhai	12	Photography	Honorable Mention
April Zhang	12	Photography	Silver Key
April Zhang	11	Design	Honorable Mention
Emily Zhou	11	Design	Silver Key
Emily Zhou	11	Photography	Honorable Mention
Gloria Zhu	11	Photography	Silver Key
Gloria Zhu	11	Design	Honorable Mention
Gloria Zhu	11	Design	Silver Key
Gloria Zhu	11	Digital Art	Honorable Mention
Gloria Zhu	11	Digital Art	Gold Key
Gloria Zhu	11	Digital Art	Honorable Mention
Gloria Zhu	11	Design	Gold Key
Gloria Zhu	11	Design	Honorable Mention
Gloria Zhu	11	Design	Honorable Mention
Gloria Zhu	11	Design	Honorable Mention
Helen Zhu	11	Photography	Silver Key
Helen Zhu	12	Photography	Gold Key
Helen Zhu	12	Photography	Gold Key

Writing:

Name	Grade	Category	Award
Ava Arasan	9	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Ava Arasan	9	Short Story	Silver Key
Saanvi Arora	10	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Hari Bhimaraju	12	Poetry	Silver Key
Julia Biswas	12	Critical Essay	Gold Key
Anoushka Buch	12	Short Story	Honorable Mention
Kabir Buch	9	Critical Essay	Silver Key
Erica Cai	11	Personal Essay & Memoir	Honorable Mention
Erica Cai	11	Personal Essay & Memoir	Honorable Mention
William Chien	11	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Alice Feng	11	Critical Essay	Silver Key
Varun Fuloria	9	Personal Essay & Memoir	Honorable Mention
Varun Fuloria	9	Critical Essay	Silver Key
Emma Gao	9	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Sophia Gottfried	11	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Sophia Gottfried	11	Critical Essay	Silver Key
Victoria Han	11	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Victoria Han	11	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Catherine He	11	Science Fiction & Fantasy	Gold Key
Catherine He	11	Short Story	Honorable Mention
Catherine He	11	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Catherine He	11	Poetry	Silver Key
Shayla He	9	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Trisha Iyer	9	Short Story	Gold Key
Trisha Iyer	9	Flash Fiction	Gold Key
Trisha Iyer	9	Poetry	Gold Key
Trisha Iyer	9	Short Story	Gold Key
Trisha Iyer	9	Humor	Gold Key
Trisha Iyer	9	Short Story	Gold Key
Trisha Iyer	9	Short Story	Silver Key
David Jang	9	Journalism	Gold Key
David Jang	9	Journalism	Honorable Mention
David Jang	9	Journalism	Honorable Mention
Laurie Jin	10	Journalism	Honorable Mention
Michelle Jin	10	Personal Essay & Memoir	Honorable Mention
Vivian Jin	12	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Vivian Jin	12	Flash Fiction	Honorable Mention
Alivia Li	11	Personal Essay & Memoir	Honorable Mention
Sydney Ling	9	Flash Fiction	Gold Key
Sydney Ling	9	Flash Fiction	Gold Key
Sydney Ling	9	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Sydney Ling	9	Flash Fiction	Honorable Mention
Sydney Ling	9	Poetry	Silver Key
Melody Luo	11	Personal Essay & Memoir	Honorable Mention
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Personal Essay & Memoir	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Personal Essay & Memoir	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Personal Essay & Memoir	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Gold Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Gold Key • American Voices Nominee
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Flash Fiction	Honorable Mention
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Short Story	Honorable Mention
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Personal Essay & Memoir	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Personal Essay & Memoir	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Sarah Fathima Mohammed	10	Poetry	Silver Key
Kavita Murthy	11	Flash Fiction	Honorable Mention
Sophia Schafer-Wharton	7	Flash Fiction	Honorable Mention
Stephanie Shen	11	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Stephanie Shen	11	Poetry	Silver Key
Yejin Song	11	Journalism	Honorable Mention
Alena Suleiman	9	Personal Essay & Memoir	Gold Key
Arely Sun	11	Journalism	Honorable Mention
Arely Sun	11	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Emily Tan	11	Journalism	Honorable Mention
Nicole Tian	11	Critical Essay	Gold Key
Nicole Tian	11	Critical Essay	Silver Key
Sara Wan	10	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Cynthia Wang	9	Poetry	Gold Key
Cynthia Wang	9	Flash Fiction	Gold Key
Cynthia Wang	9	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Cynthia Wang	9	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Cynthia Wang	9	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Cynthia Wang	9	Poetry	Silver Key
Sophie Wang	12	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Sophie Wang	12	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Sophie Wang	12	Critical Essay	Silver Key
Sophie Wang	12	Journalism	Silver Key
Michelle Wei	9	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Nicholas Wei	10	Humor	Honorable Mention
Nicholas Wei	10	Personal Essay & Memoir	Silver Key
Carol Wininger	10	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Catherine Wong	9	Flash Fiction	Honorable Mention
Austina Xu	10	Humor	Gold Key
Anjali Yamasani	11	Short Story	Honorable Mention
Alison Yang	8	Personal Essay & Memoir	Honorable Mention
Cecilia Yang	9	Critical Essay	Silver Key
Alina Yuan	11	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Irene Yuan	11	Journalism	Honorable Mention
William Zhang	9	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Emily Zhou	11	Personal Essay & Memoir	Honorable Mention
Helen Zhu	12	Critical Essay	Honorable Mention
Sabrina Zhu	10	Poetry	Honorable Mention
Sally Zhu	10	Poetry	Honorable Mention

February 1, 2021Tags: eweekly, express, literature, Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, topliterature, Visual Arts, visualarts

Sophomore poet named finalist in YoungArts competition

Earlier this week, sophomore Sarah Mohammed was named a poetry finalist in the 2021 National YoungArts competition. It is the highest award offered by the National YoungArts Foundation. Her work was selected after a thorough adjudication process carried out by a panel of artists in the appropriate discipline. Mohammed is now eligible to join 20 other writing finalists to take part in National Young ArtsWeek+, which will include virtual classes and workshops with leading artists in a variety of fields. There also will be performances and a virtual exhibition of the finalists’ works.

This honor also means that Mohammed may be nominated to become a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. The National YoungArts Foundation, the agency responsible for selecting the scholars, nominates 60 artists every year to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.

January 14, 2021Tags: eweekly, literature, poetry, topliterature, YoungArts

English teacher organizes summer alumni book club

Over the summer, upper school English teacher Chris Hurshman led a book club with several Harker alumni, meeting each week to discuss Fyodor Dostoevsky’s final novel, “The Brothers Karamazov.”

“I was dreading losing connection with people and longing for a bit of intellectual community over the summer,” said Hurshman. “So I posted an open call to Harker alums on Facebook and invited them to join me in reading and discussing a long novel of their choice.” With similar summer reading activities already established with current students, Hurshman decided to “carry on that habit with our alums.”

“Karamazov” was selected via an online poll, edging out George Eliot’s “Middlemarch.” “When Mr. Hurshman reached out, I thought it was a great opportunity to get to know some new people and take my first step into Russian literature,” said Sana Pandey ‘20. “‘The Brothers Karamazov’ has been called one of the best books of all time, and I wanted to read it and hear about other people’s perspectives on it.”

“I was interested in participating because the book club seemed like a good way both to spend some time with my former classmates and also explore subjects not included within my college studies,” said Derek Yen ‘18, who is currently attending MIT. “Between the interests of the student body and the structure of my coursework, I haven’t had as many opportunities to enjoy literature and participate in literary discussion in college.”

The club met each week via Zoom, and participants found both the reading and the discussions fruitful. “This might have been a byproduct of how ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ is written, but I really enjoyed the intellectual debates that some of the plot points or themes sparked,” said Pandey. “Oftentimes, even though book club was meant to last an hour, we would continue deliberating on the moral or social groundings of a character’s decisions and standpoints for at least an hour after we were supposed to end.”

Hurshman said he hopes that these organized discussions will continue, and possible topics for the next summer are already being discussed, “with some asking to read ‘Middlemarch’ and others to organize a discussion group centered on film or on poetry reading,” he said. “I’m hopeful that, regardless of its final form, this can become a growing tradition and that we’ll be able resume these conversations in person someday.”

September 1, 2020Tags: alumni-express, eweekly, express, literature, topliterature

Upper school students win national gold and silver medals in Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, more than 60 recognized

On March 13, senior Raymond Banke and junior Kathy Fang were named national gold medalists in the 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Banke won for his piece in the Future New category, titled “American Dreamers,” and Fang for her critical essay “A New Woman: A Rediscovery of Women’s Roles in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.” They are the first Harker students to receive the honor since Xinyi “Cherry” Xie ‘12 in 2012.

As national medalists, both students are now eligible to attend the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards national events in New York City in June. The national events include a ceremony at Carnegie Hall and an exhibition featuring the works of top honorees. Earlier this year, Banke received a total of 16 regional awards, including Gold Keys in printmaking, design and art portfolio, as well as Silver Keys in architectural and industrial design, sculpture, printmaking and photography. His nine honorable mentions were awarded for two works each in drawing and illustration and mixed media, as well as submissions in the art portfolio, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and architecture and industrial design categories. In addition to her Mold Medal, Fang also received a regional Gold Key for her essay and two honorable mentions for photography.

Three other students also received national recognition in the form of silver medals. Junior Eric Fang won in photography for his piece, titled “Into the Unknown”; Anna Gert, also a junior, won for her critical essay “Illnesses in Frankenstein: An Explication of Victor’s Recurring Sickness”; and senior Alexander Young’s “A Iaccian Sestina” won in the poetry category.

A total of 64 upper school students were recognized in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards this year, receiving regional Gold Keys, Silver Keys and honorable mentions.

Upper school students recognized in visual arts are:

Cynthia Chen, grade 11: Gold Key (Digital Art), Silver Key (printmaking), honorable mention (painting)

Katelyn Chen, grade 11: Three honorable mentions (one for mixed media, two for drawing and illustration)

Elizaveta Egorova, grade 12: Three Gold Keys (one for digital media, two for design), three Silver Keys (digital art) and two honorable mentions (comic art and digital art)

Eric Fang, grade 11: Gold Key (photography)

Kathy Fang, grade 11: Two honorable mentions (photography)

Anna Gert, grade 11: Gold Key (painting)

Lilia Gonzales, grade 12: Gold Key (digital art)

Rose Guan, grade 12: Two honorable mentions (photography)

Ellen Guo, grade 11: Two honorable mentions (painting, and drawing and illustration)

Susan He, grade 12: Two Gold Keys (digital art), honorable mention (drawing and illustration)

Grace Huang, grade 11: Honorable mention (digital art)

Katrina Liou, grade 12: Two Silver Keys (sculpture, mixed media), two honorable mentions (mixed media, and drawing and illustration)

Adrian Ma, grade 12: Gold Key (painting), two honorable mentions (painting, printmaking)

Annie Ma, grade 11: Two Gold Keys (photography), Silver Key (photography), honorable mention (photography)

Devanshi Mehta, grade 12: Three honorable mentions (design, painting, photography)

Gina Partridge, grade 11: Honorable mention (printmaking)

Andrew Skrobak, grade 12: Silver Key (art portfolio)

Maria Teplova, grade 10: Silver Key (painting)

Nellie Tonev, grade 11: Silver Key (painting)

Zara Vakath, grade 11: Honorable mention (painting)

Anna Wang, grade 12: Gold Key (digital art), Silver Key (sculpture)

Catherine Wang, grade 12: Silver Key (painting), three honorable mentions (art portfolio, sculpture, and drawing and illustration)

Esther Wu, grade 9: Gold Key (photography), five Silver Keys (photography)

Stephanie Xiao, grade 12: Silver Key (photography)

Alina Yuan, grade 9: Two Silver Keys (drawing and illustration, and photography)

Alex Zhai, grade 10: Four Gold Keys (photography), Silver Key (photography), three honorable mentions (photography)

Joshua Zhou, grade 11: Four honorable mentions (photography)

Gloria Zhu, grade 9: Silver Key (drawing and illustration)

Upper school students who won recognition in literary categories are:

Prena Ahcaryya, grade 11: Honorable mention (flash fiction)

Chandan Aggarwal, grade 11: Honorable mention (critical essay)

Raymond Banke, grade 12: Gold Key (critical essay)

Eva Chang, grade 11: Honorable mention (science fiction/fantasy)

Cynthia Chen, grade 11: Honorable mention (poetry)

Emily Cheng, grade 11: Honorable mention (personal essay/memoir)

Ishani Cheshire, grade 12: Two Silver Keys (flash fiction, science fiction/fantasy), honorable mention (poetry)

Kaitlyn Dai, grade 11: Silver Key (personal essay/memoir)

Eric Fang, grade 11: Honorable mention (personal essay/memoir)

Kathy Fang, grade 11: Gold Key (critical essay)

Anika Fuloria, grade 10: Honorable mention (critical essay)

Anna Gert, grade 11: Gold Key (critical essay), Silver Key (critical essay)

Aditi Ghalsasi, grade 11: Honorable mention (personal essay/memoir)

Sophia Gottfried, grade 10: Honorable mention (poetry)

Victoria Han, grade 9: Silver Key (poetry)

Catherine He, grade 9: Honorable mention (poetry)

Angela Jia, grade 9: Honorable mention (flash fiction)

Vivian Jin, grade 10: Five honorable mentions (three for poetry, one for flash fiction, one for personal essay/memoir)

Jeffrey Liu, grade 11: Honorable mention (flash fiction)

Andrew Lu, grade 10: Silver Key (critical essay)

Carolyn Lu, grade 11: Honorable mention (personal essay/memoir)

Annie Ma, grade 11: Two Silver Keys (poetry, critical essay), honorable mention (critical essay)

Kalyan Narayanan, grade 11: Silver Key (poetry)

Luisa Pan, grade 10: Honorable mention (personal essay/memoir)

Annabelle Perng, grade 12: Two honorable mentions (poetry, science fiction/fantasy)

Amla Rashingkar, grade 11: Honorable mention (short story)

Michael Tang, grade 11: Honorable mention (flash fiction)

Betsy Tian, grade 10: Silver Key (personal essay/memoir), honorable mention (poetry)

Nicole Tian, grade 9: Silver Key (critical essay)

Nellie Tonev, grade 11: Silver Key (critical essay), honorable mention (personal essay/memoir)

Larissa Tyagi, grade 10: Honorable mention (personal essay/memoir)

Nerine Uyanik, grade 11: Silver Key (personal essay/memoir)

Annamma Vazhaeparambil, grade 10: Silver Key (journalism), two honorable mentions (journalism)

Lily Wancewicz, grade 12: Gold Key (short story), Silver Key (flash fiction), honorable mention (flash fiction)

Bryan Wang, grade 11: Honorable mention (critical essay)

Daniel Wang, grade 10: Gold Key (personal essay/memoir)

Shania Wang, grade 12: Two Silver Keys (critical essay), honorable mention (critical essay)

Dylan Williams, grade 10: Silver Key (personal essay/memoir)

Alexander Young, grade 12: Two Gold Keys (poetry, flash fiction), six honorable mentions (two for poetry, two for personal essay/memoir, humor, writing portfolio)

Alina Yuan, grade 9: Honorable mention (flash fiction)

Irene Yuan, grade 9: Two Silver Keys (short story, flash fiction)

Elaine Zhai, grade 10: Honorable mention (poetry)

Katherine Zhang, grade 12: Three honorable mentions (journalism, two for poetry)

A previous version of this story mistakenly omitted Kathy Fang’s Gold Medal win as well as this year’s Silver Medal winners. Harker News apologizes for the error.

March 20, 2019Tags: alumni-express, eweekly, express, Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, Top Achievements, topfinearts, topliterature, visualarts

Grade 8 students earn regional awards in 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Six grade 8 students recently won recognition in the 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Nearly 1,700 works were submitted for this year’s contest, each of them evaluated by a team of novelists, editors, journalists, teachers and other professionals in various literary fields.

Students who earned recognition in this year’s contest are:

Brian Chen: Honorable mention (humor)

Connie Jiang: Silver Key (short story), two honorable mentions (short story, personal essay/memoir)

Saavi Kumar: Silver Key (critical essay)

Johnathan Mo: Honorable mention (short story)

Nicholas Wei: Silver Key (personal essay/memoir), honorable mention (short story)

Austina Xu: Gold Key (personal essay/memoir)

March 13, 2019Tags: eweekly, express, Top Achievements, topliterature, visualarts