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THE HARKER SCHOOL
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THE UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE HARKER SCHOOL VOL. 24 NO. 3
500 SARATOGA AVENUE, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95129
Winter sports kick off katelyn zhao With fall sports coming to an end and many teams qualifying for the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships, winter sports held tryouts and their first practices as they prepare for the upcoming season. Girls varsity golf finished the season undefeated in their league with an overall score of 14-0. They won their sixth consecutive West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) Championship title. With this win, they qualified for the CCS Championships, where they came in second place. This win enabled them to compete in the Northern California Championships, placing sixth on Nov. 7. Continued on page 18.
Junior class bonds with their Eagle Buddies felix chen & shareen chahal The junior class met with their fourth-grade Eagle Buddies on Davis Field on Friday while the frosh, sophomores and seniors took part in LIFE assemblies covering topics from driving to time management. Between periods seven and six, juniors ate lunch and enjoyed their time with their Eagle Buddy families. After getting to know each other, the juniors led their buddies on a campus tour and engaged in various activities such as karaoke and board games.
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SENATE RESHUFFLING Democrats hold 46 seats in the Senate, and Republicans hold 48 seats, with the Democrats gaining one seat in this election as of Nov. 9.
sally zhu & isha moorjani Voting for the 2022 midterm elections finished on Midterm Day, Nov. 8. Results for Congressional seats, propositions and local and state official positions have begun to roll in, with Gavin Newsom securing re-election for his second term as California governor. Democrats currently hold 46 seats in the Senate and Republicans hold 48 seats, with neither party gaining from last election and ultimate control still uncertain. Tossup races in Arizona, Nevada and Georgia all slightly favor Democrats for now. In particular, the high-profile Pennsylvania race between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz was extremely close, with Fetterman leading by 3.8 percentage points. The Georgia race between Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker was also
very close, with neither of the candidates reaching a 50% majority. The candidates will face off in a later runoff race. Furthermore, Democrats currently hold 184 seats in the House and Republicans hold 207 seats, with a transfer of six seats to the Republicans from last election. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Republicans have not yet clinched the predicted significant House lead. Democrat and incumbent Newsom and Republican Brian Dahle were the candidates for this year’s California gubernatorial race. In the primary election on June 7, Newsom received 61.2% of the ballot votes, and Dahle received 15.1%, according to Ballotpedia. Voters re-elected Newsom, who has been governor since 2019, with his support from the blue state remaining strong after he signed Senate Bill 107 to protect transgender youth, as well as 13 reproductive health bills protecting women seeking abortion in Sep-
SABRINA ZHU
READY TO VOTE Arushi Sharma (11) and Joelle Weng (11) pre-register to vote, handing completed forms to a representative from the League of Women Voters.
PROVIDED BY WHITNEY HUANG
Thousands of voices chant, defiant, bold and united, as they reverberate through the streets of Iran. These are the protests that were hidden under an oppressive regime. These are the cries that were held back by the violence of a government. Now, these are the voices that have shattered the boundaries of fear and spoken out. “Zan, zendegi, azadi,” or “women, life, freedom,” has become the rallying cry of the protests against the Iranian government. Anti-government protests erupted in Iran and around the world following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16, an Iranian woman who was taken into custody by the morality police for allegedly defying dress policies. Amini was detained in the city of Tehran for violating the hijab law, according to reports from the morality police. While in custody, Amini supposedly collapsed at the detention facility and was moved to the hospital, where she went into a coma. Continued on page 6.
Republican Democrat Not called
BALLOT DROP Upper school director of journalism Whitney Huang drops her midterm ballot off into the ballot box.
tember. Newsom also heavily opposed key Republican figures Ron DeSantis, Florida governor, and Greg Abbott, Texas governor, in his campaign. Newsom took 57.5% of votes, according to California’s Secretary of State page. He kept strong leads in the Bay Area, taking 69% from Santa Clara County, where the Harker upper school is located. Newson had the strongest showing in San Francisco County, taking 83% of votes, according to AP News. Upper school civics teacher Carol Green emphasizes the importance of voting in midterm elections, especially local races, since they bear the most impact on people’s daily lives. “Recognize that those local ballots are what hits your pocketbook,” Green said. “People vote based on what they see in their local community. If you don’t like the local policies, you have to go turnout for those small elections.” Continued on page 3.
Fall Choral Concert premieres two new choral groups young min Vocal groups Bel Canto, Camerata, Cantilena, Dolce Voce and Rhapsody performed in the fall 2022 upper school choral concert, “Music from the Eastern Hemisphere,” on Thursday evening. Two groups, Dolce Voce, a group of sopranos and altos, and Rhapsody, an ensemble of tenors and basses, premiered during this performance. Selections included traditional folk songs, Persian and Israeli arrangements and an Indian raga that incorporates both major and minor modes. This concert is centered around Eastern sounds – the five upper school choirs hoped to create contrast from Western classics the Harker community is familiar with. “Some of my senior friends will be performing, so since this is our last year, I am trying to go to as many events to sup-
CHORAL CONCERT Juniors Sonya Apsey, Katelyn Hsu, and Juhi Madala sing in a choral concert rehearsal with upper school music and vocal teacher Susan Nace conducting.
port my friends whether that’s in sports or performing arts,” Jessica Tang (12) said. “I am excited to see them perform.” Concert admission was free and seat reservations were available online via the Harker parent portal prior to the concert.
“I appreciate the ability of music to bring us together as a community, and I am super excited to show what we have prepared because we’ve been working really hard for this,” Arjun Gurjar (11) said. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. DESIGN BY SARAH MOHAMMED
SABRINA ZHU
ariana goetting, ananya sriram & shareen chahal
2022 Midterms: Newsom secures re-election ILLUSTRATION BY SHAREEN CHAHAL, INFOGRAPHIC BY SALLY ZHU AND FLOURISH
Pulse of the People: ‘Women, life, freedom’
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022