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THE HARKER SCHOOL
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THE UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE HARKER SCHOOL
VOL. 28 NO. 1
500 SARATOGA AVENUE, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95129
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2026
Community of spirit takes flight at Matriculation ceremony
Dear frosh,
before you start the year:
Chelsea Xie, Charlene Li, Aileen Jang
Read some words of advice about building connections, managing academics and starting involvement in spirit.
S
PRESIDENTIAL PASSION ASB President Sophia Zhu (12) delivers a speech on the importance of kindness, one of Harker’s pillars.
Inside the
ISSUE
News ......................................02 Features ................................ 04 A&E/Lifestyle .........................07 Opinions ............................... 10 Stem .......................................12 Sports .....................................14
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Get to know the upperclassmen and talk to your teachers. They’re all more approachable than you might think.
HANNAH JIANG SENIOR
“Look at the world you have inherited,” Barsky said. “The campus you walk across, the classrooms you enter, the person sitting beside you, the things you throw around. When you notice that something could be better, don’t simply walk past it. Care enough to do something.” Student speakers spoke about goals for the upcoming year and Harker’s four tenets: kindness, personal accountability, integrity and respect. ASB President Sophia Zhu (12) shared how her elementary school’s “buddy bench” was never empty because her classmates noticed when their classmate needed companionship before they were asked. “When people talk about being kind, it’s almost always framed as a reaction and makes kindness sound conditional,” Sophia said. “It sounds like someone has to send a distress signal before we ask ourselves, ‘should I choose kindness?’ It should be an instinct guiding us toward attentiveness over indifference in every part of our day.” Honor Council member Anirudh Subramanian (12)
Having a space to lay out all your commitments and assignments can be really helpful in managing everything.
ZAHRA SYED PHOTOS BY CHELSEA XIE
tudents and staff commenced the 2026-27 school year by welcoming the students and faculty back to campus at the annual Matriculation ceremony on Friday in the Zhang Gymnasium. To open the ceremony, Head of School Brian Yager encouraged students to find beauty in their experiences at Harker through learning, creativity and compassion. He also rallied the seniors to lead those in the grades below them by offering support. “Seniors, this is the year in which you have the opportunity and the responsibility to lead this institution and to share your brightest qualities in life,” Yager said. “Pave the way for the classes that will be looking up to you, especially this new group of ninth graders who will look to you for guidance and inspiration.” After setting the tone for the school year, Head of Upper School Paul Barsky reinforced the Campus Cares initiative, which urges students to take care of the campus.,
PROUD PLEDGE (TOP) Senior Leon Le raises his right hand as he repeats the Matriculation Oath. ASB Vice President Nicole Dean (12) led students and staff in the recitation. SINCERE SIGNATURE (BOTTOM) Frosh Shannon Li signs the Matriculation Book. This annual tradition upholds the school’s three Honor Code pillars: respect, integrity, accountability.
emphasized integrity through an anecdote about the game Dots and Boxes, describing how short-term frustration can make cheating tempting but upholding morality leads to long-term growth. Student Diversity Coalition representatives Léa KandlZhang (12) and Dhanya Ramanan (12) discussed the meaning of respect and underscored the importance of recognizing others’ inherent humanity and worth.
For the final pillar of accountability, ASB Vice President Nicole Dean (12) explained how taking a difficult class last year taught her to take responsibility and seek guidance when needed. “I enjoyed the speeches from all the student speakers,” frosh Derrick Li said. “It gave me more insight on high school and how to adjust to changes. I’m excited to make have great connections with my teachers and participate in school spirit.”
02 News
04 Features
08 A&E/Lifestyle
11 Opinions
13 Stem
14 Sports
Juniors, sophomores reconnect outdoors
Editorial: Patriotism is more than pride
Meet your new teachers for the 2026-27 school year
Cyclospora parasites put produce under scrutiny
A brand new Spider-man
Challenging the “I’ll be fine” mindset
JUNIOR
Your first year at high school can get stressful. If you want to relax or ease off, spirit’s a great way to do that.
ARUN BANERJEE SOPHOMORE
Invest in this community. Those hard parts may not seem as hard because you’re all going through it together.
KELLY HORAN ASSISTANT UPPER SCHOOL DIVISION HEAD
Join us on social media @harkeraquila
DESIGN BY CHELSEA XIE AND RISA CHOKHAWALA