WINGED POST
THE HARKER SCHOOL
Nonprofit Org. US Postage PAID San Jose, CA Permit No. 2296
500 SARATOGA AVE.
SAN JOSE, CA 95129
THE UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE HARKER SCHOOL VOL. 26 NO. 1
500 SARATOGA AVENUE, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95129
UPCOMING DATES TK-12 SPIRIT DAY TUESDAY, AUG. 27 FIRST FALL BREAK DAY FRIDAY, SEP. 27
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2024
New academic year kicks off with matriculation ceremony
HARKER DAY, HOMECOMING SATURDAY, OCT. 5
inside the
ISSUE
news ................. 02
opinions ........... 10
features ............ 04
stem .................. 12
a&e/lifestyle ..... 06
sports ............... 14
Robotics Team 1072 trains new members Thirty-five incoming frosh attended Harker Robotics’ annual summer camp at the upper school from Aug. 5 to 9, where 13 rising sophomores and upperclassmen taught them about various aspects of the team. The week started with a broad overview of the team’s operations, purpose and history before progressing to more specific training. Frosh chose which subteams they wanted to learn about, with many opting to focus on technical ones like design and machining. Each subteam’s work culminated in presentations on Aug. 9 where frosh discussed what they learned about and worked on.
Harker Dance members attend USA Dance Camp jessica wang Harker Dance Company and Kinetic Krew members attended U.S.A. dance camp from Aug. 7 to 9 to prepare for their performances during the 2024-2025 school year. Both groups learned one shared dance and two routines specific to their individual groups. The joint camp dance was a jazz number; one Harker Dance Company’s was contemporary and the other jazz, while Kinetic Krew’s two dances were both in the style of hip-hop. Dancers also conditioned and worked on technical skills during the camp.
Orchestra welcomes students to music mini-camp jessica wang Students attended Orchestra minicamp on Aug. 17 at the Rothschild Performing Arts Center to improve their musical skills. Orchestra members began to practice Mozart’s “Magic Flute Overture”, Stravinsky’s “Petrushka”, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade Op. 35.” They also tackled William Grant Still’s “Afro-American Symphony Movement 3” and collaborated with the choir on Holst’s Personent Hodie. The camp featured sectional rehearsals focused on audition excerpts, providing tailored practice for each instrument group. The group also engaged in teambonding activities such as Kahoot.
NEW CHAPTER Ishita Konakanchi (9) signs the Harker Matriculation book, affirming her commitment to abide by the
KAIRUI SUN
mihir kotbagi
matriculation oath. Associated Student Body Vice President Alicia Ran (12) led attendees in the 2024 recitation of the oath, and then returning students recessed from the gymnasium to provide space for a more intimate signing by the class of 2028.
lily shi Students and staff began the school year on Matriculation Day and listened to speeches welcoming the Class of 2028 to campus and highlighting Harker’s values in the Zhang Gymnasium on Friday. Frosh entered the gym to the applause of seniors, juniors and sophomores. Head of Upper School Paul Barsky introduced Harker’s four core values and expanded on the first value of kindness. This year, each grade will focus on a specific value: frosh on personal accountability, sophomores on respect, juniors on integrity and seniors on kindness. Barsky emphasized the importance of kindness in his speech, highlighting how small individual acts can lead to more acts of kindness in the community. “I think it’s really important and valuable that we’re acknowledging these values,” Honor Council member Linda Zeng (11) said. “Sometimes people forget about them, and if we just have one we
04 features
Meet our new faces on campus for the 2024-25 year
can really focus on in a year, it can help unite each grade and also help us connect more with them.”
“
It’s important to really recommit every year to the values that we hold dear.”
ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL ASB President Sam Parupudi (12) welcomed the Class of 2028, offering advice for the year. The Harker String Quartet, conducted by Jaco Wong, performed “Stay with Me” and “Viva la Vida.” ASB Vice President Alicia Ran (12), Ariana Gauba (12) and Honor Council members highlighted personal accountability, respect and integrity. Sam
06 12 a&e/lifestyle stem Barbie summer 2.0: Female pop icons dominate summer charts
JENNIFER GARGANO
Life in the lab: a glimpse into hands-on research
14 sports
Ethan Hu (‘20) continues swim career at D1 collegiate level
introduced student leaders, and Alicia led the annual recitation of the Matriculation Oath. Due to technical difficulties, class council videos were posted on Schoology instead of being screened live. After the ceremony, the frosh remained in the gym to sign the Harker Matriculation book, officially marking them as members of the upper school as well as affirming their full commitment to the oath. Students spent the remainder of the day meeting with their advisory, filling out handbook acknowledgments and other forms, taking student photos and attending individual class orientations. “It’s important to really recommit every year to the values that we hold dear, because the values are the foundation upon which everything is built,” Assistant Head of School Jennifer Gargano said. “Once we have that foundation, we feel safe and we feel nurtured. And when you feel safe and feel nurtured, then you can learn.” Visit harkeraquila.com for full story.
JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOW
@harkeraquilaDIA DESIGN BY VICTOR GONG AND JESSICA WANG