![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and its played such a major role in who Ive become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something Im [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala (21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“Im not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
On Monday, March 5, 80 members of the school community participated in the eighth annual golf classic, held at the Stanford Golf Course.
Prior to the official opening, players tried their hand at “Putt for Prizes,” a casual game in which each person had two chances to sink a putt into a hole designated with a certain prize. Additional shots could be purchased for $5, and the value of the prizes increased with distance from the starting point. Prizes ranged from towels to Stanford apparel.
Following a brief lunch at noon, golfers took off with their assigned teams and began the tournament. The classic followed an 18-hole “scramble” model, where each team would begin at a different hole. A smart car was awarded to the first golfer to sink a hole in one on hole 14. Scores would be collected and tallied at the following dinner and wine tasting hosted by the McNealy family, one of several major sponsors of the event.
Players included sponsors, parents, faculty, and several members of the high school golf teams who were invited to join the adults.
Varun Cherukuri (10), second year member of the Varsity boys golf team, enjoyed the “great atmosphere” of the tournament and would “definitely want to come back” and play in another classic.
Meanwhile, having golfed “pretty much [his] whole life,” Maverick McNealy notes the competitive yet relaxed environment while golfing.
“[The Golf Classic] definitely gets a lot of people who don’t play as much a chance to play,” he said. “It’s not too stressful and you get to play [with people] you wouldn’t otherwise talk to and spend some time with them.”
Started in 2000 by the Parent Booster Club and headed by the Hartshoch family, the tournament has been held at several different locations including Silver Creek Valley Country Club and a course in Sunol County. After a five-year hiatus starting 2002, Executive Director of Advancement Joe Rosenthal restarted the event and has been organizing it ever since.
“I think it’s just a great community-building activity, and there’s so many families at Harker that play golf and enjoy playing golf,” he said. “It just seemed like a pretty natural thing to do and we had so much fun when the Parent Booster Club was doing that before […] so we decided to have the school take the lead over in the Advancement office and […] it just worked out really really well.”
Chris Nikoloff, Head of School, agrees that the classic unites the community through golf.
“[Getting] everybody together in all different parts of the community – parents, faculty, staff, students, alumni – and spending a good day together [is my favorite part],” he said.
All funds raised will benefit the school’s endowment fund, proceeds from which are currently directed towards scholarships and student programs. Rosenthal estimates the total amount raised to be approximately $30,000.
