• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • The Harker School
  • Menu
  • Admission
  • Preschool
  • Lower School
  • Middle School
  • Upper School
  • Summer
  • More
    • About
    • News
    • Alumni
    • Giving
  • News

  • The Harker News provides timely information, news and features about the Harker community to current and alumni Harker families.

  • |
  • General News
  • Preschool
  • Lower School
  • Middle School
  • Upper School
  • Alumni
  • Summer
  • In the News
Harker News

Upper School Students Kick Off School Year at Matriculation Ceremony

September 4, 2014 by Zach Jones

Share this:

  • Tweet

The 2014-15 school year officially began for upper school students on Aug. 22 during the annual matriculation ceremony. Each grade filed into the neatly arranged seats in the upper school quad. As is now standard practice, the newly minted high schoolers of the Class of 2018 were greeted by a rousing ovation from the students of grades 10, 11 and 12.

Head of School Chris Nikoloff delivered the opening remarks, largely inspired by a TED talk by Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman. Nikoloff discussed the “experiencing self,” which lives in the moment, and the “remembering self,” which ponders the course of one’s life. “If you go on vacation, the self that is enjoying each moment is the experiencing self,” Nikoloff said. “The self who is planning the vacation beforehand and recalling it fondly while looking at pictures afterwards is the remembering self.”

Nikoloff explained that both selves are necessary to fully live our lives. “If we only had the experiencing self, we would live like a piece of music in which each note has no relation to the note that went before or the note that comes after,” he said. Later he added that living too much in accordance with the remembering self “can remove us from the life all around us.” Nikoloff ended his speech by communicating his hope that the students will be able to find the right balance between the two selves.

The women’s vocal group Cantilena then gave a stirring performance of “Dancing Singing” by Hans Leo Hassler, followed by remarks from Butch Keller, upper school division head. He challenged the students to discover the things that matter to them and gave them principles to follow to pursue their goals. “Have you put enough effort necessary into what really matters to you to be successful?” he asked the audience. “It’s really that simple. Even the person who won the lottery had to make the effort to buy the ticket.”

He also touched on commitment, saying, “There’s nothing worth chasing that’s not worth committing to. It means do what it takes at the cost of other things.”

Next, ASB president Sarah Bean, grade 12, welcomed the students to the new year and reflected that “time flies whether or not you’re having fun.” Bean reminisced about her previous three years, particularly the friends she grew to know and cherish. “When I look back on my freshman, sophomore and junior years, I remember the highs and lows of pretty much everything. I also remember the people I was with.” She encouraged the Class of 2018 to seek out new friends of their own and to seek the ASB’s help with any issues they may encounter. “There’s always something that can be better, and that’s what we’re here for,” she said.

ASB vice president Jessica Chang, grade 12, then led the students in the recitation of the matriculation oath, after which the freshmen signed the matriculation book as the Harker String Quartet, directed by Chris Florio, played a stunning version of the Led Zeppelin classic, “Stairway to Heaven.”

The ceremony closed with “Freshman 101,” in which the student council officers introduced to cornerstones of upper school life – including student clubs, time management and academic honesty – by way of hilarious parodies of the Kardashians, Kanye West and reality TV programs such as Master Chef.

Related Post

Grade 5 Student Wins Award for Designing Anti-Bully App
Alumni Meet in S.F. at First Regional Association Event
Middle School Students Launch Online Poetry Forum with School in Kazakhstan
Former Residents of Saratoga Campus Visit, Share Memories
Historic Moment in Harker History as San Jose City Council Gives Third Campus Permit the Go-Ahead
Alumna’s Dream of Becoming a Published Writer by Age 18 Comes True
Intel Finalist Receives County Commendation
Harker Alumni Make Forbes’ Coveted “30 Under 30” Lists of Rising Young Stars

Related

Filed Under: General News, Upper School Tagged With:

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search for Articles

Multimedia Features

  • Harker Research Symposium Video Earns Award
  • Into the Fringe: Conservatory Takes ‘Into the Woods’ to Edinburgh

Trending Stories

  • Eighth grader has phenomenal results in varsity debate tournamentEighth grader has phenomenal results in varsity…
  • Sophomore named national finalist in music composition competitionSophomore named national finalist in music…
  • DECA chapter takes on Fall Leadership Development ConferenceDECA chapter takes on Fall Leadership Development Conference

Subscribe to Harker News via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Harker News and receive a daily digest of recent posts.

Delivered by FeedBurner

The Harker Magazine

Published two times a year, The Harker Magazine showcases some of the top news, leading programs, inspiring people and visionary plans of the greater Harker community.

More Harker publications

About Harker

The Harker School is a private school in the Silicon Valley that has earned international recognition for its top academics, quality teachers and students' achievements. Founded in 1893, Harker is the largest independent preK-12 school in California, serving families of preschool, elementary, middle and high school-aged children on its four San Jose campuses.

Learn more about The Harker School

Links

  • Harker Aquila
  • Preschool
    • Academics
    • Specialty Classes
    • Teachers
    • Support & Services
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Lower School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
    • Teachers
    • Students
    • Support & Services
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Middle School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
    • Teachers
    • Students
    • Support & Services
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Upper School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
    • Teachers
    • Students
    • Support & Services
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
    • Admission
    • Summer
    • About
    • News
    • Alumni
    • Giving
The Harker School

Copyright © 1893-2015 • The Harker School • 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129 • 408.249.2510 | Contact Us | Privacy Policy

  • Follow Us!
  • Admission
    • Request Information
    • Campus Visits
    • Applying to Harker
    • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Admission FAQs
  • Preschool
    • Academics
    • Specialty Classes
    • Teachers
      • Teacher Directory
    • Support & Services
      • Extended Care
      • Food Progam
      • Libraries
      • Summer Preschool
      • Transportation
      • Safety & Security
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Lower School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
      • After-School Program
      • Athletics
        • Coach Directory
        • Athletic Events
      • Character Development & Outreach
      • Global Education
        • Global Relationships - Sister Schools
      • Performing Arts
        • Performing Arts Teacher Directory
      • STEM
      • Student Research
      • Visual Arts
    • Teachers
      • Teacher Directory
    • Students
    • Support & Services
      • Food Program
      • Health & Wellness
      • Libraries
      • Safety & Security
      • Transportation
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Middle School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
      • After-School Program
      • Athletics
        • Coach Directory
        • Athletic Events
      • STEM
      • Visual Arts
      • Global Education
        • Global Relationships - Sister Schools
      • Performing Arts
        • Performing Arts Teacher Directory
      • Character Development & Outreach
      • Speech & Debate
      • Student Research
    • Teachers
      • Teacher Directory
    • Students
    • Support & Services
      • Food Program
      • Health & Wellness
      • Libraries
      • Safety & Security
      • Technology
      • Transportation
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Upper School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
      • Character Development & Outreach
      • Performing Arts
        • Performing Arts Teacher Directory
      • Athletics
        • Coach Directory
        • Athletic Events
      • Visual Arts
      • STEM
      • Business & Entrepreneurship
      • Global Education
        • Global Relationships - Sister Schools
      • Speech & Debate
      • Student Research
    • Teachers
      • Teacher Directory
    • Students
    • Support & Services
      • College Counseling
      • Food Program
      • Health & Wellness
      • Libraries
      • Safety & Security
      • Technology
      • Transportation
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Summer
    • Summer Preschool
    • Summer Camp Plus: KinderCamp
    • Summer Camp Plus: Grades 1-5
    • Summer Institute Middle School
    • Summer Institute Upper School
    • English Language Institute
      • Program Details
        • International English Language Institute Brochures
    • Swim School
    • Summer @ The Conservatory
    • About
      • Eligibility
      • Summer Jobs
      • International Families
      • Summer Registration and Policies
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Philosophy & Mission
    • History
      • Harker's 125th!
    • Events
      • Family & Alumni Picnic
        • Admission Passes & Tickets
        • Alumni Guests
        • Schedule of the Day
        • Raffle
        • Silent Auction
        • Picnic T-Shirts
        • Donations
        • Sponsorships
        • Volunteer
        • History
      • Homecoming
      • Harker Concert Series
      • Harker Speaker Series
      • Harker Gala: Night on the Town
        • Community Sponsorships
        • Corporate Sponsorships
      • Harker Sports Clinics
      • Research Symposium
        • Student Abstracts
        • Corporate Exhibitors
      • Harker Alumni Gold Classic
    • Message from the Head of School
    • Board of Trustees
    • Facts & Stats
      • Student Achievements
      • Alumni Achievements
    • Sustainability at Harker
      • Nichols Hall: LEED Certified
    • Eagle Store
    • Staff Directory
    • Careers
    • Media Information
    • Privacy Policy
    • COPPA Statement
  • News
    • General News
    • Preschool News
    • Lower School News
    • Middle School News
    • Upper School News
    • Alumni News
    • Summer News
    • In The News
  • Alumni
    • Transcript Requests
  • Giving
    • How to Plan Your Giving
    • Annual Giving
      • How Funds are Spent
      • Gift Clubs
    • Capital Giving
      • About the Cornerstones Campaign
      • The Cornerstones Of Success Campaign: Phases 1-5
      • Gift Recognition & Namign Opportunities
        • Capital Giving Gift Clubs
      • How To Make A Capital Gift
      • Naming Opportunities
        • Performing Arts Center
        • Athletics Center
        • Paving Tiles
        • Bucknall Campus
        • Saratoga Campus
        • Policy
    • Endowment & Planned Giving
      • Endowment Policy
    • Volunteering
    • Donations and Pledges