![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“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 it's played such a major role in who I've 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 I'm [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)
![“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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't 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)
![“[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)
![“I'm 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 there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's 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)
The first week back from Winter break offered students the opportunity to ease back into school due to the three-day week. However, certain groups of students, including the Varsity basketball teams, the Varsity boys’ soccer team, and all Student Directed Showcase (SDS) performers, worked to strengthen their extracurricular abilities during the vacation.
“The highlights are very subtle in that the three events that we’re featuring this week all required commitment and dedication over the break,” Upper School Division Head Butch Keller said. “While other people were off away from home doing things, these groups of people were working to improve in their extracurricular areas. I think it was great that we were able to feature these three teams and these four casts [and] their commitment.”
The Varsity boys and girls basketball teams traveled to Maui, Hawaii over the break to play against three schools: Seabury Hall, Kamehameha-Maui, and Molokai High School. Both teams proved victorious, winning all of their games. The tournament increased their overall season records to 6-4 for the boys and 9-1 for the girls.
Participating in their first game of 2013, the Varsity boys’ soccer team won its game against KIPP San Jose Collegiate High School with a score of 3-1 on Wednesday, January 2. The team now holds a season record of 2-1. The next game will take place on Wednesday, January 9 against Eastside College Preparatory School.
The week concluded with this year’s senior directors Lori Berenberg, Cristina Jerney, Cecilia Lang-Ree, and Hannah Prutton debuting their productions of The Choice is Yours, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Shadow Box, and DNA respectively in SDS 2013. The only performing arts event directed entirely by students, SDS held shows on Friday, January 4 and Saturday, January 5.
More events to look forward to next week include two assemblies and the annual Winter Concert.
