![“[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)
This week’s events encompassed multiple aspects of school life from both the academic and extracurricular realms, including an Eagle Buddies event, Kicks Against Cancer, and an update on the Intel Science Talent Search (STS).
“Any time we can have the Eagle Buddies in full gear, it’s a good week. It was great watching the clowns and kids interact and have fun and laugh,” Butch Keller said. “And we’re all happy for Paulomi and the fact that she’s being recognized for all the hard work and effort she’s put into her research.”
Juniors and their fourth-grade Eagle Buddies “clowned around” with each other at the Upper School on Thursday, January 24. Visited by four clowns and acrobats, the students had the opportunity to take a break from their academic day and take part in face-painting and juggling while catching up with their buddies. Meanwhile, the seniors visited their fifth-grade buddies on the Lower School campus.
The fourth annual Kicks Against Cancer hosted by the girls’ and boys’ soccer teams took place on Davis Field on Friday, January 25. All proceeds from the event are donated to Camp Okizu, a camp dedicated to cancer patients and their families. Both teams were victorious, with the boys defeating Pinewood 3-0 and the girls winning against Eastside College Preparatory 6-0.
Senior Paulomi Bhattacharya received the news on Tuesday evening that she was recognized as one of 40 Intel STS finalists in the nation. The only one of six semi-finalists at the Upper School to advance to the final round of the competition, Paulomi will have the opportunity to present her project in Washington D.C. and meet President Obama.
More events to look forward to next week include WiSTEM week and the annual Dance Production.
