![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.jpg)
![“[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)
In a test of knowledge, speed, and class spirit, students competed during both lunches today in a science-oriented trivia tournament organized by Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (WiSTEM).
The seniors won during fifth period and the freshmen won during sixth period in the competition, which was part of WiSTEM’s STEM week spirit activities.
For the trivia, each student first tried to buzz in before the other team on a tossup question, which could cover anything from earthquakes to frog anatomy. The team that scored could then collaborate on a related bonus question for extra points. Overall scoring was based not only on points in the competition, but also on participation.
According to WiSTEM secretary Daniela Lee (10), the event was not as successful as she had hoped due to low participation, but the participants enjoyed it nonetheless.
“Only a few of them actually knew the answers to most of the questions, but seeing people’s reactions to the challenging ones was hilarious,” she said.
Freshman Michael Zhao participated and described the quiz bowl as “interactive and fun,” but he also noted a lack of promotion leading up to the event.
“It was a great way to get people into STEM week, but I think STEM week [as a whole] could be improved by advertising more and having more activities,” he said.
The purpose of these spirit activities was to raise awareness for STEM causes as well as promote the Upper School’s STEM-related clubs.
“The robot race [on Tuesday] and the quiz bowl were ways for students who don’t usually have the opportunity to participate in these clubs to have a chance to learn about them,” WiSTEM member Andy Wang (11) said.
Points from today’s event will contribute to each grade’s ongoing totals for STEM week. At the end of the week, these points will determine how much of WiSTEM’s donations are sent to each class’s chosen charity.
“STEM week was about helping people around the world through our causes, but it was also about having the whole school come together in support of science,” WiSTEM treasurer Kristine Lin (11) said.
The final STEM activity, the Chemistry Magic Show, will be held during lunch tomorrow by Chemistry Club.
