![“[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 Living with Intent Focus and Enthusiasm (L.I.F.E.) board hosted two driving simulations during advisory and both lunches today to raise awareness about the life-threatening risks of distracted driving.
During advisory, some students participated in an online texting and driving simulation which provided an analysis on the user’s increase in reaction time and driving accuracy while distracted. Additionally, users were presented with facts about accidents and deaths caused by drivers who were texting behind the wheel.
The simulation was designed to bring the risks of texting and driving to surface and encourage safe driving habits while on the road.
“These statistics prove that [a message] you want to text to a friend isn’t nearly as important as having your life being taken away within a few seconds, [which] is a large price to pay for something that can wait,” Reyhan Kader (12) said.
Furthermore, the L.I.F.E. board held a drunk driving simulation during both lunch periods in which participants would attempt to maneuver around cones and walk in a straight line while wearing vision-impairing goggles.
The goggles are intended to reproduce the effect alcohol has on one’s vision and ability to navigate properly. Most students struggled to even walk in a straight line.
Freshman Gwen Howard prompted the L.I.F.E. board to raise awareness about the threats of distracted driving.
“People really need to realize that [distracted driving] isn’t something casual. If you can’t even walk, you can’t handle a car,” she said.
Impact Teen Drivers volunteer Dustin Odell helped facilitate the event to educate students about the risks of distracted driving in general.
“Keeping your eyes off the road and texting while driving [are] the number one killers of teens. Instead of suicides and murders, the number one killer is […] distracted driving,” Odell said.
Participants noted that the difficulty the goggles presented made them much more aware of the risks at stake when drunk driving.
“Before, I didn’t know that drunk driving had such a large impact on [your vision]. After trying this, I realized how dangerous it can be if someone who is drunk were driving,” Tong Wu (9) said.
Several students were able to witness firsthand the risks of distracted driving and, as both simulations encouraged, now have further reason to take extra precautions for the sake of themselves and those around them.
