![“[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 annual Fashion Show stole the spotlight during the short week following break.
“The Fashion Show is one of the highlights of the year in that the community has to come together and work together to produce this incredible show that does so much for our community and for the ultimate benefit of the students,” Butch Keller said. “It’s always fun to see the Fashion Show come together with so much work and see all the people [involved] rewarded and having so much fun in the process.”
Themed “Mission: Possible,” an afternoon and evening show were held at the San Jose Convention Center and featured models from every walk of the community: students, faculty, and parents.
As attendees entered the building, they were greeted with instrumentalists and Upper School hosts and hostesses; guests also had the opportunity to play poker in the lobby.
The show commenced with a segment featuring all senior models dressed in Ken Chen San Francisco designs. Throughout the show, groups from all three campuses, including the fifth grade choir, Downbeat, Dance Fusion, Showstoppers, Varsity Dance Troupe, the Harker Octet, and Jazz Band, performed in between runway segments. The entire cast danced together during the “Gangnam Style” segment, which featured math teacher Misael Fisico as “Psy” and merited a standing ovation from several members of the audience. The show concluded with Downbeat singing “Just the Way You Are” to the melodies of the Harker Octet as the senior models strutted down the runway.
Concluding the evening show was an auction that included items such as teaching at Harker for a day, followed by a dance for models and attendees.
More events to look forward to next week include a road safety assembly as a part of the L.I.F.E. project to help encourage cautious driving.
