![“[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)
While showcasing students’ extracurricular abilities in debate and art, this week also featured a continuation of road safety awareness on campus.
“Bringing the community together for two different assemblies this week has been fun for me,” Butch Keller said. “Having a chance for the debate program to show their peers what they do, and to do it in such a good way on such a controversial topic as gun control–I thoroughly enjoyed that and I think the community did as well. And then to have the impact group come and talk about such an emotional and intense subject that affects all of us every single day was crucial for a community [this] age. On the lighter side, bringing all the community together to the art exhibit, which is incredible, is another way to show off our talent.”
Four students debaters deliberated the pros and cons of gun control in front of the student body on Wednesday in light of recent occurrences relevant to the issue throughout the country. While Anuj Sharma (12) and Warren Zhang (12) argued the affirmative, Saachi Jain (11) and Ayush Midha (10) took on the opposing view. The assembly served to inform students about the advantages and disadvantages of gun control and help them develop opinions on the issue.
AP Studio Art students displayed their work the same day, holding an exhibition for 2D and 3D art during long lunch. Their creations included paintings, drawings, photography, sculptures, and graphic art. The artworks showcased are part of the students’ individual portfolios that will be sent for submission to the College Board in May in place of an AP exam.
As an extension of last week’s L.I.F.E. board project to increase awareness about driving safety, a group titled Impact Teen Driver came to the Upper School to convey the importance of road safety. After sharing statistics related to the dangers of reckless driving, speakers Martha Tessmer and Leanne Clegg showed videos of families who lost loved ones to car accidents. The two later revealed that they themselves were the mothers of these victims. Following the assembly, Impact Teen Driver received a standing ovation from the student body.
More events to look forward to next week include updates on spring sports.
