![“[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)
Red Cross Club is preparing for its annual blood drive held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. tomorrow by organizing sign-ups and raising awareness.
Student donors must be over 16, weigh at least 110 pounds, and pass physical and health history examinations such as blood iron tests before donating.
The club is focusing on blood donations with a current goal of 75 sign-ups. It promised to slime the ASB cabinet in front of the entire student body if the goal is reached. As of Tuesday, around 60 to 65 people had signed up to donate.
“We try to get as many people as possible to donate blood so they can save lives. The current conversion is for every pint that’s donated, three lives can be saved,” Red Cross Club member Sumit Minocha (12) said.
In addition, Red Cross spread awareness of how blood donations can save lives around the community by giving announcements during school meetings and encouraging people to participate.
“We want to make people realize how important just a little bit of blood is to save a life, even if they can’t donate,” club member Sahiti Avula (10) said. “Just donating a little and just supporting us can actually get really far. It can really help people.”
To encourage all students to contribute, even those not eligible to donate blood, the club is holding a bake sale every day after school this week except Wednesday, the day of the drive.
Some students chose not to donate due to sports practice after school, as possible side effects of blood donation include muscle fatigue. Others have academic or club commitments during the lunch the drive will be held. Some also felt uncomfortable with the process of drawing blood.
“I don’t like the sight of needles and the feeling of having my blood taken out from me,” Gillian Wallin (10) said.
However, many students understood the message the Red Cross club conveyed, becoming more aware of the impact of blood donations in helping people.
“This is my second time doing it, so I [know] what to expect. It’s a pretty simple process; there’s nothing bad about it. It’s easy and it’s good to help out,” Isaac Rothschild (11) said.
The blood donations and funds will be given to the San Jose Red Cross chapter, which will distribute the blood to local hospitals.
