![“[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)
GEO Multicultural Carnival enthralls students
Senior Sarina Vij designs traditional Indian Henna tattoos for students as she hosts a booth for India at Global Empowerment and Outreach club’s annual Multicultural Carnival. The carnival was held Wednesday, March 20 in the Nichols atrium.
March 21, 2013
Cultural music and delicious aromas permeated through the Nichols atrium, which was packed with students attending the Global Empowerment and Outreach (GEO) club’s Multicultural Carnival during long lunch yesterday.
An annual tradition, the Multicultural Carnival showcased 12 booths ranging from ancient Rome to India this year, each hosted by students eager to share their ethnic interests.
Students and faculty were able to try Norwegian sodas, view Korean bookmarks, design Indian Henna tattoos, and look at Middle Eastern clothing all within a few steps.
“We wanted to give everyone at the school exposure to different cultures, and show how people have so many different backgrounds,” GEO club member Shreya Basu (10) said.
The GEO club also continued its fundraiser for the Pencils of Promise charity by selling assorted stationary, water bottles, and pins in the front of the atrium.
John Hawley, Latin teacher and advisor for the Junior Classical League (JCL) club, attended the carnival to support JCL’s booth for the Roman Empire.
“Even though we’re talking about an ancient civilization, we still want to participate and show our spirit for all the things going on,” he said.
Freshman Michael Zhao particularly enjoyed the Italian bread with olive oil served at JCL’s booth. He thought that many of the booths were both entertaining and culturally informative.
“When I look[ed] at all the different countries represented by students, I got to see how many individually unique cultures there are,” he said.
Junior Zina Jawadi was excited this year to host a booth with Omar Hamade (9), Safia Khouja (10), Ramzi Jahshan (10), Mohannad Khadr (10), and Julia Eliovich (10) representing a group of Arabic nations and plans to organize one next year as well.
“I enjoyed celebrating the different cultures through photos, thoughtful conversations, and, of course, food, dressing up, and socializing with other Arabs and other students whom you generally do not talk with on a daily basis,” she said. “Moreover, I love how this event celebrates many different cultures, not just one.”
The Arabic booth was senior Zoya Khan’s favorite, as she loved the music, posters, and clothes presented. She found the carnival a great way to “try new things, especially different kinds of food.”
GEO is currently working with Student Council to organize the Hoscars next Thursday, which is open to both cultural and non-cultural acts.
