![“[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)
Bright green and blue cartons of frozen yogurt lined a table outside Manzanita Hall as students gathered around to buy Pinkberry, one of the many items sold by Interact for its club week.
A club new to the Upper School this year, Interact focuses on expanding community service in the community. This past week the club has been working on its international project by raising money for schools and libraries in Bangladesh through an organization called Room to Read.
The club has been selling homemade baked goods, Pinkberry frozen yogurt, smoothies and milkshakes during lunch and after school along with Five Guys burgers during long lunch.
Interact’s fundraisers differ from most club fundraisers because the club sells products from franchises such as Five Guys and Pinkberry rather than only homemade goods.
“It’s really creative and different, and I like having the variety of the fundraiser because normally we only get baked goods,” Savi Joshi (10) said. “It is really nice to get burgers and froyo, and we were able to eat during lunch too, so that was a nice alternative.”
Many members are pleased with the success of the club so far as it has accomplished some of the major goals.
“We have successfully raised tons of money for our international Interact project, and we have made somewhat of a name for ourselves in the local Interact scene,” Activities Coordinator Alan Soetikno (12) said. “As a club, we are constantly going to Interact meetings with other schools and participating in community service.”
The club hopes to raise more than $1000 through the various fundraisers throughout the week.
