![“[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)
Sophomores continue winning streak in Duct Tape Regatta
Sophomore Aaron Huang rows the sophomore boat to victory in the Duct Tape Regatta for the second year in a row. The competition took place in the pool on Thursday, April 25.
Encouraging screams echoed throughout the Singh Aquatic Center as the classes cheered on their boats in the duct tape regatta during today’s spirit competition.
The sophomores retained their first-place position for the second year in a row, while the juniors came in second, the seniors in third, and the freshmen in fourth.
An annual tradition, the duct tape regatta is held every Spirit Week on the day before the rally, weather permitting. Each class designs and constructs a boat made of only cardboard and duct tape. The classes do not have the opportunity to test their boats before the competition.
Four rowers from each class guided the boat; the boats had to traverse four pool lengths to finish the race. As the race started, the juniors and sophomores were neck-and-neck; however, the sophomores pulled ahead, as they and the juniors left the seniors and freshmen in the dust.
The seniors had to resort to swimming and dragging their boat along behind them; the freshmen pushed their boat across the pool. Both classes completed the race long after the sophomores and juniors had returned to dry ground.
“I felt like I needed to win for the class, and I feel that we performed very well. The boat was really amazing and well-made, and I feel that that was a huge factor,” said Maya Nandakumar (10), one of the rowers.
The seniors, whose boat immediately sank when the first rower climbed on, believed that their boat was not the sturdiest or best built.
“We basically swam the whole way, and I feel that our boat wasn’t very reinforced and was very flimsy; the center of balance wasn’t quite right, so when someone sat on it, it tipped over,” Erik Andersen (12) said.
After all the teams finished the race, each class gathered volunteer representatives to earn extra spirit points by belly flopping into the pool. Teachers and students, some fully clothed, jumped into the pool while other students cheered.
“I did [the belly flop] in the past, and I enjoyed showing some class spirit. It was fun – the water was warm, and it was great to do something to support the class. It’s all about having a good time,” senior class dean Jeffrey Draper said.
Spirit week will conclude with the rally tomorrow.
Priscilla Pan is the features editor for the Winged Post and co-creator of In a Nutshell. She is a senior and has been part of the journalism program for...