![“[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)
Harker’s Eclectic Literary Magazine (HELM), the finished product of months of work by its staff, came out for sale today and will continue to be sold tomorrow during lunch.
Throughout the year, members of the staff came together to vote on submissions and discuss the publication. While the design was completed by club member Emily Chu (12), the layout and arrangement of pieces were mostly organized by co-editors Juhi Muthal (10) and Justin Gerard (12).
“It was pretty hectic because both of us were pretty busy all year,” Justin said. “We had a lot of trouble trying to find the layout of the magazine and a lot of time spent just trying to organize it.”
Sorting through submitted pieces allowed Juhi to notice trends in this year’s submissions compared to those of previous years.
“This year’s submissions were very strong as usual, but we got a lot more art this year for some reason than writing, so this magazine features a wider selection of art than writing,” she said.
Junior Efrey Noten, who contributed a writing piece and helped with HELM’s production, felt that the caliber of the magazine helped to present his work in a favorable light.
“What normally happens is when I write something and then I look over it a few months later I tend not to like it because somehow my writing mind has changed so much, but I think–what I put in HELM this year–I still like it,” he said. “I can read over it and still appreciate what I wrote so I think that says a lot about the quality.”
For Justin, seeing the finished product is the most rewarding aspect of their work.
“Finally getting it all together and finally actually publishing it–it’s like something you can really be proud of; it’s a physical legacy,” Justin said. “I just like looking at it, maybe like feeling it and touching it; it’s just that special.”
Throughout lunch, many expressed the same appreciation for the magazine as they stopped by to purchase a copy. Several students and faculty bought the magazine to read their peers’ work or enjoy the art and writing inside.
“I am interested in reading everything in it and looking at the art, and I also want to support the people,” Helen Woodruff (9) said. “It looks really professional; I like it.”
Copies of HELM can be purchased in Manzanita for $10 during both lunches tomorrow. Students can bring cash or charge to their student accounts.
