![“[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)
The Upper School Library has recently begun to work on The Book Blog, an online source where students, teachers, and librarians alike can submit reviews of their favorite teen/adult novels.
Open for viewing at harkeruslibrarybookblog.blogspot.com, The Book Blog is currently being expanded and added as a resource for students to find new reading material. Upper School Librarian Lauri Vaughan has offered several students the opportunity to write for the blog during their free time.
“I’ve launched the blog to students who I hope will help build a critical mass over the summertime, and I’m hoping those people will stay as our core membership,” she said. “I think at that point it will draw attention to others who will ask [to write book reviews].”
Vaughan’s current targeted group of writers consists mostly of rising sophomores, though she has invited rising freshmen, juniors, and seniors alike to join The Book Blog.
“The large share of people invited are freshmen and sophomores […] because [they] are some of our biggest readers. I think they can still maintain their love for reading. When a lot of them hit their junior year, a lot of it just falls off,” she said.
Vaughan wants the blog to cater to “teens and adults” and advises reviewers to stray from “young teen” novels.
According to Vaughan, the aspect of the blog that sets it apart from other review websites is its peer-to-peer voice, as “most people get their next book from a personal recommendation.” The blog also has an RSS Feed to alert followers and writers.
Krishan Kumar (11) shares a similar sentiment and looks forward to discovering new books.
“It sounds like an exciting way for members of the community to share their favorite reads, and hopefully it will help us find some excellent books that perhaps we had not heard of before,” he said.
Upper School Librarian Meredith Cranston explained that The Book Blog is a continuous project for community members to read regularly.
“We’re excited because it’s going to be an ongoing and dynamic part of our new websites. It will just help connect students to the website,” she said.
The Book Blog is still, however, currently in its startup phase and features a total of four reviews. The site will continue to accept reviews and will be integrated into the library’s upcoming new webpage in August.
![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.jpg)
