![“[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)
Major events of the first few days of school included the first ever “First Friday” and a delayed Matriculation.
“Well, First Friday was a new event that we thought we would try to see how the students would respond to it the first week of school,” Head of School Butch Keller said. “It was a huge success – at least everyone I’ve talked to really enjoyed it – so I think it’s now going to be a staple in what we do. I suggest that [if students have] any improvements or anything that they saw and they liked or thought could be improved should speak to Kerry or the class deans so we can make it bigger and better next year.”
This year, First Friday replaced the back-to-school mixer and offered the opportunity for students to swim and play games including dodging lasers in laser tag and racing in zorbs – human hamster balls. While approximately 140 students were on the field, parents were invited to have dinner in Nichols for a back to school social.
http://www.talonwp.com/2013/08/news/first-friday-kicks-off-the-new-years-spirit-activities/
“Although [Matriculation was] very different from the traditional first day of school, everybody I talked to enjoyed it, faculty and students alike,” Keller said. “I know a group of people are going to get together and talk about [changes in the future]. I really do appreciate the effort that the student council put into the skit, and I thought it was a lot of fun. I think Russell was a big hit.”
The postponed Matriculation ceremony took place during an alternate schedule on Wednesday after being delayed. Speakers included Head of School Christopher Nikoloff, ASB President Arjun Goyal (12), and Keller. As is tradition, freshmen and new students signed the Matriculation book promising to follow the honor code.
http://www.talonwp.com/2013/09/featured/matriculation-ceremony-welcomes-class-of-2017/
