![“[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)
With the homecoming week approaching in just two weeks, students of all four classes have begun preparing for the homecoming rally by working on their eagles, floats, and skits.
This year, the homecoming game has been moved forward to September instead of taking place in October, which gives each class less time to work on their projects. Students have already become used to the earlier upcoming date and are progressing more quickly.
“It took us a little by surprise because of such an early date but overall we’ve adjusted and we’re getting on track and we’re looking forward to having a fun homecoming this year,” sophomore Spirit Coordinator Edward Sheu said.
Junior class President Sarah Bean planned on making this year’s eagle less structurally complex than last year’s eagle due to the time constraint. Regardless, she feels that the juniors will perform well during the homecoming rally.
“I think our class is going to do even better than last year because we are going to prove to everybody that 2015 can in fact beat 2014,” she said.
The seniors have started on their preparations as well and already come up with a design for the float, planning to begin building this week. Many seniors have volunteered to participate in the skit, as it is their last chance to be a part of the homecoming rally experience.
“It’s our last year as seniors so everyone’s going to put in effort and I hope it goes well,” senior Vice President Dora Tseng said.
Since the freshman class has not yet elected its student council members, the homecoming rally committees are currently led by either people who plan on running for student council positions or the “most energetic and most spirited” students, according to Class of 2017 Dean Jeffrey Draper.
“I feel like they are good, we got T-shirt designs in. We got a flag going and that’s always a lot to get going really fast,” Draper said.
The homecoming rally will take place on Friday, September 27th, prior to the football game that evening.
