![“[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)
Keller’s Korner – September 20
This week featured a different LIFE assembly for each grade as well as a Junior Varsity football game against Irvington High School.
The freshman class listened to advice about the upcoming school year and high school in general from this year’s Senior Panel. Meanwhile, the sophomores listened to a presentation by Diane Main about internet safety, and the junior class listened to a presentation from the Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES) and learned two breathing techniques to calm the mind. The seniors spent the time playing with their Eagle Buddies.
“That day when we do [Eagle Buddies and LIFE assemblies] is always one of my favorites because I just love watching the high schoolers interacting with their Eagle Buddies. That’s definitely a highlight of my week,” said Head of the Upper School, Butch Keller. “The LIFE assemblies I think are so important to what we do, and the pictures of the LIFE assemblies that we have are indicative of how good they were yesterday.”
http://www.talonwp.com/2013/09/news/life-kicks-off-the-first-assemblies-of-the-year/
The Junior Varsity football team won its second game against Irvington High School, improving its overall record to 2-0. The final score was 20-6. Lead scorer was William Park (9) with two touchdowns.
“Any time we can win a football game, I’m always happy,” Keller said. “I love the fact that we’re out on the field and competing. I’m very happy with the fact that we’re playing, and especially the fact that we’re winning.”
Alyssa Amick (12) is the Co- Editor in Chief of Harker Aquila. She has been part of the journalism program since her freshman year. Her favorite part of...