![“[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)
Classes display floats in annual Homecoming week parade
The Parade included a performance by jazz band, led by director Chris Florio. Jazz band performed two songs and featured students from all grades.
Homecoming week’s annual “Panoply of Chaos” spirit parade led by Spirit Club advisor, Grand Marshal Andrew Irvine displayed each class’ floats during long lunch yesterday.
The parade ran from Manzanita Hall to Nichols Hall and featured a lively performance by jazz band, running commentary by Irvine, and exhibiting the class floats. It was rounded out with a procession by DECA members and advisor Juston Glass.
The freshman class float resembled a castle and was accentuated by a display of smoke generated by dry ice. The sophomore class float, which was decorated with cotton fluff and Care Bears, followed. A TV float by the juniors was decorated with cutouts from various popular reality TV shows, complete with an actual monitor with a video playing. The senior class float, which included a rotating platform with Spiderman and buildings placed on it, concluded the parade.
To freshman for whom the parade was a new experience, the showing of class pride through displaying the floats provided a preview for the Homecoming festivities that will take place Friday.
“It was a lot of fun and the music was really upbeat,” Michael Jin, a jazz band member, said. “Everyone seemed like they were in a good mood. It was a good time for everyone.”
Sophomore class President Michael Zhao agreed, but also felt the float was a tough task.
“The float is one of the most challenging parts of Homecoming preparation,” he said. “You need to understand the mechanics, you need to be able to actually build things, and I think that all these factors contribute to the uniqueness but difficulty of the float.”
Upcoming events to look forward to during the rest of the week include Friday’s annual homecoming rally followed by the homecoming game and dance.
Vivian Isenberg, a senior, is the Humor & Satire editor on Harker Aquila. She was a member of the yearbook staff her freshman year and has been on...
Maya Jeyendran (11) is the Lifestyle Editor of Harker Aquila. She been a part of Harker's journalism program since her freshman year, and has previously...