![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)
![“[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 – November 1
The boys’ and girls’ water polo senior nights, Halloween festivities, and an assembly hosted by Law Club provided students a change in the usual schedule.
Both water polo teams won their senior night game against Cupertino High School. For both teams, senior night was their last home game, and their seasons will come to an end this week.
“I really enjoy [senior nights] because it’s a culmination of a great deal of work on the [senior’s] part and the team’s part,” said Head of the Upper School Butch Keller.
Halloween offered an opportunity for students and faculty to be creative. Students dressed up in creative costumes on Thursday including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Incredibles, and characters from Winnie the Pooh. The Spirit Club hosted the annual pumpkin carving competition during Wednesday, long lunch.
“This week, Halloween had to be my favorite [day] by far,” Keller said. “[I enjoyed] seeing everyone dressed up and relaxed and having fun, and teachers chilling out and dressing like Tigger, Superman, and Wonderwoman. I have to say that yesterday was a great day, a fun day.”
https://harkeraquila.com/12954/showcase/the-evolution-of-halloween/
On Friday, Law Club hosted an assembly featuring Judge Lucy Koh, a Northern District Judge of California. She is the current judge presiding over the Samsung vs. Apple case. Judge Koh answered questions presented to her by both Law Club officers, students, and faculty.
“The Law Club has stepped up,” said Keller. “[They are] having an assembly and reaching out to the student body, so we can learn more about that profession and people in general.”
Keller looks forward to next week’s events including dodgeball, the beginning of Head of School Chris Nikoloff’s lecture series, and the fall play.
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...