![“[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)
Idea Challenge in celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week
DECA
The eight-day Idea Challenge, hosted by the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), encourages students to find a new use for an everyday object. The mystery object for experimentation this year is an aluminum can. Harker members participate in celebration of the Global Entrepreneurship Week.
The Harker Business Club (DECA) announced the Idea Challenge, a project that allows students to innovate a new function of an everyday object, in an email sent out last Thursday by club advisor Juston Glass.
DECA revealed the mystery object, an aluminum beverage can, at midnight Thursday. The week-long challenge, ending Nov. 22, requires a team of three to four students to brainstorm ideas for the product, create the product, and finally present it in a three minute youtube video. A panel of judges will then assay the final product.
“I think it is an activity that doesn’t require a lot of time, and it’s a great innovative entrepreneurial experience because [students] are able to brainstorm, work as a team, and innovate,” Glass said. “You are short on time so you can’t waste days or hours doing too much.”
Students submitting work should complete a form sent out in the DECA email and post their project’s corresponding youtube video online by 6 p.m., Nov. 22. The final winners will be announced Dec. 12.
A thousand dollar prize will be awarded to the global winners, along with online recognition by the DECA Inc. and Global Entrepreneurship Week websites. The team will also be acknowledged at the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) from May 3 to May 6. The top Harker competitors with the highest school-wide rating in the challenge will also receive an unannounced award.
“I think the idea challenge is a useful way to get people more involved with DECA without having to attend conferences,” DECA director of public relations Gaurav Kumar (12) said.
Middle schoolers at Harker, along with high schoolers, have the opportunity to enter the Challenge year as well since, as Glass says, “innovation has no age.”
The Business Club also participated in the Silicon Valley DECA Leadership Development and Competitive Excellence Conference (LDCEC) last weekend, Nov. 15 to 17 in San Francisco, where lecturers such as lawyer and politician Rohit “Ro” Khanna spoke to the students.
“We went to all the workshops and listened to both professionals and students explain and go in depth about [DECA-related] subjects,” Lekha Chirala (11) said.
The non-competitive convention also benefited club members who wanted to strengthen role-play and other business skills by allowing them the opportunity to participate in various workshops led by featured motivational speakers and business professionals.
The next Silicon Valley Career Development Conference hosted by DECA will take place Jan. 3 to 5. In the meantime, only four days remain until the Idea Challenge deadline.
Mariam Sulakian is the Features Editor of Harker Aquila. She has been a member of the journalism program for four years and appreciates the opportunities...
Suraya Shivji • Nov 19, 2013 at 6:08 pm
Great article Mare! Keep up the good work! #idea