![“[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)
Students compete in a pumpkin pie eating contest during lunch
Aadyot Bhatnagar (11), Vivek Bharadwaj (10), and Avi Khemani (9) prepare for the pumpkin pie eating contest. Six contestants participated in the round, and Aadyot emerged victorious. Participants and onlookers alike enjoyed the Thanksgiving-themed event.
Students and spectators gathered around a circular table in front of Manzanita Hall today during both lunches to watch the third annual pumpkin pie eating contest.
The contestants kneeled down in front of their plates and Spirit Club co-advisor Andrew Irvine handed out four thick wedges of pumpkin pie. On the count of three, the competitors shoved their faces into their plates and began eating as fast as they could.
Competitors were not permitted to use their hands, causing some of them to have difficulty eating the pie.
Junior Shikhar Dixit entered the competition because he noticed that there were no participants from his class, and looked to Irvine for motivation.
“Whenever I looked at him and looked back at the pumpkin pie, I knew that I was going to win. I feel like pumpkin pie eating is a key tradition to Thanksgiving,” Shikhar said.
He won a chocolate turkey for eating his pie the fastest, and expressed his appreciation for the contest.
Some onlookers were slightly disturbed as they observed their classmates devour the food.
“Seeing everyone going straight in and having crumbs all over their face was disgusting,” Mehul Khetrapal (10) said.
Others were simply entertained by watching the contestants stuff pie into their mouths.
“I thought it was fun watching people get all messy,” sophomore Mary Najibi said.
Spirit club co-president Julia Wang (11) was excited to continue the tradition of pumpkin pie eating that the club started two years ago.
“It’s kind of a Thanksgiving tradition before Thanksgiving. Everyone crowds around and gets really excited,” she said.
While everyone watching the event seemed to be enjoying themselves, senior Silpa Karipineni wished the competition had counted for class points.
“I think it would have been better if they did it by grade instead of just whoever wanted to do it,” she said.
Spirit Club will host another activity in the gym tomorrow during long lunch, the final round of the annual dodgeball tournament. It is featuring the seniors against a team of faculty members.
Natasha Mayor is a reporter for Harker Aquila and the TALON Yearbook. She is a sophomore and has been part of the journalism program since freshman year....