![“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)
![“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)
![“[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)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasn't making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable," Carter Chadwick ('22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
Keller’s Korner – 1/17
As the first semester came to an end, students relaxed by attending events, such as Winter Ball and Winter Concert. Additionally, the last Friday of the semester featured another installment of the LIFE program.
The last week of the first semester is always really stressful for a lot of reasons, so Monday through Thursday have been pretty focused on academics. Friday has LIFE, Eagle Buddies and pajama day, which is one of my favorite days if you go to the Lower School. I know there are some pretty serious topics being discussed in LIFE today. Then, there is the Winter Concert and Winter Ball, so we packed a lot of fun stuff into the Friday and Saturday of this week. That’s more indication that the school is alive and well and everybody is involved in a lot of different things, so it’s an exciting end of the week and a good way to head into the second semester.
Last Friday, the Upper School Lab Band, jazz band, orchestra performed at the annual Winter Concert. The groups played a various songs, including “Cheese That Time Forgot” by Dan Gailey and “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” by Count Basie, both of which featured vocals sung by Julia Wang (11).
On Saturday, students gathered in the transformed Atrium for a “ Great Gatsby”- themed Winter Ball hosted by the Spirit Club and junior class. Some students drank sparkling apple cider and snacked on sandwiches and desserts, while others danced to popular songs.
The sophomores had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with their 3rd grade Eagle Buddies during pajama day at Bucknall. Both Upper School students and advisors dressed in their pajamas to read stories and play games with the younger kids.
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...