![“[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)
“The Carrie Diaries”: Remake of 80’s show Sex and the City- 4/5
CW
Shown above is the star of “The Carrie Diaries,” Annasophia Robb. She and Austin Butler star alongside one another in this show.
“The Carrie Diaries”, starring AnnaSophia Robb as Carrie Bradshaw, is a remake of the hit show “Sex and the City” on the CW network, and follows the numerous escapades of Carrie Bradshaw, a teenage girl of the 1980’s.
Carrie Bradshaw, age 17, lives in the fictional Castlebury, Connecticut with her father and younger sister Dorit (Stefania Owen). At the start of the first season, Carrie is given the unique opportunity to intern at a law firm in Manhattan, while still attending high school.
On her first day as an intern in New York City, Carrie runs into the editor of a renowned fashion magazine, Larissa Loughlin (Freema Agyeman). Larissa takes Carrie on wild adventures and teaches her how to live like a true New Yorker. After taking a liking to Carrie, Larissa offers her a chance to intern at Interview Magazine.
Carrie is keen on taking the internship, but becomes hesitant after realizing that her father may become disappointed in her. As she narrates the story, Carrie reflects on her initial days in Manhattan as being immersed in a “love affair with the city”.
Facing a myriad of struggles including dealing with her mother’s death, caring for her rebellious 14 year-old sister, romancing “bad boy” Sebastian (Austin Butler), and balancing her time between school and her internship, Carrie is often forced to prioritize, sometimes leaving those closest to her upset and hurt.
Carrie has a tight-knit group of best friends, consisting of overachiever “Mouse” (Ellen Wong), impetuous Maggie (Katie Findlay), and timid Walt (Brendan Dooling). Together, the quartet of friends learn, experience new things, and face challenges.
Along with her friends, Carrie has her fair share of foes, including the most popular girl in school, Donna (Chloe Bridges) and her clique.
“The Carrie Diaries” showcases the quintessent parts of the ‘80’s, featuring music from the likes of award-winning artists such as Madonna, The Go-Go’s, Cyndi Lauper, and Stevie Nicks.
The show explores a plethora of topics prevalent in the era, including sex culture, social drinking and drugs, teen pregnancy, and homosexuality.
The writing in certain episodes of “The Carrie Diaries” lacks creativity. While the actors play their parts effectively, the script can be rather dry at times. Though the costumes are certainly unique and ostentatious, they do not always seem to fit the image of typical ‘80’s garb. The exploration of several themes prevalent in today’s society makes the show an interesting watch, and the comparison between the society of the ‘80’s and that of today is shown quite well. Today’s teens can relate to Carrie, who struggles with her mother’s death, and is ultimately forced to become responsible for her younger sister. Teens can also find themselves relating to Mouse’s overachiever personality, Walt’s struggle to accept his sexuality (especially since homosexuality was, by no means, openly accepted in the 1980’s), and Maggie’s relationship troubles.
“The Carrie Diaries” garnered an average of 1.14 million views per episode during its first season. Rotten Tomatoes users rated the first season at 81%, and the second season slightly higher at 83%, while IMDb’s users deem it a 7/10 stars. “The Carrie Diaries” has been nominated for two Teen Choice Awards.
The strong female lead, music, and unique wardrobe choices mix together to make “The Carrie Diaries” an unforgettable tale, best suited for teenage audiences.
The show is currently nearing the end of it’s second season, with the season finale set to air on Jan. 30.
Tara Parimi (12) is co-Editor-in-Chief of Harker Aquila, and this is her fourth year on staff. She has been involved with the upper school's journalism...