![“[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)
That Awkward Moment review — 2.5/5 stars
Treehouse Pictures
Released on Saturday, the guy-centric romantic comedy “That Awkward Moment” starring Zac Efron, Miles Teller, and Michael B. Jordan is a film that in and of itself feels like one long, awkward moment.
The film revolves around the lives of three men in their twenties and their vow to one another to stay single and party hard with women galore. Inevitably, the film resorts to the old cliché that “love conquers all” as the trio falls for their respective female partners, each relationship facing the awkwardness of answering the question, “where exactly is this going?”
Truly unoriginal and formulaic, “That Awkward Moment” is predictable, lacking ample comedic moments to compensate for a lost plotline. While there are a few laugh-out-loud, relatable moments, a majority of the jokes feel forced into trite dialogue, calling for an awkwardly silent theater.
While the trailer seems to do a decent job of promoting the film as a charming romantic comedy, “That Awkward Moment” comes across as a meager attempt to draw the male population to rom-coms.
Perhaps the original allure of the film was the cast featuring Michael B. Jordan from the television show “The Wire”, Miles Teller from the 2013 film “21 & Over”, and surprising addition Zac Efron. Unfortunately, “That Awkward Moment” proves to be a waste of star talent. Not to mention, it felt seemingly impossible to separate Zac Efron from his iconic role as star basketball player Troy Bolton from Disney’s “High School Musical.”
Despite its evident downfalls that appear all too detrimental from the get-go, “That Awkward Moment” does hold a few imaginative moments. The acknowledgement of the awkwardness in dealing with relationships creates realistic and dynamic characterization that works in the film’s favor, albeit to a limited extent. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes apparent that the film is a strained shot at depicting a relationship comedy from a male standpoint, filled with sexist remarks and painfully unfunny role reversals.
Looking past the hackneyed plot and lack of serious comedic appeal, “That Awkward Moment” is still nothing to rave about. With a sexist and slightly obnoxious storyline, the film’s cons outweigh its pros.
“That Awkward Moment” is currently ranked third at the box office, just behind “Ride Along” and “Frozen” in first and second respectively, and raked in $9 million its first weekend in theaters.
Samar Malik is the Lifestyle Editor of The Winged Post. She joined the journalism program her sophomore year, during which she placed second in the International...