![“[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)
Sochi Olympics Officially Begin
The 2014 Sochi Olympics officially started February 7th at 20:14 Moscow Time with the Opening Ceremony. The ceremony broadcasted in the United States at 7:30 Pacific Time on NBC.
While the rest of the games will be streamed live, NBC had a delayed-broadcast on the Opening Ceremony. In an interview with Variety, Mark Lazarus, NBC Sports Group Chairman defended the decision saying, “We want to put context to it, with the full pageantry it deserves.”
The 2014 Sochi Olympics mark the 22nd annual Winter Olympics and are held at Sochi, Russia at the Fisht Olympic Stadium. Over 2800 athletes from 85 countries will be competing in 98 events in 15 different winter sports.
The ceremony included a parade of each nation’s athletes. Using over 60 projectors and display lights, the stadium floor featured a world map illuminating the location of whichever country entered the stadium. Following the parade, school children and adults danced and acted out the story of Russia’s history.
The Olympic torch, which made its longest journey ever to reach Russia, was brought into the stadium by tennis star Maria Sharapova. The Olympic Cauldron was then lit; breaking tradition, the cauldron is built outside the stadium, so that even those who do not go watch the games can still enjoy the flame.
Students look forward to the games and plan to take advantage of February break to catch up on their favorite sports.
“I’m really looking forward to watching the snowboarding, halfpipe, and slalom events, especially since I snowboard,” Sriram Somasundaram (11) said. “”There’s nothing better than bundling up on the couch during break and watching snow sports.”
The games are scheduled between February 7th and the 23rd. Live streams from the events can be seen on NBC.
Roshni Pankhaniya is the Sports Editor of the Winged Post. She is a senior and has been previously been a reporter and the Sports Editor for Harker Aquila....