![“[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)
New TV in the bistro
The bistro’s back wall sports a new TV set for students’ enjoyment. The salad bar was moved to the back of the bistro for easier access, and the fruit baskets were moved to either side of the TV, replacing their original location under the sandwiches.
A 70-inch flatscreen TV was mounted on the back wall of the Bistro after school on Monday, Feb. 24, as a first step towards creating a student union on campus, a project of student council.
Freshmen have Dobbins, juniors have Shah, seniors have the Sledge, but sophomores lack a central area. To provide a hangout location for not only the sophomores, but also the entire school, student council has embarked on a project to create a “student union,” a central location where anybody and everybody can relax.
“[The TV] came from an idea of mine to create a student union and a student atmosphere where everybody could hang out,” ASB Treasurer Rohith Bhethanabotla (12) said.
Some students addressed concern over who is allowed to control the TV.
“I don’t know how people are going to share the TV,” Suzy Lou (11) said. “People like a lot of different kinds of shows, so I’m just afraid that people might have to split it up.”
Some, however, were excited by the fact that a large TV is now available.
“For JSA last year we had a “politics and pizza” night and it would be nice to actually have a TV for that–we were using a projector,” Shannon Hong (10) said.
Now that the TV is installed, the salad bar and tables have moved to better accommodate the change.
“I like the new placement actually. It opens up the room a lot more: before the placement felt kind of awkward, but now there is a wide enough space for seating and enough access to the salad bar,” Sarika Bajaj (12) said.
However, students have mixed feelings about the new setup.
“I don’t like the new setting because the forks and fruit are farther away and the tables are a maze so it takes more energy to get food and utensils,” Janet Lee (10) said.
The installation of the TV is the first step in a continuous effort to transform the bistro into a hangout place for everybody. In the future, student council hopes to install a speaker system as well as provide some furniture.
Fred Chang (12) is the Managing Editor of the TALON Yearbook and co-creator of In a Nutshell. Her positions on yearbook were reporter, Copy Editor, and...