![“[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)
WiSTEM hosts STEM Fair during long lunch
Shannon Su and Kaity Gee
Ryan Pachauri (11) attempts to crack a frozen vegetable with a hammer. At the STEM Fair, Chemistry Club exhibited an activity in which they froze vegetables with liquid nitrogen and then invited students to crack the frozen vegetables with a hammer.
As part of its annual club week, WiSTEM (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) hosted the STEM Fair in the Atrium during long lunch, allowing students to participate in various science-related activities.
STEM Week is coordinated by WiSTEM to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics within the school community and fundraise for a cause, which is the Children’s Club at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Tanzania for this year. The club is working with the Tanzania Expedition Group to support clinics that accommodate children with HIV and AIDS.
Though STEM week is the official club week of WiSTEM, the club invited other Upper School STEM clubs to participate in the fair. Among the clubs featured were Chemistry Club, Green Team, and Triple Helix.
Chemistry Club exhibited an activity in which it froze vegetables with liquid nitrogen and then invited students to crack the frozen vegetables with a hammer.
Chemistry Club advisor Andrew Irvine explained that though he is always apprehensive about STEM Week in regards to safety concerns, the event went off “without a hitch” and was “fantastic.”
“As a chemistry teacher, I get all sorts of questions about “‘Hey! Can we make a bomb? Can we set the school on fire?’, and I always say absolutely not, it’s all about safety,” Irvine said. “It’s a balance between making sure that kids can be excited about chemistry and science and STEM in general, while also making sure that I have enough time to manage the interests of the students without letting them get hurt.”
Adithram Rengarachandran (12), co-vice president of Chemistry Club, echoed Irvine’s opinion, believing that “[STEM Week has] been very successful in really educating the whole of Harker on what is really important to our education.”
Serena Wang (11), a member of WiSTEM, expressed sentiments of satisfaction regarding the turnout at the fair, explaining that more people attended STEM fair this year than last year.
“I think it’s really cool how the whole school has fun and contributes to charity at the same time,” she said, concerning STEM week overall.
Bake sales will be held throughout the week during Extra Help, advisory, and after school outside Manzanita. In addition, STEM-related activities will continue to take place during lunch for the remainder of this week. Monday featured a Guess the Statistics Challenge, hosted by WiSTEM and FEM (Female Empowerment) to provide students with statistics about women in the workplace. Students also received the opportunity to write messages to girls at FEM-supported schools, encouraging them to make a difference in the world.
Allison Kiang (11), webmaster and STEM buddies coordinator of WiSTEM, was pleased with the alliance of the WiSTEM and FEM clubs.
“I think it was a nice union of our two clubs because we’re both promoting women’s causes. Normally we focus more on the STEM side, so [it’s] a nice change to bring in more the women’s rights issues,” she said.
On Tuesday, students were taught how to make their own lava lamps and Wednesday featured the STEM fair during long lunch. On Thursday, there will be a crossword puzzle about the Children’s Club at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, and Friday will present a Fermi problem for students to attempt to solve, with the winner in each lunch receiving a prize.
Riya Godbole is the Lifestyle Editor of The Winged Post. She is a senior and has been part of the journalism program since her freshman year. Her favorite...
Shannon Su is the Managing Editor and Executive News Director of Harker Aquila. She joined the program as a reporter her freshman year and has held many...
Kaity Gee (12) is the assistant Editor in Chief of Wingspan. Serving as a reporter for TALONWP freshman year, Kaity has written pieces for Winged Post...